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Weekly Roundup
International partnership to combat drug resistant malaria in Africa
The European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) has granted the PAMAfrica research consortium €21.9m over a five-year period to develop new medicines...
4 ambulances stoned and petrol bombed by Eastern Cape protestors
The South African Emergency Personnel Union (SAEPU) has said, in a statement, that it strongly condemns the attitude of protesters who hurled petrol bomb...
Illegally converted ambulances putting patient's lives at risk
The lives of thousands of patients, passengers and paramedics across the country are being put in danger every day by three-seater Toyota panel vans...
US-linked pregnancy centres condemned for opposing Uganda's contraception policy
“Crisis pregnancy centres” with links to the US have been condemned by Uganda’s top reproductive health official for opposing contraception, and instead telling pregnant...
COVID-19 causing a run on medical masks protecting against TB
A shortage of medical masks used to protect healthcare workers in South Africa against tuberculosis (TB) could run out in the next six months...
'Next-generation' surgery-performing robot to be trialled by the NHS
A “next generation” British-made robot will perform surgeries for the National Health Service (NHS) in a European first. The Daily Telegraph reports that the...
FDA approvals this week: Drugs for cholesterol, migraine, and CVD in type 2 diabetes
US regulators have approved a new type of cholesterol-lowering drug aimed at millions of people who can’t tolerate – or don’t get enough help...
WHO wants more funds to fight DRC Ebola epidemic
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has appealed for an additional $40m so that it can continue fighting the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic...
Eastern Cape health refurbishment project in Uitenhage hampered by lack of funds
A R3.9m project to refurbish the primary health care facility at Laetitia Bam Day Hospital in KwaNobuhle, Uitenhage, the biggest local clinic in the...
England, Scotland and N Ireland ban heading in under-11 football training
A heading ban in football training for children up to the end of primary school has been introduced with immediate effect in England, Northern...
Understaffing halves number of Eastern Cape Health ambulances
Staff shortages have forced the Eastern Cape Health to almost halve the number of state ambulances on the road, reports News24. For years, state...
Because of R500m budget shortfall, Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital still under capacity
Three years after the official opening of the 200-bed Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital in Johannesburg, concern has been raised that the facility is not...
Plea for SA to approve generic of costly cancer drug Revlimid
Thank you for the article “Cancer drug delays ‘costing lives’” by Sipokazi Fokazi (2 February) highlighting the plight of cancer patients who are unable...
NHS go ahead for £600,000 gene therapy to treat rare eye disorder
A new gene therapy has been used to treat patients with a rare inherited eye disorder which causes blindness, reports BBC News. It's hoped...
Two experimental drugs fail to halt Alzheimer's disease
Experimental drugs from Roche and Eli Lilly failed to halt Alzheimer’s disease in their latest test, the companies said, in a blow to people...
Egyptian doctors' 'White Coat' campaign against FGM
Doctors in Egypt have taken time out of their surgeries for a campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of female genital mutilation (FGM)...
Pharmacists arrested on stolen meds and illegal clinic charges in Eastern Cape
A government pharmacy assistant and a pharmacist working for a private pharmaceutical company have been arrested for allegedly running an illegal private clinic with...
COVID-19 puts global pharmaceutical supply chain in danger
Every day, people rely on Chinese companies for life-saving products. The country is the world’s largest producer of active pharmaceutical ingredients, even if the...
Baby born through new egg freezing fertility treatment
A woman who was left infertile by cancer treatment has given birth to a baby after her immature eggs were collected, matured in a...
Med schemes regulator reinstates senior official suspended for alleged corruption
The medical schemes regulator has reinstated one of the six senior officials it suspended for alleged corruption and maladministration last year, after an internal...
Mediclinic's North West acquisition cleared by the courts
Private hospital group Mediclinic has announced that it has won its appeal against the Competition Tribunal’s prohibition of its proposed acquisition of Matlosana Medical...
DA denied site inspection at Addington Hospital
The Democratic Alliance (DA) reports that it was denied access to Addington Hospital by KZN Health MEC, Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu on Thursday of last week...
UK hospital's 'witch-hunt' for whistleblower criticised
A UK hospital has been widely criticised for its “witch-hunt” in an attempt to find out the identity of a whistleblower. The Guardian reports...
Refurbishment of Rustenburg hospital urgently needed
Plans have been put in place to refurbish some of the old buildings at the Shimankana Tabane Hospital in Rustenburg. The Times reports that...
Voyeur UK doctor struck off medical register
A UK anaesthetist Dr Jonathan Fielden has been "erased" from the medical register with immediate effect at a tribunal after pleading guilty to a...
Inquest to be held into Life Esidimeni deaths
Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola has acceded to a request by the National Prosecuting Authority that a joint hearing be conducted into...
Thai success in treating some coronavirus cases with flu and HIV medication combo
Thai doctors have seen success in treating severe cases of the new coronavirus with combination of medications for flu and HIV, with initial results...
Free State Health clinics anger communities by operating only 'few hours a day'
Free State residents allege they aren’t getting the health care they need because numerous clinics close early, after operating for only a few hours,...
Discovery rebuttal of racial bias in fraud investigations
Discovery Medical Scheme has testified at a Council for Medical Schemes inquiry that its “disproportionate” investigations into black professions did not conclude that there...
Knifed man shoots at Durban paramedics with paintball rounds
Two ER24 paramedics were forced to duck for cover and flee behind their ambulance on Thursday of last week when a patient - with...
Uganda provides 70,000 insecticide-treated mosquito nets to its soldiers
Uganda's Health Ministry has handed over 70,000 long-lasting, insecticide-treated mosquito nets to the national army, the Ugandan People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), to distribute throughout...
Investor in e-cigarette maker Juul announces $4.5bn loss in value of stake
A major investor in leading e-cigarette-maker Juul has seen its stake in the company drop by more than two-thirds, reports BBC News. Tobacco giant...
Irregularities stop recruitment process at Dr George Mukhari Hospital
Gauteng Health has instructed Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital in Tshwane to stop recruitment and selection processes for vacancies. The Times reports that the...
Nigeria's Lassa fever death toll for January rises to 41
The death toll from Lassa fever in Nigeria since the beginning of January has risen to 41 as cases were confirmed in more regions,...
Zimbabwe's doctors return to work after billionaire provides funding for six months
Zimbabwe's doctors have agreed to return to work after accepting a funding offer from a billionaire, reports BBC News. The prolonged strike over pay...
Labat Africa buys into the medical-cannabis training market
Investment group Labat Africa, which is venturing into the cannabis market, has announced that it has agreed to buy a business that offers training...
New HIV vaccine test awaits SAPRA green light
A new HIV vaccine is soon to be clinically tested that could potentially prevent the disease in the country, if an application by the...
Growthpoint increases investment in SA healthcare sector
Growthpoint Properties, South Africa’s largest real estate group, says it is on track to grow its health-care fund nearly fourfold to R10bn in the...
SA's health system is leaving youth behind – SA Health Review
The latest SA Health Review found that South Africa’s health system is at risk of leaving the youth behind as it moves towards universal...
Foundation launches £30m global challenge to 'galvanise and inspire' heart research
With the World Health Organisation forecasting an increase in cardiovascular deaths worldwide, the British Heart Foundation’s Big Beat Challenge is a global initiative to...