Value-based care could help South Africa improve private healthcare affordability before National Health Insurance (NHI) disputes are resolved, an industry commentary argues. The commentary urges medical schemes, funders and providers to redesign payment arrangements within existing frameworks. It contends that pooling funds under NHI will not control costs unless purchasing incentives also change. A larger purchaser paying for each service…
Tag: primary healthcare
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Prescribed Minimum Benefits and Cost Control Solutions
Medical scheme members cannot keep absorbing above-inflation increases or downgrading to cheaper options indefinitely, the Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF) says. The industry body is therefore calling for long-delayed reform of prescribed minimum benefits (PMBs) and collective tariff bargaining. BHF managing director Katlego Mothudi told Moneyweb that reform must address what schemes cover. The BHF has written to the Council…
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Mental Healthcare Access: A Rising Challenge Today
Depression costs at GEMS rose 198% since 2019, and experts say mental healthcare must be easier to access and integrated into primary care. Rising demand for mental healthcare is driving sharp cost increases, with the Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS) paying R2.75bn for depression treatment in 2025. That is a 198% increase on the R923.9m it paid in 2019. Metropolitan…
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GLP-1 Alone Won’t Solve South Africa’s Diabetes Crisis
GLP-1 medicines are drawing intense interest, but health experts say they cannot resolve South Africa’s diabetes crisis on their own. Deeper answers lie in earlier diagnosis, stronger primary care, healthier food environments, and long-term patient support. Diabetes was the country’s leading underlying natural cause of death in 2023, claiming 27,692 lives, or 5.8% of all recorded deaths, according to Stats…
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WHO’s Africa Chief Urges Action, Not Talk, on Primary Healthcare
African governments must take greater ownership of their health systems and turn conference pledges into concrete action on financing and primary healthcare, the World Health Organisation’s regional director for Africa has said. Professor Mohamed Janabi told delegates that governments should lead health-sector development while partners align behind national priorities. He was speaking in Arusha at the International Conference on Primary…
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African Health System Resilience Drives Government-Led Reform
The shrinking of international donor funding is causing significant changes in African healthcare. Nigeria and Mozambique demonstrate that it is possible to safeguard healthcare provision when external financing decreases. They do this through greater government involvement, integrated services, and more effective use of existing resources. For many years, numerous health programmes depended on donor-funded projects focused on specific diseases. Such…
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Primary Healthcare Accountability Under Scrutiny In Johannesburg
A legal battle over access to Johannesburg clinics has placed primary healthcare accountability under the spotlight. The case has highlighted confusion about which sphere of government must act when patients cannot access essential clinic services. This issue is particularly important in metropolitan municipalities. In these areas, provincial and local governments may share responsibility for clinic operations through service-level agreements. Primary…
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South Africa’s Suicide Rate Ranks Fourth In Africa
South Africa has the fourth-highest suicide rate in Africa, according to the latest figures published via the World Health Organisation’s Global Health Observatory. The country’s rate is 21.1 deaths per 100,000 people. It sits behind Lesotho (36.7), Eswatini (31.0) and Zimbabwe (25.4). Eritrea (20.2) rounds out the top five among countries that submitted data. The ranking matters beyond public health…
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South Africa Pharmacy Chains Shift Beyond Saturated Suburbs
South Africa’s biggest pharmacy retailers are redesigning how and where they grow. With suburban shopping centres offering fewer new sites, South African pharmacy chains are moving beyond the familiar middle- and upper-income customer base that has fuelled expansion for years. Clicks and Dis-Chem still dominate the dispensary market, but both groups now face a tougher question: where does the next…
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Dis-Chem Health Hub Drives Integrated Primary Care
Dis-Chem is stepping up its shift from pharmacy-led retail to wider healthcare delivery. The group says it wants to tackle South Africa’s “fragmented” healthcare system. Consumers often face rising costs. They also face long waiting times. Services can feel disconnected. The retailer’s answer is a new Dis-Chem Health Hub model. It brings multiple services into one setting. The pilot format…