News and analysis

At the height of Aids denialism in South Africa, little data was available on the proportion of people infected with HIV. But the Human Sciences Research Council’s first national survey in 2002 was a turning point, and since then data has driven decisions — with South Africa today having the biggest antiretroviral programme in the world. Here’s how the numbers paint SA’s HIV story.

The legal steps to report sexual assault in South Africa are straightforward. But there are a lot of reasons that people don’t do it.

In 25 years, new HIV infections in South Africa have dropped from around 1 463 each day to about 370. But HIV “is still an issue”, experts say. Follow our timeline to see how South Africa’s response to the epidemic has changed over the years — and read the Bhekisisa stories that made headlines.

People with HIV can live a long, healthy life — if they take their medication correctly. But too many don’t. A game might help to change that, research shows.

How much does cutting down on carbon emissions, by doing things like using public transport, walking or cycling to get to places, really save? COP29 was a good place to find out. Our team tracked their steps and calculated how much carbon they emitted — and saved.

Antiretrovirals like dolutegravir help keep people healthy. But their use adds to global warming, which drives climate change. Switching to newer forms of medicines can help to lower the carbon emissions from these medicines. But we don’t have enough to make this a reality. Here’s what has to change.

Almost 5% of the world’s carbon emissions come from the healthcare sector. Rethinking how hospitals run and deal with waste can get this figure down. But South Africa’s healthcare workers say regulations are stopping them from doing this — and so playing their part in slowing climate change.

Climate change is affecting the way in which we’re producing food and how polluted the water we drink and the air we breathe are, but only about one in three governments pointed out the impact of climate change on their citizens’ health in their yearly United Nations Debate statements last year.

New regulations likely to come into force early next year, will see South Africa’s roughly 200 000 healers having to register with a regulatory council who will oversee their practice. But opposing views between healers and the health department could scupper the plan.

Babies getting HIV from their infected mothers is rare in a cluster of 39 villages in the OR Tambo district in the Eastern Cape — despite more than a third of pregnant women in this rural part of the province being HIV positive. Find out how an NGO’s peer-support programme here helps.

The proposed Tobacco Bill will treat vapes like traditional tobacco products, banning public use and advertising, to stop young people from picking up the habit. But research shows that e-cigarette rules could lead to a spike in traditional smoking. Yet not everyone agrees. Here’s why it’s a tricky issue.

Gilead Sciences, the maker of a twice-a year anti-HIV injection, has approached South Africa’s medicine regulator to discuss how to get the shot registered locally as fast as possible in the country. Sahpra will have to work with the European Medicines Agency on this, as it’s severely understaffed and unable to review medicines speedily.

By the end of August, 1.65-million HIV-negative people in South Africa had used the anti-HIV pill at least once, making the country’s HIV prevention pill programme the world’s largest. We break down South Africa’s latest anti-HIV pill numbers and explain how they fit into global targets.

A woman’s chance of being killed in the Eastern Cape is almost double what it is in the country as a whole and about half as likely in Limpopo as in the rest of South Africa, results from the South African Medical Research Council’s fourth survey on femicide, reveal.

By the end of October, Business Unity South Africa (Busa) will submit a proposal to President Cyril Rampahosa with solutions to their concerns about the National Health Insurance Act. This follows a September meeting with the president. But is there hope for change? In this podcast, Mia Malan asks Ramaphosa’s special advisor, Olive Shisana, and Busa CEO, Cas Coovadia, what to expect.

South Africa needs to get more than 550 000 HIV-positive men on antiretrovirals before the end of next year to help the country meet its targets for ending Aids by 2030. But in the past it’s been difficult to get men to take up — and stay — on HIV treatment. Could building an all-male sports-like team with a coach help solve it?