May 09
South Africa: Courts to Decide Whether Pharmacists Can Start HIV Medicines Without a Doctor's Script
In August 2021, the South African Pharmacy Council (SAPC) published legislation in the Government Gazette to enable pharmacists to prescribe and dispense antiretroviral medicines… Read more »
May 08
South Africa: Ramaphosa Proclaims 'Health Revolution' At Second Presidential Health Summit
The Presidential Health Summit held on Thursday and Friday last week set out ten key areas targeted for intervention to meet the South African government's objective of advancing… Read more »
May 05
South Africa: Analysis - 21 Months Later, What Progress Has Wagner Made in the Eastern Cape?
For years, the Eastern Cape Department of Health has made the headlines, often for the wrong reasons. From rat-infested hospitals and newborn babies dying in overcrowded and… Read more »
May 04
South Africa: 'That Iron Suitcase Saved My Life' - Retired Nurse Reflects On 37 Years of Service
When Boitumelo Motsei became a nurse, she didn't expect that she would also have to learn to ride a bicycle or drive a donkey cart. Read more »
May 03
South Africa: In-Depth - SA's Obesity Problem and the Promise of New Weight Loss Medicines
Obesity is a complicated public health issue that can be devastating on both the societal and the individual level. On one hand, it costs our economy millions and is a strain on… Read more »
May 02
South Africa: Eikehof Care Home - a Refuge for Many Cancer Patients On Treatment Far Away From Home
Even on a grey winter's day, the Eikehof care home in a quiet Athlone cul-de-sac in Cape Town is sun-washed and bright. In the kitchen, general assistants Tania Mazamebela and… Read more »
April 26
South Africa: New Mental Health Policy Welcomed, but Experts Concerned Over Implementation
South Africa's long-awaited new National Mental Health Policy Framework and Strategic Plan 2023 - 2030 took centre stage this week at the two-day SA Mental Health Conference in… Read more »
April 25
South Africa: In-Depth - How Cystic Fibrosis Is Being Treated in SA While Breakthrough Meds Remain Out of Reach
Legal action is underway in South Africa to improve access to a game-changing new class of medicines called CFTR modulator therapies for treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF). Where… Read more »
April 24
South Africa: Can Digital Adherence Technologies Help With Adherence to HIV Medicines?
Around 7.8 million people were living with HIV in South Africa in 2022, of which 5.7 million were taking antiretroviral treatment. People living with HIV who take antiretroviral… Read more »
April 21
South Africa: Struggle for Migrant Health Rights Still Far From Over After Landmark Judgment
On 14 April 2023, the High Court in Gauteng confirmed the rights of all pregnant and lactating women and children under age six to access services for free at all levels of care,… Read more »
April 20
South Africa: The Promise of a Financial Boost for TB Programmes - Where to From Here?
South Africa's new roadmap to tackle HIV, TB and sexually transmitted infections - the National Strategic Plan - lays out an ambitious list of priority actions that need to be… Read more »
April 19
South Africa: New RSV Vaccine Can Save Thousands of Lives, Researchers Say
The first vaccine to prevent severe lung infections, including pneumonia, in infants will save thousands of lives and reduce the burden on health systems of low- to middle-income… Read more »
April 18
South Africa: Access to Sufficient Colostomy Bags Still Hit-and-Miss At Gauteng Hospitals
Six months after Spotlight first reported on the plight of stoma patients experiencing shortages of colostomy and urostomy bags at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital (CHBAH)… Read more »
April 17
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 »