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News Release
Healthy Living Alliance: Study on political strategies of SA's food and beverage industry
In the first study of its kind, researchers have uncovered the variety of strategies used by the food and beverage industry in South Africa...
BHF's 'great concern' over CMS circular on medical aid member support and exemption guidelines
The Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF) has noted with great concern the circular issued by the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) Circular 50 of...
European Medicines Agency adopts positive opinion on monthly vaginal ring to reduce HIV
The International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM) has welcomed a positive opinion from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) on the dapivirine vaginal ring for use...
Board of Healthcare Funders releases first report on Botswana's medical schemes landscape
The Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF), a representative body for the continent’s healthcare funding industry has released a report on the Botswana medical funds...
Western Cape Premier: Diabetes and hypertension remain leading comorbidities
The Western Cape Health Department has has conducted another comprehensive analysis of the comorbidities associated with COVID-19 related deaths in the province, and, according...
SA medical technology industry statement on COVID-19 testing
The unforeseen crisis brought on by the SARS-CoV-2 virus has created a global surge in demand for diagnostic and monitoring tests and a subsequent...
IRR: Government must tell us what the NHI will cost and where money will come from
It is deeply worrying that, with South Africa facing a debt crisis, the government talks up its National Health Insurance (NHI) proposal as the...
SA developed healthcare app contains costs improves frontline worker safety during CoVID-19
A South African developed healthtech app, Signapps, has been taken up by South African private hospitals as a tool to manage the escalating costs...
Board of Healthcare Funders: Medical scheme patients urged to defer elective surgery
The Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF) and its members in the healthcare funding space have requested members of medical schemes to proceed with caution...
DA: Alleged child rape at hospital highlights failures in responding to GBV
I am horrified at the alleged rape of a two-year-old girl while in isolation for COVID-19 at the Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital in...
International interest in SA team led by UFS professor who isolated COVID-19 in sewage
Since a South African team associated with the University of the Free State (UFS) became the first to isolate the SARS-CoV-2 virus from wastewater...
Institute of Race Relations: Ramaphosa deceives SA in claiming NHI will cure healthcare crisis
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s appeal to the country in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis to support the government’s National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme for...
Netcare: Demand for treatment of COVID-19 patients is increasing
Public urged to protect themselves, and others, from the virus.
“We can understand that the public is concerned about hospital capacity, given the recent surge...
Academy of Sciences: Costs of COVID-19 to SA's quadruple disease burden
As of early July 2020, the full force of COVID-19 has yet to strike in South Africa, though it has already impacted the economy...
International AIDS Society’s virtual COVID-19 Conference on 10-11 July 2020
The International AIDS Society (IAS) will host a virtual COVID-19 Conference on breaking COVID-19 research, policy analysis and frontline experience on the final day...
Messe Muenchen SA: Drones show promise for better pan-African healthcare
Drones are being successfully deployed to support medical and humanitarian projects across Africa, but for greater, more sustainable impact, they will need to be...
TAC releases 2020 Pipeline Report
The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) has announced that it has released the 2020 Pipeline Report. The TAC says: “Our annual review provides an overview...
Repurposing of testing facilities vital in the response to COVID 19 outbreak
The improvement in the provision of health services has changed over the years, from the introduction of mobile health facilities to digital and internet...
Access to Medicine Foundation: COVID-19 disruption threatens progress on malaria, HIV and TB in SA
The Access to Medicine Foundation has published a series of articles to address growing gaps in the treatment of malaria, HIV and TB across...
Gauteng may be short of 7,000 critical care beds at peak COVID-19 period
Jack Bloom, DA Gauteng shadow health MEC says in a statement on the Politicsweb site:
Gauteng is potentially facing a shortage of 6,878 critical care...
Uber launches initiative with Mastercard to provide free trips to frontline workers in MEA, including South Africa
As cases of COVID-19 continue to escalate, those assisting communities continue to forge ahead. As they work tirelessly to continue to support, feed and...
Solidarity reacts to Netcare's retrenchment announcement
Solidarity has reacted with shock and concern to the sudden announcement it received from the Netcare private hospital group. Solidarity says in a statement...
African Academy of Sciences: Strengthening Africa’s clinical trial capacity through an online platform
Without a cure or vaccine for COVID-19, it is likely the virus will continue to cause more deaths across the world. As of June...
Fasken: Changes to the scheduling of cannabis, THC and CBD explained
Martha Burnett, partner Fasken, and Roxanne Gilbert, candidate attorney Fasken write:
The Schedules to the Medicines and Related Substances Act, 1965 (Medicines Act), relating specifically...
Thuma Mina moment as professionals step forward to address the COVID-19 crisis
Eighty professionals have stepped forward as volunteers to bring one of South Africa’s most ambitious COVID-19 critical care projects to fruition.
The team comprising actuaries,...
Erik Roos appointed chair of generics and biosimilar medicines body
The Generic and Biosimilar Medicines body of Southern Africa (GBMSA) has appointed industry veteran, Erik Roos, CEO of Pharma Dynamics as its chair, as...
SASOG supports freedom of academic expression
The South African Society of Obstreticians and Gynaecologists (SASOG) executive committee and council noted with disappointment the recent engagement between the Medical Research Council...
Global CROWN study to test chloroquine to protect health workers from COVID-19
COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator to fund international trial of chloroquine
An international group of physicians and scientists, including from the University of Cape Town (UCT) and...
SA Drug Policy Initiative: Cannabis legalisation lockdown lessons
On the 31st of March, a few days after the start of the COVID-19 related lockdown, the South African Drug Policy Initiative (SADPI) sent...
Netcare reports its 6-monthly results
Leading healthcare provider, Netcare, has continued to deliver a resilient operational performance in a rapidly changing market and economic environment. Trading during the first...
Newly available tests for rapid TB diagnosis: what you need to know
Three products have recently been made available to support TB programmes’ efforts to reach UN targets to detect and treat 40 million people with...
AfriForum: Call for Mkhize to disclose more COVID-19 information
The civil rights organisation AfriForum has written a letter to Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize, calling for the disclosure of COVID-19 information, including the...
Med schemes warn of 'rebound' as members avoid treatment for non-COVID-19 illnesses
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues to impact all sectors and medical aid schemes have not been spared. Several solutions are being put forward to...
Marijuana and how it impacts schizophrenia
As marijuana users worldwide take advantage of their self-proclaimed month, here’s a new toke for you. Marijuana can negatively impact mental disorders such as...
Mapping technology to help stop COVID-19 in its tracks in SA, one hotspot at a time
Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping technology has been key to limiting the spread of COVID-19 in South Africa by providing access to real time...
HPCSA guidelines on performance of duties during COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to new and increased demands for the treatment and care of South Africans infected and affected by the...
Global Drug Survey: Invitation to participate in a look at changes in use of alcohol and drugs during the COVID-19 pandemic
COVID-19 has changed our lives: from travel bans, social and physical isolation and empty cities to workers laid off and governments scrambling to muster...
COVID-19: Dental Protection announces two months’ free membership
A package of support – the equivalent of the next two months of membership for free - has been set out by Dental Protection...
Nehawu concerned about healthcare workers' infection risk
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) has said in a statement that its officials in the Western Cape are deeply concerned...
Netcare Ceres Hospital to re-open after Covid-19 staff infections
Netcare Ceres Hospital confirms that the facility will re-open tomorrow, Friday, 24 April, for admitting patients after being temporarily closed as from 17 April....