Speech of Deputy President Ms Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka at the 2007 Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights, Cape Town

Dr Drew Altman, President and CEO of the Henry J Kaiser Family Foundation
Former Chief Justice Arthur Chaskalson
The Honourable Chief Justice Pius Langa
Members of the Kaiser Family
Staff of the Henry J Kaiser Family Foundation
Premier Rasool
Colleagues from Western Cape province
Distinguished representatives of different institutions, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
Ladies and gentlemen

Let me first start by once again wishing former President Nelson Mandela a happy 89th birthday, this is a party which we would like to celebrate as long as we can, so happy birthday Tata wherever you are.

I am sure all of those who had an opportunity either to be at the stadium or to watch the match on television, must have enjoyed the "90 minutes for Mandela" football match.

We also would like to thank the soccer stars who took the time to be here, to do this for Tata's special day.

I am pleased therefore to be able to be part of today's proceeding, and to celebrate some of our heroes amongst us. This Award is the first one of its kind named in Nelson Mandela's honour having been instituted in 1992.

We recognise the link between health and human rights, for many of us without health we are unable to do even the most basic thing, and these awards have been able to recognise and to bring to the fore many special citizens of the world so we can all learn from their contribution and their experiences.

Today we honour and link the names of two remarkable Africans to that of Nelson Mandela's legacy, and I think it is very befitting. Our esteemed recipients, the former Chief Justice Arthur Chaskalson and Professor Wangari Maathai have made immense contributions to building health and making sure that the citizens recognise and celebrate the importance of human rights in South Africa and Africa.

It is therefore most fitting that Nelson Mandela's legacy is linked directly to health and human rights, as his name and the struggle he has always been associated with was for a better life for all people irrespective of colour, religion, creed or gender, and indeed access to basic health services was one of the things that he started with when he became President of South Africa. You will remember that access to healthcare for pregnant women and post-natal care, as well as for children under the age of five was one of the first initiatives of South Africa.

Notwithstanding some of the challenges that we face in terms of the readiness for us to deliver such a service, it was important to make it possible for people to have the right to access those services and of course to build and gear the system in order that we can respond to needs, especially for the people who at the time could not afford to pay for the services.

In South Africa, in our Bill of Rights, the issue of health is also identified as an important service. It is said, "Everyone has the right to have access to:

* healthcare services, including reproductive health
* sufficient food and water
* social security, including, if they are unable to support themselves and their dependants, appropriate social assistance." (From Chapter 2: Bill of Rights, p,13).

Programme director, I am quoting this so that we remind ourselves of some of the obligations that we have, especially some of us who are associated with policy making and implementation, that when we deliver these services or we work in the institutions for the delivery of these services, we must always remind ourselves that we are not doing the people a favour.

These indeed are some of the rights that we commit to the people. There is therefore a big challenge that we face as a nation to live up to these promises. To ensure that we have got a public health system that can really change people in a manner that shows that we are the servants of the people and not their Master. The importance of care and the importance of ensuring that to every extent possible, we provide people with the best possible healthcare services. Resources becomes one of those issues for the constituency that is sitting here, the institutions that you represent, and that I represent, all of us together can learn from one another about how best to undertake this task.

In the area of HIV and AIDS, we all know that there is no way we can win if we do not work together. Partnerships, partnerships, partnerships, we also know that this is a very labour-intensive challenge in a country and at a time when our human resources in health are also overstretched. We need to be able to invest in those people that are willing to do the work and to care. It is for that reason therefore that with the re-launched South African National AIDS Council (Sanac), we have sought to expand the number of sectors and participants that are members of Sanac. I must also emphasise that it does not mean that if people are not committed members of Sanac that we do not need or appreciate their services. We can use and take advantage of everybody who is willing to help because as a country we are all in some way affected.

In the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGS) also the issue of health has a special place, in fact when you look at the eight goals, each one of them has something to do with health if you unpack it.

The eight goals are:

1. eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2. achieve universal primary education
3. promote gender equality and empower women
4. reduce child mortality
5. improve maternal health
6. combat HIV and AIDS, malaria and other diseases
7. ensure environmental sustainability
8. develop a global partnership.

And for Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, these are very important goals. It does become a very great concern when you continuously hear that Africa is not likely to meet the MDGs. I think this is something that we have got to find solutions too. To an extent we actually have to go an extra mile to ensure that most of our countries in Africa are able to achieve significantly in this regard. I certainly think that some of the programmes as well as the goals we have for ourselves as South Africa go way beyond the goals of the United Nations, and therefore it certainly will be unacceptable if we do not meet or even excel on the delivery of these goals. Health has got to be one of the areas in which we make a significant difference.

To the two recipients of the Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights, I have to say that both of you in your own way have made a significant contribution to the lives of the people of Kenya and South Africa. We would like to make sure that through this award, not only do we recognise your contribution, but that we also use your life examples to inspire our young people. So that they will look up to you, and can see the kind of people that they want to become. I have no doubt that you have got what it takes as well as the commitment to be able to shine a light upon us and of course to ensure that if we do not live up to your expectations you have earned the right to call us to order because you have actually shown us how to be the best citizens of country and of the world.

I thank you.