South Africa’s National Health Insurance (NHI) project is heading into a critical legal test. President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to argue before the Constitutional Court that the NHI is a necessary step to address deep inequality in access to healthcare inherited from apartheid. The case focuses on whether Parliament followed a constitutionally sound public participation process when passing the NHI…
Tag: South Africa
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Weight Management Spending Reshapes Household Budgets
South Africans are opening their wallets in pursuit of better health. But this is not only about occasional wellness treats. A new pattern is forming in everyday spending. Weight management is moving from a personal goal to a budget line item, according to new findings from Visa and Discovery Bank. The report shows that supplements and vitamins still account for…
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Gauteng Waiting Lists Hit Up To 10 Years At Major Hospitals
Gauteng patients who need hip replacements are waiting between three and 10 years on public hospital lists. Gauteng health MEC Faith Mazibuko disclosed the scale of the delay in a recent reply to Democratic Alliance (DA) questions in the Gauteng legislature. Mazibuko linked the growing backlog to several operational pressures across the province. She said a high proportion of older…
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HIV Funding Cuts Endanger South Africa’s Lenacapavir Rollout
A new report from the US non-profit Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) has issued a stark warning for the healthcare industry. Recent HIV Funding Cuts from the Trump administration are directly threatening South Africa’s ability to deploy lenacapavir. This twice-yearly injectable has been celebrated as a major breakthrough in HIV prevention. HIV Funding Cuts Threaten Life-Saving Healthcare Infrastructure The PHR…
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Rising Medical Aid Premiums Ignite Unions Over Healthcare Costs
South Africa’s two major union federations, Cosatu and Fedusa, have escalated their warning that the country’s healthcare funding model is pricing workers out of cover. They argue that the current approach is “unsustainable, too expensive and failing workers”. Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has acknowledged the scale of the problem. He agrees that the model is inappropriate and that medical aid…
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Oral Phenylephrine Phase-Out Puts OTC Brands Under Review
South Africa’s medicines regulator is under mounting pressure from pharmaceutical manufacturers. This comes after it signalled it may phase out oral phenylephrine in over-the-counter (OTC) cold and flu medicines. The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) says the concern is simple: the ingredient may not work as a nasal decongestant when taken by mouth. Phenylephrine still appears in long-standing…
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Doctor Entrepreneurship Programme To Launch In SA
South Africa stands poised for a significant shift in medical service delivery. The government launches a new national initiative this month. This initiative aims to transform medical doctors into savvy business owners and healthcare innovators. The doctor entrepreneurship programme is led by the Regenesys School of Entrepreneurship. The Health and Welfare Sector Education and Training Authority (HWSETA) delivers this initiative.…
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Measles Cases Rise in SA as NICD Flags Adult Immunity Gap
South Africa is seeing a sharp rise in measles infections, even as rubella cases fall. New surveillance data from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) show measles cases are increasing across provinces, with signs of ongoing community transmission and a potential immunity gap among older age groups. The NICD said data from 29 December 2025 to 12 April 2026…
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Declaration On Diabetes: Facing a National Emergency
South Africa’s diabetes burden is moving from “silent epidemic” to loud national emergency. Amanda Mashego, diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes six years ago, describes daily management as a 24-hour job with no breaks. Every meal, mood shift, and exercise session requires constant calculation. Yet she says the mental load remains largely unseen by the healthcare system. That invisible workload is…
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National Department Of Health Leadership: A Critical Crisis
The atmosphere surrounding South Africa’s healthcare governance has been strained for several years. The National Department of Health (NDoH) has failed to secure a clean audit for five consecutive years. High-profile scandals, including the Digital Vibes controversy and disputed oxygen tenders, have defined this period. Recent events have further destabilised the organisation. The suspension of the Director-General and the Chief…
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One Health Summit Signals Renewed French Support for SA
France has sent a clear diplomatic signal to South Africa through health diplomacy. President Emmanuel Macron invited a South African delegation to the recent One Health Summit in Lyon. The move follows uncertainty after reports that South Africa was disinvited from attending the G7 meeting scheduled for June in Évian-les-Bains, Haute-Savoie. South Africa’s Health Minister, Aaron Motsoaledi, attended alongside business…