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.

Read More

The current gonorrhoea meds might stop working – when will newer ones make it to SA?

The current gonorrhoea meds might stop working – when will newer ones make it to SA?

Two new antibiotics offer hope for people with gonorrhoea that is resistant to currently available drugs. Yet, it might be years before the people who need these medicines can get them. Catherine Tomlinson unpacks why these new antibiotics are important and what needs to happen before they can be used in South Africa.

Read More

Why most people in South Africa can’t get the shingles vaccine

Why most people in South Africa can’t get the shingles vaccine

The only shingles vaccine on the market in South Africa was discontinued last year. A newer and better vaccine is being used in some other countries, but has not yet been registered in South Africa, though it can be obtained by those with money who are willing to jump through some hoops. Catherine Tomlinson reports.

Read More

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.

Read More

US pulls funding for South African medical research

US pulls funding for South African medical research

US funding for clinical research in South Africa is incrementally being cancelled. This is happening through at least two processes – the first is by banning certain kinds of foreign grants called sub-awards (which is affecting everyone globally). The second is by failing to issue routine renewals of grants for clinical studies in South Africa. Spotlight and GroundUp break down the current situation.

Read More

Gauteng state doctors gear up to fight health department over overtime payments

Gauteng state doctors gear up to fight health department over overtime payments

Trade unions, medical associations and universities are raising the alarm that Gauteng budget cuts at the cost of doctors’ take-home pay will have dire consequences for public sector health. Meanwhile, the National Minister of Health has convened a committee to review the future of overtime for state doctors. Ufrieda Ho reports.

Read More

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.

Read More

Francois Venter | Our HIV programme is collapsing — and our government is nowhere to be seen

Francois Venter | Our HIV programme is collapsing — and our government is nowhere to be seen

We’re watching the largest HIV treatment programme in the world unravelling in real time. We don’t need perfection, but we do need a combination of urgency, action, and strategy to save it, argues Professor Francois Venter.

Read More

Controversy and cautious hope collide as Masechaba Sesing heads up Free State health dept

Controversy and cautious hope collide as Masechaba Sesing heads up Free State health dept

With a new head, there is quiet optimism in some circles that a turnaround in the Free State Department of Health’s fortunes could be on the cards. Masechaba Sesing talked to Spotlight’s Ufrieda Ho about her plans for the department.

Read More

Inside government’s confused response to the US funding crisis

Inside government’s confused response to the US funding crisis

In late-January, the US suspended billions of dollars worth of international aid, including for HIV-related programmes in South Africa. The South African government could have responded by triggering an emergency funding mechanism but has failed to do so yet. In the meantime, activists, health researchers and even technical advisors to government are growing increasingly frustrated with the government’s lack of transparency on this issue.

Read More

US funding cuts could cause over 150 000 additional HIV infections in SA by 2028 – new study

US funding cuts could cause over 150 000 additional HIV infections in SA by 2028 – new study

Top local researchers estimate that the cancellation of funding from the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief could lead to a significant increase in HIV infections and deaths in South Africa. Jesse Copelyn reports.

Read More

Shut doors, unmet needs: The strain of hospital closures on two North West communities

Shut doors, unmet needs: The strain of hospital closures on two North West communities

People who live near Thusong District Hospital, which closed in 2022, and the Christiana District Hospital, which was destroyed by fire in 2021, told Spotlight’s Nthusang Lefafa they are frustrated over long ambulance wait times, overcrowded clinics, and the high cost of traveling to alternative healthcare facilities

Read More