RHAP calls for fairer health funding in new submission to the Standing & Select Committee on Finance
The Rural Health Advocacy Project has submitted to the Standing & Select Committee on Finance calling for stronger investment in rural health services in South Africa. The submission outlines recommendations aimed at ensuring that rural communities receive equitable access to quality healthcare.
RHAP argues that the current funding and budgeting systems do not adequately account for the unique challenges faced by rural health facilities. These include long travel distances, staff shortages, infrastructure gaps, and higher service delivery costs. Without targeted funding reforms, many rural communities will continue to struggle to access essential health services.
The proposal highlights the importance of strengthening the district health system and ensuring that funding allocations better reflect rural realities. RHAP notes that rural health facilities often operate with fewer resources despite serving populations with high health needs. The organisation therefore recommends policy and budgeting changes that prioritise primary healthcare and improve the distribution of resources across provinces and districts.
Addressing these financial inequalities is essential to achieving equitable healthcare for all South Africans. RHAP continues to advocate for policies that recognise rural healthcare as a central part of building a stronger national health system.
The fiscal framework forms part of RHAP’s broader advocacy work to promote the constitutional right to healthcare and to ensure that rural communities are not left behind in national health planning.
Read the full submission here:
https://rhap.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/rhap_fiscalframework-.docx