FOCUS: THIS WEEK'S TOP STORIES
Study on first birth cohort to receive HPV vaccine
June 20th, 2018 Girls in the first birth cohort to receive the HPV vaccine showed a lower degree of dysplasia which may eventually lead to cervical cancer than a birth cohort from 1983, found the first study of the vaccine's effect on the general population. This...
SA makes history with 'bold' move on DR-TB drug
June 20th, 2018 South Africa's 'bold' announcement that all drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) patients will be eligible to receive the new medicine, bedaquiline, move may influence the World Health Organisation to revise its own guidelines. Based on research...
Motsoaledi says resignation calls are 'orchestrated' by medical schemes
June 20th, 2018 A group of 99 doctors and academics has sharply criticised public health management and 'unresearched' plans for the introduction of National Health Insurance,reports The Star. Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has hit back, saying the...Breaking News
Former Gauteng Health MEC and others implicated in corruption worth R1.2bn
Twelve public servants and politicians, including former Gauteng Health MEC Brian Hlongwa and... June 21st, 2018Health Bills gazetted and open for public comment – Motsoaledi
The National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill has been published in the Government Gazette, paving the... June 21st, 2018
Weekly Roundup
Cold and flu season hits SA early but strain not as severe
The cold and flu season might have hit South Africa sooner than expected this year, but the strain... June 20th, 2018PSC report on KZN Health warns on staff attitudes
Staff attitudes at KwaZulu-Natal Health facilities and inadequate care of patients including... June 20th, 2018Nehawu mobilising over Limpopo's failure to pay bonuses
The National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) says it is mobilising for mass... June 20th, 2018Esidimeni claimants receiving their money
Section27 says not all the claimants of the Life Esidimeni arbitration have received their money,... June 20th, 2018SA’s first healthcare-focused property company launched
Growthpoint Properties has launched the country’s first healthcare-focused property company as it... June 20th, 2018HPV vaccine programme in UK significantly reduces infection risk
A new study in the UK has shown the success of the Human Papilloma Virus(HPV) vaccine programme in... June 20th, 2018WHO cautious about declaring victory in DRC Ebola epidemic
The head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) has cautioned against declaring victory too early... June 20th, 2018Ramaphosa urged to attend UN meeting on TB
Civil society groups are calling on President Cyril Ramaphosa to attend a historic global... June 20th, 2018Motsoaledi and Dhlomo tour new KZN condom factory
Health minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi and KZN Health MEC Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo have expressed their... June 20th, 2018CARDIOVASCULAR
Flavour additives in e-cigarettes may impair blood vessel function
Flavour additives used in electronic cigarettes and related tobacco products could impair blood vessel function and may be an early indicator of heart damage, according to laboratory research. The health effects of "combustible" tobacco products... June 20th, 2018EAR, NOSE AND THROAT
Spoonful of honey helps a button battery go down
A team of ear, nose, and throat specialists has demonstrated that eating honey after swallowing a button battery has the potential to reduce serious injuries in small children.
"Our recommendation would be for parents and caregivers to give honey...
June 20th, 2018
HIV/AIDS
Long periods of viral suppression reduces cancer risk in HIV population
Early, sustained antiretroviral therapy (ART), which results in long-term viral suppression, helps to prevent Aids-defining cancers and also non-Aids-defining cancers, to a lesser degree. However, patients with long-term viral suppression still had... June 20th, 2018HIV/AIDS CONTINUED
Two-drug HIV regimen effective in treatment-naive patients
ViiV Healthcare has released data from two phase 3 trials that showed a once-daily, two-drug regimen of dolutegravir and lamivudine was non-inferior to a standard three-drug regimen in treatment-naive patients with HIV, reports Healio. In light... June 20th, 2018Syringe programmes an important tool in preventing HIV outbreaks
A study by researchers investigating the 2015 HIV outbreak in Scott County, Indiana, found that a syringe services programme is an important tool to control and prevent HIV outbreaks among people who inject drugs in a non-urban area, reports Medical... June 20th, 2018IMMUNOLOGY
Cell differences in patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Using a mathematical classification model, Spanish researchers were able to correctly diagnose 70% of chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) patients and healthy controls using the findings from a study of natural killer cell populations. Problems... June 20th, 2018OBSTETRICS
Recording of mother's voice may help neonates sleep in ICU
Hearing a recording of their mother's voice may help neonates maintain sleep while in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), according to preliminary data from a study.
About 10% of US new-borns require treatment in a NICU, which is a noisy...
June 20th, 2018
Blood test successfully predicts premature birth
A blood test for pregnant women detects with 75%-80% accuracy whether their pregnancies will end in premature birth, found a pilot study. The technique can also be used to estimate a foetus's gestational age – or the mother's due date – as... June 20th, 2018ONCOLOGY
Personalised glioblastoma vaccine may increase long-term survival
An international Phase III study led by researchers at the University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA) and at Northwest Biotherapeutics Inc has found that a personalised glioblastoma vaccine may increase long-term survival in some patients.... June 20th, 2018PSYCHOLOGY
Helicopter parents are doing more harm than good
Research published by the American Psychological Association found that over-controlling parenting can negatively affect a child's ability to manage his or her emotions and behaviour.
"Our research showed that children with helicopter parents may...
June 20th, 2018
Religious affiliation linked to increased longevity
A US study of obituaries has found that people with religious affiliations lived nearly four years longer than those with no ties to religion. That four-year boost – found in an analysis of more than 1,000 obits from around the US – was... June 20th, 2018SEXUAL MEDICINE
Health-related claims for 'sexbots' misleading - BMJ study
The precautionary principle should reject the clinical use of 'sexbots' – lifelike robots specifically created for sexual gratification – until their postulated benefits, namely ‘harm limitation’ and ‘therapy’ have been tested... June 20th, 2018