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: National Department of Health
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Medicine Shortages: Experts Call for Patient-Access Measures
South Africa should judge medicine shortages by whether patients receive their full treatment on time, not only by stock figures, according to a recent opinion piece. The author argues that public reporting on patient access would show whether current supply measures actually work. Department reassures on generics On 1 September 2026, the National Department of Health explained that changes in…
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National Department Of Health Leadership: A Critical Crisis
The atmosphere surrounding South Africa’s healthcare governance has been strained for several years. The National Department of Health (NDoH) has failed to secure a clean audit for five consecutive years. High-profile scandals, including the Digital Vibes controversy and disputed oxygen tenders, have defined this period. Recent events have further destabilised the organisation. The suspension of the Director-General and the Chief…
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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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WhatsApp Microlearning: Solving a Persistent HIV Training Gap
A new approach to frontline training is gaining traction in South Africa’s HIV response. It is built around a simple idea. Most clinicians and counsellors may not have time for long online webinars, but they do have phones and use WhatsApp. Briony Chisholm, an information pharmacist at the University of Cape Town’s Medicines Information Centre (MIC), says rural clinics often…
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South Africa’s Ambulance Crisis: A Public Health Emergency
Citizens are dangerously exposed during emergencies. The National Department of Health reports a major deficit. This is South Africa’s ambulance crisis. It has tragic consequences for patients. The Shocking Scale of South Africa’s Ambulance Crisis The country needs 6,228 public ambulances. This is based on its population of 62 million. The current fleet only has 4,007 vehicles. This represents a…
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TB Deaths in South Africa Persist Despite Drop in Infections
Tuberculosis (TB) remains South Africa’s most lethal infectious disease. TB deaths claimed an estimated 56,000 lives in 2023. This occurred even as the number of new infections saw a sharp decline, health officials have revealed. The stark figures highlight a growing paradox in the country’s fight against the disease. Although fewer people are contracting TB, a stubbornly high number are…
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RSV Infant Vaccine: Latest Developments in South Africa
A groundbreaking vaccine to protect infants from severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is now available in South Africa’s private healthcare sector. Still, a decision on its inclusion in the public programme remains pending. The country’s National Advisory Group on Immunisation (NAGI) has formally recommended the RSV infant vaccine for all pregnant women. They have left the final decision to the…