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.

: Civil society groups, academics and health leaders gathered at this year’s Diabetes Summit with one message: South Af...
14/11/2025

: Civil society groups, academics and health leaders gathered at this year’s Diabetes Summit with one message: South Africa cannot afford a “business as usual” approach to diabetes.

Summit convener and Diabetes Alliance chair Dr Patrick Ngassa Piotie says diabetes is a leading cause of death and and poses a heavy burden on the country’s already stretched public health system.

Advocates, including HEALA CEO Nzama Mbalati, are calling on President Cyril Ramaphosa to declare diabetes a public health emergency, warning that millions of South Africans are already living with the disease, often alongside hypertension, high cholesterol and HIV.

At the heart of these calls are real stories, like that of Pholo Ramothwala founder of Live Life Beyond, who says managing both HIV and diabetes has completely changed his day-to-day life.

Find out more in the comments via Marcia Moyana. 🔗

When people hear “lifestyle disease”, many living with feel blamed, as if their choices alone led to their diagnosis.B...
13/11/2025

When people hear “lifestyle disease”, many living with feel blamed, as if their choices alone led to their diagnosis.

But that label overlooks a major part of the story.

According to Diabetes South Africa , calling diabetes a lifestyle disease reinforces stigma and discourages people from seeking help.

At the Diabetes Summit, Margot Mc Cumisky, national manager at Diabetes SA, said this mindset needs to change, starting with education about different types of diabetes and their causes.

This , advocates say language matters. Changing how we talk about diabetes could change how people living with it see themselves.

Find out more in the comments via Marcia Moyana.

12/11/2025

: In 1982, when 12 year old Salih Hendricks was diagnosed with , his life changed forever.

Years down the line, complications arose and Salih says the illness has taken so much from him: "my leg, my vision, my job, and I went through four marriages."

But Salih says living with for over 40 years has given him the strength of survival, the wisdom of patience, and the joy of helping others.

Find out more in the comments and follow us to stay up to date on the ! Diabetes Alliance

12/11/2025

: “People think the injections, the operations, or the hospital stays are the hardest part of living with diabetes.

But the psychological impact is the worst”.

In 1982, when 12 year old Salih Henricks was diagnosed with diabetes insipidus, his life changed forever.

Years down the line, complications arose and Salih says the illness has taken so much from him: “”my leg, my vision, my job, and I went through four marriages.””

But Salih says living with diabetes for over 40 years has given him the strength of survival, the wisdom of patience, and the joy of helping others.

Find out more in the link in bio via and follow us to stay up to date on the

: "People think the injections, the operations, or the hospital stays are the hardest part of living with . But the ps...
12/11/2025

: "People think the injections, the operations, or the hospital stays are the hardest part of living with .

But the psychological impact is the worst".

In 1982, when 12 year old Salih Hendricks was diagnosed with diabetes insipidus, his life changed forever.

Years down the line, complications arose and Salih says the illness has taken so much from him: "my leg, my vision, my job, and I went through four marriages."

But every milestone or downturn has been the biggest blessing. "I travelled, met people from all walks of life, and learned that diabetes is not just a medical condition; it is a community, a shared story".

Find out more in the comments via Salih Hendricks and follow us to stay up to date on the Diabetes Alliance !

11/11/2025

[WATCH] In 2007, during his matric exams, Eksoda Scofield Mazibuko from Hluvukani in Bushbuckridge kept needing to go to the bathroom, not knowing it was one of the early signs of .

By 2009, he was weak, underweight, and given treatment for malaria before finally learning he had . What followed was a difficult journey marked by stigma, misinformation, and lack of access to proper care.

Today, Eksoda leads a diabetes support group and, with the help of the Tshemba Foundation , organises annual fun walks to raise awareness and funds for glucometers.

Eksoda’s story is one of resilience, and a fight to make diabetes care better for others.

Find out more in the comments and follow us to stay up to date with the 2025 kicking off today!

Men like taxi drivers and truck drivers, whose jobs keep them on the move, are at high risk for infection. Also known ...
10/11/2025

Men like taxi drivers and truck drivers, whose jobs keep them on the move, are at high risk for infection.

Also known as “mobile men”, this group has been overlooked in much of the HIV prevention research which has typically focused on other high-risk groups, such as adolescent girls, young women, and men who have s*x with men.

Now, for the first time in sub-Saharan Africa, researchers from the Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI), the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation, and other international partners are exploring which option works best to keep these men HIV-free.

Find out more in the comments via Sipokazi Maposa-Fokazi 🔗

Residents of Theunissen in the Free State say Masilo Clinic has been without running water for three years. The filling ...
07/11/2025

Residents of Theunissen in the Free State say Masilo Clinic has been without running water for three years. The filling up of the Jojo tank at the facility has allegedly been inconsistent for over a decade.

Patients are forced to walk with buckets to fetch drinkable and flushing water.

A community member, Fakade Z**i Mdalana, says numerous clinics around the Free State operate without water.

“Water shortages are vast in the Free State, from Masilo, Matlakeng and Lusaka clinics, people are forced to bring their own water when they come for treatment at facilities,” he says.

The community recently staged a protest demanding a reliable water supply at health facilities. But some residents are despondent; years of demonstrations have yielded no results.

The provincial health department says the local municipality is responsible for providing water to the people.

Find out more at the link in bio via Molefi Sompane 🔗

07/11/2025

[WATCH] An outbreak of has been reported in Hammanskraal - a disease spread through contaminated food and water.

Officials say it’s not linked to the area’s water supply, but many residents remain concerned about water quality and access.

We spoke to a few people who shared their concerns.

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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.