South Africa’s treatment success means ageing with HIV is now a major health system challenge. By 2040, more than half of people living with HIV in the country will be 50 or older, up from 30% in 2025, according to a recent Lancet report. That is 3.9 million people, up from 2.3 million. South Africa has the world’s largest HIV…
Tag: Chronic Disease
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DHMS AI Prompts Drive Higher Screening Rates Among Members
Discovery Health Medical Scheme members who have opted into an AI-driven health guidance programme are significantly more likely to complete routine health checks and cancer screenings than members who have not enrolled. This is according to preliminary findings from Discovery Health. These results may be influenced by the effective use of DHMS AI Prompts within the programme. The results support…
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Obesity as a Chronic Disease: SA Pushes for Treatment Access
South Africa’s healthcare sector is stepping up calls to treat obesity as a chronic disease rather than a cosmetic concern. Clinicians and industry leaders say the shift is urgent. Obesity is rising fast. It also drives long-term costs across the health system. Globally, more than 1 billion people live with obesity. That figure is forecast to reach 1.91 billion by…
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Value-Based Healthcare: A New Approach to Care
South Africa’s medical aid market is under fresh scrutiny for a pattern that clinicians and members know too well. This has prompted renewed discussion about value-based healthcare and its potential to improve patient outcomes and system sustainability. Schemes routinely fund high-cost, late-stage interventions. Yet they often resist paying for prevention and side-effect management that could avoid hospital admissions later. This…
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Botswana Medicine Shortages Expose Deep Procurement Failures
Across Botswana, patients are growing used to a sentence that lands like a warning. “Ga gona molemo.” Your medication is out of stock. For mothers at clinics, elderly patients and people living with chronic illness, the phrase signals more than inconvenience. It means interrupted treatment, rising anxiety and, in some cases, worsening health. Health experts and former officials say the…
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Poor Sleep Mortality Risk Linked to Irregular Patterns
Individuals who maintain irregular sleep patterns and get less than the recommended seven hours of sleep per night face a staggering 22% higher poor sleep mortality risk than the general population. This is the landmark finding from new research conducted by South Africa’s largest health and life insurer, Discovery. They analysed data from over 100,000 people. The organisation, a pioneer…
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Uncontrolled Hypertension Plagues Millions in SA
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, has emerged as a significant public health crisis in South Africa. It silently affects millions and places immense strain on the nation’s healthcare system. With over 8.2 million individuals reported to be living with the condition, the prevalence rate is staggering. It is around 45% among men and 48% among women over the age of…
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The Rise in Obesity: Rethinking Our Response
The global rise in obesity, particularly among children and young people, is a pressing health concern. A recent study reveals that the proportion of young people (aged 5-24) living with obesity more than tripled from 2% in 1990 to over 6% by 2021. South Africa faces a particularly severe challenge. Specifically, 16% of children aged 6-18 are classified as “severely…
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Global wellness industry surges, outpacing pharmaceuticals
In 2023, the global wellness industry reached a remarkable $6.32 trillion valuation, surpassing the combined size of the sports and pharmaceutical industries. This figure, reported by the Global Wellness Institute (GWI), marks a 25% growth since 2019, driven by a surge in demand for health-focused products and services post-pandemic. The GWI defines wellness as “the active pursuit of activities, choices,…