Bhekisisa

South Africa is unlikely to buy a new oral COVID-19 pill called molnupiravir, despite the drug having been approved for use in the country. That’s because deciding to spend money on a medication rests on more than just whether it works.

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Black skin has a natural sun protection barrier equal to sunscreen of 13.4 because it contains more melanin. This extract from the book “Black Skin” unpacks the factors that make dark skin unique.

Private clinics started to offer phone-in abortion services when COVID-19 lockdowns began in 2020. Forty one per cent of the terminations of pregnancies Marie Stopes South Africa did since January 2020 were such self-managed terminations. Mohale Moloi asked Melusi Dhlamini, who headed up the introduction of self-managed abortions by Marie Stopes at the time, how such terminations work.

Children between the ages of 5 and 11 are given smaller doses of the Pfizer vaccine than adults. That means the government will have to buy new vials and new needles for the vaccine programme to vaccinate this group which the health department doesn’t have the money to do.

The health department won’t buy any more COVID vaccines this year. That includes Sinopharm, Sinovac and jabs for children.

South Africa’s medicines regulator recently approved a branded version of molnupiravir, a new COVID treatment. Cheaper generic versions are on the cards. But affordability does not necessarily mean equal access.

Fully vaccinated adults in South Africa will be able to choose whether to get the Johnson & Johnson or the Pfizer vaccine when they queue for a booster dose.

The world of beauty and skincare is littered with myths and misinformation about Black skin. This extract from aesthetician Diya Ayodele’s book “Black Skin” busts some of the most common beliefs that stop people with Black skin from getting good information.

Leaving an abusive relationship is not as easy as walking out the door. Fear of physical or sexual violence are just some reasons people stay.