The US National Institutes of Health’s decision to reopen funding opportunities to South African researchers offers welcome relief. However, it also exposes the risks of relying too heavily on foreign support for essential scientific work. When Donald Trump returned to the White House in early 2025, South Africa was the largest foreign recipient of NIH awards. These grants were awarded…
Tag: South Africa
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Parmed Medical Aid Reform Bill Moves Through Parliament
The National Assembly is considering legislation that could end compulsory membership of the Parmed Medical Aid Scheme for MPs, judges and other public office-bearers. ActionSA MP Dr Kgosi Letlape introduced the private member’s bill. It proposes amending the Parliamentary and Provincial Medical Aid Scheme Act of 1975. Under the amendment, eligible officials would be allowed to remain with Parmed, move…
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Gap Cover Gains Importance as Costs Rise
Medical aid remains central to accessing private healthcare in South Africa, but members can no longer assume it will cover the full cost of treatment. In 2026, increases in medical scheme contributions have continued to put household budgets under pressure. Healthcare cost inflation is also running well above consumer inflation, while many scheme options have introduced more co-payments, sub-limits and…
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Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Crisis Deepens
South Africa’s pharmaceutical manufacturing crisis is growing as local producers lose government contracts and contend with rising costs. Stavros Nicolaou, chair of Pharmaceuticals Made in South Africa, says the Department of Health’s procurement policy is undermining the government’s localisation ambitions. He notes that officials award contracts to companies labelled as local suppliers. However, some companies import finished medicines rather than…
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Pharmaceutical Localisation Talks Target Investment And Supply
Senior government officials and top leaders of the pharmaceutical industry have agreed to pursue closer cooperation. South Africa seeks to boost local medicine production and enhance supply security. On 18 August, the two parties met in Pretoria to talk about the immediate pressures facing the sector. They discussed the longer-term measures needed to support pharmaceutical manufacturing. Professor Nicholas Crisp, who…
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NIH Funding Restored For SA Health Research
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States has lifted its ban on funding research projects in South Africa. As a result, local scientists can apply for NIH grants again. The change provides essential financial assistance to the health research sector in South Africa. This is important because local researchers have, in the past, been among the largest…
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Helen Joseph Hospital Staffing Crisis Disrupts Emergency Care
The staffing crisis at Helen Joseph Hospital in Johannesburg has renewed fears over patient safety while spotlighting how Gauteng manages its public healthcare workers. Trauma unit head Dr Patricia Saffy issued a notice on 6 August 2026 advising certain patients to seek emergency care elsewhere. She acted on concerns over unpaid medical staff after doctors stopped reporting for duty. Reports…
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Workplace Burnout Increases Business Risk
South African employees face growing financial and psychological pressure, with experts warning that this strain is increasingly affecting the workplace. Rising living costs, stagnant salaries, job insecurity, and longer working hours are creating what specialists call an economic stress-to-burnout pipeline. Gallup’s 2026 State of the Global Workplace report indicates that about 35% to 40% of South African employees experience daily…
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Calls for Drug Company Nationalisation After Adcock Job Cuts
Calls for drug company nationalisation have been made by the General Industries Workers Union of South Africa (Giwusa). These calls follow plans by Adcock Ingram to retrench more than 240 workers. Giwusa president Mametlwe Sebei said South Africa’s pharmaceutical sector had lost about 2,500 direct jobs over the past 18 months. He noted that nine local manufacturing plants closed during…
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South Africa’s Dietary Guidelines Need Urgent Update
According to the Physicians Association for Nutrition (PAN) South Africa, the country’s dietary guidelines should be updated to reflect advances in nutrition science, the rise in lifestyle diseases and the environmental impact of food systems. The country’s current guidelines have remained unchanged since 2012. In a new policy brief, PAN proposes strengthening the existing framework rather than replacing it. Recommendations…