A cutting-edge, South African-led HIV vaccine trial built on decades of research recently kicked off in Cape Town. Elri Voigt unpacks what exactly is being studied, and how the resilience, tenacity and urgency of a group of dedicated South African researchers made it possible.
Childhood immunisation programmes have saved many millions of lives and prevented much suffering. Yet, immunisation programmes have lost momentum over the last decade or so. In this Spotlight special briefing, Elri Voigt unpacks the available data and considers how immunisation efforts might be revitalised.
The Nelson Mandela-Fidel Castro medical training programme has been controversial from the start. It’s had high points, low points and many say it should have an end point, writes Ufrieda Ho.
While likely years away from widespread use, a test for TB that relies on a simple tongue swab instead of a person having to cough up sputum is showing promise. Elri Voigt takes stock of how the test works and asks experts what its future role might be.
Medical researchers in South Africa are in limbo as they wait to hear whether over R800 million in research grants from the United States National Institutes of Health will be terminated. South Africa’s top universities, which receive the bulk of the funding, will be particularly hard hit if the cuts materialise. Catherine Tomlinson reports.
A new health research hub brings hope of improving health services in the Rustenburg Valley in the North West Province. Nthusang Lefafa finds out more about how the Bafokeng Health and Demographic Surveillance System Node will work and what it has to offer.
An extended impasse over a vital agreement for training and improved hospital management between the Gauteng Department of Health and Wits University remains derailed, despite behind the scenes efforts to get it back on track, reports Ufrieda Ho.
