REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA COMBINED SECOND PERIODIC REPORT UNDER THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON HUMAN AND PEOPLE`S RIGHTS and INITIAL REPORT UNDER THE PROTOCOL TO THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN IN AFRICA 290. During 2012/13, the health sector succeeded in negotiating reductions in the price of medicines. The amounts saved were as follows: • R69 million on TB drugs • R169 million on antibiotics • R70 million on oncology medication • R69 million on injectables • R3 million on drops and inhalers • R105 million on tablets.177 Measures to ensure better nutrition 291. The Department of Health has implemented various nutrition interventions during the period under review. Some programmes are included in health lifestyles programmes and various information and communication programmes on nutrition. Other initiatives include the fortification of staple food with selected vitamins and minerals to address micronutrient deficiencies. Addressing challenges of malnutrition and stunting amongst children require a concerted effort and partnership with other government departments, civil society and development partners. To this end, among the key evidence based interventions to improve child survival is the promotion of breastfeeding and the provision of Vitamin A to children under the age of five. Further, the Department has recommitted itself in promoting, protection and support of breastfeeding with an aim to secure the health of infants and prevent under-nutrition. Measures to improve the health of mothers and children 177 292. South Africa is a signatory to several international commitments such as the UN's Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which seeks to address the health needs of women and children. Five major causes of maternal death have been identified, namely non-pregnancy related infections – mainly resulting from AIDS (43.7%); complications of hypertension (15.7%); obstetric haemorrhage (12.4%); pregnancy-related sepsis (9%); and pre-existing maternal disease (6%). The country’s efforts to reduce maternal deaths date back to 1997, when the then Minister of Health established the National Committee of Confidential Enquiry into Maternal Deaths (NCCEMD), which was the first on the African continent. The NCCEMD has since released five triennial reports. 293. Empirical evidence shows that the health status of South Africans is improving. In August 2012, the Burden of Disease Research Unit at the Medical Research Council (MRC) published an independent scientific report from its Rapid Mortality Surveillance (RMS) system, which provides empirical estimates of the mortality based high level indicators for Outputs 1 and 2 of the Health Sector’s NSDA 2010-2014. The overall life expectancy of South Africans has increased from 56, 5 years in 2009 to 60 years in 2011. The Under5 mortality rate (U5MR) has decreased from 56 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2009, to Government’s “Year of Delivery 2012 – 2013” 84