Health e News
South African children have been hit hard by COVID-19 with almost 100 000 kids losing either parents or primary caregivers during the ongoing pandemic. This has seen the country record one of the highest rates of children affected by COVID-19 associated orphanhood and deaths of caregivers as published by Lancet earlier this year. *Sixteen-year-old Litha’s whose father died from the virus last year, says the support he gets from his mother and teachers at school has helped him. “My mother has been telling me to be strong and focus on my school work. I am able to be strong. My other teacher has been supportive too,” said the Khayelitsha teen. Jelly Beanz, an organisation in Cape Town which provides hope for children affected by trauma and abuse, helps young people like Litha. Yonela Tanase, a social worker at the centre, says COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on children. Helping
Healthy diets are crucial for the overall mental well-being of a child. In South Africa, close to 3 million children go to bed hungry, causing physiological and emotional stress. A recent study led by the University of East Anglia found that eating a more nutritious diet was associated with better mental wellbeing in children. This included healthier breakfast and lunch habits. The study focused on 1253 primary school pupils aged between 8-11 years and 7570 secondary school pupils aged 12 – 18 years. In secondary school pupils, researchers found that higher consumption of fruits and vegetables was linked with high mental well-being scores. Those who didn’t eat any breakfast had an almost 6% lower score. Only 25.2% of secondary school children reported consuming the recommended 5-a-day fruits and vegetables compared to almost 30% of primary school children. Food insufficiency linked to poor mental health Although there’s no specific data on
The majority of mothers in low-income communities in South Africa face many barriers such as high levels of stress which is believed to undermine their ability to produce breast milk of acceptable quality and quantity. This trend has seen South Africa slip down the rankings on the continent with the lowest rate of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) in Africa. Breast milk is the ideal food for infants as it is one of the most effective ways to ensure child health. The milk produced by mothers is safe, clean, and contains antibodies that help protect against many common childhood illnesses. The World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF have recommended that breastfeeding begins within the first hour of birth and that babies be breastfed exclusively for the first 6 months of life. However, globally 3 in 5 children are not breastfed in the first hour of life. And according to WHO, only 41%
A number of rural pharmacies are facing closure after the government failed to pay them for vaccinating people without medical insurance against COVID-19. The Independent Community Pharmacy Association (ICPA) said that some pharmacies are owed over R1-million. ICPA CEO, Jackie Maimim, said the health department was meant to pay these pharmacies for operating as vaccination sites for those without medical insurance. Claims not met ”The agreement was that if we vaccinate the uninsured, we will get a cost recovery fee from the government. Simply, this was a reimbursement for the use of our syringes, needles, our nursing staff, and administration work. But, the problem is that our claims are not being met when we submit,” said Maimim. He added: ”The process is complex because multiple affiliates are involved. We understand that, but this is affecting some of our members, mostly rural pharmacists. Up to 99% of the people they vaccinate
Scientists think a newly discovered mutation of the Delta variant in the UK could ‘possibly be more contagious.’ This new ‘Delta Plus’ variant is spreading in England and although not a ‘variant of concern’ yet, it could hamper vaccination rollouts worldwide. Fully vaccinated South Africans needn’t be too concerned for the time being, as vaccine efficacy remains high. Like its predecessor which triggered South Africa’s deadly third wave, the new strain, known as ‘Delta Plus'(AY.4.2), could be more contagious. This is currently under intense scrutiny as England deals with yet another surge of infections. Delta variant plus: possibly more contagious The UK Health Security Agency announced last week that this new variant accounted for 6% of all genetic sequences of the COVID-19 virus in the last week of September is “on an increasing trajectory”. According to Prof Francois Balloux, director of the University College London’s (UCL) Genetics Instiute, it could
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Political parties and their leaders have spent two months knocking on doors, trying to win votes in this local government election. But where do their commitments lie when it comes to delivering good health services, and what does the constitution hold them accountable for? “We just notice one another suffering from the same thing. Only to find that these illnesses are caused by the way that we live here,” Lerator Tskea, a resident of Organic Market informal settlement in Johannesburg, told Health-e News. Tskea says the settlement is overcrowded and basic services are almost non-existent. There are about 500 shacks in the settlement. The City of Johannesburg established the Organic Market informal settlement in 2017 after the High Court ruled that it had to find space for people displaced after being evicted from a private building. Refuse removal and good health Tseka says refuse removal is irregular. The community uses
Voters are urged to make use of pop-up COVID-19 vaccine sites at voting stations as South Africans gear up to make their mark in Monday’s 2021 Municipal Elections. These additional sites have been put in place as government intensifies efforts to get two-thirds of the country vaccinated by the end of the year. As of yesterday, only 30.3% of the South African population had been fully vaccinated. Health Minister, Dr Joe Phaahla, said there will be at least 1 000 pop-up sites at various voting stations across the country. Convenience and accessibility are the two main factors behind this initiative. Two birds with one stone “We are targeting those areas where the uptake of vaccines has been low. We hope that people can cast their ballots and get vaccinated in one trip,” said Phaahla. The Johnson and Johnson (J&J) single dose vaccine will be prioritised at the pop-up sites. However,
Traditional healers are hugely popular in South Africa. They also hold a lot of sway among community members who consult healers first when seeking advice or treatment. These alternative practitioners are vital in addressing mental health challenges in communities across the country. It is estimated that there are about 200 000 traditional healers as compared to 975 registered psychiatrists – who mostly practise in urban areas and the private sector. However, more than 80% of the population are dependent on the public sector which has limited mental healthcare services. Inside knowledge Dr Lerato Dikobe-Kalane, a psychiatrist and member of the South African Society of Psychiatrists (SASOP), said healers shouldn’t be taken lightly. This is especially true given the limited access to psychiatric treatment in the SA public health sector. “They have intimate knowledge of traditional medicine and cultural and spiritual practices and beliefs. The community respects them and their advice
Most men think breast cancer is a disease that only affects women. It’s this train of thought which proves to be dangerous since most males are only diagnosed at a later stage. Kelvin Woods is a perfect example after ignoring a lump under his right nipple. The Breast Health Foundation recorded that in South Africa, 1-3% of all breast cancers happen in men. Statistics have shown that one in 28 women in South Africa may develop breast cancer in their lives. This represents about 25% of all cancers in women. Dr Francois Malherbe, a specialist Breast and Endocrine Surgeon at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, underlined the importance of early detection in successfully treating the disease. “The incidence of breast cancer among South African women is increasing and it is one of the most common cancers among women in South Africa. Although it predominantly affects woman, it can also
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A new study from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine were highly effective in preventing hospitalisation among adolescents aged between 12 and 17. The clinical trial showed that the vaccine was effective in preventing COVID-19. However, researchers wanted to look at the effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine in preventing hospitalisation among adolescents. The control case study included patients aged 12 to 18 years admitted to paediatric hospitals. The study took place from June to September 2021. It included 572 eligible patients. Various reasons led to the exclusion of 108 patients. At least 56 were partially vaccinated or had their second dose between zero and 13 days before getting sick. Among the 464 hospitalised adolescents (179 case-patients and 285 controls) the average age was 15 years. At least 72% had at least one underlying condition, including obesity, and 68% attended
A once successful businessman shares his story of how he became homeless at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic last year. Already hooked on drugs, his life took a turn for the worst once President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the country would be going into Alert Level 5 lockdown. Carlos Filipe Mesquita owned a record company, had won two South African Music Awards (SAMAs), and had a property in upper Sea Point. After trying out cocaine, he turned to alcohol in a bid to stop his cravings, but it didn’t work. Crystal meth became his new poison and before he knew it, he was on the streets. Although the president mentioned that temporary shelters must be identified to accommodate homeless people for at least 21 days before handing them over to municipalities, his request to stay home wasn’t possible for thousands of destitute people. ‘More of a concentration camp’ “I was
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During the course of the 52nd Union World Conference on Lung Health last week, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) announced the results of TB-PRACTECAL, the first-ever multi-country, randomised, controlled clinical trial to report on the effectiveness and safety of a six-month treatment regimen for multidrug resistant TB (DR-TB). Historically this is a form of TB that is very difficult to treat, requiring multidrug regimens that have to be given for a period of 9-24 months. MSF and partners tested a regimen of four medications (known as “BPaLM”) containing two of three new medicines that have been developed in recent years. The study compared the results of this four-drug, six-month regimen to those obtained from a group that received the locally accepted standard of DR-TB care offered in the public healthcare system. Overwhelmingly, a total of 89 per cent of patients on the new regimen were cured, compared to 52 per cent