Non-profit organisation DignitySA has filed a landmark lawsuit in the Pretoria High Court, seeking to decriminalise assisting terminally ill people in dying. This step is a crucial event in the broader debate around medically assisted dying. It also signifies a breakthrough in the ongoing national discussion about end-of-life treatment and patient autonomy. According to the organisation, existing bans are unconstitutional.…
Tag: Healthcare Business
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Medicine Price Increase: Industry Demands Transparency
South Africa’s pharmaceutical sector is reaching a boiling point. The country’s umbrella body for manufacturers is now pressuring the National Department of Health for answers. At the heart of the dispute is the recent 1.47% hike in medicine prices for the private sector. Industry leaders warn that without full disclosure on how this figure was reached, legal action is inevitable.…
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Nurse Moonlighting Crisis: A Systemic Healthcare Risk
The South African healthcare sector is facing a deepening internal challenge as public sector nurses increasingly engage in unauthorised “moonlighting.” Many professionals are taking extra shifts in the private sector without official approval. This widespread regulatory breach highlights a growing rift between frontline staff and health department leadership. The Financial Drivers of the Nurse Moonlighting Crisis Economic pressure remains the…
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Dis-Chem CEO Rui Morais Transforms Retail into Healthcare
When Rui Morais stepped into the leadership role at Dis-Chem in mid-2023, he inherited a retail giant. He took on the task of evolving a founder-led business into a scalable healthcare platform. Now, 1,000 days into the job, Morais’s tenure has seen a significant cultural reset. He has implemented an ambitious integrated healthcare strategy focused on affordability. Morais previously served…
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Chronic Respiratory Diseases: A Silent Health Crisis
Across South Africa and the globe, a silent scourge is devastating public health. Chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs), including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), remain significantly underreported. Despite their prevalence, they receive far less attention than infectious diseases. In South Africa, CRDs account for 4% of all annual deaths. Data from 2019 reveals 20,149 deaths linked to these conditions.…
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Aspen Pharmacare Debt-Free: Strategic Shift To GLP-1 Injectables
Aspen Pharmacare has officially closed the chapter on its leveraged era. For the first time since the company was founded in 1997, CEO Stephen Saad has confirmed the group is debt-free. This significant milestone follows the massive sale of its Asia-Pacific operations (excluding China) to BGH Capital. The deal, concluded at the end of last year, was valued at A$2.37…
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Discovery’s Interim Results Highlight Strong Growth
Discovery has announced a significant surge in its financial performance for the first half of the year. The group expects headline earnings to rise by nearly a third. Discovery’s interim results follow a period of robust operational success across its various divisions. The South African-based financial services giant released a trading statement covering the six months ending 31 December. The…
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Local Pharmaceutical Manufacturing and Health Security
The Department of Health finds itself at the centre of a heated national debate. The controversy surrounds the recent R15.5bn AIDS drug tender. It has reignited a long-standing conflict between fiscal austerity and industrial growth. Should the state prioritise the lowest possible price, or should it pay a premium for local pharmaceutical manufacturing? The Tension Between Budget Cuts and Industrial…
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Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention: South Africa’s New Shield
As climate change accelerates the spread of pathogens worldwide, South Africa is positioning itself as a frontline defender of global health security. The nation is significantly enhancing its world-class bio-surveillance capabilities. Central to this strategy is the establishment of a new, high-tech institute: the Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention (IP3) initiative. This collaborative powerhouse is partially funded by the Department of…
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Mediclinic Restructuring Deal: Remgro and MSC to Split Assets
Investment powerhouse Remgro and Investment Holding Limited (IHL), a subsidiary of MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, have announced plans to restructure their joint interests in Mediclinic Holdings. The two major shareholders issued a cautionary announcement detailing an in-principle, non-binding agreement to divide key geographic assets between them. Under the proposed Mediclinic restructuring deal, Remgro will acquire 100% ownership of Mediclinic Southern…
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HIV Treatment Retention: South Africa’s Plan for 1.1m Patients
South Africa’s globally acclaimed response to the HIV epidemic has hit a critical “stubborn and painful” hurdle. While the nation has made massive strides in diagnosis and viral suppression, Deputy President Paul Mashatile has warned that HIV treatment retention is now the primary threat to the country’s healthcare sustainability. The Department of Health reports that 1.1 million patients stopped attending…
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Aspen Targets Mounjaro Expansion in Africa Following Approval
Aspen targeting Mounjaro expansion will bring the high-demand drug Mounjaro to Sub-Saharan Africa. Mounjaro is also known as tirzepatide. Launches across the continent are anticipated in 2026. CEO Stephen Saad confirmed this plan. He announced it in his annual letter to shareholders. The move follows major success in South Africa. It also comes after a new regulatory approval. This approval…