PONDERING PANDA – In a recent study conducted by consumer insights company Pondering Panda, it was found that fighting HIV/ Aids was the most important health care issue for young South Africans.
During the week leading up to health minister Aaron Motsoaledi’s budget speech, 1765 respondents between the ages of 15 and 34 were interviewed across South Africa, and asked to give their opinion regarding the most important health care issues.
The survey found that about 2 in 5 (41%) felt that combating HIV/Aids was the most important healthcare issue for South Africa.
In comparison, 22% said the important issue was making sure there were enough doctors and nurses to staff the country’s clinics and hospitals. Ten percent felt the creation of a national health service should be the top priority, and 9,5% said banning alcohol, fast food and cigarettes was the leading issue for them.
Opinion differed according to province. Respondents from Gauteng and the Eastern Cape felt strongly that fighting HIV/ Aids was most important, with 47% from both provinces holding this opinion.
In comparison, the Western Cape and Limpopo were the least likely to see HIV/ Aids as the most important issue, with 31% from both of these regions feeling this way. The importance of fighting HIV/Aids was shared across age, gender and racial groups.
Despite holding strong opinions on South Africa’s healthcare priorities, awareness of Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi’s upcoming speech was low amongst respondents. Seventy-one percent said they were not aware of the minister’s speech, compared to 29% who claimed to be aware that it was taking place.
Looking at the overall state of health care in South Africa, the survey found that respondents were divided as to whether the country’s health care system was improving or declining. When asked whether healthcare in South Africa was getting better or worse, 37% felt it was getting worse. In comparison, 33% believed it was improving, and 24% felt that the standard of health care was staying the same.
Shirley Wakefield, spokesperson for Pondering Panda said, “Tackling HIV/ Aids has been a cornerstone of the government’s health care agenda, but despite claims that progress is being made, fighting this disease is still a top concern for young people.
“It is concerning that so many young people feel that the standard of healthcare is deteriorating, which shows that a lot of work still needs to be done. Young people feel strongly about healthcare, but the fact that less than a third of them are aware of the minister’s upcoming speech shows that the government is also not doing enough to get their message across to young people, and show that they are taking action in this regard.”
All interviews were carried out across South Africa on cellphones between 7 and 9 May. Responses were weighted to be nationally representative in terms of age, gender and race.
Date:
