Public Health
latest news & developments
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…
Thirty years later: The struggle for intersex children’s bodily autonomy continues
Decades after activists first protested against medically unnecessary cosmetic surgeries on infants, the South African Human Rights Commission is championing bodily autonomy and…
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…
Bronkhorstspruit crisis highlights SA’s water service failures
The SAHRC and Wits have launched the Water Rights Tracker, revealing that 107 of South Africa's 144 water services authorities are in a poor or critical state as infrastructure…
Leadership lessons from an NGO working with seriously ill children
Reach For A Dream CEO Julia Sotirianakos reflects on how working with seriously ill children reshaped her understanding of courage, resilience, and true leadership.
Botswana nominates Armenian doctor to lead WHO
Botswana has officially entered the race for the leadership of the World Health Organisation by nominating Armenian paediatric oncologist Dr Gevorg Tamamyan to succeed Dr Tedros…
Toxic taps expose Tshwane’s deadly water failures
More than 400 people, mostly young children, fell ill after the City of Tshwane supplied unchlorinated tap water to Bronkhorstspruit for three weeks without alerting residents,…
Municipalities must pay for water failures
After supplying unchlorinated tap water for weeks in Bronkhorstspruit, leading to hundreds of gastrointestinal illness cases, the City of Tshwane must face accountability for its…
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…
Zambia’s poisoned children have waited long enough for justice. Africa needs to act
Decades of toxic lead waste in Kabwe, Zambia, continue to endanger generations of children, prompting a landmark complaint before the African Union’s child rights committee…
Tshwane admits negligence after 408 fall ill in Bronkhorstspruit
The City of Tshwane has admitted negligence after supplying unchlorinated water from the sewage-polluted Bronkhorstspruit River for three weeks without warning residents, leaving…
‘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…
To end hunger, think beyond the tech
On World Food Day, experts argue that true innovation to end hunger goes beyond new technology. By supporting small-scale agroecological farmers, local procurement, and community…
Tender Invitation: GMP Readiness and Capacity Strengthening for SRH Commodity Manufacturers in SADC
GIZ, on behalf of BMZ and the EU, invites tenders from qualified consulting firms to support WHO Good Manufacturing Practice compliance and prequalification readiness for…
Editorial: We’re a sick society
Hospitals in the Free State are on the verge of collapse as criminal syndicates strip plumbing bare for scrap copper, cutting off critical water supply and leaving vulnerable…