Current Issues

Congenital syphilis notifications and rapid plasma reagin positivity among children <2 years-of-age in South Africa (2023-2024)

Current Issues, Surveillance Reports / By

How well is South Africa detecting and reporting congenital syphilis in young children? Congenital syphilis (CS) remains a serious but preventable public health concern, occurring when syphilis is transmitted from a pregnant woman to her unborn baby. Without timely screening and treatment during pregnancy, infection can result in miscarriage, stillbirth, prematurity, severe illness and death. […]

Congenital syphilis notifications and rapid plasma reagin positivity among children <2 years-of-age in South Africa (2023-2024) Read More »

Trends in HIV viral load monitoring in the South African national HIV treatment programme (2019-2025)

Current Issues, Surveillance Reports / By

Can HIV viral load monitoring help measure South Africa’s progress towards the 95-95-95 targets? Achieving the United Nations’ 95-95-95 targets is central to ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic by 2030. While increasing access to antiretroviral therapy is essential, routine HIV viral load monitoring provides critical insight into whether people living with HIV remain in care and

Trends in HIV viral load monitoring in the South African national HIV treatment programme (2019-2025) Read More »

Strengthening South Africa’s public health response to climate change

Current Issues, Opinion Pieces, Policy briefs, Uncategorised / By

Can South Africa’s health system keep pace with climate change? Climate change is no longer a distant concern but a public health emergency that presents a growing threat globally, including in South Africa. The country is already experiencing climate-related health effects, including rising temperatures, floods and droughts, shifting vector-borne disease patterns, and water scarcity that

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Epidemiology of respiratory pathogens from the influenza-like illness and pneumonia surveillance programmes, South Africa, 2024

Current Issues, Surveillance Reports, Uncategorised / By

Can year-round respiratory surveillance improve South Africa’s response to seasonal and emerging respiratory diseases? Respiratory pathogens remain a major public health concern, causing seasonal outbreaks and severe illness, particularly among young children, older adults, and people with underlying health conditions. Understanding when these pathogens circulate, who is most affected, and how they evolve is essential

Epidemiology of respiratory pathogens from the influenza-like illness and pneumonia surveillance programmes, South Africa, 2024 Read More »

Laboratory-based surveillance of invasive pneumococcal disease in the Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, and Mpumalanga provinces, South Africa (2019–2024)

Current Issues, Surveillance Reports, Uncategorised / By

Can laboratory-based surveillance help identify populations most at risk of invasive pneumococcal disease in South Africa? Invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, remains an important cause of illness and death in South Africa, particularly among young children, older adults, and immunocompromised individuals. Although the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) into the Expanded

Laboratory-based surveillance of invasive pneumococcal disease in the Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, and Mpumalanga provinces, South Africa (2019–2024) Read More »

Leveraging artificial intelligence to strengthen public health emergency management in resource-constrained settings: A South African perspective

Current Issues, Policy briefs / By

How can artificial intelligence improve public health emergency management in resource-constrained settings? Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a promising tool for strengthening public health systems and improving Public Health Emergency Management (PHEM). Historically, digital technologies have supported disease surveillance and healthcare delivery. More recently, AI has demonstrated its potential during public health emergencies such

Leveraging artificial intelligence to strengthen public health emergency management in resource-constrained settings: A South African perspective Read More »

Differences in epidemiological characteristics and antimalarial drug resistance marker prevalence in imported and locally acquired cases from two South African malaria-endemic districts targeting elimination, 2022–2024

Current Issues, Epidemiological Reports, Malaria, Uncategorised / By

How do imported malaria cases influence transmission and antimalarial drug resistance in South Africa’s elimination districts? Malaria remains a major public health concern globally, despite being both preventable and curable. In 2024, an estimated 282 million malaria cases were reported worldwide, with Africa continuing to carry the overwhelming burden of disease transmission. South Africa, located

Differences in epidemiological characteristics and antimalarial drug resistance marker prevalence in imported and locally acquired cases from two South African malaria-endemic districts targeting elimination, 2022–2024 Read More »

Provincial epidemiology of invasive pneumococcal disease in South Africa, 2019–2024: Findings from laboratory-based surveillance in the Eastern, Northern, and Western Cape provinces

Current Issues, Epidemiological Reports, Uncategorised / By

How do provincial differences shape the burden and characteristics of invasive pneumococcal disease in South Africa? Invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, remains a significant public health concern in South Africa, particularly among infants, older adults, and individuals with underlying conditions. While the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) into the Expanded Programme

Provincial epidemiology of invasive pneumococcal disease in South Africa, 2019–2024: Findings from laboratory-based surveillance in the Eastern, Northern, and Western Cape provinces Read More »

Epidemiology of cryptococcal disease in the Eastern, Northern, and Western Cape provinces of South Africa (2022–2024)

Current Issues, Epidemiological Reports, Uncategorised / By

Can improved surveillance and treatment access reduce the burden of cryptococcal disease in South Africa? Cryptococcal disease is a serious fungal infection caused by Cryptococcus species, most commonly affecting people with weakened immune systems. In individuals living with HIV, particularly those with advanced disease, the infection can spread to the brain and cause cryptococcal meningitis,

Epidemiology of cryptococcal disease in the Eastern, Northern, and Western Cape provinces of South Africa (2022–2024) Read More »

2024 GERMS-SA: Annual surveillance review – Key findings

Current Issues, Surveillance Reports, Uncategorised / By

What do the latest GERMS-SA surveillance findings reveal about disease trends in South Africa? Infectious diseases caused by bacterial, fungal, and parasitic pathogens remain a major public health concern. Surveillance systems that rely on laboratory-confirmed cases provide critical insights into disease burden and epidemiology, but can be affected by disruptions in diagnostic and reporting capacity.

2024 GERMS-SA: Annual surveillance review – Key findings Read More »

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