Starting today, the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), in collaboration with the Presidency of South Africa, is hosting a summit aimed at addressing South Africa's most pressing health and development challenges.
Deputy Minister in the Presidency, Nonseba Mhlauli, is expected to deliver the opening speech at the summit.
Over the next three days, the Outcome Finance Alliance (OFA) Summit will bring together global and local partners.Design and test strategies to make pay-for-success financing instruments cost-effective and scalable propositions to support development agencies and governments to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
“As South Africa faces high rates of HIV infection, teen pregnancy and broader health system pressures, innovative approaches to both service delivery and financing are becoming increasingly important.
“Results-based finance, which links funding directly to measurable outcomes, is emerging as a practical tool to improve accountability, unlock new investment and ensure that limited resources deliver real impact.
“SAMRC looks forward to sharing key learnings and challenges, with the aim of identifying pathways to unlock further public-private partnerships that can accelerate the impact and institutionalization of OBF,” SAMRC said in a statement.
At the heart of the Council's contribution will be its work in Social Impact Bonds (SIBs), a model described as “enabling private and philanthropic investors to finance health interventions upfront, with governments or donors only paying if agreed outcomes are achieved”.
“SAMRC’s first SIB was implemented through the Imagine programme, a comprehensive intervention targeting adolescent girls and young women in high schools in Morayte and Newcastle, areas with high HIV prevalence and teenage pregnancy rates.
“Launched in 2023, this program provides integrated sexual and reproductive health services directly within schools, including access to contraception, HIV testing, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), pregnancy care and referral for further treatment, including ongoing support on antiretroviral therapy.
“The program also provides psychosocial support in safe spaces on school grounds, helping to reduce stigma and improve overall well-being,” the statement said.
Dr Nevillen Slingers, Executive Program Manager of Social Impact Bonds at SAMRC, said: “This model fundamentally changes how we finance health interventions.
“By linking funding to verified outcomes, we are able to strengthen accountability, support innovation, and ensure that resources are directed toward interventions that make a measurable difference within health”.
The OFA will provide an opportunity to “deepen collaboration, share lessons, and accelerate the adoption of financing models that prioritize impact.”
“As fiscal pressures continue to grow, these approaches provide a path to strengthening health systems, while ensuring that investments translate into meaningful and measurable outcomes for communities,” the statement concluded. – sanews.gov.za