2012 Cancer.vive tour to spread hope and awareness

The 2012 Cancer.vive tour, to take place between 22 and 29 September, will see 50 people, including 25 cancer survivors taking to the open road on motorcycles to spread a message of hope and awareness. Read more >>

Get on Board campaign raises R3.8 million

On Friday 7 September 2012, people around South Africa dressed up for Casual Day, the biggest fundraising project and drive for support for persons with disabilities in South Africa. Schools, companies and individuals from across the country revealed their inner sailors, captains, mermaids and pirates. Read more >>

Survey reveals impact of hay fever on quality of life

A large-scale South African survey conducted by Pharma Dynamics aimed to assess the extent to which nasal allergies impact on key aspects of life, including mood, romance, work productivity and relationships. Read more >>

World Lymphoma Awareness Day

Saturday, 15 September 2012, marks the 9th anniversary of World Lymphoma Awareness Day. This initiative was originally started by the global Lymphoma Coalition, and aspires to bring together all concerned healthcare professionals, patients and caretakers in a joint effort to inform the public about the early warning signs and symptoms of lymphoma. Read more >>

Departments not under-spending says Motsoaledi

Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has denied reports that provincial health departments failed to spend their budgets on much-needed infrastructure, saying the under-spending was 18 months ago. Read more >>

Neuropsychiatric unit opened in Tara Hospital

The Lufuno Neuropsychiatric Centre has officially been launched in Johannesburg's Tara Hospital to widen the range of care given to patients at the facility in a society that experts say is facing an increasing burden of mental stress and the innate psychological impact associated with it. Read more >>

Liberty Medical Scheme launches Prestige option

Liberty Medical Scheme (LMS) has introduced a new, top-end option this month which offers members a range of benefits and services, ensuring that the scheme continues to cater for all its members at every life stage. This brings the number of options available to LMS members to 11. Read more >>

Protecting genes, one molecule at a time

An international team of scientists have shown at an unprecedented level of detail how cells prioritise the repair of genes containing potentially dangerous damage. The research, published in the journal Nature and involving academics from the University of Bristol, the Institut Jacques-Monod in France and Rockefeller University in the US, studied the action of individual molecules in order to understand how cellular repair pathways are triggered. Read more >>

Research in the news: Genetics of autism being revealed at rapid speed, Yale researchers say

[Bill Hathaway] The rapid evolution of DNA sequencing technology has enabled scientists to identify multiple genes contributing to both autism and schizophrenia. Read more >>

Train to be a cancer 'buddy'

Registration has opened for the introductory Cancer Buddy training course in Johannesburg on 27 and 28 October 2012. It will be run by CanSurvive Cancer Support Groups and People Living With Cancer (PLWC) in Parktown. Read more >>

SA Marketing Code of Practice to guide pharmaceutical industry

The healthcare industry on Wednesday, 12 September, welcomed the formalisation of the Marketing Code Authority (MCA), which will oversee the South African Marketing Code of Practice, at the Authority's first annual general meeting. Lauded internationally for achieving collaboration and participation of all industry participants - including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, laboratory and diagnostics and animal health products - the code serves as an important step towards guiding the ethics of the local healthcare industry. Read more >>

Why women need to heed the hearty signs

[Graham Anderson] Heart disease has become known as the single largest cause of mortality among woman, accounting for 25% of all female deaths worldwide. Read more >>

The best strategy to defeat HIV in South Africa

UCLA study challenges World Health Organisation's approach. The World Health Organisation is about to roll out a new strategy for AIDS prevention in South Africa, a country where more than 5 million people are infected with HIV. Based on a mathematical model, the WHO predicts this strategy will completely eliminate HIV in South Africa within a decade, writes UCLA's Mark Wheeler. Read more >>