JSE-listed Clicks Group has released its Clicks interim results for the six months ending February 2025. They report impressive resilience and strategic accomplishments in the health and beauty retail sector. The group noted a 13.2% rise in headline earnings per share (HEPS). Clicks credits its robust earnings performance to several crucial factors. These include significant market share growth in its…
Tag: South Africa
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Mediclinic AI Strategy Targets R2 Billion Savings Amid Job Freezes
Mediclinic announced major operational changes. The hospital group aims to achieve R2 billion in annual savings. Mediclinic set this goal for the 2027 financial year. A pivot to Artificial Intelligence drives this shift. This forms the core of the new Mediclinic AI strategy. Mediclinic is transforming its corporate landscape. It has frozen new non-essential hires. Mediclinic now offers voluntary severance…
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African Pharmaceutical Procurement: A Path to Self-Sufficiency
A pooled system for African pharmaceutical procurement is crucial. Africa must reduce its dependence on imported medicines. Delegates at a G20 event reached this conclusion. The discussion highlighted Africa’s vulnerability in its supply chain. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed this. Recent US and European aid cuts emphasised this. The Need for African Pharmaceutical Procurement Africa’s lack of local production is a…
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Hiring Healthcare Professionals to Address Shortages
South Africa’s public health sector has received a potential boost. The National Health Council approved R1.78 billion. The funds are dedicated to hiring healthcare professionals. This offers hope to many unemployed health graduates. It also addresses the country’s critical staffing shortages. Hiring Healthcare Professionals to Address Gaps The NHC is the country’s top health decision-making body. It has earmarked the…
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HIV Funding Cuts and Their Impact on South Africa
US funding cuts for HIV relief could be devastating. South Africa may see a resurgence of the epidemic. A new study predicts many additional HIV infections. This could be between 150,000 and 295,000 by 2028. The study shows the impact of HIV funding cuts in South Africa. The National Department of Health commissioned the study. Researchers from UCT and Wits…
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Suicide Leads Unnatural Deaths in Discovery Life Data
Discovery Life’s 2024 payout data is stark. It shows a rise in claims for unnatural deaths. Suicide leads all unnatural deaths and has become the most significant cause. It alarmingly surpasses road accidents and crime. The report highlights a staggering statistic. 35% of these claims were for suicide. This puts it ahead of road accidents at 23%. Crime-related deaths accounted…
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SA Pharma Sector Unfazed by US Tariffs Impact
The SA pharma sector remains unfazed. South Africa’s largest trade association for pharmaceutical manufacturers has stated that it foresees no immediate risk to the local sector. This follows the announcement of sweeping tariffs by US President Donald Trump last week. According to Stavros Nicolaou, Chair of the Pharmaceutical Task Group (PTG), several factors mitigate the impact on the nation’s drug…
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Casual contact drives TB spread more than household exposure
A groundbreaking study conducted in KwaZulu-Natal suggests that casual community contact, rather than close household exposure, may be the primary driver of tuberculosis (TB) transmission. Findings from the CONTEXT study indicate that casual contact accounted for 49% of transmission links. In comparison, researchers linked only 9% of cases to the close contact traditionally blamed for spreading the disease. Prof Neel…
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SAMA Challenges NHI Act: Doctors Speak Out
The South African Medical Association (Sama) has criticised the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act as “deeply flawed.” They warn that its implementation could jeopardise South Africa’s healthcare system. According to Sama chair Mvuyisi Mzukwa, there are significant concerns regarding access to care, financial viability, and administrative hurdles. He asserts that the act could harm doctors and patients. Therefore, SAMA challenges…
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Research faces funding crisis after NIH grant cuts
South African HIV/AIDS researchers are grappling with the harsh reality of substantial grant funding cuts from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). These cuts, resulting from a shift in NIH priorities, threaten to derail decades of progress in combating HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis (TB) in a region central to global health efforts. The extent of the terminations and holds on…
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FDA warns Aspen Pharmacare over eye drop production standards
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has raised serious concerns regarding the manufacturing standards of eye drops produced by Aspen Pharmacare at its sterile facility in Gqeberha, South Africa. In a warning letter, the FDA highlighted potential risks of microbial contamination due to inadequate controls. The FDA’s warning letter, published following a September audit, revealed that Aspen’s manufacturing processes…