US prescription drug spending will top $560 billion in 2026, according to current projections. This would represent an 8.2% increase from the previous year. Growing demand for obesity and diabetes treatments is partly driving this rise. These include a new generation of GLP-1 medicines. Projections show prescription medicines outpacing all other major categories of healthcare spending in the US. Their…
Category: June 2025
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Substandard Cancer Drugs in Africa Are A Serious Concern
A groundbreaking investigation across four African nations has uncovered a disturbing truth: a significant portion of cancer medications are substandard or counterfeit. This leaves vulnerable patients with treatments that may be ineffective or even harmful. The study, published in The Lancet Global Health, sheds light on a critical and previously unmeasured gap in pharmaceutical regulation on the continent. It highlights…
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Unemployed Doctors Struggle Amid Workforce Shortages
A significant investment in South Africa’s future healthcare has been left in limbo. Hundreds of newly qualified, state-funded doctors are unable to find employment in the public sector. These unemployed doctors face challenges as they struggle to secure positions despite the urgent need in medical institutions. In the Free State alone, more than 20 doctors trained in Cuba under the…
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Biovac Secures Deal to Produce Pneumonia Vaccine
In a significant move for continental health security, Cape Town-based research group Biovac has announced a major technology transfer agreement with Indian pharmaceutical firm Biological E. The Biovac initiative will enable the company to produce and distribute a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV14) across Africa. This marks a vital step towards self-sufficiency in vaccine manufacturing. The partnership will accelerate the growth…
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Bestmed’s Innovative AI Solution Against Fraud
Bestmed Medical Scheme, South Africa’s fourth-largest open medical scheme, is preparing to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) into its systems. This initiative aims to combat the growing scourge of fraudulent claims plaguing the healthcare industry. Protecting members’ funds and ensuring the scheme’s long-term sustainability amidst rising operational pressures are also goals. Bestmed CEO and Principal Officer Leo Dlamini confirmed that the…
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Fears of Disease Outbreaks as Global Child Vaccination Rates Stall
Global childhood immunisation is faltering due to inequality, COVID-19, and misinformation, a new study in The Lancet warns. Millions of children are now at risk from preventable diseases like measles, threatening decades of public health progress. Researchers have issued a stark new warning. Global efforts to vaccinate children against deadly diseases are faltering, putting millions of young lives at risk.…
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Road Accident Fund under Investigation by SCOPA
Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) has officially launched a formal inquiry into the deeply troubled finances of the Road Accident Fund (RAF). The decision comes as the RAF grapples with serious allegations of corruption. An explosive internal power struggle has reached the High Court. The parliamentary probe follows a deluge of whistleblower reports and complaints alleging widespread maladministration,…
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Zimbabwe flu outbreak mimics COVID-19
The Zimbabwean Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care, Sleiman Kwidini, has sought to calm growing public anxiety over a nationwide flu outbreak. This flu exhibits symptoms strikingly similar to those of COVID-19. Consequently, there are concerns about a potential Zimbabwe flu outbreak. Kwidini confirmed that while a significant wave of influenza is affecting many across the country, there is…
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Child Mortality Crisis and the Gates Foundation’s Pledge
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced it will commit $1.6 billion over the next five years. This funding aims to support Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, in its mission to immunise the world’s most vulnerable children. The initiative addresses the ongoing child mortality crisis. The pledge comes ahead of a crucial fundraising event in Brussels. It is positioned as…
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Early-Onset Cancer Cases Surge Dramatically
There has been an alarming surge in early-onset cancer cases worldwide. Specifically, there is a 79.1% increase since the 1990s, leaving scientists puzzled. A disturbing trend is sweeping the globe: cancer, a disease often associated with ageing, is increasingly being diagnosed in younger people. Over the past three decades, research has shown a concerning surge in malignancies affecting adults under…
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Ghana’s Diabetes Crisis: A Public Health Emergency
For an estimated 2.4 million people in Ghana living with diabetes, a manageable chronic illness has become a desperate daily struggle for survival. By exploring Ghana’s diabetes crisis, we uncover how families become trapped in a devastating cycle. They must choose between essential medication and basic needs like food and rent. As the cost of care continues to soar and…