South Africa: SA Has an Oral Health Crisis, New Hpcsa Oversight Boards Need to Step Up Urgently

The new board members for the Health Professions Council of South Africa have an opportunity to tackle the growing oral disease crisis by dealing with regulatory gaps and inequity,… Read more »

South Africa: If Covid-19, Why Not TB? Mr President, It's Time for a Family Chat

South Africa had several "family chats" in which President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. He should do the same for tuberculosis,… Read more »

South Africa: Health in 2025 - the Year in Fewer Than 1,000 Words

The year's biggest health story by far has been the cuts to US aid for health and US support for health research. But it's also been a year of important HIV prevention… Read more »

South Africa: Patients Left Vulnerable As Diabetes Supplies Dwindle

Getting to grips with rising diabetes rates is arguably one of the most urgent tasks for South Africa's public healthcare system, but the setbacks keep coming. While some… Read more »

South Africa: #InsideTheBox With Dr Andy Gray - Where Are We On the Road to More Coherent Cannabis Regulation?

There has been much confusion and misunderstandings about how cannabis and associated products are regulated in South Africa, with government's own missteps adding to the… Read more »

South Africa: Six Striking Findings From Major TB Conference

From studies of new medicines and a mask used to diagnose TB, there was no shortage of interesting findings presented at the recent Union World Conference on Lung Health, held in… Read more »

South Africa: Salim Abdool Karim | Transforming Adversity Into Opportunity for the Aids Response

As World AIDS Day 2025 swings by, CAPRISA Director Professor Salim Abdool Karim reflects on the frantic days following this year's unprecedented cuts to health aid and research… Read more »

Africa: Timeline | the Journey of HIV Through Science, Struggle, Activism, and Hope

From the first reported cases of HIV in 1981 to the latest breakthroughs in long-acting prevention, this Spotlight timeline traces key moments in the global and South African… Read more »

South Africa: #inthespotlight | Why Government Should Provide More Free HIV Self-Tests

It is estimated that around half a million people living with HIV in South Africa don't know they are living with the virus. One way to help these people is by offering them the… Read more »

South Africa: 'What's the Point of Top Tech Sitting in Labs?' UCT's Yumna Albertus Is On a Mission to Turn Science Into Social Impact

What started as a childhood fascination with science and sport has grown into a mission to "democratise" technology with innovative, affordable rehabilitation solutions for people… Read more »

South Africa: What Has Actually Happened On NHI This Year?

It is not a stretch to say that the NHI Act has been one of the most controversial pieces of legislation in post-apartheid South Africa. Read more »

South Africa: Integrating Health Services for Mom and Baby Could Reduce Clinic Visits By Half

In South Africa, many mothers and their babies have to visit the clinic more than 10 times in the first six months of the postnatal period. Early findings from an ongoing… Read more »

South Africa: South Africa Has Relatively High Anal Cancer Rates, but We Rarely Screen for It

South Africa has the world's largest population of people living with HIV, which both heightens the risk of anal cancers and their severity. However, neither the collection of data… Read more »

South Africa: Spotlight Launches New HIV Dashboard

Spotlight has launched a new HIV dashboard and graph generator based on outputs from the Thembisa model. Our hope is that this dashboard will help the public and people working in… Read more »

South Africa: After a Damning Report, Health Dept Says Issues At Mafikeng Provincial Hospital Are Being Addressed

Mafikeng Provincial Hospital, a critical public healthcare facility in the North West, is facing a slew of challenges from broken and faulty medical equipment, long waiting times… Read more »

South Africa: 54,000 TB Deaths in South Africa in 2024, According to WHO

Around 54 000 people died of TB in South Africa in 2024 and 249 000 fell ill with the disease, according to new estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO). Read more »

South Africa: Medicines Safety - the Crucial Role of Pharmacists in Protecting You

Medicines are among the most powerful tools in healthcare, but they also come with risks. As we mark #MedSafetyWeek, Mr Vincent Tlala, registrar and CEO of the South African… Read more »

South Africa: Monitoring People's Blood Pressure in Their Homes Leads to Better Control - Study Finds

Hypertension - a condition where blood pressure is consistently higher than normal - is poorly managed in South Africa. Remarkable findings from a study in rural KwaZulu-Natal… Read more »

South Africa: South Africa and Indonesia Team Up On Massive Asymptomatic TB Study

Over the last decade, there's been growing evidence that people can have TB without having any symptoms. But there is still much uncertainty over how such asymptomatic TB functions… Read more »

Africa: Withdrawal of US Aid Has Hurt South Africa's HIV Programme

The number of HIV viral load tests is significantly lower than expected, according to an analysis of data from the National Health Laboratory Service which Spotlight and GroundUp… Read more »

South Africa: Who Recommends Nutritional Support in Fight Against TB - Government Claims to Take It On Board

Evidence has been mounting that poor nutrition impacts both someone's risk of falling ill with TB and how well they do once ill. But as the World Health Organization (WHO) releases… Read more »

South Africa: On Which Legal Arguments Are the NHI Court Cases Set to Turn? Part 2 - Right to Healthcare Services

The NHI Act is facing a slew of legal challenges from multiple organisations. For this special series, Spotlight combed through court papers, and spoke with legal experts to pin… Read more »

South Africa: Breakthrough HIV Prevention Jab Given Green Light in SA

An HIV prevention jab that provides six months of protection at a time was given the green light by South Africa's medicines regulator. The approval helps to clear the way for a… Read more »

South Africa: Arvs Without a Script - What Next After Major Court Ruling?

A landmark ruling from the Supreme Court of Appeal means specially trained pharmacists will soon be allowed to dispense antiretrovirals without a doctor's script. Pharmacists with… Read more »

South Africa: Waiting Is Not an Option in the First 1000 Days - How a Shared Approach in Cape Town Helps High-Risk Babies

South Africa's health department is overhauling its framework for disability services. It prompts an important question: When it comes to Cerebral Palsy - a wide-ranging motor… Read more »