© Copyright Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism | Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions | PAIA Manual
Folly and fortitude: What sets good and bad leaders apart in the COVID-19 era?
A country's coronavirus response is only as good as its president, writes Lawrence Hamilton. So how does South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa measure up?
What will the future of COVID-19 testing look like?
Our COVID-19 response can take a leaf out of our HIV strategy book. For a start, to focus on testing people in the hardest hit districts and concentrate on vulnerable populations.
Could the debate over South Africa’s temporary alcohol sales ban have a subtext you’re...
No, South Africa's alcohol ban wasn't the only thing that helped lower hospital trauma admissions recently, but it did play a substantial role.
Are we prepared for the potential pandemic lawsuits against South Africa’s health system?
Society’s goodwill towards the health profession is justified, but in the face of doctors and hospitals having to make difficult decisions when treating COVID-19 patients it might not last for much longer.
Catholic priest: Why it’s wrong to open our churches
Is it responsible to allow religious gatherings during level 3 lockdown? This church leader says no — there are safer ways to provide people with spiritual support during the COVID-19 epidemic.
What if you could report gender-based violence at … your local supermarket?
In the time of COVID-19, social distancing measures can make it harder to report and screen for gender-based violence (SGBV). In South Africa, we've taken chronic medication pick up out of clinics, maybe it's time to time to do the same for the reporting of SGBV.
Past, present and future: What should be shaping Africa’s COVID-19 response
The World Health Organisation estimates that Africa will need up to 25-million respirators monthly. We must ensure that essential medical supplies such as these reach all of our communities. Now, is the time for the continent to leverage existing HIV services to boost COVID-19 testing, isolation, contact tracing and treatment.
If we invested in this today, South Africa could save billions — and fight...
Community healthcare workers have become what some have called our “heroes on the ground” during COVID-19. By keeping more people healthier for longer, and increasing productivity, these workers could save South Africa more than R400-billion over 10 years. The question is, when will the country recognise them as integral and pivotal players in the health system?
Politicking, pandemics and prestige: What’s really behind the squabbles at South Africa’s high-level COVID-19...
The sphere of the politics of science is intense and complex — the larger the problem, the bigger the payoff to solve it.
Why we should be making our own COVID medicines, vaccines and supplies
There's been an unequal scramble for COVID-19 vaccines, test kits and medicines that can shorten recovery periods. Wealthy countries have already pre-ordered more than 2 billion doses of vaccines that are still being tested, leaving poorer countries with few options for equal access. But what if we could produce some of the COVID solutions at home?
How to fix South Africa’s backlog in COVID-19 tests
The COVID-19 outbreak has overwhelmed our laboratories. Many labs can no longer deliver results within 24 hours and for some, these times have stretched up to 14 days. Is it time to South Africa to rethink its testing strategy?
Africa’s COVID-19 coronavirus research must be tailored to its realities – by its own...
Trust is essential in the pandemic and scientists here can set the priorities that make the most sense for our people.COMMENTResearch to find a...
Could South Africa’s lockdown ‘experiment’ help chart a path to a more sober and...
Researchers will need to carefully untangle cause and effect when it comes to learning what lockdown and a moratorium on alcohol sales have meant for the country – and our collective future.
South Africa’s coronavirus lockdown has us doing less — so why do we feel...
You don't have to run 5km to feel fatigued. Turns out stress and anxiety can also leave you craving a good lie-in, but could tips to cope come from an unlikely place — the diaries of a 1900s' sea captain?
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.
People still have sex during outbreaks — forgetting it can be deadly
Planning for the pandemic has to include sexual and reproductive health services. If not, we risk saving women from the new coronavirus but leaving them to die during childbirth, unsafe abortions or at the hands of their partners.