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  1. #TeamBhekisisa: A day in our office with health reporter Nicole Ludolph

    Like most people, Nicole Ludolph starts her day off by scrolling through social media. Then, she gets to work. Have a look at how she navigates the world of health journalism. The post #TeamBhekisis

  2. Teenagers are sent to these camps to purge ‘The West’. They leave bruised and abused

    “Dhaqan celis” was a term used by Somalis that used to mean the practice of going back home to stay with relatives and learn more about your culture. But it’s taken on a whole new – much darker – mean

  3. Bad habits: How the government can help you quit smoking — but isn’t

    South Africa’s anti-smoking policies rely on increased sin taxes to cut smoking rates in the country. Experts say this is no longer enough, but people who use government facilities have very few other

  4. [ICYMI] What did the Health Ombud find at Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital?

    The health ombudsman, Malegapuru Makgoba released findings on complaints with regards Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital in Johannesburg on Tuesday. The post [ICYMI] What did the Health Ombud find

  5. Why SA’s cancer activists are stuck in an endless loop

    There’s no sign that South Africa’s intellectual property laws will change anytime soon, public health experts say. That means pharmaceutical companies will keep abusing the country’s weak system — an

  6. What ChatGPT won’t tell you about Tlaleng Mofokeng

    Get to know sexual and reproductive rights activist and doctor Tlaleng Mofokeng with our reporter Sean Christie. The post What ChatGPT won’t tell you about Tlaleng Mofokeng appeared first on Bhekisis

  7. Will a shake-up in sports science change SA rugby?

    A plagiarism scandal has rocked the sports world and cast fresh doubt over the influence of the industry in research on head injuries. It also stirred up old allegations that sporting bodies have unde

  8. ‘I would lie and listen to my pain’: The multitasking mavericks fighting for a good death

    Morphine was first introduced to Uganda 30 years ago, but as the burden of cancer increases, thousands of people still lack access to even basic treatment for pain relief. The post ‘I would lie and l

  9. Safe, not seedy: How sex work changed after two decades of decrim in New Zealand

    In South Africa, 70% of female sex workers in a countrywide survey conducted in 2019 said they’d experienced violence from clients in the previous year. Find out how things change when sex work isn’t

  10. #BhekisisaDiaries: What vasectomy research says about sex, myths and manhood

    There are two birth control options for men in South Africa – condoms and vasectomies. Men have a good grip of how condoms work but less so when it comes to the 15-minute snip. Stigma, myths and misco

  11. [WATCH] ‘I’m not a dog, I’ve got my rights’: These sex workers won’t see their jobs become legal

    South Africa’s justice department is reviewing submissions from activists, academics and civil society on an amendment Bill that, if approved, will mean sex work is no longer a crime. But will the pol

  12. Why SA supermarkets should slash the price of these 10 foods by a fifth

    The food industry will get a tax break to ease the effects of loadshedding on the cost of groceries. But there’s more that the industry can do to keep a basic basket of foods affordable, writes the he

  13. I uncovered a child sex trafficking ring in my grade one class

    When a primary school teacher in the Western Cape suspected that one of her pupils was being sexually abused, she did everything she could to help. Here’s what happened next. The post I uncovered a c

  14. Job rights, better healthcare and taxes: What life could look like for SA sex workers

    The justice department is currently reviewing comments from activists, academics and civil society on a proposed new law to decriminalise sex work. They will then ask the cabinet to take it to parliam

  15. Bloody politics: Meet the politician who plans to end period poverty

    Gloria Orwoba, a Kenyan politician, is on a mission to end period poverty in that country, where government statistics show over half of women cannot afford products such as pads. Orwoba is pushing fo

  16. #TeamBhekisisa: Corn cakes & lead poisoning: Spend a day with reporter Jesse Copelyn

    How does Jesse Copelyn decide on the topics of his articles? Find out here. The post #TeamBhekisisa: Corn cakes & lead poisoning: Spend a day with reporter Jesse Copelyn appeared first on Bhekisis

  17. #Budget2023: Peer inside the health sector’s purse

    There will be no increase in the tax on sugary drinks until 2025, the Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced during his budget speech on Wednesday. The post #Budget2023: Peer inside the health s

  18. ‘Let’s pray you’ll be okay’: My escape from a backyard drug rehab

    South Africa plans to roll out treatment for opioid addiction to all government health facilities by 2028, according to a draft of the country’s sixth HIV action plan. Read one person’s story of recov

  19. Health Beat #5 | ‘We’ve lost many sisters’: Why SA sex workers’ lives could be safer from 2024

    The post Health Beat #5 | ‘We’ve lost many sisters’: Why SA sex workers’ lives could be safer from 2024 appeared first on Bhekisisa.

  20. Lesotho’s cannabis boom isn’t giving locals the high life they were promised. Here’s why

    In 2017, Lesotho became the first African country to legalise cannabis. Nearly six years later, the industry is yet to change the country’s fortunes. The post Lesotho’s cannabis boom isn’t giving loc

  21. City planners, street vendors & spaza shops could help keep SA fed. Here’s how

    Local governments back many projects where people can grow vegetables in urban areas. But researchers say that it’s not enough to curb hunger in South Africa’s growing cities. The post City planners,

  22. [WATCH] How did South Africa’s illicit tobacco trade get so bad?

    Independent research shows 54% of cigarettes sold in South Africa are illegal, which means the taxman is losing revenue, and the country’s anti-smoking plans are becoming less effective. Watch this to

  23. STI home tests could be coming to SA’s free medicine pick-up points

    Big changes are coming to South Africa’s fight against sexually transmitted infections, according to a draft of the country’s fifth HIV action plan. The post STI home tests could be coming to SA’s fr

  24. #TeamBhekisisa: Meet Rosaline Daniel, Bhekisisa’s programme manager

    Bhekisisa’s programme manager Rosaline Daniel works behind the scenes to make sure the office runs smoothly. Get to know her better. The post #TeamBhekisisa: Meet Rosaline Daniel, Bhekisisa’s program

  25. Could electric bikes clean the air in the country of a quarter-million motorcycles?

    In 2019, diseases linked to air pollution killed 1.1-million people in Africa. Could electric motorcycles save lives with cleaner air? The post Could electric bikes clean the air in the country of a

  26. Parents, here are 8 measles outbreak questions — answered

    We answer the biggest questions surrounding the current measles outbreak and explain who is eligible to get an extra vaccination. The post Parents, here are 8 measles outbreak questions — answered ap

  27. Ozempic: A hashtag & a helpful effect collide & drain global stocks of a diabetes drug

    Medicine shortages are common. But what happens when a shortage of an effective medication happens because people who the medicine isn’t intended for are drying its stocks? We explain here. The post O

  28. [WATCH] How does testosterone treatment help transgender men?

    Testosterone treatment can help ease psychological distress for transgender men because it results in changes that make them feel more at home in their bodies, such as a beard and a deeper voice. The

  29. What reduces child marriage and poverty? Ask Zimbabwe’s young chess queens

    In the small rural town of Chivhu, Zimbabwe, 10-year-old Grace Zvarebwa is training for a pan-African schools chess tournament in Liberia. Chess is an activity normally reserved for the country’s elit

  30. #TeamBhekisisa: Meet Bhekisisa’s resident chatterbox, Christina Pitt

    Health reporter Christina Pitt takes us through an average day in the Bhekisisa newsroom. The post #TeamBhekisisa: Meet Bhekisisa’s resident chatterbox, Christina Pitt appeared first on Bhekisisa.

  31. Come work with us. We’re looking for a health news geek

    The Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism is expanding even more. The post Come work with us. We’re looking for a health news geek appeared first on Bhekisisa.

  32. [PODCAST] ‘We’ve failed as clinicians’: This HIV doctor is changing how he treats overweight patients. Here’s why

    HIV doctor Francois Venter explains why the treatment of obese people reminds him of the bad old days of the HIV epidemic. The post [PODCAST] ‘We’ve failed as clinicians’: This HIV doctor is changing

  33. ‘I punched him on his potatoes’: Meet the grannies fighting back against GBV

    Korogocho is one of Nairobi’s most dangerous slums, where rape and robbery are common. Beatrice Nyariara is helping women aged 55 to 90 to fight back. The post ‘I punched him on his potatoes&#8

  34. Decriminalising sex work can protect sex workers – and everybody else – from GBV

    South Africa plans to decriminalise sex work. Public comment on the draft legislation closes today. Evidence from other countries suggests South Africa could see a drop in rapes and sexually transmitt

  35. #BhekisisaDiaries: How GBV creeps into any South African news story

    Go behind the scenes with two of Bhekisisa’s most seasoned reporters as they explain what it’s like to cover some of South Africa’s most harrowing stories. The post #BhekisisaDiaries: How GBV creeps

  36. What’s behind the Big Tobacco job cuts? A guide to SA’s illegal tobacco trade after COVID

    British American Tobacco in South Africa says 200 of its workers will be out of a job soon, but public health researchers argue they’re using misleading figures to back the retrenchments. The post Wha

  37. How to keep people on HIV treatment during a flood

    What happens when there’s a natural disaster, like a flood, and people living with HIV aren’t able to take their chronic medication? Watch to find out what can be done to make sure their treatment isn

  38. ‘They fail us, year in and year out’: Why community health workers are ditching unions

    In South Africa, trade unions have a reputation for having workers’ back. But for many of the country’s community health workers, these organisations are no longer an ally. The post ‘They fail us, ye

  39. #TeamBhekisisa: Spend a day in health reporter Zano Kunene’s shoes

    Meet Zano Kunene, one of our health reporters. Here’s a short glimpse into what he gets up to on a daily basis and how he comes up with ideas for his stories. The post #TeamBhekisisa: Spend a day in h

  40. This country used to chain psychiatric patients to their beds. Here’s what happened when they were freed

    A psychiatric facility in Freetown has stepped away from its colonial past and removed these ‘shackles’ from their patients. The post This country used to chain psychiatric patients to their beds. He

  41. A mezuzah, a Christmas wreath & rooibos with milk: Get to know this NICD couple at home

    Anne von Gottberg and Cheryl Cohen are two of South Africa’s foremost scientists. We’ve got them and their colleagues to thank for the country’s world class surveillance of SARS-CoV-2. But this powerf

  42. These doctors want to work in SA’s rural hospitals. But there’s no money to hire them

    A scholarship programme has been producing doctors for South Africa’s understaffed rural hospitals since 1999, but provinces don’t have the money to employ their recent graduates. Could the country’s

  43. Poisoned production: The lead industry is booming – it’s just moved to poorer countries

    The lead industry is funding researchers and United Nations bodies to paint its toxic products in a favourable light, says this expert, despite the evidence that lead exposure harms children’s develop

  44. [WATCH] Starry nights over city lights: Why this doctor wants to work in rural KZN for good

    The post [WATCH] Starry nights over city lights: Why this doctor wants to work in rural KZN for good  appeared first on Bhekisisa.

  45. Health Beat #4 | Can National Health Insurance fix SA’s rural doctor dilemma?

    Doctors trained specifically to work in rural areas are struggling to find work in far-flung areas because provincial health departments don’t have the money to pay them. Find out what could change th

  46. ‘It’s not a feminine thing. It’s a family thing’: How men can boost contraception use

    There are more unplanned pregnancies in countries where men hold more power in society, likely because women don’t have a say in how many children they have. The opposite is true when men support thei

  47. Our 10 most-read stories of 2022

    Before the festive season kicks off, take a look at Bhekisisa’s most-read stories of 2022. The post Our 10 most-read stories of 2022 appeared first on Bhekisisa.

  48. HIV treatment in SA is changing. Here are 7 things you need to know

    The HIV drug dolutegravir is the star of new treatment guidelines from the government and the Southern African HIV Clinicians’ Society. From 2023, the medicine will be the go-to drug in all treatment

  49. Come work with us: We’re hiring a programme associate

    Do you have proven experience in the nonprofit sector and want to learn about media development and donors? This job could be for you. The Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism is an independent medi

  50. She had a miscarriage. Now she’s facing life in prison

    Scores of women in Argentina could be facing life in prison for what health experts say are obstetric emergencies such as miscarriages. The post She had a miscarriage. Now she’s facing life in prison