Western Cape ventures into ICT incubation hubs
Business Day | 21 May 2013
THE Western Cape provincial government is taking the lead in establishing an African Incubation Unit in a bid to help roll out information and communication technology (ICT) hubs, such as the Bandwidth Barn.
Only 16% of the continent’s people have direct access to the internet and in South Africa the penetration level is a mere 17.5% of the population.
In Europe and North America, internet access averages between 70% and 90%.
The Western Cape government and the City of Cape Town...
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Netcare CEO says Competition Commission must also probe pharmaceuticals
Business Day | 20 May 2013
PRIVATE hospital group Netcare CEO Richard Friedland said on Monday he was disappointed that the Competition Commission’s planned inquiry into the private healthcare sector would exclude the pharmaceutical sector.
The draft terms of reference for the inquiry, expected to begin in September, were released by the Competition Commission last week. While private hospitals and medical schemes can expect close scrutiny, it appears the pharmaceutical industry will not be directly examined...
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No smoking near building entrances
Health-e News | 17 May 2013
People entering or exiting a building will soon not have to traverse a cloud of cigarette smoke where smokers often congregating for their tobacco fix.
Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi recently issued regulations that will prohibit smokers from gathering outside buildings.
"These new regulations will restrict the smoking of tobacco outside of buildings," Motsoaledi announced at a recent meeting of the World Health Organisation on non-communicable diseases.
Motsoaledi said...
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NHI white paper out soon, says Motsoaledi
Business Day | 16 May 2013
THE government’s white paper on National Health Insurance (NHI) will be out for public comment "very soon", Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said on Wednesday, warning that it would go hand-in-hand with price regulation of the private healthcare industry.
"It doesn’t matter what you call it ... every citizen has the right to access to good quality, affordable healthcare, and that access should not be determined by the socioeconomic condition of the individual,...
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Health insurance plan, price regulation soon, says minister
Business Day | 16 May 2013
THE white paper on National Health Insurance (NHI) will be out for public comment "very soon", Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said on Wednesday, warning it would go hand in hand with price regulation of the private healthcare industry.
"It doesn’t matter what you call it … every citizen has the right to access … quality, affordable healthcare," he said during his budget vote speech to Parliament.
Successful implementation of the scheme would need...
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Motsoaledi urges medical schemes to pay for cancer vaccines
Business Day | 16 May 2013
HEALTH Minister Aaron Motsoaledi on Wednesday urged medical schemes to pay for cervical cancer vaccines, which are among the most expensive immunisations available for children in South Africa.
Addressing the National Assembly during his budget vote speech, the minister said the government would begin providing cervical cancer vaccines to girls from poor families attending state schools from February, and called on funders to help ensure every eligible child got the shots.
"I am...
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Schoolgirls to get cervical cancer vaccines from 2014
Business Day | 15 May 2013
Speaking during the health budget vote debate in the National Assembly on Wednesday, Motsoaledi said government hoped to negotiate lower prices for the vaccine, which treats the human papilloma virus (HPV) – the major cause of cervical cancer among women.
Quoting experts, he said cervical cancer affected 6 000 South African women a year, 80% of them black. More than half the women affected died of the disease.
While the HPV vaccine presented an opportunity to...
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Health: Minister's Budget Vote Speech
Parlimentary Monitoring Group | 15 May 2013
Honourable Speaker
My colleague the Deputy Minister of Health
MECs for Health present
The Chairperson and members of the Health Portfolio Committee
Honourable Members of Parliament
Invited Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
Honourable Speaker, it is now well documented and generally understood that South Africa faces a quadruple burden of disease. Many other countries are faced only with a double burden.
These four are:
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WHO statistics show narrowing health gap between countries with best and worst health status
The world has made dramatic progress in improving health in the poorest countries and narrowing the gaps between countries with the best and worst health status in the past two decades, according to the World Health Statistics 2013.
The WHO annual statistics report highlights how efforts to meet the MDGs have reduced health gaps between the most-advantaged and least-advantaged countries.
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Private health costs inquiry welcomed
Business Day | 15 May 2013
THE CEO of private hospital group Life Healthcare, Michael Flemming, gave a cautious welcome on Tuesday to the Competition Commission’s looming investigation into private healthcare prices.
Mr Flemming said his company would co-operate with the authorities. "We welcome an inquiry that is empirical, holistic, comprehensive and not only limited to certain elements of the delivery system (but) takes into account all the factors that drive our costs, the utilisation of our facilities...
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South African and Zimbabwe unite against cholera
Health-e News | 10 May 2013
The Department of Health and Social Development in Limpopo is collaborating with the Zimbabwean government to curb cholera outbreaks in both countries.
This was revealed by the department spokesperson on cholera, Phuti Seloba.
Seloba said the collaboration started in April following a malaria incident which was linked to a Zimbabwean national who was staying in one of the shelter centres in Musina, Nancefield.
According to Seloba, the man came from Lindela Detention Centre in Zimbabwe,...
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Plan to add cervical cancer jab to child immunisation
BusinessDay | 10 May 2013
THE Department of Health is planning to add cervical cancer vaccines to its childhood immunisation programme, and expects to issue a tender calling for bids from companies within the next two months, it emerged on Thursday.
It is also considering pooling procurement with other middle-income countries to secure lower prices from manufacturers Glaxo-SmithKline and MSD, according to department officials.
Cervical cancer kills more women in South Africa than any other cancer. Like many other...
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