In Namibia a country of meat-lovers, vital expertise is needed to stop livestock spreading diseases

Wreathed in barbecue smoke, Vetjaera Haakuria gestures at the men butchering meat and cooking it over hot coals behind his back. “What have you learned about the risks of eating this?” he asks his young audience, spotless in their white lab coats. “It might contain drug residues, right? And what about diseases?”

It’s nearly noon in Windhoek, Namibia’s capital, and the market is preparing grilled meat – known locally as kapana – for the lunchtime rush. Everyone comes here, from construction workers to members of parliament. Namibians love to eat meat, and he is no exception: his tribe, the Herero, traditionally eat nothing else.

But regulation is patchy and the meat being sold at this market could contain anything from antibiotics to parasites, Haakuria says. Diseases that pass from livestock to humans are rife in the country’s rural north.

Animals that die from unknown causes are e... Read More

A partnership between a tech accelerator and a private hospital group will have teamed up to provide a platform for entrepreneurs to build and scale health-tech startups that address the key health issues across Africa.

Founders Factory Africa (FFA) and Netcare have joined forces to design, build and scale over 35 healthcare startups across Africa. The FFA model includes its accelerator programme, which develops existing businesses through a bespoke six-month programme, whilst the incubator programme will build completely new businesses. Netcare will provide access to hospitals, primary healthcare clinics and healthcare value chains, deep health technical expertise, data and IP to the startups. The healthcare provider will also have the opportunity to continue investing in the new health businesses once their value propositions are proven.

“This exciting initiative enables us to stimulate healthcare innovation and development in South Africa and across the rest of the continent. We are proud to be joining ... Read More

Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize says universal health coverage is essential and the National Health Insurance (NHI) will happen.

Participating in a debate on the State of the Nation Address on Tuesday, he said the NHI Bill will soon be sent to parliament and that the days of debating whether it will be implemented or not are over.

“Equally importantly, making progress towards universal health coverage requires transformation of the health system and reconfiguration of institutions for pooling of funds and purchasing of services to achieve social solidarity, efficiency, effectiveness and income and risk cross-subsidisation.

“In this regard we will be moving speedily to ensure that NHI Bill is tabled in parliament.

“The NHI Fund requires strong governance mechanisms and improved accountability for the use of allocated funds. These provisions have been included within the structural design of the NHI Fund and they are reflected within the NHI Bill,” he said.

South Africa spends almost ... Read More