Latest news with #YanKrukau
IOL News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Make your memory lanes pleasant notes
If there is one resolution that you would like to make for the rapidly arriving 2026, may it be that we take care of our loved ones, says the writer. Image: Yan Krukau/ I WROTE on this topic back in 2005, and am more than certain that 20 years later it is even more relevant. Let me digress temporarily and set the scene for this column. A major reason that I have enjoyed two decades of being in media, be it national radio or newspapers or both, is the interaction with those that follow my work. In other words, my friends. You see in all my years in the media, I have detested the word 'fan'. My reasoning on this is that if I call someone my fan, I am putting myself on a higher plane than they are. This is not right as you are in no way subservient to me. In fact, I serve you by providing food for thought and entertainment and I sincerely appreciate the privilege. Many of my readers and listeners formed lasting friendships with me and took me into their lives and circle of friends. It has never failed to amaze me that there are still so many wonderful and sincere people that are still left in this otherwise selfish and hedonistic world. Many have shared their experiences and memories with me, which I treasure greatly. I have also learned much from communicating with them and I have learned this very important truism: When we individually walk down our memory lanes, each of us evokes different and original responses to the flashbacks of our lives. 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 ✕ These usually make us smile as we recall some joyous event, a childish prank or a special moment in time. However, there is unfortunately another, more sombre side to recalling the past. We find this especially during public holidays and other festive periods. There are some dear souls out there who have had mishaps, misfortunes and turmoil in their lives and this has robbed them of the opportunity to relax, laugh and enjoy the recreational period. Because really, how do you smile when your heart is breaking? When these precious ones walk down their memory lanes, they halt the journey at a sad juncture. Possibly a loved one, such as a spouse is no longer around to share in the joy and cheer. It could also be the death of a child or a parent. This is all too vivid for me as one Easter Monday as it is called, I was relaxing and about to indulge in a nice English breakfast. The phone rang and the voice on the other end informed me that my beloved and only sibling had passed away that morning in hospital. So, how do you think I handle Easter Monday every year? Definitely with plenty of melancholy and pathos. Another realistic situation is maybe a family member has, in a moment of weakness or at a breaking point, done something that had necessitated him being taken out of the family circle and incarcerated. Can you imagine the heartache of an ageing mother who has to accept that her son, who is in prison for a crime, will never be released within her remaining years? To compound the grief, her frailty does not allow her to visit him? All she has are the memories of a good boy, nurtured through years of love and devotion, who went wrong through circumstances beyond his control. To some of our dear folk, life seems to have a vendetta against their happiness. Be it abject poverty or domestic violence and abuse they undergo, all they have to look forward to is death. They look back at their miserable lives and wonder what was it all about? Why did the Almighty bother to create me? To see me suffer? It could appear that some of us are like Achilles, with the difference being that when we were born, we were dipped in the River of Sorrow, and not the River Styx. (Read up on this if you do not know how the painful condition known as Achilles heel was concocted). Yes, memories can be therapeutic for the soul, as well as poignant to the heart. We can be comforted by the fact that if our life has been an uphill battle all along, it cannot get worse. Hopefully! Everything as the Holy Books say, has its time and place and the moment for us to rise and be victorious will soon manifest. It is getting there and surviving the emotional upheavals-in loco, which is the difficulty. To those who have lost beloved ones to our greatest enemy – death - little can give them solace. However, there is much that we can do now to ensure that we have a modicum of comfort and peace in our lives. This will enable us, in coming decades, to look back at this period in time with a smile on our face. The secret of achieving that lies in culture, principles and family. As Indians, we are renowned for being vociferously cultural and I am not talking religion here. Culture incorporates the values systems that have been handed down to us from our ancestors. It ties in well with principles, which we cannot afford to be without. It is a fact that the decline of the once mighty Roman Empire was due to a great extent to the breakdown in the moral fabric of its inhabitants. This translates in stark reality to the breakdown in family values and mores which, like the Trojan Horse, served to attack and conquer from within. The Empire therefore stood no chance. We today are faced with a similar situation. The entertainment world, with its increasingly debauched music and movies, coupled with strong negative peer pressure and declining respect are factors which our youth are battling against. We need to urgently mobilise and restore our children to a culture and climate of morality. This is to help them combat the deleterious attacks on their innocence and is imperative lest our memory lanes become future pathways of disaster. Lest our roadways become strewn with the casualties of an oppressive and diabolical force which work day and night to taint our vulnerable little ones. Strong families make strong communities. Strong communities contribute to better neighbourhoods. Better neighbourhoods create great countries and it goes a long way in making our existence on this planet an enjoyable one. If there is one resolution that you would like to make for the rapidly arriving 2026, may it be that we take care of our loved ones and be responsible citizens of this world so that our future memory lanes will be mostly pleasant roadways. Ravi Govender Image: File * Ravi Govender is a former POST sub-editor and Lotus FM radio presenter. He is a published author, a freelance editor and film producer in training. He can be contacted at: ravijohngovender@ ** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media. THE POST
New Statesman
14-07-2025
- Health
- New Statesman
Every child deserves access to vaccination
Image by Yan Krukau / PIXELS Disclaimer: MSD has funded and had editorial control over this article. Vaccination is one of the most effective public health interventions in human history – second only to clean water in preventing disease . In fact, childhood vaccinations alone prevent an estimated 3.5 to 5 million deaths globally each year. However, the impact goes further: protecting children early helps give them the best possible start in life, making vaccination an important way to tackle health inequalities. In a country where the government has pledged to put prevention at the heart of the NHS and break down barriers to opportunity, ensuring every child has equitable access to routine vaccination must be a national priority. Yet today, too many children are still being left behind. England's childhood vaccination coverage rates (VCRs) have been declining steadily since 2013/14, with the World Health Organization (WHO) target of 95 per cent coverage not met in any part of the childhood immunisation schedule. Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination – once the symbol of UK immunisation success – has fallen to its lowest level in 15 years, with coverage at age five reaching a new low in 2023/24. This is not an abstract risk. In 2024 alone, there were 2,911 confirmed measles cases in England – the highest annual total since 2012. The UK briefly regained its WHO measles elimination status during the Covid-19 pandemic, but with case numbers now rising sharply, that status is at serious risk and, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), it is unlikely to be sustained. Beneath these national figures lie deeper, structural inequalities. Coverage is not just falling – it is falling unequally. London consistently reports the lowest childhood vaccination rates, and has been the epicentre of recent measles outbreaks. In 2024, research found that socioeconomic inequalities in coverage are widening across the childhood immunisation schedule. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe The introduction of maternal vaccination against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) has shown similar patterns, with women from black ethnic groups appearing to be particularly underserved, echoing longstanding disparities seen in maternal pertussis vaccination coverage. This puts babies' health at risk from the very beginning of life. These gaps persist as children grow into adolescence, with variation across regions and demographics observed in meningococcal and human papillomavirus vaccination. These are not isolated issues. They are symptomatic of a system that has not fully adapted to meet the needs of all its communities. So what now? To achieve the high, equitable vaccination coverage rates needed to protect children from vaccine-preventable disease, programmes must meet the needs of all communities. The NHS Vaccination Strategy published in 2023 rightly proposed more joined-up and accessible provision, better tailored to population need. As the Government delivers a new 10-Year Health Plan and explores wider NHS structural reform, it has a timely opportunity to turn that ambition into action. First, the NHS must expand vaccination capacity across the system. Community pharmacy has underpinned Covid-19 and flu vaccination in recent years, and in parts of London, supported pneumococcal vaccination for older adults too. The pharmacy sector has shown appetite to take on a greater role in the delivery of routine adult vaccination – harnessing its trusted position in the heart of local communities to make vaccination more accessible and understandable, while freeing up GP time to focus on routine childhood appointments. But expanding capacity is only one piece of the puzzle. Vaccination services must be redesigned in partnership with local authorities, voluntary organisations and community leaders to reach those who are persistently underserved. That means understanding the local barriers to vaccination – from mistrust around vaccination to inconvenient appointment times and locations – and tackling them head-on with tailored, data-driven interventions. Second, we must address vaccination hesitancy and misinformation with fresh urgency and nuance, recognising that not all communities with low coverage are hesitant. For many, the challenge is one of information, communication and confidence. For example, in socially disadvantaged groups including ethnic minority populations and migrants, historic distrust in healthcare systems and lower health literacy have been identified as barriers to vaccination. We should learn from the Covid-19 pandemic, where community champions helped deliver trusted, culturally appropriate messages and built confidence in the vaccination offer. That model should be revived and embedded for routine childhood immunisations. Third, we must stay responsive to new evidence and be ready to act on innovation. When the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommends the introduction of new vaccination programmes, implementation must be timely, equitable, and adequately resourced. If the government is serious about a prevention-first NHS, recovering childhood vaccination must be a top priority. This is not just about preventing disease today. It is about building the health, resilience and opportunity of tomorrow. As MSD's UK Public Health Lead, I hear from local system leaders, clinicians and community partners about the growing urgency to act and the frustration of knowing what works but not yet seeing it consistently delivered. For every child who misses out on vaccination, the cost is more than clinical – it is generational. Reversing the decline in childhood vaccination is not just a public health imperative, but a test of our commitment to a fairer, prevention-first NHS. With reform on the horizon, now is the moment to act: to understand the factors driving variation, to evolve service provision accordingly, and ensure every child gets the protection they deserve. Footnotes Job bag: GB-NON-11624 Date of preparation: July 2025 Related
IOL News
28-05-2025
- General
- IOL News
Women-headed households surge in South Africa, Stats SA reveals
Statistics South Africa has revealed that 42.4% of households are headed by women. Image: Yan Krukau / Pexels More than two-fifths (42.4%) of households in South Africa were headed by women in 2024, Statistics South Africa's (Stats SA) general household survey has revealed. This is amid the persistent gender pay gap and the rise in the unemployment rate in the country. According to the latest World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report, South African women are paid between 23% and 35% less than men. According to the survey, the situation was most common in rural areas, particularly in the Eastern Cape (48.8%) and KwaZulu-Natal (46.8%). Women-headed households were least common in Gauteng (37.3%). 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 Next Stay Close ✕ The household survey, which provides a snapshot of progress achieved in basic government services and identifies persistent service delivery gaps, was released on Tuesday. 'Families and households are profoundly important to the developmental, emotional, and cognitive growth of children, and parents and/or caregivers can play a central role in the development of children,' said Stats SA. The report found that a third (31.4%) of children lived with both parents, while 45.5% lived with only their mothers. More than one-tenth (11.7%) were orphaned, having lost one or both parents. Almost one-fifth (18.8%) of children lived with neither of their biological parents. More than one-quarter (26.9%) of households consisted of a single person, while 39.4% were nuclear households comprising parents and children. The skip generation households, in which grandparents lived with grandchildren, comprised 4.2% of all households. 'The latter was most common in the Eastern Cape (7.7%) and Limpopo (6.9%),' read the report. According to Stats SA, the number of individuals receiving social grants increased from 12.8% in 2003 to 30.9% in 2019. The number surged to 40.1% in 2024 due to the introduction of the special Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD). 'Compared to 2019, a much higher percentage of youth received grants in 2024 after the age of 18 due to the introduction of SRD.' The percentage of households that considered social grants as the main source of income increased steadily from 21.3% in 2009 to 28.8% in 2020, before falling back to 23.8% in 2024. Grants were particularly important as a main source of income for households in the Eastern Cape (38.9%), Northern Cape (34.4%), and Limpopo (33.8%). In terms of medical aid access, approximately three out of 20 South Africans had access to a medical aid scheme in 2024. Coverage slightly declined from 15.9% in 2002 to 15.5% in 2024. The highest coverage rates were in Western Cape (25.4%) and Gauteng (21.3%), while the lowest were in Limpopo (10.0%) and KwaZulu-Natal (10.2%). The survey shows that the percentage of households that lived in formal dwellings increased from 73.5% in 2002 to 84.1% in 2024. Nationally, three-fifths (60.1%) of households owned the dwelling they lived in. A further 25.1% rented their dwellings. Between 2002 and 2024, the percentage of households with access to piped or tap water in their dwellings, off-site or on-site, increased by 3.3 percentage points to 87.7%. Households with access to piped water in their dwellings increased from 40.4% to 46.4%. Access to improved sanitation, flush toilets, and pit toilets with ventilation pipes increased from 61.7% in 2002 to 83.1% in 2024. Approximately two-thirds (66.7%) of households used flush toilets (up from 57.3% in 2002), while 16.3% used pit toilets with ventilation pipes (up from 4.4% in 2002). Less than one percent of households did not have access to any form of sanitation. While 46.2% of toilet facilities were located in the dwelling, 49.9% were located in the yard. Cape Times
IOL News
28-05-2025
- General
- IOL News
Surge in women-headed households in South Africa amid economic challenges
Statistics South Africa has revealed that 42.4% of households are headed by women. Image: Yan Krukau / Pexels Amid the persistent gender pay gap and the rise in unemployment in the country, more than two-fifths (42.4%) of households in South Africa were headed by women in 2024, Statistics South Africa's (Stats SA) general household survey has shown. According to the latest World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report, South African women are paid between 23% and 35% less than men. According to the survey, the situation was most common in rural areas, particularly in the Eastern Cape (48.8%) and KwaZulu-Natal (46.8%). Women-headed households were least common in Gauteng (37.3%). The household survey, which provides a snapshot of progress achieved in basic government services and identifies persistent service delivery gaps, was released on Tuesday. It found that a third (31.4%) of children lived with both parents, while 45.5% lived with only their mothers. More than one-tenth (11.7%) were orphaned, having lost one or both parents. Almost one-fifth (18.8%) of children lived with neither of their biological parents. More than one-quarter (26.9%) of households consisted of a single person, while 39.4% were nuclear households comprising parents and children. The skip generation households, in which grandparents lived with grandchildren, comprised 4.2% of all households. 'The latter was most common in the Eastern Cape (7.7%) and Limpopo (6.9%),' read the report. 'Families and households are profoundly important to the developmental, emotional, and cognitive growth of children, and parents and/or caregivers can play a central role in the development of children." The unemployment rate currently stands at 32.9%, and this could push many South Africans towards social grants. According to Stats SA, the number of individuals receiving social grants increased from 12.8% in 2003 to 30.9% in 2019. The number surged to 40.1% in 2024 due to the introduction of the special Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD). 'Compared to 2019, a much higher percentage of youth received grants in 2024 after the age of 18 due to the introduction of SRD.' The percentage of households that considered social grants as the main source of income increased steadily from 21.3% in 2009 to 28.8% in 2020, before falling back to 23.8% in 2024. Grants were particularly important as a main source of income for households in the Eastern Cape (38.9%), Northern Cape (34.4%), and Limpopo (33.8%). In terms of medical aid access, approximately three out of 20 South Africans had access to a medical aid scheme in 2024. Coverage slightly declined from 15.9% in 2002 to 15.5% in 2024. The highest coverage rates were in Western Cape (25.4%) and Gauteng (21.3%), while the lowest were in Limpopo (10.0%) and KwaZulu-Natal (10.2%). Cape Argus
IOL News
27-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- IOL News
Women-headed households surge in South Africa, reveals Stats SA survey
Statistics South Africa has revealed that 42.4% of households are headed by women. Image: Yan Krukau / Pexels More than two-fifths (42.4%) of households in South Africa were headed by women in 2024, Statistics South Africa's (Stats SA) general household survey has revealed. This is amid the persistent gender pay gap and the rise in the unemployment rate in the country. According to the latest World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report, South African women are paid between 23% and 35% less than men. According to the survey, the situation was most common in rural areas, particularly in the Eastern Cape (48.8%) and KwaZulu-Natal (46.8%). Women-headed households were least common in Gauteng (37.3%). 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 ✕ The household survey, which provides a snapshot of progress achieved in basic government services and identifies persistent service delivery gaps, was released on Tuesday. 'Families and households are profoundly important to the developmental, emotional, and cognitive growth of children, and parents and/or caregivers can play a central role in the development of children,' said Stats SA. The report found that a third (31.4%) of children lived with both parents, while 45.5% lived with only their mothers. More than one-tenth (11.7%) were orphaned, having lost one or both parents. Almost one-fifth (18.8%) of children lived with neither of their biological parents. More than one-quarter (26.9%) of households consisted of a single person, while 39.4% were nuclear households comprising parents and children. The skip generation households, in which grandparents lived with grandchildren, comprised 4.2% of all households. 'The latter was most common in the Eastern Cape (7.7%) and Limpopo (6.9%),' read the report. The unemployment rate currently stands at 32.9%, and this could push many South Africans towards social grants. According to Stats SA, the number of individuals receiving social grants increased from 12.8% in 2003 to 30.9% in 2019. The number surged to 40.1% in 2024 due to the introduction of the special Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD). 'Compared to 2019, a much higher percentage of youth received grants in 2024 after the age of 18 due to the introduction of SRD.' The percentage of households that considered social grants as the main source of income increased steadily from 21.3% in 2009 to 28.8% in 2020, before falling back to 23.8% in 2024. Grants were particularly important as a main source of income for households in the Eastern Cape (38.9%), Northern Cape (34.4%), and Limpopo (33.8%). In terms of medical aid access, approximately three out of 20 South Africans had access to a medical aid scheme in 2024. Coverage slightly declined from 15.9% in 2002 to 15.5% in 2024. The highest coverage rates were in Western Cape (25.4%) and Gauteng (21.3%), while the lowest were in Limpopo (10.0%) and KwaZulu-Natal (10.2%). The survey shows that the percentage of households that lived in formal dwellings increased from 73.5% in 2002 to 84.1% in 2024. Nationally, three-fifths (60.1%) of households owned the dwelling they lived in. A further 25.1% rented their dwellings. Between 2002 and 2024, the percentage of households with access to piped or tap water in their dwellings, off-site or on-site, increased by 3.3 percentage points to 87.7%. Households with access to piped water in their dwellings increased from 40.4% to 46.4%. The percentage of households with access to municipal water increased from 78.4% in 2004 to 79.8% in 2024, an increase of 6.3 million households. Access to improved sanitation, flush toilets, and pit toilets with ventilation pipes increased from 61.7% in 2002 to 83.1% in 2024. The largest increases were observed in the Eastern Cape (56.5%), Limpopo (35.3%), and KwaZulu-Natal (26.9%). Approximately two-thirds (66.7%) of households used flush toilets (up from 57.3% in 2002), while 16.3% used pit toilets with ventilation pipes (up from 4.4% in 2002). Less than one percent of households did not have access to any form of sanitation. While 46.2% of toilet facilities were located in the dwelling, 49.9% were located in the yard.
