The Mexico (2004), Bamako (2008) and Algiers (2008) declarations committed the South African (SA) Ministry of Health to allocate 2% of the national health budget to research, while the National Health Research Policy (2001) proposed that the country budget for health research should be 2% of total public sector health expenditure. The National Health Research Committee has performed an audit to determine whether these goals have been met, judged by: (i) health research expenditure as proportions of gross expenditure on research and development (GERD) and the gross domestic product (GDP); and (ii) the proportion of the national health and Department of Health budgets apportioned to research. We found that total expenditure on health research in SA, aggregated across the public and private sectors, was R3.5 billion in 2009/10, equating to 16.7% of GERD. However, the total government plus science council spend on health research that year was only R729 million, equating to 3.5% of GERD (0.03% of the GDP) or 0.80% of the R91.4 billion consolidated government expenditure on health. We further found that R418 million was spent through the 2009/2010 Health Vote on health research, equating to 0.46% of the consolidated government expenditure on health or 0.9% of the R45.2 billion Health Vote. Data from other recent years were similar. Current SA public sector health research allocations therefore remain well below the aspirational goal of 2% of the national health budget. We recommend that new, realistic, clearly defined targets be adopted and an efficient monitoring mechanism be developed to track future health research expenditure.

Sinopse Foram encontradas concentrações isotopicas diferentes nas águas do Rio Negro e do Rio Solimões. Partindo daquela verificação preliminar, foi feita a amostragem sistemática de águas daqueles dois rios e do rio Amazonas, procurando-se determinar abaixo da confluência dos mesmos, o local onde o rio Amazonas apresenta uma estrutura horizontal e vertical homogênea traduzindo perfeita mistura das águas dos rios formadores. Os dados obtidos permitem também o cálculo, com razoável precisão, da vasão relativa de ambos os rios para alguns meses. Verificou-se que a 120 Km da confluência do Negro e o Solimões, ainda não havia mistura perfeita e que abaixo daquele ponto, a confluência do Madeira introduz perturbações na mistura. O grau de mistura em diferentes pontos apresenta oscilações em amostras colhidas em diferentes meses. Os dados obtidos pela medida da concentração isotopica concordam sensivelmente com os resultados das medidas diretas efetuadas por Oltman et al (1963).

Summary Isotopic concentration was detected in different spots of Rio Negro, Rio Solimões and Rio Amazonas at regular intervals, for 12 consecutive months. Values as found in Rio Negro waters were significantly different. Difference between isotopic concentration found in Rio Negro and Rio Solimões was considered as useful information for identifying the spot where Rio Amazonas, formed by the confluence of Negro and Solimões, presents a homogenous vertical and horizontal structure after complete mixing of both rivers. A perfect mixture was not found up to 120 km below the confluence. Systematic sampling was found to be a method for the determination of relative outflow of both rivers. Data as obtained are close to the results of direct measurements performed by Oltman et al (1963).