Author: Njih Favour

A community-based programme is offering mental health support to adolescents and young people in Orange Farm, south of Johannesburg.  The initiative, run by the non-profit organisation Tiko, provides psychosocial support to young people aged 15 to 24 through group therapy sessions and individual counselling referrals.  “Mental health is still viewed as something ‘foreign’ in many parts of the community,” says Olga Rikhotso, Tiko’s ecosystems manager for Johannesburg. “Yet it affects both girls and boys and sits at the centre of many social challenges we see.” The organisation runs HIV, sexual and reproductive health, and gender-based violence programmes in seven African…

Many people across South Africa face challenges when trying to access healthcare, such as long waiting times, discrimination, buildings that are hard to access, and language barriers. (Photo: Shutterstock) Comment & Analysis 15th January 2026 | Benni Mudau, Khuselwa Dyantyi, and Tendai Mafuma Vigilantes have unlawfully prevented people they deemed to be foreign nationals from accessing public healthcare services. SECTION27 health activists map out the implications of a Gauteng High Court judgment delivered at the end of last year, explaining that it obliges the state to take active and coordinated steps to remove barriers hindering people’s access to healthcare. Last…

This project is funded by: This week marked the start of the school year for learners across South Africa. Parents in Soshanguve Block KK, north of Pretoria, had an extra school preparation task on their hands — reinforcing a make-shift bridge.  For hours parents and community members endured the foul smell of a sewage-contaminated river, hauling rocks to rebuild the crossing that learners use to get to school.  According to community leader Tebogo Mlambo, this has been going on since 2011.  “Despite numerous promises from six Executive Mayors, no meaningful action has been taken, and our fear is that worse…

South Africa’s oral disease burden is a neglected crisis. (Photo: Shutterstock) Comment & Analysis 14th January 2026 | Bulela Vava The new board members for the Health Professions Council of South Africa have an opportunity to tackle the growing oral disease crisis by dealing with regulatory gaps and inequity, as well as making decisive reforms to the industry, argues Dr Bulela Vava. The Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) has formally inaugurated its 12 professional boards for the 2025–2030 term, an administrative milestone that ordinarily passes quietly. Yet these appointments demand deeper attention, particularly for oral health. Two structures…

Two months after it was opened for public use, the Borwa Clinic in Tweespruit, Free State, has yet to hire additional staff. The new, bigger facility still relies on the same workforce that manned the old, smaller building. The state-of-the-art facility was set to provide a range of essential primary healthcare services, including immunisation, family planning, HIV counselling and testing,  and chronic disease management.   However, the community of Borwa is worried that the clinic still has the same number of workers as the old clinic. Tshepo Namane, a resident of Borwa, says he thought the clinic would hire more staff…

President Cyril Ramaphosa addresses the nation in 2021 on developments in the country’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo: GCIS) Comment & Analysis 13th January 2026 | Janet Giddy South Africa had several “family chats” in which President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. He should do the same for tuberculosis, argues Dr Janet Giddy of the advocacy group TB Proof. Recently, I was flying home and got chatting to the stylishly dressed woman in the window seat next to me. We asked each other the sort of questions that traveller’s often do. Suzie…

South Africa has among the highest rates of gender-based violence and femicide in the world, with one in three women experiencing physical and/or sexual violence at some point in their lives.  Violence against women is a long-standing issue in the country. President Cyril Ramaphosa’s declaration of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) as a national disaster ahead of the G20 Leaders Summit in November 2025 is just one of the high-profile commitments the government has made to deal decisively with the problem.    Activist and co-leader of the #NotFitForPurpose campaign, a civil society movement challenging the National Council Act as inadequate, Pinky…

For 33 years, Samuel Lusunzi from Tshikombani in Nzhelele, Limpopo, was a devoted husband and father. But in 2021, his world shattered when he discovered that his wife had been unfaithful since 2018. “When a person faces problems, like I did, those problems can feel so heavy that you might even think of ending your life or disappearing,” Lusunzi says.  It started during a school trip. His wife, a teacher, was on the bus with pupils and another teacher. Lusunzi was also there, serving as a member of the school governing body. But as the trip unfolded, he began noticing…

08 Jan Warning: Selenium and zinc picolinate-containing products for children For immediate release Pretoria, 8 January 2026 – The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) has been made aware of products in the market containing Zinc picolinate (as a source material for zinc) and/or Selenium intended for use in children. Both of these ingredients have been identified in the Guidance (SAHPRA Guideline 7.04 / SAHPGL-PEM-COMP-04 v5 CM SE Health Supplements) issued by SAHPRA as not permitted in health supplements for children (persons under the age of 18). The safety concerns related to children are as follows: Zinc picolinate, at…

13 Dec Mokgadi Fafudi – Substandard and falsified medical products Posted at 07:36h in News & Updates by Ntokozo Msiza Substandard and falsified medical products (SFMPs) are identified as one of the urgent global challenges of this decade. The global threat and routes to the market of SFMPs have grown exponentially with the ever-increasing demand for medical products globally. The entry of SFMPs into the supply chain undermines efforts made towards ensuring access to quality, safe and efficacious medical products. Africa and South Africa import a lot of medical products; subsequently, a significant percentage of SF medical products circulating globally…