Thousands may die without life-saving dialysis
As South Africa marks World Kidney Day, only about a third of those living with kidney conditions are receiving life-saving dialysis.
Health
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Is there a place for dagga in medicine?
Dagga may have some medicinal qualities, but are the benefits of legalising it worthwhile?
Bad dagga, good dagga?
People who use high-potency cannabis (“skunk”) every day are five times more likely to have a schizophrenia-like psychotic episode than those who don’t, according to new research.
School to regulate hawkers after child dies
Rebontsheng Primary School parents and school officials have begun to regulate what food and sweets vendors sell students following the death of a child who reportedly choked on a toy inside a sweet.
Call for nominations: National Planning Commission
The minister of planning, monitoring and evaluation and National Planning Commission chairperson have launched a call for nominations of individuals to serve on the National Planning Commission. The deadline for submissions is 10 April.
Closing the gap for youth in transition
When children in foster care turn 18, they lose their grants and are expected to become “instant adults”. This is a very difficult time as many foster children are still at school and lack the skills to support themselves.
Hospital allegedly loses baby for weeks
Lebohang Manyaka gave birth to a baby boy at Germiston’s Bertha Gxowa Hospital but he vanished right after birth. Weeks later, she was called to identify a dead baby - but she does not know if this is her child or what happened to him if it is her baby.
‘Smoking is now off my to do list’
One Limpopo man has sworn off cigarettes after he claims experimenting with tobacco had a bizarre and frightening side effect.
Poor left out of new plan to end hunger – activists
About one in four South Africans regularly go hungry. A new government plan aims to stem hunger but risks failing without input from those hit hardest – the country’s poor, say activists.
Op-ed: New food policy lacks meat without public consultation
On 22 August 2014, the National Policy on Food and Nutrition Security for the Republic of South Africa was gazetted. If this is news to you, you’re not alone, writes Section27 attorney Sasha Stevenson.
Policy: Food and Nutrition Security for the Republic of South Africa
Gazetted in August 2014, the policy outlines South Africa’s latest attempts to deal with hunger and food insecurity. The policy is accompanied by a draft implementation plan.
Growing up disabled
Egnes Raulinga cried for joy the day her son, Ronewa, was born. At 4 years old, Ronewa is now a smart, inquisitive toddler. Egnes says it breaks her heart to watch other children treat him differently because of his disability.
Deadly shortage of black stem cell donors
Black South Africans make up about 47 percent of all cancer patients but only 5 percent of donors in the nation’s bone marrow registry. The gap between those who may need bone marrow or stem cell transplants, and those able to provide them has deadly consequences for cancer patients.
Stigma haunts those living with epilepsy
Growing up, Silindile Mkhwena says healers preyed on her family’s scant knowledge of her epilepsy. More than a decade later, she says she is still paying for society’s ignorance.
Disabled, not dead
People with disabilities may be differently abled but they have sex just like everyone else – a reality that health workers, policies and sex education programmes have not caught up with, according to the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC).