Latest news with #WesternCapeHealthDepartment
Eyewitness News
9 hours ago
- Health
- Eyewitness News
Flu season started in March, confirms NICD
CAPE TOWN - The National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) confirmed that flu season started on 24 March with patients being admitted for pneumonia. The NICD reported that, historically, this year's flu season arrived earlier than past seasons. Health officials advised the public to wash their hands regularly, cover coughs and sneezes and to avoid contact with people at risk of respiratory illnesses. Western Cape Health Department COO, Saadiq Kariem, said that transmission of the flu was currently low. "And so they do monitory of all the flu variants and what they found so far in fact since the 30th of December 2024 to the first of June 2025, of the samples tested, they found that there were 9.5% of cases were influenza but they also do monitoring of other respiratory pathogens and so they found that 16% of those cases were in fact RSV or respiratory syncytial virus and 3.5% of those cases were in fact from SARS CoV2." Kariem added that regular vaccinations provided a defence against the virus. "But this is why it's important to vaccinate every year, because the variants change all the time, much like we've obviously people understand how the SARSCoV2 virus has changed all the time." He detailed the types of influenza variants that had been detected this winter season. "So the flu virus changes all the time, every season, and most of the cases this far are from influenza A and the subtype is H3N2, but the NICD also picked up influenza A, H1N1 and a small amount of cases have been influenza B."
IOL News
23-04-2025
- Health
- IOL News
R32 billion health budget signals fresh start for Western Cape healthcare system
Minister Mireille Wenger delivers the Western Cape Health Department's 2025/26 Budget, outlining bold plans to rebuild the public healthcare system and improve patient care across the province. Western Cape Minister of Health and Wellness, Mireille Wenger, has tabled a bold R32 billion budget for the 2025/26 financial year, ushering in what she described as 'a new chapter' for healthcare in the province. Wenger says this budget is more than a financial plan, it's a statement of intent. 'It's about stability, resilience, and hope. It's about starting a new chapter, together.' The province's public health system, which supports over 75% of the population and recorded more than 25 million patient contacts last year, has faced immense pressure in recent years, from the COVID-19 pandemic to austerity constraints. With the new budget, the provincial department is focused on rebuilding that system and restoring public confidence. Key priorities include restoring critical staffing levels, with over R60.2 billion earmarked for employee compensation over the medium term and managing rising medical costs with over R30 billion set aside for goods and services.
