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The health department says the country still has has enough vaccines based on the number of active cases. (Photo by: NIH-NIAID/IMAGE POINT FR/BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Government says mpox is under control but cites Covid-19 pandemic in urging caution

President Cyril Ramaphosa said it was about the rapid spread of the disease across the continent, which reflected a ‘concerning shift in the epidemiological pattern’

Mpox has been declared a public health emergency by the ACDC. (Photo via Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)

South Africa’s health department urges vigilance as mpox is declared a continental public health emergency

The African Centres for Disease Control said so far in 2024, 13 countries had confirmed 2 863 cases and 517 deaths from the viral disease

A sign announcing monkeypox informations is setup in International Airport Treviso A. Canova, in Treviso, Italy, on November 30, 2022. (Photo by Manuel Romano/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Mpox outbreak: Five cases confirmed, one death reported in South Africa

The health department said it is investigating the local transmission of the disease after the infected patients were found to have no travel history

Data governance provides evidence-based decision-making that improves the quality of service delivery

Health department reports decrease in cholera cases

But the public has been warned to remain vigilant

South Africa has recorded its fifth case of monkeypox. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Fifth case of monkeypox confirmed in South Africa

The rising number of cases has become a cause for concern, says health minister

The Botswana Network on Ethics, Law and HIV/Aids says the crisis is not an isolated supply-chain issue but a ‘systemic failure’ that demands urgent government intervention

People living with HIV are at high risk of non-communicable diseases

Keeping them healthy necessitates an revolution in health systems and how they are financed, especially in poorer communities

A medical laboratory technician picks up from a fridge a reactive to test suspected monkeypox samples at the microbiology laboratory of La Paz Hospital on June 06, 2022 in Madrid, Spain. Europe is at the centre of the monkeypox virus outbreak, the World Health Organisation reported 780 confirmed cases with Britain, Spain and Portugal reporting the largest numbers of patients. (Photo by Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images)

First case of monkeypox confirmed in South Africa

Disease detected in a 30 year old male who had no history of travel, contact tracing underway to identify any additional linked cases

South Africa’s first paediatric vaccine trial participant received the first shot of the Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine
 (Photo by Darren Stewart/Gallo Images via Getty Images)

South African adolescent receives first shot in Sinovac trial

The youth is the first of 2 000 South African children taking part in the global trial to test the CoronaVac vaccine

Hospital admissions in Africa have increased by 67% during the period but the bed occupancy rate for intensive care units remains low at 7.5%, with 14% of the patients receiving supplemental oxygen. (Photo by Sergei SavostyanovTASS via Getty Images)

Data shows there’s a higher risk of landing up in ICU or dying if you’re not vaccinated

The effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines is becoming clear from the difference in the number of people admitted to hospital between those who have received at least one vaccine…

Since mid-July, the number of vaccines administered has consistently hit more than 200 000 jabs a day. By 31 August more than 12-million jabs had been administered. (Photo by LUCA SOLA / AFP)

What we know about the C.1.2 Covid variant, so far

Experts studying the new variant, C.1.2, are surprised by its substantial mutations but are confident current vaccines will be effective against it

Experts surprised by C.1.2 mutations but say it might not be different from other variants. (Photo by Morris MacMatzen/Getty Images)

No need to panic over new Covid-19 variant C.1.2

Experts studying the new variant are surprised by its substantial and unexpected mutations but are confident that current vaccines will be effective against it

Research also shows that violent conflict drops by up to 37% when girls and boys have equal access to education. (Photo by Matthias Balk/picture alliance via Getty Images)

As the Covid-19 third-wave hits, how many South Africans have had the virus already?

Increasing seroprevalence in South Africa could help curb the disastrous effects a third wave could have on communities. But no one is out of the woods yet

If South Africa truly values the principles of dignity, equality and social justice on which its democracy was founded, then it must ensure that the very people who carried communities through crises are not left behind in the pursuit of reform.

The inevitable rise in Covid-19 cases and deaths: What the numbers mean

About 20 people in South Africa die each day from the coronavirus, and this number may peak at 300, while positive cases may reach 8 000 a day, according to some projections

A family prepares a gravestone for an unveiling.

The Covid-19 burial problem for South Africa

The government’s plan to deal with the pandemic and its aftermath includes managing ‘the challenges of bereavement’ that will accompany large-scale deaths

Keep it safe: Police enforce social distancing between people outside a supermarket in Yeoville, Johannesburg. (Marco Longari/AFP)

Odd drop in how Covid-19 numbers grow

As the country hunkers down for a second week of lockdown, how reliable is the data available and will it enable a sound decision for whether South Africans can leave their homes…

Worldwide, it has been shown that healthcare-user fees dramatically reduce demand for health services ― especially preventive services, because people may not perceive that they need interventions. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)

Covid-19: Durban old age homes on lockdown

Visits cancelled to residential centres as The Association for the Aged braces for the virus

Covid-19 could claim up to 40 000 lives in South Africa, according to experts. (Fabrizio Villa /Getty Images).

Who qualifies for Covid-19 testing?

Not everyone can get tested for the coronavirus. There are structures in place guiding health practitioners when it comes to screening patients for testing

This pandemic will test our sanity. To maintain mental well-being we must allow ourselves to speak into our fears. It is okay to not be okay.
 (Eduardo Soteras/AFP via Getty Images)

What you need to know about Covid-19 to protect yourself

The Mail & Guardian asked the experts for more information about Covid-19 — and how best to take care of yourself and your loved ones

Solution: Vaccine vials, which need to be kept cool and are costly to transport,  may soon be replaced by vaccines on a thin-film membrane, which will do away with weight, cost and cooling issues. (Jane Barlow – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Timeline: Ramping up coronavirus testing

South Africa’s Covid-19 testing team has ramped tests up, with 3 500 conducted on Sunday alone

Coronavirus: 151 people to return to South Africa from China within two weeks

They have not been diagnosed with the coronavirus and the health department says there’s no need for citizens to panic