US Global AIDS co-ordinator John Nkengasong has encouraged African drug manufacturers to adopt a regional manufacturing strategy to take advantage of his organisation’s volume guarantees. This appeal comes as local pharmaceutical manufacturers press the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (Pepfar) to fulfil its December 2022 pledge to transfer at least 2 million HIV/AIDS patients on antiretroviral (ARV) treatment…
Category: October 2024
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Thoughts on health systems and the future of NHI
Inside the Falmouth building at the University of Cape Town’s health campus, Professor Lucy Gilson, Head of the Health Policy and Systems Division, emphasises the human aspect of health systems as key to improving healthcare outcomes. Focusing on relationships, routines, and individuals’ motivations, Gilson argues that successful health systems require both “hardware” (such as funding and technology) and “software” (such…
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Gilead grants licenses for generic HIV drug production
Gilead Sciences has announced royalty-free licensing agreements with six generic drug manufacturers to produce and sell lower-cost versions of its HIV prevention medicine, lenacapavir, in 120 low and lower-middle-income countries. This move aims to increase access to affordable HIV prevention and treatment options in regions most affected by the epidemic. The US-based pharmaceutical giant has partnered with India’s Dr Reddy’s…
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BHF criticises delay in making private healthcare affordable
The Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF) has accused the Department of Health of delaying action on critical reforms to make private healthcare more affordable in South Africa. The accusation comes amid concerns that the department has not implemented recommendations made in the 2019 Health Market Inquiry report, a claim which the department denies. The BHF criticised the Department of Health…
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The Case for Mandatory Health Insurance in South Africa
The ongoing healthcare debate in South Africa intensified following outgoing Netcare CEO Dr Richard Friedland’s remarks at the September Hospital Association of South Africa (HASA) annual conference. Speaking on “Viable and Near-term Opportunities to Providing Enhanced Healthcare in South Africa,” Friedland made a compelling case for a return to what he described as the original African National Congress (ANC) healthcare…