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Bhekisisa TV

All the episodes of Bhekisisa’s television shows, Health Beat and Health Hub.

Health Beat #14 | Can we afford to not afford it? Why SA can’t...

Since fewer people are using condoms, we need more ways to prevent HIV. HIV prevention pills are free at government clinics, but the catch is that you have to take them every day. A two-monthly jab and monthly vaginal ring could change the game, but can the state afford them? Watch this Health Beat episode to find out.

Health Beat #13 | Why a hotter Earth could break health budgets

A hotter Earth is a threat to human health. It means more floods, droughts and heatwaves, which in turn make many diseases spread faster. Higher temperatures also exacerbate air pollution, resulting in more damage to our lungs. In this Health Beat episode we show you why climate change is our next pandemic.

Health Beat #12 | How to cope with taking HIV meds for life

People with HIV get depressed more often than those without the virus. This can make it hard to take their daily, lifelong medication correctly. In this Health Beat episode, we visit someone who has been taking ARVs for 22 years and ask experts if allowing nurses to prescribe antidepressants would help.

Health Beat #11 | Why do more Black SA women get cervical cancer than...

Cervical cancer affects more Black women in South Africa than any other race. Why? They mostly use state health facilities which means less screening and delayed surgeries. In this month's Health Beat, we find out why cervical cancer is a political disease and travel to a Tshwane clinic where a nurse is convincing parents to get their girls vaccinated against this type of cancer.

Health Beat #10 | What SA’s dirty water does to your health

About two in five wastewater systems in South Africa are falling apart. Their dysfunction has disastrous effects. It exposes people to dirty water that can carry diseases like cholera. This episode of our monthly television show, Health Beat, looks at water safety and explores how climate change makes disease-causing germs spread faster.

Health Beat #9 | Cancer and the NHI: Will patients see better treatment?

Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital’s radiation waiting list gets longer each year because of too few staff to operate life-saving cancer equipment. This episode of our monthly television show, Health Beat, puts these problems to the health department. Mia Malan asks if the National Health Insurance scheme can fix the country’s broken health system.

Health Beat #8 | ‘They looked at me like I’m an animal’: Why discrimination...

When health workers discriminate against people with a higher chance of getting HIV, the virus spreads like wildfire because such groups become less likely to use health facilities. Our Health Beat team asked transgender people about the service they get at government clinics and the health department about what happens to a doctor or nurse who refuses to help patients.

Health Beat #7 | Weight loss drugs may work — but won’t end obesity...

Losing weight is hard. For many people, diets and exercise don't work in the long term. Genetics can also play a role in people’s body weight (and their ability to lose it). In this month’s episode of our television show, Health Beat, we speak to two people who've used the weight loss drug, semaglutide.

Health Beat #6 | ‘Suddenly you become anxious and angry’: How loadshedding impacts mental...

There have been 422 days of rolling black-outs since 2020 and it’s taken a toll on South Africans’ mental health. A survey by the South African Depression and Anxiety Group reveals that people are dealing with anxiety, more family conflict and thoughts of self death.

Health Beat #5 | ‘We’ve lost many sisters’: Why SA sex workers’ lives could...

South Africa’s justice department plans to scrap old laws that make it a crime to sell or buy sex. This could make life safer for workers because they should be able to report crimes to the police — in theory.

Health Beat #4 | Can the NHI fix SA’s rural doctor dilemma?

Doctors trained specifically to work in rural areas are struggling to find work in far-flung areas because provincial health departments don’t have the money to pay them. Find out what could change this in this episode of Health Beat.

Health Beat #3 | Meet the first SA women to get the anti-HIV jab

South Africa saw 200 000 new HIV infections in 2021, according to UNAids. A new injection called CAB-LA could be a game changer. It works better than a daily pill to prevent HIV infection — and only has to be taken once every two months.

Health Beat #2 | [Exclusive interview] Could the world’s biggest state HIV fund be...

The United States government has appointed the first African head of its Aids fund, Pepfar. John Nkengasong, a Cameroonian virologist with US citizenship, will need to establish the potential impact of America’s change in abortion legislation on Pepfar funding rules.

Health Beat | South Africa’s NHI scheme starts hiring before the Bill is passed

Forty-four new National Health Insurance (NHI) positions, based at the national health department head office in Tshwane, will be advertised in the coming weeks and filled by January 2023.
#AIDS2016: Thousands march to demand sufficient global funding and treatment for all

Health Beat | Should future Aids conferences only happen in the Global South? (Episode...

Researchers have found that 96% of global health conferences happen in high- or middle-income countries. Less than four in 10 attendees at these gatherings are from poorer nations that have the highest burden of disease.

Health Beat #1 | Say hello to Bhekisisa’s new TV show — Health Beat

Mia and Ayoade Alakija discuss the 2022 International Aids conference and how institutional racism in the global health system affects who gets to have a say in the fight against HIV/AIDS. A South African NGO is helping teen moms to stay in school, we bring you their stories. Finally we unpack how the South African government is going to hire experts to implement universal healthcare policy.