S.Africa signs universal health law despite pushback

South Africa's president Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday signed a new law which aims to provide universal healthcare, two weeks before a general election.

The law introduces what is known as National Health Insurance, which will provide funds for all South Africans to access private healthcare.Cyril Ramaphosa, South African President said "This transformational healthcare initiative, in many ways gives further impetus and effect to our constitutional commitment to progressively realize access to healthcare services for all its citizens. "In its essence, the National Health Insurance is a commitment to eradicate the stark inequalities that have long determined who receives in our country, who receives adequate healthcare and who suffers from neglect.”

Currently, 80% of the population relies on strained state-run public health services while about 16% has access to private healthcare through medical aid plans.