Dis-Chem says a revamped loyalty strategy is translating into faster growth and market share gains. The retailer reported a 10.1% increase in group revenue in the 24 weeks to mid-February, supported by strong wholesale momentum and an uplift in retail performance linked to its new Better Rewards programme. Group retail revenue rose 9.5% in the period. Wholesale revenue increased 15.7%,…
Category: Archive
Every Health Matters article, newest first. Use the search or browse by month to find older reporting.
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Childhood Cancer Diagnosis: The Impact of Delayed Treatment
South Africa diagnoses too few children with cancer, a gap that experts say costs lives. In the Cape Town metro, the Western Cape health department estimates that clinicians diagnose about 100 children under 15 with cancer each year. Rates are broadly stable, but case numbers are rising with population growth. Nationally, the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) estimates that…
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Medical Aid Tax Credits and Public Health Jobs
South Africa’s public health crisis is no longer only about disease burden. It is also about staffing, budgets and political choices. Furthermore, a new argument gaining traction is that austerity is shrinking frontline services. At the same time, the tax system still cushions households that can afford private cover, especially through benefits like Medical Aid Tax Credits. The government has…
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NHI Constitutional Challenge: AfriForum’s Legal Action
Civil society group AfriForum has served a summons on President Cyril Ramaphosa and Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi. This intensifies its court bid to have the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act declared unconstitutional. The organisation instructed the Sheriff of the Court to deliver a combined summons to five senior state office-bearers. This signals that the fight over NHI is moving…
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Medical Negligence Compensation Reform Impacts on Budgets
South Africa’s system for compensating victims of medical negligence is under severe pressure. Nowhere is that clearer than in the Eastern Cape. The province paid out more than R630m in medical negligence claims in the 2024/25 financial year. That is about 2% of its R30.1bn budget. The Eastern Cape governent didn’t plan for these payouts, and the result is predictable.…
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GEMS Contribution Increase Sparks Union Backlash
Trade unions in the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) have rejected the Government Employees Medical Scheme’s (GEMS) decision to raise member contributions in 2026. The scheme implemented a 9.8% increase from January 2026. It will then apply a revised 9.5% increase from 1 April 2026. Unions say the hikes are economically unjustifiable and socially regressive. They argue the increases…
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Malaria Financing In Africa: Strategies and Solutions
As African leaders met in Addis Ababa for the 39th AU Summit, malaria was back in the spotlight. Malaria Financing In Africa is now more urgent as new data indicate that the disease is increasing again after years of progress. That reversal is colliding with shrinking donor support and harsher climate conditions. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 610,000…
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US Childhood Vaccine Schedule Under Legal Challenge
Major US medical organisations are asking a federal judge in Boston to urgently block new federal guidance that reduces the number of vaccines routinely recommended for children. The debate centres on whether changes to the US Childhood Vaccine Schedule by the administration could impact public health. In addition, the case is shaping up as a pivotal test of how far…
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FDA Unpredictable: Moderna Challenges the Agency
Moderna has launched a rare public attack on the US Food and Drug Administration, warning that an “unpredictable” regulator could weaken America’s lead in drug innovation. During the call, company leaders specifically argued that the FDA’s unpredictable decision-making undermines industry momentum. The comments came during the company’s Friday analyst call. This was just days after the FDA declined to accept…
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EC Medico-Legal Claims: SCA Overturns Public Care Remedy
The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) has struck down a High Court approach that could have reshaped the way the Eastern Cape Department of Health handles escalating medico-legal claims. The appeal court ruled on Wednesday, 11 February 2026, that allowing the department to provide future healthcare services instead of paying damages “violated the child’s best interests”. Appeal Court judge Ashton…