HEALTH-PROFESSIONALS AND SOUTH-AFRICA - SUPPORTING CHANGE IN THE HEALTH SECTOR

Now that political change is on the way in South Africa, what should b e the position of doctors who are invited to visit the country? Does t he ''academic boycott'' still have relevance? Waterston and Zwi review the case for and against an academic boycott policy, using evidence c ollected during the recent visit by Physicians for Human Rights (UK) a nd the Johannes Wier Foundation. The health system in South Africa is still inequitable, and despite progress towards desegregation in hospi tals there is little momentum towards universal provision of primary h ealth care, especially in the rapidly growing townships around big cit ies. The authors consider that pressure on the government should be ma intained by outside organisations but that support directed towards ap propriate health care should be encouraged, particularly in public hea lth and primary health care.