Four healthcare priorities for South Africa’s budget
Russell Rensburg of the Rural Health Advocacy Project outlines four healthcare priorities for today’s critical budget.
UN Committee finds austerity measures implemented in SA “may further worsen inequalities”
The United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has called for more inclusive economic policies and a review of fiscal policy to enable government to meet its Constitutional and international human rights obligations. But is Tito Mboweni willing to take a tip based on international law? Sadly, it seems unlikely, writes Mark Heywood.
Make the health system, not health politics, a priority in this SONA
South Africa has been “on the brink” of major health system change for almost a decade. National Health Insurance (NHI) has been the buzz-phrase for years, but somehow it is still one of the most elusive policies of our time and it is made less tangible with each iteration of the policy. Sasha Stevenson and Nomatter Ndebele on why we are nowhere.
Ailing Nation – The things SONA Won’t Say About the Health Crisis
Tonight when President Cyril Ramaphosa delivers his second state of the nation address (SONA) he will say very little about the actual health of the nation. Mark Heywood unpacks what the President is unlikely to address in his SONA tonight and why that is poor.
South Africa urgently needs an antiretroviral pregnancy registry
South Africa urgently needs a pregnancy register to help establish whether an important new antiretroviral medicine causes birth abnormalities, argues Tom Boyles.
The devastating cost of the North West strikes
Nearly a year on from the crippling health sector strikes in the North West province the full cost is still to emerge. UFRIEDA HO reflects that even the “victors” lost.
Let women decide whether they want to take dolutegravir
An important new antiretroviral medicine will soon become available to people living with HIV in various Sub-Saharan African countries. Unfortunately, many women might be denied access to this new drug due to an inability of regulators and health departments to see potential risks associated with the drug in the proper context.
Need we help the Office of Health Standards Compliance to do more?
The Rural Health Advocacy Project’s Samantha Khan-Gillmore makes a impassioned plea for the Office of Health Standards Compliance to be capacitated to do more.
NHI: A tale of two hospitals
National Health Insurance is supposed to shrink the gulf between the public and private health sector. SECTION27 Researcher Thabang Pooe recently experienced both sides in one day. Here she reflects on her observations.
But hey, who cares?
Once upon a time and not so long ago our politicians and senior public servants cared about the lives of other people. They cared about the loss of life. They took personal risks to prevent it. They went to prison. They went into exile. They risked their own security and comfort. That was once upon a time. That was history.
One year after the Life Esidimeni arbitration
It is one year since the Life Esidimeni arbitration kicked off. Ngqabutho Mpofu reflects on what has happened since and what still needs to happen for true justice to be delivered to those who were wronged.
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