The financial reality of implementing South Africa’s National Health Insurance (NHI) is drawing nearer. The Department of Health confirms it is actively pursuing plans to phase out medical tax credits. This will help fund the ambitious scheme. The initial focus will be on high-income earners, marking the first concrete financial step towards overhauling the nation’s healthcare system. The department is…
Category: Archive
Every Health Matters article, newest first. Use the search or browse by month to find older reporting.
-
Child Hunger Worsens Despite Improved National Food Security
A troubling paradox has emerged from South Africa’s latest food security data: while the nation’s overall food security shows signs of recovery, the number of households with children experiencing hunger has significantly increased. This trend casts a dark shadow over the country’s progress and highlights a deepening crisis for its most vulnerable citizens. The SA Food Security Index 2025, which…
-
HIV Funding Boost Revealed by Health Minister Motsoaledi
South Africa’s vital HIV/AIDS programmes have received a crucial R2 billion lifeline from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The HIV funding boost will be disbursed over the next six months. It will sustain existing services and prevent the collapse of critical health initiatives nationwide. Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi made the significant announcement during a…
-
Private Healthcare: Addressing Funding Concerns in South Africa
Speakers at this year’s Hospital Association of South Africa (HASA) conference presented a stark reality to delegates: both public and private healthcare funding in the nation is heading towards a sustainability crisis. While potential solutions involving smarter collaboration and resource pooling exist, the path to implementation remains fraught with inaction. Political inertia is also a significant barrier. The conference unfolded…
-
Minister Defends Healthcare Amid Neurologist Shortage
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has vehemently rejected accusations that the public healthcare system has collapsed. He defended the healthcare sector amidst criticism, despite confronting staggering statistics on the dire shortage of specialists in the country. The Minister’s defence of healthcare comes in the wake of revelations that the entire province of Limpopo has only one neurologist. This has led to…
-
Tembisa Hospital Looting Sparks Health Head’s Suspension
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has suspended the head of the provincial health department, Lesiba Arnold Malotana, with immediate effect. This follows damning revelations of wholesale looting at Tembisa hospital. Describing the situation as “disturbing”, the Premier’s move makes Malotana the first high-profile casualty of the corruption scandal uncovered by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU). The suspension follows the assassination of…
-
African Philanthropists Must Drive Change in Public Health
The head of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria has issued a powerful call to action for African philanthropists. He urges them to direct their resources towards health initiatives. These efforts could save millions of lives and transform the continent’s future. Speaking from the sidelines of the World Health Summit in Berlin, Executive Director Peter Sands made…
-
Aspen Boosted by Mounjaro: A New Era in Weight Loss
Aspen Pharmacare’s share price saw a notable increase. This followed the announcement that the high-profile diabetes drug, Mounjaro (tirzepatide), has received approval from the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) for use as a chronic weight management treatment. Aspen was notably boosted by Mounjaro’s approval, signalling a positive development for the company. The JSE-listed pharmaceutical giant confirmed that SAHPRA…
-
Global Health must remain a pillar of G7 and G20 agendas
Germany’s Health Minister, Nina Warken, has made an impassioned plea for global health to remain a central pillar of the G7 and G20 agendas, as concerns grow that the United States intends to strip back the G20’s focus to its original financial mandate when it assumes the presidency next year. Speaking to an international audience at the World Health Summit…
-
Antimicrobial Resistance Crisis Threatens Global Health
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued a dire warning over the escalating crisis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). They revealed that soaring numbers of drug-resistant bacterial infections are severely undermining modern medicine. As a result, millions of lives are at risk globally. In a stark announcement on Monday, the United Nations’ health agency revealed that in 2023, one in six…
-
SA’s Life Expectancy Declines as NCDs Surge
In a concerning reversal of global progress, SA’s life expectancy in 2023 was lower than it was over three decades ago, according to a landmark study. The relentless rise of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes and stroke is now actively undermining the country’s historic successes in combating the HIV/AIDS epidemic. This creates a perilous “double burden” for its healthcare…