November 30, 2023
South Africa: City Power Ditches Plan to Cut Charlotte Maxeke Hospital's Electricity Over Unpaid R41m Bill
Cooler heads prevailed when City Power decided not to cut off electricity to Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital over a reported R41m in unpaid electricity bills. While… Read more »
November 29, 2023
South Africa: National Health Insurance Bill Vote Delayed
When at the last moment Wednesday's National Council of Provinces vote on the controversial National Health Insurance Bill was delayed for a week, the door for further engagements… Read more »
November 09, 2023
South Africa: Confirmed Diphtheria Outbreak At Pollsmoor Prison As Inmate Dies
A diphtheria outbreak has been declared at the Pollsmoor Correctional Centre in Cape Town following the death of a 19-year-old inmate. Read more »
November 08, 2023
South Africa: Life Esidimeni Inquest Draws to a Close After Two Years of Blame-Shifting, Finger-Pointing
The Life Esidimeni inquest to determine liability and cause of the horrific deaths of 141 mental healthcare users who were moved from the Life Esidimeni health facility to NGOs in… Read more »
South Africa: Regulator Flags Rise in Fake Doctors, Urges More 'Education' About the Menace
The Health Professions Council of South Africa has received more than 300 complaints about alleged bogus medical practitioners in 2023/24 alone. The issue of individuals allegedly… Read more »
November 02, 2023
South Africa: Catastrophic Budget Cuts Endanger Western Cape's Three Academic Hospitals
The CEOs of the Western Cape's three academic hospitals have warned that, because of severe funding cuts, they could run out of cash by 15 January. Read more »
October 31, 2023
South Africa: Concern in Komani After 120 Children Fall Ill From Suspected Food Poisoning
More than a hundred learners from Komani had to receive medical treatment after they bought and ate food from hawkers and shops in the town last week. The Eastern Cape MEC for… Read more »
October 30, 2023
Africa: New Global Push to Protect Women From Health Hazards of 'Whiter Skin' Creams
Several African governments will submit proposals calling for more concerted global action to protect women - and a growing number of men - from suffering permanent skin damage and… Read more »
South Africa: 'Bogus Doctor' Matthew Lani Arrested, Due in Dock After Escape Bid Drama At Helen Joseph Hospital
TikTok 'doctor' Matthew Lani is expected to appear in the Johannesburg Magistrates' Court within 48 hours following his arrest as he entered Helen Joseph Hospital on Sunday… Read more »
October 25, 2023
South Africa: More Than 15,000 Excess Deaths Feared If Country Doesn't Shut Coal-Fired Power Plants - Study
What is the cost of extending the life of our coal plants? A new study finds that delaying the decommissioning of our coal fleet may help with load shedding, but it will cause… Read more »
October 09, 2023
South Africa: Subsidising These 10 Essential Products Could Help Stave Off Malnutrition in SA, Say Civil Society Groups
With millions of children not getting enough nutrition, the DG Murray Trust's Grow Great project has intensified its call for the government and food industry to waive mark-ups on… Read more »
September 21, 2023
South Africa: Aspen's Novo Nordisk Deal a 'Feather in Our Cap' and an NCD Battle Boost - Top Executive
The success of the Danish company - Europe's second most valuable - is largely built on its weight-loss drugs. Read more »
September 20, 2023
South Africa: Aspen's Covid Vaccine Facility in Gqeberha Switches to Making Insulin for Africa
Aspen South Africa will soon deliver millions of vials of human insulin to patients in Africa at a low cost after reaching an agreement with Novo Nordisk. Read more »
September 17, 2023
South Africa: Johannesburg Hospitals Struggle to Keep Wards Clean in Ongoing Water Crisis
On Sunday afternoon, 17 September 2023, relatives of patients brought water in bottles along with food for their loved ones admitted to the Helen Joseph Hospital in Auckland Park… Read more »
September 05, 2023
South Africa: Covid-19 Contracts Reveal That Big Pharma 'Bullied' South Africa While Securing Vaccines Worth $734m - NGO
After winning a legal challenge forcing the government to hand over its Covid-19 vaccine contracts with large pharmaceutical organisations, the Health Justice Initiative says they… Read more »
August 30, 2023
South Africa: Gold Fields 'Deeply Concerned' After Report Reveals Toxic Workplace Bullying, Sexual Harassment, Racism
JSE-listed Gold Fields said it was committed to stamping out the scourges of bullying, racism and sexual harassment after an independent workplace culture report revealed the scale… Read more »
South Africa: UPL Chemical Inferno 'More Than Doubles' Risk for Heart Disease and Lung Cancer in Parts of Durban
Thousands of people living in the immediate vicinity of the former UPL chemicals warehouse in Durban face twice to three times the risk of developing heart and lung diseases… Read more »
August 27, 2023
South Africa: Council for Medical Schemes 'Deeply Disturbed' By Mediclinic Fraud Allegations
A whistle-blower came forward last week with explosive allegations that six Mediclinic hospitals in Gauteng and the Western Cape have been manipulating patients' bills to save the… Read more »
August 17, 2023
South Africa: Activists Celebrate as Court Orders Covid-19 Vaccine Contracts to Be Made Public
Several civil society organisations fighting for transparency in the procurement of Covid vaccines by the South African government celebrated on Thursday after the Gauteng Division… Read more »
August 16, 2023
South Africa: Chris Hani Baragwanath Runs Out of Life-Saving Adrenaline After Gauteng Switches Suppliers
After doctors reported that the last vial of Adrenaline at Chris Hani Baragwanath hospital was used up this week, the supplier, Pharma-Q, blamed load shedding for its failure to… Read more »
July 26, 2023
South Africa: Cholera Outbreak 'Represents Ears of Hippopotamus' of Wastewater Treatment Crisis
While an independent assessment by the Water Resource Commission can't identify the source of the recent cholera outbreak in Hammanskraal, the investigation highlights a much… Read more »
July 25, 2023
South Africa: Advocacy Group Makes Court Bid to Lift Veil of Secrecy Over Covid Vaccine Procurement
The Pretoria High Court has reserved judgment in the Health Justice Initiative's appeal against the government's refusal to make several documents relating to the procurement of… Read more »
July 02, 2023
South Africa: Mediclinic Discharges Its Final Set of Results After 37 Years On the JSE
After 37 years of being listed on the JSE, the hospital group Mediclinic was delisted towards the end of May. The delisting followed a £3.7bn buyout by a consortium… Read more »
June 28, 2023
South Africa: National TB Indaba Reveals Way Forward for Retaking Control of Tuberculosis After Covid-19 Setbacks
TB killed more than 56,000 people in South Africa in 2021 according to the World Health Organisation. In the same year, the WHO estimated that there were over 304,000 new TB… Read more »
South Africa: South Africa Included in Gates-Led Clinical Trial of New TB Vaccine Hailed As Potential Game-Changer
A Phase 3 clinical trial for M72, a new candidate vaccine against pulmonary tuberculosis will be conducted in South Africa. The head of Global Health at the Bill & Melinda… Read more »