Department of Health Unveils Ambitious 2025-2030 Strategic Plan to Advance Universal Health Coverage
To read full presentation, click here.
Cape Town – The Department of Health (DoH) presented its 2025-2030 Strategic Plan, 2025/26 Annual Performance Plan, and Budget to the Portfolio Committee on Health on June 18, 2025. Acting Director-General Prof. Nicholas Crisp outlined the DoH’s commitment to accelerating progress towards the 2030 National Development Plan (NDP) goals and Sustainable Development Goals, particularly focusing on achieving universal health coverage.
A core objective is the progressive implementation of the National Health Insurance (NHI) to address inequities and financial barriers to accessing quality healthcare. The plan highlights the recent assent of the National Health Insurance Act in May 2024 and aims to establish a Benefits Advisory Committee under the NHI fund. The DoH also plans to improve NHI awareness through various media adverts.
The strategic plan emphasizes strengthening the primary healthcare (PHC) system by ensuring that home and community-based services, clinics, and community health centers are well-resourced and adequately staffed. This includes improving the quality of healthcare across all public and private facilities and optimizing human resources and healthcare infrastructure, with a vision for a single electronic health record.
The DoH reported significant progress in key health indicators:
- Life expectancy has increased from 54.7 years in 2002 to 66.5 years in 2024.
- Maternal mortality ratio has decreased from 249 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2010 to 109.6 in 2024. The target is to reduce this to 70 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2029/30.
- Infant and under-5 mortality rates have fallen, and progress has been made on HIV 95-95-95 targets, with 96% of people with HIV tested, 79% on treatment, and 94% virally suppressed. The target is to reach 95% for those on ART and virally suppressed by 2029/30.
- TB and Malaria incidence rates have also seen reductions.
For the 2025/26 financial year, the DoH’s total budget is R64.8 billion. This includes significant allocations to Communicable & Non-Communicable Diseases (R25.6 billion) and Hospital Systems (R25.7 billion). The budget also sees an increase of R2.582 billion to the baseline allocation, with notable increases in compensation for employees, goods and services, transfers, and capital assets for hospital projects.
The DoH also plans to gazette revised food labelling regulations, demonstrating its commitment to public health through legislative means.
