[ad_1] 22 May SAHPRA Approves First WHO EUL Mpox Test Kit Pretoria, 22 May 2025 –The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA), having applied Reliance on the World Health Organization (WHO) PQ assessment under Emergency Use Listing, has listed the first mpox (monkeypox) in vitro diagnostic (IVD). This serves as an important step in improving global access to mpox testing by using a reliance process. The emergency use approval of the Alinity m MPX assay, developed by Abbott Molecular Inc. and licensed to Abbott Laboratories South Africa (Pty) Ltd, represents a critical advancement in expanding diagnostic capacity amid mpox outbreaks. Rapid and accurate testing is essential for early detection, timely treatment, and effective containment of the virus.…
Author: Njih Favour
[ad_1] Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has described the state of public hospitals in South Africa as a serious concern that requires the collective efforts of all political parties and levels of government. Delivering the third iteration of the 2025 budget speech on Wednesday, Godongwana announced targeted budget allocations to improve public health infrastructure, including hospitals and clinics. The health department’s total budget will increase from R277 billion in the 2024/25 financial year to R296 billion in 2025/26. Before presenting the health budget, Godongwana read an emotional open letter from Sarah Stein, a young medical student at the University of Cape…
[ad_1] Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi. (Photo: GCIS)Minister of Health Dr Aaron Motsoaledi’s recent claim that over half a million people have been newly started on HIV treatment in less than six months has raised eyebrows in health circles. In this open letter, Anna Grimsrud and Sibongile Tshabalala-Madhlala, associated with CHANGE – South Africa, ask the Minister to explain numbers that, on the face of it, seem contradictory. We write to you in response to your 15 May 2025 press statement and subsequent remarks in Parliament on the current status of the national HIV, AIDS, and TB campaign. You stated…
[ad_1] A 30-year-old mother from Praktiseer near Burgersfort in Limpopo wants nurses at Dilokong Hospital to take responsibility for their alleged negligent treatment. Karabo Magabe says her baby, Onthatile, is lucky to be alive. (Photo:Supplied) On Thursday 8 May Karabo Magabe started getting contractions and was rushed to Dilokong Hospital. When she arrived at the hospital the doctor said she was experiencing false labour and wanted to admit her to the antenatal care ward. But Magabe tells Health-e News that she refused, as she knew was ready to give birth. She was admitted to the labour ward where she started…
[ad_1] The Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) stipulates that junior doctors should work 40 hours per week, with a maximum of 20 hours overtime, and rest periods, including a 12-hour break, between weekend shifts. However, in practice, these regulations are often ignored. In the country’s overburdened public health facilities, junior doctors routinely work between 80 and 120 hours per week. “While standard contracts may list 40 to 60 hours a week, this excludes the excessive overtime that is almost always required due to chronic understaffing,” Dr Mvuyisi Mzukwa, chairperson of the South African Medical Association (SAMA), tells Health-e…
[ad_1] Aghmat Mohamed is the first male Director of Nursing Services at Groote Schuur Hospital, where he manages 1 700 nurses. (Photo: Biénne Huisman/Spotlight) News & Features 20th May 2025 | Biénne Huisman Groote Schuur Hospital’s first male nursing manager, Aghmat Mohamed, reflects on the pressures of nursing in South Africa. Ahead of International Nurses Day and the release of a major global report on the state of nursing, Biénne Huisman chatted to him about his decades on the front lines of healthcare. Nurses cradle new life with tender hands and soothe those at the end of it. Yet through…
[ad_1] Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a major public health concern in South Africa, with over 8.2 million people reported to be living with the condition. According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa, hypertension affects around 45% of men and 48% of women over the age of 15. Despite its high prevalence, many people remain unaware of their condition. Shonisani Nephalama, nutrition lead at the Heart and Stroke Foundation, says only about 19% of men and 29% of women are aware they’re hypertensive. According to Nephalama, a staggering 91.1% of people with hypertension are either unscreened, undiagnosed,…
[ad_1] As rates of obesity continue to rise globally, a Lancet report seeks to expand how we view it. (Photo: Karolina Grabowska/Pexels) News & Features 19th May 2025 | Jesse Copelyn Authors of a recent Lancet report argue that obesity should not just be seen as a risk factor for other diseases – but in some cases, should be seen as a disease itself. The position could change how we treat obesity globally. In the first of this two-part Spotlight series, we break down the debate around the issue, and its implications for health policy. In 1990, just 2% of…
[ad_1] by Tian Johnson, Strategist at the African Alliance. There is a line that should never be crossed, even in the heat of political pressure and public scrutiny. This week, South Africa’s Minister of Health, Aaron Motsoaledi, did just that. During a press conference, Motsoaledi likened civil society activists (many many of whom are queer, Black, working class, and on the frontlines of South Africa’s HIV response) to AfriForum — because they criticised his response to PEPFAR’s retreat from the country. Let’s be absolutely clear: AfriForum presents itself as a civil rights group, but has been widely described by legal…
[ad_1] South Africa has not been able to raise any additional funds to plug the gap in the country’s HIV programme following the withdrawal of PEPFAR funding in January. Speaking at a media briefing in Pretoria on Thursday, Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsaoledi says the department has met with various donors, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Clinton Health Access Initiative, to cover the R7.9 billion rand shortfall. “None of the donors we’ve been speaking to have made any commitments, apart from the Global Fund that has committed R1bn for ARVs,” says Motsoaledi. South Africa was a…