South Africa should judge medicine shortages by whether patients receive their full treatment on time, not only by stock figures, according to a recent opinion piece. The author argues that public reporting on patient access would show whether current supply measures actually work. Department reassures on generics On 1 September 2026, the National Department of Health explained that changes in…
Tag: tuberculosis
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Causes of Death in South Africa: Diabetes Leads for Third Year
Diabetes mellitus topped the causes of death in South Africa for a third consecutive year in 2024, according to Statistics South Africa (Stats SA). It accounted for 6.1% of deaths, while hypertensive diseases followed at 5.5%. The findings come from Stats SA’s latest report, “Mortality and causes of death in South Africa: findings from death notification”. It draws on civil…
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Weak TB Testing Holds SA Back From Its 2030 Targets
South Africa has made real progress against tuberculosis (TB). However, it will fall well short of its 2030 targets. Low TB testing rates are the single biggest reason, according to new modelling published in the journal Global Health Action. The study projects TB incidence falling 46% by 2030 from a 2015 baseline. This falls short of the World Health Organisation…
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Research Funding Needs Stronger Domestic Support
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…
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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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Brics Health Cooperation Advances UHC Ambitions
Brics member states have committed to deeper healthcare collaboration after adopting the 16th Brics Health Ministers’ Declaration. The agreement builds on an earlier pledge to work collectively towards universal health coverage, or UHC. More than 70 representatives and partner organisations endorsed the declaration during a recent Brics health ministers’ meeting in Chandigarh, India. Delegates identified nine priority areas for cooperation.…
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Slow Patent Reform Delays Access to Medicines
South Africa’s continued failure to reform its patent laws is restricting access to affordable medicines. The consequences of slow patent reform are also placing further pressure on the public healthcare system. More than 12 years have passed since the “PharmaGate” scandal became public. The scandal exposed an alleged campaign by the pharmaceutical industry to delay and weaken reforms to South…
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Public Health System Shows Signs of Progress
Most South Africans are familiar with the pressures facing public healthcare. These issues are often discussed within the broader context of the Public Health System. Patients often spend hours in clinic waiting rooms. Families struggle to secure treatment for relatives. Hospitals face overcrowding, medicine shortages and administrative failures. These experiences create an understandable impression that the system is collapsing. Service…
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HIV Funding in South Africa Faces Serious Cuts
South Africa has less than eight years before one of its most important external funding streams for HIV and TB programmes ends. Allocation letters sent in March confirm that the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria plans its final grant to South Africa in Grant Cycle 9. This cycle will run from April 2031 to March 2034. At…
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SA Mortality Report Highlights Non-Communicable Diseases
The recently released SA Mortality Report highlights that South Africa recorded 476,751 deaths in 2023, down from 492,417 in 2022. The drop continues a steady recovery from the Covid-era shock. In 2021, deaths surged to 623,135 during the pandemic peak. The figures come from Statistics South Africa’s Mortality and Causes of Death report. The data is drawn from the civil…
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Roche Integration Accelerated: A New Era for Testing
Roche Diagnostics Africa launched Roche Integration Accelerated, a continent-wide initiative to expand access to testing for TB, HIV, HPV, and Hepatitis B and C. The programme leverages existing laboratory infrastructure. Unveiled on World TB Day, the initiative positions integration as a practical response to tightening budgets across African health systems. The core idea is simple. Many countries already have established…
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Asymptomatic TB is the Hidden Driver of Transmission
Tuberculosis remains one of the world’s toughest infectious diseases. It is curable, yet it still sickens millions each year and kills tens of thousands in South Africa. One reason is that TB can spread quietly. People can carry active disease in their lungs and remain infectious while feeling fine. This state is increasingly described as asymptomatic TB. Classic TB symptoms…