News

News

Aspen to address short supply of obesity medicine

23 Apr 2024
Bloomberg reported on 22 April that, Africa’s largest drugmaker, Aspen, is prepared to alleviate the escalating shortage of the world’s most sought-after obesity treatments.
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WHO considers wider alert on contaminated cough syrup

22 Apr 2024
Reuters reported on 19 April that the World Health Organisation (WHO) might issue a broader warning about the Johnson&Johnson-made children’s cough syrup, which was found to be contaminated. This follows the Nigerian regulator’s recall of a batch of Benylin paediatric syrup after routine testing. The contaminant has been linked to the deaths of more than 300 children in Cameroon, Gambia, Indonesia and Uzbekistan since 2022. However, no evidence exists that these incidents are related to the latest recalls.
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Dismal conditions at SA mortuaries

19 Apr 2024
Health Minister Joe Phaahla admitted that only 62 of government’s 118 forensic pathology units, or state mortuaries, were awarded certificates of competence, reported MedicalBrief (17 April 2024)
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HIV drug flagged for reports of resistance

19 Apr 2024
Although the antiretroviral drug dolutegravir has significantly improved HIV treatment in SA, emerging concerns about dolutegravir resistance have been noted, particularly among patients with high viral loads and those who have previously failed other treatments – Spotlight 17 April 2024.
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NHI tax hikes are coming

19 Apr 2024
The Minister of Health, Joe Phaahla, confirmed that “possible tax amendments will be introduced through a Money Bill by the Minister of Finance as and when appropriate and earmarked for use by the Fund”. - BusinessTech (15 April 2024).
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Minister lashes out at private heathcare beneficiaries

19 Apr 2024
At a national election debate, organised by the Mail & Guardian, Parks Tau, Deputy Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional affairs, lashed out at the private healthcare sector for criticising the NHI Bill, calling it resistance from those who are indirectly subsidised by the government. (19 April 2024)
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Discovery Life claims back to pre-Covid levels

19 Apr 2024
“Discovery Life distributed R10.3bn to its clients, a decrease from the R11bn paid the previous year,” reported Business Day (19April 2024)
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SA scientists monitor spread of invasive mosquito

19 Apr 2024
cientists at the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) are monitoring the spread of the rapidly spreading of the Anopheles stephensi mosquito across Africa. – BusinessLive (17 April 2024).
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No benefits from 'outdated' beta-blockers after heart attack

19 Apr 2024
“Swedish researchers have described as outdated the standard practice of prescribing beta-blockers after a heart attack to lessen the risk of a future cardiovascular attack or death, saying there is no significant benefit to this,” reported Medical Brief (17 April 2024).
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Medical scheme sector stable despite challenges

19 Apr 2024
Despite facing numerous challenges, SA’s medical schemes industry has remained stable, according to a recent analysis by financial services group Alexforbes. – Business Day (17 April 2024)
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Hundreds of websites found selling fake weight-loss drugs

16 Apr 2024
Reuters reported on 15 April that the cybersecurity company BrandShield has shut down over 250 websites selling counterfeit versions of popular drugs used for weight loss and diabetes treatment within the GLP-1 class.
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RAF bid to appeal judgment on claim requirements

06 Dec 2023
On 5 December 2023 the Pretoria High Court rejected the Road Accident Fund’s (RAF) request to reconsider a previous verdict from November, reported Business Day. “The ruling mandated eliminating the stringent new requirements for filing claims outlined in a 2021 board notice.”
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Covid-19 vaccines: ‘Health Department squandered the opportunity’

07 Sep 2023
“Health activists are right to draw attention to this grossly unfair situation. (Covid-19 vaccine deals) But the far bigger scandal is that the Health Department squandered the opportunity after spending an estimated R14-bn on Covid-19 jabs and belatedly filling its warehouses with enough doses to vaccinate the nation” – Business Day (7 September 2023).
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EDITORIAL: Health Minister must halt care crisis

20 Jan 2023

NHI, the government’s plan for universal health coverage, rests heavily on nurse-led care. Yet where these nurses will come from is a mystery. – Editorial (Business Day 20 January 2023).
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Study raises concerns about quality of hospital meals

12 Jan 2023

According to a study of meals served at Cape Town hospitals the food served to hospital patients are way below the health department “ration scale” and patients’ energy requirements, reportedFinancial Mail (12 January 2023).
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