Health e News
In a bid to do away with outdated, painful finger sticks, the South African Diabetes Advocacy wants sensor technology made available for all those living with Type 1 diabetes. The non-profit organisation (NPO) lodged an appeal with the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) to include new non-invasive flash glucose sensor monitors as a Prescribed Minimum Benefit (PMB). Bridget McNulty, SA Diabetes Advocacy Chairperson, confirmed their campaign has plenty of backing. “We also have 47 pages of testimonials from people with Type 1 diabetes and from doctors who support this appeal. The petition is to show that we have public support too – over 6 000 people have signed it so far!” said McNulty. Diabetes is the second leading cause of death in South Africa. According to statistics from the International Diabetes Federation, over 4.5 million South Africans have diabetes with the majority of those living with Type 2 diabetes. However,
The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has admitted that its potable water should not be consumed as it is a health hazard. This comes after months of insisting the water is safe to drink and cook with. “Through rigorous routine testing and sampling of water in the distribution system for the past week, the metro has learnt that certain microbiological limits were exceeded. It is through this process that the municipality has come to detect failures in the water compliance with SANS standards. This then means that, for now, the water coming out of our distribution system could present a risk to human health if ingested. “ It blames the deterioration in the water quality on the low dam levels caused by the current drought and fluctuating reservoir levels. The information was released after the Democratic Alliance launched two Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) applications. Nelson Mandela Bay Water
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The health department has made several changes to the vaccination programme . This includes cutting the waiting time between the first and second doses of Pfizer from 42 days to 21 days as from Wednesday. In a statement released on. Monday morning, the department said that everyone fully vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine can now go for their booster dose three months after the second dose. The interval is currently 180 days. It also announced that all individuals older than 18 years of age who have received one dose of the Johnson &Johnson vaccine will as of today be able to receive a booster dose after two months. [Read] The Department of @HealthZA has announced changes to the vaccination programme as part of ongoing efforts to increase uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine in South Africa https://t.co/hYz9QImMYs pic.twitter.com/ZDLVzleBhW — @SAgovnews (@SAgovnews) February 21, 2022 On-site availability will determine which booster will
South Africans wishing to manage their COVID-19 symptoms, may now use Merck’s molnupiravir pill after the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) approved it yesterday. However, the National Department of Health, won’t be adding the pill to their available treatment options. National Deportment of Health spokesperson, Foster Mohale, said that government was not planning to buy the treatment pill. “We welcome the decision by SAHPRA to authorise the use of the pill in SA. However, we are not going to procure the pill for the public sector. The evaluation showed that it is not significantly better than how we treat COVID-19 now,” said Mohale. It has since been reported that Dr Nicholas Crisp, acting Director-General of the National Health Department, said the pill is too costly. Risk of hospitalisation, death slashed SAHPRA’s green light comes after phase 2 and 3 clinical trials showed it reduces the risk of hospitalisation
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It’s been almost a year since crucial parts of the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital (CMJAH) were ravaged by fire – and up until this day, they remain closed. In an effort to speed things up, Gauteng Premier David Makhura signed a proclamation last week to transfer all functions relating to the refurbishments from the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development (GDID) to the Department of Health. Acting Director-General in the Office of the Premier, Thabo Masebe, made the announcement during a press briefing earlier today. No agreement in place Masebe added that the one of the reasons behind the delay was that there was no agreement in place between the two departments. “The Department of Health did not agree on the scope of work and the budget that was proposed by the Department of Infrastructure Development,” he said. Masebe said that the transfer would help in fast-tracking the project of
The Health Department and sexual and reproductive health NGOs are urging South Africans to use condoms to avoid contracting Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs). South Africa is marking STI/Condom Week which highlights the importance of condom usage and also educates people about STIs. Young people must be especially cautious and use condoms to protect themselves, said Precious Robinson, chief technical specialist for prevention, care, and treatment at health NGO, Right to Care. “It is a serious concern that in South Africa 7.9 million people were living with HIV in 2020 with a high volume of STIs. The high numbers of STI cases have partly been due to inadequate prevention. Most global health targets to end and prevent HIV and STIs for 2020 were missed because the focus was on Covid-19, and South Africa is no exception,” said Robinson. South Africa has the highest prevalence rate of HIV in the world, and
Being intimate with your partner might seem strange now that you’re pregnant. But don’t stress – there is nothing to worry about when having sex during pregnancy, and most importantly, your baby is safe. It’s understandable if you’re feeling uneasy and have plenty of questions. Fortunately, sex has several benefits while expecting, but there are some guidelines to follow when you and your partner get in the mood. With the help of Dr. Palesa Kennedy, an obstetrician and gynecologist at Rahima Moosa Hospital, we have all your questions covered. 1) Is sex safe during pregnancy? Yes, it is safe to have sex while pregnant. Kennedy said it’s imperative that pregnant women first get the green light from their practitioners before engaging in sex. This will ensure that there’ll be no complications. It’s especially important that women who have a miscarriage history, or if they are at risk, speak to their
A study has revealed that school-aged children who eat more fruit and vegetables, have a better mental well-being. However, healthy eating isn’t an option for the majority of South African kids and experts believe the only way forward is to expand the monthly child support grant and strengthen the National School Nutrition Program (NSNP). Research from the University of East Anglia’s Health & Social Care Partners (UEAHSCP) confirmed that: “Higher fruit and vegetable consumption was significantly associated with better mental well-being in secondary pupils. Also, the type of breakfast and lunch consumed, by both primary and secondary pupils, was significantly associated with well-being.” The study also found that school-aged children who ate five or more portions of fruit and veg a day had the highest scores for mental wellbeing. Changes needed On a local front, Angelika Grimbeek, Nutrition Programme Manager at the Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA), said more effort needs
New mothers often dread returning to the office after having a baby. Being able to bond with your new bundle of love somehow changes everything – but believe it or not, it’s possible to juggle motherhood and your career guilt-free. Going back to work doesn’t have to seem like a huge mountain ahead of you. Although a huge transition, having peace of mind that your baby will be okay is an important first step. Profmed Adviser, Dr Wilhelmina Erasmus said it’s no wonder women dread the return to the office. ‘Biggest psychological change’ “The woman who has gone on maternity leave is no longer the same one returning to work. She has probably undergone the biggest psychological change in her life. It may help to know what to expect when going back to work. The first step is to ensure that you feel comfortable with the caregiver that you have
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The National Department of Health confirmed that it will not roll out the new Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine right now. And even though the approval from the South African Health Products Authority (SAHPRA) is welcome, the new kid on the block would not make an appearance just yet. Health Ministry spokesperson, Foster Mohale, said this latest development doesn’t translate into immediate procurement decisions. The regulatory body announced yesterday that it had registered the BBIBP vaccine, more commonly known as Sinopharm, which is manfactured in China. It was given the green light based on “acceptable safety, quality and efficacy data”. Decisions based on need “Our decisions are informed by the need. Currently, we have enough stock of Pfizer and J&J which can last us for the next few months. We have to avoid wastage in the form of expiry,” said Mohale. The Sinopharm COVID-19 double dose jab is an inactivated Vero Cell
South Africa’s COVID-19 infection rate has reached a plateau for now, but Minister of Health, Joe Phaahla, believes that matters will improve once schools have settled in. Phaahla said that there was no serious decline nor worrying rise in infections during a COVID-19 update earlier this morning. It comes just days after Cabinet approved changes to the country’s Alert Level 1 lockdown restrictions. Opening of schools He added that the change from a decline to a plateau was due to the opening of schools. “Our epidemiologists believe that the stagnation in the slowing down of new infections can be linked to the opening of schools. Over the last 14 days, we have witnessed more infections among those 20 years and younger,” said Phaahla. Over the past week, the country has seen a decrease of 0,3% in new cases. Only three provinces saw an increase – Free State at 20%, Gauteng
A bungled tender process has seen the critical aeromedical services in the Eastern Cape (EC) grounded which is costing lives and delaying service delivery. Given the province’s difficult terrain, these medical helicopters are crucial in airlifting patients who require urgent medical care. The Democratic Alliance (DA), the main opposition party in the EC legislature, has slammed the latest fiasco to hit the province. The EC Department of Health went to tender after the contract with the previous service provided expired six months ago. The tender was awarded but the losing bidder took the department to court citing irregularities. This delayed the process of any work commencing. Jane Cowley, DA Member of the Provincial Legislature, didn’t mince her words. ‘Blood on her hands’ “Meth Nomakhosazana, the Provincial Health MEC, has blood on her hands. She has failed to get the aeromedical service up and running over the festive season despite her