Health Year 1979

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Cachet: The cachet shows a bold, abstract orange figure with arms and legs outstretched inside the outline of a large circle, giving the impression of a person in motion or reaching upward, symbolising health and vitality. The design is simple and graphic, using solid colour rather than fine detail. Below the emblem the cover reads "Gesondheidsjaar 1979 Health Year" in plain black type.

Info card

HEALTH YEAR The first legislation pertaining specifically to health was conceived in a disease-rife period. Prior to 1919 the responsibility for the determination of health needs was unco-ordinated and was left rather nebulously to the discretion of the three levels of government, i.e. central, provincial and local. It needed the devastating influenza epidemic of 1918, which caused over 150 000 deaths in South Africa, to focus the common attention of the public, health officers and all levels of government on the gross deficiencies in the health services, which could primarily be ascribed to inadequate health legislation. In 1918, the Government convened a Public Health Conference in Bloemfontein to consider the matter to recommend steps that could be taken to remedy the defects in the legislation that existed at that time and to place the administration and control of public health on a sound footing. At this historic meeting, a strongly-motivated conference drafted legislation that was later tabled in Parliament as the Public Health Bill, which was published as the Public Health Act, No. 36 of 1919. The Act established a central health authority — the Department of Health. Understandably, the major emphasis was on the control of epidemic and formidable diseases and the health functions assigned to the central and local levels of government. With the passage of time it became evident that up-to-date legislation with greater flexibility was needed. In 1977, at a time when good health services existed generally, a new Health Act was passed by Parliament. The Public Health Act of 1919 has served the country well for 60 years. Now, in 1979, it is being replaced by a modern and flexible Health Act that provides for the establishment of a comprehensive health service, which will encompass the promotion of all the health needs of the inhabitants of the Republic of South Africa so that every person will be able to attain and maintain complete physical, mental and social well-being. GESONDHEIDSJAAR Die eerste wetgewing wat spesifiek op gesondheid betrekking gehad het, het in 'n tydperk van heersende siekte die lig gesien. Voor 1919 was die verantwoordelikheid vir die bepaling van gesondheidsbehoeftes op taamlik vae wyse aan die goeddunke van die drie regeringsvlakke, nl. sentraal, provinsiaal en plaaslik, oorgelaat. Die verwoestende griepepidemie in 1918, wat meer as 150 000 sterftes in Suid-Afrika veroorsaak het, was nodig om die gemeenskaplike aandag van die publiek, gesondheidsbeamptes en alle regeringsvlakke op die ernstige tekortkominge in die gesondheidsdienste, wat hoofsaaklik aan ontoereikende gesondheidswetgewing toe te skryf was. Die Regering het in 1918 'n Konferensie oor Volksgesondheid in Bloemfontein byeengeroep om die saak te oorweeg en stappe aan te beveel wat gedoen kon word om die defekte in die wetgewing wat destyds bestaan het te herstel en om die administrasie en beheer van volksgesondheid op 'n stewige grondslag te plaas. Tydens hierdie historiese vergadering het 'n sterk gemotiveerde konferensie konsepwetgewing opgestel wat later in die Volksraad ter tafel gelê is as die Volksgesondheidswetsontwerp, wat gepubliseer is as die Volksgezondheidswet, No. 36 van 1919. Die Wet het 'n sentrale gesondheidsowerheid — die Departement van Gesondheid — daargestel. Soos verstaan kan word, was die vernaamste klem op die beheer van epidemiese en geduugte siektes en die gesondheidsfunksies wat aan die sentrale en plaaslike regeringsvlakke opgedra is. Met verloop van tyd het dit duidelik nodig geword dat bydeurwetse wetgewing met groter buigsaamheid nodig geword het. In 1977, op 'n tydstip toe goeie gesondheidsdienste deur die Volksraad aanvaar. Die Volksgesondheidswet van 1919 het die land 60 jaar goed gedien. Nou, in 1979, word dit deur 'n moderne en buigsame Gesondheidswet vervang wat voorsiening maak vir die daarstelling van 'n omvattende gesondheidsdiens vir die bevordering van die gesondheidsbehoeftes van die inwoners van die Republiek van Suid-Afrika, sodat elke persoon in staat sal wees om volkome fisiese, geestelike en maatskaplike welsyn te bereik en te behou.

Additional information

This cover is postmarked on 19 June 1979 in Pretoria, marking South Africa's Health Year and the sixtieth anniversary of the country's original Public Health Act. The stamp depicts a stylised figure with a raised fist above a crowd, representing community health and public wellbeing. The original Public Health Act of 1919 was drafted directly in response to the devastating 1918 influenza epidemic, which killed more than 150 000 people in South Africa and exposed the lack of coordinated health legislation across the country's three levels of government at the time. By 1979 this legislation was being replaced with a more flexible modern Health Act designed to address a wider range of physical, mental and social health needs.

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