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‘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...
Study flags sharp rise in alcohol-linked deaths in US
In an analysis by race, sex, age, and geography, alcohol-induced death rates in the United States last year were nearly double those in 1999, with...
HIV+ groups battle to access state services, study finds
The fall-out from Pepfar funding cuts for HIV programmes three months ago continues to reverberate, with three specialised clinics in Cape Town serving key...
Millions spent on guarding abandoned hospital
A derelict and vandalised hospital that has stood empty for nearly 30 years is costing the Gauteng Department of Health R750 000 per annum...
More children obese than underweight – Unicef
Unicef has warned governments to protect children’s diets from unhealthy ingredients and to stop the ultra-processed food industry from interfering in policy decisions –...
Public healthcare patients often deemed ‘unworthy’ – UCT study
Marginalised categories of patients are considered less deserving of essential services by South African health workers, according to a recent University of Cape Town...
Pioneering childhood hypertension study for SA
South Africa still relies on US and European blood pressure charts for children, but Nelson Mandela University is helping to change that through a...
MEC under fire as health facilities buckle under pressure
Grappling with huge staff shortages and shrinking budgets – like public healthcare facilities across the country – Gauteng's Health Department is further crippled by...
US aid cuts could mean millions of TB deaths – global analysis
Foreign aid cuts by the United States could result in more than 10m additional TB cases and 2.5m more deaths in the next years...
Gauteng Health owes R5.1bn to suppliers
Thousands of businesses providing services to the Gauteng Department of Health are in a precarious position, with hundreds of jobs at risk after the department’s...
Groote Schuur appeals for R100m to open new centre
Groote Schuur Hospital, home to one of the busiest emergency centres in the Western Cape, desperately needs R100m in donations to help equip and...
Emergency services desperate as shortages cripple sector
South African lives are being lost – and thousands more put at risk – as the dire shortage of ambulances and paramedics continues to...
Minister has eye surgery at Bara clinic
Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has successfully undergone an optical procedure at Baragwanath Hospital’s St John Eye Clinic, apparently after several months on the...
Health DG enters the legal fray over circumcision device
Director-General of Health Dr Sabelo Buthelezi has entered the legal argument over the award of a tender for a device to be used to...
Kenyan Health Ministry cracks down on rampant fraud
The Kenyan Ministry of Health is determined to clean up the healthcare system, recently handing over 1 188 case files and supporting evidence to...
Task force formed to fight rising cholera cases in Africa
A joint plan has been announced by African leaders to combat the centuries-old disease that has seen cases doubling on the continent over the...
Experts unpack potential cancer risk of tattoo ink
Recent studies have connected tattoos and cancers, including skin cancers, lymphoma and leukaemia, and although the research is early, and many unknowns remain –...
‘Miracle’ Cape baby grew outside mother’s womb
A year ago, little Joshua Nodela was successfully delivered from his mother’s belly instead of her uterus, testimony to the skills and teamwork of...
Doctors flag crippling cuts at major Durban hospital
Doctors have blown the whistle about a crisis at one of KwaZulu-Natal’s most important public hospitals, saying it is functioning far under capacity due...
Chronic staff shortages add to growing mental healthcare burden
The public sector averages just 0.31 psychiatrists per 100 000 people, with far fewer in remote areas, with lack of specialised facilities, collapsing infrastructure...
Dora Nginza staff down tools over unpaid overtime – again
Nurses and support staff at Dora Nginza Hospital in the Eastern Cape, who have been on a wildcat strike for a week, have apologised...