Type 2 inflammation – making the connection between atopic, allergic, and inflammatory diseases
Allergic diseases are increasingly becoming a global epidemic. Systemic type 2 inflammation is emerging as a unifying feature of both classically defined allergic diseases such as asthma, atopic dermatitis, and allergic rhinitis, as well as a diverse range of diseases with less clear aetiologies, including chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, eosinophilic oesophagitis and aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease.
Preventative care model gains momentum as training goes online
Healthcare professionals throughout Africa are now able to receive online training in Brief Behavioural Change Counselling (BBCC), which equips them with the necessary skills to proactively help patients modify their lifestyles in order to reduce the risk of chronic disease. The course material is funded by Pharma Dynamics and has been developed by top researchers from Stellenbosch University and the Chronic Disease Initiative for Africa.
Better healthcare supply chains are in the hands of the youth
It is estimated that half of the world’s population of more than seven billion people is under the age of 30. They are today and tomorrow’s entrepreneurs, innovators, workers and leaders. According to SAPICS (The Professional Body for Supply Chain Management), young people have the power to improve the health outcomes of their communities and countries, and cultivating a pipeline of young talent in public and private healthcare supply chains is a global imperative.
Natural intimate care for daily freshness and confidence – with Betadine™
Natural intimate care for daily freshness and confidence – with Betadine™ To feel fresh and clean from top to toe is high on most women’s daily ‘what I want’ lists, but sometimes – when the weather is hot and humid and the day is busy and demanding – it’s not...
Jump feet first into summer with no nail-shaming
The first steps of open-toed freedom into the warm weather across South Africa need not be shaming for fingers and toes that have spent too long under the covers of lockdown and winter. Betadine™ Emtrix™ Fungal Nail Solution has just come into SA. This product is clinically proven to improve nail appearance in one week – and it’s the number one nail solution in the USA, Sweden and Taiwan.
First DuoCap probiotic launches in South Africa
The first probiotic in South Africa to utilise DuoCap technology – ProbitecTM – was launched this month (October 2020) by Simondium-based pharmaceutical company, Evexia Pharma.
Good news for skin cancer patients in Gauteng
Icon Oncology is growing its treatment capacity through continued infrastructure upgrades and investment in 2020. The latest addition to its stable of 28 radiotherapy units includes two new orthovoltage superficial x-ray machines which were recently commissioned at two of the company’s units in Gauteng.
The Next Generation of Brave: Meet Luvo Ntayiya, a pharmacy student from the Eastern Cape at Nelson Mandela University
The Next Generation of Brave: Meet Luvo Ntayiya, a pharmacy student from the Eastern Cape at Nelson Mandela University. This Pharmacy student wants to be the change he has always desired.
Innovative treatment for chronic wounds using an autologous whole blood clot
For people living with chronic wounds, finding a treatment that is both efficient and non-invasive can be challenging. RedDress, a privately held, American based company, has introduced the first wound treatment that transforms a patient’s blood into an autologous whole blood clot tissue to supply the wound with sufficient blood to heal. One Eight Innovation is introducing the treatment to South Africans, and so far, it has already saved four patients’ limbs from amputation.
To gargle or not to gargle? What a question!
Gargling should be a daily habit – for many and varied reasons, and there is a mouthful of scientific evidence to prove why. But the topic is fraught with dental dilemmas… To brush or to gargle? How frequently to gargle? What to gargle with? How long to gargle for? And, most importantly, can a mouthwash help in the fight against COVID-19? Betadine®, the household name that has been used as an effective antiseptic since 1955, helps to shed some light on the topic.
Advances in UV technology for disinfection
Ideco Biometrics is setting new standards for disinfecting biometric sensors by using ultraviolet technologies to destroy most known viruses and bacteria.
Parents urged to vaccinate children before 2021 school year
As the race to find a vaccine against the Coronavirus speeds up, the pandemic has shown the importance of vaccines in keeping us safe. Yet South Africa’s child vaccination rate has dropped: worryingly, in SA, statistics from the Department of Health (DOH) show that immunisation coverage in April dropped to 61% in 2020, down from 82% in 2019. The rate for measles decreased further to 55%. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends the immunisation coverage for countries to be 95%. Does this put our children’s health at risk, especially as more children go back to the classroom? Dr Iqbal Karbanee, CEO of Paed-IQBabyLine, discusses this issue.
Health checks and treatment should be addressed even during COVID-19
Around the world, many people are choosing to delay treatment for serious and chronic ailments because they are worried about being exposed to COVID-19 in healthcare settings.
Hospitals and general practitioners in some parts of Australia estimated a 50% drop in attendance during the first few months after the pandemic emerged. Although there are no concrete figures, anecdotal evidence collected by members of the Hospital Association of South Africa (HASA) suggests that this worrying trend is also playing out in South Africa’s private clinical settings.
Health check on COVID-19 Healthcare Regulations in South Africa
Numerous legal and regulatory measures have been introduced to address the impact of COVID-19. Although the measures affect all industries, many of them are applicable specifically to the healthcare and life sciences sectors. Lawyers from Baker McKenzie in Johannesburg outline some of the key measures introduced in South Africa since the pandemic began.
The Next Generation of Brave: PhD student Veneshley Samuels aims to combat infectious disease in South Africa
Veneshley Samuels has been nominated for Adcock Ingram OTC’s ‘Sponsors of Brave: The Next Generation’, a platform to aid healthcare students financially in their studies, provide them with impactful mentorship from academic, professional and industry leaders and subsequently promote career development in the healthcare sector.