Author: Njih Favour
By Dr Patrick Ngassa Piotie, Chairperson of the Diabetes Alliance South Africa In South Africa, two people can live with the same chronic condition yet face vastly different realities. One may rely on a continuous glucose monitor that sends real-time readings to a smartphone, helping them keep their blood sugar in range. The other may test sporadically with strips – if they’re available – relying on symptoms to guide care. One may use an easy-to-use pen for their insulin injections, while another may use a syringe and a vial – less convenient, less practical, and less safe. Both are living…
South Africa’s Health Product Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) has approved the use of the twice-yearly HIV prevention drug, lenacapavir. In a statement released on 27 October, the regulatory body said the drug is recommended for adults and adolescents who weigh at least 35 kg, are HIV negative, and are at risk of getting HIV. “Lenacapavir for PrEP should always be used in combination with safer sex practices, such as using condoms, to reduce the risk of getting other sexually transmitted infections,” the statement reads. SAHPRA’s approval was a prerequisite for the country to start rolling out the drug, which is expected…
Specially trained pharmacists will soon be allowed to dispense antiretrovirals without a doctor’s script. (Photo: Shutterstock) News & Features 27th October 2025 | Catherine Tomlinson A landmark ruling from the Supreme Court of Appeal means specially trained pharmacists will soon be allowed to dispense antiretrovirals without a doctor’s script. Pharmacists with the required training will need special permits from the director general of health. While no pharmacists yet hold these permits, Spotlight reports that they may be able to start applying for them as soon as next month. The South African Pharmacy Council (SAPC) can go ahead and implement pharmacist-initiated…
This project is funded by: Maphuti Masalesa (78) from Tshikwarani, a village in Limpopo’s Makhado municipality, has been without electricity for almost three years after his connection cable was stolen. He claims Eskom demanded a R6000 reconnection fee, which he cannot afford. “I am a pensioner and I have no source of income other than the social grant,” says Masalesa, who now uses gas for cooking and has no plan for lighting his house. He has resigned himself to preparing dinner early, before sunset. Masalesa (78) has no electricity and must prepare his dinner early before it gets dark. (Photo:…
Lenacapavir is an antiviral medicine that is recommended in combination with safer sex practices. (Photo: Ahmad Ardity/Pixabay) News & Features 27th October 2025 | Marcus Low An HIV prevention jab that provides six months of protection at a time was given the green light by South Africa’s medicines regulator. The approval helps to clear the way for a limited public sector rollout of the “game-changing” shot set to start in April 2026. An HIV prevention injection containing the antiretroviral drug lenacapavir has been registered by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA), the medicines regulator announced on Monday. The…
27 Oct SAHPRA Registers Lenacapavir Pretoria, 27 October 2025 – The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) is pleased to announce the registration of Lenacapavir. Lenacapavir is an antiviral medicine that is recommended, in combination with safer sex practices, for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV-1 infection in adults and adolescents weighing at least 35 kg. An application by Gilead was submitted to SAHPRA in March 2025. The SAHPRA review process was done in collaboration with the European Medicines for All Procedure (EU-M4all). This procedure enables the European Medicines Agency (EMA), together with the participating regulatory authorities, to provide…
Waves for Change, an NPO, uses surf therapy to help young people exposed to violence, process trauma, find community and have fun. Waves for Change, an NPO, uses surf therapy to help young people exposed to violence, process trauma, find community and have fun. In South Africa, many adolescents grow up in communities filled with violence. They witness shootings, stabbings, drug use at home, sexual assault, and more on a daily basis. Unfortunately, most of them won’t get the help they need. In South Africa, 9 out of 10 young people exposed to violence and trauma have little to no…
Ritshidze, the world’s largest community-led monitoring system, is in jeopardy following the cuts to U.S development aid announced in January. Established in 2019, Ritshidze monitored service delivery and the availability of essential medicines at over 450 clinics in 25 health districts across eight provinces in the country every quarter. Its purpose is to document, report and escalate service delivery issues at primary health facilities. The findings are published in reports that are publicly available. But now, the entire system is at risk. “We had to retrench more than a hundred people and are left with a quarter of the community…
The first 1 000 days of a baby’s life are vital, as their brain’s neuroplasticity is at its peak. (Photo: Shutterstock) News & Features 23rd October 2025 | Janet Heard South Africa’s health department is overhauling its framework for disability services. It prompts an important question: When it comes to Cerebral Palsy – a wide-ranging motor disorder with possible comorbidities – what could a standardised package of baby care look like, especially within an overburdened public health system? Spotlight explores a collaborative approach in Cape Town aimed at optimising development during the critical first 1 000 days of life. Sometimes,…
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health has launched an investigation into the alleged mistreatment of a woman during labour at Addington Hospital in Durban. This follows a social media post claiming that the woman was forced to walk to the labour ward while in labour, resulting in her baby falling onto the floor. The post was accompanied by a photo of a woman wearing a hospital gown standing in a hospital hallway with what appears to be the body of a newborn baby on the floor next to her. “We are deeply troubled by allegations that a patient in an advanced…