Twists and turns in the race to be SA’s first widely used HIV prevention injection

Twists and turns in the race to be SA’s first widely used HIV prevention injection

The health department has plans to roll out lenacapavir, a twice-yearly HIV prevention injection, in a select group of public sector clinics by April 2026. Meanwhile, little progress has been made towards rolling out a two-monthly prevention injection, despite the four-year head start this product had on lenacapavir. Catherine Tomlinson reports.

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‘We can’t save them anymore’: Doctors raise alarm about crippling cuts at major KZN hospital

‘We can’t save them anymore’: Doctors raise alarm about crippling cuts at major KZN hospital

Doctors have blown the whistle about a crisis at one of KwaZulu-Natal’s most important public hospitals, saying it is functioning far under capacity due to a series of crippling cuts. Chris Bateman reports.

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What next for cancer patients as court again rules against Gauteng health department?

What next for cancer patients as court again rules against Gauteng health department?

In the latest chapter of a long-running legal battle over the Gauteng Department of Health’s obligation to provide people in the province with radiation oncology services, the department has suffered another loss in the courts. Ufrieda Ho assesses the legal situation and asks what it means for people still waiting for the life-saving treatment.

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For Professor Rachel Jewkes, blending research with activism is at the heart of her life’s work

For Professor Rachel Jewkes, blending research with activism is at the heart of her life’s work

From anti-apartheid activist to top rated researcher, Professor Rachel Jewkes has spent her career trying to make the world a better place for women. Elri Voigt spoke to her about her journey to South Africa from the United Kingdom and how she became one of the country’s leading researchers on gender-based violence.

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#InsideTheBox with Dr Andy Gray | How could more efficient use of reliance improve access to quality, affordable medicines?

#InsideTheBox with Dr Andy Gray | How could more efficient use of reliance improve access to quality, affordable medicines?

Rather than trying to do everything from scratch, medicines regulators from different countries are increasingly sharing the load between them by ‘relying’ on each other’s work. In his latest #InsideTheBox column, Dr Andy Gray explains how such ‘reliance mechanisms’ can help regulators make decisions more quickly and efficiently, and digs into the details of how South Africa can make the most of these mechanisms.

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Stateless in SA: Primrose Modisane’s years-long struggle for legal recognition

Stateless in SA: Primrose Modisane’s years-long struggle for legal recognition

When South Africans get caught up in the country’s often dysfunctional home affairs system, sometimes even DNA evidence isn’t enough to prove their citizenship. This can, among others, have consequences for people’s ability to access healthcare services. For foreign nationals, navigating the system can be even harder.

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Dragon slayer in a time of dragons: Dr Nomathemba Chandiwana battles ‘SA’s new HIV epidemic’

Dragon slayer in a time of dragons: Dr Nomathemba Chandiwana battles ‘SA’s new HIV epidemic’

The obesity epidemic will hit South Africa hard on top of our high HIV burden, but advocate researcher and scientist Dr Nomathemba Chandiwana says she is ready to fight back harder. She speaks to Ufrieda Ho about her journey from working in state hospitals to transitioning into obesity medicine, and her move to Cape Town.

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Battle to breathe: The ongoing struggle for clean air in Mpumalanga

Battle to breathe: The ongoing struggle for clean air in Mpumalanga

Despite a landmark court judgment three years ago that upheld the right to clean air, air pollution remains rife in South Africa’s coal country. For part 2 of this Spotlight special series, journalist Sue Segar and photographer Thom Pierce travelled to meet some of the activists on the ground in Mpumalanga.

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Inside SA’s multi-million rand plan to fill US funding void

Inside SA’s multi-million rand plan to fill US funding void

In response to US funding cuts for South African health services and research projects, National Treasury has provided the National Department of Health with hundreds of millions of rands in emergency funds. Spotlight and GroundUp look at how precisely the government intends to spend this money.

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“I looked at those tiny feet”: How a Joburg mother’s journey helped thousands of children walk without pain

“I looked at those tiny feet”: How a Joburg mother’s journey helped thousands of children walk without pain

When Karen Mara Moss’ son was diagnosed with clubfoot, she travelled to the US in search of a life-changing treatment. She made a promise to bring it home and two decades on, her non-profit is at the heart of a remarkable success story.

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With a PhD at 74, this veteran nurse is still leading with grace and grit

With a PhD at 74, this veteran nurse is still leading with grace and grit

With humour, warmth and steely resolve, Princess Anne-Sheilah Makhado speaks to Biénne Huisman about her long journey as a nurse, of creating solutions in the public health system, and her burning passion for motivating women and girls to unlock their talents.

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Battle to breathe: How air pollution in Emalahleni is affecting people’s health

Battle to breathe: How air pollution in Emalahleni is affecting people’s health

Emissions from power stations and dust from coal mines in South Africa’s “energy mecca” are making many people in the area sick. For the first article of a new Spotlight special series, writer Susan Segar and photographer Thom Pierce travelled to Mpumalanga to get first-hand accounts of what people living in the Emalahleni local municipality are going through.

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