Well over three million people in SA develop depression every year, researchers estimate
Around 3.8 million people in South Africa developed depression in 2024, estimate leading local researchers in a major new modelling study.
In the Spotlight | The invisible fuel driving our TB epidemic – what do we actually know about asymptomatic TB?
Although TB can be cured, it is still spreading in South Africa at alarming rates. One reason could be that some people with TB disease but without TB symptoms may unknowingly be passing on the bug. In this Spotlight special briefing, Elri Voigt unpacks what we do and do not know about asymptomatic TB.
After centuries, TB is still the bridesmaid, never the bride
The wins are there but the underlying reality remains, writes Professor Kogie Naidoo as she likens TB to a bridesmaid awaiting its turn to garner attention. The analogy is relevant given the overwhelming number of new TB infections and deaths each year globally for a disease persistently sitting in the shadow of other communicable and non-communicable diseases.
To eliminate TB, we need to make testing more accessible and affordable
New TB tests have massive potential for South Africa’s struggle to get to grips with the age-old disease. Making the most of these new tests will require both ambition and smart implementation, argue Gaurang Tanna and Dr Yogan Pillay.
The fight against TB is also the fight for human rights
The persistence of TB is a reminder that medical solutions alone are not enough. Renier Coetzee and Ingrid Schoeman write that the disease thrives in conditions shaped by social injustice, including poverty, overcrowded housing, under-resourced health systems, and unequal access to care.
The hunt for a new TB vaccine: Why we are now so close, and why it matters
The only tuberculosis vaccine we have is a century old and offers only limited efficacy in children. With leading South African researchers involved in the pivotal clinical trials of three new tuberculosis vaccine candidates, we are on the verge of a major breakthrough, writes Associate Professor Angelique Kany Kany Luabeya.
A new TB dashboard can help boost testing. We need to make the most of it
The new government TB dashboard is a step forward for transparency and accountability in South Africa’s response to the ancient, but still deadly, disease. It is critical that we use it wisely to boost our testing efforts, argues a group of South Africa’s leading TB activists ahead of World TB Day on March 24th.
Goodbye Ufrieda Ho, keeper of Jozi and wordsmith of the people
Journalist Ufrieda Ho passed away of cancer on 9 March 2026. In a career spanning three decades, she wrote for The Star, Daily Maverick, Spotlight, and many other publications.
NHI pause should be used to build stronger healthcare foundations
Universal health coverage cannot succeed with fragmented systems, weak data, and largely symbolic participation. A recent court-ordered pause to NHI implementation offers a chance to build the foundations properly, argue Dr Haseena Majid and Professor Mogie Subban.
Global health infrastructure is changing. Why getting it right matters for SA
Funding cuts over the last year or so have created a crisis for multilateral health institutions. Which institutions emerge from this crisis, and in what form, will have real consequences for the health of people in South Africa, argues Spotlight editor Marcus Low.
A quiet crisis: Babies born with hearing loss often diagnosed too late in SA
Despite the proven benefits of newborn hearing screening and early intervention, universal screening is not yet mandated in South Africa and is only available at a few public hospitals.
Through dust and carrying steel, Maryke Bezuidenhout takes care to people with disabilities in KZN’s rural corners
Maryke Bezuidenhout is constantly on the road in rural, northern KwaZulu-Natal visiting and helping people with disabilities where they live. As part of Spotlight’s new Rural Health Heroes series, writer Sue Segar and photographer Thom Pierce tagged along with her.