BACKGROUND:
The South African Lancet National Commission (Shisana O, 2019) made a comprehensive set of recommendations to address the challenges in the health system in preparation for the implementation of National Health Insurance, the country’s chosen mechanism to finance universal health coverage. Implementation of the NHI Act without addressing these shortcomings is unlikely to deliver the benefits envisaged by the Act. This session will include panellists from various sectors in the health system to provide an update on the activities undertaken to address the identified challenges, as well as ongoing activities to prepare the health system for successful implementation of NHI. The discussion will report on implementation of the Presidential Health Compact 2019 (The Presidency, 2019), compiled following the Presidential Health Summit of 2018, the goals of the Second Presidential Health Compact of 2024 (The Presidency, 2024), and additional activities ongoing within the National Department of Health towards the health systems strengthening goals outlined in these three foundational documents. Panellists Prof Lilian Dudley, one of the authors of the Lancet Report, will provide a brief summary of the work and findings of the South African Lancet National Commission. Dr Grace Labadarios, Chief Director: User and Service Provider Management at the NHI Branch of the NDOH, will provide a summary of the work of Pillar 5 of the Presidential Health Compact, focussed on the quality of health care. Members of the remaining Pillars of the Presidential Health Compact will be invited to join the organised session to provide summaries of their achievements. Members of critical Directorates within the National Department of Health will be invited to share the work being undertaken towards successful implementation of NHI.