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Poverty, violence and stress: Why South Africa’s young people are anxious
A study in eThekwini in KwaZulu-Natal found that poverty and violence drive generalised anxiety disorder among youth living in urban informal settlements.
Confused about the NHI? One of SA’s leading health economists breaks it down for...
Think you know what the National Health Insurance is all about? Diane McIntyre is one of South Africa's leading health economists and contributed to policy proposals for an NHI in the country. She explains how the NHI may change how healthcare is funded and delivered in South Africa in this edited extract from the Health Systems Trust's 2020 edition of its annual South African Health Review.
Why you might battle to find a doctor to deliver your baby in SA
Could the legal profession be behind the droves of gynaecologists leaving their jobs?COMMENTMedico-legal litigation has exploded. As of March 2016, claims against the health...
Redefining risk: When it’s okay to be HIV-positive and have sex without a condom
HIV-positive people who have very low levels of HIV in their blood can’t sexually transmit the virus. Here’s what it means for you & SA.
A confusing COVID caseload: Why Africa’s missing numbers show a different side to the...
African countries are still struggling for COVID-19 vaccines. One reason for this is the misconception that the continent wasn’t hard-hit by the pandemic. But the numbers tell a different story.
Inequality kills: How race, money and power affect who survives COVID
The data from 440 000 COVID patients reveal that non-white people in South Africa were far more likely to die than their white counterparts. These researchers argue it’s not about genetics or biology.
Medical male circumcision offers a gateway to HIV testing and medical check-ups
Circumcision can prevent thousands of HIV infections by 2030 at a relatively low cost, but the uptake has been slower than expected.
How do we reduce new HIV infections by 60% in a mere three and...
Today, SA boasts the world's largest HIV treatment programme, but 3.2-million people who need ARVs still aren't on them. Here’s how to fix that.
From symbols of illness to signs of solidarity: The other disease masks could curb
We now have the chance to use our new mask-prowess to curb the spread of TB as well — but only if we consider keeping masks woven into the fabric of our lives after the COVID pandemic has passed.
Why many South African mothers give up breastfeeding their babies so soon
The long-term benefits of breastfeeding for children’s development led to recommendations for its exclusive adoption in infants. But for some mothers, it isn’t a feasible option.
How one policy change could curb two airborne epidemics in South Africa
South Africa must make dramatic shifts in its COVID-19 prevention strategies to include new evidence that SARS-CoV-2 spreads mainly through the air.
Men are also ‘corrective rape’ victims
Many men, thanks to social stigmas, are ashamed to report sexual hate crimes – but they are almost as common as they are against lesbians.
The health department responds to Bhekisisa’s HIV testing article: ‘Services are adequate’
Earlier this month we published some of the damning results from a leaked report on the state of HIV testing in South Africa. Here’s the health department's deputy director general for communicable and non-communicable diseases’ response.
The joke’s on us, South Africa. The cruel logic of Omicron travel bans –...
Wealthy nations were quick to ban southern African nations from entering their borders when the Omicron variant was identified – but not against each other. Unfortunately, this type of discrimination is nothing new.
What the field of psychology owes Black patients
Psychological research has mostly focused on white people. New research shows, however, that mental health support works better when it’s adapted to suit people’s cultural context.
Can you be convicted of attempted murder if you expose someone to the new...
The virus at the centre of South Africa’s coronavirus outbreak may be new, but the idea that criminalising a disease can stop its spread isn’t — and we’d do well to heed the history books.