The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has renewed the case for pharmaceutical sovereignty in Africa. The country reported 10,668 confirmed cases and 5,198 deaths up until 3 November, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. The centre says the DRC is still reconciling its case and death counts. Frontline teams need reliable…
Category: Top Story
The leading stories in Southern African healthcare, selected by the Health Matters editors.
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Rare Disease Funding in Focus After KeyHealth Ruling
Rare disease funding is under scrutiny after the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) Appeals Committee ordered KeyHealth to cover a teenager’s treatment in full. The Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF) says the case shows why schemes need a way to share the cost of exceptionally expensive treatments. The 15-year-old has paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria, a rare blood disorder. Treatment with AstraZeneca’s…
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Essential Medicine Shortages Hit Public Hospitals
Essential medicine shortages are forcing South Africa’s public hospitals and clinics to find alternatives or give patients prescriptions to fill at private pharmacies. The National Health Department’s October hotlist flagged 165 products in critically short supply, including treatments for cancer and severe mental illness. Its November master products list includes 1,135 medicines that provinces can procure. Andy Gray, a senior…