Date: 17 May 2025
Location: Midrand
Speaker: Neftaly Malatjie, Chief Legal Officer, SayPro
[Opening – Greeting and Acknowledgement]
Good morning, distinguished guests, colleagues, health workers, and community leaders.
It’s an honour to stand before you today on World Hypertension Day 2025, representing the legal and policy voice of SayPro. On this important day, we reflect not only on health as a clinical matter — but also as a legal and human rights issue.
This year’s theme, “Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer,” is a call to action that transcends hospitals and homes — it demands attention in our legal frameworks, public policies, and national commitments.
[The Legal Lens on Health Equity]
As Chief Legal Officer, I look at hypertension not just as a medical condition — but as a matter of justice.
Why? Because millions of people in Africa and across the world still live without access to basic health screening, medication, or education about conditions like hypertension. That’s not just a service delivery gap — it’s a violation of the right to health.
The right to health is enshrined in our constitutions, in international law, and in the Sustainable Development Goals. Yet in practice, it is often denied to the most vulnerable — the poor, the rural, the uneducated, the uninsured.
At SayPro, we are working to change that.
[SayPro’s Legal and Policy Contribution]
Our legal and policy work at SayPro focuses on two core responsibilities:
- Ensuring compliance — that our health programmes meet the highest ethical, legal, and privacy standards.
- Driving advocacy and policy reform — to influence national health laws and policies that are inclusive, rights-based, and people-centered.
In 2024, SayPro collaborated with community law clinics to offer legal education on the right to health. We also contributed to policy dialogues on free access to non-communicable disease screening, including hypertension, in underserved areas.
And this year, in honour of World Hypertension Day, we are launching a Know Your Rights: Health Access and Legal Protection Guide — a simple, community-friendly resource helping people understand what services they’re entitled to, and how to claim them.
Because awareness must come with protection.
[Why Legal Frameworks Matter]
We can no longer afford to see healthcare as a favour. It is a legal obligation — and governments, employers, and institutions must be held accountable to it.
That’s why we advocate for:
- Stronger public policies mandating routine blood pressure screenings at all primary care levels.
- Clear laws on workplace wellness rights, especially for those in high-stress jobs.
- Protection against discrimination for those living with chronic conditions like hypertension.
- And data privacy safeguards as we collect more health data through digital platforms.
The law is not just a rulebook — it’s a tool for protection, access, and equity.
[Call to Action – Legal Empowerment for Public Health]
So I call on all of us — legal professionals, health leaders, and civil society partners:
- Let’s advocate for health laws that reflect the realities of our people.
- Let’s empower communities to understand their health rights.
- Let’s hold institutions accountable for delivering equitable, accessible, and ethical care.
And to every individual: your health is your right. Your voice matters. Know your numbers, yes — but also know your rights.
[Closing – Justice in Every Heartbeat]
At SayPro, we believe that justice must be present in every heartbeat, every health screening, every legal reform.
We are proud to stand at the intersection of law and life — where rights, health, and dignity come together.
This World Hypertension Day, let’s commit to a future where no one is denied care because of who they are or where they live.
Let’s measure with fairness. Let’s protect with law. Let’s live with dignity.
Thank you — and Happy World Hypertension Day 2025.
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