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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism

@bhekisisa.org
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The award-winning Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism brings you solutions-based health analysis & features. Subscribe to our newsletter: bit.ly/20aLIdR

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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 23/09/2026
“A spoonful of sugar: how South Africa’s weigh-and-pay shops are tackling ‘poverty tax’ head on.” Find out in @nicoleludolph.bsky.social’s pick for today’s #BhekisisaInYourInbox, from The Guardian. mailchi.mp/bhekisisa.or...
mailchi.mp
https://mailchi.mp/bhekisisa.org/8480782-15074338-nb3qcrn17v-15076339
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 23/09/2026
So what happens before a man becomes violent — and where can we intervene? South African Medical Research Council researchers explain why preventing #GBV means looking at the frightened boy who came before the violent man. mailchi.mp/bhekisisa.or...
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 21/09/2026
Can you teach men to rethink masculinity, power and violence? Yes. Programmes using peer discussions and role-play have helped men question harmful ideas about being a man and reduce their use of violence. So why aren’t we reaching more men? bhekisisa.org/article/2026... #GBVF
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To stop violent men, look at the boys they were - Bhekisisa
Why do some men become violent — and when can we intervene? Research with South African men shows how childhood trauma, poverty and ideas about masculinity can pile up, and where we may be able to…
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 21/09/2026
Childhood abuse. Violence at home. Poverty. Harmful ideas about masculinity. None means a boy will grow up to hurt women. Most won’t. But the risks can pile up — and understanding them gives us more chances to prevent violence. bhekisisa.org/article/2026...
bhekisisa.org
To stop violent men, look at the boys they were - Bhekisisa
Why do some men become violent — and when can we intervene? Research with South African men shows how childhood trauma, poverty and ideas about masculinity can pile up, and where we may be able to…
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 21/09/2026
What happens before a man becomes violent? Sometimes the story starts years earlier — with a frightened boy who learns that men don’t cry, vulnerability is weakness and violence brings power. To prevent #GBV, we need to act earlier. bhekisisa.org/article/2026...
bhekisisa.org
To stop violent men, look at the boys they were - Bhekisisa
Why do some men become violent — and when can we intervene? Research with South African men shows how childhood trauma, poverty and ideas about masculinity can pile up, and where we may be able to…
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 17/09/2026
From public health breakthroughs to policy debates, the Bhekisisa crossword is a fun way to explore our archive and learn more about the stories — and people — behind our journalism. bhekisisa.org/bhekisisa-cr...
bhekisisa.org
BHEKISISA CROSSWORD #16 - Bhekisisa
From health policy to the people behind the stories, our crossword takes you through Bhekisisa’s archive one clue at a time. How many can you solve without looking up the answers?
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 17/09/2026
In today’s #BhekisisainYourInbox, Ida Jooste introduces the LEN clinic cheat sheet. Find out more: mailchi.mp/bhekisisa.or...
mailchi.mp
https://mailchi.mp/bhekisisa.org/8480782-15074338-nb3qcrn17v-15076296
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 16/09/2026
💉 Want #LEN but not sure what actually happens at the clinic? HIV test ✔️ 2 pills ✔️2 tummy or buttocks jabs ✔️ 2 more pills the next day ✔️ Back in 6 months ✔️ We went to a clinic to make you a step-by-step LEN cheat sheet. #Lenacapavir #HIVPrevention bhekisisa.org/article/2026...
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 15/09/2026
An invasive mosquito species known to spread diseases has been found breeding in some east London homes. Find out more in Jessica Pitchford’s pick, from the BBC, for the latest #BhekisisaInYourInbox. mailchi.mp/bhekisisa.or...
mailchi.mp
https://mailchi.mp/bhekisisa.org/8480782-15074338-nb3qcrn17v-15076252
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 15/09/2026
In the past 10 years, 1.79-million women were abused during childbirth, a survey run in KZN and Gauteng shows. It’s enough to fill Ellis Park almost 30 times. Check out #BhekisisaInYourInbox for what the numbers mean. mailchi.mp/bhekisisa.or...
mailchi.mp
https://mailchi.mp/bhekisisa.org/8480782-15074338-nb3qcrn17v-15076252
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 14/09/2026
Three out of four women giving birth weren’t allowed to have a partner with them during the delivery. The health department's guidelines say that’s not respectful maternity care. bhekisisa.org/health-news-...
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 14/09/2026
More than two-thirds of women in labour had a procedure done they didn’t ask for, a large survey by Embrace, the Movement for Mothers, shows. Almost three-quarters of those involved invasive surgery. We dive into the data. bhekisisa.org/health-news-...
bhekisisa.org
Childbirth abuse is rife. So why don’t we see it? - Bhekisisa
Findings from a survey on obstetric violence show that 1.79-million women who gave birth in the past 10 years in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng were mistreated. We unpack the numbers to show what they…
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 14/09/2026
Slapped. Scolded. Shamed. That — and more — is what 1.79-million women faced while giving birth in KZN and Gauteng in the past 10 years. Here’s what the numbers tell us about #obstetricviolence. bhekisisa.org/health-news-...
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 14/09/2026
In the past 10 years, 12 out of every 20 women who gave birth in KZN and Gauteng were abused during labour. Only 1 out of 12 reported it. We look at what the numbers mean. #ObstetricViolence bhekisisa.org/health-news-...
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 12/09/2026
Think you know South Africa’s health landscape? Test your memory with the Bhekisisa crossword and see how much you’ve picked up from years of reporting, data investigations and policy analysis. Answers are on our website. bhekisisa.org/bhekisisa-cr...
mailchi.mp
https://mailchi.mp/bhekisisa.org/8480782-15074338-nb3qcrn17v-15076243
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 12/09/2026
Who counts as an expert on climate change and mental health? Across Burkina Faso, Kenya, Mozambique and South Africa, people who lived through major floods are turning their own experiences into evidence. mailchi.mp/bhekisisa.or...
mailchi.mp
https://mailchi.mp/bhekisisa.org/8480782-15074338-nb3qcrn17v-15076243
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 11/09/2026
Surveys can count the anxious and the displaced but they struggle to capture what it means to sleep with the windows open, every rainy season, listening for the next wall to crack. #ClimateChange #MentalHealth bhekisisa.org/article/2026...
bhekisisa.org
Can flood survivors’ stories make climate science better? - Bhekisisa
Across South Africa, Burkina Faso, Kenya and Mozambique, 37 people who lived through major floods are turning their own experiences into evidence. Here’s the project rethinking who counts as an…
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 11/09/2026
As climate change intensifies across Africa, good science will depend on bringing different kinds of knowledge together — and that includes the expertise of people who have lived through the worst of it. #ClimateChange #MentalHealth bhekisisa.org/article/2026...
bhekisisa.org
Can flood survivors’ stories make climate science better? - Bhekisisa
Across South Africa, Burkina Faso, Kenya and Mozambique, 37 people who lived through major floods are turning their own experiences into evidence. Here’s the project rethinking who counts as an…
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 11/09/2026
Most projects that collect survivors' stories stop there. Wema didn't. The community researchers went on to analyse the stories themselves, deciding what mattered most and what policymakers need to hear. #MentalHealth bhekisisa.org/article/2026...
bhekisisa.org
Can flood survivors’ stories make climate science better? - Bhekisisa
Across South Africa, Burkina Faso, Kenya and Mozambique, 37 people who lived through major floods are turning their own experiences into evidence. Here’s the project rethinking who counts as an…
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 10/09/2026
Paper, paint, glue and coloured pencils in a research centre usually reserved for science and tech are tools for digital storytelling — a method that lets flood survivors build their own evidence, in their own words. #ClimateChange bhekisisa.org/article/2026...
bhekisisa.org
Can flood survivors’ stories make climate science better? - Bhekisisa
Across South Africa, Burkina Faso, Kenya and Mozambique, 37 people who lived through major floods are turning their own experiences into evidence. Here’s the project rethinking who counts as an…
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 10/09/2026
Floods, cyclones and drought leave anxiety, depression and lasting trauma that survey data struggles to capture. The #Wema project trained community members to tell — and analyse — their own stories as evidence. #MentalHealth bhekisisa.org/article/2026...
bhekisisa.org
Can flood survivors’ stories make climate science better? - Bhekisisa
Across South Africa, Burkina Faso, Kenya and Mozambique, 37 people who lived through major floods are turning their own experiences into evidence. Here’s the project rethinking who counts as an…
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 10/09/2026
'Whenever it rains, I cry. Because I never know what is going to happen.' 3 years after a wall collapsed onto her home, Balungile still sleeps with the windows open. What flooding disasters leave after the water recedes. #ClimateChange #MentalHealth bhekisisa.org/article/2026...
bhekisisa.org
Can flood survivors’ stories make climate science better? - Bhekisisa
Across South Africa, Burkina Faso, Kenya and Mozambique, 37 people who lived through major floods are turning their own experiences into evidence. Here’s the project rethinking who counts as an…
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 09/09/2026
Countries are cracking down on energy drinks. The industry may not go quietly. Find out in Nicole Ludolph’s pick for today’s #BhekisisaInYourInbox, from @theexamination.org. mailchi.mp/bhekisisa.or...
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 09/09/2026
A sex worker losing clients while she waits. A student who tried 3 times. A pregnant woman tired of pills. A trans woman who values privacy. We met 4 LEN users at our media workshop. Now they tell us what getting SA’s new HIV prevention jab is really like. mailchi.mp/bhekisisa.or...
mailchi.mp
https://mailchi.mp/bhekisisa.org/8480782-15074338-nb3qcrn17v-15076230
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 08/09/2026
She tried 3 times before she got LEN. Visit 1: No nurse trained to give it. Visit 2: Another problem at the clinic. Visit 3: A 4-hour wait — and finally, her injections. Would she do it again? Yes. #HIVPrevention #LEN bhekisisa.org/special-repo...
bhekisisa.org
Meet 4 people who got the HIV prevention jab - Bhekisisa
Four South Africans from groups the government wants to reach with the six-monthly HIV prevention injection, lenacapavir (LEN), tell us why they chose the shot, what happened at the clinic and…
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 08/09/2026
“In our work, time is money.” She pays R500 a day to rent a room for sex work. Waiting hours at a clinic can mean losing clients. So why did she stay to get the six-monthly HIV prevention shot? #LEN #HIV bhekisisa.org/special-repo...
bhekisisa.org
Meet 4 people who got the HIV prevention jab - Bhekisisa
Four South Africans from groups the government wants to reach with the six-monthly HIV prevention injection, lenacapavir (LEN), tell us why they chose the shot, what happened at the clinic and…
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 08/09/2026
A sex worker sat in a clinic while clients called. A student had to try 3 times before she got her shot. Meet 4 people who got South Africa’s new six-monthly HIV prevention injection — and hear what it was really like. #LEN #HIVPrevention bhekisisa.org/special-repo...
bhekisisa.org
Meet 4 people who got the HIV prevention jab - Bhekisisa
Four South Africans from groups the government wants to reach with the six-monthly HIV prevention injection, lenacapavir (LEN), tell us why they chose the shot, what happened at the clinic and…
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 02/09/2026
Who gets to be an “expert” in a health story? At our LEN workshop, four people using the injection didn't just arrive to be interviewed. They stayed. They listened to scientists and officials. And they asked their own questions, writes @miamalan.bsky.social. bhekisisa.org/health-news-...
bhekisisa.org
https://bhekisisa.org/health-news-south-africa/2026-09-02-we-gave-our-competitors-our-hiv-sources-heres-why/
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 02/09/2026
A major new research project aiming to transform care for women with heavy periods is to create the world's largest menstrual fluid biobank. Read Rosaline Daniel’s pick in today’s #BhekisisaInYourInbox. mailchi.mp/bhekisisa.or...
mailchi.mp
https://mailchi.mp/bhekisisa.org/8480782-15074338-nb3qcrn17v-15076149
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 02/09/2026
A press release can tell you that SA is rolling out the HIV prevention injection, LEN. It can’t tell you what the numbers leave out, what happens inside clinics or what getting the injection is actually like. That takes reporting, writes @miamalan.bsky.social. bhekisisa.org/health-news-...
bhekisisa.org
https://bhekisisa.org/health-news-south-africa/2026-09-02-we-gave-our-competitors-our-hiv-sources-heres-why/
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 02/09/2026
What happens when health journalists stop competing? In today’s newsletter, @miamalan.bsky.social tells us why sharing sources makes health journalism stronger, not weaker. mailchi.mp/bhekisisa.or...
mailchi.mp
https://mailchi.mp/bhekisisa.org/8480782-15074338-nb3qcrn17v-15076149
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 02/09/2026
A new HIV prevention injection sounds simple: two shots a year can prevent HIV. Reporting on how you get it to millions of people is anything but simple. So we got 10 specialist health journalists together for a deep dive into LEN. #Lenacapavir #HIVPrevention #PrEP bhekisisa.org/health-news-...
bhekisisa.org
https://bhekisisa.org/health-news-south-africa/2026-09-02-we-gave-our-competitors-our-hiv-sources-heres-why/
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 02/09/2026
Why would a newsroom give its competitors access to the sources and expertise it spent years building? For two days, that’s exactly what we did. Here’s why @miamalan.bsky.social thinks sharing knowledge can make health journalism better. #HealthJournalism bhekisisa.org/health-news-...
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 26/08/2026
It comes down to directionality. The #Ngong rises clean south of Nairobi and flows into the city. The #Jukskei rises under central Joburg and flows out, making it already toxic before it surfaces. #UrbanRivers bhekisisa.org/article/2026...
bhekisisa.org
Rivers of pain in Nairobi and Johannesburg: How bad are they, and what’s (really) being done? - Bhekisisa
The Ngong in Nairobi and the Jukskei in Johannesburg run through some of Africa's most crowded neighbourhoods. Both are killing and sickening the people who live alongside them. We compare the…
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 26/08/2026
A Rastafarian gardener in Joburg’s #Alexandra put it plainly: #Jukskei water is so filthy it 'even kills cannabis, which is a hardy weed'. bhekisisa.org/article/2026...
bhekisisa.org
Rivers of pain in Nairobi and Johannesburg: How bad are they, and what’s (really) being done? - Bhekisisa
The Ngong in Nairobi and the Jukskei in Johannesburg run through some of Africa's most crowded neighbourhoods. Both are killing and sickening the people who live alongside them. We compare the…
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 26/08/2026
Take a break with the Bhekisisa crossword and see how much you remember about South Africa's health system, policies and the people shaping the conversation. bhekisisa.org/bhekisisa-cr...
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 26/08/2026
How #polluted is the #Jukskei? Researchers estimate you'd have a 50% to 60% chance of catching #salmonella or #shigella just from swimming in it as it runs through #Joburg’s #Alexandra. #WEMA bhekisisa.org/article/2026...
bhekisisa.org
Rivers of pain in Nairobi and Johannesburg: How bad are they, and what’s (really) being done? - Bhekisisa
The Ngong in Nairobi and the Jukskei in Johannesburg run through some of Africa's most crowded neighbourhoods. Both are killing and sickening the people who live alongside them. We compare the…
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 26/08/2026
#Nairobi's #Ngong River and #Joburg's #Jukskei are thousands of kilometres apart. But walk their banks and you'll find the same #floods, the same sewage, the same plastic. And communities paying the price. mailchi.mp/bhekisisa.or...
mailchi.mp
https://mailchi.mp/bhekisisa.org/8480782-15074338-nb3qcrn17v-15076145
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 26/08/2026
'It is like living next to an evil spirit.' Zikhona Renqe lost her mother and two daughters when the #Jukskei burst its banks in 2022, drowning 15 worshippers. She still lives on its edge. #WEMA #flooding bhekisisa.org/article/2026...
bhekisisa.org
Rivers of pain in Nairobi and Johannesburg: How bad are they, and what’s (really) being done? - Bhekisisa
The Ngong in Nairobi and the Jukskei in Johannesburg run through some of Africa's most crowded neighbourhoods. Both are killing and sickening the people who live alongside them. We compare the…
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 24/08/2026
Ozempic-style drugs aren’t just about losing weight. Obesity is a chronic disease — and #GLP1s can also reduce the risk of several serious health problems. But for most South Africans, price keeps them out of reach. Could generics change that? bhekisisa.org/health-news-...
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 24/08/2026
How low is low enough? In today’s newsletter, our team asks that question about the cost of weight-loss drugs. The first legal generic is only 18.5% less than the original drug. Is it enough to kill the black market? mailchi.mp/bhekisisa.or...
mailchi.mp
https://mailchi.mp/bhekisisa.org/8480782-15074338-nb3qcrn17v-15076108
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 24/08/2026
Would you inject a drug if you couldn’t be sure: 💉 what was in it 💉 how much active ingredient it contained 💉 where it was made 💉 whether it was contaminated? That’s the gamble people take when they buy black-market #GLP1s. bhekisisa.org/health-news-...
bhekisisa.org
https://bhekisisa.org/health-news-south-africa/2026-08-24-the-first-generic-weight-loss-drug-hit-sa-in-august-with-many-expected-to-follow-will-it-be-enough-to-kill-the-black-market/
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 24/08/2026
Chef and influencer Onezwa Mbola traces her culinary journey in her cookbook, A Food Love Story. Find out more in Jessica Pitchford’s pick for the latest #BhekisisaInYourInbox. mailchi.mp/bhekisisa.or...
mailchi.mp
https://mailchi.mp/bhekisisa.org/8480782-15074338-nb3qcrn17v-15076108
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 24/08/2026
South Africa finally has its first generic version of the ingredient in #Ozempic. The catch? It’s only about 18.5% cheaper. And while legal #GLP1s remain expensive, a dangerous black market is thriving. bhekisisa.org/health-news-...
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 24/08/2026
A month’s supply of #semaglutide could eventually cost just R100–R200 to make, researchers estimate. Yet South Africa’s first generic is still only about 18.5% cheaper than Novo Nordisk’s branded drug, Ozempic. So what exactly are we paying for? bhekisisa.org/health-news-...
bhekisisa.org
https://bhekisisa.org/health-news-south-africa/2026-08-24-the-first-generic-weight-loss-drug-hit-sa-in-august-with-many-expected-to-follow-will-it-be-enough-to-kill-the-black-market/
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 19/08/2026
What happens when the #HIVPrevention shot everyone wants is available at only some clinics? Zambia is taking information to communities near clinics with stock. South Africa says it’s important to be honest about how many shots are available via Ida Jooste. bhekisisa.org/special-repo...
bhekisisa.org
SA and Zambia’s HIV shot dilemma: Demand versus supply - Bhekisisa
Early data shows South Africans and Zambians have a big appetite for the twice-yearly HIV prevention injection. But clinics don’t yet have enough doses for everyone who wants it. It’s a balancing…
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 19/08/2026
South Africa needs one to two million people to use #LEN each year for the injection to make a real dent in new HIV infections. By 17 August, fewer than 43 000 doses had been used. Here’s why the numbers matter via Ida Jooste. bhekisisa.org/special-repo...
bhekisisa.org
SA and Zambia’s HIV shot dilemma: Demand versus supply - Bhekisisa
Early data shows South Africans and Zambians have a big appetite for the twice-yearly HIV prevention injection. But clinics don’t yet have enough doses for everyone who wants it. It’s a balancing…
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 19/08/2026
Looking for a different way to explore Bhekisisa? Start with our crossword. You'll test your health knowledge, meet the team behind the stories and discover answers hidden across our website. bhekisisa.org/bhekisisa-cr...
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 19/08/2026
Among South Africans offered a choice between a daily HIV prevention pill and twice-yearly LEN, 98.5% chose the injection. But soaring demand comes with a catch: supplies are still scarce via Ida Jooste. bhekisisa.org/special-repo...
bhekisisa.org
SA and Zambia’s HIV shot dilemma: Demand versus supply - Bhekisisa
Early data shows South Africans and Zambians have a big appetite for the twice-yearly HIV prevention injection. But clinics don’t yet have enough doses for everyone who wants it. It’s a balancing…
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Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism @bhekisisa.org · 19/08/2026
What happens when the #HIVPrevention shot everyone wants is available at only some clinics? Ida Jooste tells us more in today’s #BhekisisaInYourinbox. mailchi.mp/bhekisisa.or...
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