The High Court in Pretoria has declared the main contracts in the Health Department’s R15.5 billion ARV tender unconstitutional and invalid. The court set aside two contracts for monthly and three-monthly packs of tenofovir, lamivudine and dolutegravir (TLD), worth a combined R12.63 billion. TLD is the triple combination pill taken by most of South Africa’s HIV-positive patients. According to Treasury,…
Tag: HIV
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Ageing with HIV Puts New Pressure on the Health System
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…
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NIH Funding Restored For SA Health Research
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States has lifted its ban on funding research projects in South Africa. As a result, local scientists can apply for NIH grants again. The change provides essential financial assistance to the health research sector in South Africa. This is important because local researchers have, in the past, been among the largest…
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South Africa’s Population Growth Holds at 1.2%
South Africa’s population grew by an estimated 1.2% in the year to June 2026. This brought the total population to 63.52 million, according to the latest mid-year population estimates from Statistics South Africa. The rate was broadly unchanged from 2025. During that year, the population increased by 1.23% to 63.1 million. South Africa’s population has grown from 42.9 million in…
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Global HIV Funding Cuts Put AIDS Progress At Risk
Global HIV funding cuts pushed international financing for the epidemic to its lowest level in almost two decades in 2025. Funding from several donor countries fell by 18% between 2024 and 2025, according to a new UNAIDS report. The total declined by more than $1.5bn to $7.3bn. The contraction comes at a critical point in the global response to HIV.…
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Public Health System Shows Signs of Progress
Most South Africans are familiar with the pressures facing public healthcare. These issues are often discussed within the broader context of the Public Health System. Patients often spend hours in clinic waiting rooms. Families struggle to secure treatment for relatives. Hospitals face overcrowding, medicine shortages and administrative failures. These experiences create an understandable impression that the system is collapsing. Service…
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Lenacapavir HIV Prevention Injection: SA Rollout Faces Heat
South Africa’s long-acting HIV prevention programme has entered a new phase. President Cyril Ramaphosa and Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi led an official rollout event in Secunda, Mpumalanga, on 5 June 2026. The twice-yearly injection of lenacapavir prevents HIV infection when used as prescribed. Health officials position the product as a major addition to the country’s prevention toolkit. This is alongside…
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Zimbabwe National Health Strategy Aims to Transform Healthcare
Zimbabwe has taken a significant step towards reshaping its health system, launching a high-level validation workshop for its National Health Strategy 2026-2030. Health Minister Douglas Mombeshora told stakeholders the strategy arrives at a “defining moment” for the country. He urged them to view it not as a policy document, but as an actionable roadmap. Importantly, it is aligned with Zimbabwe’s…