South Africa has the fourth-highest suicide rate in Africa, according to the latest figures published via the World Health Organisation’s Global Health Observatory. The country’s rate is 21.1 deaths per 100,000 people. It sits behind Lesotho (36.7), Eswatini (31.0) and Zimbabwe (25.4). Eritrea (20.2) rounds out the top five among countries that submitted data. The ranking matters beyond public health…
Tag: Health Economics
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HIV Funding in South Africa Faces Serious Cuts
South Africa has less than eight years before one of its most important external funding streams for HIV and TB programmes ends. Allocation letters sent in March confirm that the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria plans its final grant to South Africa in Grant Cycle 9. This cycle will run from April 2031 to March 2034. At…
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NHI Design Should Take Lessons From China’s Layered Model
Public debates often simplify complex issues. The discussion surrounding South Africa’s National Health Insurance (NHI) provides a prime example. While roleplayers often ask the public to support or oppose the plan, this binary framing misses the reform’s fundamental point. Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is not the point of contention. South Africa has already settled that goal. The Constitution grounds this…
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Medical Aid Tax Credit Cut Could Reshape SA’s Private Healthcare
South Africa’s healthcare funding model may be nearing a defining break point. The proposed withdrawal of medical aid tax credits, starting with high-income earners in 2026 and extending to all taxpayers by 2027, is framed as a revenue-raising measure to support the National Health Insurance (NHI). But it is also a structural shift in how healthcare is financed. The change…
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Healthcare Investment Drives Growth and Productivity
Leaders in emerging markets are under pressure. Economies are strained. Geopolitical tension is rising. Growth must be sustained. Yet policy debates often miss one core driver of national performance: health. In fact, healthcare investment drives growth by improving productivity and stability for these economies. A nation’s health is tightly linked to its economic strength. Health care is not a side…
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Upfront Medical Aid Payments a Growing Concern
Upfront medical aid payments cost members of medical aid schemes a staggering R43 billion last year. This is a situation the industry regulator says is causing significant financial hardship and worsening health inequalities. The Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) revealed the figure in its 2023-24 industry report. It highlights a system where members are increasingly shouldering costs that they expect…
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NCD Prevention: A Smart Investment for Health
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued an urgent call to action. It urges countries worldwide to significantly increase their investment in NCD prevention. A new report released by the global health body argues that an additional investment of just $3 per person, per year, could prevent millions of premature deaths. It could also deliver a staggering $1 trillion in…