ANC TO LAUNCH HEALTH AND EDUCATION CAMPAIGN

11 August 2008

The African National Congress will launch a health and education campaign on Friday, 15 August 2008 at 09h00 at Walter Sisulu Square in Kliptown.

This campaign arises from the decision of the ANC's Polokwane Conference that health and education should be at the centre of the ANC's social transformation programme for the next five years.

The launch will be attended by about 2,000 people representing ANC and Alliance structures, local communities and civil society organisations. ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe will give the keynote address. There will also be messages from Alliance partners.

The campaign will be launched on the very site where the Freedom Charter was adopted in 1955, a document that defines health and education as important elements of a free and democratic society.

Among other things, the Freedom Charter says:"Education shall be free, compulsory, universal and equal for all children; Higher education and technical training shall be opened to all by means of state allowances and scholarships awarded on the basis of merit."

It also says: "Free medical care and hospitalisation shall be provided for all, with special care for mothers and young children." This requirement has been partly implemented. This will be extended by implementing the Polokwane resolution on introducing a national health insurance.

To further advance these objectives and to build on the successes and achievements of the past 15 years, the ANC is embarking on a mass mobilisation campaign to improve access for all to quality health care and to encourage healthy lifestyles. On the education front, the campaign calls on individuals and organisations to assume responsibility for improving the quality of education.

The health element of the campaign aims to:

• mobilise communities and sectors of society to promote responsible sexual behaviour, and encourage regular voluntary HIV testing and counselling;
• intensify efforts to create an environment that promotes positive individual behaviour in communities, especially among young people;
• mobilise ANC branches to play a visible role in providing care and support to individuals and families in distress, and in working to eliminate stigma attached to HIV and AIDS;
• promote awareness in communities about services available for prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission, antiretroviral treatment and all means to improve nutrition;
• keep our people informed about their rights and responsibilities regarding their health, including the services available to them;
• ensure people participate in the governance structures of health institutions;
• mobilise communities around the Healthy Lifestyles Campaign, including the anti-tobacco campaign and the campaign against alcohol and substance abuse;
• intensify measures to improve equitable access to health care provision and financing;
• involve communities in service delivery improvement to ensure adequate supply of appropriate medicines and other supplies, adequate safety for health institutions and health workers, as well as the monitoring of the general cleanliness of facilities and the quality of care.

The education elements of the campaign will:

• conscientise citizens about the importance of education, and their roles, responsibilities and obligations towards education;
• mobilise communities to provide support to schools, teachers and learners;
• improve the quality of education for all children, adults and youth, especially the poor, and to have this improved quality reflected in better learner achievements.

The achievement of quality education for all depends on the actions of department officials, school principals, teachers, students, parents and community members. These individuals will be called upon to each make a commitment to a 'Code for Quality Education', which describes the responsibilities and discipline required of them.

If all sections of society work together - government, communities, health care workers, civil society, business, media and other sectors - we can improve the health of all our people, and ensure that all learners benefit from quality education.

The ANC calls on all South Africans to join us in this campaign, as part of the ongoing effort to achieve a better life for all.

Issued by:
African National Congress