Philanthropist Bill Gates is the founder and co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It has committed more than US$3 billion in HIV grants to organisations around the world and more than US$1.6 billion to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Gates answers questions from several African academics about HIV/AIDS on the […]

South Africans have always loved their Rooibos tea, and now there’s even more reason to do so. According to research, Rooibos – which is unique to SA – offers untold health benefits including the potential to delay and prevent the onset and progression of type 2 diabetes (T2D). The T2D findings were announced during November’s World […]

In South Africa, 210 people die from heart disease every DAY. A lack of awareness around cardiovascular disease means many people go undiagnosed and untreated until it is too late. Paediatric cardiologist and President of the South African Heart Association Dr Liesl Zühlke explained the challenges around cardiovascular diseases to The Conversation Africa. Why is […]

Cancer is often viewed as a fundamentally modern and monolithic disease. Many people think its rise and spread has been driven almost exclusively by the developed world’s toxins and poisons; by our bad eating habits, lifestyles, and the very air we breathe. Actually, cancer is not a single disease. It is also far from modern. […]

A South African family is reaching out to the public for a living donor to help save the life of their 7-month-old baby daughter, Divya Ashleey Singh. After being born healthy, Divya’s condition changed within a few weeks and she was finally diagnosed with an extremely rare – and life-threatening – liver disease called Biliary Atresia […]

South African actress Charlize Theron gave an impassioned speech at the opening ceremony of the 2016 International AIDS Conference in Durban, calling out racism as an underlying cause of the AIDS epidemic and insisting that it is not “an honour” for SA to be hosting the AIDS conference for the second time in 21 years. The AIDS […]

Proving old friendships never die, a South African expat living in Canada has offered her kidney to her former schoolmate in Johannesburg, whom she hasn’t seen for decades. And together they are now on a journey to make sure Di gets the kidney she desperately needs, and that awareness is raised about live kidney donations. […]

JOHANNESBURG – Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa says the newly launched National Sex Worker HIV Plan is about citizens’ rights and affirming the equal worth of every citizen. “It is about affirming the rights of all South Africans to life, dignity and health, regardless of their occupation, sexual orientation and circumstances,” said the Deputy President on […]

The National Department of Health (South Africa) says although South Africa has recorded its first case of someone infected with the Zika virus, there is no cause for panic. The patient – a businessman from Colombia – is a tourist in Johannesburg, South Africa who contracted the mosquito-borne virus back home in South America, said Health Minister […]

In honour of International Childhood Cancer Day 2016, Cape Town’s iconic Table Mountain – one of the Seven Wonders of the World – was lit up in blue last night, 15 February 2016. According to CHOC (Childhood Cancer Foundation, South Africa) this day was started as a global collaborative campaign to raise awareness about childhood cancer and to […]

It will take 160 years before a baby in Africa has as much chance of being born alive as a baby in a high-income country, according to new research published today by esteemed medical journal The Lancet. The publication claims 3,287 lives are lost each day due to preventable stillbirths, and that the slow progress on the […]

I suffer from depression. These are some of the hardest words to say out loud. They may appear like just another utterance but in essence they are part of a journey that entails wallowing in the depths, a journey where “normal” is often illusive. Depression is an ailment. And like all other ailments it transcends […]

The iconic, mysterious and magical African baobab, probably the most identifiable and prehistoric-looking tree on earth, suddenly seems to be coming into its own in the 21st Century. Several companies are getting the name of the tree out there – literally – selling products that take advantage of its health and medicinal properties. One company even promotes the […]

For World Cancer Day today (4 February 2015), we thought we’d share one of our favourite South African videos ever – the morning that 36-year-old mom Gerdi McKenna’s friends and family surprised her with the ultimate act of love after she’d been diagnosed with breast cancer…but then Gerdi sent us a message that’s even better […]

African music, Nelson Mandela once said, is about the aspirations of Africa. “The curious beauty of African music is that it uplifts even as it tells a sad tale. You may be poor, you may have only a ramshackle house, you may have lost your job, but that song gives you hope.” A collection of […]

A software application developed by the University of Cape Town to monitor patients on treatment for HIV and TB treatment is being implemented by countries such as Mozambique, Malawi, Vietnam and Pakistan. The electronic register, developed by UCT’s Centre for Infectious Disease, Epidemiology and Research (CIDER), is already in use in 3½000 clinics in South […]

The Deaf Federation of South Africa (Deafsa) will host two international events in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal in July 2011. The 16th World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf, as well as the fifth International World Federation of the Deaf Youth Camp, take place for the first time on African soil. The World Congress of the World Federation […]

Pure foods solution Beat the bugs, including colds and flu’s, by eating pure, natural foods rich in immune boosting vitamin C and the antioxidants selenium, zinc and vitamin E. What is the immune system? Your wonderful immune system is your protection against anything that poses a threat to your body. The list ranges from bacteria […]

Pure foods solution Get rid of all refined sugars and potential food allergens What is bloating? There is a lot of confusion surrounding the term abdominal bloating. It does not mean water retention or fat on the belly.  Bloating indicates a digestive problem and the symptoms are a distended, lower abdomen, griping and flatulence. It […]

What is Heart Disease? Heart disease doesn’t just involve the heart but the whole circulatory system. This includes  the arteries and veins which respectively, carry blood to and away from the heart. The three principles of heart disease are: 1. Thicker blood containing clots. 2. Atherosclerosis; the blocking of the arteries with a deposit called […]

Meditation Meditation is not about stopping your thoughts and sitting in silence. The mind is always active, producing thoughts and feelings constantly. Meditation is about watching your thoughts without getting involved in them. I see meditation as like being in the ‘cinema of the mind’. When you close your eyes the dark space in front […]

Max Tomlinson helps you to focus on ways to maximise your new-found energy to look and feel fabulous. We start this series in your 20’s. The twenties are an age when people develop a sense of who they are and what they want.  But that can create anxiety.  The answer is to take time to […]

Here’s an article about the swine-flu pandemic that’s worth reading. It’s been translated into English from the Danish ‘Information’ website: Faked pandemic By Louise Voller, Kristian Villesen December 27. 2009 ”We have had a mild flu – and a false pandemic,” says Wolfgang Wodarg, the chair of the Health Committee in The European Council. The […]

It’s definitely a good time to detox now, now that that mad post-January 1st “I’m-giving-up-everything” moment has passed… Why do we need to detox? Detox, a wonderful ancient naturopathic term, has become an overused ‘buzz word’, the darling of the glossy magazines and the icon of a new form of preventative medicine. It is a […]

Take what really works: 1. Bioforce Echinaforce liquid – 30 drops in a little water three times a day. Hold it in the mouth, gargle for 30 seconds and swallow. Most big health food stores stock. If you’re in the UK – you can call Bioforce UK on 01294 277 344. For information worldwide go […]