With only 1% of South Africans registered as active blood donors and blood banks running low, could SA be headed towards a blood shortage crisis? South African National Blood Services (SANBS) spokesperson Khensani Mahlanngu said they miss daily collection targets…
The outcome from the highest court in the land will leave an impact on South Africa’s health system. The Pretoria High Court recently ruled that sections 33 and 34 of the Mental Health Act, 2002 (MHA) are inconsistent with the…
Though the National Department of Health in South Africa is yet to declare the fifth wave of Covid-19 infections, -researchers at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), say that the country has already passed the peak of the…
COVID-19 vaccinations are safe for pregnant and breastfeeding women. This is the finding of Wits University scientists who recently reviewed the effect of the vaccine during pregnancy. The narrative review by scientists identified no major safety concerns in the use…
The Global Fund has donated R8.8-billion to South Africa to fight HIV/Aids, tuberculosis, and malaria. The grant, which runs for three years from April 2022 until March 2025, gives a major boost to the country’s efforts to eradicate these diseases.…
The shortage of healthcare professionals in South Africa has led to nurses working in the public health sector faced with almost double the workloads. This is according to the President of the Young Nurses Indaba Trade Union, Lerato Maduma-Gova. “The…
Low vaccination rates and the highly transmissible Omicron sub-variant are behind the recent jump in COVID-19 infections amongst children between 10 and 14-years-old. In week 17 this age group represented 34.2 percent of all infections in SouthAfrica. Public Health Specialist…
The possible overturning of a law that protects a woman’s right to abortion in the United States, might not have legal implications for South Africa but there are concerns it could impact funding for various health programmes in the country.…
The Department of Health announced on Thursday that children must continue wearing masks at school and other general indoor gatherings. On Wednesday night when it released new limited COVID-19 regulations, it stated that children would not have to wear masks…
While the World Health Organisation has raised the alarm about an increase in measles outbreaks globally, South Africa is confident the risks locally are minimal. UNICEF and the WHO reported cases of measles increased by 79 percent globally in January…
South Africans will have to continue wearing face-masks in indoor public spaces for now. The National Department of Health announced limited regulations on Wednesday an hour before current COVID-19 regulations were due to expire at midnight. These limited restrictions, which…
As South Africa approaches its 5th wave of COVID-19 the number of people getting vaccinated has stagnated. Government missed its target to vaccinate 70 percent of the population by the end of last year. Currently, just 44% of adults have…
A sharp increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in South Africa suggests that the fifth wave is imminent. The country’s rate of infection has hit a three-month high, just a week after the Easter weekend. The latest figures reported…
In the past five years, the number of 10-14 year olds giving birth in South Africa has increased by 50%. The cause: a surge of statutory rape cases, which often go unreported. A report published in the South African Medical Journal…
The devastating scenes from last week’s floods in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) provided a stark reminder of not only how fragile life is, but also how healthcare systems rely on infrastructure and roads in times of need. With almost 450 people having…