Dr Hermann Reuter says the biggest battle after HIV in SA is addiction – and it is being ignored

Dr Hermann Reuter says the biggest battle after HIV in SA is addiction – and it is being ignored

Dr Hermann Reuter did pioneering work treating HIV in the early 2000s in Cape Town and in the rural Eastern Cape. Today, his focus is substance abuse, which he believes is the country’s biggest health issue after HIV. Sue Segar spent time with him to learn about his work in the Garden Route city of George.

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“At the clinic … you can feel them staring” – How specialised services are helping trans people in George

“At the clinic … you can feel them staring” – How specialised services are helping trans people in George

An NGO offers safe, private HIV services to Men who Have Sex with Men and transgender people in George. Sue Segar met with some of the people using these services, and found the NGO, TB HIV Care are already providing relief from the hostile reactions trans people sometimes experience in government clinics.

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Mireille Wenger | What 49 000 Western Cape teenagers taught us about preventing alcohol abuse and violence

Mireille Wenger | What 49 000 Western Cape teenagers taught us about preventing alcohol abuse and violence

A survey of 49 000 teenagers in the Western Cape reminds us that preventing violence does not begin in a hospital, a police station or a courtroom. It begins much earlier, in families, schools, sports fields, faith communities and neighbourhoods, writes Western Cape Provincial Minister of Health and Wellness Mireille Wenger.

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The Thursday evening clinics changing lives in Nkqubela

The Thursday evening clinics changing lives in Nkqubela

Seasonal workers in Robertson often struggle to get to the clinic to access basic healthcare during the day, so community health workers in the Langeberg have set up mobile clinics to visit the township at night. Sue Segar reports.

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Cape Town’s unique kidney clinic is keeping youngsters alive

Cape Town’s unique kidney clinic is keeping youngsters alive

Young people with kidney disease in South Africa often fall into the gap between the paediatric and adult healthcare systems. One innovative clinic in Cape Town is offering a solution tailor-made for this group. Elna Schütz reports.

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How far will 800 new posts take Western Cape Health?

How far will 800 new posts take Western Cape Health?

The Western Cape health department is ramping up its workforce with 800 new frontline posts. After years of austerity and with long lists of vacancies, questions now turn to how soon the new posts will translate into staff on the ground. Christina Pitt reports.

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The professor who wouldn’t look away: Leslie London on poison, the ‘dop system’, and genocide

The professor who wouldn’t look away: Leslie London on poison, the ‘dop system’, and genocide

From academic corridors to ministerial meetings and rural reaches, Leslie London has never shied away from speaking truth to power. Biénne Huisman speaks to the Emeritus Professor at the University of Cape Town, who, still in his bright signature shirt and trademark wry grin, continues to fight health inequity.

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“There are good people out there who want to do good things” – How healthcare services are being taken to rural Western Cape farms

“There are good people out there who want to do good things” – How healthcare services are being taken to rural Western Cape farms

The health department in the Western Cape is partnering with farms in the Cape Winelands to provide easier access to healthcare for farm workers. Sue Segar unpacks one such partnership and why it is a triple win for workers, businesses and the government.

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“What’s the point of top tech sitting in labs?” UCT’s Yumna Albertus is on a mission to turn science into social impact

“What’s the point of top tech sitting in labs?” UCT’s Yumna Albertus is on a mission to turn science into social impact

What started as a childhood fascination with science and sport has grown into a mission to “democratise” technology with innovative, affordable rehabilitation solutions for people with limited resources. Biénne Huisman sits down with the associate professor – who was once a volleyball captain and is now the head of a top research centre – and who is proving that low-cost solutions are possible.

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How Philani’s amazing ‘mentor mothers’ are bringing hope to struggling moms and children

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.

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Between silence and sirens: Cape Town trauma surgeon Dr Deidre McPherson’s midnight vigils

Between silence and sirens: Cape Town trauma surgeon Dr Deidre McPherson’s midnight vigils

Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town has one of the busiest emergency centres in the Western Cape. As it turns to the public to raise R20 million for the opening of a new emergency centre, Dr Deidre McPherson chats to Biénne Huisman about the hospital’s trauma frontline.

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How a Cape Town mother gave birth to ‘miracle baby’ who grew outside her womb

How a Cape Town mother gave birth to ‘miracle baby’ who grew outside her womb

Joshua was safely delivered from Sylvia’s belly instead of her uterus one year ago. Biénne Huisman meets mother and baby, and hears from some of the healthcare professionals involved in the remarkable outcome.

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