Given the fact that the Eastern Cape has the highest poverty rate in the country, it should not come as a surprise that the health outcomes of the province’s district municipalities are far below those of municipalities in other provinces.

The average number of condoms distributed per male for a given year was 9.3 for the Eastern Cape. The highest male condom distribution rate among the municipalities in the province was 16.1 for the Ukhahlamba district municipality. The lowest was 5.3 for Nelson Mandela Bay.

The average proportion of ante-natal clients tested for HIV in the province was 88.3% of all ante-natal clinic clients, which is above the national average of 79.6%. The disparities among the municipalities in the province were not dramatic, with the lowest rate being 84.0% for the Ukhahlamba and the Amathole districts. The highest was 97.6% for the Chris Hani district municipality.

The TB cure rate in the Eastern Cape was 59.6%, which is significantly lower than the national average. The cure rates in the province ranged from 46.6% for the Amathole district to 73.7% for the Cacadu district.

Some 84.2% of children under the age of one year were immunised in South Africa in 2007/08. The highest rate was 101.6% for the Alfred Nzo district, the lowest was 66.6% for the Amathole district.

The Western Cape had the best socio-economic development in the country in 2007. There seems to be a correlation between health and socio-economic status, as the province’s health indicators are generally better than those of the other provinces.

The Western Cape had the highest condom distribution rate at 40.5, well above the national average of 11.8 condoms per male per year. Cape Town had the highest distribution rate at 55.2, followed by the Overberg district at 16.6. The lowest distribution rate was 9.1 for the Cape Winelands district.

The highest proportion of people attending ante-natal clinics who tested for HIV in South Africa was 95.7% in the Western Cape as a whole. The lowest rate was 81.1% for the Cape Winelands district, which is still above the national average of 79.6%. The highest was 113.0% for West Coast – this may be due to double-counting of some patients.

The Western Cape had the highest TB cure rate of 77.3% in 2006, above the national average cure rate of 62.7%. The highest cure rate in the province was 83.1% for the Overberg district. The lowest was 69.0% for the Central Karoo district.

The highest immunisation rate for children under the age of one year was 100.5% for the Western Cape. All the districts in the province had immunisation rates well above the national average. The lowest rate was 88.6%, while the highest was 118.8% for the Eden district municipality. While the figures above 100% are almost certainly be due to error, that does not detract from the fact that the province managed the immunisation of babies more effectively than the other provinces.

The extreme differences between the two provinces are clearly evident in the above analysis of the district health indicators, and further prove the importance of proper analysis of the socio-economic landscape in South Africa.

- Nthamaga Kgafela