Latest news with #Section21
South Wales Argus
4 days ago
- General
- South Wales Argus
Mum's rent petition signed by more than 40000 people
Bridget, from Darlington, is campaigning to limit rent rises for tenants. She says: "My landlord recently hiked my rent by £100. I've been renting privately all my adult life, but getting a sudden rent hike still comes as a shock and has been very stressful, especially as the landlord gave us just one month's notice. "This is nearly a 20% increase. As a single parent living with my two children, with one income to live on, the impact will ripple through my life. I feel broken down by this system." The petition, which can be signed here, is still growing. This isn't the first issue Bridget has had with rented homes, after extreme damp in a previous home led to a hospital trip after she developed pneumonia. "I hoped this new home would be better, but once again, I've suffered a huge blow to my security," she says. "Rents in my local area in County Durham are high, and I cannot simply jump to another more affordable option." She - like many others - is also facing increased bills and food costs. "I was already struggling to cover my essentials; this shock rent rise will put even more of a strain on me," she says. "My mental health has been badly affected, and I worry about the long-term impact this will have on myself and my family." Important reforms in the Renters' Rights Bill are currently passing through Parliament. These will help to make renting fairer in England, including ending Section 21 evictions, which currently allow landlords to evict tenants without needing a reason. "But they do nothing to stop shock rent rises like the one my family has faced," says Bridget. "While the government says tenants will be able to challenge 'unreasonable' rent rises at tribunal, decisions will be based on what the rent would be if your home was re-let – not what you can afford. "As long as landlords can price their tenants out of their own homes with unaffordable rent rises, renters will still effectively face unfair evictions and be threatened with homelessness." Private renters are being HIT with relentless rent hikes. The impact? Thousands are being pushed into debt and homelessness. It's time for change. Sign our petition and demand better⤵️ — Generation Rent (@genrentuk) May 12, 2025 Research from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation showing more than a third of private renters are living in poverty after housing costs. Meanwhile, Generation Rent's research has shown 9/10 renters say the experience of renting has negatively impacted their mental health. Generation Rent's winter 2024 survey found that the majority of renters (61%) reported that their landlord had asked them to pay a higher rent in the past 12 months with almost a quarter (24%) reported an increase over £100. This compares to just 9% reporting hikes of this size in July 2022, almost a threefold increase. Meanwhile, the 2024 English Private Landlord survey found one in five landlords hiked the rent by 15% or more the last time they renewed or extended a tenancy. The most common reason that renters reported they had been given for their rent increases, was not because their landlord faced increased costs, or was struggling more, it was simply because of the rising rewards of the market. Recommended reading: Almost a third (31%) of landlords had blamed higher market rents, while a further 7% stated that the increase was because of letting agent advice. The petition adds: "This is indefensible. If renters are to finally feel secure in our own homes, we need protections from shock rent rises. "Private landlords should not be able to raise the rent higher than inflation or wages. The Government can and must act to change this." Sign my petition, which has the full backing of Generation Rent, to demand the government introduces a cap on how much landlords can raise the rent.
Daily Maverick
7 days ago
- Health
- Daily Maverick
Understanding shingles: Risks, vaccination gaps, and the quest for better health solutions
The only shingles vaccine on the market in South Africa was discontinued in 2024. A newer and better vaccine is being used in some other countries, but has not yet been registered in South Africa, though it can be obtained by those with money who are willing to jump through some hoops. Shingles is a common and painful condition that mostly affects the elderly and people with weakened immune systems. It generally appears with a telltale red rash and cluster of red blisters on one side of the body, often in a band-like pattern. 'Shingles is pretty awful to get – it's extremely painful, and some people can get strokes, vision loss, deafness and other horrible manifestations as complications,' said infectious disease specialist, Professor Jeremy Nel. 'Shingles really is something to avoid, if at all possible.' One way to prevent the viral infection is to get vaccinated. But while two vaccines against shingles have been developed and broadly used in the developed world, neither is available in South Africa. Two vaccines Zostavax, from the pharmaceutical company MSD, was the first vaccine introduced to prevent shingles. It was approved for use in the US in 2006 and in South Africa in 2011. It is 51% effective against shingles in adults over 60. A more effective vaccine, Shingrix, which is more than 90% effective in preventing shingles, was introduced by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in the US in 2016. It is not yet authorised for use in South Africa, but GSK has submitted paperwork for approval with the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra), said company spokesperson Kamil Saytkulov. The superior protection offered by Shingrix compared with Zostavax quickly made it the dominant shingles vaccine on the market. As a result, MSD discontinued the production and marketing of Zostavax. MSD spokesperson Cheryl Reddy said Zostavax was discontinued globally in March 2024. Before then, the vaccine was sold in South Africa's private healthcare system for about R2,300, but it was never widely available in government clinics or hospitals. No registered and available vaccine Since Zostavax has been discontinued and Shingrix remains unregistered, the only way to access a vaccine against shingles in South Africa is by going through the onerous process of applying to Sahpra for a Section 21 authorisation – a legal mechanism that allows the importation of unregistered medicines when there is an unmet medical need. 'Access will only be available to those who are able to get Section 21 approval' and 'this is a costly and time-consuming process, requiring motivation by a doctor,' said Dr Leon Geffen, director of the Samson Institute for Ageing Research. The cost of the two-dose Shingrix vaccine imported through Section 21 authorisations is currently about R15,600, said Dr Albie de Frey, CEO of the Travel Doctor Corporate. People who seek Section 21 authorisation typically have to pay for this out of their own pockets. 'Shingrix is not covered [by Discovery Health] as it is unregistered in South Africa and is therefore considered to be a General Scheme Exclusion,' Dr Noluthando Nematswerani, chief clinical officer at Discovery Health, told Spotlight. The Department of Health did not respond to queries about whether Section 21 processes are being pursued for priority patients in the public sector or whether there has been any engagement with GSK on the price of this product. People who receive organ transplants, for example, should be prioritised to receive the shingles vaccine since the medications they are given to suppress their immune system puts them at high risk of developing shingles. Why is the price of Shingrix so high? Unlike South Africa, where companies must sell pharmaceutical products at a single, transparent price in the private sector, the US has no such requirement. Even so, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) pays $250 (R4,600) for the two-dose Shingrix vaccine through CDC contracts. This is less than a third of the charge when Shingrix is imported to South Africa. Equity Pharmaceuticals, based in Centurion, Gauteng, is importing GSK's Shingrix for patients who receive Section 21 authorisations to use the unregistered vaccine. It is unclear what price Equity Pharmaceuticals is paying GSK for Shingrix to be imported under Section 21 approvals, or what its mark-up on the medicine is. Asked about the price of Shingrix in South Africa, Saytkulov told Spotlight: 'Equity Pharmaceuticals is not affiliated with GSK, nor is it a business partner or agent of GSK. Therefore we cannot provide any comments with regards to pricing of a non-licensed product, which has been authorised for importation through Section 21.' Equity Pharmaceuticals also said it was difficult to comment on the price. 'The price of a Section 21 product depends on a number of fair considerations, including the forex rate, the quantity, transportation requirements, and the country of importation. Once the price and lead time are defined for an order, the information is shared with the healthcare provider to discuss with their patient and the medical aid,' the company's spokesperson, Carel Bouwer, said. Nematswerani pointed out that 'Section 21 pricing is not regulated' and that the price can change due to many factors including supplier costs, product availability and inflation. What causes shingles? Shingles is caused by the same highly infectious virus that causes chickenpox. Most people are infected with the varicella-zoster virus (VZV) during childhood. Chickenpox occurs when a person is first infected by VZV. When a person recovers from chickenpox, the VZV virus remains dormant in their body but can reactivate later in life as the immune system weakens. This secondary infection that occurs, typically in old age when the dormant virus reactivates, is called shingles. People who were naturally infected with chickenpox, as well as those vaccinated against chickenpox with a vaccine containing a weakened form of the VZV virus, can get shingles later in life. But, people who were vaccinated against chickenpox have a significantly lower risk of developing shingles later in life compared with those who naturally contracted chickenpox, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The chickenpox vaccine is available in South Africa's private sector but is not provided in the public sector as part of the government's expanded programme on immunisation. Chickenpox is usually mild in most children, but those with weakened immune systems at risk of severe or complicated chickenpox should be vaccinated against it, said Professor James Nuttall, a paediatric infectious diseases sub-specialist at the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital and the University of Cape Town. Who should be vaccinated against shingles? South Africa does not have guidelines for who should receive the shingles vaccine and when. The US CDC recommends that all adults older than 50 receive the two-dose Shingrix vaccine. It also recommends that people whose immune systems can't defend their body as effectively as they should, like those living with HIV, should get the vaccine starting from age 19. While Shingrix works better than Zostavax at preventing shingles, it has other advantages that make it a safer and better option for people with weak immune systems. The Zostavax vaccine contains a weakened live form of the VZV virus and thus poses a risk of complications in people with severely weakened immune systems. 'In the profoundly immunosuppressed, the immune system might not control the replication of this weakened virus,' explained Nel. The Shingrix vaccine does not contain any live virus and therefore does not present this risk. In March 2025, the WHO recommended that countries where shingles is an important public health problem consider the two-dose shingles vaccine for older adults and people with chronic conditions. '[T]he vaccine is highly effective and licensed for adults aged 50 and older, even if they've had shingles before,' according to the WHO. It advised countries to weigh up how much the vaccine costs with the benefits before deciding to use it. The cost of not vaccinating against shingles The cost of not vaccinating against shingles is high for people who develop the condition, as well as the health system. '[T]he risk of getting shingles in your lifetime is about 20 to 30%… by the age of 80 years, the prevalence is almost 50%,' said Geffen. 'Shingles is often a painful, debilitating condition, with significant morbidity. It can result in chronic debilitating pain which affects sleep, mood and overall function,' he added. Beyond preventing shingles and its complications, new evidence suggests that getting the vaccine may also reduce the risk of developing dementia and heart disease. In April, a large Welsh study published in Nature reported that people who received the Zostavax vaccine against shingles were 20% less likely to develop dementia seven years after receiving it compared with those who were not vaccinated. In May, a South Korean study published in the European Heart Journal reported that people vaccinated against shingles had a 23% lower risk of cardiovascular events, such as stroke or heart disease, for up to eight years after vaccination. DM
Business Upturn
27-05-2025
- Business
- Business Upturn
LandlordBuyer Reveals the Best UK Cities for Landlords in 2026 – and London Doesn't Make the List
By GlobeNewswire Published on May 27, 2025, 15:00 IST BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, United Kingdom, May 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The UK's buy-to-let (BTL) property market is undergoing significant transformation. Amid rising interest rates and regulatory changes, some landlords are choosing to exit the sector. However, for astute investors, 2026 could represent a year of strategic opportunity—particularly in regional cities that are primed for rental growth. According to a combination of industry data and expert insights, landlords who adapt swiftly to the evolving market landscape may still secure substantial returns—if they know where to focus. Key Buy-to-Let Forecasts for 2026: BTL lending is projected to reach £42 billion in 2026, marking an 11% rise on 2025 figures. Average UK house prices are anticipated to grow by 4%, bolstered by increasing market confidence and easing inflation. Rental prices are expected to rise by 3.5% in 2026, contributing to a cumulative 17.6% increase by 2029. BTL purchase lending fell by 7% in 2025, largely due to landlord departures and stricter lending regulations. Best Regional Yield Performers: Blaenau Gwent : 11.4% yield : 11.4% yield Redcar & Cleveland : 9.5% yield : 9.5% yield Derby and Newcastle: 6–8% yields Birmingham: The Emerging Capital of Buy-to-Let? One of the most promising cities for landlords in 2026 is Birmingham. The city benefits from major infrastructure and urban regeneration projects, high tenant demand from young professionals and students, and forecasted rental price growth of 3.5%. Expert Commentary from Jason Harris-Cohen Jason Harris-Cohen, Managing Director of LandlordBuyer , believes 2026 will be a pivotal year for UK landlords. 'Birmingham's rental market is poised for continued growth through 2025 and 2026, underpinned by strong demand, limited supply, and ongoing urban development. For landlords and investors, the city presents an opportunity to achieve both attractive rental yields and capital appreciation. As Birmingham continues to evolve, it solidifies its status as a leading destination for property investment in the UK.' Regulatory Tightening: Raising the Bar for Market Participation 2026 will see the phased implementation of several key reforms: Abolition of Section 21 'no-fault' evictions Higher stamp duties on additional property purchases Enhanced energy performance standards More rigorous rental regulations and enforcement mechanisms These changes may prompt less-prepared landlords to leave the sector, paving the way for more professionalised property portfolios. Despite challenges, 2026 offers a golden window for those investors willing to: Target high-yield regional locations Upgrade portfolios to meet new compliance standards Adapt to shifting tenant demands In the new era of UK property investment, adaptability will be essential—not only for success but for survival. About LandlordBuyer LandlordBuyer are a professional property buyers and landlords. We are flexible, fast-acting investors, and we'll make an immediate offer for any type of rented property throughout England. LandlordBuyer are members of the National Landlord Association (NRLA), and the Property Ombudsman. We are committed to providing quality homes to our tenants, and providing a simple service for landlords who want to sell property with sitting tenants. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same. GlobeNewswire provides press release distribution services globally, with substantial operations in North America and Europe.
Eyewitness News
27-05-2025
- Health
- Eyewitness News
Why most people in South Africa can't get the shingles vaccine
The only shingles vaccine on the market in South Africa was discontinued last year. A newer and better vaccine is being used in some other countries, but has not yet been registered in South Africa, though it can be obtained by those with money who are willing to jump through some hoops. Shingles is a common and painful condition that mostly affects the elderly and people with weakened immune systems. It generally appears with a telltale red rash and cluster of red blisters on one side of one's body, often in a band-like pattern. 'Shingles is pretty awful to get – it's extremely painful, and some people can get strokes, vision loss, deafness and other horrible manifestations as complications,' said infectious disease specialist Professor Jeremy Nel. 'Shingles really is something to avoid, if at all possible,' he added. One way to prevent the viral infection, is by getting vaccinated against it. But while two vaccines against shingles have been developed and broadly used in the developed world, neither of these are currently available in South Africa. TWO VACCINES Zostavax, from the pharmaceutical company MSD, was the first vaccine introduced to prevent shingles. It was approved for use in the United States in 2006 and in South Africa in 2011. It is 51% effective against shingles in adults over 60. A more effective vaccine, Shingrix, that is over 90% effective in preventing shingles was introduced by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in the United States in 2016. It is not yet authorised for use in South Africa, but GSK has submitted paperwork for approval with the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA), said the company spokesperson, Kamil Saytkulov. The superior protection offered by Shingrix compared to Zostavax quickly made it the dominant shingles vaccine on the market. As a result, MSD discontinued the production and marketing of Zostavax. MSD spokesperson Cheryl Reddy said Zostavax was discontinued globally in March 2024. Before then, the vaccine was sold in South Africa's private healthcare system for about R2,300, but it was never widely available in government clinics or hospitals. NO REGISTERED AND AVAILABLE VACCINE Since Zostavax has been discontinued and Shingrix remains unregistered, the only way to access a vaccine against shingles in South Africa is by going through the onerous process of applying to SAHPRA for a Section 21 authorisation – a legal mechanism that allows the importation of unregistered medicines when there is an unmet medical need. The cost of the two-dose Shingrix vaccine imported through Section 21 authorisations is currently around R15,600, said Dr Albie de Frey, CEO of the Travel Doctor Corporation. People who do go through the effort of getting Section 21 authorisation typically have to pay this price out of their own pockets. 'Shingrix is not covered [by Discovery Health] as it is unregistered in South Africa and is therefore considered to be a General Scheme Exclusion,' Dr Noluthando Nematswerani, Chief Clinical Officer at Discovery Health, told Spotlight. The Department of Health did not respond to queries regarding whether Section 21 processes are being pursued for priority patients in the public sector or whether there has been any engagement with GSK regarding the price of this product. People who receive organ transplants, for example, should be prioritised to receive the shingles vaccine, as the medications they are given to suppress their immune system put them at a high risk of developing shingles. WHY IS THE PRICE OF SHINGRIX SO HIGH? Unlike South Africa, where companies must sell pharmaceutical products at a single, transparent price in the private sector, the United States has no such requirement. Even so, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) pays $250 or R4,600 for the two-dose Shingrix vaccine through CDC contracts. This is less than a third of the price charged when Shingrix is imported into South Africa. Equity Pharmaceuticals, based in Centurion in Gauteng, is importing GSK's Shingrix for patients that receive Section 21 authorisations to use the unregistered vaccine. It is unclear what price Equity Pharmaceuticals is paying GSK for Shingrix to be imported into South Africa under Section 21 approvals, or what Equity Pharmaceuticals' mark up on the medicine is. When asked about the price of Shingrix in South Africa, Saytkulov told Spotlight: 'Equity Pharmaceuticals is not affiliated with GSK nor is it a business partner or agent of GSK. Therefore, we cannot provide any comments with regards to pricing of a non-licensed product, which has been authorised for importation through Section 21.' Equity Pharmaceuticals also said it was difficult to comment on the price. 'The price of a Section 21 product depends on several fair considerations, including the forex rate, the quantity, transportation requirements, and the country of importation. Once the price and lead time are defined for an order, the information is shared with the healthcare provider to discuss with their patient and the medical aid,' the company's spokesperson, Carel Bouwer, told Spotlight . Nematswerani pointed out that 'Section 21 pricing is not regulated' and that price can change due to many factors, including supplier costs, product availability, and inflation. WHAT CAUSES SHINGLES? Shingles is caused by the same highly infectious virus that causes chickenpox. Most people are infected with the varicella-zoster virus (VZV) during childhood. Chickenpox occurs when a person is first infected by VZV. When a person recovers from chickenpox, the VZV virus remains dormant in their body but can reactivate later in life as one's immune system weakens. This secondary infection that occurs, typically in old age when the dormant virus reactivates, is called shingles. People who were naturally infected with chickenpox, as well as those vaccinated against chickenpox with a vaccine containing a weakened form of the VZV virus, can get shingles later in life. But, people who were vaccinated against chickenpox have a significantly lower risk of developing shingles later in life compared to those who naturally contracted chickenpox, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The chickenpox vaccine is available in South Africa's private sector but is not provided in the public sector as part of government's expanded programme on immunisation. Chickenpox is usually mild in most children, but those with weakened immune systems at risk of severe or complicated chickenpox should be vaccinated against it, said Professor James Nuttall, a paediatric infectious diseases sub-specialist at the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital and the University of Cape Town. WHO SHOULD BE VACCINATED AGAINST SHINGLES? South Africa does not have guidelines regarding who should receive the shingles vaccine and when they should receive it. The US CDC recommends that all adults over 50 receive the two-dose Shingrix vaccine. They also recommend that people whose immune systems can't defend their body as effectively as it should, like those living with HIV, should get the vaccine starting from age 19. While Shingrix works better than Zostavax at preventing shingles, it has other advantages that make it a safer and better option for people with weak immune systems. The Zostavax vaccine contains a weakened live form of the VZV virus and thus poses a risk of complications in people with severely weakened immune systems. 'In the profoundly immunosuppressed, the immune system might not control the replication of this weakened virus,' explained Nel. The Shingrix vaccine does not contain any live virus and therefore does not present this risk. In March 2025, the WHO recommended that countries where shingles is an important public health problem consider the two-dose shingles vaccine for older adults and people with chronic conditions. '[T]he vaccine is highly effective and licensed for adults aged 50 years and older, even if they've had shingles before,' according to the WHO. It advised countries to look at how much the vaccine costs compared to the benefits before deciding to use it. THE COST OF NOT VACCINATING AGAINST SHINGLES The cost of not vaccinating against shingles is high for people who develop the condition, as well as the health system. Beyond preventing shingles and its complications, new evidence suggests that getting the shingles vaccine may also reduce one's risk of developing dementia and heart disease. In April, a large Welsh study published in Nature reported that people who got the Zostavax vaccine against shingles were 20% less likely to develop dementia seven years after receiving the vaccine compared to those who were not vaccinated. In May, a South Korean study published in the European Heart Journal reported that people vaccinated against shingles had a 23% lower risk of cardiovascular events, such as stroke or heart disease, for up to eight years after vaccination.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
I'm finally about to regain control of my property
Regular readers of my column will likely remember the ongoing saga of my tenant eviction. To refresh your memory, it's the one where the tenants asked me to serve a Section 21 so they could get a council house. We will bypass the moral outrage and get to the meat of the story which is the Section 21 was issued on January 23 2024. It expired and the tenants should have left on March 28 2024. As the council advised them to stay put, they did, and we went to court late in 2024 whereby the tenant was ordered to give up possession of the property on or before December 30 2024. The council advised the tenants to stay put until the bailiffs arrived and, in the interim, offered to pay me thousands of pounds to keep the very same tenants in the very same property. I was tempted by the offer, but, anxious what the tenants may do if they found out I'd sold out to the offer from the council, I continued with the possession action. Fast forward to May 2025, and I finally got a date. The bailiffs are attending on June 19 2025 – precisely 449 days from when the Section 21 expired. When you take into consideration the date from when I actually served the notice, it's 514 days. Now, I know you're probably familiar with stories about tenants being hoofed out overnight by greedy landlords, their possessions scattered across the pavement, and I'm here to tell you it's all BS. And what is further twaddle is Labour's Renters' Reform Bill, which aims to abolish Section 21. I have no idea what the Labour Party think it's doing when it already takes an eternity to try and get your own property back. Without Section 21, I am just weeping at the number of tenants who will lose their homes as I – and many others – continue to sell up rather than remain in this insane industry. I only thank the property gods that my tenant is still paying rent and looking after the place. Just imagine the financial misery and hardship that would be put on a landlord if that wasn't the case. I know (as many readers continue to tell me) that I'm screaming into the wind, but I am going to yell very loudly all the same, because what is happening is truly bonkers. The latest Ministry of Justice figures show landlords waited over seven months on average to regain a property through the courts in the first three months of 2025. Obviously, that's an average and doesn't even take into account the colossal wait for a bailiff (add on an extra five months). But what my real-life case does demonstrate is how utterly broken the housing justice system is. It is ludicrous that Labour continues their rampage against private landlords in the face of such major problems. The Conservatives may have started this war on landlords, but at least they had the good sense to recognise how ill-prepared the system was and say: 'Hey, we better fix this before we pour more oil on the fire.' Write to me: secretlandlord@ Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
