These doctors want to work in SA’s rural hospitals. But there’s no money to...
A scholarship programme has been producing doctors for South Africa’s understaffed rural hospitals since 1999, but provinces don’t have the money to employ their recent graduates. Could the country’s planned National Health Insurance scheme fix this?
[WATCH] Starry nights over city lights: Why this doctor wants to work in rural...
Doctor Thulani Ngwenya has no plans to leave his job at Bethesda Hospital near Ubombo in rural KwaZulu-Natal for a post in a city....
Health Beat #4 | Can the NHI fix SA’s rural doctor dilemma?
Doctors trained specifically to work in rural areas are struggling to find work in far-flung areas because provincial health departments don’t have the money to pay them. Find out what could change this in this episode of Health Beat.
[WATCH] ‘I’m a warrior’: How the anti-HIV injection empowers young women
An anti-HIV injection called CAB-LA has just been approved by South Africa’s medicines regulator, and the health department says it could be in clinics by August 2023 — but only if the price is right. In Cape Town, more than 200 women have been using the two-monthly jab as part of a study. We spoke to three of them.
[Watch it again] New pills, new rules: What’s next for ARVs?
In this webinar, a panel of world-class experts discussed what South Africa's updated guidelines for how we use ARVs may look like.
Health Beat #3 | Meet the first SA women to get the anti-HIV jab
South Africa saw 200 000 new HIV infections in 2021, according to UNAids. A new injection called CAB-LA could be a game changer. It works better than a daily pill to prevent HIV infection — and only has to be taken once every two months.
How government plans to make medical negligence cheaper
Medical negligence claims have skyrocketed, making the health department responsible for R120-billion in payouts.
Government is trying to reduce its liability by introducing the structured...
Is a safe, legal abortion a human right?
Abortions became legal in South Africa almost three decades ago. Yet we still have plenty of unsafe, illegal abortions. Why? Mia Malan speaks to physician Tlaleng Mofokeng in this podcast.
[Watch] Three myths about vasectomies busted
Myths and stigma linked to vasectomies often stop men from using the procedure to prevent pregnancy. This video unpacks these myths and why they’re false.
[WATCH] How do puberty blockers work? 4 questions answered
People with gender dysphoria are more anxious and depressed than those who don’t have this body discomfort. But that changes once people start gender-affirming treatment. Find out more here.
[WATCH] How to get mental health support – for half the price of a...
Registered counsellors can provide short-term talk therapy including trauma and grief counselling. Here’s where you can find these health workers.
What does lead poisoning do to your kid’s brain?
Children who are exposed to the toxic heavy metal, lead, are more likely to commit violent crime and to get lower scores on intelligence tests as adults. But experts and industry groups say the government isn’t doing enough to manage lead.
[WATCH] How we know that stricter gun laws work
In Colombia, researchers found that when two large cities made it illegal to carry a gun in public, the murder rate in those places dropped when compared to cities in that country that didn’t implement the ban.
[WATCH] How to keep teenagers on TB treatment
TB was the leading cause of death for teenagers between 2008 and 2018 in South Africa. Find out why and what we can do to make treatment more accessible to them in this short video.
[WATCH] How to stop South Africa’s codeine problem
More teens are showing up at drug treatment centres to kick a codeine habit. Some codeine products such as Stilpane are available over the counter without a prescription, so what can be done to prevent abuse? Find out in this video.
[WATCH] Books & babies: How to keep young mothers in school
We travelled to the North West for this video, where we spoke to a young mother who fell pregnant when she was 13, but managed to return to school after her pregnancy.