More black people donating blood in SA
There was a substantial increase in black blood donors in South Africa from 2005 to 2015, while the very small risk of HIV transmission via blood transfusion became even smaller.
OPEN LETTER | About your stimulus, Mr President
Spotlight has written a letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa reminding him of the widespread corruption in the health system and showing where he can look to save some money for his stimulus package.
Money will show how serious the BRICS are about TB
Whether or not the BRICS puts new money on the table for TB research, is a crucial test of whether the United Nations High-Level Meeting on TB represents a new dawn in the fight against TB, or just empty rhetoric.
Building public health system capacity for NHI: Learning from disease-specific successes for system development
We are reminded on a daily basis of failures in our public health system: strikes, stock-outs, critical vacancies, vulnerable patients left to die, cancer patients without treatment, dilapidated and poorly equipped facilities, rampant corruption and wholesale capture of provincial health departments. By Helen Schneider, Uta Lehmann, Lucy Gilson
Not forgotten: The sordid story of how Mosebenzi ‘Gupta’ Zwane’s thugs wreaked havoc in a Free State hospital
An article this week by the Daily Maverick’s Ferial Haffajee – The sordid story of Mosebenzi ‘Gupta’ Zwane – South Africa’s most captured Cabinet minister reminds us just what a scumbag this former MEC, Minister and still Member of our Parliament is.
Major downward adjustment of SA TB figures by WHO
The dramatically lower rate of new tuberculosis infections and TB deaths in South Africa just reported by the World Health Organisation primarily reflects a change in methodology rather than an actual change in the number of TB cases. Either way, it makes for welcome news.
Dear Mr President, we need to talk about our health system
Four of South Africa’s top public health systems academics last month sent a letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa as the country grapples with finding solutions for our struggling health services.
OPEN LETTER | G23 women respond to Morah’s threats to activist
The Group of 23 women have come out in support of their fellow activist Vuyiseka Dubula, who recently received a threatening letter from UNAIDS Director Erasmus Morah. He demanded she retract a range of statements.
Vuyiseka Dubula: Morah is threatening me with legal action for speaking out about sexual harassment
Vuyiseka Dubula last week released a statement in response to the threatening legal letter sent by former UNAIDS Country Director to South Africa Erasmus Morah.
The progressive case for delaying NHI
Healthcare in South Africa is in a tenuous state. The public healthcare system is in crisis – provinces are underfunded, corruption is rife, in many areas posts are effectively frozen.
More sexual harassment woes for UNAIDS
UNAIDS Nigeria Country Director’s threat to sue AIDS activist Vuyiseka Dubula for implying that he is a sexual predator may have backfired as more witnesses come forward. Update: UNAIDS have since placed Morah on special leave. By Kerry Cullinan, Health-e News Service
Cry Ndlovu Cry
Ndlovu Care Group and patients have been at the centre of a battle with the Limpopo health MEC who ended the contract and wants the almost 4 000 healthy HIV patients transferred to battling state clinics.