Health e News
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
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Parents may be breathing a sigh of relief as the last of the country’s schools reopen for the 2022 academic year, but not all children are looking forward to meeting their fellow classmates. For them, going back to school means only one thing – more bullying. Simphiwe Radebe* recalls the hellish start to his first year of high school. What should’ve been an exciting time for this 17-year-old Grade 12 learner, quickly turned into something he’d rather forget. Ridiculed by classmates “On our first day of school we had to stand up in class and introduce ourselves and at the time, I wasn’t fluent in English. I was mocked and labelled “umkhaya” which translates to someone who is from the village. I was the laughing stock of the class for weeks,” says Radebe. The matric said he wouldn’t want any child to go through what he went through. He began
No one ever squeals with delight when they have to go for annual health checkups – but this is no reason to dread or avoid them. They are designed to assess the risk of potential medical conditions and allow a doctor to pick up early warning signs. Once you reach the age of 45, these yearly visits become imperative. Early detection and treatment will not only give one a better quality of life, but also possibly a longer life. Dr Mvuyisi Mzukwa, Vice Chairperson of the South African Medical Association (SAMA), highlighted the importance of these health checkups. He also reminded the younger generation that they aren’t immune. “Having an annual checkup is very important. And the purpose is to detect any abnormalities in your system, before they develop. So, it’s very important that you pick it up in in the early stages of the disease,” said Mzukwa. Health tests
It’s official – Gauteng, the former epicentre of South Africa’s Omicron variant driven surge in cases last November – has exited the fourth wave. But, Health Minister, Joe Phaahla, who announced the news while updating the country on government’s latest efforts to fight COVID-19 earlier today, is worried about the country’s vaccination rates. “In terms of the technical definition of a wave, we can now say officially that Gauteng has technically exited the fourth wave this week,” said Phaahla. Phaahla said the National Department of Health has seen a 13,9% reduction of new cases and 6.3% reduction in hospitalisations. However, the Western Cape, followed by KwaZulu-Natal, aren’t out the woods just yet. Both provinces recorded their highest number of cases this past week. Vaccinations rates below par As of 13 January, South Africa has administered 28.7 million doses of vaccines to a total of 18.4 million adults (45.5%) above the
The Eastern Cape Health Department’s woes are escalating by the minute with more than 90 trainee doctors demanding immediate answers. Their contractual obligations haven’t been met as the provincial department faces yet another catastrophe. Having completed their internships, which includes a year of community service, these doctors are unable to seek employment elsewhere. The contract between them and the government stipulates that they have to work within the province for five years after being awarded bursaries. Nowhere to go Financial constraints have made it impossible for the department to place these community service professionals in positions. This has riled them since they are now stuck in the Eastern Cape. Last week, the CommServes (Community Service), marched to Bhisho, the provincial capital, to hand over a petition. They will submit another petition to the government early next week. Dr Mawande Dlamini, the spokesperson for the professionals, said they were disappointed by
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As schools across the country prepare for the start of the new school year, the Department of Basic Education held a media briefing to discuss the state of schools readiness to open, amidst the ongoing pandemic. COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on the Basic Education sector. In addition to learners losing teaching and learning time, many endured trauma with the loss of parents and guardians and teachers. At least 3000 education personnel lost their lives to COVID-19 complications. Measures to contain Covid Deputy Director-General of the Basic Education department, Simone Geyer announced that all primary schools should open at full capacity and should practice maximum feasible physical distancing between learners. The COVID-19 protocol states that children should be at least one meter apart within classrooms and children should have mask breaks every two hours where they go outdoors and remove their masks for approximately 5-15 minutes. Geyer shared that
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As the new year kicks in, so too do our resolutions. And while it might be easy to make these decisions, sticking to them isn’t a walk in the park. The trick is in setting goals that are realistic and which still allow you to enjoy life. What’s the point of making drastic lifestyle changes only to break away and feel guilty? Take baby steps Studies have shown that two-thirds of people give up by the end of January and by mid-February, 80% of New Year’s resolutions have gone out the window. Lauren Wannenberg, a private personal trainer from Cape Town, said that when planning to get back to your healthy routine after the festive season, you should take baby steps. “Firstly don’t beat yourself up about holiday food. It’s all about small steps. Don’t cut food out of your diet, rather eat what you want BUT in moderation,” said