Portfolio Committee on Health (South Africa)

Portfolio Committee on Health (South Africa)
Name	Portfolio Committee on Health
Legislature	Parliament of South Africa
Chamber	National Assembly of South Africa
Jurisdiction	Republic of South Africa
Type	Parliamentary portfolio committee
Established	1994

Portfolio Committee on Health (South Africa)

The Portfolio Committee on Health is a committee of the National Assembly of South Africa tasked with parliamentary scrutiny of health-related policy, legislation and administration. It interfaces with the Department of Health (South Africa), statutory bodies and provincial counterparts to oversee implementation of public health programmes, budgetary allocations and regulatory frameworks. The committee’s work intersects with major public institutions such as the National Health Insurance (South Africa), the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority, and major events and crises including the HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa and the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa.

Mandate and Legislative Framework

The committee’s mandate derives from the standing rules of the National Assembly of South Africa and from legislation including the Constitution of South Africa, the Public Finance Management Act, 1999, and sector statutes such as the National Health Act, 2003. It performs functions envisaged in parliamentary practice similar to committees in other legislatures such as the House of Commons of the United Kingdom and the United States House Committee on Energy and Commerce while operating within South African constitutional structures like the Separation of powers in South Africa and the oversight mechanisms of the South African National Treasury. The committee’s legislative remit engages with policy instruments including the National Development Plan (South Africa) and with regulatory frameworks overseen by bodies such as the Council for Medical Schemes and the Medical Research Council (South Africa).

Composition and Membership

Membership reflects proportional representation of political parties in the National Assembly of South Africa, drawing members from parties such as the African National Congress, the Democratic Alliance (South Africa), the Economic Freedom Fighters, the Inkatha Freedom Party, and the Freedom Front Plus. Members are appointed under procedures similar to those governing other committees like the Portfolio Committee on Finance (South Africa) and the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education (South Africa). The committee frequently engages external participants including representatives from the South African Medical Association, the Treatment Action Campaign, the World Health Organization, and provincial health departments such as the Gauteng Department of Health.

Leadership and Chairpersons

The committee is chaired by a member elected by the committee, often from the majority party, paralleling practices in committees like the Portfolio Committee on Police (South Africa) and the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services (South Africa). Past and present chairpersons have included prominent parliamentarians drawn from the National Assembly of South Africa who liaise with ministers such as the Minister of Health (South Africa) and deputy ministers. The chairperson coordinates hearings with institutions like the South African Nursing Council and the Health Professions Council of South Africa and manages interactions with oversight entities including the Public Protector (South Africa).

Powers and Functions

The committee exercises powers to call for persons, papers and records under parliamentary privilege similar to provisions used by committees in the Parliamentary oversight tradition. It scrutinises department budgets under the Public Finance Management Act, 1999 and reviews annual reports from entities such as the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority and the National Health Laboratory Service. The committee drafts reports, recommends amendments to bills like the National Health Insurance Bill and engages in public hearings involving stakeholders including Life Healthcare Group, Netcare Limited, and civil society organisations like Section27.

Key Activities and Oversight Role

Regular activities include budgetary review in coordination with the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (South Africa), portfolio briefings from the Department of Health (South Africa), and sectoral oversight visits to facilities such as tertiary hospitals affiliated with the University of Cape Town and the University of the Witwatersrand. The committee has overseen responses to public health crises including the HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa, the rollout of antiretroviral treatment policies influenced by actors like Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki, and emergency responses during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa involving the South African Medical Research Council and the National Institute for Communicable Diseases.

Notable Inquiries and Reports

The committee has conducted high-profile inquiries into subjects such as medicine procurement and supply chains involving entities like the National Department of Health (South Africa) and private providers such as Aspen Pharmacare. It produced reports and recommendations concerning the National Health Insurance (South Africa) proposals, the governance of the South African Social Security Agency interfaces with health services, and investigations related to irregular expenditure highlighted by the Auditor-General of South Africa. The committee’s findings have intersected with litigation and scrutiny by institutions including the Constitutional Court of South Africa and the High Court of South Africa in contested policy disputes.

Relationship with Department of Health and Other Bodies

The committee maintains an oversight and consultative relationship with the Department of Health (South Africa)], summoning ministers and accounting officers such as the Director-General of Health (South Africa). It coordinates with provincial health departments including the Western Cape Department of Health and national regulators such as the Council for Medical Schemes and the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority. The committee engages international partners such as the World Health Organization, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on matters of public health policy, financing and emergency preparedness.

Category:Parliamentary committees of South Africa