More than half a million people in South Africa died from tuberculosis (TB) between 2015 and 2023. This is a staggering toll for a disease that has been treatable for decades. Delivering the state of TB in South Africa before Parliament, Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi confirmed the country continues to lose thousands of lives each year. This occurs despite…
Tag: Public Health
-
Climate Change Extends Malaria Season and Triples Heat Deaths
A stark new report from The Lancet medical journal highlights the escalating, often “underappreciated” toll that climate change is taking on human health in South Africa. The latest Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change finds that a warming planet is not only lengthening the malaria season but also driving a sharp increase in heat-related fatalities and economic losses. The…
-
TB Epidemic Challenges and Local Manufacturing Needs
The South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) has issued an urgent call for the establishment of secure medical supply chains and the enhancement of local manufacturing capacity. They warn that medicine stockouts and diagnostic delays are costing lives and undermining efforts to end the tuberculosis (TB) epidemic. This critical demand was made during the official relaunch of the South African…
-
Health Innovation Award for Uhu Health’s Achievements
Global Health and Pharma (GHP) has named Johannesburg-based innovator Uhu Health the “Health Consumer Advocacy Innovator of the Year 2025,” a significant recognition of South Africa’s growing influence in digital healthcare. This health innovation award highlights the groundbreaking work innovators are doing in the region. The international award, now in its 10th year, honours companies that demonstrate exceptional resilience, leadership,…
-
Ritshidze Report Highlights Decline in Services
A new report from the community-led monitoring group Ritshidze has exposed a “system-wide slide” in basic service delivery at South Africa’s public clinics. The report states this sharp decline, marked by critical staff shortages and failing patient systems, directly coincides with the drastic cuts to the US President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR) funding. These cuts were made earlier…
-
Malaria Progress Stalls as Resurgence Looms
The global fight against malaria has stalled after two decades of significant progress. Campaigners warned yesterday that a “perfect storm” of climate change, population growth, and funding gaps threatens a deadly resurgence. A new report by the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (Alma) and Malaria No More UK states that insufficient funding for increasingly costly prevention programmes is putting decades of…
-
Medical Tax Credits: A Change in Healthcare Policy
The financial reality of implementing South Africa’s National Health Insurance (NHI) is drawing nearer. The Department of Health confirms it is actively pursuing plans to phase out medical tax credits. This will help fund the ambitious scheme. The initial focus will be on high-income earners, marking the first concrete financial step towards overhauling the nation’s healthcare system. The department is…
-
Child Hunger Worsens Despite Improved National Food Security
A troubling paradox has emerged from South Africa’s latest food security data: while the nation’s overall food security shows signs of recovery, the number of households with children experiencing hunger has significantly increased. This trend casts a dark shadow over the country’s progress and highlights a deepening crisis for its most vulnerable citizens. The SA Food Security Index 2025, which…
-
HIV Funding Boost Revealed by Health Minister Motsoaledi
South Africa’s vital HIV/AIDS programmes have received a crucial R2 billion lifeline from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The HIV funding boost will be disbursed over the next six months. It will sustain existing services and prevent the collapse of critical health initiatives nationwide. Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi made the significant announcement during a…
-
Minister Defends Healthcare Amid Neurologist Shortage
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has vehemently rejected accusations that the public healthcare system has collapsed. He defended the healthcare sector amidst criticism, despite confronting staggering statistics on the dire shortage of specialists in the country. The Minister’s defence of healthcare comes in the wake of revelations that the entire province of Limpopo has only one neurologist. This has led to…
-
African Philanthropists Must Drive Change in Public Health
The head of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria has issued a powerful call to action for African philanthropists. He urges them to direct their resources towards health initiatives. These efforts could save millions of lives and transform the continent’s future. Speaking from the sidelines of the World Health Summit in Berlin, Executive Director Peter Sands made…