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

By Kathryn Cleary, November 19, 2020

Posted in: COVID-19, Healthcare system, 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.

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

Finding the money: The case for raising the Health Promotion Levy

By Russell Rensburg, November 13, 2020

Posted in: Healthcare system, Latest

The recent budget policy statement shows South Africa finds itself in a very tight fiscal space where it has to navigate a global pandemic along with other health challenges such as rising rates of non-communicable diseases. Russell Rensburg argues that the Health Promotion Levy should be increased to 20% – which will raise much-needed revenue that will contribute to preventing disease and reducing healthcare costs.

Tags: Community Health Workers comorbidity COVID-19 COVID-19 response Department of Health diabetes featured health budgets health expenditure Health Promotion Levy health promotion programmes healthcare costs HPL NCDs non-communicable diseases primary health care Public Health Sugar tax WHO World Health Organization

Finding the money: The case for raising the Health Promotion Levy

What it’s like: Being a pharmacist in South Africa in 2020

By Tiyese Jeranji, November 9, 2020

Posted in: Healthcare system, Latest

Pharmacists do much more than stand behind a counter dispensing medicine. These professionals have a key role to play in the health care system and the overall well-being of people. Tiyese Jeranji spoke to a community pharmacist and pharmacists in the public health sector to understand their role and the challenges they face.

Tags: access to medicine Chronic Medicines community pharmacist COVID-19 COVID-19 response Department of Health dispensing featured healthcare healthcare workers ICPA Independent Community Pharmacy Association medicine supply pharamceuticals pharmaceutical care pharmacist South African Pharmacy Council state pharmaceutical company WHO

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What it’s like: Being a pharmacist in South Africa in 2020

Reimagining health in the Eastern Cape: CHWs are key to improving health outcomes

By Melanie Alperstein and Tinashe Njanji, November 6, 2020

Posted in: Eastern Cape, Healthcare system, Latest

Community Health Workers (CHWs) are an important element in the government’s re-engineering of primary health care strategy. Here Melanie Alperstein and Tinashe Njanji highlight the challenges CHWs in the Eastern Cape face and offer some solutions to improve the working conditions of CHWs and improve health outcomes in the province.

Tags: CHWs Community Health Care Workers Department of Health EASTERN CAPE HEALTH Eastern Cape Health Crisis Action Coalition featured health care workers HIV primary health care rural health stockouts TB Ward Based Outreach Teams

Reimagining health in the Eastern Cape: CHWs are key to improving health outcomes

Concerns mount as MSF pulls out of North West

By Ufrieda Ho, October 30, 2020

Posted in: Healthcare system, Latest, North West, Provinces

The exit of Doctors without Borders’ (MSF) rape crisis support in the North West province during the COVID-19 pandemic arguably could not come at a worse time. Is the North West’s Department of Health ready to take over these services? Ufrieda Ho reports.

Tags: COVID-19 COVID-19 response featured gender based violence KCCs Kgomotso Care Centres Medicins San Frontieres MSF North West Department of Health patient transport Sexual and reproductive health rights women's health

Concerns mount as MSF pulls out of North West

Childhood immunisation catch-up drive kicking off on 1 November

By Elri Voigt, October 28, 2020

Posted in: Healthcare system, Latest

South Africa’s childhood immunisation rates declined in 2020 compared to previous years, largely due to COVID-19 and the related lockdown. Elri Voigt asked government about the country’s catch-up plans.

Tags: child health childhood illnesses COVID-19 COVID-19 preparations de-worming District Health Barometer featured immunisation immunisation programme Maternal and Child Health measles NICD Respiratory Syncytial Virus.Road-To-Health booklet rotavirus SAMRC South African health department South African Medical Research Council UNICEF vaccinate vaccines World Health Organization

Childhood immunisation catch-up drive kicking off on 1 November

COVID-19: The fascinating science of what happens in the lungs

By Tiyese Jeranji, October 9, 2020

Posted in: Edition 10: Drug-resistant TB, Edition 14: Tuberculosis, Healthcare system, Latest, TB

People with COVID-19 and people with tuberculosis (TB) can experience similar symptoms such as coughing and breathing difficulties as both diseases affect the lungs. Exactly how these diseases affect the lungs, however, differs. Tiyese Jeranji spoke to a leading South African pulmonologist to learn more.

Tags: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COVID-19 COVID-19 deaths COVID-19 infections COVID-19 screening cytokine storm featured Groote Schuur Hospital High flow nasal oxygen lung diseases mechanical ventilation pneumonia Pulmonology TB TB screening testing and screening tuberculosis

COVID-19: The fascinating science of what happens in the lungs

Competition Commission gets private healthcare reform ball rolling

By Elri Voigt, October 8, 2020

Posted in: Healthcare system, Latest

A year after the Competition Commission released its Health Market Inquiry (HMI) report, there has been very little action in addressing the report’s findings. Now, a notice the Competition Commission sent to stakeholders in September suggests there may finally be some movement. Elri Voigt reports.

Tags: Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF)Competition Act Competition Commission Council for Medical Schemes (CMS)Department of Health featured Health Market Inquiry health regulation health systems reform healthcare costs HMI HMI report medical insurance medical schemes act NHI PMBs Prescribed Minimum Benefits Private Healthcare Representative Association of Medical Schemes (RAMS)SAMA South African Classification of Health Care Interventions (SACHI)South African Private Practitioners’ Forum (SAPPF)

Competition Commission gets private healthcare reform ball rolling

COVID-19: How provinces are catching up on elective procedures

By Tiyese Jeranji, October 6, 2020

Posted in: Gauteng, Healthcare system, KwaZulu-Natal, Latest, Limpopo, Provinces, Western Cape

As South Africa prepared for the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals had to come up with plans to deal with the expected influx of COVID-19 patients. Part of this plan was that hospitals would minimise or temporarily put elective procedures on hold. Now, with the country at alert level 1 of its lockdown, Tiyese Jeranji looks at how four provinces are again phasing in elective procedures.

Tags: cataracts Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital clinical support services COVID-19 COVID-19 preparations elective surgery featured Groote Schuur Hospital hip replacements hospitalisations lockdown spinal surgeries surgeries surgical procedures Tygerberg Hospital WESTERN CAPE HEALTH

COVID-19: How provinces are catching up on elective procedures

COVID-19: Innovating and adapting at Zithulele Hospital

By Tiyese Jeranji, October 1, 2020

Posted in: Eastern Cape, Edition 13: Eastern Cape Health, Healthcare system, Latest, Provinces

With chronic health worker shortages and limited resources such as ventilators in rural public health facilities, how did Zithulele Hospital in OR Tambo District manage its COVID-19 cases? Tiyese Jeranji spoke to two doctors working at Zithulele about an innovative oxygen solution, infection control, and much more.

Tags: Bubble CPAP Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)COVID-19 CPAP Department of Health DRUG-RESISTANT TB EASTERN CAPE HEALTH featured healthcare facilities healthcare workers High flow nasal oxygen infant respiratory distress syndrome (IRDS)mechanical ventilation PPE Public Health public health facilities Rural Doctors' Association of Southern Africa rural health ventilators Zithulele Hospital

COVID-19: Innovating and adapting at Zithulele Hospital

Hunger remains a crisis in SA, despite new survey numbers

By Kathryn Cleary, September 30, 2020

Posted in: Healthcare system, Latest

The second wave of findings from the National Income Dynamics Study: Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey (NIDS-CRAM) released today, shows that household hunger has declined by about a quarter since the release of the first wave of findings. Although encouraging, there are still severe and unacceptably high levels of childhood hunger and stunting, writes Kathryn Cleary.

Tags: child hunger children COVID-19 COVID-19 infections COVID-19 response featured hunger lockdown malnutrition national school nutrition programme NIDS-CRAM nutrition stunting

Hunger remains a crisis in SA, despite new survey numbers

Dire conditions at Mthatha General and Nessie Knight hospitals

By Luvuyo Mehlwana, September 29, 2020

Posted in: Eastern Cape, Edition 13: Eastern Cape Health, Healthcare system, Latest, NHI, Provinces

The dire state of health infrastructure and services in the Eastern Cape has made headlines during the COVID-19 pandemic and triggered promises of government intervention, but in some hospitals those providing and receiving healthcare note little to no improvement. Luvuyo Mehlwana reports.

Tags: COVID-19 COVID-19 response Department of Health district health services Eastern Cape EASTERN CAPE HEALTH Eastern Cape Health Crisis Action Coalition featured health and safety health workers hospitals Mthatha General Hospital Nehawu Nessie Knight Hospital Office of Health Standards Compliance OHSC PPEs public health facilities public health services public protector TAC Treatment Action Campaign

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