Missed, misunderstood, and deadly: A Cape Town family’s heartbreak with hepatitis B

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.

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He leads with heart and hustle at Groote Schuur but money is a big problem, says nursing boss

He leads with heart and hustle at Groote Schuur but money is a big problem, says nursing boss

Groote Schuur Hospital’s first male nursing manager, Aghmat Mohamed, reflects on the pressures of nursing in South Africa. Ahead of International Nurses Day and the release of a major global report on the state of nursing, Biénne Huisman chatted to him about his decades on the front lines of healthcare.

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Cape Town study brings hope to newborns left behind in HIV treatment advances

Cape Town study brings hope to newborns left behind in HIV treatment advances

Research led by Professor Adrie Bekker is paving the way for an important HIV medicine to be made available to neonates in a way that is both safe and much more convenient than previous options. Biénne Huisman met with the passionate clinician-scientist at her office in Cape Town.

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At the heart of Rape Crisis is a group of ‘positive people’, says former director

At the heart of Rape Crisis is a group of ‘positive people’, says former director

Rape Crisis pioneered the first containment counselling service at Cape Town’s inaugural Thuthuzela Care Centre, a model now adopted nationwide. Sue Segar visited staff at the soon to be 50-year-old organisation’s three offices and spoke with a rape survivor who has since become a volunteer at their Khayelitsha branch.

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“We’ll come to you”: HIV prevention project takes services to schools

“We’ll come to you”: HIV prevention project takes services to schools

Elzette Rousseau from the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation told attendees at the top HIV conference in The United States about a project taking HIV prevention services to schools in Cape Town. Biénne Huisman visited one of the sites to find out how it works.

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How healthcare workers are being trained to meet the needs of rural communities

How healthcare workers are being trained to meet the needs of rural communities

Ukwanda, the isiXhosa word for “grow,” encapsulates the mission of Stellenbosch University’s Ukwanda Centre for Rural Health: nurturing healthcare in rural communities. At the centre’s annual community partnership event in Worcester, Sue Segar discovered how future healthcare professionals are stepping up to address the unique challenges of rural populations.

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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Of South Africa’s nine health MECs, five are new

Of South Africa’s nine health MECs, five are new

Following South Africa’s 2024 national and provincial elections, the decisions about the top health jobs in the country’s nine provinces have now all been made. Elri Voigt rounds up the appointments.

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Cutting edge robotic surgery: Beacons of excellence at two Cape Town public hospitals

Cutting edge robotic surgery: Beacons of excellence at two Cape Town public hospitals

Within South Africa’s beleaguered public health sector – unsettled by budget cuts, understaffing, and divisive NHI legislation – cutting edge surgical robots that have been used to perform more than 600 surgeries at two Cape Town public hospitals are beacons of excellence that offer a glimmer of hope. Spotlight’s Biénne Huisman visited Dr Tim Forgan at Tygerberg Hospital to learn more.

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A humanist with an unblinking gaze – Professor Ntobeko Ntusi takes the hot-seat at the South African Medical Research Council

A humanist with an unblinking gaze – Professor Ntobeko Ntusi takes the hot-seat at the South African Medical Research Council

Professor Ntobeko Ntusi may be softspoken, but he is not afraid to stand by his strongly held views. As he is set to take up the hot-seat at the country’s primary health research funder, he tells Spotlight’s Biénne Huisman about his background and his priorities for the new job.

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