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.
Yolanda Mdzeke is a multimedia reporter at Bhekisisa.
- Yolanda Mdzekehttps://bhekisisa.org/author/yolanda/April 2, 2024
- Yolanda Mdzekehttps://bhekisisa.org/author/yolanda/March 12, 2024
- Yolanda Mdzekehttps://bhekisisa.org/author/yolanda/March 8, 2024
- Yolanda Mdzekehttps://bhekisisa.org/author/yolanda/March 6, 2024
- Justin Barlowhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/justin-barlow/April 2, 2024
- Justin Barlowhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/justin-barlow/December 1, 2023
Mohale Moloi worked at Bhekisisa as a television producer and health journalist from July 2021 to March 2024.
- Mohale Moloihttps://bhekisisa.org/author/mohale/April 2, 2024
- Mohale Moloihttps://bhekisisa.org/author/mohale/March 12, 2024
- Mohale Moloihttps://bhekisisa.org/author/mohale/March 8, 2024
- Mohale Moloihttps://bhekisisa.org/author/mohale/March 5, 2024
With a fifth of antiretroviral or chronic medication parcels left uncollected in the Chris Hani district in the first three months of this year, bicycle deliveries by Siphelo Lose are a lifeline to people in rural areas who can’t get to clinics. In this #SliceofLife he shares his story.
Christina Pitt is a health journalist at Bhekisisa.
- Christina Pitthttps://bhekisisa.org/author/christinapitt/March 1, 2024
- Christina Pitthttps://bhekisisa.org/author/christinapitt/January 29, 2024
- Christina Pitthttps://bhekisisa.org/author/christinapitt/October 20, 2023
- Christina Pitthttps://bhekisisa.org/author/christinapitt/October 4, 2023
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.
Mohale Moloi worked at Bhekisisa as a television producer and health journalist from July 2021 to March 2024.
- Mohale Moloihttps://bhekisisa.org/author/mohale/April 11, 2024
- Mohale Moloihttps://bhekisisa.org/author/mohale/March 12, 2024
- Mohale Moloihttps://bhekisisa.org/author/mohale/March 8, 2024
- Mohale Moloihttps://bhekisisa.org/author/mohale/March 5, 2024
Mia Malan is the founder and editor-in-chief of Bhekisisa. She has worked in newsrooms in Johannesburg, Nairobi and Washington, DC, winning more than 30 awards for her radio, print and television work.
- Mia Malanhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/mia/February 26, 2024
- Mia Malanhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/mia/February 6, 2024
- Mia Malanhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/mia/January 30, 2024
- Mia Malanhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/mia/December 11, 2023
Jessica Pitchford is Bhekisisa's TV and multimedia editor. She's been a journalist since the early nineties and has reported on some pivotal events in South Africa’s political history, such as the country’s transition to democracy and the work of the Truth & Reconciliation Commission.
- Jessica Pitchfordhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/jessica-pitchford/February 26, 2024
- Jessica Pitchfordhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/jessica-pitchford/February 9, 2024
- Jessica Pitchfordhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/jessica-pitchford/January 30, 2024
- Jessica Pitchfordhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/jessica-pitchford/December 1, 2023
Yolanda Mdzeke is a multimedia reporter at Bhekisisa.
- Yolanda Mdzekehttps://bhekisisa.org/author/yolanda/April 11, 2024
- Yolanda Mdzekehttps://bhekisisa.org/author/yolanda/March 12, 2024
- Yolanda Mdzekehttps://bhekisisa.org/author/yolanda/March 8, 2024
- Yolanda Mdzekehttps://bhekisisa.org/author/yolanda/March 6, 2024
Thatego Mashabela is a multimedia producer at Bhekisisa.
- Thatego Mashabelahttps://bhekisisa.org/author/thategom/March 12, 2024
- Thatego Mashabelahttps://bhekisisa.org/author/thategom/March 5, 2024
- Thatego Mashabelahttps://bhekisisa.org/author/thategom/February 26, 2024
- Thatego Mashabelahttps://bhekisisa.org/author/thategom/January 30, 2024
- Ruan Visserhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/ruanv/February 26, 2024
- Ruan Visserhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/ruanv/January 30, 2024
- Justin Barlowhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/justin-barlow/April 11, 2024
- Justin Barlowhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/justin-barlow/December 1, 2023
More and more studies are showing that vaping is not harmless and that electronic smokes should be regulated the same way as traditional cigarettes — and governments are getting on board. A lung health expert from the University of Cape Town tells Mia Malan why in the February edition of Health Beat, Bhekisisa’s monthly TV programme.
Linda Pretorius is Bhekisisa’s content editor. She has a PhD in biosystems from the University of Pretoria has been working as a science writer, editor and proofreader in the book industry and for academic journals over the past 15 years. At Bhekisisa she helps authors to shape and develop their stories to pack a punch.
- Linda Pretoriushttps://bhekisisa.org/author/linda-pretorius/March 15, 2024
- Linda Pretoriushttps://bhekisisa.org/author/linda-pretorius/January 23, 2024
- Linda Pretoriushttps://bhekisisa.org/author/linda-pretorius/January 19, 2024
- Linda Pretoriushttps://bhekisisa.org/author/linda-pretorius/December 14, 2023
The words we use to describe diseases tell us more about how people experience living with it. The isiXhosa word for tuberculosis, isifo sephepha, is a case in point. Understanding where it comes from can help to break down the stigma around the disease.
Helene-Mari van der Westhuizen is a South African medical doctor, co-founder of the NGO TB Proof and researcher at Oxford University.
- Helene-Mari van der Westhuizenhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/helene-mari-van-der-westhuizen/October 18, 2023
- Helene-Mari van der Westhuizenhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/helene-mari-van-der-westhuizen/September 7, 2021
- Helene-Mari van der Westhuizenhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/helene-mari-van-der-westhuizen/March 19, 2021
- Helene-Mari van der Westhuizenhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/helene-mari-van-der-westhuizen/October 26, 2020
A curable and preventable disease is South Africa’s biggest killer. Is your political party going to do something about it — and does it show up in their election manifesto?
Anele Yawa is the secretary general of the Treatment Action Campaign. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AneleYawa.
- Anele Yawahttps://bhekisisa.org/author/anele-yawa/April 4, 2017
- Anele Yawahttps://bhekisisa.org/author/anele-yawa/March 5, 2015
Harry Hausler is the CEO of TB HIV Care.
- Harry Hauslerhttps://bhekisisa.org/author/harry-hausler/March 22, 2013
Russell Rensburg is the director of the Rural Health Advocacy Project and project director for the TB Accountability Consortium SA.
- Russell Rensburghttps://bhekisisa.org/author/russell-rensburg/September 17, 2019
- Russell Rensburghttps://bhekisisa.org/author/russell-rensburg/February 20, 2019
- Russell Rensburghttps://bhekisisa.org/author/russell-rensburg/April 19, 2018
- Russell Rensburghttps://bhekisisa.org/author/russell-rensburg/March 2, 2017
Ingrid Schoeman is the director of advocacy and strategy at TB Proof.
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About one in five teens in South Africa are overweight or have obesity, with eating unhealthy foods being a big part of the problem. But changing policies to make cities healthier can help school kids eat better — and set them up for a healthier future. Cape Town is part of a project to do this.
Sipokazi Fokazi is Bhekisisa's senior health news reporter.
- Sipokazi Fokazihttps://bhekisisa.org/author/sipokazif/April 12, 2024
South Africa needs to produce more electricity to end loadshedding. But at the same time we also need to move away from coal-fired power to fight global warming. In this tug-of-war, people who live close to power stations will keep falling ill from breathing in dirty air.
Zano Kunene is a health journalist at Bhekisisa.
- Zano Kunenehttps://bhekisisa.org/author/zanokunene/February 23, 2024
- Zano Kunenehttps://bhekisisa.org/author/zanokunene/February 6, 2024
- Zano Kunenehttps://bhekisisa.org/author/zanokunene/December 13, 2023
- Zano Kunenehttps://bhekisisa.org/author/zanokunene/November 17, 2023
When you’re not feeling rested and refreshed after a night’s sleep, your thinking is fuzzy, your reaction time drops and you feel sluggish at work. But more and more research shows that sleeping poorly is a big public health worry. Today, on World Sleep Day, two experts explain why.
Linda Pretorius is Bhekisisa’s content editor. She has a PhD in biosystems from the University of Pretoria has been working as a science writer, editor and proofreader in the book industry and for academic journals over the past 15 years. At Bhekisisa she helps authors to shape and develop their stories to pack a punch.
- Linda Pretoriushttps://bhekisisa.org/author/linda-pretorius/March 27, 2024
- Linda Pretoriushttps://bhekisisa.org/author/linda-pretorius/January 23, 2024
- Linda Pretoriushttps://bhekisisa.org/author/linda-pretorius/January 19, 2024
- Linda Pretoriushttps://bhekisisa.org/author/linda-pretorius/December 14, 2023
Anxiety, guilt and anger. That’s how young people in 10 countries felt when asked how they feel about climate change. For South Africans violence, unemployment and HIV were bigger concerns but, as natural disasters increase so will the mental health problems they cause. Tanya Pampalone’s newsletter on the link between climate change and health launches today. Sign up for helpful news, resources and research.
Tanya Pampalone is Bhekisisa's business development consultant. Pampalone is the former managing editor of the Global Investigative Journalism Network, executive editor of the Mail & Guardian and head of partnerships and audience development for The Conversation Africa. Now a communications, strategy and fundraising consultant, she works with non-profit and mission-driven media groups in San Francisco and Johannesburg.
- Tanya Pampalonehttps://bhekisisa.org/author/tanya-pampalone/April 17, 2024
- Tanya Pampalonehttps://bhekisisa.org/author/tanya-pampalone/December 4, 2023
- Tanya Pampalonehttps://bhekisisa.org/author/tanya-pampalone/November 7, 2023