Competition law has again worked to fight a bad drug patent, but we need other solutions

Posted in: Access to Medicines, Comment, Focus, Healthcare system, HIV/AIDS, InFocus, Latest, Spotlight, TB

A Competition Commission probe recently resulted in a patent on an important tuberculosis medicine being dropped in South Africa. Twenty years ago, a similar Competition Commission case resulted in a settlement that helped drive down the prices of several antiretrovirals, thereby helping to set the stage for the country’s HIV treatment programme. Fatima Hassan and Leena Menghaney connect the dots between the two landmark cases and map out what has and has not changed over the last two decades.

Competition law has again worked to fight a bad drug patent, but we need other solutions

#InTheSpotlight | Poorly controlled diabetes is a top killer, time to take it more seriously

Posted in: #InTheSpotlight, Access to Medicines, Focus, Healthcare system, InFocus, Latest, Special Investigations, Spotlight

The South African government has adopted a national target to bring the blood sugar levels of people with diabetes under control. But beyond the target, the country’s response to diabetes is falling far short. In this Spotlight special briefing, Catherine Tomlinson looks at what the country needs to do to better manage this often fatal disease and how we can draw lessons from the response to HIV.

#InTheSpotlight | Poorly controlled diabetes is a top killer, time to take it more seriously

Why we don’t have long-acting HIV treatment in South Africa

Posted in: Access to Medicines, Focus, Healthcare system, HIV/AIDS, InFocus, Latest

In South Africa, taking HIV treatment means taking one or more antiretroviral tablets a day. People in some other countries have the additional option of treatment in the form of two injections administered every two months. Elri Voigt unpacks why long-acting HIV treatment is not available in South Africa and asks why the push for HIV prevention jabs has been so much stronger than that for HIV treatment jabs.

Why we don’t have long-acting HIV treatment in South Africa

Meet the movie buff and scientist fighting to keep rural healthcare from falling through the cracks

Posted in: Access to Medicines, Healthcare system, InFocus, Latest, Spotlight

Working with women in Giyani in Limpopo sparked the flame for Professor Kathy Kahn to dedicate her research career to the rural community she says she is “bonded to”. She tells Spotlight’s Ufrieda Ho why it’s been this way since she was a student in medical school.

Meet the movie buff and scientist fighting to keep rural healthcare from falling through the cracks

AIDS 2024: Exciting developments with the jabs promising to revolutionise HIV prevention

Posted in: Access to Medicines, Focus, Healthcare system, HIV/AIDS, InFocus, Latest

Taking antiretrovirals to prevent HIV infection mostly still involves swallowing one or more pills a day. Some long-acting products that work for a month or two at a time have been approved but are not yet in wide use in South Africa. As delegates gathered for the 25th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2024) last week, Elri Voigt takes stock of the latest developments in this fast-moving field.

AIDS 2024: Exciting developments with the jabs promising to revolutionise HIV prevention

Twice-yearly HIV prevention shot succeeds in pivotal trial, but questions loom over future access

Posted in: Access to Medicines, Focus, Healthcare system, HIV/AIDS, InFocus, Latest

An HIV prevention injection that provides six months of protection per shot has been shown to be highly effective in a pivotal trial largely conducted in South Africa. There are however some concerns as to when the injection will become available and how widely. Thabo Molelekwa and Marcus Low report.

Twice-yearly HIV prevention shot succeeds in pivotal trial, but questions loom over future access

HPV vaccination switching to single-dose and private schools to get government supply

Posted in: Access to Medicines, Child health, Focus, Healthcare system, InFocus, Latest, Reproductive Health, Spotlight

A decade into South Africa’s HPV vaccination programme, the health department is switching from a two-dose to a single dose vaccine regimen and girls in private schools are set to start receiving government subsidised jabs. The vaccine provided, GlaxoSmithKline’s Cervarix, will remain the same. The move is backed by evidence showing one-dose regimens provide similar protection against HPV infection as multi-dose regimens. Catherine Tomlinson reports.

HPV vaccination switching to single-dose and private schools to get government supply

Why a major finding on HIV and statins may not be that relevant in SA

Posted in: Access to Medicines, Focus, Healthcare system, HIV/AIDS, InFocus, Latest, Spotlight

One of the biggest stories in HIV in the last year was that a class of medicines called statins could help reduce cardiovascular disease in people living with the virus. In response, treatment guidelines in the United States were quickly updated, but the picture is more complicated in South Africa. Spotlight’s Elri Voigt explores why the case for widespread use of statins by people living with HIV is less compelling in South Africa than in some other countries.

Why a major finding on HIV and statins may not be that relevant in SA

#InTheSpotlight | HIV prevention injections exist, but hardly anyone can get them

Posted in: #InTheSpotlight, Access to Medicines, Healthcare system, Latest, Special Investigations, Spotlight

HIV prevention injections have been registered for use in South Africa, but their high price and limited supply means that for the next few years, while awaiting more affordable generics, very few people will be able to get the jabs. In this Spotlight special briefing, Catherine Tomlinson looks at the difficult choices facing the country if we want to offer the injection to more people more quickly. The calls we make could have global implications.

#InTheSpotlight | HIV prevention injections exist, but hardly anyone can get them

HIV treatment for kids has improved and there is more to come, says Dr Moherndran Archary

Posted in: Access to Medicines, Child health, Focus, HIV/AIDS, InFocus, Latest, Spotlight

Dr Moherndran Archary’s research has helped shape South African health policy, most notably the rollout of better HIV treatments for children and babies. Spotlight’s Biénne Huisman chatted to him about the state of HIV treatment for kids and some exciting prospects on the horizon.

HIV treatment for kids has improved and there is more to come, says Dr Moherndran Archary

#InTheSpotlight | Diabetes is a leading killer in SA – yet we don’t know who has it or where they are

Posted in: #InTheSpotlight, Access to Medicines, Focus, Healthcare system, InFocus, Latest, Special Investigations, Spotlight

Diabetes is the second leading cause of death in South Africa after tuberculosis, according to Statistics South Africa. It is the leading cause of death in women. Yet, despite being a major driver of deaths and illness, we do not have a clear picture of how many people in the country have diabetes or how many people are receiving diabetes care. This leaves our health system ill-equipped to handle the growing diabetes crisis.

#InTheSpotlight | Diabetes is a leading killer in SA – yet we don’t know who has it or where they are

Chronic kidney disease rates have dropped in people with HIV, but late diagnosis remains a serious problem

Posted in: Access to Medicines, Focus, HIV/AIDS, InFocus, Latest, Spotlight

Elri Voigt unpacks the complex effect that HIV has on the kidneys, how HIV and chronic kidney disease has evolved after the roll out of anti-retroviral treatment, and what the situation is now in the country for people living with HIV and chronic kidney disease.