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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.

Drumming therapy can help to reduce anger and tension and increase a sense of wellbeing.

African rhythms heal around the globe

Nicola Plastow looks at some of the settings in which African drumming has been used to improve mental health.

The preventable trauma of COVID childbirth

A new global investigation has documented, in at least 45 countries, “shocking” and “unnecessary” breaches of laws and World Health Organisation guidelines intended to protect women and babies during the pandemic.
In Nigeria

Inequality didn’t rise from hell: It’s man-made — and there’s nothing like a pandemic...

Why do pandemics such as Aids not automatically end when we have the medicine to control them? Because they play out in a world where inequality frequently prevents drugs from reaching the people who need it most, writes Mia Malan.

Travel bans are unlikely to stop the new coronavirus, but this might

Find out why global health diplomacy and soft power have a role to play in controlling outbreaks as the world charts more cases of the coronavirus COVID-19.
|Marching for cheaper drugs: HIV and Aids activists in New Delhi

NHI: History repeats itself

Universal healthcare schemes traditionally have been met with fierce opposition.

Right of reply: “It’s far more complex” — the health department responds to one...

Will the proposed National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme make things worse rather than better? Here’s the response to this question from the head of the NHI, Nicholas Crisp.
Will PrEP mean fewer new HIV infections in Sub-Saharan Africa in the near future? Not exactly

Is the HIV prevention pill a ‘magic bullet’?

PrEP is not a magic bullet. But we won’t end the HIV epidemic without it.
Ebola healthcare worker protective gear

The world finally has an Ebola vaccine. This is why it’s not enough

The World Health Organisation prequalified Merck's vaccine for widespread use in November but regulatory hoops are just a small part of the fight to get the jab to the places that need it most.
HIV is spreading faster among teenage girls and young women than in any other group in South Africa.

#AIDS2016: Youth will lead the way to an Aids-free generation – Ramaphosa

​Education and opportunity are key to stemming the tide of HIV in South Africa's young women.
South Africa can reap substantial gains by learning from and collaborating with Brazil

SA should use Brics membership to strengthen research

South Africa has a lot to learn about efficient and effective ways to approach health research and policy, suggests John Ouma-Mugabe.
A new online tool lets you calculate your chances of falling pregnant via IVF.

Women can wait up to two months to find out if their babies have...

The world has more than halved the number of babies who contract HIV from their mothers in the last two decades. But in some places, rates of mother-to-child transmission of HIV are rising again and we don’t have a moment to lose when it comes to diagnosing — and treating — babies born with the virus.

From Oscar to Diepsloot: Why do men become violent?

Bhekisisa and Media Hack Collective's 2021 #SayHerName project, researched what gender-based violence stories make it onto the news.The data backed up what we...
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%.

What developing countries can teach the Global North about how to respond to a...

When it comes to leadership and innovation, there's much that industrialised nations can learn.
About half the country’s population is younger than 15.

Tanzania: 22.8% of teen girls are mothers

Many children between the ages of nine and 12 have had sex. The average woman has about five children.
Africa needs more emergency care specialists to prevent unnecessary deaths due to a lack of capacity and training.

Why emergency care in Africa needs to become a specialised course

Countries in Africa are in desperate need of more emergency care specialists and increased training.