Rich province, poor health care
By Ufrieda Ho – In money terms, Gauteng’s health budget looks plump and healthy at R37,4 billion for the 2016-2017 financial year – R2.07 billion more than the previous financial year.
Editorial: Three months to get it right
Delays at the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) has meant that the new NSP (National Strategic Plan) will now only be ready in March 2017. By Anso Thom and Marcus Low.
How do we get to zero TB?
By Salmaan Keshavjee – Tuberculosis (TB) has surpassed HIV/AIDS as the biggest infectious killer of adults worldwide. In 2015, an estimated 10.4 million people became sick with the disease – one million of whom were children – and 1.8 million people died.
TB: What the numbers tell us about political will
Marcus Low – Last month the annual Union World Conference on Lung Health was held in Liverpool, United Kingdom. As always at this conferences, much was said about how the world needs to step up the fight against tuberculosis (TB) – about how we need new agendas and paradigm shifts.
Less money for TB research
By Mike Frick – The world spent less on tuberculosis (TB) research in 2015 than it did in 2009. This decrease in spending does not track a similar decline in TB incidence or mortality.
Notes on our next NSP
By Marcus Low, Spotlight Editor – At the end of this year South Africa’s big plan to fight HIV and tuberculosis (TB) comes to an end. The National Strategic Plan (NSP) for HIV, TB and STIs 2012 – 2016 will be replaced by the 2017 – 2021 NSP. It is vital that the new NSP avoids the mistakes of the past and fully incorporates new scientific evidence.
Won the battle, lost the war
By Marcus Low & Lotti Rutter – In the early days of the AIDS epidemic, the high price of antiretroviral medicines meant many lives were unnecessarily lost. While the global AIDS movement managed to force lower prices for key ARVs, the wider battle has not yet been won.
