Lonely and isolated people are not just experiencing emotional states — these can be lethal
Misinformation fuelled by the US health secretary is creating a dangerous – and growing – lack of trust in vaccines
A throat ulcer. Bloody urine. A sick baby. That’s what smokers in other countries see. In South Africa? For now, it’s a tiny black box
Little has been invested in mining and exploration, and that includes in social compacts
If one looks at the unchecked abuse of resources, then it is not surprising that the continent’s health system is struggling
African countries, including South Africa, have limited waste infrastructure and uneven water treatment systems, which exacerbates the problem of antibiotic resistance
Telling most South Africans they can’t drink is a nonstarter, but we need to acknowledge just how dangerous it is, and what we can do to curb it
With fewer people smoking cigarettes globally, the tobacco industry is using its well-honed tactics to increase sales of electronic devices like vapes and heated tobacco products
Francois Venter talks about his unorthodox inaugural lecture, his work during the Aids crisis and his shoot-from-the-hip fix of our healthcare system
The key assumption that municipalities would raise enough revenue to fund most of their operational expenditure needs to be revisited
Hunger, exclusion from education and Africa’s debt is more than policy failure, inequality and poor planning, it is the theft of dignity, potential and oppression
Under SA’s latest proposed food labelling regulations, 100% fruit juices won’t have to show a high sugar warning because their sugars are “naturally occurring”
Ketamine has been used for decades as an anaesthetic drug, but in the past few years, more and more psychiatrists have been using it for hard-to-treat depression
Last month, the health minister said more than half a million previously diagnosed people with HIV have been started on treatment since the end of February
Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder affects 5% to 7% of schoolgoing children, but doctors can only prescribe treatment for a month at a time, so don’t get too much medication regularly
The association argued that the Bill is not fiscally feasible and would have adverse effects on the economy and healthcare system
With the 12 specialised key population clinics in South Africa funded by the US government, and now shuttered, getting treatment at government clinics has been difficult, if not impossible
Conditions in South Africa’s many informal settlements cause health and environmental problems too
More than a quarter of children under the age of five in the country are chronically malnourished
The study highlights the need for more research to focus on African demographics on the continent to personalise treatments
As government clinics take on HIV patients who were previously treated by Pepfar-funded projects, the treatment of conditions like diabetes and heart disease will come under pressure
About 50% of the continent’s children have experienced violence – emotional, sexual, physical and the added dangers of war
Activists say the health minister is in denial over the impact of US funding cuts and accusing them and the media of overblowing the crisis and spreading disinformation
Researchers from the University of the Witwatersrand have gathered data from the Diepkloof Forensic Pathology Service in Soweto to better understand why so many women turn to desperate measures instead of seeking legal and safe abortions
The health minister said local investment and support from other global partners would keep the country’s treatment efforts going
Today, people over 50 make up the second largest group of South Africa’s HIV-positive population — 20 years ago, they were the smallest proportion
Victims could see justice as the company begins settlement for the outbreak that was linked to contaminated food
Preeclampsia is a complication characterised by high blood pressure and organ damage, arising during the second half of pregnancy, in labour or in the first week after delivery. It plays a major part in about 16% of the deaths of women in sub-Saharan Africa. And it’s on the rise. The incidence of preeclampsia in Africa […]
We must address the global shortage of nurse educators by investing in nursing education and ensuring their well-being.
Budget cuts, staff shortages and socio-economic barriers continue to undermine efforts to improve neonatal care and reduce infant mortality
Many people told Sarah Stein that practising medicine would be difficult. Now, as a fifth year medical student at the University of Cape Town, she wishes she would have listened more carefully
If all of its National Institutes of Health funding falls away, the country could lose 70% of its medical research capacity