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MENTAL HEALTH MONTH: Breaking the silence in a nation under pressure
News

MENTAL HEALTH MONTH: Breaking the silence in a nation under pressure

By Rorisang Rampheteng: Mental Health Month, observed annually in May, serves as a crucial reminder that emotional and psychological well-being is just as important as physical health. Yet, in South Africa and across the globe, mental health remains widely misunderstood, underreported, and often neglected. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 970 million people worldwide are living with mental health disorders, with anxiety and depression among the leading causes of disability. These conditions continue to affect individuals across all ages, genders, and socio-economic backgrounds. A Growing Crisis in South Africa Closer to home, the statistics paint a concerning picture. Research shows that 1 in 3 South Af...
WORLD HEPATITIS DAY: Breaking down barriers to awareness and treatment
Lifestyle

WORLD HEPATITIS DAY: Breaking down barriers to awareness and treatment

By Sitha Maliwa: Today, the world unites to shine a light on one of the most persistent and under-recognised global health challenges: hepatitis. Marked under the theme “Hepatitis: Let’s Break It Down,” World Hepatitis Day 2025 focuses on increasing awareness, dismantling stigma, and expanding access to prevention, testing, and treatment. Hepatitis refers to inflammation of the liver and is most often caused by viral infections. Five main viruses - hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E - are responsible for the majority of cases. While hepatitis A and E usually lead to short-term illness, hepatitis B and C can linger in the body for years without symptoms, gradually causing serious damage such as cirrhosis, liver failure, or liver cancer. Despite the severity of the...
Advancing health equity and promoting a healthier Taiwan on the 30th anniversary of Taiwan’s National Health Insurance system
Business

Advancing health equity and promoting a healthier Taiwan on the 30th anniversary of Taiwan’s National Health Insurance system

By Dr. Chiu Tai-yuan - Minister of Health and Welfare: ROC (Taiwan) ROC Ministry of Health and Welfare in Taipei (Image: Taiwan Today/CNA) Health is a fundamental human right and a universal value. Improved health results in greater well-being for the people and has ramifications for the survival and development of a country and even the world. At the 77th World Health Assembly, members adopted the World Health Organization (WHO) Fourteenth General Programme of Work for 2025-2028. The program includes such strategic objectives as improving health service coverage and bolstering financial protections to ensure universal health coverage. WHO has called on all countries to take action on these issues. As concerns universal health coverage, Taiwan laun...