Table 1.

The chronology of child and adolescent mental health policy development and processes in South Africa

Year	Policy development
1977 (Apartheid era)	The Potgieter commission emphasized intersectoral collaboration, early identification of CAMH disorders at primary healthcare level and in schools, and increasing capacity of teachers and health staff to identify CAMH disorders [14]
1994 (post-apartheid era)	The first democratic President acknowledged the importance of children and their vulnerability [14]
1997	White paper for the transformation of the health system in South Africa [15]
	National Policy guidelines for improved mental health care [16]
2001–2003	National policy guidelines for youth health and CAMH [14]
2003	National CAMH policy guidelines, 2003 [14]
2002	National mental health care act, no. 17 of 2002 [17]
2003	Norms and standards to develop CAMH services [18]
2005	A situational analysis of CAMH services in South Africa [19]
2008	The draft of the strategic mental health plan for the Northern Cape Province finalised by the national multidisciplinary committee (NHC), awaiting adoption as of 2016 [20]
2012	The national mental health summit facilitated the adoption of the national mental health policy guidelines to improve mental health care [13]
2012	The mental health summit adopted the “Ekurhuleni declaration” [13]
2013	The “mental health policy framework and strategic plan” was formally adopted for implementation [13]