Unless the province can get conditional grants from the national...
Our journalism is free, because we believe that access to information leads to better health. Your support helps us reach underserved audiences. Can you chip in to help keep Health-e News free for all?
LATEST
Eastern Cape Health struggles to repair weather-damaged facilities
Unless the province can get conditional grants from the national government it will be impossible to fix the damaged facilities in the short term.
Read More »
NEWS
From reporting rape to receiving care: What you need to know
Faith Mutizira April 18, 2025
Gauteng Health’s cost-cutting measures could leave patients waiting over 4 months for care
Yoliswa Sobuwa April 17, 2025
U.S. funding cuts expose fragile global health system
Health-e News April 16, 2025
Food or transport to medical care: the impossible choice many South Africans face
Yoliswa Sobuwa April 15, 2025
Family in the dark a month after Limpopo psych ward shooting
Montsho Matlala April 14, 2025
Is a R1.78 billion start enough to rescue public healthcare?
Yoliswa Sobuwa April 11, 2025
Africa wins when we prioritise women’s health. Here’s how
Health-e News April 11, 2025
Child rape survivors and their families struggle to get support
Yoliswa Sobuwa April 10, 2025
‘Doctors left scissors inside me,’ claims EC woman after operation
Pamela Hlazo April 9, 2025
From reporting rape to receiving care: What you need to know
Faith Mutizira April 18, 2025
Gauteng Health’s cost-cutting measures could leave patients waiting over 4 months for care
Yoliswa Sobuwa April 17, 2025
U.S. funding cuts expose fragile global health system
Health-e News April 16, 2025
Food or transport to medical care: the impossible choice many South Africans face
Yoliswa Sobuwa April 15, 2025
Tip-offs and leads
Community is important to us. A publication is only as good as its readership, because you are our eyes and ears on the ground.
Curiously Health-e
Curiosity is a powerful driver of knowledge, and at Health-e News, we believe in answering the questions that matter most to you.
Do you ever wonder why we have such a high disease burden and what can be done to reduce it? Are you concerned about the impact of climate change on health? Would you like to know what resources are available for mental health?
Share your burning health questions with us! Each week, we’ll provide the answers to a select few inquiries.
"*" indicates required fields
MULTIMEDIA
OUR HEALTH
OurHealth is a project that trains and supports local activists and aspiring health journalists. Our citizen journalists (CJs) live in rural and poorly-covered areas in South Africa, and report on health issues affecting their communities.
According to police, Ledwaba was allegedly attacked by another patient who was found on top of his bloodied body during a violent altercation on March 8.
Nomveliso Nqketho is seeking answers after surgical scissors were allegedly left inside her during an emergency operation.
Some women seeking the removal of contraceptive implants or intrauterine devices face delays due to equipment shortages or lack of water.
The nurse who was on duty refused to treat the child, apparently because they didn’t have a patient file.
OPINION
FEATURES
Q & A
EXPLAINER
RESEARCH
MOST READ
U.S. funding cuts expose fragile global health system
From reporting rape to receiving care: What you need to know
Gauteng Health’s cost-cutting measures could leave patients waiting over 4 months for care
Tembisa hospital open to the public, cause of fire under investigation
Tembisa Hospital closed to new patients following emergency unit fire
EDITOR'S PICKS
7,547
Health-e News Service
Health-e News is a non-profit, online publication focused on pressing health issues in South Africa. We centre community voices through our network of nationwide citizen journalists.
In January, Nolamethe Ntintili, 60, from rural Centane in the Eastern Cape started getting body aches. Within weeks, she could no longer walk or eat.![]()
![]()
Her family needed to get her to the nearest hospital in Butterworth - 60km away. But with how sick she was, public transport wasn't an option, and private transport cost R1,500, money the family didn't have.😟![]()
![]()
Her old age grant was already stretched thin: groceries, funeral policies, and supporting her unemployed daughter.![]()
![]()
In February, they made the difficult choice to skip groceries and take her to hospital. She was diagnosed with advanced colorectal cancer.![]()
![]()
She passed away weeks later.💔![]()
![]()
Many South Africans face the same struggle: free healthcare exists, but the cost of getting there - transport, time, and basic survival - keeps people away. health-e.org.za/2025/04/15/food-or-transport-to-medical-care-the-impossible-choice-many-south-afr...#healthcarehe#ruralhealthcarehe#healthnewshe#easterncapeasterncape
[UPDATE] A month after mental health user Klaas Ledwaba was killed in the psychiatric ward at Philadelphia Hospital in Dennilton outside Groblersdal in Limpopo, his family is still waiting for an official cause of death. ![]()
![]()
The 33-year-old was shot and killed, allegedly by another patient, during an attack. But Ledwaba’s family is still waiting for the post-mortem results. Now, they have approached a lawyer to take matters up with the Limpopo Department of Health. health-e.org.za/2025/04/14/family-in-the-dark-a-month-after-limpopo-psych-ward-shooting/ ![]()
![]()
#healthnews #limpopo #mentalhealth
Princess Chitsuro was born with HIV but only discovered her status as a young adult. The news shattered her. ![]()
![]()
She pulled away from family and friends. But when she became pregnant, she faced a life-changing question: could she protect her child from HIV? She didn’t have the answers, until she joined a mentorship programme for young mothers. ![]()
![]()
There, she met women who had been in her shoes, who gave her guidance, support, and hope. Thanks to access to essential reproductive health services, her baby was born HIV-free.![]()
![]()
Today, Princess is paying it forward, mentoring other young mothers so they, too, can access life-saving care. But stories like hers are at risk. Severe funding cuts to sexual and reproductive health services could undo years of progress, leading to:![]()
![]()
❌ More maternal deaths![]()
❌ More unintended pregnancies![]()
❌ A surge in HIV infections![]()
![]()
Why invest in SRH? In 2024 alone, investments in SRHR prevented 9.49 million unintended pregnancies, 3.38 million abortions, and 19,150 maternal deaths in Eastern and Southern Africa. ![]()
![]()
Read more here: health-e.org.za/2025/04/11/africa-wins-when-we-prioritise-womens-health-heres-how/![]()
UNFPA World Health Organization African Region ![]()
#WomensHealth #maternalhealth #healthnews
📊Child rape is the most reported crime against children in SA, yet few cases make it to trial. According to Stats SA, rape made up 38.3% of all reported crimes against children in 2022/23. But only a fraction of these cases make it to trial.![]()
![]()
7-year-old Cwecwe’s story which has sparked national outrage, highlights the gaps in the system. She was allegedly raped and drugged inside her school classroom in Matatiele, Eastern Cape. ![]()
![]()
In a social media video her mother says when she reported it, a police officer blamed the child for not speaking up, making it difficult to register the case. 💔 ![]()
![]()
The case was only taken seriously when officers learned her mother was also a police officer, and also of a higher ranking.![]()
![]()
What’s stopping families from getting justice?![]()
![]()
🚨Untrained police who fail to handle cases properly.![]()
🚨Medical facilities that lack resources for forensic exams.![]()
🚨 Courts that aren’t equipped to protect child witnesses.![]()
🚨Families forced to travel long distances for help they can’t afford.![]()
![]()
Read more here: health-e.org.za/2025/04/10/child-rape-survivors-and-their-families-struggle-to-get-support/ ![]()
![]()
The Teddy Bear Foundation South Africa The TEARS Foundation![]()
#EndGBV #JusticeforCwecwe #healthnews
"I thought I could finally mourn the loss of my child, who had passed away and was buried while I was in the hospital. However, my struggles continued."![]()
![]()
In December 2023, Nomveliso Nqeketho, a 42-year-old mother from the Eastern Cape, went to the hospital expecting care for her pregnancy. Instead, she was told her baby had died, and her womb was damaged.💔 ![]()
![]()
After an operation to remove both, she was sent home. But something was wrong. ![]()
![]()
During check-ups, nurses discovered urine leaking from her surgical site. It was later revealed that surgical scissors had been left inside her body during the initial operation. ![]()
![]()
After a second operation, she still faces constant pain, incontinence, and costly adult nappies. Over a year later, her health hasn’t improved. Her family say she didn't even receive an apology and they're demanding answers. ![]()
![]()
Find out more here: health-e.org.za/2025/04/09/doctors-left-scissors-inside-me-claims-ec-woman-after-operation/ ![]()
![]()
#MedicalNegligence #easterncape #healthnews
![[UPDATE] A month ago, Klaas Ledwaba, a mental health user died in the psychiatric ward at Philadelphia Hospital in Dennilton outside Groblersdal in Limpopo after being shot - allegedly by another patient.
His family is still waiting for an official cause of death.
They’ve now approached a lawyer, while the Department of Health says the internal investigation is almost done. But how long must they wait?
Link in bio to learn more.
#healthnews #limpopo #mentalhealthpatients #mentalhealth](data:image/svg+xml;nitro-empty-id=MzQ3ODo4Mw==-1;base64,PHN2ZyB2aWV3Qm94PSIwIDAgMTAwMCA1NjAiIHdpZHRoPSIxMDAwIiBoZWlnaHQ9IjU2MCIgeG1sbnM9Imh0dHA6Ly93d3cudzMub3JnLzIwMDAvc3ZnIj48L3N2Zz4= "Health E News 49")
Health Fact