The local government elections are upon us, with voting due to take place on November 1.
Arguably, these polls are unlike others; Covid circumscribes the mass mobilisation that is a feature of elections.
They are also different because more parties have emerged, as have many independent candidates; and there is great interest in the results in such metros as Nelson Mandela Bay and those in Gauteng, which in the last elections emerged with coalition governments.
While rival parties have unleashed propaganda machines to try to win over voters, there is no contesting the reality that the majority of South Africans are facing serious difficulties.
The range of issues confronting communities in every corner of our country include the provision of clean water and safe sanitation; refuse removal; uninterrupted electricity supply; good roads; crime; and housing.
These are all important matters for political parties to respond to as they relate to the living conditions of people in SA — things that affect one’s everyday life.
They are also important factors in the pursuit of the UN’s sustainable development goals, to which SA along with most other countries committed in 2015. The goals set targets for 2030 — a mere nine years away now.
The provision of safe drinking water, proper sanitation, waste removal, housing and education are as central to good health as are access to good-quality health care through clinics and hospitals.
This is the intersection between public or population health and personal health. Many diseases and disorders such as malaria and diarrhoea are caused by poor environmental conditions.
However, there are a number of other health conditions that are also caused by what goes on in our environment — and these too should be top-of-mind for politicians contesting the local government elections. Rising rates of asthma, especially in children, are caused by environmental pollutants and burning low-grade coal in poorly ventilated informal homes.
Municipalities own land on which food can be produced to feed families without significant capital outlay
According to a report by the Global Asthma Network, SA ranks 25th for asthma prevalence and fifth for asthma mortality, with an estimated 18.5 deaths per 100,000 cases of asthma.
Pedestrians and cyclists are killed on our roads because of the lack of pavements and bicycle lanes.
About 5,000 pedestrians die every year in SA, with the largest number being killed during periods of high traffic volumes — Easter and the December holiday periods. Among cyclists, there are around 450 deaths a year. In short, our roads are not safe for either pedestrians or cyclists.
It has often been said that sexual, gender and interpersonal violence in our country is an epidemic.
The consequences are felt by individuals, families and communities. Girls and women in particular are harassed at home, in schools, in their workplaces and in the streets. We must make our communities safer for women.
This includes the provision of in-door toilets, better street lighting, visible local policing, and so on. There are many health consequences of sexual and gender-based violence.
The health effects relate to physical injuries, psychological trauma, unintended pregnancies due to rape and the transmission of HIV.
More than 150 girls and young women between the ages of 15 and 24 years contract HIV every day — many of these cases are not the result of consensual sex.
Global warming and climate change have major implications for our health, not least of which is the impact on agriculture and food security.
Droughts and floods create food insecurity as well as economic challenges. This is especially important for countries such as SA that are water scarce and heavily dependent on agricultural exports.
In addition, having insufficient food and food of poor nutritional quality can increase our already high levels of malnutrition, obesity and diabetes.
Municipalities have a central role to play in ensuring that food production is not negatively impacted by climate change and that their communities are able to afford nutritious foods. The increase in access to poor-quality food (junk foods high in sodium and sugar) is a major concern.
Municipalities can and should do more to create conditions for the production, sale and consumption of nutritious food within their boundaries, assisted by the provincial and national government.
Municipalities own land on which food can be produced to feed families without significant capital outlay. There is space for a campaign to create sustainable small gardens that would especially target the youth and women.
The World Health Organisation estimates that more than 2-billion people will be living in informal settlements by 2030.
Living in informal housing and informal settlements adds to health burdens. These areas have the highest levels of unemployment, the worst living conditions and the most vulnerable residents, who have the worst access to health and education services.
Add to this the implications of climate change and rising temperatures for those living in poorly constructed and ventilated homes. The list of issues for local governments to consider is long.
We need the best minds and best systems, and we need close collaboration between those who run our urban and rural municipalities and the communities that live within them to ensure improved health outcomes.
Health issues matter for local government as much as they do for all other spheres. Councillors need to work to improve the health profiles of their wards as much as they need to address service delivery challenges.
• Pillay is former deputy director-general for strategic health programmes at the department of health. Ngcaweni is principal of the National School of Government. They spent more than 14 years supporting the national Aids response through the South African National Aids Council.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.