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Medical profession alarmed by Kennedy’s racist theories
President Donald Trump’s choice of Robert F Kennedy to become America’s leading health official has caused consternation.
His theory, for instance, that black people have...
Concern as Guillain-Barre syndrome cases rise in India
A six-year old boy is among around 160 reported cases of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) since early January in Pune, India.
GBS, a rare disorder where...
Mitral clip implant first for Charlotte Maxeke Hospital
Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital has become the first government health facility in Gauteng to perform the MitraClip implant, a procedure designed to treat...
Unemployed doctors call for firing of Finance Minister
Fed-up and desperate unemployed health graduates are calling for Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s head, saying he should be fired for his failure to increase...
Gauteng cancer patients still awaiting lifesaving treatment
Thousands of cancer patients – and advocacy groups – in Gauteng are still waiting in vain for news about treatment, despite the provincial Health...
Gauteng’s compulsory teen contraception slammed as 'unlawful'
A plan by Gauteng Health & Wellness MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko to roll out compulsory contraceptive implants for schoolgirls across the province has run into...
Frustrated locals shut down ‘decaying’ Limpopo clinic
Fed up with a lack of action from Limpopo’s Health Department, which has been accused of not taking the community seriously, angry residents barricaded...
Lung cancer increasing among non-smokers, WHO warns
Being a non- or never-smoker appears to provide little protection against the ravages of cancer nowadays, with an increasing proportion of people being diagnosed...
Effects of Japan's 'public co-operation' approach to Covid pandemic
During the chaos that was the Covid-19 pandemic, and in contrast to the lockdowns imposed in many countries, Japanese authorities issued health advisories and...
Trump’s funding freeze threatens to paralyse SA NGOs
South African NGOs are already feeling the squeeze as US President Donald Trump’s planned suspension of all foreign development assistance begins to take effect,...
Medical aids turn to court in long-running battle for low cost options
The Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF) will go to court in efforts to legally compel the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) to allow cheaper...
SAMA writes to President as more jobless doctors protest
A group of 150 or so unemployed KwaZulu-Natal doctors staged a sit-in outside the provincial Health Department’s headquarters in Pietermaritzburg on Monday, warning that...
NICD issues diphtheria alert
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) has issued an alert on respiratory diphtheria, which it says has been present since 2024, particularly in...
Moderna gets millions for mRNA jab against future pandemics
In the final days of the Biden administration, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded $590m to Moderna to expedite development...
EU plan to ban ‘forever chemicals’ in consumer products
The European Commission wants to ban PFAS – “forever chemicals” – in consumer products, with exemptions for essential industrial uses, although the agency admits...
Antibiotic for MDR-TB halves risk – SA, Vietnamese trial
Two recent simultaneous trials – one conducted in South Africa among children, the other involving Vietnamese adults – found that levofloxacin reduced the risk of...
Watchdog alert over FDA’s fast-track drug approvals
A new report from the US Department of Health & Human Services’ Office of Inspector General has raised concerns about the FDA’s accelerated approval...
KZN Health to insource vital services
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli has announced that various services – like security, cleaning, kitchen work and gardening – will now be insourced at all...
WHO launches $1.5bn plea for global health crises
An urgent appeal has been issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which needs funds to support global lifesaving interventions to tackle unparalleled health...
Paracetamol pack sizes reduced in Australia
In new harm-reduction measures from next month, packs of paracetamol sold in Australia will contain fewer tablets, both in pharmacies and other outlets.
The Therapeutic...
World health at a crossroads as Trump dumps WHO
Public health experts have warned of major repercussions following the withdrawal of the United States from the World Health Organisation, undermining the nation’s standing...
Union medical aid axes Melomed hospitals
The SA Municipal Workers Union Medical Scheme (Samwumed) has dumped the Melomed Group from its list of approved hospitals, causing an outcry among members...
North West Health seeks help with teen pregnancies
The North West provincial Health & Social Development Portfolio Committee has called for urgent action in response to teen pregnancies, and after recent revelations...
Obesity measure must go beyond BMI, suggest global experts
A group of global experts is proposing a new way to define and diagnose obesity, reducing the emphasis on the controversial body mass index...
State lab must beef up cyber security, say doctors
After last year’s catastrophic ransomware attack on the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), a pair of Western Cape doctors has called for an urgent...
World’s largest protein study to revolutionise cancer, dementia tests
The world’s largest study of proteins circulating the human body will launch in the UK this month, with tens of millions of pounds in...
Loneliness tied to cardiac, stroke and infection risk – China-UK study
Interactions with friends and family may keep us healthy because they boost our immune system and reduce our risk of diseases like heart disease,...
ANC compromise on NHI not on the cards, says Motsoaledi
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi says reports that the ANC was prepared to compromise on NHI and medical aid schemes were without basis, denying that...
Fluoride debate heats up as new analysis suggests IQ link
Water fluoridation is widely seen as one of the great public health achievements of the 20th century, credited with substantially reducing tooth decay. But...
Antibiotic crisis ‘could claim 40m lives’, warns UK expert
As superbugs spread across the globe, death rates from antimicrobial resistance are likely to double over the next 25 years, with senior citizens especially...
US teen sues world’s top food companies over processed foods
An American teenager has just taken on 10 of the world’s biggest food companies, including Coca-Cola, Nestlé and Kraft Heinz, suing them for deliberately...
First bird flu death reported in the US
A Louisiana man who had the first severe human case of bird flu in the US has died, local health officials reported this week...
Surgeon-General wants cancer warnings for alcohol
The US' top doctor has called for risk warnings on alcohol – similar to the labels on cigarettes – after new research flagging links...
EPA warns of common chemical’s link to cancer
A recent investigation has found that formaldehyde causes more cancer than any other toxic air pollutant, exposing everyone to elevated risks of developing cancer no...
South Africa shoulders high health burden of sugary drinks
A global analysis has placed South Africa among the countries worst hit by the health burden of high consumption of sugary drinks which, together...
More than 900m people globally have incurable STI – Qatar analysis
Research led by a team in Doha has confirmed genital herpes is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the world that does...
Unspent R250m cancer treatment funds returned to Treasury
Gauteng Health has attempted to justify its failure to spend R250m that was allocated for cancer treatment saying the situation is “not as urgent”...
Medical students tackle rural healthcare gaps in Western Cape
Ukwanda, the isiXhosa word for ‘grow’, encapsulates the mission of Stellenbosch University’s Ukwanda Centre for Rural Health: nurturing healthcare in rural communities. At the...
Sharp climb in children's death from malnutrition
In the past two years alone, more than 1 000 children under five have died from hunger, with deaths in this age group generally...
Leadership issues at Gauteng Health raise concern
Criticism of leadership and governance at Gauteng Health is increasing as the department repeatedly makes headlines for questionable appointments. This unfolds alongside a damning...