Effect of US funding cuts on HIV programmes
JOHANNESBURG - The health minister promises South Africans, that the country's HIV programme will not collapse despite funding cuts.
Professor Salim Abdool Karim is the Director of the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa.
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One silent crisis continues to claim lives: men's health. Across South Africa, men are suffering – and dying – in silence. Image: Nappy/Pexels In a world where health discussions dominate conversations, one silent crisis stands out: men's health across South Africa. Glaring statistics reveal a grim reality, as South African men are living an average of seven years less than women, with a life expectancy of just around 62 years compared to 69 years for their female counterparts. This disparity is largely attributed to avoidable health risks, late diagnoses, and an alarming reluctance to seek preventative care. This Men's Health Month, Bestmed Medical Scheme is urging men of all ages to take action towards their well-being. The persistent issues of fear, stigma, and a deeply ingrained culture of avoidance surrounding medical check-ups and health screenings continue to claim lives. 'Too many men only visit a doctor when it's already too late,' warns Dr Lee Moses, Medical Advisor: Advisory Risk and Quality Management at Bestmed Medical Scheme. 'We need to normalise proactive care because prevention is far more powerful than cure.' The stark statistics The statistics paint a sobering picture of men's health in the country. Aside from the considerable life expectancy gap, there is a concerning trend regarding late-stage diagnoses of prostate and testicular cancer. Prostate cancer, the most common cancer among men, is highly manageable if caught in its early stages. However, stigma related to screenings, particularly fears surrounding rectal exams, discourages many from seeking this crucial health service. 'Many men dread the rectal exam,' Dr Moses acknowledges, 'but times have changed. A simple PSA blood test is now an initial screening option for men over 40.' More invasive tests are only recommended if initial assessments raise concerns. To combat this silent crisis, men are encouraged to perform regular testicular self-exams and attend annual prostate screenings to detect potential problems early, before they escalate into life-threatening conditions. Hidden threats to health Prostate cancer is not the only concern on the horizon. Men face higher risks of chronic illnesses, including diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and mental health disorders. These conditions are often diagnosed too late due to delayed healthcare consultations. Lifestyle choices, such as poor diet, insufficient exercise, excessive alcohol consumption, and tobacco use exacerbate these risks, leading to dire health outcomes. Mental health remains a particularly challenging aspect of men's overall health. Many men are less likely than women to seek help for issues such as depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts. As a result, addiction and suicide rates continue to rise. Furthermore, men fall behind in HIV and TB testing, with a significant number neglecting treatment and precautionary measures, risking their health and the well-being of those around them. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ A call to change 'It's time to flip the script,' Dr Moses asserts. 'Going for regular check-ups isn't a weakness – it's being responsible. It's a strength and it's how we stay alive for the people who count on us.' Bestmed Medical Scheme encourages men to take small but consistent steps towards better health: Schedule annual health screenings Adopt a balanced diet and exercise regularly Manage stress and mental well-being Stay informed and proactive about health 'When detected early, most health problems are manageable or even reversible. Men, your health matters. Speak up. Show up. Live longer.' Dr Moses concludes, urging men to take charge of their health for themselves and their loved ones. IOL
Eyewitness News
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Gold mining past poisons Soweto community, residents say
Soweto's children call it the "yellow mountain": for decades, a gold mine dump that towers over the Snake Park neighbourhood of South Africa's largest township has been polluting the area and poisoning communities. The yellow dust that blows off it stings the throat. Studies have found it contains traces of toxic substances such as arsenic, lead and uranium - a legacy of the 1880s gold rush that founded Johannesburg and Soweto. The local Snake Park Cerebral Palsy Forum has since 2017 documented at least 15 cases of children born with the condition. Many more have deformations and disabilities, it says. Okuhle, 13, has cerebral palsy and was abandoned in the street as a baby. Sitting in a wheelchair next to her foster mother on a recent afternoon, the cheerful girl communicated with squeals. 'She can't walk, she can't speak ... she can't use her arms well,' said Lilly Stebbe, 60, who also blames the mine for the child's asthma, eye and sinus problems. - Toxic pollution - Stebbe herself struggled with a constant cough and irritated eyes. The dust went everywhere, she said. "When you breathe that dust, it can give you all kinds of cancer," said David van Wyk, lead researcher at the Bench Mark Foundation, a watchdog of local business practices. "It can also mix your DNA codes and your children will be born with all kinds of deformities," he said. "We find lots of ... physically challenged children in this community." There are more than 6,000 abandoned mines across South Africa, according to the auditor-general. At least 2,322 are considered high-risk for the adjacent communities. Van Wyk said between 15 and 20 million South Africans live near such toxic pollution. About 50,000 are in the small houses of Snake Park and more in shacks at the foot of the mine in an informal settlement called Mountain View. Every month, van Wyk carries out tests on the dump, a vast expanse of powdery soil with a reddish stream through it, as part of a joint study with the University of Johannesburg. - 'Ten years' - The two-year study aims to measure and identify solids dissolved in the water. On this day, the testing device detected a concentration of 776 mgs of solids per litre. This made the water unfit for drinking, said van Wyk. More importantly, the water "contains uranium and strontium, which are both radioactive," he said. The NGO has detected "a whole range of very toxic substances" from copper to arsenic and lead in the stream, he said. It flows into nearby maize fields and surrounding pastures. Residents say some goats were born three-legged. Local company Pan African Resources said it bought the mine in 2022 after the previous owner was liquidated without rehabilitating the site. The pollution had been seeping out of the tailings for at least 50 years, the company told AFP. "Give us maximum 10 years, we'll remove it completely," said community relations manager Sonwabo Modimoeng. "We know that this affects people," he told AFP, adding the company had told people not to approach the area. It has also installed warning signs. But these measures were insufficient for Thokozile Mntambo, who leads Bambanani, an NGO advocating for the rehabilitation of the area. "The dump needs to be taken off right now, not after 10 years," she said. "Every day, the dust contaminates people." - Community support - Baile Bantseke, 59, lives a few hundred metres from the dump with her grandson Mphoentle. The five-year-old has been diagnosed with autism, which Bantseke blames on the "mountain". Multiple studies, including one published in 2024 in the journal Environmental Health, have established links between autism and exposure to environmental pollutants like heavy metals. "I blame our government. If they were looking after us, we would not be having such issues," Bantseke said. Families with disabled children receive a monthly grant of 2,310 rands ($130), barely enough to afford food, clothes and diapers. It does not cover transport to a hospital 15 kilometres away where the children should get treatment. "We don't have wheelchairs, we don't have pickup trucks," said Kefilwe Sebogodi, who founded the Snake Park Cerebral Palsy Forum and is raising a disabled niece. In the run-down community hall, she welcomed a dozen mothers, grandmothers and caregivers joining the Forum's support group. Their monthly meetings showed that "the children matter in this community", Sebogodi said. "We are still standing."
