Gauteng Health’s cost-cutting measures could leave patients waiting over 4 months for care
Reducing the availability of healthcare professionals in urgent, life-threatening situations is not merely a matter of statistics or cost-cutting.
Health Policy
Read More » Gauteng Health’s cost-cutting measures could leave patients waiting over 4 months for care
Healthcare coalition says NHI is “unfeasible”, proposes alternative route to universal health coverage
The group argues that the NHI fails to address the critical issues of governance in the public sector and equity in the private sector.
PEPFAR freeze risks HIV treatment for millions in South Africa and around the world
The suspension of PEPFAR funding will have a significant impact on South Africa which has 5.9 million people on antiretroviral therapy.
Comserve becomes a hurdle for qualified radiotherapists
Recent radiotherapy graduates in South Africa are facing delays in their mandatory year-long community service placement, preventing them from starting their careers.
NHI: Healthcare is not going to change overnight
Introduction of the NHI will be gradual. There're won't be immediate changes for those with medical aid or those relying on public health services.
Mixed reactions as President sets to sign the NHI Bill into law
The NHI bill aims to establish a fund to purchase health services from both public and private providers.
Gauteng plans to introduce ‘Youth Centres’ to tackle teen pregnancy
Factors such as inadequate sexual education, socioeconomic challenges, and limited access to reproductive health services play significant roles in the high rates of teenage pregnancy in the province.
SA child vaccination differs in public vs private sector: what this means
While public clinics offer free childhood vaccines, new parents may encounter a troubling reality: some crucial vaccines against childhood infections are unavailable in the public sector.
NHI is closer to being law, there are many concerns not addressed
South Africa is marching closer to implementing universal health coverage in the form of the National Health Insurance (NHI) Scheme. This is after the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) voted this week in favour of the implementation of the bill. The Western Cape is…
South Africa has great HIV laws, but they’re not being fully enforced
Policy is central to the global efforts to end AIDS. Progressive policies that enshrine civil liberties can help people take steps to protect themselves from acquiring HIV, and prevent its onward transmission. In the same breath, policies that criminalise people…
HIV among trans women is at crisis levels. Discrimination is fuelling the fire
By Chris Bateman, Freelance Journalist With HIV positivity among urban transgender women in South Africa estimated at 46%, it is becoming increasingly urgent for healthcare workers to undergo sensitivity training. A transgender woman is a person who was assigned the…
Children are a blind spot in South Africa’s HIV response
By Chris Bateman, Freelance Journalist Only two-thirds of children in South Africa getting treatment for HIV are virally suppressed. Viral suppression is a measure of how well antiretroviral (ARVs) drugs reduce HIV viral load. A high HIV viral load suggests…
TB drug price drop is a welcome relief as South Africa faces budget constrains
South Africa will now be paying 40% less for the multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) drug bedaquiline. Bedaquiline is a key component in the cocktail of drugs used to treat MDR-TB. Pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson (J&J) is currently the sole manufacturer…
Community health workers deliver medication to elderly FS patients
The Free State health department recently launched a programme to have medication for chronic conditions delivered to elderly patients’ homes. Deliveries will be made by health assistants or community health workers. These are usually community members who are trained in…
PEPFAR’s continued funding is key for ending AIDS as public health threat
Top scientists, opinion leaders, civil society groups and politicians are calling on United States (US) policymakers to vote in favour of the continued funding for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The voting process – known as a…