Author: Njih Favour

by Dr Bulela Vava, President of the Public Oral Health Forum On 26 October 2025, the Eastern Cape Department of Health concluded a three-day oral-health blitz, a belated celebration of Oral Health Month. Partnering with Operation Smile, Colgate-Palmolive, and others, the campaign delivered oral healthcare services to nearly a thousand people, including life-changing cleft surgeries for children. These efforts deserve recognition. They shine a light on oral diseases and their human toll. But they also reveal something more uncomfortable: in South Africa, oral health is at risk of becoming a seasonal spectacle, not a routine service provided in a functional healthcare…

For two years, Xolani Mngomezulu from Indlovu Village in Mtubatuba, in northern KwaZulu-Natal, took at least eight pills a day and endured painful kanamycin injections after being diagnosed with multi-drug resistant (MDR) TB, a hard-to-treat form of the disease. “Taking TB drugs was the hardest part. They made me nauseous and exhausted. But I survived a disease that has killed many, so I feel like a winner,” she says. Despite her diagnosis in 2014, the 42-year-old mother-turned-TB activist didn’t have the usual symptoms such as coughing, chest pain, night sweats, or weight loss. This form of the disease is known…

National Health Insurance is a scheme that aims to address healthcare inequity in South Africa. (Photo: Rosetta Msimango/Spotlight) News & Features 29th October 2025 | Jesse Copelyn The NHI Act is facing a slew of legal challenges from multiple organisations. For this special series, Spotlight combed through court papers, and spoke with legal experts to pin down what specific arguments litigants are betting on. In part one, we focused on the claim that the scheme is unaffordable and therefore unreasonable. Here, in part two, we discuss the argument that the NHI will unjustifiably compromise people’s right to access healthcare services.…

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…