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South Africa shines in global overview of HIV/Aids research excellence
A global analysis of four years of HIV/Aids research identifies the US as research leader in the field, followed by the UK and South...
Substantial tax hikes needed to cover NHI – economists
The government would have to hike taxes by an average of 10.8% to fund the National Health Insurance (NHI) to provide the services set...
Even slightly raised levels of troponin linked to increased risk of heart death
Even a small increase in troponin, a protein linked to heart attacks, is associated with an up to tenfold increased risk of death, found...
Global study reveals relatively low cost of SA medicines
In a finding that may surprise many, South Africa ranked among the lowest on the cost of 13 common medicines in a 50-nation study by UK digital healthcare...
Robust study finds stents no better than drugs for many, challenging current practice
Many patients with severe but stable heart disease who routinely undergo stenting would do as well by just taking medications and making lifestyle changes,...
Lawyers to test constitutionality of limiting right to treatment
Lawyers are to appeal a Gauteng High Court (Johannesburg) judgment upholding a decision by Helen Joseph Hospital to discontinue life-saving dialysis treatment for an...
Impartiality of 'politicised' NHI hearings called into question
A recent public hearing on the National Health Insurance Bill has been criticised by civil society activists as "an ANC rally ... a sham",...
Implantable bio-artificial kidney achieves pre-clinical milestone
US scientists have successfully implanted a prototype kidney bioreactor containing functional human kidney cells into pigs without significant safety concerns. Separately, a study found...
Probiotics may halve gut problems and infections in very premature babies
Boosting the milk of premature babies with healthy bacteria may have helped half the number of serious gut problems and infections, according to research...
Motsoaledi and Magashule named in CityMed 'hit' case
A senior former Free State Health official claims that former Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi and ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule were bribed to facilitate the...
Measles wipes out immune system's memory — 2 studies
Inoculation with the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine did not impair children’s overall immunity. Importantly, it also prevented measles from depleting people’s antibody...
Medical cannabis not proven in mental health — research review
Evidence is weak for whether medicinal cannabis treatments can relieve mental illnesses such as anxiety, depression and psychosis, and doctors should prescribe them with...
Survey paints bleak picture of practitioner pessimism
As South African health professionals have become more knowledgeable about the National Health Insurance scheme they have become increasingly negative about it, reports MedicalBrief....
NHS calls for blacklisting of homeopathy in UK
National Health Service (NHS) leaders in the UK have gone to war on homeopathy by attempting to have the practice blacklisted amid fears it...
Pro footballers have 3.5x higher risk of neuro-degenerative disease
A landmark study led by the University of Glasgow has revealed the first major insights into lifelong health outcomes in former professional footballers. The...
Bedtime BP meds may cut heart risk by almost half – large randomised study
Blood pressure medication may confer a larger benefit if taken at night, rather than in the morning. A “robust” Spanish study of more than 19,000 patients...
Being a doctor is a mug’s game in SA
Inconsistently applied and poorly managed disciplinary proceedings are putting strain on South Africa’s doctors, argues columnist William Saunderson-Meyer on Politicsweb. The also have to...
HPCSA vs anti-abortion doctor: Defence wants charges dropped
Anti-abortionist Dr Jaques de Vos’s medical career has been stalled for more than two years because of a repeatedly delayed disciplinary action by the...
Semenya row: Study shows testosterone boosts female athletic performance
In a robust new study with dire implications for trans athletes like SA's Caster Semenya, researchers at the Karolinska Institutet and the Swedish School...
Ministers claim courts used to thwart private healthcare oversight
The ministers of Health and Economic Development hit back at Health Market Inquiry findings blaming the government for “inadequate stewardship” of the private sector...
Wits boosts organ donor numbers with new procurement strategy
The Wits Transplant Unit substantially increased organ donor numbers after revising the way they communicate with families and medical staff after a potential donor...
Omega-3 fish oil supplements linked with lower CVD risk
People who received omega-3 fish oil supplements in randomised clinical trials had significantly lower risks of heart attack and other cardiovascular disease (CVD) events...
Ramaphosa's 'wake-up' to R22bn in health corruption
President Cyril Ramaphosa said he got a “wake-up call” during the recent election campaigning when he discovered how many of the billions of rands...
Competition Commission targets private healthcare monopoly
The Competition Commission has recommended stronger regulation to overturn the monopoly of a few players in the private healthcare sector and reduce the financial...
Controversial review finds that cutting back on red and processed meat has little health impact
A major international set of systematic reviews has concluded that cutting back on red and processed meat has little impact on health, contrary...
New prostate cancer test is highly-accurate and avoids biopsies
A new and simple blood test that detects circulating tumour cells, used in combination with the current prostate specific antigen test (PSA), non-invasively predicted...
Big data, lab science suggests drug may slow Parkinson's progression in people
A drug used to treat enlarged prostate may also be able to slow the progression of Parkinson's disease. The surprising finding is the result...
Fumigation neurotoxin may be cause of Cuban 'sonic attacks'
Fumigation against mosquitoes in Cuba and not “sonic attacks” may have caused some 40 US and Canadian diplomats and family members in Havana to...
NHI Bill set to worsen SA’s medico-legal nightmare — experts
As provincial health departments try to claw back a R98bn national medico-legal bill, and amid doctor alarm over warnings that they could be held...
Marriage significantly lowers dementia risk — meta-analysis
Marriage may lower the risk of developing dementia, concludes a 15-study meta-analysis involving 800,000 participants. Lifelong singletons and widowers are at 42% higher risk...
Graca Machel's bid before HPCSA to silence Mandela's former doctor
Nelson Mandela’s widow Graça Machel is trying to prevent his former doctor from revealing sensitive information about the icon’s final years, reports the Weekend Argus....
Human trial finds first hint that body's ‘biological age’ can be reversed
In a small human trial, drugs seemed to rejuvenate the body’s ‘epigenetic clock’, which tracks a person’s biological age, writes Alison Abbott for Nature....
Large study over decades links optimism and prolonged life
A large US study, following women for 10 years and men for 30 years, found that individuals with greater optimism are more likely to...
State healthcare workers may be targeted to pay back negligence claims
Gauteng Health has warned employees it may recover some of the billions in damages claims it is facing from those responsible for the medical negligence,...
Mkhize says a 'hard fight' ahead to improve SA's 'low quality ‘ healthcare
Parliament has called for public submissions on the “constitutionally aligned” National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill, writes Legalbrief Policy Watch. Conceding that government “will need...
Western Cape Health reversal over ‘theft’ of broken chairs
In the face of widespread public disbelief and criticism, a Western Cape Health internal review has hastily reversed the findings of a disciplinary panel...
Autism so over-diagnosed that term is becoming meaningless — study
Autism is now so over-diagnosed, following the progressively lowering over 50 years of the diagnostic bar, that by 2029 there will be no objective...
Suspension of public consultation 'fake news', says Health committee
The National Assembly's Health Committee has denied the public consultation process on the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill has been suspended pending the outcome...
Doctors' careers destroyed for 'stealing' broken chairs
Western Cape Health, despite an acute and growing short of anaesthetists, has jeopardised the careers of three doctors with pristine academic and work records,...
SCA displeasure over 'pervasively substandard' care in state hospitals
Despite a split decision dismissing an appeal regarding damages for a baby who suffered brain damage during birth, in an unusual move, five judges of the...