Strengthening universal health coverage through the NHI: A response to recent critique

Authors

  • S Moosa Department of Family Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; Specialist Contracting, User and Service Provider Contracting, National Health Insurance Branch, National Department of Health, Pretoria, South Africa https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7849-9751

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7196/SAMJ.2025.v115i10.4149

Keywords:

National Health Insurance, Universal Health Coverage (UHC), District health system, NHI policy and implementation

Abstract

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Author Biography

  • S Moosa, Department of Family Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; Specialist Contracting, User and Service Provider Contracting, National Health Insurance Branch, National Department of Health, Pretoria, South Africa

    Prof. Shabir Moosa (MMed, MBA, PhD) leads Family Medicine is Associate Professor at Wits University of Witwatersrand. Head of Clinical Unit for Family Medicine in Johannesburg Health District 2006-2025. He was clinically based in Soweto, supporting a community-oriented primary health care (COPC) model for National Health Insurance (NHI). He served as Executive Coordinator of the African Forum for PHC (AfroPHC) 2019-2022. He was Member-at-Large on the Executive Committee of the World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA) 2021-2023. He was lead project manager for Gauteng’s Proof-Of-Concept in developing a Contracting Unit for PHC (CUP) in Soweto 202. He is Contract Manager in User and Service Provider Management Unit of NHI Branch, National Department of Health since July 2025.

References

1. Van den Heever A. Achieving universal healthcare access in South Africa: A policy analysis of consensus reform proposals. S Afr Med J 2025;115(6):45-53. https:l/doi.org/10.7196/SAMJ.2025.vl 15i7.3673

2. African National Congress. A national health plan for South Africa. Johannesburg: ANC, 1994.

3. National Department of Health, South Africa. White Paper for the transformation of the health system

in South Africa. Pretoria: NDoH, 1997.

4. Massyn N, Ndlovu N, Padarath A, eds. District Health Barometer 2022/23. Durban: Health Systems

Trust, 2024 .

5. South Africa. National Health Insurance Act No. 20 of 2023. Government Gazette No. 50664, 16 May

2024.

6. Hanson K, Brikci N, Erlangga D, et al. The Lancet Global Health Commission on financing primary

healthcare: Putting people at the centre. Lancet Glob Health 2022;10(5):e715-772. https://doi. org/10.1016/S2214-109X(22)00005-5

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Published

2025-11-04

Issue

SAMJ Vol. 115 no. 10

Section

Correspondence

License

Copyright (c) 2025 S Moosa

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How to Cite

1.
Moosa S. Strengthening universal health coverage through the NHI: A response to recent critique. S Afr Med J [Internet]. 2025 Nov. 4 [cited 2025 Nov. 13];115(10):e4149. Available from: https://samajournals.co.za/index.php/samj/article/view/4149

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