News

News

Treasury threatens takeover of 4 provincial health departments

09 Dec 2025
National Treasury is preparing to intervene in four provincial health departments - KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, Gauteng and the Northern Cape - after severe financial mismanagement and failing service delivery. - Business Day (8 Dec 2025)
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NHI locked in legal and political conflict

09 Dec 2025
As 2026 approaches, SA’s healthcare system remains strained, caught between scientific progress and persistent financial and administrative instability. - Marcus Low in Spotlight (8 Dec 2025)
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National Health urged to rethink 1.47% increase in SEP

08 Dec 2025
The Pharmaceutical Task Group (PTG), has urged the Health Department to immediately reconsider the newly gazetted increase of only 1.47%, in the maximum Single Exit Price (SEP) for medicines in 2026. – Business Day (8 Dec 2025)
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BHF calls for urgent regulatory reform

08 Dec 2025
Business Day reports that, while 2026 medical scheme contribution increases will remain mostly single digit, the Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF) warns that the sector’s stability is artificial, as schemes increasingly rely on reserves to contain costs.
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Wegovy Pill could rival injectables

08 Dec 2025
Novo Nordisk’s OASIS 4 phase 3 trial shows that a daily oral Wegovy pill could be a highly effective alternative to the injectable version.
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The future is AI

05 Dec 2025
The Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) has introduced new regulations for end-of-life care and the ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare. The changes aim to safeguard patients while ensuring practitioners adapt to evolving technology and ethical standards.
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SA Faces ‘stubborn’ HIV treatment retention crisis

02 Dec 2025
SA’s HIV response, long praised globally, faces a serious setback as Deputy President Paul Mashatile warns that 1.1m people have been lost to follow-up, undermining progress in treatment outcomes.
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GLP-1 to be reviewed for Essential List

02 Dec 2025
SA’s National Essential Medicines List Committee (NEMLC) has prioritised a review of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medicines, signalling a potential shift in national strategies for managing type 2 diabetes and obesity. – Business Day (1 Dec 2025)
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SA battling a growing black market for illegal weight-loss injections

02 Dec 2025
SA is battling a fast-growing black market for GLP-1 agonists, driven by soaring demand for weight-loss injections and the unaffordability of legitimate products like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro.
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Course to boost African genomics research skills

02 Dec 2025
The University of Cape Town has launched the African Genomics Short Course (AGSC), a 10-day training programme aimed at strengthening African leadership in global genetic research and addressing the continent’s severe underrepresentation in genomic data. – TimesLive (1 Dec 2025)
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Removal of medical tax credits on the cards

17 Oct 2025
“With significant legal and logistical uncertainty still surrounding the NHI's implementation, making precipitous changes to the tax system could have unforeseen and damaging consequences for millions of South Africans.” - Business Day(17 October 2025)
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Pharma faces billions in costs due to new tariffs

29 Jul 2025
“The pharmaceutical industry is bracing for a significant financial blow, with analysts forecasting costs of between $13bn and $19bn following the revelation that a new transatlantic trade deal will subject branded medicines to a hefty 15% tariff.” – Reuters (28 July 2025)
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Life Healthcare backs collaboration to tackle healthcare crisis

27 Nov 2024
Life Healthcare CEO Peter Wharton-Hood has backed a call for greater collaboration between the government and private healthcare providers to address South Africa’s pressing healthcare challenges. This follows a proposal by Netcare CEO Richard Friedland, who suggested adding healthcare as the fourth pillar in an existing government-business partnership focused on revitalising the economy.
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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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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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