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.…
Tag: Public Health
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Zimbabwe flu outbreak mimics COVID-19
The Zimbabwean Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care, Sleiman Kwidini, has sought to calm growing public anxiety over a nationwide flu outbreak. This flu exhibits symptoms strikingly similar to those of COVID-19. Consequently, there are concerns about a potential Zimbabwe flu outbreak. Kwidini confirmed that while a significant wave of influenza is affecting many across the country, there is…
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Ghana’s Diabetes Crisis: A Public Health Emergency
For an estimated 2.4 million people in Ghana living with diabetes, a manageable chronic illness has become a desperate daily struggle for survival. By exploring Ghana’s diabetes crisis, we uncover how families become trapped in a devastating cycle. They must choose between essential medication and basic needs like food and rent. As the cost of care continues to soar and…
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National Health Insurance (NHI) and Political Criticism
Mounting criticism labels South Africa’s controversial National Health Insurance (NHI) plan not as a lifeline for a broken system. Instead, critics see it as a meticulously planned manoeuvre to centralise control over a budget exceeding R1 trillion. Opponents argue that the National Health Insurance move, disguised as universal healthcare, is nothing short of “state capture 2.0.” They warn it threatens…
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Twice-Yearly HIV Jab: Activists Call for Lower Prices
A groundbreaking, twice-yearly injection for HIV prevention is hailed as a potential ‘game-changer’. However, it is at the centre of a fierce debate regarding affordability. Health activists worldwide implore its manufacturer, Gilead Sciences, to prevent a “missed opportunity for achieving equity.” This twice-yearly HIV jab could revolutionise prevention efforts. But that will only occur if it becomes accessible to all.…
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HIV Prevention Strategies with Lenacapavir Injection
In a decision that could fundamentally reshape the fight against HIV, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given its approval to Gilead Sciences’ lenacapavir, a groundbreaking twice-yearly injection for preventing HIV infection in adults and adolescents. Marketed under the brand name Yeztugo in the US, this innovative drug has been eagerly anticipated by both investors and HIV/AIDS activists…
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Measles Vaccination in Gauteng is Urgently Needed
Gauteng’s health authorities are sounding the alarm as the province grapples with a significant increase in measles cases. Since the beginning of 2025, health officials have reported a worrying 181 laboratory-confirmed cases. The epicentres of the outbreak are located in Johannesburg, Tshwane, and Ekurhuleni. It is crucial to address the importance of measles vaccination to manage the situation in Gauteng…
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Rise in Allergies Due to Climate Change Effects
The familiar misery of a runny nose, itchy eyes, and worsening asthma symptoms for hay fever sufferers is set to become even more pervasive, as experts warn of an “explosion” of allergies driven by a shifting climate. The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has identified a clear link between climate change and altered patterns in pollen and spore production and distribution,…
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NHI Complaints Unit and its Centralised Approach
As South Africa moves towards the implementation of the National Health Insurance (NHI), specific provisions within the NHI Act regarding complaint management have become a significant point of contention. Recent court challenges have highlighted the issue. Sections 42 to 44 establish a centralised investigative unit within the NHI Fund. This unit is the exclusive authority for handling all complaints. These…
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Counterfeit Medicine Crisis in South Africa’s Public Health System
South Africa is grappling with a quiet, yet deadly crisis: the alarming proliferation of counterfeit and substandard medicines, known as the counterfeit medicine crisis. While the nation faces ongoing health-care challenges like rising drug prices, medicine shortages, and a strained public health system, the influx of fake drugs presents a far more insidious threat. These aren’t just ineffective placebos; they…
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African Cancer Study Reveals New Genetic Links
In a significant step for global health equity, researchers at the Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience (SBIMB) at the University of the Witwatersrand have uncovered two novel genetic variants. These variants increase susceptibility to breast cancer in Black South African women. This groundbreaking discovery, detailed in a study published in the journal Nature Communications, sheds new light on the…
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Vaccine Advisory Panel Dismissed by US Health Secretary
In a move that has sent shockwaves through the scientific and medical communities, US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has announced the immediate dismissal of all 17 members of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunisation Practices (ACIP). The decision, described as the most far-reaching action yet by the long-standing vaccine sceptic, aims…