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Public Health
Infant immunisations drop in Western Cape
The Western Cape Department of Health & Wellness has sounded an urgent alarm over a steep decline in infant vaccination coverage across the province,...
WHO, EU to advance digital health in sub-Saharan Africa
A new agreement has been inked by the World Health Organisation and the European Union (EU) to support the digital transformation of health systems...
Africa must stop relying on imported medicines and ingredients
Africa imports more than 70% of its medicine, but this could be changed if the continent made its own active ingredients locally – slashing...
FDA, Merck accused of ‘covering up’ hair-loss pill’s suicide link
Hair-loss drug Finasteride has long been tied to depression and suicide, but researchers say regulators have ignored the warnings, with a recent analysis by...
Toxic BPA found in breast milk, but no SA law to stop exposure
In South Africa, there is no law preventing toxic chemicals like bisphenol A (BPA) from being used in most food packaging, even though research...
Children’s peanut allergies plummet after new guidelines – US study
Food allergies in children dropped sharply in the years after new guidelines encouraged parents to introduce infants to peanuts, a newly-published study has said.
For...
Pharmacists allowed to dispense ARVs, appeal court rules
The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) has dismissed, with costs, an appeal by a doctor’s organisation, the IPA Foundation, aimed at stopping specially trained...
Lifestyle diseases bring down SA life expectancy
Non-communicable diseases are reversing decades of progress in HIV/Aids treatment in South Africa, with statistics released this weekend showing that contrary to global trends,...
Questions after NHLS audit procurement flaws flagged
Weak controls, expired contracts and irregular expenditure have yet again been linked to the Department of Health and its entities, according to the Auditor-General...
Limpopo mother wins damages after surgery on son’s wrong leg
A Limpopo mother has successfully sued the provincial Health MEC for damages after an orthopaedic surgeon operated on her eight-year-old son – but on...
Reimagining mental healthcare amid growing burden – SA Health Review
Mental health has become one of the most pressing public health challenges in South Africa and worldwide. Within our national context, entrenched socio-economic disparities,...
Quitting smoking stubs out dementia risk – London study
British researchers have found that giving up smoking in middle age not only halves the rate of decline in verbal fluency and slows memory...
Urgent need for national kidney health strategy to address glaring gaps
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an escalating public health crisis in South Africa, and urgent reforms are vital, writes a group of concerned specialists...
‘Alarming’ rise of superbugs in newborn babies – Australian study
The war against drug-resistant microbes is not going very well, warned scientists after a recent study on escalating antibiotic resistance and “superbugs” affecting newborn...
Untapped potential of state-private sector collaboration
Government and the private sector could work together much more effectively to improve healthcare services in South Africa, but the potential of such a...
Public outrage over Eastern Cape hospital's fees for file-opening
A government hospital in the Eastern Cape has ignited widespread outrage after reminding the public on its Facebook page that patients have to pay...
Free State Health confirms malaria death and cases
A Free State man has died and two other people are receiving treatment after three laboratory-confirmed malaria cases were identified in a single household...
Steve Biko staff confirm system collapse after GDoH denial
The Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) has denied that patient safety was compromised after a maintenance shutdown affected critical departments at the Steven Biko...
NICD urges vaccinations as measles cases continue to rise
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) has reported a continued rise in measles cases across South Africa, with Gauteng leading in the number...
Mental health patient tries to set bed alight
A fire was contained in the female psychiatry ward at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital on Monday, Gauteng Health said, when a mental health...
‘Planetary diet’ could avoid 40 000 daily deaths – global report
According to a landmark report by 70 experts from 35 countries, adoption of a plant-rich “planetary health diet” could prevent 40 000 early deaths...
Repeat Covid-19 infections double long Covid risk – long-term NIH study
Most people now view Covid-19 as more of a nuisance than a danger, thanks to vaccines and past exposure to the virus – all...
SAHPRA backs safety of paracetamol
The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) has confirmed that paracetamol remains a safe and recommended option for treating pain and fever during...
Lack of security puts Johannesburg clinic staff at risk
Nurses at Jeppestown Clinic in downtown Johannesburg have pleaded for more security, saying one unarmed security guard is inadequate at a facility where staff...
Power shutdown causes chaos at Steve Biko Hospital
Frustrated and angry doctors said an electricity maintenance shutdown at Pretoria’s Steve Biko Academic Hospital at the weekend came without any warning, resulting in...
One ambulance for 50 000 people
Angry and anxious residents say that only one ambulance is working in the Sundays River Valley Municipality in the Eastern Cape, with the Health...
Private sector to bail out NHLS in cancer test backlog
In a bid to slash its overwhelming backlog of cancer tests at its Johannesburg facility, the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) – which receives...
Free healthcare for migrants 'a mistake', says Minister
South Africa’s resources are limited and the government had made a mistake in 1996 in granting services to everyone in the country – whether...
Plan for ‘special Bill’ to plug health funding gap
National Treasury says it is planning to approach Parliament for a Special Appropriation Bill to bridge the funding shortfall in Health and the gap...
SA launches WHO-backed plan to combat rise of counterfeit meds
A national action plan to fight the alarming rise of fake and sub-standard medicines in South Africa will be implemented from next year, aimed...
Big hearts, willing givers, tackle Western Cape cataract backlog
A massive backlog of nearly 500 cataract surgeries in the Western Cape has been wiped out, thanks to the efforts of Gift of the...
Vaccines averted 17m deaths in five years, WHO reports
Vaccinations saved the lives of around 17m people between 2021 and 2024, but according to the WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on...
Donors enable deal for $40 generic anti-HIV ‘miracle’ drug
Thanks to generous donor support, two Indian manufacturers will be able to mass produce cheap ($40) generic versions of the HIV “miracle” drug lenacapavir...
Health officials central to R2bn Tembisa looting spree
Government officials, from high ranking managers to junior officials, all acted together to fleece a staggering R2bn from the Tembisa Hospital in a web...
Cancer deaths to top 18m in 2050 – The Lancet
The global number of cancer cases and deaths between 1990 and 2023 showed a sharp increase, despite advances in cancer treatment and efforts to...
Better results from home-based care for hypertension – NIH study in SA
A South African clinical trial partly funded by the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH) – in which patients measured their own blood...
Murder charge against Operation Dudula after baby’s death
The EFF in Gauteng has opened a criminal case against the Operation Dudula movement, accusing it of inciting violence and unlawfully targeting foreign nationals in...
New US-first health strategy sidelines South Africa
Future health aid to South Africa from the US may be in jeopardy after the Trump administration released a new “America first” global health...
Poor oral hygiene linked to higher cancer risk – NYU cohort study
Scientists say that failing to brush your teeth regularly could triple your risk of developing pancreatic cancer, after their study discovered discovered that harmful...
New guidance to treat effects of Covid
Millions of people worldwide are suffering with the serious cardiovascular effects of Covid infection and long Covid. However, a lack of clear guidance on...