54 000 TB deaths in SA in 2024, according to WHO
Around 54 000 people died of TB in South Africa in 2024 and 249 000 fell ill with the disease, according to new estimates from the World Health Organization. Marcus Low reports.
Vincent Tlala | Medicines safety – the crucial role of pharmacists in protecting you
Medicines are among the most powerful tools in healthcare, but they also come with risks. As we mark #MedSafetyWeek, Mr Vincent Tlala, registrar and CEO of the South African Pharmacy Council, argues that the safe use of medicines is a shared responsibility, and is not only up to pharmacists.
Monitoring people’s blood pressure in their homes leads to better control – study finds
Hypertension is poorly managed in South Africa. Remarkable findings from a study in rural KwaZulu-Natal suggest a compelling alternative to the current model of clinic-based care – using community healthcare workers to monitor people’s blood pressure in their own homes. Elri Voigt reports.
SA and Indonesia team up on massive asymptomatic TB study
Over the last decade, there’s been growing evidence that people can have TB without having any symptoms. But there is still much uncertainty over how such asymptomatic TB functions in the body and how infectious it is. An ambitious study, set to be conducted in South Africa and Indonesia, is trying to find some answers. Elri Voigt reports.
Withdrawal of US aid has hurt South Africa’s HIV programme
The number of HIV viral load tests is significantly lower than expected, according to an analysis of data from the National Health Laboratory Service which Spotlight and GroundUp obtained through the Promotion of Access to Information Act.
On which legal arguments are the NHI court cases set to turn? Part 2: Right to healthcare services
The NHI Act is facing a slew of legal challenges from multiple organisations. For this special series, Spotlight combed through court papers, and spoke with legal experts to pin down what specific arguments litigants are betting on.
Breakthrough HIV prevention jab given green light in SA
An HIV prevention jab that provides six months of protection at a time was given the green light by South Africa’s medicines regulator. The approval helps to clear the way for a limited public sector rollout of the “game-changing” shot set to start in April 2026.
ARVs without a script: What next after major court ruling?
A landmark ruling from the Supreme Court of Appeal means specially trained pharmacists will soon be allowed to dispense antiretrovirals without a doctor’s script. Pharmacists with the required training will need special permits from the director general of health. While no pharmacists yet hold these permits, Catherine Tomlinson reports that they may be able to start applying for them as soon as next month.
World’s biggest community-led health watchdog falters as US backs out
Ritshidze, South Africa’s powerhouse community-led healthcare monitor, is on the brink of shutting down. Experts warn its collapse could unravel years of progress in our clinics – just as worrying new data points to a decline in HIV services.
How Philani’s amazing ‘mentor mothers’ are bringing hope to struggling moms and children
Mothers and babies in South Africa can easily fall through the cracks and end up going hungry and not getting the healthcare they need. Sue Segar spent time with an innovative project that is helping thousands such women and kids in parts of the Western Cape and Eastern Cape. Their model has been adopted by organisations in several other countries.
Government and the private sector should team up to improve healthcare, conference hears
Government and the private sector could work together much more effectively to improve healthcare services in South Africa, but the potential of such a partnership remains largely untapped, delegates heard last week at the Hospital Association of South Africa conference.
In the Spotlight | Amid all the noise, how well is SA’s immunisation programme actually doing
Childhood immunisation programmes have saved many millions of lives and prevented much suffering. Yet, immunisation programmes have lost momentum over the last decade or so. In this Spotlight special briefing, Elri Voigt unpacks the available data and considers how immunisation efforts might be revitalised.