HomeNews Update
News Update
SA is facing an incurable TB 'ticking time bomb'
The health risk posed by state hospitals discharging patients with totally drug resistant TB was a 'ticking time bomb', says Professor Keertan Dheeda of the...
Cover-up claims over NHS data breach affecting thousands
Thousands of patients are feared to have been harmed after the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) lost more than half a million pieces of...
Drug resistant malaria detected in Africa for the first time
For the first time in Africa, researchers said, they have detected a malaria parasite that is partially resistant to the top anti-malaria drug, artemisinin,...
Discovery wants Competition Commission to dismiss complaint
Discovery Health Medical Scheme has asked the Competition Commission to dismiss Afrocentric Health’s complaint that it is undercutting competitors, contending it lacked merit.
The dispute between Discovery and Afrocentric currently...
Footballers pledge brain donations following dementia research progress
Scores of retired UK footballers have come forward to pledge the donation of their brains to dementia research, amid signs that the campaign for...
Officials of Kenyan doctors' union jailed; Zim doctor's strike looms
A Kenyan court has jailed seven union officials over a doctors’ strike, while in Zimbabwe, government doctors are bracing for a crippling strike.
Business Day...
SA's obs-gynae crisis: Innovative risk solutions needed
The 'real crisis' of an imminent collapse of obs-gynae practices needs to be tackled with innovative, new sustainable solutions warns the SA Health Department.
The...
'Angry' Motsoaledi intervenes to stop EC move of patients to NGOs
SA Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has intervened to halt the Eastern Cape's decision to move frail care patients from Life Esidimeni to NGOs,...
World Cancer Day: A cure is 5-10 years away – WHO expert
An effective cure for all types of cancer could be just five to 10 years away, according to Professor Karol Sikora, former head of...
Most Zimbabwean deaths in SA linked to HIV/Aids
Figures from Zimbabwe’s South African Consulate show that more than 300 Zimbabweans die in SA every month, with more than a third of deaths related to...
Trump's anti-abortion rule may endanger PEPFAR
Donald Trump’s recent signing of an anti-abortion rule could put $9.5bn in US aid funding at risk, including the PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for...
FDA warns on vulnerability of pacemakers to hacking
Pacemakers are easy targets for hackers, the US Food and Drug Administration< has warned in a cybersecurity briefing.
The small devices have been saving lives...
Botch up means 26 women got wrong IVF sperm
A mistake at a Dutch IVF clinic means that up to 26 women may have accidentally had their eggs fertilised with the wrong sperm,...
New Alzheimer’s drug enters trial stage
A new drug developed at Lancaster University that may help to prevent the early stages of Alzheimer's disease is to enter clinical trials.
Better vetting of qualifications needed — call
A fake doctor worked at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital for more than five years before being detected, leading to opposition party calls for more rigorous controls.
Poor nursing training blamed for severe reactions
Poor nurse training may have led to severe reactions to a new contraceptive device, leading to it being discontinued in Mpumalanga.
SA healthcare workers at high TB risk
Researchers have called for an urgent response to high levels of tuberculosis (TB) infection in South African health workers.
Legal drug addiction does the most harm
The Global Statistics on Addictive Behaviours: 2014 Status Report shows that almost 5% of the world's adult population (240m people) have an alcohol use disorder and more than 20% (1bn people) smoke tobacco.
Countries 'must collaborate' on antibiotics
Countries must club together to pay for and control the international supply of new antibiotics, according to radical new proposals for combatting the global threat of drug resistant superbugs.
SA’s drug supply shortages dire
Dire shortages of medicines at South Africa's public hospitals and clinics are giving rise to fears of increased drug resistance among patients.
SA scientists trial XDR-TB drugs
South Africa spearheads first trial into shorter and better treatment for extensively drug resistant TB (XDR-TB).
Conservative agenda worsens Aids epidemic
Russia's top Aids expert has lambasted the Kremlin's increasingly conservative agenda, saying the HIV-Aids epidemic is worsening and at least 2m Russians are likely to be infected in about five years.
Video on HIV treatment myths
Stellenbosch University is launching an educational video that aims to teach communities about the disease and start conversations about so-called HIV 'cures'.
California law against 'anti-vaxxers'
California parents who do not vaccinate their children would have to home-school them under a Bill passed by the state Senate, the latest move in a battle between public health officials and 'anti-vaxxers' who fear vaccines are dangerous.
US surgeons get pointers from SA
The US is following in the footsteps of South Africa as surgeons are preparing to perform a penile transplant, with the University of Stellenbosch providing advice.
WHO finds mixed results on health goals
This year's World Health Statistics – published by the World Health Organisation – assesses progress towards the health-related goals in each of the 194 countries for which data are available.
Liberia Ebola-free but vigilance urged
Liberia has been declared free from Ebola after 42 days without a new case of the virus, which killed more than 4,700 people there during a year-long epidemic.
WHO wants socially acceptable disease names
New human diseases should be given socially acceptable names which do not offend people and countries or mention animals, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said.
SA doctors face ruin as Fund falters
Financial ruin threatens some medical practitioners as the largest company handling Compensation Fund claims has suspended its pre-funding services because of the fund’s failure to make payments. Business Day reports that CompSol's temporary withdrawal of its prepayment services means the medical practitioners including doctors, radiographers and occupational therapists who are among its clients, will have to wait a long time for payment for their services provided to injured or ill workers. CompSol handles 40%-60% of all medical claims against the fund.
Noakes article removed, then reinstated
Diet guru Prof Tim Noakes failed to declare conflict of interest in British Journal of Sport Medicine editorial, causing an 'expression of concern' followed by the article being removed. It has now been reinstated with a notice outlining competing interests by the authors.
SA's successful vaccine roll out
South Africa's expensive pneumococcal vaccine roll out has cut childhood hospitalisations due to meningitis, pneumonia and rotavirus by about 70% in just five years
WHO slammed for weak Ebola response
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has received harsh criticism for its weak response to Ebola. Professor Peter Piot, former head of UNAIDS, said that while the world needed a WHO, 'it cannot continue the way it has been'.
SA paying millions for 'not getting it right'
Multimillion-rand negligence claims against the Department of Health have increased nine-fold since 2013, according to Stellenbosch University Professor Ethelwynn Stellenberg.
WHO fight against antimicrobial resistance
Only a quarter of countries that responded to a World Health Organisation (WHO) survey have national plans to preserve antimicrobial medicines like antibiotics.
Office of Health Standards waits for teeth
The Office of Health Standards Compliance (OHSC) will only get its teeth once national norms and standards for facilities have been adopted. A draft was published in February and people have until 18 May to submit comments.
New staff after man dies waiting for a bed
Following media coverage of coverage of a man who died after waiting 12 hours for a bed, 27 new health workers have been appointed to the Natalspruit Hospital east of Johannesburg.
FDA double take on double chins
The US Food and Drug Administration has for the first time approved a treatment for double-chins.
SA surgeons saving lives in Nepal
South African surgeons have conducted 68 life-saving operations since they touched down in earthquake-struck Nepal last week
A fifth of world's children not vaccinated
One fifth of the world's children still do not receive routine vaccinations that could prevent 1.5m deaths a year from preventable diseases, the World Health Organisation says.
Billions have no access to surgery
Two-thirds of the world's population have no access to safe and affordable surgery, according to a study – more than double the number in previous estimates.