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News24
11-06-2025
- Health
- News24
Motsoaledi's big HIV treatment jump: Is it true?
@GovernmentZA/X formerly Twitter Last month, the health minister said that more than half a million previously diagnosed people with HIV have been started on treatment since the end of February. But can it really be, especially since the gap to getting 95% of people diagnosed with HIV on medication has been hovering around 1-million for the past five years? Critics say they're sceptical about the minister's figures — and that the country will close the gap by December. Numbers are powerful. They can also be dangerous — if not used correctly. When the health minister said last month that 520 700 extra people previously diagnosed with HIV had been started on treatment since the end of February, the number sounded astounding. The health department's goal is to find 1.1-million people who know they have HIV, but either never started treatment, or fell out of treatment, before the end of the year. In his words, the department has reached 'more than 50% of the target' they set out to achieve by the end of the year. If that gap is closed, South Africa would have met two of the three so-called 95-95-95 goals the country signed up for as part of the United Nations plan to end Aids as a public health threat by 2030. However, knowing by exactly how much the gap is closing is tricky, because people who know they have HIV may start and stop and then restart treatment again later — sometimes several times — during the course of their care. In fact, a study from the Western Cape shows that close to half of people on medication stop at least once, and that some even pause and then restart up to three times. So, many of the 520 700 previously diagnosed people Motsoaledi says are now on medication could, at least in theory, very well be people who are counted repeatedly as they cycle in and out of treatment. But because the patient information system isn't digitally centralised — most clinics still keep track of their clients on paper, which means different facilities can't easily access one another's records — someone who stops treatment at one clinic can easily be counted as a new start at another, rather than a restart. The set of UN targets aim for 95% of people in a country with HIV to know their diagnosis, 95% of those to be on treatment and 95% of those taking medication to have such low levels of virus in their bodies that they can't infect someone through sex. 'The reason that we [were] able to reach half a million within a short space of time, was because of weekly check-in meetings with provinces, where reports that come from the ground are verified in the presence of all provincial colleagues before they are regarded as final figures for reporting,' said the minister. But simply counting better isn't the same as doing better, and critics called the reported progress 'inconceivable'. Why? Because for the last few years, the number of people with HIV who have gone on treatment has crept up very slowly, so much so that the gap to 95% has remained more or less the same for about five years. (At the moment just over 80% of people diagnosed with HIV are on treatment.)* Moreover, that was while treatment programmes had funding and US-backed money for HIV projects was in place. So now, at a time of funding shortfalls, programmes closing and the government scrambling to plug the holes, could nearly half of the number of people who need to get on treatment really have been added in just 10 weeks? We dive into the data to get a sense of what the numbers really mean. Mind the gap In 2021, South Africa was about 1.2 million people short of its 95%-treatment goal; by 2025 the shortfall will likely be 990 000. That means that the gap — that is, the difference between where the country actually is and where it wants to be when it comes to HIV treatment — has closed by about 210 000. Bhekisisa So, there's been progress, but it's been slow: in total, only about 700 000 more people are on HIV medication today than five years ago. 'Getting that last one million or so people on treatment is not simple,' says Kate Rees, public health specialist at the Anova Health Institute. Part of the reason for this, she says, is that a large proportion of the group needed to close the gap are people who have in fact been on ARVs before but have since stopped. Sometimes people miss an appointment to get a refill of their medicine because they can't afford to take time off work to go to the clinic or they might have moved to another province or district and so they don't go back to the facility where they first got their prescription, she explains. The longer the interruption lasts, the more hesitant people are to go back, says Rees, because they dread being treated poorly or getting 'kicked to the back of the queue' for having missed an appointment, with especially people like sex workers, trans folk or men who have sex with men facing judgement. Says Rees: 'The health service expects people to be very rigid with their appointments, but life just is not like that.' Slow progress To get a sense of the progress towards meeting the UN's second target in its 95-95-95 cascade, it's best to look at the difference in the total number of people on HIV treatment from year to year, says Leigh Johnson, one of the lead developers of the Thembisa model, which is used to report South Africa's official statistics to UNAids. Bhekisisa Although the number of people on medication is increasing, the number grows less and less each year. For example, in 2020, about 291 000 more people were on treatment than in 2019. By 2021, though, the number had grown only by about 225 000. Current forecasts from the model are that the total number of people on treatment will grow by only around 160 000 this year. But that's based on programmes running like they have up to now — and with recent upsets because of US funding cuts, it may be an unreasonable assumption, Johnson says. Part of the reason for the small net gain every year, is that although many people sign up for medication in a year, many also stop coming back to get their scripts refilled. Of those who drop out of treatment, some might choose to restart within a couple of months again, while others may pause their treatment for more than a year. Bhekisisa In 2023, for example, roughly 793 500 people who had been on treatment before weren't any longer, but about 728 000 who received medication were restarters, Thembisa numbers show. Bhekisisa So even though some people who stop taking their medication might not restart — or restart quickly — the total number who are on treatment still grows; it's just slow-going. This means getting a handle on how close to — or far from — the 95%-treatment mark South Africa is, is more dynamic than simple addition. Stops, starts and restarts 'There will always be people who interrupt their treatment,' says Rees. 'It's not possible to keep everyone perfectly in the system all the time — that's life.' But what's important, she says, is to make those pauses as short as possible by helping people to get back on medication quickly and easily — without judgement. Gesine Meyer-Rath agrees. She's a health economist at HE2RO, a health economics research group at the University of the Witwatersrand, and focuses on how the government can get the most bang for its buck in its HIV programme. Data in the Thembisa model shows that over the years, the number of people starting medication for the first time — in other words, those who have never been on treatment before — has shrunk, but at the same time counts of restarters have grown. Her group's analyses have shown that honing in on keeping people on HIV treatment is the best way to go — especially now that funding is shrinking — and that 'we can close the 1.1-million gap through improved retention alone'. But to plan sensibly, she explains, policymakers should know how many people are first-time starters, how many pause treatment but then restart, and how many stop and don't come back at all. 'The more detail programme planners have in the data, the better,' she says. 'The [government's] 'Close the Gap' campaign has a lot of good ideas, but having the right numbers of where the gap is that we want to close is crucial, as is keeping these numbers accurate as we progress.' This is exactly where things can become tricky in future if the holes left by the US funding cuts aren't plugged. Because of the US's aid withdrawal, about 40% of South Africa's HIV data capturers will likely have lost their jobs by September, Bhekisisa reported last month, and this means the information needed to shape where money has to be spent to make real progress in ending Aids as a public health threat over the next five years simply might not be available. Says Meyer-Rath: 'The less data we have, the more we're flying blind, which leaves space for bickering over the data that is still there.'
News24
11-06-2025
- Business
- News24
Green hydrogen opportunities key to unlocking economic growth: Ramokgopa
@GovernmentZA / X Ramokgopa highlighted green hydrogen as a key driver for South Africa's economic growth, addressing structural challenges in energy and logistics while creating downstream value from mineral resources like platinum and vanadium. He emphasised green hydrogen's dual role in decarbonising hard-to-electrify sectors, such as transport and heavy industry, while boosting energy security and supporting the mining sector's revival through demand for transition minerals. Ramokgopa stressed the importance of continental policy alignment to unlock Sub-Saharan Africa's renewable energy potential, which could attract greater global investment and foster industrial development. At the media launch of the Africa Green Hydrogen Summit on Tuesday, electricity and energy minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa emphasised that South Africa's future energy mix must be strategically aligned to solve economic challenges, with green hydrogen positioned as a central lever. Speaking at Isondo Precious Metals in the OR Tambo Special Economic Zone, Kempton Park, Ramokgopa said the country's energy problems are not simply technical but economic at their core. 'We are resolving an economic problem with energy manifestations,' he said. South Africa cannot grow if electricity is unreliable or unaffordable. Kgosientsho Ramokgopa Ramokgopa spoke candidly about how the government is treating the energy crisis as a matter of national importance. Drawing from his engineering background, he argued that solving the crisis requires a deep understanding of the root problem, namely, that South Africa's economy has stagnated due to structural constraints, primarily in logistics and energy. 'The structural constraint to the South African economy can be identified as twofold: inefficiencies in logistics and challenges related to the electricity deficit,' Ramokgopa said, echoing views previously raised by President Cyril Ramaphosa and Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana. As part of the state's plan to respond to these constraints, green hydrogen has emerged as a potential contributor to both energy diversification and economic development. Ramokgopa pointed to the dual importance of this emerging industry: on one hand, green hydrogen could help decarbonise sectors like transport and heavy industry; on the other, it opens doors for South Africa to beneficiate its mineral resources and create downstream value. Cabinet has already approved a Critical Minerals Strategy, led by Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe, aimed at identifying and leveraging minerals essential to the global energy transition. The strategy identifies minerals such as platinum, vanadium, manganese and rare earth elements that are critical to producing green hydrogen and associated technologies like fuel cells. Ramokgopa described the potential as a 'resurgence of the battery and fuel cell economy', which he believes could revitalise the mining sector's contribution to GDP and employment. Mining has contracted in recent years, but the demand for energy transition minerals offers a chance to reposition it. Kgosientsho Ramokgopa On the sidelines of the launch, Ramokgopa expanded on these themes in an interview. 'Green hydrogen is a big part of South Africa's growth story because it allows us to beneficiate our upstream endowments. Mining, particularly for minerals like platinum, has one of the highest employment absorption capacities,' he said. He added that green hydrogen supports not only the decarbonisation of electricity, which remains South Africa's largest source of emissions, but also transport, where traditional renewables like solar are less effective. 'Green hydrogen gives us diversification in energy sources and could play a role in sectors where electrification is difficult,' he said. However, Ramokgopa acknowledged that the current cost of green hydrogen remains prohibitive. 'The technology is still maturing, and we're not yet competitive, but over time we expect costs to come down.' He also noted the need for regional alignment across the continent. 'Sub-Saharan Africa has the potential to produce 60% of the world's renewable energy, but currently receives less than 1% of global investment. He said that the summit, taking place 12-13 June at the Century City Conference Centre & Hotel, is about aligning policies and coordination to change that.
The Citizen
08-06-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Watch: Comrades glory as Dijana makes it 3, Steyn 4
Tete Dijana has again won the men's Comrades Marathon, while multiple title holder Gerda Steyn took the women's title. Steyn has once again proven she's in a league of her own, claiming her fourth title with unmatched strength, grace and determination. Russia's Alexandra Morozova finished second to win her sixth gold medal. Shelmisth Muriuki became the first Kenyan woman to finish on the Comrades podium, placing third. Dijana crossed the finish line in a time of 05:25:28, seconds ahead of 'Flying Dutchman' Piet Wiersma, who won the race last year. Russian runner Nikolai Volkov came third. This is Dijana's third win. He triumphed in 2022 and 2023, but finished 14th last year. No DNA, ke RSA 🇿🇦 Her name is Gerda Steyn!!! 🇿🇦💪🏽 🔥FOUR-TIME Comrades Marathon winner! 🔥⁰ Gerda has once again proven she's in a league of her own, claiming her 4th title with unmatched strength, grace, and determination. 🥇🏆 Halala Gerda, Halala!🏃🏼♀️#ComradesMarathon2025… — South African Government (@GovernmentZA) June 8, 2025 Congratulatory posts for the winners are flooding social media: The Queen of the Comrades Marathon, the people's champion, Gerda Steyn did it in style at People's Park when she won the Comrades Marathon today. Steyn made herself a new piece of history when she became the first South African woman to win the Comrades Marathon four times. In… — The Witness (@WitnessKZN) June 8, 2025 'I just run on wings' Here's your 2025 Women's Comrades Marathon winner, Gerda Steyn. She was ecstatic to get a roar from Caster Semenya #ComradesMarathon @gerdarun @MightyCaster @ComradesRace — 𝙵𝚊𝚒𝚣𝚎𝚕 𝙿𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚕 ⚡️ (@FaizelPatel143) June 8, 2025 Sure @Vee41449940 remember our discussion regarding comrades marathon . Look at Tete holding a caduceus, two snakes entwined around a winged staff is itself a pagan symbol. It is a symbol of the Greek god Hermes. This cant be a coincidence 😭 #ComradesMarathon2025 — ReconcileWithGod (@Mickzo) June 8, 2025
News24
05-06-2025
- General
- News24
Health Funders Association launches legal bid to set aside NHI Act
(@GovernmentZA/X) Be among those who shape the future with knowledge. Uncover exclusive stories that captivate your mind and heart with our FREE 14-day subscription trial. Dive into a world of inspiration, learning, and empowerment. You can only trial once. Show Comments ()
Eyewitness News
21-05-2025
- Business
- Eyewitness News
Mantashe says deal on SA minerals unlikely to be on the table as Ramaphosa meets Trump
Nokukhanya Mntambo 21 May 2025 | 6:45 Gwede Mantashe Cyril Ramaphosa Donald Trump Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, Gwede Mantashe. Picture: @GovernmentZA/X JOHANNESBURG - Minerals and Petroleum Resources Minister, Gwede Mantashe, said a deal on the country's critical minerals is unlikely to be on the table at the Oval Office when President Cyril Ramaphosa meets with his United States (US) counterpart, Donald Trump. Mantashe, who is also the acting president in Ramaphosa's absence, briefed the media on the Critical Minerals and Metals Strategy in Cape Town on Tuesday. This is part of what the government says is a broader tactic to tighten the policy framework for the critical minerals sector and streamline regulations. Africa is said to hold 30% of the world's critical mineral reserves, such as manganese, graphite, nickel, lithium and copper. The US relies on South African metals and minerals that are essential for its economy and national security, making metals and minerals the biggest South African exports to the US. According to the Institute for Global Dialogue, in 2021, platinum group metals were almost half of South Africa's exports to the US, and nearly 100% of the US's global chromium supply. When Trump slapped the world with higher import tariffs, he put gold, platinum group metals, copper, and zinc on a list of exemptions. Some economists said SA's minerals could be the Trump card the country needs at the negotiating table when diplomats talk trade and race policies in Washington. But Mantashe said otherwise. 'I would imagine that the US would try to put the issue of minerals on the table, but I doubt if the South African delegation will commit South Africa on its minerals. They may have issues, but that will have to come back for a discussion in the country. 'Any decision on that front will have to involve us, it will have to involve the Mineral Council, labour, and then we can make proposals. But our emphasis remains, our critical minerals must be enriched close to the place of production and that delegation in the US understands that fully,' added Mantashe. That aside, there are also semantics involved with calls for a new definition on critical minerals - one that differentiates between what is genuinely vital to a country, and what is just something of importance. ALSO READ:
