Face to face: “Fail your way to success”, says Prof behind pioneering drug discovery group at UCT

Posted in: Healthcare Workers, Latest

Technical work on the discovery of new medicines is not commonly done in South Africa, or Africa, for that matter. One person who is at the forefront of changing this, is Kelly Chibale, a professor in organic chemistry and founder of the pioneering Holistic Drug Discovery and Development Centre – H3D – at the University of Cape Town. Biénne Huisman spoke to Chibale about his fascinating work and his journey from a village in Zambia, across the world, and back to Cape Town.

Face to face: “Fail your way to success”, says Prof behind pioneering drug discovery group at UCT

New RSV vaccine can save thousands of lives, researchers say

Posted in: Child health, Latest

The first vaccine to prevent severe lung infections, including pneumonia, in infants will save thousands of lives and reduce the burden on health systems of low- to middle-income countries, researchers say. Adele Baleta reports.

New RSV vaccine can save thousands of lives, researchers say

COVID-19: Binning of jabs a ‘shocking indictment’ of vaccination campaign, says health expert

Posted in: Spotlight

COVID-19 vaccine doses destined to be binned next month are “a shocking indictment” and questions need to be asked about just how effective the country’s vaccination drive has been, some public health experts say. Ufrieda Ho reports.

COVID-19: Binning of jabs a ‘shocking indictment’ of vaccination campaign, says health expert

COVID-19: Benefits of vaccines still far outweigh risks, experts say

Posted in: COVID-19, Latest

The benefits of approved COVID-19 vaccines still far outweigh the risks, experts say following a recently reported death in South Africa linked to Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine. Adele Baleta reports.

COVID-19: Benefits of vaccines still far outweigh risks, experts say

Analysis: Will red tape hold back mix-and-match vaccine boosting in SA?

Posted in: COVID-19, Healthcare system, Latest

Unlike regulators in the United States and Europe, the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority has not yet given the green light for any form of mix-and-match COVID-19 vaccine boosting. We take a look at the regulatory issues standing in the way of people in South Africa who received the Johnson & Johnson jab being offered Pfizer boosters.

Analysis: Will red tape hold back mix-and-match vaccine boosting in SA?

In-depth: New licenses could spark manufacture of COVID-19 pills in Africa

Posted in: Access to Medicines, COVID-19, Healthcare system, Latest

Pharmaceutical companies Merck and Pfizer recently announced early results from clinical trials showing that two new antiviral medicines are highly effective in reducing COVID-19 deaths and hospitalisation. The Medicines Patent Pool then announced licensing deals with both companies that will allow for generic versions of the two drugs to be produced. Catherine Tomlinson unpacks the licenses and asks whether generic versions of these pills might now be made in Africa.

In-depth: New licenses could spark manufacture of COVID-19 pills in Africa

COVID-19: Unpacking North West’s low vaccination numbers

Posted in: Spotlight

The North West has passed the one million mark for COVID-19 jabs administered. Nthusang Lefafa unpacks the vaccination numbers, reasons for the province having some of the lowest vaccination numbers in the country, and how it is working to catch up.

COVID-19: Unpacking North West’s low vaccination numbers

COVID-19: How to respond to vaccine hesitancy

Posted in: COVID-19, Latest

Initially hamstrung by low and uncertain supplies of COVID-19 vaccines, government is arguably now in a better position to campaign actively to accelerate vaccine demand, albeit in the midst of an often-harmful viral “infodemic”. Chris Bateman asks what can be done to boost demand for the jab.

COVID-19: How to respond to vaccine hesitancy

COVID-19: Is SA vaccinating enough older persons to protect against possible fourth wave?

Posted in: COVID-19, Healthcare system, Latest

Just 54% of people in South Africa over the age of 50 have received at least one COVID-19 jab, with significant variation between provinces, as experts warn of the possibility of another wave of COVID-19 in future. Chris Bateman reports.

COVID-19: Is SA vaccinating enough older persons to protect against possible fourth wave?

We need to vaccinate 90% of over-35s – Madhi

Posted in: COVID-19, Healthcare system, Latest

Government can avoid the overwhelming of health services and minimise death in an anticipated fourth COVID-19 wave in November/December by getting 90% of people in South Africa over 35 years old vaccinated before then. Life could then return to normal by Christmas, even with ongoing SARS-CoV-2 circulation, contends vaccinologist Professor Shabir Madhi.

We need to vaccinate 90% of over-35s – Madhi

COVID-19: One week of vaccines: What are we doing well? What can be done better?

Posted in: COVID-19, Latest

It has been a week since South Africa started its mass rollout for 60-year-olds and older. Nathan Geffen and Marcus Low assess the rollout so far.

COVID-19: One week of vaccines: What are we doing well? What can be done better?

In-depth: What will it take to actually make mRNA vaccines in SA

Posted in: COVID-19, Latest

Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines, such as the COVID-19 vaccines made by Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech, have been hailed for their manufacturing advantages over conventional vaccines – so much so that African leaders such as President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for mRNA production capacity to be developed in Africa. Catherine Tomlinson examines why mRNA vaccines are easier to make than some other types of vaccines and asks what it will take to build such production capacity.