Good legislation has been undermined by poor planning, limited investment and governance, but recent water reports suggest the government recognises the scale of the problems.
South Africa’s healthcare system has gaps in providing HIV treatment to highly mobile women.
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Jocelyn Moyes, National Institute for Communicable Diseases; Cheryl Cohen, National Institute for Communicable Diseases e Sibongile Walaza, University of the Witwatersrand
Flu vaccines remain the most effective method available to prevent flu illness, especially severe illness.
One symptom of arsenic poisoning is the growth of plaques on the skin called arsenical keratosis.
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Millions of people worldwide are exposed via soil and water to arsenic, whether naturally occurring or related to pollution. Chronic exposure is linked to the formation of cancer stem cells.
Cytomegalovirus belongs to the same virus family, Herpesviridae, as cold sores and chickenpox.
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Although testing for CMV during pregnancy isn’t routine and there isn’t universal screening for infants, there are steps pregnant people can take to protect themselves and their newborns.
The argument that private healthcare relieves pressure on the public system is misleading. Private care profits from failures of the public system and patients’ desperation for timely treatment.
Alcohol use contributes to over 200 different diseases, injuries, and conditions. It is also a risk factor for gender-based violence and violent crime.
Wastewater treatment plants receive wastewater from a variety of sources. This makes them useful proxies for determining the burden of antimicrobial resistance in communities.
The current cholera outbreak is not necessarily an issue with potable water. It’s the result of a combination of factors including dysfunctional and non-compliant wastewater treatment works.
Using simple behavioural science models can help programmes to understand people’s lives and how to design nutrition interventions that directly benefit them.
In addition to motherhood these girls experience social inequality, chronic stress, violence, and food insecurity. When teenagers become mothers, their adversities are compounded.
Food-borne illnesses usually present as diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach pains.
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Time and information is of the essence when tackling infectious diseases across countries and continents.
Similarly to the nutrition, exercise and alcohol use guidelines promoted by many national governments, social connection guidelines have the potential to improve our health and happiness by helping us prioritize social connections in our daily lives.
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People who are lonely lead sicker and shorter lives. Just like the guidelines for food and exercise, public health guidelines for social connection can help us all live happier and healthier lives.
Dean Faculty of Health Sciences and Professor of Vaccinology at University of the Witwatersrand; and Director of the SAMRC Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, University of the Witwatersrand
Principal Medical Scientist and Head of Laboratory for Antimalarial Resistance Monitoring and Malaria Operational Research, National Institute for Communicable Diseases
Professor and Programme Director, SA MRC Centre for Health Economics and Decision Science - PRICELESS SA (Priority Cost Effective Lessons in Systems Strengthening South Africa), University of the Witwatersrand