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 citizen journalists.

South Africa could soon have a new tool in its fight against HIV: , a six-monthly injection that has been hailed as a b...
22/08/2025

South Africa could soon have a new tool in its fight against HIV: , a six-monthly injection that has been hailed as a breakthrough in prevention.

If all goes according to plan, rollout could begin as early as March or April 2026, says Hasina Subedar, senior technical advisor for Prevention at the National Department of Health. But this depends on regulatory approval and the cost of the drug.

Studies in South Africa and abroad show lenacapavir is highly effective at preventing HIV. At the International AIDS Conference in Rwanda this year, the World Health Organisation released guidelines on its use.

The drug has already been approved by the U.S. FDA.

But South Africa must wait for a decision from its own regulator, SAHPRA, before the drug can be considered for the essential medicines list. Without that listing, it cannot be procured for public use.

Cost may prove the toughest challenge. Oral PrEP costs just $40 per person per year, but manufacturer Gilead Sciences has reportedly priced lenacapavir at more than $28,000 per person per year. The Global Fund has stepped in to negotiate access for low- and middle-income countries, but details remain unclear.

Find out more in the comments.

For Zodwa Ngubo*, isihlambezo is part of her pregnancy journey. She believes the herbal tonic helps her avoid C-sections...
19/08/2025

For Zodwa Ngubo*, isihlambezo is part of her pregnancy journey. She believes the herbal tonic helps her avoid C-sections and deliver naturally.

She is not alone. Another woman says she also takes a tonic, not herbal, but holy water from church, to protect the baby from evil spirits.

But research warns that these remedies may casuse more harm than good. Nurses warn that while women may see it as protection that has been around for generations, it can in fact place mothers and babies at risk.

Isihlambezo has been linked to foetal death and premature labour.

Traditional healers disagree, saying it has been used long before hospitals and is safe when taken in moderation.

More at the link in bio via Sandile Mbili.

Have you ever tried isihlambezo? Vote and share your thoughts in the comments.

In Embo, west of Durban, 33-year-old Zodwa Ngubo* drinks a herbal tonic called isihlambezo every day of her pregnancy. S...
19/08/2025

In Embo, west of Durban, 33-year-old Zodwa Ngubo* drinks a herbal tonic called isihlambezo every day of her pregnancy. She believes it will help her avoid a caesarean section and protect her baby from complications during childbirth.

She gets her mixture from “Gogo Mdlalose”*, who is not a traditional healer but is known in her community for preparing the tonic. The ingredients remain a family secret, but women say they trust it.

In Botha’s Hill, Health-e News met three pregnant women. Two said they were using isihlambezo. One of them, 30-year-old Duduzile Xulu from KwaNyuswa, explained that her remedy isn’t made from herbs at all, but holy water from her church, which she believes protects the foetus from evil spirits.

But health workers raise concerns. Nurse practitioner Zandile Khambule warns that the tonic can cause foetal distress, brain damage, and even death. Research has also linked it to miscarriage, premature labour, and allergic reactions.

Traditional healers like Gogo Slungile Mtambo from Amanzimtoti push back, saying isihlambezo has been used for generations and only becomes harmful when overused.

Have you ever tried isihlambezo? Share your thoughts and find out more in the comments via Sandile Mbili Mbili.

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Most people who are s*xually active will be exposed HPV, often without even knowing. But for thousands of South African ...
18/08/2025

Most people who are s*xually active will be exposed HPV, often without even knowing.

But for thousands of South African women, this virus leads to cervical cancer, a disease that claims nearly 5 870 lives every year.

The HPV vaccine is a powerful shield. In South Africa, the vaccine is available, free of charge to girls in Grade 5 throught the government’s school-based programme.

In addition to adolescent girls, women up to the age of 26 but also men who have s*x with men and men with compromised immune systems (including HIV), up to the age of 26, can all benefit from this vaccine.
Bonolo Mashishi a Senior Clinical Virologist and Lecturer at , explains more at the link in bio via 🔗

Cervical cancer is claiming thousands of South African women’s lives each year, yet it’s largely preventable. Around 10 ...
18/08/2025

Cervical cancer is claiming thousands of South African women’s lives each year, yet it’s largely preventable.

Around 10 700 women are diagnosed annually, and almost half will not survive.

The main culprit? The Human Papillomavirus (HPV), a virus so common that most people who are s*xually active, will be exposed to it at some point, often without knowing.

In South Africa, Grade 5 girls can get the HPV vaccine for free through the goverment's school-based programme but they’re not the only ones who should consider it.

In addition to adolescent girls, women up to the age of 26 but also men who have s*x with men and men with compromised immune systems (including HIV), up to the age of 26, can all benefit from this vaccine.

Find out more in the comments from Dr. Bonolo Mashishi, a Senior Clinical Virologist and Lecturer at the Faculty of Health Sciences - University of Pretoria.

At 21, most people are dreaming of studying, careers or travelling some day. But for Simamkele Sims Selem, 21 came with ...
15/08/2025

At 21, most people are dreaming of studying, careers or travelling some day. But for Simamkele Sims Selem, 21 came with a drastic change. Diagnosed with pulmonary embolism, she had to face major heart surgery and months of treatment. Before this she had never heard of the condition.

We spoke to Dr Raisa Bhikoo, a pulmonologist and specialist physician practising at Netcare N1 City Hospital in Cape Town, who explains what pulmonary embolism is.

Find out more in the comments via Faith Mutizira.

15/08/2025

[WATCH] When Simamkele Sims Selem, 21, started feeling dizzy and coughing blood, she never imagined it would lead to major heart surgery.

Pulmonary embolism, a clot in her lungs, put her life at risk.

After months of treatment, including a scary heart attack and surgery in Cape Town, she’s recovering and sharing her story to help others recognise the signs.

Do you have a story to share? We'd love to hear it. Submit a short video or written piece at the link in comments.

Three years after the devastating 2022 KZN floods, 68-year-old Noxolo Mthembu and her family of 12 are still without a p...
14/08/2025

Three years after the devastating 2022 KZN floods, 68-year-old Noxolo Mthembu and her family of 12 are still without a proper home in Inchanga, north of Durban. 💔

They live in a makeshift shack built from scrap material, without access to basic health and social services. They lost all of their belongings, including identity documents and clinic cards.😖

Two out of nine of the children, aged between four and 17, have no birth certificates, meaning they cannot receive social grants or even basic healthcare.

Some have never been vaccinated, leaving them at risk of preventable diseases. 😷

Local health worker and neighbour, Grace Ndlovu has been helping where she can, but years of pleas for help to local authorities have gone unanswered. In response to Health-e News’ queries this week, the Department of Social Development visited the family.

They confirmed that two of the children had been abandoned by their biological mother and two children do not have birth certificates.😢

Promises have been made to start the process of getting documents, placing the abandoned children in care, and providing Social Relief of Distress.

Find out more in the comments via Phumzile Mkhungo 🔗

13/08/2025

[WATCH] In Mahonisi Waterval, Limpopo, the reality of sewage running past homes has become part of life.

Families worry about the health risks and farmers say they can’t sell their animals to locals who know what the livestock drink.

Find out more in the comments via Israel Nkuna.

In Mahonisi Waterval village, Elim, Limpopo, sewage has been leaking in the neighbourhood since 2009. Letters have been ...
13/08/2025

In Mahonisi Waterval village, Elim, Limpopo, sewage has been leaking in the neighbourhood since 2009.

Letters have been written but nothing has changed.

For Nkhensani Chauke, who lives with her five children, the waste sometimes runs right into their home. “We live like pigs,” she says.

A local businessman, who spoke on condition of anonymity, says his business has taken a knock.

“I have livestock, and my livestock drink garbage,” he says. “Even if I wanted to sell my pigs to the public, they will not buy if they think they are eating dirt.”

Moses Shibambu from the Vhembe District Municipality says the sewage spillage was reported and attended to.

“The sewer line was blocked due to foreign substances or materials which are not permitted to be inside the sewer pipeline, therefore causing blockages and spillages,” he says.

Find out more at the link in bio. 🔗

For 15 years, residents of Mahonisi Waterval village in Elim, Limpopo, have been living next to streams of raw sewage. C...
13/08/2025

For 15 years, residents of Mahonisi Waterval village in Elim, Limpopo, have been living next to streams of raw sewage.

Community leader Rhulani Chavalala says councillors have come and gone, but none care about the sewage.

According to Chavalala, some residents have been writing letters for over a decade, but “the municipality has not helped, and the residents have not received any response"".

Nkhensani Chauke, who lives with her five children, says the sewage sometimes flows into their home. “We live like pigs,” she says. “The municipality does not see us as human beings.”

Local businesses are also suffering. A farmer says his livestock, cattle, pigs, goats, horses, and donkeys, drink from contaminated water. “Even if I wanted to sell my pigs, people here won’t buy them,” he says.

Moses Shibambu from the Vhembe District Municipality says the sewage spillage was reported and attended to.

“The sewer line was blocked due to foreign substances or materials which are not permitted to be inside the sewer pipeline, therefore causing blockages and spillages,” he says.

Find out more in the comments via Israel Nkuna.

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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.