Resources

Rural Health Fact Sheet

This third Rural Health Factsheet by the Rural Health Advocacy Project (RHAP) provides a summary of information on the state of rural health.

Download PDF

The Rural Mental Health Campaign Report

This report sheds light on the dehumanising lack of mental health care services in rural settings and envisages a mental health care system that is accessible to people in all settings and that realises their dignity and constitutional rights.

Download PDF

Promoting critical posts at the time of austerity

Daygan Eagar, health budgets specialist and Programme Manager for the Rural-Proofing Policy and Budgeting Programme at RHAP. He provides health budgeting training to communities and civil society structures and has published extensively on the issue.

Download PDF

RURAL-PROOFING FOR HEALTH GUIDELINES

A guide to accounting for rural contexts in health policy, strategic planning and resourcing

Download

Discussion Document: Defining rurality within the context of health policy, planning, resourcing and service delivery

Targeted policy and resourcing will only be possible if rural is clearly defined and if this definition has practical utility for policy development and implementation.

Download PDF

International best-practice and the rural-proofing of policy: Opportunities for the South African context

Globally, rural populations tend to fair worse on important socioeconomic indicators than their urban counterparts. They tend to be poorer, are unemployed in greater numbers, have worse health outcomes and have less access to the social and economic opportunities to improve their situation.

Download PDF

Universal Access and Transport

Rural communities face disproportionate barriers when it comes to accessing health care in terms of time, distance and costs. This Rural Health Update advanced the argument that the concept of Universal Access needs to be defined differently. Policy initiatives aimed at promoting access to health care “regardless of socio-economic status”, should also promote equity in access “regardless of geographical location”. All reasonable measures should be put in place to ensure rural communities’ access is not limited by their place of residence.

Download PDF

The South African context for WHO guidelines to securing HR4RH

The WHO global policy recommendations on increasing access to health workers in remote and rural areas through improved recruitment and retention: The South African Context

Download PDF

The state of the right to Health in rural SA

A number of questions must be taken into consideration to ‘rural-proof’ key strategies currently being introduced, such as PHC re-engineering and National Health Insurance. From policy development to resource allocation and implementation, requirements for rural populations need to be taken into account to ensure equitable outcomes. 2013

DOWNLOAD PDF