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The Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism is based in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Bhekisisa is one of only a few media outlets in the Global South specialising in solutions-based narrative features and analysis. We not only uncover problems but also critically evaluate the solutions meant to fix them. It’s an approach we also take with our opinion pieces.

What makes a good op-ed? What can I expect from the editing process? Who do I pitch a possible opinion piece to? Get the answers to all these questions along with some handy writing tips here before you make a submission.

Protests by communities

Protests, progress and performance: Here’s what it takes to clean up a provincial health...

In 2018, protests over alleged corruption in the North West health department literally set the province on fire. Cabinet eventually put six of the province's departments under administration. Here's an inside look from the woman tasked with cleaning house at the provincial health department.
Helen Zille's short-sighted tweets about HIV and Aids fuel HIV stigma.

​#AIDS2016: Yes, Helen Zille racism and inequality do fuel the spread of HIV

The Western Cape premier should know that inequality, not just science, lies at the root of the Aids epidemic.
Santie Pretorius lost more than 100kg after undergoing bariatric surgery

My controversial 100kg revolution

Santie Pretorius details her weight loss journey, which included surgery, in a new book.

Will the National Health Insurance Bill go far enough to prevent corruption?

The National Health Insurance Bill was released on 8 August but a look at how well our mothers – and our finances – do in the public health sector does not bode well. Uncover the figures and the power structures that will shape the future of healthcare in South Africa. 
Life: Pelagie Nyirambarushimana and her child Francine Niyonshuti at the Central University Hospital of Kigali. Rwanda has made drastic improvements in reducing child mortality.

Good health without the fear of ruin

Twenty years after the genocide, Rwanda’s health system is showing drastic improvements.
We can get polio out of Africa this year and out of every country in the world in the next several years, say Bill and Melinda Gates.

Gates Foundation makes ‘Big Bet’ for the future

Philanthropists Bill and Melinda Gates released their annual letter on Thursday. In it, they predict what the world would look like by 2030.
Kenya

Why Africa needs PrEP: A two-in-one pill to prevent HIV infection

Truvada, which contains two antiretrovirals, reduces the risk of HIV infection with up to 96%.
Antiretrovirals are changing. In the future

Will South Africa reach its 90-90-90 HIV targets?

The country has made progress with its plans to prevent, treat and monitor HIV but still has a long way to go.
Mark Heywood's

Memoirs of an activist: ‘The real heroes of the HIV struggle are still unknown’

In a new book, Mark Heywood reflects on love, justice and haunting lessons from the past.
Faux facts are travelling at lightning speed across the internet and they're bad for your health.

The rise of anti-vaxxer bots: Fake news is going viral — it’s bad for...

How do you outrun a lie when science shows misinformation spreads faster than fact?
Outspoken advocate: In 2007 Galip Asvat

Men are also ‘corrective rape’ victims

Many men, thanks to social stigmas, are ashamed to report sexual hate crimes – but they are almost as common as they are against lesbians.

South Africa may not have enough doctors to fight COVID-19. But we could be...

South Africa will need more healthcare workers if cases of the new coronavirus mount. Here's how the country could add thousands in just a matter of weeks.
The road to life-saving treatment starts with a test and that's where men fall behind

Why does HIV kill more men than women?

In 2016, 60% of women of 15 years or older living with HIV were on treatment. Less than half their male peers could say the same.
Medical student Inati Mcapazeli studies a chest x-ray at Cape Town’s Brooklyn Chest Hospital on World TB Day 2012.

We can achieve a TB-free South Africa, but it’s time to pick up the...

Today, SA is seeing fewer new TB cases and deaths than ever before.
Help: Community health carers protest after they lost their jobs

Free State breaks the backbone of basic care for the destitute

The Mma Mokoenas of community health still dispense help despite having been dismissed.
Could HIV treatment become as simple as a once-a-month injection?

Six ways ARVs can help to end Aids by 2030

Science knows more than ever about how to use HIV treatment to prevent new infections but will it be enough to end Aids?