April 17, 2023
South Africa: Interview - Being a Good Doctor Requires Empathy, Says Outgoing Health Ombud Prof Malegapuru Makgoba
As a young boy surrounded by hills in Limpopo, Malegapuru William Makgoba says he used to rest in the shade of marula trees, minding his father's ducks, sheep, and goats, while… Read more »
April 14, 2023
South Africa: Oral Health Services for Persons With Special Needs Still Lacking
In a landmark ruling earlier this year, the Bhisho High Court ruled that the Eastern Cape Department of Health would not need to make lump sum payments for future medical expenses… Read more »
April 13, 2023
Africa: Major Study Turns Spotlight On Formula Milk Industry
The scientific evidence that exclusive breastfeeding is best for infants is very strong. Yet, some baby milk formula companies continue to use questionable methods to create demand… Read more »
April 12, 2023
Africa: After UN Report, New Focus On Antimicrobial Resistance in the Environment
A recent United Nations report, titled 'Bracing for Superbugs: Strengthening environmental action in the One Health response to antimicrobial resistance', has put the Spotlight on… Read more »
April 11, 2023
South Africa: What New STI Prevention Findings Mean for SA
Last year, Spotlight reported that taking a widely available antibiotic after condomless sex can reduce the risk of contracting three different sexually transmitted infections… Read more »
April 06, 2023
South Africa: Do We Have to Balance the Right to Health With the Right to Strike?
South Africa's public health sector strikes often come down to pitting two rights against each other - the right of workers to strike and the rights of patients to access… Read more »
April 05, 2023
Africa: Are NGOs Doing the Work of the State, and Should They?
People in South Africa are used to reports of organisations like Gift of the Givers stepping in during humanitarian emergencies or service delivery NGOs assisting with HIV or… Read more »
April 04, 2023
South Africa: New Screening Programme Planned for Cystic Fibrosis in SA
In recent weeks, cystic fibrosis (CF) has been in the headlines because of a court case about access to new treatments for the genetic condition. CF is one of the most common… Read more »
April 03, 2023
South Africa: Face to Face - 'It's Not About Me, It's About the Patient That I'm Helping', Says Head of Trauma At Bara
Professor Rudo Mathivha speaks slowly and thoughtfully - a direct contradiction to the hive of activity around her at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Soweto, where she… Read more »
March 31, 2023
Africa: Shorter Treatment Regimens for TB Offer Hope, but Await Implementation
A global infectious disease killer existed long before COVID-19 and continues to wreak havoc on the lives of millions of people worldwide. Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease caused by… Read more »
March 30, 2023
South Africa: Ongoing Security Concerns At Gauteng Hospitals Amid Reports of Cable Theft
Already bogged down by loadshedding, operations at various health facilities in Gauteng and some other provinces have also been disrupted due to cable theft, creating another layer… Read more »
March 29, 2023
South Africa: New Free State Health MEC Wants to Restore Hope in the Province's Healthcare Services
Her aim is to restore hope in healthcare services for the people of Free State, the province's new Health MEC Mathabo Leeto said shortly after being sworn in as MEC on 14 March. Read more »
March 28, 2023
South Africa: In-Depth - Mostly Positive Responses to SA's New HIV, TB and STI Plan
South Africa's National Strategic Plan for HIV, TB and STIs (2023 - 2028) was launched on Friday at Tlhabane Stadium in Rustenburg, North West as the world commemorated World TB… Read more »
March 27, 2023
South Africa: We Need More Dedicated Investment to Address TB in Children
The theme of last year's World Tuberculosis (TB) Day was 'Invest to end TB' - an apt theme acknowledging the critical shortfall in funding for TB if we are to meet the 2035 goal of… Read more »
March 24, 2023
South Africa: Face to Face - Prof Muki Shey On His Journey From Cameroon to Doing Cutting-Edge TB Research
It was his own background including childhood sickness that inflamed Professor Muki Shey's passion for finding health solutions in resource-constrained settings. Read more »
March 23, 2023
South Africa: Making Good On the Promise of SA's TB Recovery Plan
Tuberculosis (TB) remains the leading cause of death in South Africa. In 2021, TB accounted for 56 000 deaths and 304 000 people got sick with TB in the country. This is part of an… Read more »
South Africa: Yes! We Can End TB in South Africa
Tuberculosis (TB), an ancient but curable disease, kills more people worldwide than any other infectious disease. Despite decades of global efforts to fight TB, more than 1.6… Read more »
March 22, 2023
South Africa: Supply Issues Delaying Wider Rollout of Shorter TB Preventive Therapy
Though estimates vary substantially, it is thought that in the region of 300 000 people fall ill with tuberculosis (TB) in South Africa every year. Many more people, however, have… Read more »
March 20, 2023
South Africa: New Guidelines Are a Step Forward for SA's TB Response
In February 2021, findings from South Africa's first national tuberculosis (TB) prevalence survey confirmed what many suspected - every year, tens of thousands of people sick with… Read more »
March 17, 2023
South Africa: Urgent Course Correction Needed On NHI, Climate Change, and Economic Policy #AfricaClimateCrisis
Kedibone Mmupele (27), her two children Onkarabile (2) and Nkune (6), and her younger siblings Mapule (7) and Sebengu (9) had not had a decent meal in weeks, media reports at the… Read more »
March 15, 2023
South Africa: In-Depth - the State of SA's HPV Vaccination Programme in 2023
"I was overwhelmed and in complete shock. I never expected what was pretty much a cancer scare in my twenties," says Johannesburg-based Rachel, who was 28 years old when she… Read more »
March 14, 2023
South Africa: Spotlight On Nehawu Strike - Dispatches From the Frontlines
By Tuesday morning, striking healthcare workers and support staff in various parts of the country had returned to work, but there are reports that back to work does not necessarily… Read more »
March 13, 2023
South Africa: Community Care Model Improves Uptake of TB Preventive Therapy, Study Finds
The uptake and continuation of tuberculosis (TB) preventive therapy were much higher when it was provided through a community-based model compared to the standard clinic-based… Read more »
March 10, 2023
South Africa: Patients to Benefit From New Funding and Decision to Let Private Sector Help With Gauteng's Oncology Backlog
On 8 March 2023, the Gauteng MEC for Finance Jacob Mamabolo delivered his budget speech in which he indicated that an amount of R784 million has been set aside for the provincial… Read more »
March 08, 2023
South Africa: Head of Free State Health Department Not Suspended Despite Being Charged
It is business as usual at the Free State Department of Health with the acting Head of Department (HoD) Godfrey Mahlatsi back at work after he was released on R5 000 bail on 11… Read more »