New research has revealed the immense power of emergency vaccination programmes. These programmes have reduced deaths from five major infectious diseases by an estimated 60% over the past two decades. The study, the first of its kind, also highlights the colossal economic benefits of rapid vaccine deployment. Researchers estimate these benefits at tens of billions of dollars. Researchers analysed the…
Category: July 2025
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Racial Profiling draws major criticism from major funders
The Section 59 inquiry into racial profiling in medical schemes has drawn fierce criticism from major funders. Its findings cast doubt on private healthcare financing ahead of the proposed rollout of the National Health Insurance (NHI). Chaired by senior counsel Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, the 2019 panel appointed by the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) found that Discovery, the Government Employees Medical…
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UNAIDS and the Fight Against Global AIDS Progress
Decades of remarkable progress in the global fight against HIV and AIDS are in jeopardy following massive and abrupt international funding withdrawals, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and Aids (UNAIDS) announced at the launch of its Global AIDS Update 2025. The report, titled “AIDS, Crisis and the Power to Transform”, was unveiled at Bertha Gxowa Hospital in Germiston.…
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Motsoaledi’s Budget Aims to Strengthen Health System
Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has outlined a budget of R64.8 billion for the 2025/26 financial year. He presented a plan to Parliament aimed at strengthening the public health system. This system has been battered by years of austerity and recent geopolitical challenges. Within Motsoaledi’s budget, there are strategies in place to address infrastructure issues and healthcare staff shortages. In…
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HIV/AIDS Funding Gap: Government Steps In
The South African government has stepped in with a crucial R753.5 million injection from the National Treasury to sustain the nation’s HIV/Aids programmes. This vital funding seeks to close the HIV/AIDS funding gap. The withdrawal of the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) significantly impacted this gap. This move had threatened to derail decades of progress in…
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Racial Discrimination Findings Applauded by Dentists’ Association
The South African Medical and Dental Practitioners (SAMDP) Association has lauded the final report of the Section 59 investigation, which addresses concerns of racial discrimination, as a “watershed moment” for the nation’s healthcare sector. Racial biases impact various sectors. The inquiry, chaired by advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, concluded that the country’s largest medical schemes racially discriminated against black healthcare providers. This…
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Dis-Chem Transforming Retail with Health Insurance
Is the South African health insurance landscape on the verge of a significant shake-up? All eyes are on pharmaceutical retail giant Dis-Chem as it rapidly evolves from a chain of pharmacies into an integrated healthcare provider. It is setting its sights on a market long dominated by financial services powerhouses such as Discovery. The move raises a pivotal question: is…
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Discovery Health Challenges ‘Flawed’ Racial Bias Report
Discovery Health has issued a sharp rebuke to the findings of the Section 59 inquiry. It alleged the company’s systems demonstrated racial bias against black healthcare practitioners. The final report, handed to Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, asserted that Discovery, along with Medscheme and the Government Employees Medical Scheme (Gems), employed procedurally unfair systems. These systems disproportionately penalised black professionals.…
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Malaria Breakthrough: First Treatment for Babies
In a breakthrough for global child health, Swiss authorities have approved Coartem Baby. Researchers have developed the first-ever medicine specifically designed to treat malaria in infants weighing less than five kilograms. The announcement by pharmaceutical giant Novartis marks a pivotal moment in the fight against a disease that disproportionately affects the youngest and most vulnerable. The new treatment addresses a…
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BHF rejects fraud inquiry’s findings as ‘fundamentally flawed’
South Africa’s healthcare sector is facing a crisis of trust. This follows an independent inquiry finding that the nation’s largest medical schemes have been targeting black healthcare practitioners. They have been targeted in investigations into fraud and abuse. The report sets the stage for a major confrontation over racial equity and regulatory oversight. Moreover, it challenges methods used to combat…
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Inquiry Finds Medical Schemes Guilty of Racial Discrimination
Focus Keywords: Medical Scheme Discrimination, Section 59 Inquiry, Black Healthcare Providers, Discovery, GEMS, Medscheme, Racial Bias, Healthcare Fraud A damning report has concluded that South Africa’s largest medical schemes and administrators, including Discovery, the Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS), and Medscheme, have acted unfairly. Their actions represent racial discrimination towards Black healthcare providers. The long-awaited Section 59 inquiry’s final report,…
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Racial Bias in South Africa’s Healthcare System
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi is scheduled to receive a report this week. The report concerns allegations of racial discrimination and racial bias against Black healthcare providers. The report results from a section 59 investigation into claims of discrimination by South Africa’s medical schemes. Members of the National Health Care Professionals Association and Solutionist Thinkers publicly accused medical schemes and administrators…