EDITORIAL | What has actually happened on NHI this year?
It is not a stretch to say that the NHI Act has been one of the most controversial pieces of legislation in post-apartheid South Africa.
54 000 TB deaths in SA in 2024, according to WHO
Around 54 000 people died of TB in South Africa in 2024 and 249 000 fell ill with the disease, according to new estimates from the World Health Organization. Marcus Low reports.
Vincent Tlala | Medicines safety – the crucial role of pharmacists in protecting you
Medicines are among the most powerful tools in healthcare, but they also come with risks. As we mark #MedSafetyWeek, Mr Vincent Tlala, registrar and CEO of the South African Pharmacy Council, argues that the safe use of medicines is a shared responsibility, and is not only up to pharmacists.
WHO recommends nutritional support in fight against TB – government claims to take it on board
Evidence has been mounting that poor nutrition impacts both someone’s risk of falling ill with TB and how well they do once ill. But as the World Health Organization (WHO) releases new guidelines on TB and nutrition, it is unclear to what extent the South African government is ready to invest in providing people with nutritional support as part of the fight against TB. Biénne Huisman reports.
On which legal arguments are the NHI court cases set to turn? Part 2: Right to healthcare services
The NHI Act is facing a slew of legal challenges from multiple organisations. For this special series, Spotlight combed through court papers, and spoke with legal experts to pin down what specific arguments litigants are betting on.
World’s biggest community-led health watchdog falters as US backs out
Ritshidze, South Africa’s powerhouse community-led healthcare monitor, is on the brink of shutting down. Experts warn its collapse could unravel years of progress in our clinics – just as worrying new data points to a decline in HIV services.
Government and the private sector should team up to improve healthcare, conference hears
Government and the private sector could work together much more effectively to improve healthcare services in South Africa, but the potential of such a partnership remains largely untapped, delegates heard last week at the Hospital Association of South Africa conference.
Medical devices aren’t regulated in SA, but that is set to change
Unlike with medicines, and with a few exceptions, South Africa’s regulator does not assess whether diagnostic tests and other medical devices on the market are safe and work as they are supposed to. The regulator has however started down a road that should eventually lead to the regulation of all medical devices in the country. Catherine Tomlinson unpacks the details.
EDITORIAL | The rot runs deep: Gauteng Health’s dance of impunity betrays the people it is meant to serve
The courts have spoken. The health ombud has issued devastating reports. The Auditor-General has again put damning evidence on the table. Civil society has protested. Yet, the devastating crisis in Gauteng’s health system shows no sign of improvement.
On which legal arguments are the NHI court cases set to turn? Part 1: Affordability
Since President Cyril Ramaphposa signed the NHI Act into law last year in May, eight different groups have challenged it in court. One common argument is that it is irrational and unreasonable to restructure the health system when there’s no money to do so. In this feature, Spotlight dissects how the argument is being applied, and whether it has any chance of success.
Response to aid cuts and HIV prevention injections dominate discussions at SA AIDS conference
A dire picture for HIV/Aids funding emerged at the 12th South African AIDS Conference, raising the call for resilience, adapting and also for government to raise its game, reports Ufrieda Ho.
Stateless in SA: Primrose Modisane’s years-long struggle for legal recognition
When South Africans get caught up in the country’s often dysfunctional home affairs system, sometimes even DNA evidence isn’t enough to prove their citizenship. This can, among others, have consequences for people’s ability to access healthcare services. For foreign nationals, navigating the system can be even harder.
