Health
Robots, polony and the fight to keep schizophrenia patients out of hospital
A pioneering study in the Eastern Cape demonstrates how peer-led recovery groups can sharply curb psychosis relapses and keep schizophrenia patients out of hospital, yet deep…
Meet the ‘matriarch of pain’ who wants to change how SA treats patients
Pain is the leading reason people seek medical care, yet chronic pain remains widely misunderstood and mistreated. Physiotherapist and researcher Professor Romy Parker has spent…
Without floods, a quarter fewer Africans in this study would have mental health problems
Living through natural disasters like floods leaves deep psychological scars that can last for years. A study across four African countries reveals the neglected mental health…
Period poverty is keeping South African girls out of the classroom
Lack of access to sanitary products forces many South African girls to miss school out of fear and embarrassment. In Hammanskraal, the TS Pad a Girl Foundation is stepping up to…
Black market weight-loss drug sellers are moving fast. SA’s regulators are struggling to keep up
As the demand for weight-loss injections surges, compounded copycats and unlicensed drugs like retatrutide are flooding South Africa's market. Regulators are racing to introduce…
‘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…
Crackdown on illegal weight loss drugs
Pharmaceutical industry leaders and South African regulators have demanded urgent crackdowns, seizures, and arrests to curb the dangerous open sale of unregistered weight loss…
LEN won’t sell itself: 6 lessons from HIV prevention pills
Lenacapavir offers game-changing, twice-yearly protection against HIV, but South Africa's experience with prevention pills proves an effective medicine won't sell itself. Here…
Would homegrown LEN cost more? Why SA should still make the HIV prevention jab
South Africa aims to manufacture the revolutionary six-monthly HIV prevention injection lenacapavir locally. Experts weigh the need for rapid, affordable access against building…
For 20 years, Kwanele Asante told health systems to listen to patients. Then the UN gave her the mic
South African lawyer and bioethicist Kwanele Asante transformed her personal health challenges with breast cancer and chronic illness into decades of fierce advocacy for people…
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…
Meet four people who got the HIV prevention jab
As South Africa rolls out the six-monthly HIV prevention injection, Lenacapavir, four people from high-risk groups explain why they chose the shot over daily pills and what their…
The first generic weight loss drug hit SA in August — with many expected to follow. Will it be enough to kill the black market?
As patents expire, generic versions of blockbuster weight-loss and diabetes drugs like Ozempic arrive in South Africa. But will price drops be enough to end the dangerous black…
SA and Zambia’s HIV shot dilemma: Demand versus supply
South Africa and Zambia are grappling with a significant challenge in rolling out lenacapavir, a new six-monthly HIV prevention injection. Despite high demand and promising early…
‘This is how we do it’: 30 years of caring for a son with cerebral palsy
Keneilwe Dikoma's life changed forever when her son Lorato was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at six months old. For three decades, she has navigated the complexities of care in…
Aids is no longer exceptional. What happens now?
The International Aids Conference in Rio de Janeiro highlighted a stark reality: the era of Aids exceptionalism is ending amid unprecedented funding cuts. As science delivers…
The unfinished fight for South Africa's young women
Seventy years after the historic Women's March, South Africa reflects on progress while confronting the ongoing challenges faced by young women today, from healthcare access and…
Building belief beyond the laboratory
Dr. Zakithi Mkhize, a virologist specialising in HIV research and founder of Black Girl Scientist Media, is changing perceptions of scientists in South Africa. Through her work…
#Aids2026: Bhekisisa analysed SA’s first LEN roll-out data. Here's what it found
South Africa accounts for over half of all lenacapavir (LEN) users in Africa, with health department data revealing 31,297 of the continent's roughly 60,000 users are in the…
SA tech firm to launch AI-powered healthcare booking platform
Knockturnal, a wholly black-owned South African technology company, is set to launch Hlokomela, an AI-assisted digital health platform. Founded by software engineer Moses Tjege,…