The production of cannabis and hemp for medicinal and industrial purposes finally gets a boost from the government
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Five years after being told to fix South Africa’s unconstitutional cannabis laws, the state has failed to do so
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ARV drug dolutegravir will become the go-to drug in all treatment plans next year. Here are 7 things you should know
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority had to speed up its approval of new medicines while still ensuring that they were safe and effective
A lack of coherence between government departments means little progress has been made in developing cannabis policy
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Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela leads the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) — a public entity few people knew about until the Covid-19 pandemic hit
The defence minister said South Africa could not accept the return of vials of the drug it had loaned back to Cuba until it could follow due process
South Africa’s public hospitals and clinics won’t be getting a new Covid-19 treatment called molnupiravir. The tablets have regulatory approval but they aren’t the right fit for the country
South Africa is unlikely to buy a new oral Covid-19 pill called molnupiravir, despite the drug having been approved for use in the country. That’s because deciding to spend money on a medication rests on more than just whether it works
Children aged five to 11 get smaller doses of the Pfizer vaccine than adults. That means the government will have to buy new vials to vaccinate this age group but the health department doesn’t have the money to do so
The government has also started administering J&J booster shots from 24 December and will roll out Pfizer boosters from 28 December
Announcement of when the J&J booster shot will be available is expected to take place at the conclusion of the Sisonke 2 study
Those 12 years and older who are severely immunocompromised can get a Pfizer booster dose at least 28 days after their second jab
The country’s health products regulator has received an application from vaccine manufacturer Pfizer for third-dose approval
The Fix The Patent Laws Campaign wants Trade Minister Ebrahim Patel to publish amendments to the Patent Act to make all medication affordable
There is less demand for ivermectin when South Africa is between Covid-19 waves. But nobody is tracking how many people may be using the animal formulation
Teenagers between the ages of 12 and 17 will be able to register to receive their Covid-19 jab from 20 October. This group will be given only one dose of the Pfizer vaccine, for now
The Russian-produced vaccine might increase the risk of vaccinated males getting HIV, says South Africa’s health products regulatory authority
Vulnerable older groups remain a priority for the health department, so no Covid-19 jabs for children for now
Children from the age of six months to 17 years will take part in vaccine trials
Side-effects are common when you receive any type of vaccine, a senior vaccine researcher says
Scientists are collecting information on the new Delta Plus Covid-19 mutation, a sublineage of the Delta variant that is causing infections to rise globally
The Covid-19 J&J and Pfizer vaccines remain effective in protecting against severe sickness and hospitalisation
SA’s lockdown regulations are tightening to better curb the spread of Covid-19, amid concerns that the Delta variant could drive a surge of infections
Scientists in South Africa say there’s no evidence that the B.1.617 is worse than our local variant
Phase two of the Covid-19 vaccine roll-out aims to commence mid-May. People eligible for this phase, including over-60s, can now register online
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize says selling on the vaccines will stem wasteful expenditure, but people close to the discussions with AU say they will be sold on the cheap
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Few trials have been carried out on women expecting babies
SA’s one-million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine will expire by early April — unless India’s Serum Institute can safely extend their use-by date.
The first batch of vaccines is almost here, but a top government adviser says achieving herd immunity by the end of the year is ‘unrealistic’
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Full track and traceability of Covid-19 jabs won’t happen during South Africa’s vaccine roll-out, as the health department has not yet adopted the “overarching” system that would make this possible.
The department of health is also negotiating with manufacturers other than AstraZeneca to secure more than one type of vaccine