Latest news with #FosterMohale
The Citizen
20-05-2025
- Health
- The Citizen
The healing hands patients rely on
The Gauteng Department of Health called for all hands on deck to protect nurses and other health workers and to create a conducive working environment, as the country joined the global community to commemorate International Nurses Day, which was observed on May 12. • Also read: Celebrating International Nurse's Day According to departmental spokesperson Foster Mohale, nurses are the backbone of any healthcare system, serving as the main point of contact for patients and an important link between patients and the care they need. 'They also play a critical role in counselling and educating patients and their families about their health conditions, available treatment plans, and self-care strategies. Nurses continue to face various workplace safety threats in the line of duty, both physically and verbally, from patients and community members. In recent months and years, the country has experienced disgraceful incidents of heinous acts involving robbery and sexual assault against nurses, mainly in primary health facilities.' Foster added that the department recognises the importance of a healthy and well-supported nursing workforce in delivering quality healthcare services to achieve health outcomes, including increased life expectancy and reduced maternal, infant, and child mortality. 'For this reason, the department appeals to all stakeholders in society to join hands with the government, law enforcement agencies, and various community-based structures to make health facilities safer places for nurses to carry out their duties of caring for the sick and providing much- needed comprehensive healthcare without fear of becoming victims of crime.' The 2025 International Nurses Day was commemorated under the theme 'Our Nurses. Our Future. Caring for nurses strengthens economies', which emphasises the significance of a healthy nursing workforce in providing high-quality care, improving healthcare systems, and increasing economic resilience on a global scale. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Herald
14-05-2025
- Health
- The Herald
HIV patient testing falls in SA after US aid cuts, data shows
Given a summary of the data, Foster Mohale, a spokesperson for the department of health, said more analysis was needed and SA had challenges with patient retention and viral load testing before the aid cuts. HIV experts have said for months the health ministry was downplaying the impact of the funding loss, and a drop in testing figures might be an early warning sign, followed by a rise in new cases and deaths. The US state department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 'This data demonstrates what previous models have shown regarding the impact of Pepfar/USAID cuts on pregnant women and their infants,' said Dvora Joseph Davey, an epidemiologist working on maternal and infant HIV at the University of Cape Town. She said the impact was clear at five public health clinics where she works in Cape Town, which since the US aid cuts have been under-staffed, with fewer nurses to draw blood needed for viral load tests. HIV experts said diagnostic testing was also likely affected by the funding cuts, though that data was not available. The counsellors who used to do rapid diagnostic HIV tests are also gone, and pregnant women are no longer being put on preventive HIV drugs (PrEP) because the counsellors are the ones who used to offer that, Davey said. In the Johannesburg township of Diepsloot, HIV activist and community leader Sophy Moatshe said it was hard to get HIV patients to seek care because of the stigma, and without health workers reaching out when they miss an appointment, many fall through the cracks. 'These people, they don't want to go to the clinic,' she said outside a community centre. 'If there is nobody to check them, they're going to die.' The long-term future of HIV-related US assistance remains uncertain in SA and globally, as Trump pursues cuts to the international aid budget in line with his 'America First' agenda. The cuts have also hit research, including HIV vaccine trials. Mohale said the government was speaking to prospective local and international donors about covering funding gaps, but declined to give details. Davey said the data on testing in April, however, was 'a good indication of what's going to happen in the future'. Reuters
The South African
13-05-2025
- Health
- The South African
Department applauds Tiger Brands' decision to pay listeria victims
South Africa's largest food producer, Tiger Brands, has offered a settlement to families affected by the 2017 listeriosis outbreak, which killed over 200 people and sickened over 800. Tiger Brands announced on Monday that it will make settlement offers to people who suffered damages after contracting listeriosis, a food-borne disease, from its products. In 2017, a listeriosis outbreak linked to contaminated processed foods resulted in over 200 deaths and sickened more than 800 people. A class action lawsuit was filed against Tiger Brands on behalf of more than a thousand people after the origin of listeriosis was traced back to the company's manufacturing in Polokwane. According to the company's statement, the attorneys representing Tiger Brands' lead insurer, QBE Insurance Group Limited, made settlement offers on April 25 to specific classes of claimants who suffered from listeriosis. 'Today's announcement represents an important milestone and follows shortly on measures already taken in February 2025 to offer interim relief in the form of advance payments to identified claimants with urgent medical needs,' Tjaart Kruger, chief executive officer of Tiger Brands, said in the statement. The Department of Health, according to Sowetan Live , welcomes Tiger Brands' decision to settle the listeriosis class action lawsuit as it provides closure to families who lost loved ones to the disease. Foster Mohale, the spokesperson for the Department of Health, has urged anyone with evidence linking the listeriosis outbreak to the deaths of their loved ones to come forward. He said this will allow the department to access their clinical records and determine whether they have valid claims eligible for settlement. 'The outbreak highlighted the importance of consistent and strict adherence to food safety practices in the processing and handling ready-to-eat foods, especially for mass supply. Food safety and hygiene practices remain crucial for public health, preventing foodborne illnesses, reducing food waste, and avoiding costly food recalls.' Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Citizen
12-05-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Conditional compensation offered to victims in Tiger Brands listeriosis case
A major development has emerged in the long-running listeriosis class action against Tiger Brands, as attorneys representing the company's lead reinsurer, QBE Insurance Group, presented a conditional settlement offer to the plaintiffs' legal team. According to Polokwane Review, the offer, confirmed by Tiger Brands on April 25, applies to certain victims of the deadly 2017–2018 listeriosis outbreak, specifically those affected by the ST6 strain of listeria monocytogenes, which was ultimately traced back to the Enterprise Foods factory in Polokwane. According to the statement issued today, the insurer, with Tiger Brands' support, has authorised attorneys to offer compensation to three specific categories of victims: Individuals who contracted listeriosis (or whose mothers did) due to the ST6 strain. Those who lost a legal breadwinner to ST6 listeriosis. Legal guardians of dependants who contracted ST6 listeriosis. The offer includes payment for proven or agreed compensatory damages under Section 61 of the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008. However, it is made without any admission of liability and is subject to certain conditions being met. Tiger Brands has reiterated that it has adequate product liability insurance in place to cover such claims and maintains that this move is part of a broader strategy to resolve the class action. The company also noted that no personal or financial details of the offer will be made public to protect claimants' privacy. 'Today's announcement represents an important milestone and follows shortly on measures already taken in February to offer interim relief in the form of advance payments to identified claimants with urgent medical needs. It also demonstrates our commitment to continue to work closely with our insurers and their appointed attorneys to explore a resolution of the entire class action,' said Tiger Brands Tjaart Kruger. Attorneys for the plaintiffs will now begin the process of presenting the settlement offer to qualifying claimants. Those who accept will have their damages assessed individually, with the process expected to take several weeks. The class action is still in stage one, and a court will determine whether Tiger Brands can be held liable or not during this time. Only after this stage will the court assess causation and potential damages on a broader scale. The listeriosis outbreak, declared the world's largest ever, claimed over 200 lives and left lasting trauma for many South African families. The fallout was also significant for Polokwane's economy, as the Enterprise factory, once a major local employer, was forced to shut down during the investigation. Department of Health responds Meanwhile, the Department of Health welcomed the decision to finally settle, adding that it is an important milestone in bringing the lengthy legal matter to an end. Health spokesperson Foster Mohale said the National Institute For Communicable Diseases is providing the required medical records to enable decision-making in the process during the investigation of the listeriosis outbreak. 'The department is also appealing to those with enough evidence suggesting a causal link between the outbreak of listeriosis and the loss of their loved ones, to come forward so that their clinical records can be accessed for assessment to establish if indeed they have valid claims eligible for settlement, and also to find lasting closure after grief,' his statement read. Mohale said the outbreak highlighted the importance of consistent and strict adherence to food safety practices in the processing and handling of ready-to-eat foods, especially for mass supply. 'Food safety and hygiene practices remain crucial for public health, preventing food-borne illnesses, reducing food waste and avoiding costly food recalls,' he said. As legal proceedings continue, Tiger Brands said it remains committed to working with its insurers to find a resolution and ensure timely relief for affected individuals. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Eyewitness News
12-05-2025
- Health
- Eyewitness News
International Nurses Day: Health Dept calls for protection of nurses, healthcare workers
JOHANNESBURG - The Health Department is calling for all hands on deck to protect nurses and other health workers, as South Africa joins the global community in commemorating International Nurses' Day on Monday. The call comes as nurses continue to face physical and verbal abuse while on duty, with recent incidents of robbery and sexual assault reported at primary healthcare facilities across the country. The department said nurses play a critical role in delivering quality healthcare and that a safe, supportive working environment is key to achieving long-term health outcomes like reduced infant and maternal mortality. This year's commemoration is being held under the theme: 'Our nurses. Our future. Caring for nurses strengthens economies.' It's a reminder of the crucial role nurses play not only in healthcare delivery but in building stronger, more resilient economies. The department will also participate in the global launch of the State of the World's Nursing 2025 report on Monday, hosted by the World Health Organization and the International Council of Nurses. Spokesperson, Foster Mohale said, "It is for this reason that the department appeals to all stakeholders in the society to join hands with government, law enforcement agencies and various community-based structures to make health facilities safer places for nurses to carry out their duties." In a bid to ease workloads and improve care, it's set to recruit 200 additional nurses as part of the human resources for health strategy 2030, a plan linked to the country's commitment to universal health coverage under the National Health Insurance (NHI).
