The Minister of Health Dr. MJ Phaahla has appointed the SMU Acting DVC Academic and Research Prof. Patrick Hulisani Demana to serve on the Forum to promote Transparency and Multi Stakeholder Engagement Regarding Medicine Availability for the period ending March 2024.
The Forum serves as an advisory body that will assist the Minister of Health in finding solutions towards the improvement of access to and availability of medicine in line with the National Strategy to improve Medicine Availability. This is important because the availability of medicines and other health commodities is an essential element in the provision of quality healthcare to South Africans.
Furthermore, the Forum seeks to contribute to improving access to and availability of medicines and through enhanced transparency, equity, efficiency, responsiveness and accountability in the supply chain by:
• Providing a structured opportunity for stakeholders to share information and stimulate dialogue about medicine access and availability and enable a deeper understanding of challenges faced;
• Allowing an opportunity for stakeholders to contribute to finding solutions to challenges identified, including making contributions to the policy making process;
• Increasing awareness and stimulating participation of the public in actions to facilitate access to and availability of medicines;
• Advising the Minister of Health on appropriate solutions rec ommended by The Forum.
Prof. Demana’s appointment is, indeed, an acknowledgement of the increasingly, significant role that SMU academics continue to play with regard to National development issues.
Prof. Demana, SMU prides itself in this great acknowledgement of your expertise at National level!
