DA Statement

Official Response:

The TAC has deliberately misrepresented the facts. It needs to retract its statement and apologise to the DA for trying to manipulate evidence, no doubt in order to further the ANC's agenda.

The City of Cape Town has a proud track record of delivering to all citizens, especially the poor. The IMR is a good example of this commitment.

The DA stated in the Cape Town Story it had reduced the infant mortality rate in Cape Town, since coming to power. That statement is absolutely true: In 2005 the IMR was 22.28, in 2009 it was 20.76.

Further, the DA-led government has made huge progress reducing the IMR in poor and impoverished areas. For example, in Klipfontein (which includes Gugulethu) the IMR has dropped from 27.41 in 2005 down to 23.42 in 2009. It is true the IMR in Khayalitsha has stayed the roughly the same (34.72 in 2005 to 34.85 in 2009). At no point in the Cape Town Story did we claim otherwise, and for the TAC to try and misrepresent that particular district as representative of the whole of Cape Town is deeply disingenuous and devious. It should be ashamed.

The full facts from the City, on which the Cape Story was based follow below:

Gareth van Onselen
DA Head of Election Communications

Infant Mortality Rate

Definition

Number of deaths <1 year per 1,000 live births for that year

Layman Description: This measures the number of deaths of children under the age of one year out of every 1,000 live children born in the same year.

The figures quoted by the TAC have been rounded up one decimal point.

One of the best indicators of an effective health service is the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR). The City's IMR has improved and this compares very favourably with the national figure of over 50.

Background

City Health delivers its services on a decentralised area based management model based on the World Health Organisation (WHO) district health service principles.

This has resulted in the City being divided into eight sub district management areas i.e. Eastern, Khayelitsha, Klipfontein, Mitchells Plain, Northern, Southern, Tygerberg and Western.

When health indicators are presented they are done on a City Wide basis and a Sub district basis. One cannot therefore use an individual Sub district data as in indication of a city wide trend.

Finalisation and verification of all death data takes about six months so the final verified death data for end 2010 will only be available by June 2011.

IMR data for 2003 to 2009

Source: Treatment Action Campaign, April 4 2011

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