Women in SA could have access to a three-monthly HIV prevention ring by 2026

By Elri Voigt, November 4, 2024

Posted in: Access to Medicines, Focus, Healthcare system, HIV/AIDS, InFocus, Latest, Spotlight

A flexible silicone ring that slowly releases antiretrovirals is one of just two long-acting HIV prevention products registered for use in South Africa. Results from a new study might pave the way for a longer-acting version of the vaginal ring that provides three months of protection at a time, as opposed to one month with the current ring. Elri Voigt reports on these findings and looks at how the one-month ring has influenced HIV prevention choices in South Africa.

Women in SA could have access to a three-monthly HIV prevention ring by 2026

Accountability is critical at National AIDS Council, says new civil society leader

By Thabo Molelekwa, October 23, 2024

Posted in: Access to Medicines, Focus, Healthcare system, HIV/AIDS, InFocus, Latest, Spotlight, TB

HIV activist Solly Nduku was recently elected to the top civil society position at SANAC. Thabo Molelekwa asked Nduku and his newly elected deputies about their plans and priorities for the council.

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Accountability is critical at National AIDS Council, says new civil society leader

Highrises, hellholes and healthcare – Hillbrow’s heritage story

By Ufrieda Ho, October 16, 2024

Posted in: Access to Medicines, Gauteng, Healthcare system, Healthcare Workers, HIV/AIDS, InFocus, Latest, Provinces, Spotlight, TB

Hillbrow started out as Johannesburg’s first health hub in the late 1880s. It’s also been a suburb associated with pimps and prostitution, a middle finger to the Nationalist Party, and a key site of the HIV crisis. Today, it’s the forgotten flatlands of inner city decay … but in small pockets it stays true to its heritage of bringing healthcare to the city’s most overlooked.

Highrises, hellholes and healthcare – Hillbrow’s heritage story

Efficacy of 6-monthly HIV prevention jab confirmed in second major study

By Elri Voigt, October 14, 2024

Posted in: Access to Medicines, Focus, Healthcare system, HIV/AIDS, InFocus, Latest, Spotlight

In June, we heard what could be this year’s biggest HIV breakthrough: a twice-yearly injection can prevent HIV infection. Findings from a second large study of the jab has now confirmed that it works. Elri Voigt goes over the new findings and unpacks the licenses that are expected to facilitate the availability of generic versions of the jab in over a hundred countries, including South Africa.

Efficacy of 6-monthly HIV prevention jab confirmed in second major study

Why people stop taking their HIV treatment and what we can do about it

By Graeme Meintjes, Jonathan Euvrard, Sipho Dlamini, Lynne Wilkinson, and Andrew Boulle, October 3, 2024

Posted in: Access to Medicines, Focus, Healthcare system, HIV/AIDS, InFocus, Latest, Opinions, Spotlight

Stopping antiretroviral treatment when you are living with HIV can result in increased HIV transmission, illness, hospitalisation, and eventually death. To combat such disengagement with HIV treatment, Professor Graeme Meintjes and colleagues argue we need smarter differentiated care and better education of healthcare workers, people living with HIV, and communities.

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Why people stop taking their HIV treatment and what we can do about it

Glenda Gray’s fierce fight for science, the COVID-19 ruckus, and the bathroom row about HIV drugs

By Biénne Huisman, September 16, 2024

Posted in: Access to Medicines, Focus, Glenda E. Gray, Healthcare system, Healthcare Workers, HIV/AIDS, InFocus, Latest, Spotlight

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.

Glenda Gray’s fierce fight for science, the COVID-19 ruckus, and the bathroom row about HIV drugs

Competition law has again worked to fight a bad drug patent, but we need other solutions

By Fatima Hassan and Leena Menghaney, August 30, 2024

Posted in: Access to Medicines, Focus, Healthcare system, HIV/AIDS, InFocus, Latest, Opinions, Spotlight, TB

A Competition Commission probe recently resulted in a patent on an important tuberculosis medicine being dropped in South Africa. Twenty years ago, a similar Competition Commission case resulted in a settlement that helped drive down the prices of several antiretrovirals, thereby helping to set the stage for the country’s HIV treatment programme. Fatima Hassan and Leena Menghaney connect the dots between the two landmark cases and map out what has and has not changed over the last two decades.

Competition law has again worked to fight a bad drug patent, but we need other solutions

Why we don’t have long-acting HIV treatment in South Africa

By Elri Voigt, August 12, 2024

Posted in: Access to Medicines, Focus, Healthcare system, HIV/AIDS, InFocus, Latest

In South Africa, taking HIV treatment means taking one or more antiretroviral tablets a day. People in some other countries have the additional option of treatment in the form of two injections administered every two months. Elri Voigt unpacks why long-acting HIV treatment is not available in South Africa and asks why the push for HIV prevention jabs has been so much stronger than that for HIV treatment jabs.

Why we don’t have long-acting HIV treatment in South Africa

AIDS 2024: Exciting developments with the jabs promising to revolutionise HIV prevention

By Elri Voigt, July 29, 2024

Posted in: Access to Medicines, Focus, Healthcare system, HIV/AIDS, InFocus, Latest

Taking antiretrovirals to prevent HIV infection mostly still involves swallowing one or more pills a day. Some long-acting products that work for a month or two at a time have been approved but are not yet in wide use in South Africa. As delegates gathered for the 25th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2024) last week, Elri Voigt takes stock of the latest developments in this fast-moving field.

AIDS 2024: Exciting developments with the jabs promising to revolutionise HIV prevention

Medicines stockouts persist in North West as tide turns slowly

By Nthusang Lefafa, July 25, 2024

Posted in: Access to Medicines, Healthcare system, Healthcare Workers, HIV/AIDS, InFocus, Latest, North West, Provinces, Spotlight, TB

Despite some improvement over the past three years, the North West province continues to experience medicine shortages, according to a survey by a community clinic monitoring initiative. Nthusang Lefafa unpacks the latest findings and asks why shortages persist in the province.

Medicines stockouts persist in North West as tide turns slowly

EDITORIAL | Motsoaledi’s return could work, but he needs a DG who can say “no minister”

By Marcus Low, July 3, 2024

Posted in: Editorial, Focus, Healthcare system, Healthcare Workers, HIV/AIDS, Latest, Opinions, Spotlight

In some respects, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi was the right person for the job when he was appointed as South Africa’s Minister of Health in 2009. But in 2024, the healthcare context in the country looks very different. Spotlight editor Marcus Low asks what we might expect from this new chapter with Motsoaledi in the top health job.

EDITORIAL | Motsoaledi’s return could work, but he needs a DG who can say “no minister”

Twice-yearly HIV prevention shot succeeds in pivotal trial, but questions loom over future access

By Thabo Molelekwa and Marcus Low, July 1, 2024

Posted in: Access to Medicines, Focus, Healthcare system, HIV/AIDS, InFocus, Latest

An HIV prevention injection that provides six months of protection per shot has been shown to be highly effective in a pivotal trial largely conducted in South Africa. There are however some concerns as to when the injection will become available and how widely. Thabo Molelekwa and Marcus Low report.