The WOWRewards pilot offers Western Cape residents food vouchers for exercise, vaccinations and medicine collection. Explore its prevention goals. The WOWRewards pilot will offer Western Cape public healthcare users food vouchers worth up to R100 monthly for completing approved health activities. Launched in Westridge, Mitchells Plain, on 10 October, the programme tests whether modest incentives can encourage healthier habits. It…
Tag: Immunisation
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Immunisation Strategy Targets Africa’s Stalling Vaccine Coverage
Africa CDC’s new Continental Immunisation Strategy 2026-2030 aims to revive vaccine coverage as outbreaks rise and funding tightens. According to immunisation experts who helped develop it, coverage is failing to keep pace with population growth. In 2025, about 7.1 million African children (15.6% of those under a year old) missed even a single routine dose. Immunisation Gains in Africa are…
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Childhood immunisation coverage falls sharply in South Africa
Childhood immunisation coverage in South Africa has fallen sharply. As a result, the Department of Health has called for urgent action as outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases spread across the country. The proportion of infants under one year who have received no vaccinations rose from 12.1% in 2017 to 36.3% between January and April 2026. As a result, the share of…
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Shingrix launch in South Africa Raises Access Concerns
A more effective shingles vaccine is expected to become available in South Africa by the end of June 2026. However, its price and planned private-sector launch could place it beyond the reach of many patients. Shingrix is manufactured by pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline, or GSK. The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority recently registered the vaccine. SAHPRA registration means Shingrix can…
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Measles Cases Rise in SA as NICD Flags Adult Immunity Gap
South Africa is seeing a sharp rise in measles infections, even as rubella cases fall. New surveillance data from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) show measles cases are increasing across provinces, with signs of ongoing community transmission and a potential immunity gap among older age groups. The NICD said data from 29 December 2025 to 12 April 2026…
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HPV Vaccination: School Vaccination Programme Cuts Risk
South Africa’s HPV vaccination drive is delivering measurable protection for teenagers, including those who later acquire HIV. New research led by scientists at Wits University shows the country’s school-based programme is sharply reducing infections with the two highest-risk HPV strains linked to cervical cancer. The vaccine used in the public programme targets HPV-16 and HPV-18, the strains responsible for around…
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US Childhood Vaccine Schedule Under Legal Challenge
Major US medical organisations are asking a federal judge in Boston to urgently block new federal guidance that reduces the number of vaccines routinely recommended for children. The debate centres on whether changes to the US Childhood Vaccine Schedule by the administration could impact public health. In addition, the case is shaping up as a pivotal test of how far…
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Children’s Lives at Risk as US Proposes Slashing Funds for Gavi
In a move putting children’s lives at risk, the US government has announced its intention to cut funding for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. It is a key organisation credited with saving millions of lives through childhood immunisation. The decision comes at a critical time, as rising vaccine hesitancy contributes to a resurgence of preventable diseases like measles worldwide. The proposed…
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Fears of Disease Outbreaks as Global Child Vaccination Rates Stall
Global childhood immunisation is faltering due to inequality, COVID-19, and misinformation, a new study in The Lancet warns. Millions of children are now at risk from preventable diseases like measles, threatening decades of public health progress. Researchers have issued a stark new warning. Global efforts to vaccinate children against deadly diseases are faltering, putting millions of young lives at risk.…