Slow progress after decision to make TB prevention pills more widely available

Besides preventing illness and death, tuberculosis prevention therapy is estimated to be highly cost effective. Yet, uptake of the medication is not what it could be in South Africa. Tiyese Jeranji asks how much has changed since the Department of Health last year decided to make TB prevention therapy much more widely available.

Read More

#Vote4Health | What parties are putting on the table for healthcare in the Eastern Cape

Spotlight reached out to different political parties in the Eastern Cape to get their perspectives on how they plan to jack up healthcare in a province where thousands of people still have difficulty accessing healthcare. Only three parties responded. We zoom in on their views on crippled emergency medical services and ballooning medico-legal claims.

Read More

Susan Cleary | Let’s be pragmatic – the NHI has constructive and contentious aspects

President Cyril Ramaphosa recently signed the NHI Bill into law. The question is whether this will bring South Africa closer towards Universal Health Coverage. Professor Susan Cleary argues that the NHI is a wide ranging reform with both positive and controversial aspects. The key will be to find a middle ground in order to continue on the journey to UHC.

Read More

#Vote4Health | Several political parties dodge questions on how they plan to improve health in Gauteng

What is at stake in South Africa’s upcoming provincial elections when it comes to healthcare? Ufrieda Ho put questions to five political parties about their plans to get Gauteng Health on track to better healthcare services after the polls. Only two parties responded .

Read More

The Cass Review provides guidance on gender-affirming care: SA’s medical community is now at a crossroads

The question as to the best approach to providing care for children and young people with gender dysphoria or gender incongruence is complex, contested, and controversial, both in South Africa and globally. Following the release of a major new report in the United Kingdom, it is clear that a change of course is needed in South Africa, argue doctors Janet Giddy, Allan Donkin, and associate professor Reitze Rodseth.

Read More