Author: Njih Favour

South Africa, one of 30 countries in the world with a high TB burden, wants to intensify the fight against tuberculosis (TB) by increasing the number of people testing for the disease to five million over the next twelve months. This would be a significant increase from the 2.7 million tested in 2023.  Speaking at the launch of the programme on Wednesday, head of the country’s TB programme Professor Norbert Ndjeka, says scaling up testing will help South Africa reach the target set in the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) strategy to end the global TB epidemic by 2035.  “Modelling suggests…

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana holding a copy of the 2025 Budget Speech. (Photo: Parliament of RSA via X) Comment & Analysis 19th March 2025 | Charles Parry, Funeka Bango, Tamara Kredo, Wanga Zembe, Michelle Galloway, Renee Street and Caradee Wright While the 2025 national budget boosts health spending, researchers from the South African Medical Research Council stress the need for strong accountability measures. They also raise concerns about rising VAT and omissions related to US funding cuts and climate change. The 2025 budget speech by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana saw a welcome boost to the health budget with an increased allocation…

The recent launch of the Versius Surgical Robotics System at Universitas Academic Hospital in Bloemfontein has put the country and the Free State at the forefront of medical innovation. A first of its kind in Southern Africa, the robotics system is a state-of-the-art tool for minimally invasive surgeries.  “The Versius system integrates cutting-edge robotic technology that enables surgeons to perform procedures with enhanced precision, reduced risk, and quicker recovery. This technology is expected to revolutionise surgeries across multiple specialities,” says Professor Freddie Claassen, head of urology at Universitas Hospital and the University of the Free State.  “The introduction of this robotic…

This project is funded by: Parts of KwaZulu Natal (KZN) have been battered by heavy rains in recent weeks,  causing more than R3bn in damage to infrastructure and claiming lives. In early March a state of disaster was declared to unlock resources needed to help the province recover.  On the ground, residents are struggling to get by.  Sanelisiwe Mkhize (23), a student at Mangosuthu University of Technology in Umlazi lost most of her belongings when the backroom she lives in was flooded in last month’s heavy rains.  “The rain started on Friday night, 28 February, and I was up all…

Digital indluencer Zuki Lamani and FAST PrEP youth reference engagement facilitator Siwe Mphambaniso. (Supplied) News & Features 17th March 2025 | Biénne Huisman Elzette Rousseau from the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation told attendees at the top HIV conference in the United States about a project taking HIV prevention services to schools in Cape Town. Biénne Huisman visited one of the sites to find out how it works. Beside a cluster of gum trees at Woodlands High in Mitchells Plain, colourful trucks parked on the school grounds bring contraceptives, services for sexually transmitted infections, and three types of PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis)…

Residents of Muswani Village, in the Collins Chabane Local Municipality, in Limpopo’s  Vhembe District are struggling to access basic health services because there is no clinic in their area.  For more than 30 years the community’s pleas have fallen on deaf ears. A resident, who asked not to be named, says they’ve been asking for a clinic since the 1980s – but nothing has been done. “Our [ward] councillor promised to help, but now he is not interested. It is like they [government] are not taking us seriously.” The municipality’s Integrated Development Plan (IDP) shows plans to build a clinic…

Residents of Mbaula Ranch and Phalaubeni villages in Limpopo’s Mopani District have been waiting since 1996 for the Limpopo Department of Health to build them a clinic. The villages have grown to over 1000 households, and residents are raising concerns about prolonged healthcare neglect. Accessing healthcare is expensive. A round-trip taxi fare for the 14km trip to Makhuva Clinic costs R22. Frequently, they are referred to Nkhensani Hospital in Giyani, 58km away. This costs them almost R100 for a round trip.  For the elderly, who rely solely on their SASSA pension grants, transport is a significant expense that forces them…

While South Africa still receives some PEPFAR funding, many beneficiaries are worried this support may soon come to an end. (Photo: Ashraf Hendricks/GroundUp) News & Features 13th March 2025 | Jesse Copelyn After the US slashed global aid, the South African government stated that only 17% of its HIV spending relied on US funding. But some experts argue that US health initiatives had more bang for buck than the government’s programmes. We look past the 17% figure, and consider how the health system is being affected by the loss of US money. In the wake of US funding cuts for…

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has boosted the health budget to support the equitable provision of public health services including free primary healthcare. During his budget speech on Wednesday, Godongwana said R28.9 billion has been added to the health budget to keep 9 300 healthcare workers in public hospitals and clinics. Here’s what civil society thinks of the health budget allocation.   Subscribe to our newsletter Section 27 welcomes the budget and believes that the health department has been allocated its highest allocation since the COVID-19 pandemic. The health budget enjoyed a 7.8% increase from last year’s R277.2 billion to R298.9 billion. …

A significant portion of South Africa’s health expenditure goes towards paying wages and services. This was a key focus in the budget speech delivered by finance minister Enoch Godongwana on Wednesday.  “Last year alone, the public sector health system lost close to 9,000 health workers. We did not have the money to retain or replace them even after reprioritising funds budgeted for consumables and medicines,” Godongwana told Parliament.  This is a significant blow to a sector that provides vital services to over 80% of the population.    “R28.9 billion is added to the health budget, mainly to keep about 9 300…