April 07
South Africa: Moonlighting, Money and Morals in a Looted Health System
The Department of Health allows some public sector doctors and nurses to moonlight in the private sector, but the relevant policy and its implementation caused much controversy… Read more »
April 01
South Africa: Flu Season Is Here, With Experts Keeping a Close Eye On New Flu Strain
Many regions in the Northern Hemisphere experienced a slightly earlier start to their flu season, driven in some part by a novel variant of influenza A(H3N2). As our flu season… Read more »
March 31
South Africa: Are There Appropriate Sanctions for Non-Compliance With Medicines Legislation in South Africa?
The sale of illegal medicines is a significant threat to public safety. In his latest Inside The Box column, Dr Andy Gray asks whether the South African Health Products Regulatory… Read more »
March 30
South Africa: Child Stunting and Echoes of HIV - What It Will Take for South Africa to Change Course
Weeks after pledging to end child stunting by 2030, President Cyril Ramaphosa has kick-started a task team to drive this urgent national mission. But what concrete steps could… Read more »
March 26
South Africa: Tiny Tots and Big Science - Inside Brooklyn Chest Hospital's Decade Old Paediatric TB Hub
Soft toys, giggly kisses, and bright wards buzzing with excited children meet a driven team of staff and researchers producing world class work at Brooklyn Chest Hospital's… Read more »
March 25
South Africa: Well Over Three Million People in South Africa Develop Depression Every Year, Researchers Estimate
Around 3.8 million people in South Africa developed depression in 2024, estimate leading local researchers in a major new modelling study. Read more »
March 23
South Africa: The Invisible Fuel Driving Our TB Epidemic - What Do We Actually Know About Asymptomatic TB?
Although TB can be cured, it is still spreading in South Africa at alarming rates. One reason could be that some people with TB disease but without symptoms may unknowingly be… Read more »
March 20
Africa: After Centuries, TB Is Still the Bridesmaid, Never the Bride
The wins are there but the underlying reality remains, writes Professor Kogie Naidoo as she likens TB to a bridesmaid awaiting its turn to garner attention. The analogy is relevant… Read more »
March 18
Africa: The Fight Against TB Is Also the Fight for Human Rights
The persistence of TB is a reminder that medical solutions alone are not enough. Renier Coetzee and Ingrid Schoeman write that the disease thrives in conditions shaped by social… Read more »
March 17
Africa: The Hunt for a New TB Vaccine - Why We Are Now So Close, and Why It Matters
The only tuberculosis vaccine we have is a century old and offers only limited efficacy in children. With leading South African researchers involved in the pivotal clinical trials… Read more »
March 16
South Africa: A New TB Dashboard Can Help Boost Testing, We Need to Make the Most of It
The new government TB dashboard is a step forward for transparency and accountability in South Africa's response to the ancient, but still deadly, disease. It is critical that we… Read more »
March 12
South Africa: NHI Pause Should Be Used to Build Stronger Healthcare Foundations
Universal health coverage cannot succeed with fragmented systems, weak data, and largely symbolic participation. A recent court-ordered pause to NHI implementation offers a chance… Read more »
March 11
South Africa: Global Health Infrastructure Is Changing. Why Getting It Right Matters for South Africa
Funding cuts over the last year or so have created a crisis for multilateral health institutions. Which institutions emerge from this crisis, and in what form, will have real… Read more »
March 09
South Africa: A Quiet Crisis - Babies Born With Hearing Loss Often Diagnosed Too Late in South Africa
Despite the proven benefits of newborn hearing screening and early intervention, universal screening is not yet mandated in South Africa and is only available at a few public… Read more »
March 04
South Africa: The Mosquito Hunters Working Against Rising Floods and Shrinking Budgets to End Malaria in South Africa
Get to know South Africa's malaria experts as they outrun hitchhiking mosquitoes and pollution-hardy bugs while navigating a regional funding collapse and a spiralling climate… Read more »
March 03
South Africa: Early Treatment Helps Protect the Brains of People Living With HIV
Antiretroviral therapy has shifted HIV from a fatal to a chronic condition. But neuropsychiatrists say it is imperative for people living with the virus to start treatment… Read more »
February 27
South Africa: As Another Rare Diseases Day Swings By, Is SA Ready to Take It More Seriously?
Individual rare diseases impact only a very small fraction of people, but collectively they are estimated to affect over three million in South Africa. As we mark International… Read more »
February 26
South Africa: Behind the Scenes - the Amazing People Driving a 'Truly South African' HIV Vaccine Study
A cutting-edge, South African-led HIV vaccine trial built on decades of research recently kicked off in Cape Town. Spotlight unpacks what exactly is being studied, and how the… Read more »
February 25
South Africa: Obesity Medicines Are Needed in SA's Public Sector. Can Our Government Provide Them?
In South Africa, access to weight loss medicines like Ozempic and Mounjaro remains limited to those who can shell out a few thousand Rand a month. In the second article of a… Read more »
February 19
South Africa: Consolidate the Funding of South Africa's District Health System - Why Reform Can't Wait
District managers in South Africa's public healthcare system currently have to juggle funding from multiple government budget lines, each with different strings attached. To… Read more »
February 17
South Africa: Spotlight Launches New TB Dashboard
Spotlight has unveiled a new tuberculosis (TB) dashboard and graph generator. We hope this dashboard will help people get a clearer picture of the state of South Africa's TB… Read more »
February 12
South Africa: How Medicines Pricing Works in South Africa and How It Might Change in Future
In South Africa, as in many places, pharmaceutical companies are not free to change medicine prices as they wish. In his latest Inside The Box column, Dr Andy Gray unpacks how… Read more »
February 09
South Africa: South Africa Has a 'Bogus Doctor' Problem
Bogus medical practitioners threaten the health of patients and undermine trust in doctors. The problem might be growing, but so is the fight against it. Read more »
February 06
South Africa: 'There Are Good People Out There Who Want to Do Good Things' - How Healthcare Services Are Being Taken to Rural Western Cape Farms
The health department in the Western Cape is partnering with farms in the Cape Winelands to provide easier access to healthcare for farm workers. Spotlight unpacks one such… Read more »
February 04
South Africa: Blockbuster Weight-Loss and Diabetes Medicines Sales Surge Despite Cost Barriers
Sales of weight loss medicines like Ozempic and Mounjaro have sky-rocketed in South Africa in recent years, although they remain too expensive for most people who might benefit… Read more »
