
Trying to prevent more Thabo Mwales
With only one lung as a result of tuberculosis, Thabo Mwale is a man on a mission. He wants to protect others from going through the same experience he did.
With only one lung as a result of tuberculosis, Thabo Mwale is a man on a mission. He wants to protect others from going through the same experience he did.
Eighteen years after contracting tuberculosis, Thabo Mwale still suffers from the damage caused by the infection as he now has only one functional lung.
Female condoms were introduced over a decade ago, but they still remain a taboo subject with many South Africans.
About 1 in 10 women of reproductive age suffer from a chronic and painful condition known as endometriosis. The disease can impact on the lives of women in a considerably adverse manner.
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus or simply Lupus is a rare disease that affects a number of organs in the body. It is mostly common in young females. Noxolo Malusalila is one such case.
I started smoking when I was 17 years old. I will never forget that first drag- the headrush, the thrill and the smell and taste. It is now 8 years later and am still in an on/off relationship with cigarettes.
Cardio-vascular disease kills 200 individuals in SA every day, which equates to 13 mini bus loads of people! Additionally, 5.5 million South Africans are at risk of getting a heart-attack because of their high cholesterol levels.
Heart disease is the world'€™s number one killer and sits at number two in South Africa, second only to HIV/AIDS. The truth, however, is that 80% of heart disease can be prevented if we adopt healthy lifestyles.
In 1996, when South Africa returned to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the country made a resolution that declared violence a public health priority. But violent crime still remains endemic, with women and girls especially at risk.
The rape of girls and women remains a major concern in South Africa, and the health care sector needs to be better equipped to collect evidence to prove sexual violation to help secure the conviction of perpetrators by the courts.
Every year thousands of South Africans of all ages and races are diagnosed with diseases such as leukaemia, marrow failure or some other rare blood disorders. Seventy-five percent of these patients are under the age of 25. Their only hope of survival is a blood stem cell transplant from a donor who shares the same tissue type.
Hospice offers care that focuses on alleviating pain of very ill patients, as well as providing emotional support and counselling to them and their families. Whilst many hospice patients are terminally ill, some are able to recover through the wonderful care they receive.
For many years, hospices were known as places where people are sent to die. But many patients, especially those with AIDS, come out alive.
Most women still find it difficult to negotiate safe sex with their partners. The problem is even more prevalent among women who are economically dependent on men. Some institutionalised social and cultural norms also fuel the challenge.
The mortality rate in South Africa is decreasing. But more men than women continue to die due to natural causes, with Tuberculosis and pneumonia being the two leading causes of death. This is according to Statistics South Africa, which recently released its report on mortality and causes of death.