The idea of mandatory medical scheme coverage for employed people has made a comeback after the case for it was made at a recent conference. Chris Bateman unpacks how a system with mandatory medical scheme membership for the employed might work and asked experts whether it represents a viable alternative to government’s NHI plans.
The increased professionalisation of nursing in South Africa in recent years marks a significant shift in the perception and practice of this essential healthcare field. As the country grapples with a critical shortage of nurses and the ongoing challenges of aligning nursing education with new higher education standards, Thabo Molelekwa asks local experts about the future of nursing in the country.
The Northern Cape health department has had several heads of department in the last five years. Spotlight unpacks the implications of this leadership instability and asks what it means for good governance in the public health sector.
South Africa has the third highest suicide rate in Africa and Africa has higher rates of suicide than any other continent. In the wake of World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10th, clinical psychologist Vincenzo Sinisi asks what can be done to bring down suicide rates.
COVID-19 temporarily reversed South Africa’s hard-won reduction in maternal mortality, but the death rate has now stabilised, and hopes are high that the downward trend will resume. However, if experts are right, we’re missing some crucial interventions that would further prevent what are avoidable deaths. Chris Bateman talks to some of the leading lights in the field.
After a decade at the helm of the country’s primary health research funder, Professor Glenda Gray will focus again on doing the science. She tells Spotlight’s Biénne Huisman about her childhood, her passion for research, administering multi-million dollar grants, and a heated argument in the bathroom with an ANC bigwig.
The ongoing psychological, functional, and aesthetic challenges experienced by people with cleft lip and palate underscore the need for an individualised, lifelong, and multidisciplinary approach to managing the condition, argues Kholofelo Mphahlele.
Some researchers argue that South Africa should look into using “expired” doses of antivenom if the country once again struggles to make enough of the treatment – something which happened in 2023. In part 2 of a Spotlight special series on snake antivenom, Jesse Copelyn outlines the case for extending the shelf-life and goes over some exciting, but very early, research on a new form of antivenom.
With South Africa’s healthcare system facing a myriad challenges, experts at a health conference have put forward a range of practical solutions to address some of the country’s pressing issues. Ufrieda Ho rounds up some of the proposed solutions to improve patient care, including the use of public-private partnerships.
The lack of access to essential healthcare services in rural areas worsens the challenges women face, particularly when it comes to early pregnancy and gender-based violence. Celene Coleman and Hanifa Mahlangu argue for strategies that prioritise the empowerment of rural women through improved access to contraception and mental health services.
The African Centre for Disease Control and World Health Organization have raised the alarm following a drastic uptick in mpox cases. This surge is being driven by a new strain of the virus. Elri Voigt reports about what we know so far and potential implications for South Africa.
With varying degrees of success, artificial intelligence has begun to play the role of research assistant, radiologist, health educator, and even therapist. In this Spotlight special briefing, Jesse Copelyn tries to see past the hype and pin-points the most immediate implications of these new technologies for healthcare in South Africa.
