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Does South Africa need a Human Rights Commission?
History repeats as old health emergencies emerge anew. Is the health ombud the person to lead fights the Human Rights Commission started?
Life Esidimeni patient deaths are a wake up call that came too late
The callous disregard shown at many levels for the wellbeing of vulnerable people proved fatal.
The world finally has an Ebola vaccine. This is why it’s not enough
The World Health Organisation prequalified Merck's vaccine for widespread use in November but regulatory hoops are just a small part of the fight to get the jab to the places that need it most.
‘She can’t discern jam from Vaseline’: Advice for the children of Alzheimer’s patients
In South Africa, a gene test that will tell you if you’re at risk for Alzheimer’s disease costs R3 600. But major organisations warn people against using these home kits without also getting counselling to help them work through the results — regardless of the outcome.
Man to man, sexual health needs are better met at male-only clinics
A centre employing only men has opened in Khayelitsha to address the needs of males uneasy about being seen at mixed-gender facilities.
How rare is very rare? Your questions about blood clots – answered
Vaccines will only be registered for use in South Africa if their common side-effects are mild. To qualify as a “very rare” side-effect, the symptom needs to affect fewer than one in 10 000 people. Here’s why.
Obese SA has to get a move on
There is a simple way to combat chronic lifestyle diseases, and that is to eat properly and exercise.
Create drugs, create self-reliance
A young pharmacist is driving a project to get Tanzania to make more of its own medicine.
SA slashes new HIV cases by almost half
The country’s investments in HIV treatment and prevention are paying off, leading to huge reductions in new infections
#AIDS2016: Yes, Helen Zille racism and inequality do fuel the spread of HIV
The Western Cape premier should know that inequality, not just science, lies at the root of the Aids epidemic.
For children, COVID-19 quarantine may be ‘an absolute nightmare’
Home is where the heart is — it’s also important to young children’s sense of identity — but what happens when a state quarantine facility has to become their home away from home?
The boy who lifts Hobeni’s spirits
Sihle Batiya's luckier than most – but the odds are stacked against kids with Down's syndrome in the Eastern Cape.
South African Aids council stands by national sex worker plan
Human rights and access to healthcare remain paramount in the country's response.
M&G joins #UnmaskStigma TB awareness campaign
The Mail & Guardian's health centre, Bhekisisa, joins the World Health Organisation in raising awareness about TB on World TB Day on March 24.
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.
#QuarantineChronicles: The pen
This South African has been quarantined for weeks. He doesn’t mind spending time alone, but these days he finds himself more and more puzzled by people, their habits, and strangely their attitude towards pens.