As National Pregnancy Week runs from 3-7 February, the South African Society of Psychiatrists (Sasop) is calling on healthcare providers and expectant mothers to treat perinatal mental health symptoms in pregnancy as urgent medical issues. The society says between 16% and 50% of women in South Africa experience depression or anxiety during pregnancy. It adds that up to one in…
Category: Archive
Every Health Matters article, newest first. Use the search or browse by month to find older reporting.
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Healthcare Investment Drives Growth and Productivity
Leaders in emerging markets are under pressure. Economies are strained. Geopolitical tension is rising. Growth must be sustained. Yet policy debates often miss one core driver of national performance: health. In fact, healthcare investment drives growth by improving productivity and stability for these economies. A nation’s health is tightly linked to its economic strength. Health care is not a side…
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US WHO Withdrawal Official, Organisation Plans Deep Cuts
The US WHO Withdrawal became effective in late January 2026, ending Washington’s formal membership in the World Health Organisation after a one-year notice period triggered by an executive order signed on Inauguration Day of Donald Trump’s second term. The administration argues the US pays more than peer nations and has criticised the WHO’s Covid-19 response and governance. The WHO disputes…
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Human HIV Vaccine Trial Begins With BRILLIANT 011
South Africa has launched its first-ever human HIV vaccine trial. It is a landmark for a country that remains the global epicentre of HIV. The long-term ambition is clear. Scientists want a safe, affordable vaccine given in the first year of life, with no need for repeat doses. The trial, known as BRILLIANT 011, is a first-in-human study. It has…
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Bonitas Tender Dispute: Court Action and Tender Controversy
South Africa’s second-largest open medical scheme, Bonitas, is opposing an urgent court application by Medscheme to block the appointment of two new service providers. The Bonitas Tender Dispute centres on Bonitas’ decision to end a 44-year administration relationship with Medscheme. Medscheme has served as its administrator since 1982. Bonitas, which covers more than 730,000 people, has appointed Momentum to take…
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Bonitas Medscheme Split Sees Momentum and PHA Win Contracts
The Bonitas Medscheme Split has become a major topic in the South African healthcare sector. Bonitas Medical Fund, South Africa’s second-largest open medical scheme, has confirmed a major supplier shake-up. It will end its long-running administration relationship with Medscheme and hand key roles to Momentum Health and Private Health Administrators (PHA). The changes cover all Bonitas options except Boncap, its…
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African Genome Diversity: Wits-Led AGenDA Adds 1,000 Genomes
Wits University scientists are helping to close one of healthcare’s most significant evidence gaps. They are leading work to expand the number of African genomes in global datasets. The goal is simple: Make genetic research and its clinical tools work better for African populations. Africa is the anatomical home of modern humans. It also exhibits the highest genetic diversity. People…
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Mental Health VAT Reform: Cost Trap Deepens Care Gap
South Africans are reporting rising levels of depression and anxiety. Yet access to care is tightening. High out-of-pocket costs and an entrenched shortage of mental health professionals are leaving many people underserved. In particular, those with the greatest need are most affected. A recent advocacy document argues that government VAT rules and medical aid pricing behaviour are actively inflating the…
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Road Accident Fund Insolvency has Deep Roots, Scopa Told
Former Road Accident Fund (RAF) board members have told Parliament that the fund’s crisis is not new. They said the RAF has faced sustained financial distress for more than three decades. In their account, liabilities have exceeded assets since at least 1981. That, they argued, left the fund “technically insolvent” for decades. The testimony was delivered to Parliament’s standing committee…
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Wits Health Research Funding Boost Targets Immediate Gaps
Wits University has secured a R7m grant from the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust to protect health sciences research capacity threatened by US funding cuts. The two-year grant will support researchers, staff, and students in the Faculty of Health Sciences. Their work has been placed at risk following the sudden withdrawal or reduction of international funding. The funding is designed to plug…
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Botswana Medicine Shortages Expose Deep Procurement Failures
Across Botswana, patients are growing used to a sentence that lands like a warning. “Ga gona molemo.” Your medication is out of stock. For mothers at clinics, elderly patients and people living with chronic illness, the phrase signals more than inconvenience. It means interrupted treatment, rising anxiety and, in some cases, worsening health. Health experts and former officials say the…