The structure of South Africa’s healthcare system relegates other health...
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
Time to reframe healthcare leadership: South African HR policies are holding us back
The structure of South Africa’s healthcare system relegates other health professions to supporting roles.
Read More »
NEWS
Junior doctors battle burnout and unsafe working conditions
Yoliswa Sobuwa
May 20, 2025
Hypertension, a silent epidemic affecting millions in South Africa
Yoliswa Sobuwa
May 19, 2025
Motsoaledi claims U.S funding cuts have not derailed HIV programme
Ina Skosana
May 15, 2025
90% of South Africans with mental illness go without care
Yoliswa Sobuwa
May 13, 2025
Kliptown residents fear health hazards of using chemical toilets for 20 years
Xolani Baloyi
May 12, 2025
SAPS and emergency response: ‘Police not equipped to transport patients’
Health-e News
May 12, 2025
Junior doctors battle burnout and unsafe working conditions
Yoliswa Sobuwa
May 20, 2025
Hypertension, a silent epidemic affecting millions in South Africa
Yoliswa Sobuwa
May 19, 2025
Motsoaledi claims U.S funding cuts have not derailed HIV programme
Ina Skosana
May 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.
The department has been slow in providing updates, and would not confirm if the nurse has been suspended, or is still working, while the investigation is underway.
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.
OPINION
FEATURES
Q & A
EXPLAINER
RESEARCH
MOST READ
Minister Motsoaledi -We are not AfriForum. We are the reason you have a health system to defend
Junior doctors battle burnout and unsafe working conditions
Limpopo mom demands accountability after baby falls head-first during delivery
Finance Minister Godongwana increases health budget to address hospital crisis
Hypertension, a silent epidemic affecting millions in South Africa
EDITOR'S PICKS
8,046
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.
The Health Professions Council of South Africa - HPCSA stipulates that junior doctors should work 40 hours per week, with a maximum of 20 hours overtime, and rest periods, including a 12-hour break, between weekend shifts. However, in practice, these regulations are often ignored.![]()
![]()
In the country’s overburdened public health facilities, junior doctors routinely work between 80 and 120 hours per week. ![]()
![]()
Last week, the harsh conditions faced by junior doctors were tragically brought back into focus when Dr Alulutho Mazwi, a 25-year-old medical intern at Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital in KwaZulu-Natal, died while on duty – on the same day he was supposed to be admitted to the hospital. ![]()
![]()
According to reports, Mazwi-who had collapsed twice before- had informed his superiors about feeling unwell but was allegedly still expected to report for work. He was allegedly threatened that if he did not report for duty, he would have to repeat his rotation.![]()
![]()
Mazwi’s death is not an isolated incident. ![]()
![]()
The consequences are serious, not only for the physical and mental health of these junior doctors but also for the safety of their patients. ![]()
![]()
Find out more below.![]()
![]()
#juniordoctors #mentalhealthmatters #burnout
Junior Doctors Battle Burnout And Unsafe Working Conditions
health-e.org.za
It’s not uncommon for junior doctors to work 24 to 36 hour shifts, often with minimal or no breaks and very little supervision.
Hypertension affects around 45% of men and 48% of women over the age of 15. Despite its high prevalence, many people remain unaware of their condition.![]()
![]()
The condition, is a major public health concern in South Africa, with over 8.2 million people reported to be living with it. ![]()
![]()
Shonisani Nephalama, nutrition lead at the Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa, says only about 19% of men and 29% of women are aware they’re hypertensive.![]()
![]()
According to Nephalama, a staggering 91.1% of people with hypertension are either unscreened, undiagnosed, untreated, or have uncontrolled blood pressure. Only 8.9% have their blood pressure adequately controlled.![]()
![]()
Vascular surgeon Dr Vinesh Padayachy warns that untreated high blood pressure gradually damages the arterial system, impacting multiple organs over time.![]()
![]()
“Hypertension is one of the leading contributors to cardiovascular disease. Its consequences are both life-altering and, in many cases, irreversible,” he says.![]()
![]()
Find out more below. ![]()
![]()
#hypertension #highbloodpressure #healthnews
Hypertension, A Silent Epidemic Affecting Millions In South Africa
health-e.org.za
Hypertension as a “silent killer” because patients can feel perfectly well for years, all the while their elevated blood pressure is silently damaging arteries and vital organs.
[Op-ed:] There is a line that should never be crossed, even in the heat of political pressure and public scrutiny. This week, South Africa’s Minister of Health, Aaron Motsoaledi, did just that. ![]()
![]()
During a press conference, Motsoaledi likened civil society activists (many many of whom are queer, Black, working class, and on the frontlines of South Africa’s HIV response) to AfriForum because they criticised his response to PEPFAR’s retreat from the country. ![]()
![]()
Let’s be absolutely clear: AfriForum presents itself as a civil rights group, but has been widely described by legal experts, media analysts, and human rights organisations as promoting white nationalist narratives. ![]()
![]()
It has lobbied internationally against land reform, downplayed the brutality of apartheid, with its own leadership once arguing that apartheid was “not a crime against humanity”, and has routinely framed white South Africans as victims of state neglect. ![]()
![]()
To compare the Black-led, community-rooted HIV movement, which has fought for decades to preserve life and dignity in the face of structural violence, to such a reactionary project is more than offensive. It is an act of political violence.![]()
![]()
Read more via Tian Johnson (The African Alliance) #HealthNews
Minister Motsoaledi -We Are Not AfriForum. We Are The Reason You Have A Health System To Defend
health-e.org.za
To liken HIV activists to AfriForum is more than a false equivalence, it’s a betrayal of those who turned a denialist state into a global public health success.
Researchers have estimated that if the funding gap left by the withdrawal of PEPFAR isn’t filled, South Africa could see an additional half a million unnecessary deaths, and up to half a million new HIV infections over the next 10 years. ![]()
![]()
However Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, says "it is inconceivable that the withdrawal of PEPFAR would collapse the programme,” emphasising that it would take a significant blow to collapse the world’s largest ARV programme which provides treatment to 5.9 million people. ![]()
![]()
#PEPFAR #HIV #HealthNews #SouthAfrica
South Africa has not been able to raise any additional funds to plug the gap in the country's HIV programme.![]()
![]()
Researchers have estimated that if the funding gap isn't filled, South Africa could see an additional half a million unnecessary deaths, and up to half a million new HIV infections over the next 10 years. Motsoaledi, however, slammed media reports about the fallout of the funding loss.![]()
![]()
"The narrative by some prominent people in the HIV and AIDS circles is that since the announcement on the 20th of January, 2025 by President Donald Trump to withdraw funding, the HIV and AIDS programme has collapsed. ![]()
![]()
It is inconceivable that the withdrawal of the PEPFAR would collapse the programme," he says, emphasising that it would take a significant blow to collapse the world's largest ARV programme which provides treatment to 5.9 million people. ![]()
![]()
#HIV #PEPFAR #HealthNews
Motsoaledi Claims U.S Funding Cuts Have Not Derailed HIV Programme
health-e.org.za
If the U.S funding cuts aren't replaced, South Africa could see an additional half a million unnecessary deaths, and up to half a million new HIV infections over the next 10 years.
Health Fact