Sakeliga’s NHI Legal Battle has garnered attention. The business lobby group Sakeliga has become the latest organisation to mount a legal challenge against South Africa’s contentious National Health Insurance (NHI) Act. They filed papers at the Pretoria High Court to have it declared unconstitutional and invalid. The focus of Sakeliga’s NHI Legal Battle is to highlight the impracticalities and financial…
Tag: South Africa
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Lenacapavir for HIV Prevention in South Africa
South Africa is taking a giant step in its fight against HIV. The Department of Health announced plans to make a new, twice-yearly anti-HIV injection available in public clinics. The drug, lenacapavir, represents a potential turning point for HIV prevention. It could significantly curb new infections across the nation. Introducing lenacapavir for HIV prevention could change the landscape of health…
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Constitutional Court challenge to NHI Act by BHF
The legal storm surrounding the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act has intensified. The Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF) launches a direct challenge in the Constitutional Court. They are targeting the very process Parliament followed in passing the controversial legislation. This is part of the broader Constitutional Court challenge to the NHI Act. This new legal assault extends beyond the content…
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Adcock Ingram Reports Flat Profit Despite Winter Surge
Pharmaceutical giant Adcock Ingram has announced flat annual profits despite a significant recovery in the second half of its financial year. This was buoyed by strong demand for its popular over-the-counter winter medicines. In a landmark move, the maker of household staples like Panado and Corenza-C is also set to delist from the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). This follows a…
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Pharma Giants Sidelined in R15.5bn HIV Drug Tender
The National Department of Health has awarded its latest three-year antiretroviral (ARV) tender, valued at R15.5 billion. This decision leaves several of South Africa’s largest domestic pharmaceutical manufacturers without a contract. The government’s procurement strategy sidelines pharma giants and sparks a fresh debate. This debate pits aggressive cost-saving measures against its stated goal of bolstering local industrial capacity. The tender…
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Public Health Reform: Urgent Changes Needed
The chair of Parliament’s portfolio committee on health, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, has called for urgent legislative reform. This is to tackle the escalating disruptions at public health facilities by activists from Operation Dudula. The call comes as the group intensifies its campaign to block suspected foreign nationals from accessing healthcare. Dr Dhlomo condemned the group’s actions, which have seen members…
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TB Deaths in South Africa Persist Despite Drop in Infections
Tuberculosis (TB) remains South Africa’s most lethal infectious disease. TB deaths claimed an estimated 56,000 lives in 2023. This occurred even as the number of new infections saw a sharp decline, health officials have revealed. The stark figures highlight a growing paradox in the country’s fight against the disease. Although fewer people are contracting TB, a stubbornly high number are…
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Court Orders Cancer Treatment to End Backlog
The Gauteng High Court has ordered the provincial Department of Health to immediately tackle the severe oncology backlog, ruling that their appeal cannot delay life-saving treatment for cancer patients. The Gauteng High Court delivered a crucial judgment yesterday, ordering the provincial department of health (GDoH) to enforce a plan to clear its cancer treatment backlog immediately. The court ruled that…
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Unregulated Glucose Monitors Pose Risk to Diabetics
While continuous glucose monitors are increasingly popular as wellness gadgets for tracking lifestyle and diet, their lack of formal regulatory oversight means many devices may not be safe or reliable for medical use. The rise of unregulated glucose monitors makes the matter more complicated. Medical specialists and patient advocates are raising urgent concerns over the booming and unregulated market for…
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Billions Lost to Fraud and Waste Cripple SA’s Private Healthcare
South Africa’s private healthcare sector is haemorrhaging up to R28 billion a year due to rampant fraud, waste, and abuse (FWA). This directly threatens the quality of care and financial stability of medical cover for millions of citizens. The stark warning comes from the Health Funders Association (HFA), which estimates the losses represent a staggering 15% to 20% of all…
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Regulatory Delays Threaten Africa’s Pharmaceutical Ambition
Critical delays in aligning Africa’s pharmaceutical regulations with World Health Organisation (WHO) standards are jeopardising the continent’s R1.25-trillion ($70bn) goal. They aim to become a self-sufficient pharmaceuticals manufacturing hub, according to a top industry executive. Stavros Nicolaou, a senior executive at Aspen Pharmacare and chair of Pharmaceuticals Made in South Africa (Pharmisa), warned that this regulatory bottleneck is preventing African…
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NUMSA Agreement Secures Pharmaceutical Worker Pay Increases
The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) has successfully negotiated a two-year wage agreement with employers in the nation’s burgeoning pharmaceutical sector. This negotiation secures significant pay increases and improved benefits for approximately 10,000 workers. The NUMSA agreement averts potential industrial action. It brings stability to a market projected to generate revenues of $3.47 billion in 2025. Details…