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 1, Focus 2, Healthcare system, HIV/AIDS, 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

Sister Leonie Weyers is injecting smiles in a setting where many spirits are hurt

By Biénne Huisman, August 28, 2024

Posted in: Focus 1, Focus 2, Healthcare system, Healthcare Workers, Latest, Provinces, Spotlight, Western Cape

The only full-time nurse at the Saartjie Baartman Centre, Sister Leonie Weyers, is not only a caregiver to her patients but also helps them to “feel beautiful” again. Biénne Huisman spent time with her at the shelter situated on gang-war turf in Manenberg.

Sister Leonie Weyers is injecting smiles in a setting where many spirits are hurt

Snake antivenom mired by shortages and side-effects – could a new treatment boost our options?

By Jesse Copelyn, August 26, 2024

Posted in: Access to Medicines, Focus 1, Focus 2, Healthcare system, Latest, Spotlight

In recent years, shortages of snake antivenom have plagued South Africa and much of the globe. Even when antivenom is available, potentially serious side effects often limit its use. Jesse Copelyn unpacks the fascinating details behind the antivenom products that might save your life and takes a look at a promising experimental treatment.

Snake antivenom mired by shortages and side-effects – could a new treatment boost our options?

Dr Nikki Allorto is one of the only surgeons in KZN doing skin grafting – and she does powerlifting to keep her heart strong

By Sue Segar, August 23, 2024

Posted in: Access to Medicines, Focus 2, Healthcare system, Healthcare Workers, KwaZulu-Natal, Latest, Provinces, Spotlight

Burn injury has been described as the forgotten global public health crisis. Dr Nikki Allorto says that while it may be a neglected issue in South Africa, she is making sure her patients feel seen, heard and cared for. Sue Segar spent time with her on ward and clinic rounds at Greys Hospital in KwaZulu-Natal.

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Dr Nikki Allorto is one of the only surgeons in KZN doing skin grafting – and she does powerlifting to keep her heart strong

Vivacious sister Sandra Bryant has a disco ball in her lilac clinic in Cape Town

By Biénne Huisman, August 21, 2024

Posted in: Focus 1, Focus 2, Healthcare system, Healthcare Workers, Latest, Provinces, Spotlight, Western Cape

Sister Sandra Bryant runs her clinic in a lilac painted room, where glitter cream and a disco ball does not seem out of place next to scissors, syringes, and needles. She tells Spotlight’s Biénne Huisman about working with Professor Christiaan Barnard, the adrenaline of being in the operating theater, and why she has a tattoo of an anatomical heart.

Vivacious sister Sandra Bryant has a disco ball in her lilac clinic in Cape Town

In the Spotlight | Poorly controlled diabetes is a top killer, time to take it more seriously

By Catherine Tomlinson, August 20, 2024

Posted in: #InTheSpotlight, Access to Medicines, Focus 1, Focus 2, Healthcare system, Latest, Special Investigations, Spotlight

The South African government has adopted a national target to bring the blood sugar levels of people with diabetes under control. But beyond the target, the country’s response to diabetes is falling far short. In this Spotlight special briefing, Catherine Tomlinson looks at what the country needs to do to better manage this often fatal disease and how we can draw lessons from the response to HIV.

In the Spotlight | Poorly controlled diabetes is a top killer, time to take it more seriously

Eye health services in the public sector are critically impaired – it is high time the health department responds

By Haseena Majid and Rene Sparks, August 16, 2024

Posted in: Focus 2, Healthcare system, Latest, Opinions, Provinces, Spotlight

Despite South Africa producing a substantial number of trained optometrists, the majority of them work in the private sector and in urban areas. This imbalance leaves rural communities underserved and exacerbates health inequities. Does it make sense for us to use public funds and institutions to train people predominantly for the private sector, ask Dr Haseena Majid and Rene Sparks.

Eye health services in the public sector are critically impaired – it is high time the health department responds

New Western Cape health MEC Mireille Wenger says child health is near her heart

By Biénne Huisman, August 14, 2024

Posted in: #Vote4Health, Access to Medicines, Child health, Focus 2, Healthcare system, Latest, Provinces, Spotlight, Western Cape

Mireille Wenger was recently appointed to the Western Cape’s top health job. Biénne Huisman chatted to Wenger about health policy, child health, and the challenge of providing quality public health services at a time of shrinking budgets.

New Western Cape health MEC Mireille Wenger says child health is near her heart

Meet the movie buff and scientist fighting to keep rural healthcare from falling through the cracks

By Ufrieda Ho, August 7, 2024

Posted in: Access to Medicines, Focus 2, Healthcare system, Latest, Spotlight

Working with women in Giyani in Limpopo sparked the flame for Professor Kathy Kahn to dedicate her research career to the rural community she says she is “bonded to”. She tells Spotlight’s Ufrieda Ho why it’s been this way since she was a student in medical school.

Meet the movie buff and scientist fighting to keep rural healthcare from falling through the cracks

EDITORIAL | Behind the Life Esidimeni headlines is the suffering of human beings who deserved better

By Spotlight Editors, August 1, 2024

Posted in: Access to Medicines, Editorial, Focus 1, Focus 2, Gauteng, Healthcare system, Healthcare Workers, Latest, Provinces, Spotlight

While we focus here on the nine deaths that Judge Mmonoa Teffo found to be unnatural, there were 144 deaths associated with the Life Esidimeni tragedy. Ultimately, these were human beings and for the world to know what happened to them is better than the world not knowing.

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EDITORIAL | Behind the Life Esidimeni headlines is the suffering of human beings who deserved better

Face to face: Healthcare veteran Kgosi Letlape on leaving the ANC, serving in parliament, and the tragic loss of his daughter

By Biénne Huisman, July 31, 2024

Posted in: Access to Medicines, Focus 1, Focus 2, Healthcare system, Latest, Provinces, Spotlight

Former ANC member, now with ActionSA, Kgosi Letlape was recently elected to parliament’s health committee. Biénne Huisman spoke to the past president of the Health Professions Council of SA about leaving the ANC, healthcare in the country, gender-based violence, and the murder of his daughter.

Face to face: Healthcare veteran Kgosi Letlape on leaving the ANC, serving in parliament, and the tragic loss of his daughter

Childhood vaccine coverage in SA declined in 2023, finds WHO report

By Elri Voigt, July 26, 2024

Posted in: Access to Medicines, Child health, COVID-19, Focus 1, Focus 2, Healthcare system, Latest, Spotlight

New data from the World Health Organization and UNICEF show that globally childhood immunisation coverage stalled in 2023, while in South Africa it decreased. Elri Voigt unpacks the new data and asks local experts to put it in context.