Health in 2023: A deceptively busy year in fewer than 1 000 words

Posted in: Editorial, Latest

2023 was a busy year for healthcare in South Africa. We saw several promising policy developments, landmark court cases, important pieces of legislation, and some changes in leadership. Yet, take a step back and at facility level little seems to have changed. Shortages of healthcare workers persist, corruption is still rife, budgets tight, and our health governance crisis remains as acute as ever. Marcus Low looks back at the year in health in fewer than 1 000 words.

Health in 2023: A deceptively busy year in fewer than 1 000 words

Courts to decide whether pharmacists can start HIV medicines without a doctor’s script

Posted in: Healthcare system, HIV/AIDS, Latest

In August 2021, the South African Pharmacy Council published legislation in the Government Gazette to enable pharmacists to prescribe and dispense antiretroviral medicines for the treatment and prevention of HIV. A legal challenge then put the brakes on the initiative and the courts are now set to decide whether it can continue. Catherine Tomlinson reports.