Department calls for vigilance after a positive case of mpox in GautengÂ
Mpox presents with an acute illness characterised by fever and general flu-like symptoms. This is followed by the eruption of a blister-like rash on the skin.
Health
Read More » Department calls for vigilance after a positive case of mpox in GautengÂ
Prolonged power outage leaves hospitals in the dark for two days
For over two days, the hospital operated at reduced capacity, relying on backup generators and prioritisYoing emergency procedures.
More South Africans are getting strokes, young people aren’t exempt
In South Africa more than one in three adults have hypertension. The condition is responsible for one in two strokes.
TB report shows the urgent need for a new vaccineÂ
The global measures to end the tuberculosis epidemic are showing signs of recovery post-Covid. More cases have been diagnosed and the number of people who died from the disease has gone down. Despite this apparent recovery, the World Health Organisation…
Sleep hygiene: Understanding the role of light in rest
Have you ever wondered how the light around us affects our sleep? It turns out, the kind of light we’re exposed to can make a big difference in the quality of our sleep. The simple act of flipping a light…
Traditional healers are a key part of finding new HIV cases in South Africa
This is not the first time that traditional healers are roped into the fight against HIV. Some of these programmes date back to 2017.
Three things you should know about organ donation in South Africa
Less than 100 deceased organ donations take place in South Africa every year, while around 5000 patients are on the waiting list for an organ. This is according to the South African Transplantation Society and the South African Transplant Coordinators…
Lack of awareness is putting a damper on the roll-out of TB preventive treatment in South Africa
Tuberculosis (TB) experts in South Africa are concerned about the slow uptake of TB preventive treatment (TPT). The people most at risk of TB disease aren’t receiving the protection they need. Dr Norbert Ndjeka, Chief Director of TB Control and…
Joburg explosion: Methane gas is the cause – but how can this impact your health?
The City of Johannesburg announced on Wednesday methane gas caused the explosion that took place on Bree street (now called Lillian Ngoyi street) in the inner city. The explosion made international headlines in mid-July with footage of the explosion going…
A double sentence: Prisoners at significantly higher risk for TB
Karabo Rafube (41), a former inmate who contracted tuberculosis (TB) in prison says it’s concerning that the fight against the infectious disease continues to be neglected within South African prisons. He was speaking after the recent launch of a new…
Malnutrition in South Africa: how one community wants resources to be spent
Agnes Erzse, University of the Witwatersrand and Aviva Tugendhaft, University of the Witwatersrand South Africa has persistently high rates of hunger and malnutrition among mothers and children. More than a quarter – 27% – of children under five are stunted…
Strong political will is needed to end HIV/AIDS
The UNAIDS Global AIDS Update 2023 report, released last Thursday, shows that despite the absence of an HIV/AIDS vaccine, the world is on the right path to eradicate HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. Data shows that 29,8…
Couples who test for HIV together likely to utilise other health services
If couples test for HIV together, will it improve uptake of health services? A couples-focused intervention aimed at promoting couples’ HIV testing and counselling has found that it will. Igugu Lethu, a joint study between the Human Sciences Research Council…
Born Too Soon: Preterm births a global concern
South Africa’s progress on reducing preterm births has stagnated over the past decade. In 2020, 1.2 million babies were born in South Africa. Thirteen percent (154 800) were preterm or born too soon. South Africa is among the top five…
Cholera: vaccines can stop the spread, but the biggest deterrent is clean water
By Edina Amponsah-Dacosta, University of Cape Town and Julie Copelyn, University of Cape Town South Africa has experienced outbreaks of cholera since January. The worst was in May in Hammanskraal, north of Pretoria, where nearly 30 people died. Cholera is…