Civil society group AfriForum has served a summons on President Cyril Ramaphosa and Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi. This intensifies its court bid to have the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act declared unconstitutional. The organisation instructed the Sheriff of the Court to deliver a combined summons to five senior state office-bearers. This signals that the fight over NHI is moving…
Tag: healthcare policy
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Mental Health VAT Reform: Cost Trap Deepens Care Gap
South Africans are reporting rising levels of depression and anxiety. Yet access to care is tightening. High out-of-pocket costs and an entrenched shortage of mental health professionals are leaving many people underserved. In particular, those with the greatest need are most affected. A recent advocacy document argues that government VAT rules and medical aid pricing behaviour are actively inflating the…
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HIV ARV Tender Crisis Triggers Parliamentary Scrutiny
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi faces urgent questions in Parliament after two companies holding major government contracts to supply HIV medicines entered business rescue. The concern is immediate and practical. Any disruption to antiretroviral (ARV) supply can lead to missed doses. That raises the risk of treatment failure and drug resistance. South Africa carries the world’s biggest HIV burden. An estimated…
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2026 Healthcare Watchlist: Nine Healthcare Stories to Track
Twenty-twenty-six is shaping up as a year of sharp policy fights, fast-moving science, and stubborn system failures. Spotlight’s 2026 Healthcare Watchlist will track nine stories that could shift budgets, reshape services, and test public trust. A limited rollout of a new HIV prevention injection could be a turning point for prevention options. Weight-loss medicines are evolving rapidly, with new oral…
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Sizwe Hosmed Regulatory Allegations: Claims of Sabotage
In a highly charged submission to the Council of Medical Schemes (CMS) dated 2 January, Khandani Msibi, executive chairperson of 3Sixty Global Solutions Group, has levelled explosive allegations against medical scheme regulators and industry players. Msibi claims a deliberate campaign targeted one of the last remaining black-owned administrators in South Africa’s multibillion-rand medical aid industry for dismantlement. The 14‑page letter…
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European Drug Pricing Dispute Escalates Over US Deals
Global pharmaceutical companies are entering 2026 facing a high-stakes European drug pricing dispute as they seek to offset recent price concessions in the United States. Following intense pressure from President Donald Trump, who secured major drug price cuts for American patients in late 2025, companies are now turning to Europe to recoup revenue losses. Manufacturers such as Pfizer, Eli Lilly, and AstraZeneca have…
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2025 Health in Review: Challenges and Triumphs
The 2025 Health in Review for the South African healthcare sector began with a seismic geopolitical shock. It is ending with a mixed scorecard of administrative failures and clinical triumphs. The tone for the year was set in January. This occurred when newly inaugurated US President Donald Trump signed an executive order pausing all foreign aid for 90 days. The…
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1.4% SEP Increase Impacts Pharmaceutical Investment
The pharmaceutical sector has issued a strident, urgent plea to the Health Department. They are imploring officials to immediately reconsider the newly gazetted 1.4% SEP increase in the maximum Single Exit Price (SEP) for medicines in 2026. The adjustment, set at a mere 1.47%, is a significant blow to the industry. They had anticipated an increase more than double that…
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Competency-Based Medical Curriculum: A Critical Review
The South African Medical Association (SAMA) has issued a stern warning. It concerns the implementation of a new training model launched by the World Health Organisation (WHO). SAMA argues that speed should not come at the expense of patient safety. Following the WHO Regional Office for Africa’s launch of a new competency-based medical curriculum, SAMA has cautioned against viewing the…
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BHF Seeks Clarity for Medical Tax Credit Changes
The Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF) has written to Treasury director-general Duncan Pieterse, demanding “urgent clarity” on the government’s plans to phase out medical scheme tax credits. These credits serve as a financing mechanism for the National Health Insurance (NHI), a controversial initiative. In light of this, BHF seeks clarity on how these changes will impact the healthcare funding landscape.…
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Sakeliga Mounts Legal Challenge Over Health Minister’s Actions
Business lobby group Sakeliga has sharply escalated the legal fight against the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act. They launched a new, two-pronged legal attack against Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi. This move directly counters the Minister’s recent attempt to pause the multiple constitutional challenges facing the controversial new law. The controversial NHI Act, which President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into law…