SA expected to begin piloting HIV prevention shot in early 2023

SA expected to begin piloting HIV prevention shot in early 2023

South Africa is expected to begin piloting the every-other-month HIV prevention shot early next year, according to the international medicine financing initiative Unitaid. New modelling shows that the injection could prevent as many as 52 000 new HIV infections in the next two decades. But to be cost-effective in South Africa, the research argues, the price of the injection must fall to levels drugmaker ViiV Healthcare says are unrealistic. Laura Lopez Gonzalez reports.

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In-depth: Major SAMRC study sheds light on causes of disease and death in SA

In-depth: Major SAMRC study sheds light on causes of disease and death in SA

Unsafe sex, interpersonal violence, high body mass index, high systolic blood pressure, and alcohol consumption are the top risk factors for disease and death in South Africa, according to the Second Comparative Risk Assessment study conducted by the South African Medical Research Council’s Burden of Disease Research Unit. Nthusang Lefafa spoke to some of the researchers to unpack the findings.

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Construction and maintenance delays plague ‘ideal hospital’ in Kroonstad

Construction and maintenance delays plague ‘ideal hospital’ in Kroonstad

Some healthcare services at Boitumelo Regional Hospital in Kroonstad are hamstrung by construction delays, poor maintenance, and water shortages – despite the hospital being classified as one of the Free State’s ‘ideal hospitals’. Refilwe Mochoari investigates.

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In-depth: Good sexual and reproductive health services on paper, but implementation gaps remain

In-depth: Good sexual and reproductive health services on paper, but implementation gaps remain

Though South Africa has in some respects done well in the provision of sexual and reproductive health services for adolescent girls and young women, significant gaps remain. Tiyese Jeranji takes an in-depth look at the current policy landscape and asks how well the implementation of the policies measures up to their lofty ambitions.

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FACES OF HEALTH: ‘Sr Fikx’ – the nurse activist unafraid to speak out against corruption

FACES OF HEALTH: ‘Sr Fikx’ – the nurse activist unafraid to speak out against corruption

Fiery nurse activist Fikile Dikolomela-Lengene says she has had a front-row seat to corruption unfolding in Gauteng’s public health sector and she is not afraid to speak out. Biénne Huisman chatted to Dikomela-Lengene, who calls herself ‘Sr Fikx’ because she wants to influence change in the public health sector.

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56 000 TB deaths in SA in 2021, estimates WHO

56 000 TB deaths in SA in 2021, estimates WHO

In 2021, an estimated 304 000 people in South Africa fell ill with tuberculosis and 56 000 died from the disease, according to new World Health Organization (WHO) figures released on Thursday. Elri Voigt unpacks the latest findings and asks local experts for their responses.

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OPINION: Mid-term budget fails to show the way to a more resilient recovery

OPINION: Mid-term budget fails to show the way to a more resilient recovery

The Medium-term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) was tabled amid a grim global economic outlook and a climate of increasing political uncertainty, electricity supply challenges, and very high unemployment. Russell Rensburg argues the MTBPS fails to provide a credible path toward a resilient recovery and sets out what can be done to strengthen governance and build social solidarity around the recovery we need.

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Analysis: Making access to surgical care a reality in district hospitals

Analysis: Making access to surgical care a reality in district hospitals

Earlier this year, Spotlight published a two-part series on the human cost of surgery waiting times and asked what could be done about it. One such solution proposed by some is to devolve less complicated surgical care procedures to district hospitals. The AfroSurg3 Conference held in September, which brought together surgical stakeholders from 11 African countries to improve access to care, shed some light on how this might work. Alicestine October reports.

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In the hot seat: New Gauteng Health MEC responds to 10 questions from Spotlight

In the hot seat: New Gauteng Health MEC responds to 10 questions from Spotlight

The position of MEC for Health in Gauteng is one of the most important, and probably one of the toughest jobs in public sector health governance in South Africa. Spotlight sent ten questions to the new Gauteng MEC for Health Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko. Here are her answers.

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Digital X-rays boosting TB diagnosis, assessment finds

Digital X-rays boosting TB diagnosis, assessment finds

Many people with tuberculosis (TB) in South Africa are never diagnosed or are diagnosed only once their symptoms have become quite severe. One solution to diagnosing more people more quickly is the expanded use of new digital X-ray technology. Now, an independent assessment of digital X-ray pilot projects in six districts in South Africa sheds light on how well this intervention works in the real world. Tiyese Jeranji reports.

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Staff attitudes at Eastern Cape clinics still a problem, report finds

Staff attitudes at Eastern Cape clinics still a problem, report finds

Staff attitudes and patients complaining of being treated badly by healthcare workers at some clinics in the Eastern Cape were among the issues flagged in the latest report by community-led clinic monitoring group Ritshidze. Luvuyo Mehlwana reports.

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Cancer surgeon resigns and volunteers withdraw from Helen Joseph Hospital

Cancer surgeon resigns and volunteers withdraw from Helen Joseph Hospital

The resignation of renowned breast cancer specialist surgeon Professor Carol-Ann Benn from the Helen Joseph Hospital has fuelled concerns about the loss of expertise for the public health sector amid existing pressures on cancer services in Gauteng. Ufrieda Ho spoke to health authorities, patients, and breast clinic volunteers about the potential impact on cancer care at the hospital.

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