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News Update
EU watchdog blocks GSK blood cancer drug approval
Europe’s health regulator stuck to its recommendation not to renew conditional approval for GSK’s blood cancer drug Blenrep last month, citing data that did...
FDA approves chronic skin disease drug
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given the green light to a drug to treat the skin condition seborrheic dermatitis in patients...
New lawyers for men accused of assassinating Babita Deokaran
The six men charged with Babita Deokaran’s murder made another appearance in the Gauteng High Court (Johannesburg) last week, when their previous attorney withdrew...
SAHPRA issues warning about fake Ozempic
The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) has said it is aware of fake Ozempic products being sold on the market and online,...
TB death rate still unacceptably high – Minister
TB remained a pressing concern for South Africa, with an estimated 300 000 South Africans getting the disease every year, Deputy Health Minister Sibongiseni...
New ‘life-changing’ breast cancer drug gets NHS nod
A new breast cancer drug, one of four cancer treatments approved for use by NHS Scotland, will give “life-changing hope” to breast cancer patients,...
$1bn plan for African vaccine manufacturing
As part of a new initiative from Gavi, the global vaccine alliance, up to $1bn will be made available to boost African vaccine manufacturing...
FDA approves sickle cell treatment but obstacles remain
The US Food and Drug Administration gave the green light last week to the first gene editing therapy to be used in humans –...
Start counselling for obese children from age six – US panel
Children with obesity should receive intensive counselling to promote healthy diet and exercise habits from the age of six, a panel of US experts...
UK’s new menopause guidance ‘belittling and harmful’
Britain’s new official guidance on treating menopause will harm women’s health, experts and campaigners have warned, accusing the draft guidelines of being “patronising” and “scaremongering”.
Released last...
SA’s male murder statistics a health crisis, says SAMRC
The South African Medical Research Council says an urgent national response is needed to probe the high murder rate of men – 87% –...
Private hospital admissions soar in UK as NHS takes strain
Britain’s private hospitals saw record admissions this year after hundreds of thousands of people sought care through their insurance amid rocketing NHS waiting lists.
Between January and June, 443 000 private...
WHO warns that world could lose malaria fight as cases rise
A new report from WHO says the world risks lose the fight against malaria, as cases rose by around 5m year-on-year in 2022, exceeding...
US commission warns about toys’ magnets after children’s deaths
Magnets from children’s toys have been linked to seven deaths after being ingested, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission has warned, announcing one company’s...
Record 10 000 research papers retracted in 2023
The number of retractions issued for research articles in 2023 has passed 10 000 – smashing annual records – as publishers struggle to clean...
First EU list of critical medicines published
The European Commission (EC), the Heads of Medicines Agencies (HMA) and European Medicines Agency have published the first version of the Union list of critical medicines.
It...
Swifter justice urged in NHS infected blood scandal
British campaigners have warned the country’s government that it will be “on the wrong side of history” if it rejects a new compensation scheme...
Medical school deans urge Treasury to stop Health budget cuts
The deans of SA’s medical and dental schools have called on the National Treasury to protect the health sector from further budget cuts, warning...
Court issues deadline to end load shedding at hospitals, clinics
Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has been ordered by the High Court to “take all reasonable steps” – by no later than 31 January – to...
Shoddy planning stymies Eastern Cape hospitals digital migration
Despite forking out a massive R200m on digital infrastructure and equipment since 2021, the Eastern Cape Health Department’s roll-out of the technology has been...
Young doctors face placement challenges – DA
The DA has again been inundated with calls from young doctors needing placement for their community service year, after being left in the lurch...
Long-term HIV/TB Eshowe project closes after major achievements
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) will this month close its long-term HIV and TB project in Eshowe and Mbongolwane, ending the organisation’s more...
Lawyer in medico-legal fees wrangle escapes sequestration bid
Attorney Zuko Nonxuba and his wife Alicia Novelano Nonxuba escaped bankruptcy after the Eastern Cape High Court (East London) dismissed separate applications for their...
Hijack syndicates target health workers
A male nurse, driving a government vehicle with five co-worker passengers, was shot and killed in a hijacking last week in Ndwedwe, KwaZulu-Natal, the...
DRC records 581 suspected mpox deaths
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has recorded a growing outbreak of mpox cases linked to sexual transmission, the World Health Organisation (WHO)...
Paediatric ‘white lung pneumonia’ cases surge in US, Denmark, China
An area in Ohio, US, is experiencing a surge of paediatric pneumonia, including mycoplasma pneumonia – also known as white lung pneumonia – which...
FDA probes safety of CAR-T therapies
After reports of serious adverse events in clinical trials and post-marketing studies, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has launched in investigation into...
FDA issues warning on Chinese syringe products
A warning from the US Food & Drug Administration last week regarding Chinese-made plastic syringes has alarmed healthcare workers and others.
The FDA said several...
SA firm to produce contraceptive anti-HIV vaginal rings
Within the next few years, South African company Kiara Health of Johannesburg is to start manufacturing the vaginal ring contraceptive for women, which protects...
Ugandan woman (70) gives birth to twins
A 70-year-old Ugandan woman, Safina Namukwaya, has given birth to twins – a boy and a girl – via Caesarean section at a fertility...
Justice committee slaps down medico-legal claims Bill
A Bill aimed at structuring the payment of medico-legal claims against the state has been rejected by Parliament’s Justice & Correctional Services Committee.
The State...
Report on cheap medical aid options handed to Minister, finally
The Council for Medical Schemes has submitted its report on affordable medical scheme options to Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla – although the Board...
‘Walking pneumonia’ may be causing rise in paediatric illnesses worldwide
A surge in paediatric respiratory infections in China, mainly related to respiratory illnesses and pneumonia, has been attributed to respiratory syncytial virus, influenza, Covid-19,...
MEC slams guards after patient denied clinic access dies
The Limpopo Department of Health has launched an investigation after a patient died at the entrance to Northam Clinic in the Waterberg District at...
SAHRC to probe hundreds of complaints about public hospitals
An investigation has been launched by the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) into allegations of abuse and neglect of patients at dozens of state...
Fraud and waste costs medical aids billions every year
An eye-popping R30bn – or 15% of total revenue – is being lost by medical aids to fraud, waste and system abuse every year,...
UK regulatory body warns about Paxlovid risks
Britain’s health regulator has issued a warning about Covid-19 medication Paxlovid and the potential for risk of harmful drug interactions because of the ritonavir...
Australia bans disposable vape imports
In efforts to clamp down on nicotine addiction in children, Australia plans to ban the import of disposable vapes from January, while new laws...
Health systems must respond to growing NCD burden – Ramaphosa
President Cyril Ramaphosa says the new Dr Pixley Isaka Ka Seme Memorial Hospital in KwaMashu, north of Durban will help tackle the country’s growing...
Protesters call for new Gugulethu hospital
More than 100 people from several Cape Town townships marched to the Western Cape legislature this week to demand a new hospital in Gugulethu,...