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The eerily sophisticated system behind selling human organs
Selling human organs illegally involves everything from trafficking to people trading their kidneys or part of their livers voluntarily. The World Health Organisation says only 10% of people needing organ transplants get them.
From Alexander Bay to Tshwane: Meet the health department’s Mrs Impossible
From growing up without a telephone to her appointment as the chief director of digital health systems in the national health department, the sweep of Milani Wolmarans’s life story is as wide as it is inspiring. Sean Christie spoke to her in Tshwane.
On our mind: Could getting hit on the head during sport cause brain disease...
Head injuries from sport could be linked with someone developing brain disease later, says new guidance from experts. They’re calling for more time during games for players to be checked thoroughly — which could mean rules of play may have to change.
Up in smoke: The black tobacco farmers British American Tobacco left behind
Some small-scale black tobacco farmers in Limpopo feel that the tobacco industry supported them under the guise of an upliftment programme, but then used them to fight against illicit tobacco trade. By 2021, the financial support dried up.
Inequality didn’t rise from hell: It’s man-made — and there’s nothing like a pandemic...
Why do pandemics such as Aids not automatically end when we have the medicine to control them? Because they play out in a world where inequality frequently prevents drugs from reaching the people who need it most, writes Mia Malan.
Should the state hire SA’s field health workers permanently? Unions and the health department...
The government is currently looking at giving community health workers a minimum wage and setting working conditions. While unions have rejected this process, Nicholas Crisp, head of the NHI, says it may be a better solution to these workers’ employment problems than having permanent government positions.
Not going to school makes kids sad: How COVID lockdowns affected teens’ state of...
Teenagers’ brains are primed for connecting with friends. But being isolated during COVID gave many’s mental health a knock. With up to 20% of kids likely to develop a mental health problem and only one in 10 able to get support, simply being in school can help.
How the health department plans to stop discrimination in clinics
How does the health department deal with doctors and nurses discriminating against patients who have a higher chance of contracting HIV? Teaching them about being sensitive and trying to understand the cause of the issue, says Thato Chidarikire, acting head of HIV programmes at the department. Mia Malan found out more during this interview for Bhekisisa’s monthly TV show, Health Beat.
#SliceOfLife: I survived TB five years ago but the stigma still follows me around
It’s been eleven years since Zine Konwayo was first diagnosed with tuberculosis, but she is still dealing with the fallout of the disease. Not only has it damaged her lungs, but it’s also preventing her from finding a job.
Here’s how cholera spread through SA
We’ll update this page with the latest figures of the cholera outbreak in South Africa.
How to get ARVs delivered to your home in the rural Eastern Cape
In South Africa’s rural areas, people often face a long, arduous journey to get to a clinic where they can pick up their HIV medicines. Not taking the drugs regularly will mean that the person’s health suffers, which can make it even harder to make the trip. The Bulungula Incubator in the rural Eastern Cape has figured out how to set up a medicine pick-up point closer to people’s homes.
More food rations could devastate these refugees. Here’s why
Prevented by Bangladeshi authorities from working, refugees in the Cox’s Bazar camp are dependent on food aid, which is being cut again and again. “We cannot carry on like this,” writes Yasmin Ara.
Is there cholera in my water?
Tests done on water taken downstream of a manhole from which sewage leaks into the Vaal River came back positive for cholera.South Africa’s drinking...
Mpumalanga reports its first cholera case — and death
Health Minister Joe Phaahla says South Africa's cholera cases have decreased significantly over the past week, particularly in Hammanskraal near Tshwane, where 23 people have died of cholera.
The poison peaks of Dandora: Why plastic bag bans aren’t enough to cut pollution...
Kenya banned single-use plastic bags in 2017, but Nairobi’s waste collectors are still inundated with plastic. Can a new law pin responsibility on the manufacturers?
The skinny on Ozempic: Why it can help with weight loss — but not...
Bloating, belching and diarrhoea are just some of the side effects that come with using Semaglutide (Ozempic) for weight loss. Learn what doctors can do to help their patients here.