Health e News

Girls & Women: Drivers of Development

OPINION: In development, there are lots of statistics. Sometimes, the digits start to cross in your head, but every once in a while a number jumps out at you because it expresses a complicated truth in simple terms. Here’s one that jumped out at me: 20 percent. That’s how much more likely it is that a child will survive when its family’s budget is controlled by the mother. By Melinda Gates Women know what’s best for their families. They invest in health care, nutritious food, and education. The tragedy is not just that most women don’t control household budgets; it’s that many don’t control the circumstances of their own lives. If women everywhere had the power to determine their futures, the world would be forever transformed. That’s why I’m proud to attend the Women Deliver conference this week in Kuala Lumpur. I’ll be joined by more than 3,000 people who

Health-e Journo scoops award

Health-e News Service is very proud to announce that our television producer, Fathima Simjee was named the Young Health Journalist of the Year last night, and our former radio reporter, Ayanda Mkhwanazi, was named Health Radio Reporter of the Year at the Discovery Health Journalism awards. “Fathima’s commentary is carefully thought out and easily digestible. She exploits the television medium to its fullest potential and delivers a succinct, hard-hitting piece of excellent journalism,” according to the judges. Fatz’s winning story focused on tuberculosis in children, and her award is sponsored by loveLife. Ayanda’s winning story was on cervical cancer, told through Mam Emily Monchonjana of Orange Farm who encourages young women to go for pap smears to detect this cancer. Describing the story as “a gripping piece of journalism”, the judges said: “As a piece of radio journalism, this story is evocative, well-researched and brings us the voices of women

UCT’s Neliswa Gogela gets R2m award

Dr Neliswa Gogela, a physician from the University of Cape Town, has become the first recipient of a R2-million grant that will enable her to study liver transplants at the world-renowned Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston. Announcing the inaugural Discovery Foundation MGH Fellowship Award aimed at bolstering academic medicine yesterday, Discovery Health CEO Dr Jonathan Broomberg, said there was an urgent need to “boost our diminishing pool of medical academics and develop global experts in the academic healthcare field.” The average age of medical specialists in South Africa is 55, said Broomberg, which indicated an urgent need to develop a new generation. The 36-year-old Gogela specialises in hepatology (liver disease) and is working toward her PhD. There is a severe shortage of hepatologists trained in liver transplantation in South Africa, as the burden of liver disease and the complexity of available treatments have increased significantly. Gogela will spend a

Positive living

39-year old Fikelephi Elizabeth Dombolo SIthole shares her story.

Dilopye clinic suffers from staff shortages

Dilopye village is situated in a remote area in the north-western region of the city of Tshwane, Hammanskraal, which is one of the National Health Insurance pilot sites with an estimated population of 35 000 people. Many of these are unemployed and depend on social assistance grants.

Second-hand smoke tied to memory problems

Smokers and people who are regularly exposed to second-hand smoke are generally more forgetful than people with no tobacco exposure, according to a recent article in the journal Addiction based on a small study.

Raising Roots in Soweto

Raising a child isn’€™t child’€™s play, and many young mothers struggle when raising their first children, but parents from around Pimville and Meadowlands have been given the opportunity to learn about parenting toddlers.

Mom’€™s smoking increases daughter’€™s risk of obesity and diabetes

Women who smoke during pregnancy increase the risk of obesity and gestational diabetes in their daughters, according to research published in the journal Diabetologia.

Initiation rules help to keep young men safe and healthy

Winter is the time initiation schools run and in the Eastern Cape it is a time of worry for many because of the health risks involved.

Students use art and drama to teach health awareness

Pupils from five schools at Ha-Makuya in Vhembe were last week treated to painting, drama and workshops by students from the University of Johannesburg as part of a programme which attempts to affect social change through the arts.

Motsoaledi: Budgeting for health

Scholars will receive the HPV vaccine as part of government’s School Health Programme from February next year, health minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi announced in his budget speech. Read the full speech here.

Cigarettes a gateway to marijuana: study

New research has shown that cigarette smoking among students may lead to marijuana use.

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