Health Matters

Tag: Preventive Healthcare

  • Diabetes Becomes South Africa’s Leading Cause of Death

    Diabetes is now the leading natural cause of death in South Africa, marking a significant shift in the nation’s disease burden. According to Stats SA, diabetes mellitus caused 27,692 deaths in 2023, accounting for 5.8% of all recorded deaths. Cerebrovascular diseases, including strokes, accounted for 5.4% of deaths. Hypertensive diseases caused 5.2% or 25,018 deaths. Tuberculosis and HIV ranked fourth…

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  • PMB Reform Could Make Medical Cover More Affordable

    South Africa’s progress towards universal health coverage will depend on practical reforms that make quality healthcare more affordable and accessible. One of the biggest barriers is the outdated framework governing prescribed minimum benefits, or PMBs. PMBs are the conditions and services that every medical scheme must cover. They protect members from losing access to essential care during serious illness or…

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  • Social Conditions That Drive Illness Raise Healthcare Costs

    South Africa must address the social conditions that drive illness to reduce healthcare costs and improve health outcomes. Poverty, unemployment, food insecurity and poor housing affect people’s health long before they reach a clinic or hospital. Inadequate sanitation, unsafe communities, gender-based violence and limited access to education also increase the risk of illness. Ignoring these factors leads to more late…

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  • Diabetes Deaths In SA Signal Urgent Public Health Emergency

    Diabetes deaths in SA have risen sharply, and the disease has become one of South Africa’s most serious public health threats. New mortality figures show that it was the country’s leading underlying natural cause of death in 2023. According to death notification data processed by Stats SA and reviewed by the Diabetes Alliance, diabetes accounted for 27,692 deaths. That represented…

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