The National Assembly is considering legislation that could end compulsory membership of the Parmed Medical Aid Scheme for MPs, judges and other public office-bearers. ActionSA MP Dr Kgosi Letlape introduced the private member’s bill. It proposes amending the Parliamentary and Provincial Medical Aid Scheme Act of 1975. Under the amendment, eligible officials would be allowed to remain with Parmed, move…
Category: August 2026
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Gap Cover Gains Importance as Costs Rise
Medical aid remains central to accessing private healthcare in South Africa, but members can no longer assume it will cover the full cost of treatment. In 2026, increases in medical scheme contributions have continued to put household budgets under pressure. Healthcare cost inflation is also running well above consumer inflation, while many scheme options have introduced more co-payments, sub-limits and…
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Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Crisis Deepens
South Africa’s pharmaceutical manufacturing crisis is growing as local producers lose government contracts and contend with rising costs. Stavros Nicolaou, chair of Pharmaceuticals Made in South Africa, says the Department of Health’s procurement policy is undermining the government’s localisation ambitions. He notes that officials award contracts to companies labelled as local suppliers. However, some companies import finished medicines rather than…
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Pharmaceutical Localisation Talks Target Investment And Supply
Senior government officials and top leaders of the pharmaceutical industry have agreed to pursue closer cooperation. South Africa seeks to boost local medicine production and enhance supply security. On 18 August, the two parties met in Pretoria to talk about the immediate pressures facing the sector. They discussed the longer-term measures needed to support pharmaceutical manufacturing. Professor Nicholas Crisp, who…
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NIH Funding Restored For SA Health Research
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States has lifted its ban on funding research projects in South Africa. As a result, local scientists can apply for NIH grants again. The change provides essential financial assistance to the health research sector in South Africa. This is important because local researchers have, in the past, been among the largest…
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Helen Joseph Hospital Staffing Crisis Disrupts Emergency Care
The staffing crisis at Helen Joseph Hospital in Johannesburg has renewed fears over patient safety while spotlighting how Gauteng manages its public healthcare workers. Trauma unit head Dr Patricia Saffy issued a notice on 6 August 2026 advising certain patients to seek emergency care elsewhere. She acted on concerns over unpaid medical staff after doctors stopped reporting for duty. Reports…
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Moderna Merck Melanoma Vaccine Shows Late-Stage Success
Moderna and Merck have announced that late-stage trials of a personalised mRNA cancer vaccine for the treatment of melanoma have yielded positive results. The companies stated that the treatment reduced the risk of melanoma recurrence or spread when used in conjunction with Merck’s immunotherapy drug Keytruda. Notably, Keytruda is already widely used to treat melanoma and several other cancers. This…
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Health Insurance Growth Reshapes Private Healthcare Market
Health insurance is now the fastest-growing segment of South Africa’s private healthcare market, driven by consumers seeking more affordable options than traditional medical aid. Momentum Health estimates the health insurance market is growing by 14% to 16% annually, significantly outpacing the largely stagnant medical scheme sector. Over 1.2 million principal members now hold health insurance policies, covering nearly 2 million…
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Workplace Burnout Increases Business Risk
South African employees face growing financial and psychological pressure, with experts warning that this strain is increasingly affecting the workplace. Rising living costs, stagnant salaries, job insecurity, and longer working hours are creating what specialists call an economic stress-to-burnout pipeline. Gallup’s 2026 State of the Global Workplace report indicates that about 35% to 40% of South African employees experience daily…
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Black-Owned Pharmaceutical Companies Demand Tender Reform
The Black Pharmaceutical Industry Association (BPIA) has now joined the increasing criticism directed at the Department of Health. The advocacy group comprises more than 22 black-owned businesses, including manufacturers, wholesalers, and pharmacies. This highlights the important and growing role that Black-owned pharmaceutical companies play in the healthcare sector. It cautions that local suppliers are being severely restricted due to the…
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African Health System Resilience Drives Government-Led Reform
The shrinking of international donor funding is causing significant changes in African healthcare. Nigeria and Mozambique demonstrate that it is possible to safeguard healthcare provision when external financing decreases. They do this through greater government involvement, integrated services, and more effective use of existing resources. For many years, numerous health programmes depended on donor-funded projects focused on specific diseases. Such…