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Mail & Guardian

South African Medical Research Council

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When someone lives with a severe mental illness, their care often falls onto their family members. The cost, says researcher Bongwekazi Rapiya, is not just financial. Photo: Ron Lach/Pexels
MENTAL HEALTH

‘When do I live?’ What caring for a relative with schizophrenia costs families

A study in the Eastern Cape reveals the immense financial, social, and emotional toll faced by families caring for relatives with schizophrenia, highlighting the urgent need for…

  • Bongwekazi Rapiya
9 min read
GENDER BASED VIOLENCE

Ramaphosa orders GBV case crackdown

President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced a nationwide crackdown on unresolved murders, rapes, and sexual offences against women and children, setting strict deadlines for police,…

  • Hasina Kathrada
6 min read
GENDER BASED VIOLENCE

The killing of women is not a series of unconnected tragedies in South Africa

The viral confrontation in a Sandton restaurant powder room is not an isolated incident. Research reveals how deep-seated entitlement, misogyny, and systemic impunity underpin…

  • Mpumi Zungu
  • Zaynab Essack
  • Whadi-ah Parker
  • Khangelani Zuma
9 min read
PUBLIC HEALTH

Cost blocks public access to RSV protection for babies

High costs are preventing newly approved maternal vaccines and antibody treatments for RSV from entering South Africa's public healthcare system, leaving vulnerable infants…

  • Hasina Kathrada
5 min read
GENDER BASED VIOLENCE

To stop violent men, look at the boys they were

To end South Africa's crisis of violence against women, research shows we must look at the boy before the violent man and intervene where childhood trauma, poverty, and…

  • Yandisa Sikweyiya
  • Andrew Gibbs
7 min read
Second pandemic: Almost a year since GBVF was declared a national disaster, government has failed to implement relevant legislation and hold perpetrators accountable. Photo: ANCYL
CRIME

Ekurhuleni murders expose GBVF gaps

The discovery of nine dead women in Ekurhuleni has exposed critical failures in South Africa's response to gender-based violence and femicide, with advocates warning that…

  • Sheree Bega
7 min read
Findings from the survey on obstetric violence show that out of the estimated 1.79-million women who were mistreated, only 34% knew that how they were treated was wrong — and just 7% reported it. Photo: Hannah Barata/Pexels
MATERNAL HEALTH

Childbirth abuse is rife. Why don’t we see it?

A landmark survey reveals that nearly 1.8 million women in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal experienced obstetric violence over the past decade. In response, South Africa's health…

  • Linda Pretorius
  • Karen Harkema
8 min read
GENDER BASED VIOLENCE

Why are South African women still dying despite decades of evidence?

Despite extensive research and progressive policies, intimate-partner femicide is rising in South Africa. At the Safety 2026 conference in Cape Town, public health experts warned…

  • Hasina Kathrada
7 min read
Not child’s play: Toddlers are all too often caught in the crossfore of this ongoing, deep- rooted social issue on the Cape Flats.
GENDER BASED VIOLENCE

Fix the boy; save the nation

South Africa grapples with alarmingly high rates of gender-based violence and femicide. This article highlights the critical need to address the root causes of violence by…

  • Chris Loker - Moksha
5 min read