Renowned bioinformatician, Professor Tulio de Oliveira, has issued a plea for billionaires and financial institutions to help Africa and South Africa control and extinguish worrisome variants… such as the B.1.1.529 variant, identified in South Africa, which was confirmed on Thursday, and which apparently has over 30 mutations (compared to Delta which only had two). Prof […]

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), a division of the National Health Laboratory Service, has confirmed that through collaborative efforts with private laboratories and the NGS-SA members, a new COVID-19 variant, B.1.1.529, has been detected in South Africa. Unfortunately it appears to have over 30 mutations (Delta only had two) and there are concerns […]

A survey conducted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) has revealed that African people who have diabetes and contract COVID-19 have a significantly higher chance of dying. WHO Africa Region’s Dr Benido Impouma made the announcement at a media briefing ahead of World Diabetes Day on Sunday, 14 November. Africa has recorded at least 8.5 […]

Medical experts in SA are attempting to get the message out to South Africans that it is beneficial to take the COVID-19 vaccine, as they try to address vaccine hesitancy in the country which has been largely fuelled by social media posts and WhatsApp messages based on misinformation. Adverse side effects are one of the […]

South Africa is one of the leading countries in Africa in terms of COVID vaccine rollout, along with Mauritius, Tunisia and Morocco. It has, however, had its fair share of challenges. Shabir A. Madhi has been a key player in shaping the country’s response. Ina Skosana and Ozayr Patel asked him for an assessment of […]

South Africa administered 158 787 COVID-19 vaccines in the past 24 hours, bringing the total doses to 22 799 682. The Department of Health’s latest data shows that of the jabs administered on Wednesday, 145 828 were given to adults, while 12 959 were received by children aged between 12 and 17. In addition, the […]

South Africa has now passed the 21 million mark for total COVID-19 jabs administered since the start of the country’s vaccination rollout programme. This comes after 205 253 doses were distributed in the past 24 hours, pushing the total to 21 011 187 doses administered to 14 568 927 people. The Department of Health’s data show […]

The Department of Health on Friday announced that children aged 12 to 17 years old in South Africa are next in line to receive the COVID-19 vaccine from next week. “We are now ready to start vaccinations for this group of young people from the age of 12 to 17 years,” said Health Minister, Dr […]

A total of 34.7% of the adults in South Africa have received at least one dose of the Pfizer or the Johnson & Johnson single-shot COVID-19 vaccine. According to the Department of Health, 19 668 177 doses have been administered to 13 799 325 eligible vaccinees since the start of the country’s inoculation rollout programme. […]

South Africa’s Department of Health has started issuing the country’s COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate to fully vaccinated adults. Below are the answers to many of the questions being asked, supplied by the Health Department. The system, which allows users to create a QR code as proof of vaccination, is in line with international best practice and […]

Over 10 million adults in South Africa have been fully vaccinated, as of Monday. This comes after 139 899 either received the one dose of the Johnson & Johnson or two-dose Pfizer vaccine. This means there are now 10 059 118 eligible citizens who are fully jabbed, which translates to 25.28% of the country’s adult […]

Over 260,000 more people have died in South Africa since May 2020 than expected. This is according to researchers at the Medical Research Council (MRC), who estimate that 85 to 95% of these “excess” deaths are directly from Covid. This is nearly three times as high as the official Covid death toll published by the […]

PRETORIA: Following reports in local media on Tuesday that South Africa’s Digital Covid-19 Vaccination Certificates had been launched, many South Africans were frustrated when they unsuccessfully tried to download their new Vaccination Certificates… and were met by System Error messages. It turns out the reports were a little ahead of themselves, and the certificates are […]

South Africa has now crossed the 18 million mark for administered COVID-19 vaccine doses. This comes after the government distributed 184 324 in the past 24 hours. According to the Department of Health, this means the country has now given 18 073 784 vaccines since its rollout programme. Meanwhile, as of Monday, the number of fully vaccinated […]

Los Angeles-based South African expat Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong has announced the launch of an ambitious initiative to build the capacity for advanced health care in Africa. It’s the ultimate gift to the land he still loves (like many expats, ‘Jerusalema’ made him homesick!). It is an incredible gesture… and as President Cyril Ramaphosa said at […]

No South African has died from the COVID-19 jab, according to the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHRPA) which continues to investigate the safety of vaccines. National Immunisation Safety Expert Committee (NISEC) Chairperson, Professor Hannelie Meyer, made the announcement during a webinar on self-reporting of side effects or adverse events. Meyer said SAHPRA and […]

Tissue donation is an essential component in the work that surgeons and healthcare professionals do to improve the quality of life of their patients. Human tissue – including bone, skin, heart valves and corneas – is used in a number of surgical applications. It can save patients with severe burns, repair torn ligaments and tendons, […]

South Africa is expecting to receive at least 2.2 million more Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine doses today, donated by the USA. Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla announced the news yesterday, saying the doses are being donated via the COVAX facility – an international group lobbying for the equal access to and procurement of vaccines. Phaahla said […]

Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla has again urged all South Africans over the age of 18 to get vaccinated against COVID-19… as the country is expected to enter a fourth wave of the virus in November. In an update to the nation on the vaccination rollout, Dr Phaahla said: “We have opened [vaccinations] for everybody above […]

Several anomalies, pointing to a dysfunctional provincial department, have been revealed as many ill residents in Gauteng continue to wait for the full reopening of the Charlotte Maxeke hospital… after the fire that wreaked havoc at the hospital earlier this year. The last Charlotte Maxeke hospital fire audit was back in 2017, and appears to […]

South Africa has recorded 13 263 new COVID-19 cases overnight. This increase represents a 22.3% positivity rate. As per the National Department of Health, a further 423 COVID-19 related deaths have been reported, bringing total fatalities to 73 415 to date. A total of 15 031 457 tests have been conducted in both public and […]

South Africa’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout programme, outlined by the Ministry of Health, had three phases, starting with the most vulnerable population. Phase one included all the frontline healthcare workers. They received the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. Phase 2 vaccinated people over 60 years old and those in congregate settings. The third and final phase, now […]

South Africa’s vaccine rollout is finally ramping up, as the country grapples with a ferocious Third Wave. Only 1.2 million South Africans have been fully vaccinated so far (in a country with a population of over 58 million), the Health Department revealed today… but with the go-ahead for clinics to remain open on weekend days […]

Patients suffering from Covid-19 are allegedly dying from poor treatment while badly-needed ICU beds remain closed at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital since the fire on 16 April, according to the DA. The only sections of the hospital that have reopened are the cancer radiology department, a ward for newborn babies and part of the […]

The City of Cape Town and Discovery Health on Tuesday conducted an oversight visit at the Cape Town International Convention Centre mass Vaccination Centre of Hope to check on its preparation ahead of its activation today. Premier Alan Winde says they’re hoping for 4,000 vaccinations per day. Between July and December this year, this mass […]