How far will 800 new posts take Western Cape Health? The Western Cape health department is ramping up its workforce with 800 new frontline posts. After years of austerity and with long lists of vacancies, questions now turn to how soon the new posts wil...

JUST PUBLISHED | The Western Cape health department is ramping up its workforce with 800 new frontline posts. Questions now turn to how soon the new posts will translate into staff on the ground.

www.spotlightnsp.co.za/2026/04/21/h...

"When other kids were playing with dolls, I was playing being a doctor", says SA’s new HIV and TB Czar Biénne Huisman meets South Africa’s recently appointed Deputy Director-General for HIV, AIDS, TB and sexually transmitted infections, discussing the latest HIV prevention medicines, her career turning points, and bedtime reading.

HEART FOR PUBLIC HEALTH | Spotlight met with the recently appointed Deputy Director-General for HIV, AIDS, TB and sexually transmitted infections, Dr Nonhlanhla Ndlovu, to talk about the latest HIV prevention medicines, her career turning points, and more.
www.spotlightnsp.co.za/2026/04/13/w...

SAMRC rolls out rescue grants: What next for research projects hit by US funding cuts? Cuts in United States funding for global health research over the past year dealt a heavy blow to South Africa’s health research ecosystem, which has historically been heavily reliant on US financial ...

CASH CRUNCH | Spotlight looks at what the South African Medical Research Council has done to weather the US health funding storm and what they have planned for the next few years:

www.spotlightnsp.co.za/2026/04/15/s...

This year’s flu season has started, somewhat ahead of schedule. Find out more about what we know about sub-clade K - a novel variant of influenza doing the rounds.

www.spotlightnsp.co.za/2026/04/01/f...

FROM CUTS TO COMEBACK? It has been a bruising year or so for medical researchers in South Africa. Does our government have the vision and ambition to seize the moment? Read our latest newsletter: tinyurl.com/4dra37cs

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'I’m serving my people': The pastor running a rural clinic that treats more than illness Bukhosi Mdletshe works as clinic manager at the Ensingweni clinic in in KwaZulu-Natal, and in his words, paying his dues to the rural community that raised him. Sue Segar and Thom Pierce spent some ti...

RURAL HEALTH HERO | Bukhosi Mdletshe works as clinic manager at the Ensingweni clinic in in KwaZulu-Natal, and in his words, paying his dues to the rural community that raised him.

www.spotlightnsp.co.za/2026/04/16/i...

SAMRC rolls out rescue grants: What next for research projects hit by US funding cuts? Cuts in United States funding for global health research over the past year dealt a heavy blow to South Africa’s health research ecosystem, which has historically been heavily reliant on US financial ...

CASH CRUNCH | Spotlight looks at what the South African Medical Research Council has done to weather the US health funding storm and what they have planned for the next few years:

www.spotlightnsp.co.za/2026/04/15/s...

JUST IN | The NPA will institute criminal prosecutions against those implicated in the tragic deaths of #LifeEsidimeni patients. The charges are expected to include culpable homicide.

From our archives: www.spotlightnsp.co.za/2024/08/01/e...

"When other kids were playing with dolls, I was playing being a doctor", says SA’s new HIV and TB Czar Biénne Huisman meets South Africa’s recently appointed Deputy Director-General for HIV, AIDS, TB and sexually transmitted infections, discussing the latest HIV prevention medicines, her career turning points, and bedtime reading.

HEART FOR PUBLIC HEALTH | Spotlight met with the recently appointed Deputy Director-General for HIV, AIDS, TB and sexually transmitted infections, Dr Nonhlanhla Ndlovu, to talk about the latest HIV prevention medicines, her career turning points, and more.
www.spotlightnsp.co.za/2026/04/13/w...

NEW PRESSURES, OLD PROBLEMS | Our round-up of stories traces a line from a new variant of influenza to the not-so-new systemic cracks in our healthcare system. Explore the full picture in our newsletter: tinyurl.com/rbf97tcf

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Ramaphosa’s choice of Director-General for Health will test his commitment to building a capable state When push comes to shove, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s talk of building a more capable state hasn’t always been backed up by the appointment of committed and capable people to key government positions. His decision regarding a new Director-General for health will say a lot about how serious he actually is about addressing the country’s many health challenges, argues Spotlight editor Marcus Low.

MOOD MUSIC | The health department needs a world-class manager. President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision for a new Director-General will say a lot about how serious he is about fixing our many health challenges, argues Spotlight editor @marcuslowx.bsky.social.

www.spotlightnsp.co.za/2026/04/10/r...

What breakthrough weight loss meds might mean for people with HIV In part 3 of a Spotlight special series on the role of new weight loss medicines like Ozempic in South Africa, we ask what these breakthrough jabs might mean for people living with HIV in the country....

OUR BIG READ | Despite the urgent need for new tools to tackle obesity and weight-related illness in people with HIV, there has been very little research to date on GLP-1 use in people with HIV.

www.spotlightnsp.co.za/2026/04/08/w...

Moonlighting, money and morals in a looted health system The Department of Health allows some public sector doctors and nurses to moonlight in the private sector, but the relevant policy and its implementation caused much controversy over the years. Set aga...

Some healthcare workers in the public sector are allowed to moonlight in the private sector under certain conditions. But amid broader management dysfunction, many are bending these rules to avoid backlash.

www.spotlightnsp.co.za/2026/04/07/m...

What the law actually says about migrants’ right to access healthcare in SA The media has reported several incidents where people were turned away at public healthcare facilities because they did not possess South African identity documents. As related cases slowly grind thro...

CONNECTING THE DOTS | Teri Brown and Thembi Mahlathi of SECTION27 expose the gap between the law and reality when it comes to healthcare for migrants in South Africa.

www.spotlightnsp.co.za/2026/04/02/w...

Flu season has officially arrived, although somewhat ahead of schedule. In this in-depth article @elri-voigt.bsky.social reports on what experts think we might expect for this year's flu season.
www.spotlightnsp.co.za/2026/04/01/f...

Flu season is here, with experts keeping a close eye on new flu strain Many regions in the Northern Hemisphere experienced a slightly earlier start to their flu season, driven in some part by a novel variant of influenza A(H3N2). As our flu season also kicks off slightly...

FLU | As the flu season kicks off slightly earlier than usual, Spotlight asks experts what we might expect from this year's season and what we know about a new flu strain that's making the rounds.
www.spotlightnsp.co.za/2026/04/01/f...
@elri-voigt.bsky.social @tuliodna.bsky.social

Inside The Box with Dr Andy Gray | Are there appropriate sanctions for non-compliance with medicines legislation in South Africa? The sale of illegal medicines is a significant threat to public safety. In his latest Inside The Box column, Dr Andy Gray asks whether the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority has the ne...

#InsideTheBox | The sale of illegal medicines is a significant threat to public safety. Does the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority have the necessary tools to provide protection in this area, asks Dr Andy Gray in his latest column.
www.spotlightnsp.co.za/2026/03/31/i...

Child stunting and echoes of HIV: What it will take for South Africa to change course Weeks after pledging to end child stunting by 2030, President Cyril Ramaphosa has kick-started a task team to drive this urgent national mission. But what concrete steps could government actually take...

CHILDHOOD STUNTING | An estimated 27% of children under five are stunted, but this is largely preventable. In this in-depth piece Spotlight asked a leading expert on what concrete steps government could take to end stunting.

www.spotlightnsp.co.za/2026/03/30/c...

As NHI stalls, the real debate is about trade offs Blurb: Healthcare funding is always about trade-offs, writes Thoneshan Naidoo, CEO of the Health Funders Association. The hardest question in healthcare is not what we would like to provide, he argues...

HEALTHCARE TRADE-OFFS | South Africa’s healthcare debate is shifting and perhaps for the first time in years, it is becoming more honest, writes Thoneshan Naidoo, CEO of the Health Funders Association.

www.spotlightnsp.co.za/2026/03/27/a...

HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT | Many questions about asymptomatic TB remain unanswered, but we know for sure that right now it is a dangerous threat in the lungs of tens of thousands of people in South Africa. Find out more: tinyurl.com/v56tp68a

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Tiny tots and big science: Inside Brooklyn Chest Hospital’s decade old paediatric TB hub Soft toys, giggly kisses, and bright wards buzzing with excited children meet a driven team of staff and researchers producing world class work at Brooklyn Chest Hospital’s paediatric TB research hub....

FROM SA TO THE WORLD | Brooklyn Chest Hospital’s research is shaping WHO TB guidelines for children. Spotlight visits the wards and the Desmond Tutu TB Centre’s clinical site and gets early insight into a cutting-edge new treatment trial.

www.spotlightnsp.co.za/2026/03/26/t...

Well over three million people in SA develop depression every year, researchers estimate Around 3.8 million people in South Africa developed depression in 2024, estimate leading local researchers in a major new modelling study.

DEPRESSION IN SA | Around 3.8 million people in South Africa developed depression in 2024, estimate leading local researchers in a major new modelling study.

www.spotlightnsp.co.za/2026/03/25/w...

Well over three million people in SA develop depression every year, researchers estimate Around 3.8 million people in South Africa developed depression in 2024, estimate leading local researchers in a major new modelling study.

DEPRESSION IN SA | Around 3.8 million people in South Africa developed depression in 2024, estimate leading local researchers in a major new modelling study.

www.spotlightnsp.co.za/2026/03/25/w...

In the Spotlight | The invisible fuel driving our TB epidemic – what do we actually know about asymptomatic TB? Although TB can be cured, it is still spreading in South Africa at alarming rates. One reason could be that some people with TB disease but without TB symptoms may unknowingly be passing on the bug. I...

TODAY'S BIG READ | In this Spotlight special briefing, @elri-voigt.bsky.social takes stock of what we know about “asymptomatic TB”, and try to come to terms with its far-reaching implications for our ongoing battle against this age-old illness.

www.spotlightnsp.co.za/2026/03/23/i...

A fascinating long read for World TB Day #tbsky @stoptb.bsky.social @madhupai.bsky.social @treatmentactiongroup.org @tomscriba.bsky.social

In the Spotlight | The invisible fuel driving our TB epidemic – what do we actually know about asymptomatic TB? Although TB can be cured, it is still spreading in South Africa at alarming rates. One reason could be that some people with TB disease but without TB symptoms may unknowingly be passing on the bug. I...

TODAY'S BIG READ | In this Spotlight special briefing, @elri-voigt.bsky.social takes stock of what we know about “asymptomatic TB”, and try to come to terms with its far-reaching implications for our ongoing battle against this age-old illness.

www.spotlightnsp.co.za/2026/03/23/i...

TB IS STEALING LIVES IN SA | Ahead of World TB Day, Spotlight brings together perspectives from some of South Africa’s leading TB activists, doctors, researchers, and policy advisors. Dive in: tinyurl.com/336rjxdw

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After centuries, TB is still the bridesmaid, never the bride The wins are there but the underlying reality remains, writes Professor Kogie Naidoo as she likens TB to a bridesmaid awaiting its turn to garner attention. The analogy is relevant given the overwhelm...

RUNNER-UP | TB has long sat in the shadow of other diseases. And while the wins are there the underlying reality remains, writes Professor Kogie Naidoo as she likens TB to a bridesmaid awaiting its turn to garner attention.
www.spotlightnsp.co.za/2026/03/20/a...
@samrcza.bsky.social

To eliminate TB, we need to make testing more accessible and affordable New TB tests have massive potential for South Africa’s struggle to get to grips with the age-old disease. Making the most of these new tests will require both ambition and smart implementation, argue ...

ELIMINATING TB | New TB tests have massive potential for South Africa’s struggle to get to grips with the disease. Utilising them will require both ambition and smart implementation, argue Dr Gaurang Tanna and Dr Yogan Pillay.

www.spotlightnsp.co.za/2026/03/19/t...
@gatesfoundation.bsky.social

The fight against TB is also the fight for human rights The persistence of TB is a reminder that medical solutions alone are not enough. Renier Coetzee and Ingrid Schoeman write that the disease thrives in conditions shaped by social injustice, including p...

A QUESTION OF RIGHTS | TB thrives in conditions shaped by social injustice, including poverty, overcrowded housing, under-resourced health systems, and unequal access to care, write Renier Coetzee and Ingrid Schoeman. @tbproof.bsky.social

www.spotlightnsp.co.za/2026/03/18/t...