Countries on the continent are not waiting to be saved, they are paving the way with community-led, astute, innovative and independent immunisation programmes
About 4 000 people are bitten by snakes annually but only a quarter of those being admitted to hospital and only 10% require antivenom
The Clade Ib strain has already jumped borders, with cases being reported in Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and Kenya in the last two weeks
The international community can support the continent through, for example, the transfer of technology to enable drugs and vaccines to be produced on African soil
Despite being a preventable and curable disease, about 150 people died from TB every day in South Africa in 2022
USAID has pumped $45 million in grant funding to support the work of a consortium of top African scientists from eight countries
The need for a new tuberculosis vaccine is as urgent as ever, and now a local pharmaceutical company is joining the race to find one
Anne von Gottberg and Cheryl Cohen are two of SA’s foremost scientists on Covid-19. The powerful duo also love family time with their three kids
The interplay between climate change and the spread of pathogens means health systems must be ready for future crises and ensure equitable access to treatment
Low vaccination levels and high number of health-compromised populations make the continent a ‘breeding ground for variants’ that pose a global risk
Data collected by Unicef shows an alarming drop-off in shipments arriving in the continent since the start of 2022
Over the past two years, the Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted efforts to combat vaccine-preventable diseases, including polio
Just under a third of South Africa’s Pfizer vaccines are set to expire by July, so the health department is trying to increase uptake of the doses and donate spare shots
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 connections between health, climate change, declining public trust and democratic legitimacy, and geopolitical instability must be recognised
The government has also started administering J&J booster shots from 24 December and will roll out Pfizer boosters from 28 December
The next three to five years will require the continent to ensure there is sustainable business beyond Covid-19.
A study by the World Health Organisation found that there was a 66% surge in new Covid-19 cases during the past week in South Africa
The government’s most urgent to-do list: vaccinate, stimulate the economy, and return the rule of law
Omicron has shown up the racism of the West and highlighted inequalities and failures in our own countries. We need to tackle these to get more people vaccinated
The World Health Organisation has enlisted a team of South African researchers to produce a new mRNA Covid-19 vaccine, but with no recipe to follow, it’s not an easy task
Once South Africa secured adequate amounts of vaccines, we were faced with a baffling dilemma. Not everyone wanted to take it
Vulnerable older groups remain a priority for the health department, so no Covid-19 jabs for children for now
As national lockdown regulations ease, President Cyril Ramaphosa urges South Africans to vaccinate
Study finds most South Africans rely on healthcare workers for vaccine advice
Vaccine acceptance has risen to 72%, but inequality remains the biggest stumbling block for poor people’s access to the jab
The past seven days show an 18.2% increase in new infections, compared with the previous week, says health minister
Dissident views on masks and vaccines should be heard but until science rules them wrong, it’s best to follow scientists’ advice
The Covid jab might keep you out of hospital should you still get ill, but that does not invalidate other worries
Scientists know that people who have had Covid still benefit from getting vaccinated with at least one shot of the vaccine. But can you get vaccinated while you have Covid?
According to an Afrobarometer survey of 1 600 people, the majority of people do not trust the government to deliver safe vaccines
Covid deniers and anti-vaxxers seem to want more excess deaths and a shorter life span