Gauteng patients who need hip replacements are waiting between three and 10 years on public hospital lists. Gauteng health MEC Faith Mazibuko disclosed the scale of the delay in a recent reply to Democratic Alliance (DA) questions in the Gauteng legislature. Mazibuko linked the growing backlog to several operational pressures across the province. She said a high proportion of older…
Category: Archive
Every Health Matters article, newest first. Use the search or browse by month to find older reporting.
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Clicks Group Half-Year Earnings Reveal Solid Profit Growth
Clicks Group has lifted profitability at the halfway stage of its financial year, even as consumers remain under pressure. The retailer said turnover for the six months ended February rose 7.4% to R24.9bn. Headline earnings increased 6.4% to R1.5bn. Headline earnings per share (HEPS) climbed 8.1% to 653 cents. The company said share buybacks over the past 18 months helped…
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HIV Funding Cuts Endanger South Africa’s Lenacapavir Rollout
A new report from the US non-profit Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) has issued a stark warning for the healthcare industry. Recent HIV Funding Cuts from the Trump administration are directly threatening South Africa’s ability to deploy lenacapavir. This twice-yearly injectable has been celebrated as a major breakthrough in HIV prevention. HIV Funding Cuts Threaten Life-Saving Healthcare Infrastructure The PHR…
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Rising Medical Aid Premiums Ignite Unions Over Healthcare Costs
South Africa’s two major union federations, Cosatu and Fedusa, have escalated their warning that the country’s healthcare funding model is pricing workers out of cover. They argue that the current approach is “unsustainable, too expensive and failing workers”. Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has acknowledged the scale of the problem. He agrees that the model is inappropriate and that medical aid…
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Oral Phenylephrine Phase-Out Puts OTC Brands Under Review
South Africa’s medicines regulator is under mounting pressure from pharmaceutical manufacturers. This comes after it signalled it may phase out oral phenylephrine in over-the-counter (OTC) cold and flu medicines. The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) says the concern is simple: the ingredient may not work as a nasal decongestant when taken by mouth. Phenylephrine still appears in long-standing…
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Doctor Entrepreneurship Programme To Launch In SA
South Africa stands poised for a significant shift in medical service delivery. The government launches a new national initiative this month. This initiative aims to transform medical doctors into savvy business owners and healthcare innovators. The doctor entrepreneurship programme is led by the Regenesys School of Entrepreneurship. The Health and Welfare Sector Education and Training Authority (HWSETA) delivers this initiative.…
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Measles Cases Rise in SA as NICD Flags Adult Immunity Gap
South Africa is seeing a sharp rise in measles infections, even as rubella cases fall. New surveillance data from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) show measles cases are increasing across provinces, with signs of ongoing community transmission and a potential immunity gap among older age groups. The NICD said data from 29 December 2025 to 12 April 2026…
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Declaration On Diabetes: Facing a National Emergency
South Africa’s diabetes burden is moving from “silent epidemic” to loud national emergency. Amanda Mashego, diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes six years ago, describes daily management as a 24-hour job with no breaks. Every meal, mood shift, and exercise session requires constant calculation. Yet she says the mental load remains largely unseen by the healthcare system. That invisible workload is…
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Gauteng Malaria Crisis: Sharp Rise In Infections And Fatalities
Gauteng health authorities have issued an urgent public health alert due to a concerning rise in malaria cases in the province. Officials are describing the current situation as the Gauteng malaria crisis. People and health facilities are being urged to exercise maximum caution. Statistics indicate a concerning increase in both cases and deaths in the first quarter of 2026. Surveillance…
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Chinese Pharmaceutical Innovation Impacts Healthcare Landscape
The traditional pharmaceutical order, once anchored in Western centres, has fundamentally shifted. We now inhabit a bipolar industry landscape dominated by the United States and China. This transformation carries significant implications for patients, investors, and policymakers worldwide. Chinese Pharmaceutical Innovation Drives Global Research Boom China has rapidly closed the gap in medical research. In several key areas, it has now…
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African Vaccine Manufacturing Expansion Set For Biovac Site
The South African vaccine producer Biovac has announced a major expansion of its Cape Town operations. This is a significant development in African vaccine manufacturing. This ambitious project receives significant backing from the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group and the International Finance Corporation (IFC). The new financing package will help Biovac develop end-to-end production capabilities. The primary focus will initially…
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NHI Design Should Take Lessons From China’s Layered Model
Public debates often simplify complex issues. The discussion surrounding South Africa’s National Health Insurance (NHI) provides a prime example. While roleplayers often ask the public to support or oppose the plan, this binary framing misses the reform’s fundamental point. Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is not the point of contention. South Africa has already settled that goal. The Constitution grounds this…