Long Form

Seaside towns swallowed by sand: Somalians battle with climate change

Strong winds, trees being cut down and drought drive sand to pile up and swallow the houses of the ancient seaside town Hobyo, Somalia. Will promises to green the desert save families who have been forced to move before?

‘I would lie and listen to my pain’: The multitasking mavericks fighting for a...

Morphine was first introduced to Uganda 30 years ago, but as the burden of cancer increases, thousands of people still lack access to even basic treatment for pain relief.

‘Retirement will come the day I’m buried’: Côte d’Ivoire grandmothers are left holding the...

For grandmothers across Côte d’Ivoire, climate change has had unexpected consequences. Once abundant with crop life, sustenance farming has become an unpredictable nightmare in the country’s villages. Young people of working age are now leaving villages in droves — without their children.
What’s behind mysterious cancer hot spots popping up all over the world?

Could this finally solve the Eastern Cape’s cancer mystery?

The substances that cause cancer leave their fingerprints behind. Now, the world may be closer than ever to unravelling the clues hidden in our DNA.

The unbearable loneliness of COVID-19

There are no visiting hours for COVID-19 patients. Instead, there’s anxiety, fear, stigma and potential grief. But there’s also — at least some — resilience.

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.
Postpartum psychosis

My descent into postpartum psychosis – and how I got out

A new mother recounts how psychiatric care that nurtured her bond with her baby helped heal her mania.
Helping hands: Zethu Mqopi* and her daughter Sisanda*. Zethu has learnt to carry out household chores

‘If they are raped, then so what?’

Mentally disabled people in the rural Eastern Cape are considered worthless, even evil. When girls are sexually abused, mothers are no longer shocked.
Are you a good fit for a high-stress job? Take a look at the biology of making it in a fast-paced world of work.

If you possess these 10 qualities, you might be a good fit for a...

Scientists studied soldiers with PTSD and even children who'd witnessed a great tragedy. Did they unlock the secrets of resilience?
Happy Maifadi and her young son Enhle benefit from ongoing peer support from mothers2mothers.

Mother mentors a boost for health

HIV-positive pregnant women get sound advice from mothers who can empathise.
Period tax: Although funding has allowed for the first round of free pad deliveries in KwaZulu-Natal

#FreeToBleed: Here’s why Mboweni’s announcement of free & tax-free pads matters

Choosing between eating & bleeding through your uniform has a cost. Take a look at the reality behind the budget in this one from our archives.
From the inside: The risk of TB infection at Pollsmoor can be sharply reduced if aggravating factors such as overcrowding and poor ventilation are addressed.

Unlikely perk of prison life: Free, speedy TB treatment

South African jails are making notable strides in screening for, and curing, tuberculosis.
Tools of the trade: Evidence of Sam Maseko's addiction. His mother Audrey at least knows where Sam is now; he used to wander around and steal.

We need to talk about caving in to nyaope

Ivory Park's Operation Thiba Nyaope provides support for addicts and their affected families.
Sold on the idea: Asiphe Ntshongontshi used the family calendar to keep track of when she took the HIV prevention pill. She lives in Masiphumelele outside Cape Town close to a youth centre and clinic that dish out the tablet.

One she called the ‘minister of love’. The other? He was the ‘minister of...

Since the country’s rollout, less than a quarter of people who’ve started taking the HIV prevention pill are young women — despite high HIV rates.
Some lower functioning Care Haven Psychiatric Centre residents are guided through drawing and reading with a staff member as part of a daily programme to keep them active

The promise and peril of ditching South Africa’s psychiatric hospitals

Community mental health care can be better for patients and health systems if it's done right. Find out how one organisation is making it work.
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Kids are having sex. We need to help teen moms, not punish them

Otlotleng Moolikwe fell pregnant after having sex with her boyfriend when she was 13 years old. And she’s not the only one. One in six South African teenagers between 15 and 19 years old have had a child. Here’s how to help them stay in school.