Tanya Doherty, South African Medical Research Council
Sanders was not afraid to challenge and speak out about sensitive and difficult issues, to people in senior positions of power - and when he did, they sat up and listened.
Africa battles with a dearth of data and seems unable to scale up health innovations. If these can be systematically addressed, the continent can take great strides towards better health for all.
An index developed to gauge progress towards the sustainable development goals and their targets shows that nine of the world’s worst performing countries are in Africa.
Each suicide has a social, economic and cultural context. And unless these factors are considered alongside psychiatric care, steadily increasing suicide rates will not be curbed.
Ghana must urgently implement strategies to tackle the high burden of viral hepatitis if it’s to fulfill global targets of eliminating the disease by 2030.
South Africa, despite its bold commitments to improve breastfeeding, does not have national data to monitor breastfeeding rates to ensure that its policies are being effective.
Liver cancer in Africans tends to occur between the ages of 30 and 40. But a study has found that it occurs at a significantly younger age in those who are infected with HIV and hepatitis B.
Doctors and patients are unsure of the best treatment for gout, leading to poor patient education and compliance, poorly addressed lifestyle factors, and suboptimal use of available drugs.
In many parts of the continent medical laboratories lack resources and expertise and can’t keep up with diagnostic demands, so proper diagnosis and treatment of health conditions is delayed.
More than two million women across the world suffer from obstetric fistula – a hole in the birth canal that makes them incontinent – but this can be avoided.
Non-communicable diseases are skyrocketing in Kenya and Uganda. Though the countries’ governments have a responsibility to tackle the problem, individuals need to take action too.
Professor and Programme Director, SA MRC Centre for Health Economics and Decision Science - PRICELESS SA (Priority Cost Effective Lessons in Systems Strengthening South Africa), University of the Witwatersrand
Senior Researcher, SA MRC Centre for Health Economics and Decision Science, PRICELESS SA, Faculty of Health Sciences, Wits School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand