Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism

Take on the Bhekisisa crossword and test your knowledge of South Africa’s healthcare landscape. bhekisisa.org/bhekisisa-cr...

Living through a flood leaves mental scars that can last for years. Find out more about the data from a study in four African countries in today’s #BhekisisaInYourInbox. mailchi.mp/bhekisisa.or...

Floods are bad for young people’s mental health — and they may carry the scars for long. Here’s what the data from a study in four African countries shows. #globalwarming bhekisisa.org/health-news-...

A new study from four African countries shows that without being exposed to a flood, 25% fewer people would have had mental health issues. Read more. #ClimateChange bhekisisa.org/health-news-...

Drowning in feelings of despair, fear or impending dread? That’s how a flood can make people feel — even years later. Here’s more about the link between floods and mental health in Africa. bhekisisa.org/health-news-...

SPONSORED CONTENT: Find out how Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is including care for the caregivers of malnourished children. #MentalHealthAwareness bhekisisa.org/advertorials...

“A powerful investigation into American bureaucracy, how it wastes our time and drives inequality, and how we can make paperwork work for us.” Find out more in Jessica Pitchford’s pick for the latest #BhekisisaInYourInbox. mailchi.mp/bhekisisa.or...

SPONSORED CONTENT: Malnourished children are not the only ones who need care – their caregivers need support too. Find out how Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is doing this in Nigeria. #MentalHealthAwareness bhekisisa.org/advertorials...

What’s happening with black market weight-loss drugs in SA? Linda Nordling breaks it down in the latest newsletter. #BhekisisaInYourInbox mailchi.mp/bhekisisa.or...

When does a pharmacy stop making medicines for individual patients and start operating like a drug factory? That's one of the questions at the heart of SA's illegal weight-loss jab trade. And regulators say some pharmacies have crossed the line. bhekisisa.org/health-news-...

SPONSORED CONTENT: Caregivers of malnourished children must endure weeks of anxiety, separation from their families, and the fear of losing a child. We must care for the caregivers. Find out more. #MentalHealthAwareness bhekisisa.org/advertorials...

A weight-loss jab that hasn't been approved for sale anywhere in the world is being sold openly in SA. It's called #retatrutide, and it's still being tested in clinical trials. Yet some doctors are already selling it to patients. Here's what we found. bhekisisa.org/health-news-...

SA regulators won a court battle against a Tshwane pharmacy making its own versions of Ozempic. But illegal weight-loss injections are still being sold, and new rules to crack down on the trade are months away. Why is SA struggling to stop it? bhekisisa.org/health-news-...

Health journalism doesn't have to be all headlines. Take a break with the Bhekisisa crossword and see how much you remember about South Africa's health system, policies and the people shaping the conversation. bhekisisa.org/bhekisisa-cr...

In the latest #BhekisisaInYourInbox: a first LEN jab doesn't tell us whether South Africa's roll-out is working. The real test comes six months later. Health Systems Trust's Ntombi Sigwebela breaks it down. mailchi.mp/bhekisisa.or...

SPONSORED CONTENT: Malnourished children are not the only ones who need care – their caregivers need support too. Find out how Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is doing this in Nigeria. #MentalHealthAwareness bhekisisa.org/advertorials...

What happens if you get your #LEN jab at one clinic — but you're somewhere else when your next dose is due? SA's digital system that connects participating LEN clinics outside the Western Cape let's health practitioners know. Here's how it works bhekisisa.org/opinion/2026...

💉 Getting your first #LEN jab is one thing. Coming back six months later for another is another. How will SA know whether people keep using the twice-yearly HIV prevention jab? The answer lies in the roll-out data, says Health Systems Trust's Ntombi Sigwebela. bhekisisa.org/opinion/2026...

A dashboard is only as good as the data underneath it. SA's #LEN system can help answer a far more important question than how many people got their first jab: Did they come back for the next #HIVPrevention jab six months later? #PrEP #lenacapavir bhekisisa.org/opinion/2026...

'No one will want to come help you, it becomes your own burden.' Caregivers of people with #SevereMentalIllness say the work is rarely shared equally in families. Here’s how they get by. bhekisisa.org/opinion/2026...

About one in 300 South Africans has #schizophrenia. Research usually focuses on them. This study asked people who care for family members with #SevereMentallIlness how their lives are affected. #Caregivers bhekisisa.org/opinion/2026...

'When do I live?' A 32-year-old man in the Eastern Cape asked researchers, describing what it takes to care for his brother, who has #schizophrenia. Read about the study that explored how caregivers of those with #SevereMentalIllness cope. bhekisisa.org/opinion/2026...

In the latest #BhekisisaInYourInbox: What does climate change have to do with #HIV? More than you might think. Ida Jooste breaks it down. mailchi.mp/bhekisisa.or...

📈 In a worst-case warming scenario, 25–37% more people in sub-Saharan Africa could be living with #HIV by 2050 than would otherwise have been expected. Why? The answer isn’t about what climate does to the virus. It’s about what it does to people and health systems. 🔗 bhekisisa.org/article/2026...

🌍#ClimateChange doesn’t make #HIV more infectious. But floods, droughts and extreme heat can make it harder to get to a clinic, collect HIV treatment or access prevention services. Here are 7 connections journalists should know. 🔗 bhekisisa.org/article/2026...

🌧️ What does a flood have to do with #HIV? It can wash away medication, destroy roads, close clinics and separate people from the records they need to get treatment. #ClimateChange is an HIV story. Here’s how journalists can report it. 🔗 bhekisisa.org/article/2026...

Scientists predicted ‘Friday 13 November 2026’ will be ‘doomsday.’ Should you be worried? Read more in today’s #BhekisisaInYourInbox. tinyurl.com/bhekisisa7oc...

In today’s newsletter, Refiloe Motaung from the Wits Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office explains why LEN won’t sell itself. Find out more. #BhekisisaInYourInbox tinyurl.com/bhekisisa7oc... Not subscribed to our newsletter? Sign up here: tinyurl.com/bhekisisanew...

Another important read by @bhekisisa.org, bhekisisa.org/opinion/2026.... "South Africa helped prove that #LEN works. The next question is whether we can make it affordable and widely available, while also strengthening our ability to make medicines in Africa." #PrEP #HIV #lenacapavir

Researchers from the Africa Health Research Institute studying climate change in four African countries have found that flooding accounts for a quarter of all mental disorders. #HealthBeat finds out how they’re helping to rebuild the minds of survivors. bhekisisa.org/bhekisisa-tv...

Ready to put your health knowledge to the test? Our crossword is packed with clues inspired by Bhekisisa’s reporting, data and policy stories. Answers on our website. bhekisisa.org/bhekisisa-cr...

When climate disasters follow you home and invade your sleep. More in today’s #BhekisisaInYourInbox. mailchi.mp/bhekisisa.or...

Health Beat explores how rising heat is disrupting sleep in Khayelitsha, and how simple home improvements can mean a better night’s rest. #TooHotToSleep #HeatwaveSleep #HotSummerNights #SummerInsomnia #SleepStruggles #SweatingInBed bhekisisa.org/bhekisisa-tv...

How do floods, cyclones and drought affect mental health, and what are researchers learning about helping people recover? Watch #HealthBeat: youtu.be/ZQtE0Wq6_oE?... #COP31 #ClimateAction #ClimateChange #ClimatePolicy

What happens when your home stays hot all night? Temperatures inside some informal homes can reach 30°C — disrupting sleep. Now University of Cape Town researchers are testing surprisingly simple solutions. More on #HealthBeat with @miamalan.bsky.social: youtu.be/ZQtE0Wq6_oE?...

The Africa Health Research Institute researchers studying climate change in 4 African countries have found that flooding accounts for a quarter of all mental disorders. Find out how they’re helping to rebuild the minds of survivors on #HealthBeat later today at 2.30pm on eNCA, channel #DStv403.

From the trauma left by floods to the sleepless nights caused by heat, #HealthBeat with @miamalan.bsky.social finds out what researchers are learning about helping people recover from the health costs of floods and weather disasters. That’s on Sunday at 2.30pm on eNCA, channel #DStv403.

What happens when your home stays hot all night? Temperatures inside some informal homes can reach 30°C — disrupting sleep. Now UCT researchers are testing surprisingly simple solutions. More on Bhekisisa's #HealthBeat with @miamalan.bsky.social on Sunday at 2.30pm on eNCA, channel #DStv403.

The Africa Health Research Institute researchers studying climate change in four African countries have found that flooding accounts for a quarter of all mental disorders. Find out how they’re helping to rebuild the minds of survivors on #HealthBeat, Sunday at 2.30pm on eNCA.

How do floods, cyclones and drought affect mental health, and what are researchers learning about helping people recover? Watch HealthBeat with @miamalan.bsky.social on Sunday at 2.30pm on eNCA, channel #DStv403.

Would African-made #LEN cost more? Possibly, especially at first. But if African countries combine their orders and buy larger quantities, locally made LEN could become cheaper. The question isn’t only can we make it. It’s: who will buy it? bhekisisa.org/opinion/2026...

Here’s the problem with making #LEN in SA: A company can spend money preparing to manufacture it — only to discover there aren’t enough guaranteed buyers to make it affordable. Without enough demand, local production may simply cost too much. bhekisisa.org/opinion/2026...

Three SA manufacturers are in the running to make the #HIV prevention jab #LEN locally. But getting onto the shortlist is only the beginning. Here’s what has to happen next via Aurum Institute. bhekisisa.org/opinion/2026...

SA wants to make the six-monthly #HIV prevention jab, #LEN, locally. But there’s a catch: cheaper generics made elsewhere are expected from 2027. Should people have to wait for a home-grown jab? Our Aurum Institute op-ed explains why SA needs to do both. bhekisisa.org/opinion/2026...

“A spoonful of sugar: how South Africa’s weigh-and-pay shops are tackling ‘poverty tax’ head on.” Find out in @nicoleludolph.bsky.social’s pick for today’s #BhekisisaInYourInbox, from The Guardian. mailchi.mp/bhekisisa.or...

So what happens before a man becomes violent — and where can we intervene? South African Medical Research Council researchers explain why preventing #GBV means looking at the frightened boy who came before the violent man. mailchi.mp/bhekisisa.or...

Can you teach men to rethink masculinity, power and violence? Yes. Programmes using peer discussions and role-play have helped men question harmful ideas about being a man and reduce their use of violence. So why aren’t we reaching more men? bhekisisa.org/article/2026... #GBVF

Childhood abuse. Violence at home. Poverty. Harmful ideas about masculinity. None means a boy will grow up to hurt women. Most won’t. But the risks can pile up — and understanding them gives us more chances to prevent violence. bhekisisa.org/article/2026...

What happens before a man becomes violent? Sometimes the story starts years earlier — with a frightened boy who learns that men don’t cry, vulnerability is weakness and violence brings power. To prevent #GBV, we need to act earlier. bhekisisa.org/article/2026...

From public health breakthroughs to policy debates, the Bhekisisa crossword is a fun way to explore our archive and learn more about the stories — and people — behind our journalism. bhekisisa.org/bhekisisa-cr...