The South African Department of Health has put the Listeriosis outbreak on high surveillance, as 119 new cases have occurred since 5 December 2017, and 61 patients have now died. The Minister of Health is requesting that all pregnant women register on MomConnect, as SA experiences one of the largest outbreaks of Listeriosis recorded in the […]

Groote Schuur Hospital is celebrating another first in the Western Cape. At a press conference today, it was announced that Groote Schuur has performed the first ever bilateral sequential lung transplant in the Western Cape, and the first of its kind in the public sector nationwide! The hospital – famous worldwide for being the location of […]

The South African Government says it is investigating an outbreak of Listeriosis in the country which has caused the deaths of 36 people. At a media briefing in Pretoria on Tuesday, Health Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, said the source of the outbreak is likely to be a food product consumed by people across all socio-economic […]

Today, 50 years ago, Professor Chris Barnard did the seemingly impossible: he successfully performed the world’s first human heart transplant. Tonight South African current affairs programme Carte Blanche will look back on this seminal moment in South African and world history. (If you’re overseas you can watch the tribute on Showmax from Tuesday.) “We celebrate […]

South African expat Krishen Samuel has featured on a viral video published by BBC London today, to mark World Aids Day. Watch both videos – the BBC one and Stories of Note below… to see this expat making South Africans proud by telling his story and campaigning for an end to Aids Krishen – who […]

South Africa’s Chris Barnard stands out in medical history as the heart surgeon who became a global household name after transplanting the first human heart on 3 December 1967. The historic surgery captured the world’s imagination and was hailed by 20th-century historians as socially and scientifically of equal significance compared to the moon-landing in 1969. I examined […]

Due to reported cases of Malaria in Mpumalanga Province recently, in particular Ehlanzeni District Municipality of which the southern part of the Kruger National Park (KNP) falls under, the Kruger Park management has cautioned visitors coming to the Park to take the necessary precautionary measures against Malaria disease. “We would like to advise visitors to […]

LOS ANGELES – Veep actress (and Elaine from Seinfeld), Julia Louis-Dreyfus, has revealed that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer. But in that moment, the one most women dread, she proved just how awesome she is by immediately thinking of others and using the opportunity to call for universal health care for all. The […]

With 15% of the workforce absent every day in South African businesses, it pays to invest in employees’ well-being. Occupational Care South Africa (OCSA) has revealed up to 15% of staff call in sick each day in South Africa, costing the economy R16 billion per annum. However, for every three employees that don’t show up […]

As a disabled person it is really disheartening knowing that we in South Africa recently celebrated our 23rd year anniversary of our new democracy… and still not much has been done to narrow the gap between disabled people and non-disabled people, as there is still so much stigma towards people living with disabilities and special needs. I’m not saying […]

South Africans have always been fans of Rooibos and its benefits… and as expats have discovered, SA’s homegrown tea is becoming a firm favourite amongst healthy tea drinkers across the globe. And now a young schoolgirl has made some extraordinary findings that show Rooibos could help dogs too… Zaria Rule – a grade 7 learner […]

Two South African expats are travelling the world, teaching yoga and living their dreams. Ethan Ward and Charmelle Taute are Ashtanga yogis, presently living in Bali. They spoke to SAPeople about becoming expats,  what they learnt from Woodridge College on the outskirts of Port Elizabeth, and their next exciting venture… The couple met at Woodridge […]

This is a video to watch every morning when you get up. Turn it Up. And you’ll want to exercise AND party! (And you’ll probably also want to move to Cape Town, South Africa!) The footage was filmed on Thursday morning at 07h30… when a group of hikers on Lion’s Head got into some great music… and […]

PRETORIA – In response to the recent measles outbreak – confirmed by Gauteng Health MEC Gwen Ramokgopa – the City of Ekurhuleni has rolled out an emergency measles vaccination campaign. The campaign will run at all clinics across the city until Friday, 12 May. The city has encouraged parents to get children from ages six […]

Every time a cell divides, there is a chance for a mutation (mistake) to occur in the DNA – the substance that carries genetic information in all living organisms. These mutations can lead to cancer. If all cells have a similar chance of developing cancer-causing mutations, then very large and long-lived animals with more cells […]

CAPE TOWN – Professor Tim Noakes has been found not guilty of unprofessional conduct on all counts. His foundation – The Noakes Foundation – has issued a press release, but their website has been overwhelmed with hits and has crashed. We will update when it becomes available again. Noakes had been facing charges of unprofessional conduct, […]

Humans and animals need to do several things to pass on their genes: eat, avoid being eaten, reproduce and sleep. Missing any of these biological imperatives leads to death. But when we’re asleep we can’t perform those other functions. One of modern science’s big mysteries, then, is: why do we sleep? Scientists have suggested many […]

Award-winning South African journalist Jonathan Ancer posted a heartfelt message on Facebook late Sunday night, after his 8-year-old daughter – Rachel – was admitted to Groote Schuur Hospital earlier in the afternoon to prepare for a bone marrow transplant, and start chemotherapy today. Jonathan pointed out it is “auspicious” that she was admitted now, during Bone […]

Eating insects is as old as mankind. Globally, 2 billion people consume insects, a practise known as entomophagy. It is more common in Africa than anywhere else in the world. The continent is home to the richest diversity of edible insects – more than 500 species ranging from caterpillars (Lepidoptera) to termites (Isoptera), locusts, grasshoppers, […]

The consumption of sugar and its effects on health has been in the headlines in many countries around the world again as countries from the UK to South Africa debate a sugar tax. The Conversation Africa’s health editor Candice Bailey asks Sundeep Ruder to explain how we process sugar and why too much is bad […]

A lot of people will have already made up their mind about whether humans need dairy in their diet and will be thinking that the answer is obviously “yes” or obviously “no”. But nutrition is based on science not opinion – so, here’s the latest research on the matter. Milk is an interesting foodstuff. The […]

Controversy erupted at the University of Cape Town in 2016 when some academics suggested that only meat-free meals should be served on parts of the campus. The debates and opposition were couched in arguments around ethics and choice. They did not make connections between multiple forms of oppression, power and privilege. This meant a vital […]

In the small Free State town of Trompsburg, a new R380 million hospital continues to gather dust more than two years since its completion. Meanwhile, other clinics and hospitals in the region remain overstretched and under-resourced, according to health activist groups. Mariette Pittaway, the DA Spokesperson for Health in the Free State, says the new […]

The late Nelson Mandela’s presence was very much felt on Friday as his widow, Graca Machel, helped officially open the children’s hospital he dreamed of… The building of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital (NMCH) in Johannesburg has been a team effort of love, hard work, dedication and donations. The MRI machine is quieter than most to […]

World Aids Day has been commemorated around the world, with Prince Harry and pop star Rihanna taking HIV tests in Barbados (see below); Bill Gates commending South Africa on its leadership in HIV prevention; and SA’s Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa calling for an urgent focus on slashing the HIV infection rate. American philanthropist Gates tweeted […]