Health e News
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
The ball is rolling as South Africa prepares to make the HIV prevention injection a reality in a country where close to eight million people are living with the virus. Approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last month, National Department of Health spokesperson, Foster Moahle, said an application has been submitted to obtain the new long-acting injectable cabotegravir (CAB-LA). The department is waiting for approval from the South African Health Products Authority (SAHPRA). “The fact that it is long-acting makes it a game-changer because it is likely to provide prevention measures over a longer time. This could help eliminate possible stigma and unintended disclosures,” said Mohale. What you need to know What is Apretude (cabotegravir)? The HIV injection is a combination of two medications, cabotegravir, and rilpivirine. Cabotegravir targets a protein in HIV called integrase which is essential for viral replication. It also stops the virus from
A leading figure at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital (CMJAH) reveals that nine months after a devastating fire ravaged the facility, nothing has been done to repair it. The fire last April forced the closure of key parts of the hospital which has had a devastating impact on the public health system, and other Gauteng hospitals. Head of Internal Medicine, Professor Adam Mahomed, said the situation is frustrating. Several key areas such as the cardiothoracic intensive care unit and respiratory ward were affected and about 200 beds were lost in the blaze. “Nothing to date has happened and when I mean nothing, I mean the word zero. They are still getting reports as well as engineering feedback. I don’t even think they have proper costing on how much it would cost to repair certain aspects,” said Mahomed. ‘It breaks my soul’ He added: “It breaks my soul for what
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) has raised a red flag that many malaria cases are being misdiagnosed as COVID-19. This is as South Africa enters its peak malaria season. Both have non-specific early symptoms like fever, chills, headaches, fatigue, and muscle pain – but malaria poses a more immediate threat. People who have recently visited a malaria-endemic area and start to feel ill must seek medical attention immediately. In 2020, an estimated 627 000 people died of malaria; most were young children in sub-Saharan Africa. ‘Misdiagnosis is common’ Dr. Jaishree Raman, Principal Medical Scientist at the Centre for Emerging Zoonotic and Parasitic Diseases, said misdiagnosis is common. “Misdiagnosis is occurring at many levels. Firstly, the patients think that they either have COVID-19 or the flu and are only going for COVID tests, often when they are rather ill. This complicates the picture, as respiratory difficulties are symptoms of
There is some light at the end of the tunnel for cancer patients following the establishment of radiotherapy centres at two of Gauteng’s major hospitals. Two new machines – worth R52 million each – arrived at Chris Hani Baragwanath and George Mukhari Academic Hospitals last November. It’s a welcome boost for oncology services in the province which have taken a backseat due to COVID-19. A backlog that delayed surgeries for almost two years can now be prioritised. The Linear Accelerator (Linac) machines deliver high-energy X-rays or electrons to destroy cancer cells while sparing the surrounding normal tissue. However, the machines are still in storage because they need to be housed in protective bunkers that haven’t been built yet. Shorter waiting times Gauteng Health spokesperson, Kwara Kekana, said the province hopes to slash waiting times. “Much of the progress on the project was delayed by COVID-19 disruptions. The two hospitals are
President Cyril Ramaphosa hailed the opening of a new vaccine plant in Cape Town as Africa’s ticket into a new era of health science during its launch earlier today. South African-born health technologies billionaire, Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong, joined Ramaphosa as they proudly cut the ribbon. The NantSA vaccine plant is expected to produce a billion COVID-19 vaccine doses by 2025. “We want to manufacture this in Africa for Africa and export it to the world. President Ramaphosa said ‘come home, we will make this happen,’” said Soon-Shiong. The NantSA vaccine production hub is situated in Brackenfell’s Brackengate Business Park. It will also produce cancer vaccines and next-generation cell-based immunotherapies which would make it the biggest such factory in Africa. Most importantly, it could speed up the continent’s COVID-19 vaccination rollout. ‘New era of health science for Africa’ Ramaphosa said that this facility would help boost South Africa’s pharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities.
A study, released today, has provided the first global evidence that two COVID-19 doses, followed by a booster, may not provide sufficient protection against being infected with the Omicron variant. South African and German scientists conducted the study when the Omicron variant was identified in SA last November. Seven fully vaccinated German tourists, who visited Cape Town where they got infected with the new strain, were used for the study. The scientists were drawn from Stellenbosch University, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, and the Universities of the Western Cape and Cape Town, as well as the National Health Laboratory Service, ‘High levels of antibodies’ The group consisted of five women and two men, four of whom were working at different hospitals in Cape Town, while the others were on vacation. Six of them had received two doses of the Pfizer vaccine. Five of them received their Pfizer booster doses, with