Health-e News Service

Health-e News Service Health-e News is a non-profit, online publication focused on pressing health issues in South Africa.

We centre community voices through our network of nationwide community journalists.

12/12/2025

That’s a wrap on 2025!

From unpacking clinic blockades to highlighting ARV theft and the twice-a-year HIV shot Lenacapavir, thank you for reading, sharing and engaging with us.
See you in January 2026!

That’s a wrap on 2025!🥳From unpacking clinic blockades to highlighting ARV theft and the twice-a-year HIV shot Lenacapav...
12/12/2025

That’s a wrap on 2025!🥳

From unpacking clinic blockades to highlighting ARV theft and the twice-a-year HIV shot Lenacapavir, thank you for reading, sharing and engaging with us.🙌

See you in January 2026!

18-year-old Onke Komsana from the rural village of Sithebe in Ngcobo in the Eastern Cape, is among thousands of adolesce...
12/12/2025

18-year-old Onke Komsana from the rural village of Sithebe in Ngcobo in the Eastern Cape, is among thousands of adolescent boys and young men undergoing initiation – the rite of passage for Xhosa boys transitioning to manhood, this summer.

Though it is a celebratory moment for many families, his father Abonga Komsana, is nervous.

”Taking your son to the mountain is a scary moment for any father. I have had sleepless nights in the days leading up to his initiation".

Headlines of initiates dying or losing their pen*ses due to botched circumcisions have become commonplace. The Eastern Cape health department has already confirmed the deaths of nine initiates this summer.

Find out more in the comments via Siyabonga Kamnqa.🔗

[OPINION] was created to remind the world that everyone should be able to get healthcare without being pushed into deb...
12/12/2025

[OPINION] was created to remind the world that everyone should be able to get healthcare without being pushed into debt.

However today, millions of people in Africa still can't get the care or medicines they rely on.

Back in 2001, the Abuja Declaration was a promise that governments would put 15% of their national budgets toward health, but most don’t.

Many spend half that or less. The result is empty medicine shelves, clinics that can’t offer the basics and a system that lean on the pockets of the poor.

Find out more in the comments as Tian Johnson from The African Alliance explains more. 🔗

Despite South Africa’s progress, the new HIV Stigma Index 2.0 report shows that many people still face stigma, both from...
10/12/2025

Despite South Africa’s progress, the new HIV Stigma Index 2.0 report shows that many people still face stigma, both from within themselves and from those around them.

The findings, presented by researchers including Duncan Moeketsi (National Association of People Living with HIV and AIDS - NAPWA), highlight concerns such as internal shame, being talked about or judged in health facilities, and key populations not feeling safe when seeking care.

According to Mluleki Zazini (PLHIV), stronger awareness campaigns and community-led training for healthcare workers are urgently needed.

Find out more in the comments. Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) SANAC

For many South Africans living with disabilities, the disability grant is more than financial support, it’s a lifeline.B...
08/12/2025

For many South Africans living with disabilities, the disability grant is more than financial support, it’s a lifeline.

But getting it isn’t simple.

The process requires a medical assessment by a state-appointed doctor, yet delays of six to twelve months are common.

According to Patrick Mahlakoane national chairperson of the Disabled People South Africa(DPSA) , shortages of medical assessors, understaffed SASSA offices and long travel distances, sometimes over 50km, make the system extremely hard to navigate.

Lebo Molobi of the Binang Foundation For Special Needs says the solution lies in hiring more state-appointed doctors, disability-sensitive training, and additional SASSA offices in underserved communities.

Find out more in the comments via Keletso Mkhwanazi🔗

[OPNION] When the U.S. cut funding to global health programmes in early 2025, the ripple effects hit hard. Over 83% of U...
05/12/2025

[OPNION] When the U.S. cut funding to global health programmes in early 2025, the ripple effects hit hard.

Over 83% of USAID initiatives were cut by March, outreach teams dissolved, and many living with , especially mobile populations, were left without care.

Dr Melanie Bisnauth from Wits - University of the Witwatersrand highlights that these abrupt cuts stalled HIV care, dissolved community support networks, and UNAIDS modelling warns of more than 150,000 additional HIV infections in South Africa by 2028 if replacement funding isn’t secured.

Find out more in the comments.

: On a scorching morning in Ngcobo, Sivuyile Vundle and his cousin, Ludwe, were up by 5am, hoping to catch a taxi to Ma...
04/12/2025

: On a scorching morning in Ngcobo, Sivuyile Vundle and his cousin, Ludwe, were up by 5am, hoping to catch a taxi to Masonwabe Clinic.

For Vundle, who uses a wheelchair, even getting into public transport is a struggle. Some taxis pass him because he takes longer to board.

But he has no choice, he needs his high blood pressure medication, and the clinic is almost 40km away. Each trip costs about R400 for him and his cousin.

Vundle isn’t alone.
Simphiwe Gwaza from Tsolo says using an old wheelchair with worn-out tyres makes every movement difficult and accessing a clinic even harder.

And Nosintu Mcimeli, founder of the Abanebhongo Persons with DISABILITIES/apd, sees the same struggles daily. Many people living with with disabilities in deep rural areas rely on distant helpers, hire costly private cars, or remain bed-ridden with no mobility support.

They all share the same frustration: in rural Eastern Cape, persons with disabilities struggle to access basic transport, making healthcare feel far out of reach.

Find out more in the comments via Siyabonga Kamnqa.🔗

Youth in Mahikeng say isn’t just about not having a job, it’s affecting their mental health every single day.People li...
03/12/2025

Youth in Mahikeng say isn’t just about not having a job, it’s affecting their mental health every single day.

People like Bonolo Disetlhe and Reoagile Phetlhu describe the stress, pressure, self-doubt and isolation that come with constantly applying for jobs and getting no response. Some are even turning to alcohol just to cope.

Experts like Professor Ankebé Kruger from NWU - North-West University warn that unemployment disrupts purpose, identity and emotional well-being.

support is available under the Adolescents and Youth Friendly Service, but the government has been criticised for using improper channels to tell people the about these services.

Find out more in the comments via Kagiso Keipopele🔗

[OPINION] didn’t start in a Washington office and it won’t end because the United States chose to retreat from public ...
02/12/2025

[OPINION] didn’t start in a Washington office and it won’t end because the United States chose to retreat from public recognition of it.

Tian Johnson from The African Alliance reflects on how this day was built by communities who carried the weight of HIV long before donors recognised it.

It came from grief, organising, and the fight for dignity, when people living with were stigmatised, ignored and criminalised.

The message is simple: Africa should never depend on another country to honour our losses or recognise our progress.

Africa has its own movements, its own evidence and its own story.

Find out more in the comments.🔗

01/12/2025

[WATCH] : HIV treatment and awareness have improved over the past 30 years but stigma is still holding many men back.

Health workers say men often avoid testing or treatment because they fear discrimination or appearing weak.

For Joseph Motloung, this fear was real. He waited three years before he found the courage to get tested, after rumours spread that the woman he had been in a relationship with had died of AIDS-related causes.

Joseph was diagnosed on 10 June 1994. He disclosed his status soon after, but the reactions were harsh. "My stepmother refused to share food with me when I told her; she thought I would infect her”.

Now 59, he uses his story to help other men break that silence and encourages men to speak openly, get tested and support one another.

Find out more in the comments via Tholakele Mbonani 🔗

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Health-e News is South Africa's only independent health news agency, supplying the country with news from cities and villages via a network of citizen journalists and experienced, award-winning TV and print journalists.