The dangers of smoking are well-known. Even cigarette boxes state publicly that smoking causes cancer, yet millions of South Africans continue to smoke. A former smoker talks about how smoking caused him cancer of the larynx.
At a recent conference in Cape Town, it emerged that HIV infection is more likely to cause mental health and substance abuse problems among young men who have sex with men than in heterosexual men.
Should South Africa's already poor health profile follow in the footsteps of America, the health bill is set to skyrocket.
It's lunchtime in the Mnyameni household, but there is no sign of a meal. 'I'm hungry,' complains three-year-old Maria squirming next to her mother, Malta Mnyameni.
The first 1000 days of a child's life ' from conception until the age of two ' largely determine what kind of a future that child will have.
Prolonged cell phone usage could increase the risk of brain cancer, the World Health Organisation has warned.
Despite government efforts to improve the living conditions of children, particularly through social grants, almost two-thirds of all South African children live in poverty.
It is impossible not to notice David Mkefa's unusually hoarse voice. A tall and strong man, Mkefa smiles easily when he talks about living with cancer and his belief that it is directly linked to the fact that he smoked cigarettes.
South Africa has some of the most progressive anti-tobacco legislation in the world, however the informal sector is proving to be a major source of cigarettes for minors.
Caring for an intellectually disabled child can be emotionally and physically draining. Parents are often unable to perform their daily duties, including giving other children in the family the attention they need.
The Health Department has appealed to men who have sex with men and organisations working with this sector to make their voices heard so that their needs are included and addressed in the next National Strategic Plan on HIV and AIDS.
British American Tobacco South Africa (Batsa) has failed in a high court bid to have parts of the country's tobacco advertising ban declared unconstitutional.
One of the ways in which companies can object to a decision made by the Medicines Control Council (MCC) is to appeal the decision in terms of Section 24 of the Medicines and Related Substances Act (Act 101 of 1965). By Roy Jobson.
South Africa should set a bold example to the rest of the world by resolving to triple the number of people on antiretroviral medication by 2015.
The homophobic attitudes of public health care workers may have a direct influence on the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections in the gay community. Many gay men or men who have sex with other men avoid the public health service out of fear of being ridiculed.
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