The Department of Health is actively collaborating with the National Treasury to establish thresholds for medical aid tax credits. This signals the first concrete steps towards phasing them out to fund the National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme. While officials insist the initial changes will only affect high-income earners, the move has ignited fierce criticism. It has raised concerns about transparency…
Category: Archive
Every Health Matters article, newest first. Use the search or browse by month to find older reporting.
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Adcock Ingram Takeover Gets Green Light from Shareholders
Shareholders in Adcock Ingram, the renowned South African pharmaceutical company, have decisively approved a takeover offer from Indian drugmaker Natco Pharma. This paves the way for the company to delist from the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) after 16 years. At a general meeting last week, shareholders voted 98.66% of shares in favour of the offer. The deal will see Natco…
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Dis-Chem Capitec Partnership Enhances Primary Healthcare
Pharmacy giant Dis-Chem has announced a strategic partnership with Capitec, set to revolutionise how consumers access and pay for healthcare. The collaboration introduces the new “Better Rewards” programme, a data-led initiative that links financial incentives directly to positive health behaviours. Unveiled this week at Dis-Chem’s X.bigly innovation hub in Melrose Arch, the programme replaces the company’s traditional loyalty model. It…
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Surge in Illicit Medicines Threatens Public Health
South Africa is at a critical crossroads in its fight against a rising tide of illicit, substandard, and falsified medicines. These pose a severe threat to public health. The influx is particularly alarming in relation to GLP-1 agonists, the popular class of medicines developed to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity. In response to this escalating crisis, the South African…
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Private Labels Force a Reckoning on Health and Beauty Shelves
Established health and beauty brands are facing an escalating battle for survival. Retailer-owned private labels continue their aggressive expansion, capturing significant market share and fundamentally altering consumer purchasing habits. A new report from research firm Trade Intelligence reveals a decisive shift in the sector. Competitive pricing and rising shopper trust are propelling store brands to the forefront. Private Label Retailer…
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World Mental Health Day Highlights Urgent Needs
As the world marks Mental Health Awareness Month this October, Africa stands at a critical juncture. With its population set to reach 2.5 billion in the coming decades, the continent faces a deepening mental health crisis. This crisis is chronically underfunded, under-researched, and dangerously overlooked. On this World Mental Health Day, 10th October, it is crucial to examine the scale…
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RAF Insolvent with R27.8 Billion Deficit Woes
The Road Accident Fund (RAF) is insolvent, with a R27.8 billion accumulated deficit, decades-old claims backlogs, and severe governance failures, Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) has heard. The fund’s leadership and the Auditor-General have acknowledged the RAF’s insolvent state. They painted a grim picture of an entity in deep operational and financial crisis. RAF officials confirmed to the…
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Healthcare Facilities Cheat Compliance Checks
The nation’s health standards watchdog has sounded the alarm over an increasingly common and deceptive practice. Healthcare establishments “borrow” medical equipment and essential documents from other facilities to pass inspections fraudulently. This “window dressing,” as facilities cheat compliance checks, is being driven by a rush to obtain certificates of compliance ahead of the nationwide rollout of the National Health Insurance…
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Healthcare Access: SAHRC Takes Legal Action Now
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has escalated its fight against the unlawful denial of medical treatment to foreign and undocumented individuals. They are launching an urgent application in the Durban High Court. The legal action aims to protect access to healthcare and ensure the continued availability of public health facilities. This is amidst ongoing reports of intimidation and…
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Stark Warning Against NHI: Lessons from Gauteng
Gauteng’s Department of Health is in crisis. It runs South Africa’s largest provincial health system. Its condition provides a stark warning against NHI. It highlights the significant dangers posed by the new Act. The department is plagued by mismanagement. It suffers from deep corruption and no accountability. This raises grave concerns about the state. Is it ready to manage a…
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Poor Sleep Mortality Risk Linked to Irregular Patterns
Individuals who maintain irregular sleep patterns and get less than the recommended seven hours of sleep per night face a staggering 22% higher poor sleep mortality risk than the general population. This is the landmark finding from new research conducted by South Africa’s largest health and life insurer, Discovery. They analysed data from over 100,000 people. The organisation, a pioneer…