Videos

The ANC has National Health Insurance, the DA thinks the answer to better healthcare lies in the private sector working with the public sector, and the EFF says we need a clinic in each municipal ward. So who is right? It’s for you to decide with your vote.

Section 24 of the Constitution says all South Africans have the right to clean and safe living environments. But if they’re not getting that, to whom do they turn in the face of illegal dumping, toxic waste, sluggish local government and politicians chasing the popular vote? Health Beat finds out.

Governments have the power to make decisions that can mean the difference between life and death when it comes to health matters. Watch four politicians say what they’ll do to fix South Africa’s health system after the 29 May elections and answer questions from civil society and public health advocates.

From struggles and scandals to feats and forward thinking — South Africa’s health system has seen it all over the past 30 years. In this month’s Health Beat, we ask public officials, activists, health workers, legal experts and ordinary citizens to look back on how things have changed — and what it means for the future of healthcare in the country.

The National Health Insurance scheme is supposed to provide all South Africans with the healthcare many have fought and died for. But citizens are wary of trusting politicians with the public purse and point to Tembisa Hospital on the East Rand as an example of how money set aside for health, has been used for anything but.

In theory, the National Health Insurance (NHI) could transform our failing healthcare system. But, many South Africans have little faith in the politicians who are supposed to look after the public purse. We take a look at how the residents of Tembisa cope with the results of corruption at their hospital, the systems that private medical aid schemes have in place to curb fraud, and how the planned NHI could benefit from being more transparent.

When e-cigarettes were first tested by cigarette smokers, there were complaints about them being too smooth. So propylene glycol was added to give users that harsh hit at the back of the throat they were used to. A lung doctor explains why the clouds of smoke that accompany vapes aren’t clean steam, but chemicals.

Cervical cancer affects almost 11 000 women a year in South Africa, leading to about 5 000 deaths. It starts with an infection by the human papillomavirus (HPV). If the infection is caught early enough, it can be treated to prevent cancer from developing in the first place. Doing a self-test for an HPV infection can help. Here’s how it works.

Curious about how we run our operations? Meet Soley Crooks Chissano – our programme associate – the brains behind our newsletter, social media and events.

Are e-cigarettes healthier than traditional smokes? The vaping and tobacco industries would have us believe that they are, but doctors and researchers are sceptical. We find out why young people are getting hooked on nicotine-enhanced fruity flavours — and break down the potentially deadly consequences.

Sleep apnoea means you stop breathing for some time while asleep. Your brain then tells your body to wake up so that you can get much-needed oxygen. Picture this happening 42 times an hour every night. That’s what Juanita Herholdt used to go through before getting tested and treated for this sleep disorder.

A decade ago our editor-in-chief wrote a story on the issue of botched circumcisions in the rural Eastern Cape. Through the help of translators, she managed to speak to some of the survivors and this resulted in high-level policy changes and a drama production. Watch more of this story.

Mapeseka Mabena has spent a decade getting her HIV patients to start and stay on treatment. Taking ARVs every day can be taxing, but Mabena motivates people with a reminder that meds can help them have HIV-free children and stop them passing on the virus through sex. She explains how in this video.

Around 500 people in South Africa get infected with HIV each day. A number that Mbali Jonas from the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation wants to reduce to zero. They’re doing this by telling youth about medications that can stop HIV infection. We take you to their communities and show you how they work.

Too much greenhouse gases going into the air from burning coal, oil and gas make the atmosphere warmer than it should be. This causes global weather patterns to change, aka climate change. Watch this animation to learn more.

Since fewer people are using condoms, we need more ways to prevent HIV. HIV prevention pills are free at government clinics, but the catch is that you have to take them every day. A two-monthly jab and monthly vaginal ring could change the game, but can the state afford them? Watch this Health Beat episode to find out.