Health e News
The opening panel discussion at the International AIDS 2022 Conference explored why and how the world must re-engage and follow the science towards our shared goal of overcoming the HIV epidemic. Held every two years, Montreal in Canada is hosting the 24th edition, which officially started last Friday and will wrap up this Tuesday. Several global health authorities like the World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF and the Clinton Health Aids Initiative (CHAI) have taken to the stage. Here, they’ve revealed future research agendas and charted a new consensus to those present and a vast virtual audience. Science has played a critical role in HIV and has provided multiple tools to end the HIV epidemic. ‘We have the tools Executive Director of UNAIDS and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Winnie Byanyima, said the tools to end the HIV epidemic in a matter of years now exist. “650 00 people died of
Access to health care services is a basic human right as stipulated in South Africa’s Constitution. Yet, the community members of Mmakaunyana Village in Moretele are being stripped of these rights, which places their well-being under severe threat. The Mmakaunyana Clinic in the North West is at the root of the problem. The multi-million Rand facility is standing at a standstill, forcing residents to make alternative arrangements. Fed up residents Lesego Ramotshidi* is distraught at waking up to yet another week and being told the facility has no electricity. “We are in the third week now, and our families are struggling. We wake up each morning with the hope that maybe we can get help. But we are told there is no power and no backup generator,” said Ramotshidi. The clinic has been operating for over two years now, and it’s not the first time they have experienced problems. It
The lack of basic healthcare services that are youth-friendly frustrates young people from Hammarsdale in eThekwini. They claim they often face discrimination that threatens their fundamental rights. “Our clinics aren’t youth-friendly. We are trying to take responsibility for our health, but when we visit clinics, they ambush us,” said one of the young people. South Africa marked the 46th anniversary of the 1974 Soweto students’ uprising a few weeks ago. These youngsters stood up for their education rights. It’s now important to highlight the barriers preventing young people from using community healthcare services. Section 27 of the South African Constitution says everyone has a right to health care services, including reproductive healthcare services. Section 27 also says medical treatment should be available to everyone. In 2010/11, the National Department of Health initiated the Youth Friendly Services (YFS). The department declared that treating all young people with dignity and respect was
Across the globe, research helps find the root cause of the health challenges or diseases in our society, identify ways to improve behaviours of the affected community, and find solutions to our health issues. Clinical research has critical in bringing new vaccines to our health system. Clinical research – aimed at evaluating a medical, surgical, or behavioural intervention – conducted by scientists in our communities helps resolve complex challenges in our societies. It is the primary way for researchers to establish whether or not a new treatment is safe and effective. Research has a much more significant impact when researchers and communities partner to ensure that research benefits society in terms of which interventions are most needed to improve the lives of South Africans. We need research that treats community participants respectfully, where confidentiality is maintained, informed consent is thoroughly conducted, and their participation is acknowledged during the clinical trial.
Young people in South Africa have been struggling with the burden of mental health problems associated with poverty, disrupted learning, unemployment and even the Covid-19 pandemic. Mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression concern young adults. These issues require the attention of education institutions, bursary providers, student and youth organisations and the government. Cyril Ramaphosa Education Trust (CRET) has always prioritised the mental well-being of its students as part of a holistic approach to tertiary education support. Holistic student support is vital to ensure the successful completion of studies and the social and economic return on investment by bursary providers. To better understand the mental health challenges of the students it supports, CRET surveyed students aged between 18 and 26. Learning to manage stress Of 51 respondents, 90.2% of students felt they’d benefit from discussions about anxiety and stress management. The mental load of tertiary education is made heavier
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Some members of rural communities in KwaZulu-Natal are convinced that a traditional beer known as Ijuba, can cure ulcers by drinking at least two glasses daily to ease the pain. They have taken to social media as well as word of mouth to spread these revelations to their friends and families. Even though this is no scientific evidence to medically prove that Ijuba works, these people are adamant that drinking the beer soothes ulcer pain. However, some believe it’s a myth. Word on the street Health-e News spoke to a few people in the province and all of them agree that Ijuba beer can cure ulcers. Nompumelolo Xaba from Ulazi said although she’s not sure that Ijuba can cure ulcers, it certainly does provide relief in the absence of pills. “I have used it and it has worked for me. Once I have drunk it, I can feel the pain
Ntsu, once used exclusively by traditional healers to connect with their ancestors, is gaining popularity among youth who are struggling to resist this form of smokeless tobacco. Young women in KwaZulu-Natal have especially taken to ntsu, which is usually sniffed through the nose or placed on the lower lip. Nomagugu Zungu* shared her story with Health-e News about how she got addicted to this easy-to-access drug. Paying the price “I call it a drug because it has drugged my life, my mind, and even ruined my relationship with my partner who was going to marry me,” said Zungu. Her then-boyfriend broke up with her after he discovered she’d started using ntsu. “I didn’t mind at first, but as time went on and years passed, I realised that I had lost someone I loved because of this drug,” she added. “But sometimes I would comfort myself and think that maybe our
A mother of three from the North West is calling on black South African stem cell donors to help give her husband a second chance at life. Bomikazi Mtengwane, 36, said nothing would make her happier than seeing her husband healthy and returning home to her and their children. According to Mtengwane, life has not been the same since her husband was diagnosed with T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, a type of cancer involving the bone marrow where blood cells form. When her husband, Unathi, also 36, had flu-like symptoms in 2017, they didn’t think it could lead to the life-altering diagnosis that forced him to receive leukaemia treatment at Soweto’s Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in July last year. Early warning signs “He started having flu in January 2017 but did not want to go to the clinic or doctor. Unathi just told me to buy him flu medication, and
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A campaign to save the reputation of traditional healers in Limpopo is showing positive results, with only one witchcraft-related murder having occurred in the last eight months. Professor Mbaimbai Hlati, the president of the Traditional Healer Association in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) region, realised that something had to be done to prevent the senseless killings of vulnerable, older people. Although numbers may have dropped in recent months, it doesn’t erase the pain suffered by many families before. During the last 17 years, Khubani Manganyi has not only mourned the loss of her mother but has also lived with the stigma of being called the daughter of a “witch”. In 2005, Manganyi’s mother and aunt were murdered at their home at Greenfarm village, just outside of Malamulele in Limpopo. Since losing her mother, Matsimbandlela Manganyi, 78, and 87-year-old aunt Nyanisi Chauke, she leads an isolated life filled with distrust.
What was supposed to be a joyful birth experience, soon turned into a nightmare for a grandmother who had to bury her daughter and her granddaughter. When Maggie Mphahlele started experiencing labour pains on the night of March 10 this year, her mother, Leah, called an ambulance and travelled with her daughter to Lebowakgomo hospital in the Capricorn District of Limpopo, looking forward to welcoming another grandchild. But the joy soon turned to heartache for Leah, who lost her daughter, and according to her, her grandchild is “still missing”. Grandmother shares ordeal The distraught woman has pointed fingers at three hospitals in an interview. “I boarded the ambulance with my pregnant daughter, and she was admitted to Lebowakgomo Hospital on the 10th of March (2022). It was at night, and I had to sleep at the hospital. The following morning, on the 11th, at about 5am, an ambulance took her
Food parcels are handed to residents at a food distribution organised by the grassroots charity Hunger Has No Religion, in Westbury, Johannesburg. MARCO LONGARI/AFP via Getty Images Irene Labuschagne, Stellenbosch University One in ten South Africans go hungry every day. As a result malnutrition levels are high. Malnutrition has three simultaneous dimensions: undernourishment, micronutrient deficiencies and over-nutrition. These can manifest in stunting – being short for one’s age because of long-term undernutrition. In 2016 it was estimated to be 27% among South African children. This is high. Africa is currently the only continent where stunting rates continue to rise, with 27% of African children classified as stunted in 2018. Another consequence of malnutrition is overweight and obesity. There has been a dramatic increase in both among adults in the country from 29.6% in 1998 to 39.8% in 2016 in women aged 15–24 years. In women aged 45–54 years it increased
Millions of South African school girls have to contend with their monthly periods without having any access to sanitary products. Making their lives even more difficult, is the prevalence of stigmas which only worsen period poverty – a huge problem in our country. Up to seven million girls do not have access or cannot afford to buy sanitary products. Although no official statistics are available, it is estimated that 30% of South African girls do not attend school while they have their period. Not having access to these products often leads to ridicule from their peers, further perpetuating the stigma around menstrual cycles. These stigmas manifest themselves when females are taught about their periods. Women are often told to keep their cycle a secret, or that they are unclean during this time. Some of these myths go as far as preventing young girls from participating in prayer or being kept