Yogan Pillay Journalist Profile

Articles

Inside the SAMRC’s race to rescue health research in SA

1 month ago | spotlightnsp.co.za | Amy Green |Tiyese Jeranji |Marcus Low |Yogan Pillay

Health research in South Africa is facing an unprecedented crisis due to the ongoing termination of funding from the United States government. (Photo: CDC/Unsplash) News & Features15th April 2025 | Catherine Tomlinson Health research in South Africa has been plunged into crisis with the abrupt termination of several large research grants from the US, with more grant terminations expected in the coming days and weeks.
Health in 2025: Spotlight’s top 4 questions for the year ahead

Jan 21, 2025 | spotlightnsp.co.za | Marcus Low |Adiel Ismail |Zameer Brey |Yogan Pillay

One of the most pressing healthcare questions this year is whether there will be significant changes to the government’s NHI plans. (Photo: Nappy/Unsplash) Comment & Analysis21st January 2025 | Marcus Low From the ongoing political and legal battles over NHI, to the far-reaching health impacts of political change in the United States, it is set to be another tumultuous year for healthcare in South Africa and around the globe.
Africa’s making progress against HIV, but donor funds are drying up - what must change

Nov 29, 2024 | theconversation.com | Yogan Pillay |Magda Robalo

Remarkable progress has been made against the HIV epidemic in the last two decades. However, a loss of momentum in fighting HIV across the globe threatens to undermine the strides that have been made. There is a crisis in sustainability as the urgency surrounding funding for the HIV response dwindles. This despite the disease . An estimated 39.9 million people globally were living with HIV in 2023.
Nelson Mandela Bay clinics under siege as crime threatens healthcare

Oct 9, 2024 | spotlightnsp.co.za | Biénne Huisman |Luvuyo Mehlwana |Yogan Pillay |Marcus Low

A wave of crime has hit clinics in Nelson Mandela Bay leaving nurses and patients fearing for their safety. (Photo: Hush Naidoo/Unsplash) News & Features9th October 2024 | Luvuyo Mehlwana A series of robberies at healthcare facilities in the Eastern Cape has disrupted services, with patients sometimes left waiting outside while clinics limit the number of people allowed in.
ANALYSIS | A new law on healthcare will not change things for the better: What NHI will not fix

Jun 4, 2024 | news24.com | Yogan Pillay |René English

Thirty years into democracy, South Africa still struggles with rolling out mostly well-designed policies. But if the circumstances in which a health system must work are not fixed, simply passing a law to give everyone access to healthcare will not change things for the better. Here is why. Thirty years into democracy, our new administration faces the same challenge it did halfway through - the poor rollout of mostly well-designed policies.
What the National Health Insurance won’t fix

Jun 4, 2024 | mg.co.za | Yogan Pillay |René English

Thirty years into democracy, our new administration faces the same challenge it did halfway through — the poor roll-out of mostly well-designed policies. In a series of articles in The Lancet in 2009 — 15 years after the landmark 1994 elections — South African researchers noted that while many of the country’s health system problems had historical roots in apartheid, poor implementation of forward-looking policies had hamstrung progress. Many fixes have been suggested.
BHEKISISA OP-ED | What the NHI won’t fix

May 31, 2024 | timeslive.co.za | Yogan Pillay |René English

Something the NHI almost certainly will not fix is how the conditions in which people live affect their health, say the writers. Thirty years into democracy, our new administration faces the same challenge it did halfway through:the poor rollout of mostly well-designed policies.
What the NHI won’t fix

May 31, 2024 | businesslive.co.za | Yogan Pillay |René English

4. Bad management:Trade unions, independent watchdogs and civil society have all called out the public health sector for failing the poor, who make up the bulk of the population who use state hospitals and clinics.
What the NHI won’t fix

May 29, 2024 | bhekisisa.org | Yogan Pillay |René English

Thirty years into democracy, South Africa’s new administration faces the same challenge it did halfway through: the poor roll-out of mostly well-designed policies. With one of the country’s biggest elections since 1994 over, politicians now have to make good on their promises. But is National Health Insurance the magic answer to giving everyone a chance at better health? If the circumstances in which it has to work aren’t fixed, then the answer is no. Here’s why.
South Africa: This Is How SA Can Meet Its HIV Targets

Jan 29, 2024 | allafrica.com | Yogan Pillay

"The path to ending AIDS is clear," states a recent UNAIDS report. "HIV responses succeed when they are anchored in strong political leadership, have adequate resources, follow the evidence, use inclusive and rights-based approaches, and pursue equity. Countries that are putting people first in their policies and programmes are already leading the world on the journey to ending AIDS by 2030," it reads. Ending AIDS and the HIV epidemic mean different things to different people.