‘I saw the world through the blurry lens of an oxygen tent’
With the severe effects of the habit on the unborn child now widely known, why do pregnant mothers refuse to give up?
‘Health’ and ‘care’ play second fiddle to Free State bullying
The Free State health department has come under fire for a number of reasons. Bhekisisa visited the province ahead of elections to find out more.
Ignoring prenatal HIV care leads to a lifelong burden
Mothers blame themselves and their children can never give up their antiretrovirals.
Life-saving medical care not available to ‘people of nothing’
Appalling conditions in Free State hospitals reveal a health care system that seems to be corrupt from top to bottom.
The little blue bounce lifts our love up where it belongs
Rekindling the sexual fire of a once passionate marriage has sparked a deeper emotional link.
Bianca learns to Beat It
An eighth-grade teenager shows how funky and strong her fight against a four-letter word is. Mia Malan reports.
Why the public-private partnership to build Lesotho’s only specialist hospital floundered
It was hailed as a revolution in private investment in healthcare in Africa but almost a decade after it was opened, Lesotho’s only specialist...
Rural hospitals in terminal crisis
Accessing healthcare in this rural town has never been easy. Shortages of staff as well as medical equipment makes it difficult for this hospital to function.
Out of ‘T’ and out of hope – SA’s trans men face year 2...
A stockout of the version of testosterone (made by Pfizer) used by state facilities and nonprofits is entering its second year. It’s left transgender men in South Africa, who use the hormone as part of gender-affirming treatment, with few options. Find out what lengths they’re forced to go to get the medicine.
A new kind of chemistry: Why science is rethinking the humble bed net
Disease-spreading mozzies may be getting wise to our best defences, but science is fighting back.
Ruth Uwamahoro clutched her toddler son tight. The strength of...
From stranded to solitude: How the short-lived relief of repatriation could be people’s tipping...
As South Africa enters level two of its national lockdown, international travel remains restricted. One of the few exceptions are repatriation flights, which require a mandatory quarantine period. But the toll of mounting stress and isolation may have long-term consequences on people’s mental health.
‘I missed a dose for the first time’: How the KZN floods derailed HIV...
The April 2022 floods in KwaZulu-Natal, left Mfundo Shezi without HIV treatment for two weeks. He had no way of getting more because the centre he frequents was closed for two weeks – and his ID book was washed away.
A parent’s place? Meet the women fighting for space at SA’s rural hospitals
Botched births and infections can leave many babies with a life-long inheritance: Cerebral palsy. Many will be dependent on caregivers for their entire lives,...
A changing birth: What’s behind SA’s skyrocketing c-section rates?
Almost one in four babies born at public hospitals come into the world via c-section but is it costing some women their lives?
Why COVID school closures are making girls marry early
The pandemic’s impact is long-term: the UN warns that it could lead to 13 million more child marriages over a decade.
Why these health workers are spending their lives in South Africa’s poorest villages
Rural hospitals and clinics struggle to attract or retain senior healthcare professionals. Health workers who grew up in rural towns can plug the gap as they are more likely to work at facilities in far-flung places than their urban counterparts.