South Africa’s National Health Insurance (NHI) debate may finally be shifting from courtroom combat to negotiation. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has called for the parties litigating against the NHI Act to declare a truce and work towards a settlement. The message is simple. Years of fighting over the policy have drained attention from the daily job of fixing a strained…
Category: Archive
Every Health Matters article, newest first. Use the search or browse by month to find older reporting.
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Afrox Unpaid Invoices: Lawsuit Exposes Provincial Health Debt
African Oxygen (Afrox), a major supplier of medical gases to South Africa’s state hospitals, has taken the national and provincial health departments to court over R360m in unpaid invoices, some dating back to 2017. The High Court action in Pretoria signals a deepening payment crisis across provincial health systems and raises fresh concerns about the stability of public hospital supply…
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NHI Court Challenges: Litigants Reject Settlement Call
Negotiations are unlikely to resolve the NHI Act court challenges in the near future. Most organisations taking the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act to court have poured cold water on Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s suggestion that litigants should meet the government and “craft a settlement”. At the heart of the dispute is trust. Several groups argue that the government should…
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2026 Healthcare Watchlist: Nine Healthcare Stories to Track
Twenty-twenty-six is shaping up as a year of sharp policy fights, fast-moving science, and stubborn system failures. Spotlight’s 2026 Healthcare Watchlist will track nine stories that could shift budgets, reshape services, and test public trust. A limited rollout of a new HIV prevention injection could be a turning point for prevention options. Weight-loss medicines are evolving rapidly, with new oral…
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Sizwe Hosmed Regulatory Allegations: Claims of Sabotage
In a highly charged submission to the Council of Medical Schemes (CMS) dated 2 January, Khandani Msibi, executive chairperson of 3Sixty Global Solutions Group, has levelled explosive allegations against medical scheme regulators and industry players. Msibi claims a deliberate campaign targeted one of the last remaining black-owned administrators in South Africa’s multibillion-rand medical aid industry for dismantlement. The 14‑page letter…
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Generic Semaglutide Set to Disrupt Global GLP‑1 Market
Aspen Pharmacare is gearing up to launch one of the world’s first generic semaglutide in Canada, capitalising on the recent loss of patent protection for Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster GLP‑1 weight‑loss injection. The move could be a pivotal moment for access and competition in an increasingly lucrative market. Canada’s early patent expiry of semaglutide has drawn global attention. Industry leaders see…
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NHI Legal Challenges: Talks Stalled by Politics, Funding Gaps
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s call in Parliament to withdraw the nine National Health Insurance (NHI) lawsuits and pursue negotiations hinted at a reset. The NHI legal challenges highlight complex debates over the future of healthcare in South Africa. Some stakeholders, including Profmed’s Craig Comrie, signalled openness to talks to avoid appearing anti-poor. Yet beneath the courtesy lies hard calculus: most…
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NHI Legal Challenges: Minister Calls For Out‑Of‑Court Resolution
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana used the National Assembly’s adjustments appropriation debate to make a firm appeal. He asked that legal disputes over the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act be resolved outside the courts. His comments came as medical associations pursue at least five separate legal cases challenging the NHI framework and implementation. Godongwana said that while these groups claim to…
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US Healthcare Spending Rose Sharply to $5.3 Trillion in 2024
Healthcare costs in the United States surged to $5.3 trillion in 2024. This marked a 7.2% increase from $4.9 trillion in 2023, according to new data released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Moreover, the CMS report reveals that this growth was primarily driven by higher insurance enrolment and a sharp increase in the use of medical…
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Aspen Pharmacare Business Sale Sparks Investor Optimism
Aspen Pharmacare faced a turbulent 2025 marked by a severe earnings downgrade and shaken investor trust. In early 2025, Aspen announced that EBITDA for the financial year would be R2 billion below prior guidance. This surprise came just weeks after the company’s interim results, catching markets off guard and sending its share price plummeting by more than 30%. The earnings…
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Hospital-Acquired Infections Lack National Tracking
South Africa lacks a national database to track hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), leaving a critical gap in patient safety and infection control. Health experts warn that the absence of systematic surveillance allows preventable infections and deaths to go unnoticed, particularly among vulnerable groups such as newborns and mothers. A 2024 study, The Burden of Hospital-Acquired Infections (HAI) in Sub-Saharan Africa, revealed…
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Discovery Health Claims Reversal follows member outcry
Discovery Health Medical Scheme (DHMS) has reversed its controversial decision regarding claims overpayments. The administrator will now cover the costs after sustained member outcry and mounting public pressure. This marks a significant shift in strategy. The provision protects members on the scheme’s high-end plans Impact of Discovery Health Claims Processing Errors The issue centres on a processing mistake. This error…