For millions globally, recovering from SARS-CoV-2 infection has not meant a return to normal health. The lingering, often debilitating, symptoms of Long Covid – ranging from constant fatigue and ‘brain fog’ to muscle pain and heart palpitations – have remained a complex medical mystery. .New research, led by scientists from Stellenbosch University, suggests a physiological driver for these persistent symptoms:…
Category: Archive
Every Health Matters article, newest first. Use the search or browse by month to find older reporting.
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Home-Based Hypertension Care Shows Dramatic Results
High blood pressure, often called the “silent killer,” is a significant public health crisis in South Africa. Implementing home-based hypertension care could be a crucial step in managing this issue. The 2023 Global Burden of Disease report ranked hypertension as the fifth-highest risk factor driving death and disability in the country. This is because it is a major contributor to…
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US Drug Prices Under Trump’s New Pharma Deals
Americans spend more on prescription drugs than any other nation. This fact is driven not just by volume but by staggering costs. Unlike in Europe, the US government has historically refrained from directly intervening in price setting. While modest changes under then-President Joe Biden offered some relief for seniors, his successor, Donald Trump, has vowed to aggressively slash US drug…
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Obesity Drug Deal: Trump Cuts Prices for Patients
US President Donald Trump has announced a landmark deal with drugmakers Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, set to significantly reduce the price of hugely popular obesity drugs for millions of Americans. The agreement, unveiled at the White House, will slash costs for injectable treatments like Wegovy and Zepbound, as well as two forthcoming oral medications. The deal aims to save…
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Biovac R&D Lab to Drive Vaccine Manufacturing in Africa
State-backed vaccine manufacturer Biovac has officially launched a new product development laboratory at its Cape Town facility. This move strengthens its capacity to produce vaccines entirely on African soil, from start to finish. The new Biovac R&D lab in Pinelands, Cape Town, will enable scientists to conduct cutting-edge research and development (R&D) on the active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) for novel…
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Discovery and Google partner for Personalised Healthcare
Health and life insurer Discovery has announced a global partnership with Google, harnessing artificial intelligence to transform preventative healthcare. The initiative aims to provide individuals with highly personalised recommendations to improve their health, simultaneously helping to drive down the rising cost of insurance cover. The new platform, dubbed Vitality AI, combines the insurer’s extensive behavioural change expertise with Google Cloud’s…
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‘Mega Gap Claims’ Explode by 512% as Medical Aid Shortfalls Soar
South African medical scheme members are facing an unprecedented financial crisis, as new data reveals that “mega” out-of-pocket gap claims have exploded by 512% in just four years. This alarming trend highlights the soaring medical aid shortfalls patients are forced to pay, driven by specialists charging up to 500% of scheme rates and medical aids systematically reducing benefits. The data,…
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Health Funding Shortages Impacting HIV/AIDS Care
The National Treasury’s emergency allocation to South Africa’s health sector is dangerously insufficient. It is at high risk of being diverted to pay off massive provincial debts rather than fund essential services, Parliament heard on Wednesday. Health advocates warned the select committee on appropriations that the new funds fail to close the critical health funding gap. This gap was created…
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Bonitas Faces Investigation for Procurement Irregularities
The Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) has officially launched a forensic investigation into Bonitas, the nation’s second-largest open medical scheme. Bonitas faces investigation over allegations of improper procurement processes related to a key contract for its low-income option. The investigation will focus specifically on a contract awarded by Bonitas to Private Health Administrators (PHA) for the administration of its Boncap…
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Medical Tax Credits Under Investigation by Treasury
The National Treasury confirmed that it is actively investigating the “number of potential implications” of limiting or entirely removing medical tax credits. Proponents have long proposed this move as a key mechanism for raising funds for the government’s sweeping National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme. In a brief statement, the Treasury acknowledged it “had engagements with the Health Department” on the…
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Global Inequity Prolonging Epidemics and HIV/AIDS
Global inequalities are actively prolonging existing pandemics, such as HIV/AIDS. They are critically undermining the world’s ability to respond to future outbreaks, according to a stark new report. The report highlights how global inequity prolongs epidemics as a major issue that needs immediate attention. The report, “The Global Council on Inequality, AIDS, and Pandemics,” is an expert panel convened by…
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Aspen Pharmacare Dispute Ends with R500m Settlement
Aspen Pharmacare is set to receive a R500m windfall following the resolution of a damaging legal battle with an undisclosed manufacturing client. This closes a seven-month chapter of significant financial uncertainty for Africa’s largest pharmaceutical producer. In a statement, Aspen advised shareholders that the dispute had been settled. The counterparty is required to pay the R500m “before December 1 2025,…