Following the Medium-Term Budget Statement and recent parliamentary presentations, the National Health Insurance (NHI) is back in the headlines. While there is no dispute that South Africa’s healthcare system is profoundly unequal and requires urgent reform, the path forward remains fiercely contested. The current friction stems from a policy shift in 2007. Before this, post-apartheid reform favoured a phased approach…
Tag: South Africa
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Ascendis Health Exits JSE and Positions for Growth
Ascendis Health has confirmed its plan to delist from the JSE in the first week of December, following an overwhelming mandate from its investors. This decision marks the culmination of the company’s significant turnaround strategy. Not long ago, it faced the prospect of bankruptcy. A resounding 93% of the company’s shareholders voted in favour of the move. This provides CEO…
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Court Upholds Malotana’s Suspension by Gauteng Premier
Suspended Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) head of department (HOD), Lesiba Malotana, suffered a significant blow. The Labour Court dismissed his urgent attempt to overturn his precautionary suspension. Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi suspended Malotana as a precautionary measure in October. The action followed a damning report by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU). This report detailed an alleged procurement syndicate operating…
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Medical Scheme Tax Credits: Finance Minister Expresses Caution
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has sounded a strong note of caution. The Department of Health’s proposal to fund the controversial National Health Insurance (NHI) involves phasing out medical scheme tax credits. Speaking to journalists shortly before tabling the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) in Parliament, the Minister expressed deep concern over the potential impact on taxpayers. The Department of Health…
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TB Deaths Decline to 54,000, But Critical Treatment Gaps Remain
South Africa recorded approximately 54,000 deaths from tuberculosis (TB) in 2024, according to the latest World TB Report from the World Health Organisation (WHO). The figures confirm a slow but steady downward trend in TB deaths in recent years. This marks a significant improvement from two decades ago. During that time, the epidemic, fueled by the peak of the HIV…
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AfroCentric’s JSE Collapse Fuels a New Healthcare Empire
As insurance giant Sanlam tightens its grip on health-fin services specialist AfroCentric, the line between public company and private control has all but vanished. What remains is a powerful lesson in strategic patience. It reveals how corporations (or businesses) can methodically turn market neglect into a corporate opportunity. While AfroCentric still technically trades on the JSE, its story is no…
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NHI Funding Plan “Unworkable and Unfeasible,” warns HFA
South Africa’s ambitious National Health Insurance (NHI) plan is facing intense scrutiny. The Health Funders Association (HFA) warns that “uncertainty and contradictions” plague the government’s NHI funding plan. They render it “unworkable and unfeasible”. The HFA has raised fundamental questions about the affordability and sequencing of the NHI. They highlight contradictory timelines presented by the Department of Health in court…
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Cholera Vaccine Trial Aims for Self-Reliance in Africa
South Africa has taken a pivotal step towards pharmaceutical independence with the launch of a new South African cholera vaccine trial. The state-backed manufacturer, Biovac, in partnership with the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), has initiated clinical trials for a candidate oral cholera vaccine. Many hail this development as a crucial move to reduce Africa’s dependence on imported medicines.…
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Home-Based Hypertension Care Shows Dramatic Results
High blood pressure, often called the “silent killer,” is a significant public health crisis in South Africa. Implementing home-based hypertension care could be a crucial step in managing this issue. The 2023 Global Burden of Disease report ranked hypertension as the fifth-highest risk factor driving death and disability in the country. This is because it is a major contributor to…
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Biovac R&D Lab to Drive Vaccine Manufacturing in Africa
State-backed vaccine manufacturer Biovac has officially launched a new product development laboratory at its Cape Town facility. This move strengthens its capacity to produce vaccines entirely on African soil, from start to finish. The new Biovac R&D lab in Pinelands, Cape Town, will enable scientists to conduct cutting-edge research and development (R&D) on the active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) for novel…
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Discovery and Google partner for Personalised Healthcare
Health and life insurer Discovery has announced a global partnership with Google, harnessing artificial intelligence to transform preventative healthcare. The initiative aims to provide individuals with highly personalised recommendations to improve their health, simultaneously helping to drive down the rising cost of insurance cover. The new platform, dubbed Vitality AI, combines the insurer’s extensive behavioural change expertise with Google Cloud’s…