South Africa is grappling with a severe public health emergency as diabetes solidifies its position as one of the nation’s leading causes of death, according to Statistics South Africa. This alarming situation is part of a larger diabetes data crisis. Yet, a shocking and abrupt revision in international estimates has revealed a parallel crisis: the country does not reliably know…
Tag: Public Health
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Global Fund Replenishment: Addressing Critical Needs
The fight against AIDS, TB, and malaria is at risk. Global health financing faces severe cuts. This threatens decades of progress. Urgent calls are being made for Global Fund replenishment. Without it, countless lives are in danger. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has sounded an alarm. The medical group has released a new report. It is titled Deadly Gaps. The report…
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Lenacapavir Access Under Scrutiny by Health Advocates
A global coalition of health advocates is intensifying its campaign against pharmaceutical giant Gilead Sciences. They demand equitable access to its revolutionary long-acting injectable HIV prevention drug, lenacapavir. Activists are calling for a universal generic price of $40 per person per year for all low and middle-income countries. They warn that Gilead’s current policies entrench life-threatening inequities in the global…
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UNAIDS Closure Causes Outrage Among Health Advocates
South African health advocates have issued a stark warning. They believe the planned closure of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/Aids (UNAIDS) will have a devastating effect on millions of lives. This also risks derailing decades of progress in the global fight against the epidemic. According to a United Nations document released this week, the United Nations will “sunset” the…
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NHLS Cancer Testing Delays Outsourcing Solutions
The National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) has confirmed it is engaging private sector laboratories to address a critical backlog in cancer testing at its Johannesburg facility. This backlog has left some public healthcare patients waiting as long as three months for potentially life-saving diagnostic results. The NHLS, which forms the diagnostic backbone of the nation’s public health system, is facing…
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Generic HIV Prevention Drug to Cost Just $40 Annually from 2027
In a monumental step forward for global public health, Indian pharmaceutical companies Dr Reddy’s Laboratories and Hetero Labs have announced they will produce and sell generic versions of a revolutionary HIV prevention drug. It will be available for around $40 per year. Availability is expected from 2027. The drug, lenacapavir, is a long-acting injectable developed by Gilead Sciences. It has…
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End of UNAIDS Looms as UN Proposes Agency Closure by 2026
The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the principal agency leading the global effort to end the AIDS pandemic, could be dismantled by the end of 2026. This is according to a startling proposal within a new UN document. The move is part of a broader restructuring effort as the international body grapples with a significant funding crisis. The…
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NCD Prevention: A Smart Investment for Health
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued an urgent call to action. It urges countries worldwide to significantly increase their investment in NCD prevention. A new report released by the global health body argues that an additional investment of just $3 per person, per year, could prevent millions of premature deaths. It could also deliver a staggering $1 trillion in…
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Cancer Court Battle: Patients Deserve Better Treatment
Concerns are mounting over the Gauteng Department of Health’s persistent legal challenges against court orders compelling it to address the province’s devastating cancer treatment backlog. This ongoing cancer court battle highlights significant issues within the healthcare system. Instead of complying with two separate High Court rulings, the department is channelling taxpayer money into an appeal process. This leaves thousands of…
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HHS Restructuring Plan Blocked by Federal Court
A US Federal Appeals Court has maintained a block on the Trump administration’s ambitious and controversial plan to overhaul the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This move would have resulted in 10,000 job losses. Additionally, it would have caused a significant restructuring of key public health agencies. A three-judge panel of the Boston-based 1st US Circuit Court of…
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Republicans Rein in Kennedy During High-Stakes Hearing
In a significant break with the Trump administration, a high-ranking Republican senator is set to publicly scrutinise the controversial actions of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. This move indicates an effort by Republicans to rein in Kennedy amid growing controversies. The move signals a growing effort within the GOP focused on reining in Kennedy and…