South Africa: Three Health Reforms the New South African Government Must Prioritise

To drum up support as South Africans head to the polls, President Cyril Ramaphosa reportedly vowed to "end the apartheid that remains in healthcare" when he hit the campaign trail.… Read more »

South Africa: Codeine Misuse - South Africa Set to Get New Guidelines

In response to high levels of codeine abuse in South Africa, health authorities have been developing a plan to track the supply of the drug from manufacturers all the way to… Read more »

South Africa: New Lab a Leap Forward for Oral Health in the Eastern Cape

A new lab promises to improve access to dental prostheses in the Eastern Cape, restoring thousands of smiles in the process. Dr Bulela Vava of the Public Oral Health Forum welcomes… Read more »

South Africa: Flu Rates Anticipated to Return to Pre-Covid-19 Levels

COVID-19-related factors resulted in several years of lower-than-normal rates of the flu, but experts say that is now something of the past. As this year's flu season gets under… Read more »

South Africa: Chronic Kidney Disease Rates Have Dropped in People With HIV, but Late Diagnosis Remains a Serious Problem

People living with HIV are at an increased risk of developing several opportunistic infections and co-morbidities, including chronic kidney disease. Elri Voigt unpacks the complex… Read more »

South Africa: SA Is Facing a Fast-Escalating Heroin Crisis - and It's Being Misunderstood

Various sources of data show that heroin use has increased markedly in South Africa. In this in-depth story, Jesse Copelyn analyses the drivers of the crisis, the policies that… Read more »

South Africa: Widely Used HIV Drug in SA Flagged for Reports of Resistance - but Experts Say Don't Panic

That HIV can develop resistance to the drugs used to treat it is nothing new, but results from recent studies reveal the emergence of resistance in subsets of people living with… Read more »

South Africa: Health Services in the Eastern Cape - What Changed Since the Last Elections?

In this analysis, Luvuyo Mehlwana looks back at the performance of public healthcare services in the Eastern Cape over the last five years - a term characterised by leadership… Read more »

South Africa: One in Four People With HIV Not On Treatment, According to New Estimates

Despite South Africa's impressive HIV testing figures, a subset of people start taking antiretroviral therapy far later than is ideal for their health, shows new data from the… Read more »

South Africa: Dramatic Decline in Condom Distribution in SA, New Figures Show

Condom distribution in South Africa has dropped dramatically over the last five years, finds a Spotlight analysis of data recently published in the Health System Trust's District… Read more »

South Africa: Focus On Children, Urges President of SA Society of Psychiatrists

There are serious gaps in psychiatry regarding treatment, prevention and care for children and adolescents in South Africa. Offering solutions, Dr Anusha Lachman tells Spotlight… Read more »

South Africa: Stigma, Lack of Awareness Holding Back Use of HIV Prevention Pills, Experts Say

Over the last four years South Africa has taken large strides in making HIV prevention pills available at public sector clinics, but uptake has not been as good as some may have… Read more »

South Africa: Someone Close to Me Has Been Diagnosed With TB - What Should I Do?

Tuberculosis can infect anyone. It is caused by bacteria and spreads through air and is very common in South Africa. Dr Janet Giddy shares how she deals with Mrs Worried - an… Read more »

South Africa: We Need to Fight for Sleep Equity in SA, Say Leading Researchers

Research into the link between disordered sleep and disease show an outsized burden on the most vulnerable. It's sounding alarms for sleep equity to have a place on the public… Read more »

South Africa: Effective Reduction to Health Promotion Levy Undermines Diabetes Response

Non-communicable diseases are killing more and more people in South Africa yet the government missed out on raising a total of more than R15 billion for prevention efforts, argues… Read more »

South Africa: Big Jump in Drug Use Over Two Decades, Study Finds

The proportion of South Africans consuming marijuana, cocaine, and heroin has increased substantially since the early 2000s, research shows. Jesse Copelyn breaks down the reasons… Read more »

Liberia: A Year After a Damning Report, Some Green Shoots At Rahima Moosa Hospital

Spotlight visits Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital and sees progress for the struggling hospital but also the reality that there's a long road ahead to undo what a health… Read more »

South Africa: Pilot Project Now Offering HIV Prevention Injection

A new HIV prevention injection is now available to a select number of people in South Africa. That a single shot provides two months of protection is one of the injection's major… Read more »

South Africa: Top Forensic Pathologist Looks Back As Cape Town Gets Shiny New Mortuary

Mortuaries are grim places, yet Professor Lorna Martin - South Africa's first woman to head a forensic medicine department - also visits mortuaries when she is on holiday. She was… Read more »

South Africa: There Is a 'Worrying' Resurgence of Sexually Transmitted Infections in Gauteng

There's a comeback of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in South Africa and around the world. The Gauteng Department of Health recently reported an increase of newly acquired… Read more »

South Africa: SA's Cancer Data Has Significant Gaps - Now Patients Can Help Fix It

There are significant gaps in the data when it comes to understanding South Africa's cancer burden. Things are however set to improve with an initiative that will allow members of… Read more »

South Africa: Patient-Centred Health Care - the NHI Revolution You Deserve

A patient-centred health system will remain an illusion under the NHI unless the public health system is ramped up to better serve users and a clear path is outlined for… Read more »

South Africa: With Elections and NHI, This Is a Big Year for Healthcare in SA

South Africa is barrelling towards its most consequential and most competitive national and provincial elections since 1994, expected to take place in May. That the ANC's share of… Read more »

South Africa: This Is How SA Can Meet Its HIV Targets

"The path to ending AIDS is clear," states a recent UNAIDS report. "HIV responses succeed when they are anchored in strong political leadership, have adequate resources, follow the… Read more »

South Africa: We Can't Simply Close Dental Facilities During the Festive Period

On the 2nd of January 2024, Simphiwe*, needing emergency oral healthcare, turned to the Cala District Hospital in the Eastern Cape. However, she was confronted with a note on the… Read more »