Francois Venter | Slow motion denialism: Our leaders are allowing the HIV response to collapse
South Africa is staging a sequel to Mbeki-era denialism, only this time, the science, solutions, and costs are clearer, argues Professor Francois Venter.
Government is considering providing a vaccine to protect babies from RSV
A new respiratory syncytial virus vaccine to protect infants from severe illness is available in South Africa’s private sector but not yet in public clinics. The country’s advisory group on immunisations has recommended making it available to all pregnant women. Catherine Tomlinson reports that this proposal is now under review by the National Department of Health.
TB’s tight grip: Why this curable disease is so hard to treat
TB can be cured, but ridding the body of the bug often takes many months and usually requires taking four or more different medicines. In this Spotlight special briefing, Elri Voigt zooms in on what makes the TB bacterium so hard to beat.
Russell Rensburg | This is how SA could respond to US aid cuts
South Africa still lacks an action plan after the withdrawal of US aid for HIV and related health services. But when funds do arrive, how will they be managed? Russell Rensburg suggests the answer may lie in the District Health Programme Grant.
Don’t panic about new SARS-CoV-2 variant, experts say
COVID-19 has largely dropped out of the headlines, but the virus that causes it is still circulating. Biénne Huisman asks what we should know about a new variant of SARS-CoV-2, the state of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2025, and the lack of access to updated vaccines in South Africa.
Death in Mozambique: After US funding cuts, a health system crumbles
After the abrupt termination of American aid, the health system in central Mozambique descended into chaos. In part two of this special series, Spotlight and GroundUp describe how the funding cuts affected hospitals, where key staff were dismissed and deliveries of new medicines were halted. In the ensuing turmoil, children died.
Mozambique: These are the children the United States left to die
In Mozambique, the health system is overwhelmingly built on US money. When the Trump administration instantly pulled much of this funding without warning, disease and death spread. Spotlight and GroundUp visited one of the worst affected regions to describe the human toll.
How can we tell if health policies or guidelines are truly evidence-based?
It is easy to claim one is “following the scientific evidence”, but what does it mean to actually do so? In his latest Inside The Box column, Dr Andy Gray considers how evidence-based health policy and guidelines can and should be made.
The way we understand obesity is changing: What does it mean for South Africa?
Health workers have long relied on Body Mass Index (BMI) as a way to measure whether people are within a healthy weight range. Now, a collection of top researchers have made the case for a new way to understand and diagnose obesity. In part two of this special Spotlight series, we take a look at what this new framing might mean for South Africa.
Graphs that paint the picture of HIV in SA
Eight million people living with HIV. Just over 6 million on treatment. Behind these big numbers lurk a universe of fascinating epidemiological dynamics. In this special briefing, Spotlight editor Marcus Low unpacks what we know about the state of HIV in South Africa.
Missed, misunderstood, and deadly: A Cape Town family’s heartbreak with hepatitis B
When Desmond Pedro discovered a strange hardness under his ribcage, he was just 30 and preparing for a fresh start on a government skills course. Little did he know that he would soon die of liver cancer caused by undetected hepatitis B. Sue Segar spent time with his family and spoke to experts to uncover how this overlooked virus continues to claim lives — and what can be done to stop it.
The current gonorrhoea meds might stop working – when will newer ones make it to SA?
Two new antibiotics offer hope for people with gonorrhoea that is resistant to currently available drugs. Yet, it might be years before the people who need these medicines can get them. Catherine Tomlinson unpacks why these new antibiotics are important and what needs to happen before they can be used in South Africa.