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In-depth: Mental health needs of children falling through the cracks, experts say

In-depth: Mental health needs of children falling through the cracks, experts say

By Tiyese Jeranji, September 7, 2021
Posted in: Child health, Healthcare system, Latest, Mental Health

Globally it is estimated that around one in five to one in ten children and adolescents are affected by mental health disorders. In South Africa, the numbers are highly uncertain, particularly at provincial level, where hardly any data is being gathered. Research suggests that a lack of intersectoral collaboration has resulted in children falling through the cracks – so much so that one expert now says South Africa is completely unable to meet the mental health needs of its children. Tiyese Jeranji investigates.

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Oral Health: Dire shortage of dental practitioners in public sector

Oral Health: Dire shortage of dental practitioners in public sector

By Luvuyo Mehlwana, May 3, 2021
Posted in: Child health, Healthcare system, Healthcare Workers, Latest

Oral health is critical to people’s overall health, but a dire shortage of oral health practitioners in the public health sector means that many people are not getting the oral healthcare services they need. Luvuyo Mehlwana spoke to health officials and oral health experts about the state of oral health services in the country.

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SA missing childhood immunisation catch-up targets

SA missing childhood immunisation catch-up targets

By Elri Voigt, April 6, 2021
Posted in: Child health, Latest, Provinces

Following a decline in childhood immunisations during the COVID-19 hard lockdown last year, a nationwide catch-up drive was launched in November. Government is not sharing all the data on how the drive is going, but the data that we have been able to access shows that some important catch-up targets are being missed.

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Analysis: What can SA do about the ‘slow violence’ of child hunger and malnutrition?

Analysis: What can SA do about the ‘slow violence’ of child hunger and malnutrition?

By Kathryn Cleary, February 24, 2021
Posted in: Child health, Latest

The 2020 edition of the South African Child Gauge released last week once again placed the spotlight on the country’s child hunger and nutrition crisis. Various specifics in the new budget being presented in parliament today will tell us how committed government is in addressing this crisis, writes Kathryn Cleary.

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Reimagining health in the Eastern Cape: As budgets shrink, it is more important than ever to strengthen primary healthcare

Reimagining health in the Eastern Cape: As budgets shrink, it is more important than ever to strengthen primary healthcare

By Ektaa Deochand, Russell Rensburg and Daniel McLaren, December 9, 2020
Posted in: Child health, Eastern Cape, Edition 13: Eastern Cape Health, Edition 6: HIV & teens, Edition 7: TB, Edition 8: NSP in general, Healthcare system, HIV/AIDS, Latest, Provinces

As the final negotiations in the 2021 budget process unfold, the government of the Eastern Cape and the department of health in particular are being asked to do more with less. It is now more urgent than ever to strengthen public primary health care, argue Ektaa Deochand and Russell Rensburg.

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TB in children: Exciting treatment advances, but better tests badly needed

TB in children: Exciting treatment advances, but better tests badly needed

By Tiyese Jeranji, December 3, 2020
Posted in: Child health, Edition 12: SA’s AIDS & TB response, Edition 14: Tuberculosis, Edition 7: TB, Latest, TB, TB Response

Children shoulder approximately 12% of the global TB burden, and this proportion is likely higher in high TB burden countries. In South Africa, up to 30 000 children develop TB each year. Tiyese Jeranji spoke to TB expert, Dr Megan Palmer from Brooklyn Chest Hospital about treatment challenges and how to improve TB detection and treatment outcomes in children.

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New medicines should make life easier for kids living with HIV

New medicines should make life easier for kids living with HIV

By Tiyese Jeranji, November 30, 2020
Posted in: Child health, Edition 6: HIV & teens, Edition 9: State of HIV, HIV/AIDS, Latest

HIV medicines for children often taste bitter, pills are large, and for many children there is a lot of medication to take. This makes it hard to take treatment as prescribed. Tiyese Jeranji looks at the challenges with currently available HIV medicines for children, what innovations are in the pipeline, and how HIV treatment is being tailored to suit the needs of children.

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Analysis: Unlike the global trend, South Africa’s children are too short and too fat

Analysis: Unlike the global trend, South Africa’s children are too short and too fat

By Chantell Witten and Salome Kruger, November 19, 2020
Posted in: Child health, Latest

A Lancet article reporting on children’s height and weight changes over the past thirty years makes for grim reading when it comes to South Africa. Two of the country’s top child nutrition experts unpack what this landmark study means and what we can do to improve the situation.

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When kids go hungry: COVID-19 relief grant misses the mark for children

When kids go hungry: COVID-19 relief grant misses the mark for children

By Kathryn Cleary, November 19, 2020
Posted in: Child health, Latest

Over 7 million caregivers and 13 million children have been plunged deeper into poverty as payouts of the R500 caregiver grant ended in October. While this top-up was discontinued, the COVID-19 Special Relief of Distress grant which reaches an estimated 6 million people was extended. In the final article of a six-part series on child hunger, Kathryn Cleary speaks to mothers, children and experts about the implications of these decisions about grants.

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When kids go hungry: Elsenburg’s women fill the food parcel ‘gap’

When kids go hungry: Elsenburg’s women fill the food parcel ‘gap’

By Kathryn Cleary, November 17, 2020
Posted in: Child health, Latest, Provinces, Western Cape

After not receiving any government food parcels, one Western Cape farming community pulled together to provide their own COVID-19 relief. In the fifth article of a six-part series on child hunger, Kathryn Cleary spoke to a few women from Elsenburg who have distributed their own food parcels and started soup kitchens to feed hungry children and families in their community.

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When kids go hungry: What happens when school meals stop?

When kids go hungry: What happens when school meals stop?

By Kathryn Cleary, November 12, 2020
Posted in: Child health, Eastern Cape, Latest, Provinces

For over 9 million learners across the country, school meals are a lifeline, but this came to a grinding halt during the hard COVID-19 lockdown period. As a result, many learners became dependent on soup kitchens and donations. In the fourth part of a six-part series on child hunger and nutrition, Kathryn Cleary speaks to learners about how they were affected and how some organisations are fighting for improvements.

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When kids go hungry: Fighting for solutions in the ECD sector

When kids go hungry: Fighting for solutions in the ECD sector

By Kathryn Cleary, November 5, 2020
Posted in: Child health, Eastern Cape, Latest, Provinces

Early childhood development programmes have a huge role to play in the lives of young children, including in their nutrition. In the third part of a six-part series on child hunger, Kathryn Cleary investigates the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown on these programmes, and how some organisations are fighting for solutions.

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