South African HIV/AIDS researchers are grappling with the harsh reality of substantial grant funding cuts from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). These cuts, resulting from a shift in NIH priorities, threaten to derail decades of progress in combating HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis (TB) in a region central to global health efforts. The extent of the terminations and holds on…
Category: March 2025
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FDA warns Aspen Pharmacare over eye drop production standards
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has raised serious concerns regarding the manufacturing standards of eye drops produced by Aspen Pharmacare at its sterile facility in Gqeberha, South Africa. In a warning letter, the FDA highlighted potential risks of microbial contamination due to inadequate controls. The FDA’s warning letter, published following a September audit, revealed that Aspen’s manufacturing processes…
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SA confident of HIV treatment goals despite aid cuts
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has reassured Parliament that he is confident in achieving its ambitious HIV treatment targets despite recent cuts in US aid. The minister’s assurance comes as a response to concerns raised by MPs regarding the potential impact of US funding reductions on South Africa’s healthcare system. South Africa aims to provide treatment to an additional 1.1 million…
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Pharmaceutical industry fights to shield drugs from tariffs
Pharmaceutical giants are actively lobbying the Trump administration and European Union officials to exclude medical goods from escalating trade disputes. They fear significant price increases and restricted patient access to essential medications. The industry’s concerns centre on the potential impact of tariffs on top-selling drugs like Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy for weight loss and Merck’s cancer immunotherapy Keytruda. In discussions with…
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NHI’s absence from budget raises questions about its future
While Budget 2025 covered numerous sectors, the notable absence of National Health Insurance (NHI) from Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s speech has sparked significant discussion. Despite its omission from the speech, references to NHI are present within the medium-term expenditure framework, signalling its continued, albeit challenged, presence in the government’s long-term plans. NHI: More aspiration than reality? Craig Comrie, CEO of…
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US foreign aid pause threatens global HIV treatment
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued a stark warning regarding the impact of the Trump administration’s decision to pause US foreign aid. This pause has “substantially disrupted” the supply of life-saving HIV treatment in eight countries, placing millions at risk. According to the WHO, Haiti, Kenya, Lesotho, South Sudan, Burkina Faso, Mali, Nigeria, and Ukraine are facing imminent shortages…
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Motsoaledi fiddles while the health crisis deepens
The shocking state of South Africa’s public hospitals has once again been thrust into the spotlight with damning reports on conditions at Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital and Helen Joseph Hospital in Gauteng. These institutions, meant to serve the most vulnerable, are instead plagued by neglect, underfunding, and infrastructure collapse. In March 2023, then-health ombud Malegapuru Makgoba released a…
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Experts call for self-reliance in South Africa’s HIV funding
South Africans living with HIV are facing increasing challenges in accessing medication due to the recent suspension of funding from the United States. The funding cuts, primarily affecting the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (Pepfar) and USAID-supported programmes, have led to disruptions in healthcare services, forcing patients to ration their medication. While the South African government covers 87% of…
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Healthcare funding to reach R329 billion by 2027/28
After two years of strict budget limits in healthcare, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s 2025 budget speech aimed to fix funding shortages in the public health system. The health budget will rise from R277 billion in 2024/25 to R298.8 billion in 2025/26 and is expected to reach R329 billion by 2027/28, with an average annual growth of 5.6%. This is better…
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Britain’s Prime Minister vows to streamline NHS
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer aims to “reduce bureaucracy” and restore democratic control, asserting that this will improve resources for frontline services and reduce waiting lists before the next election. Health Secretary Wes Streeting plans to reduce the size of NHS England by 50%, with its chief executive set to leave soon. Streeting stated that the government is dismantling the…
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No relief in health budget for US cuts to grants for HIV/AIDS
The Treasury stated on Wednesday that no relief is in the budget to mitigate the impact of US President Donald Trump’s sudden termination of grants to HIV/AIDS organisations in South Africa. The Health Department has yet to finalise its analysis of the required resources. Trump’s administration has thrown organisations reliant on US foreign aid into turmoil worldwide, first with a…
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Gauteng’s public health system at ‘point of no return’
Gauteng’s public health services are on the brink of collapse due to prolonged post-freezes, halted equipment budgets, and financial constraints. While the Gauteng Department of Health denies that posts are frozen, health workers and policy experts highlight a growing crisis that threatens patient care. Healthcare professionals in Gauteng warn that prolonged budget cuts are crippling medical services. A public health…