François Venter | Lightnews

Francois Venter @francoisventer.bsky.social · 3d

Going to be so interesting.

Francois Venter @francoisventer.bsky.social · 20d

www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025... ".., despite a circular from ... National Department of Health, Dr Sandile Buthelezi, greenlighting six-month ART dispensation for eligible patients in February 2025, no facilities were officially implementing this strategy..."

Report spotlights ‘system-wide slide’ in basics for health facility standards after Pepfar cuts

A report by the community-led monitoring group Ritshidze has shown that among 326 public health facilities surveyed by the team, 48% reported reduced capacity after the Pepfar disruptions that took pl...

www.dailymaverick.co.za

Francois Venter @francoisventer.bsky.social · 26d

groundup.org.za/article/clin...

PEPFAR cuts leave clinics short of staff

Survey finds longer waiting times for ARVs

groundup.org.za

Francois Venter @francoisventer.bsky.social · 26d

www.tac.org.za/news/now-the...

“Now they give me a 1 a month refill.. they never explained why” – #KZNHealth - TAC

“I would appreciate receiving a 6 month supply of ARVs. Going to the clinic every month or two is difficult. I have to miss work, wait long hours, and sometimes don’t receive the service I need, only ...

www.tac.org.za

Francois Venter @francoisventer.bsky.social · 28d

www.spotlightnsp.co.za/2025/10/13/i...

#InTheSpotlight | Amid all the noise, how well is SA’s immunisation programme actually doing

Childhood immunisation programmes have saved many millions of lives and prevented much suffering. Yet, immunisation programmes have lost momentum over the last decade or so. In this #InTheSpotlight sp...

www.spotlightnsp.co.za

Francois Venter @francoisventer.bsky.social · Oct 11

www.tac.org.za/news/ritshid...

Ritshidze data pinpoint challenges following PEPFAR disruptions that duty bearers must action - TAC

Johannesburg, 10 October 2025 – Between April and June 2025, a scaled down team at the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) began monitoring through Ritshidze to assess the state of our clinics. During the...

www.tac.org.za

Francois Venter @francoisventer.bsky.social · Oct 10

groundup.org.za/article/phar... And now on appeal, with costs. These court cases have set our HIV response back by years.

Pharmacists can treat people with HIV, appeal court rules

“Legitimate and compelling public interests” to allow pharmacists to initiate antiretroviral treatment, says judge

groundup.org.za

Francois Venter @francoisventer.bsky.social · Oct 4

"South African women do not need more pink balloons or hashtags. They need functioning diagnostic clinics, staffed and equipped laboratories and radiology services, adequate theatre slates, more chemotherapy chairs..., research that is based on our unique population and well-trained oncology teams."

Francois Venter @francoisventer.bsky.social · Oct 4

www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/... Pinkwashing and hollow solidarity

Beyond the pink ribbon: Breast cancer and the battlefield of a woman’s body

If breast cancer teaches us anything, it is that our bodies cannot wait for political promises. South African women deserve more than pink campaigns that do not translate into measurable change.

www.dailymaverick.co.za

Francois Venter @francoisventer.bsky.social · Sep 29

groundup.org.za/article/stud...

Study shows how we can massively improve hypertension treatment

Rather than spend hours at a clinic, patients measured their own blood pressure

groundup.org.za

AVAC @avac.org · Sep 27

ICYMI last night #SCOTUS ruled in AVAC's legal case to give the Administration a free pass to withhold #foreignaid. A dissenting judge warned that the stakes in this case are too significant to be decided through the Court’s emergency docket.

Public Citizen @publiccitizen.bsky.social · Sep 23

Please, we are begging you, listen to REAL doctors and scientists.

And in case anyone needs a reminder: neither Donald Trump or RFK Jr. are doctors.

Francois Venter @francoisventer.bsky.social · Sep 21

www.who.int/news/item/26... "The era of governments subsidizing the profits of private industries by footing the long-term health care costs of cheap tobacco, alcohol and sugary drinks must end."

More ways, to save more lives, for less money: World Health Assembly adopts more Best Buys to tackle noncommunicable diseases

The World Health Organization has expanded the list of ‘NCD best buys’. The updated list was approved at the 76th World Health Assembly, a move that will support governments to select lifesaving inter...

www.who.int

Francois Venter @francoisventer.bsky.social · Sep 21

www.spotlightnsp.co.za/2025/09/19/e... "Whichever way you slice it, the harsh truth is that even in 2025, the devastating crisis in Gauteng’s health system shows no sign of improvement. Corruption still plagues the department just as severely as it did a decade ago, if not more so."

EDITORIAL | The rot runs deep: Gauteng Health’s dance of impunity betrays the people it is meant to serve

The courts have spoken. The health ombud has issued devastating reports. The Auditor-General has again put damning evidence on the table. Civil society has protested. Yet, the devastating crisis in Ga...

www.spotlightnsp.co.za

Francois Venter @francoisventer.bsky.social · Sep 20

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/20/o...

Opinion | Trump’s Most Lethal Policy

www.nytimes.com

Francois Venter @francoisventer.bsky.social · Sep 11

health-e.org.za/2025/09/10/c...

Calls For South Africa To Build Sustainable HIV Programmes, Reduce Reliance On Donors

To build sustainable HIV programmes in south africa, we must focus on innovative approaches rather than seeking more funding from donors.

health-e.org.za

Francois Venter @francoisventer.bsky.social · Sep 8

www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025... Brilliant article. Especially about those armchair right wingers and empty statements from government.

SA’s new emergency: Accountability is becoming a death sentence

We cannot afford to look away from the assassination of lawyer Bouwer van Niekerk – the latest in what appears to be an escalation of threats and attacks against lawyers, investigators, auditors, whis...

www.dailymaverick.co.za

Francois Venter @francoisventer.bsky.social · Sep 4

phr.org/our-work/res...

On the Brink of Catastrophe: U.S. Foreign Aid Disruption to HIV Services in Tanzania and Uganda - PHR

U.S. cuts to global aid have caused backsliding on decades of progress in HIV care, treatment, and prevention.

phr.org

Francois Venter @francoisventer.bsky.social · Aug 28

www.theguardian.com/global-devel...

Malawi set to run out of TB drugs in a month after US, UK and others cut aid

Gains in cutting deaths from tuberculosis at risk as health officials warn clinics forced to ration drugs and testing

www.theguardian.com

Francois Venter @francoisventer.bsky.social · Aug 27

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...

Botswana’s president declares health emergency over supply shortages

Duma Boko announces urgent funding package for medicines to be distributed with military oversight

www.theguardian.com

Francois Venter @francoisventer.bsky.social · Aug 26

A second government health system collapses on our border - and I am pretty sure two others are too - but crisis, what crisis?

Francois Venter @francoisventer.bsky.social · Aug 26

blogs.jwatch.org/hiv-id-obser... This. THIS!

Does the Fact That AI Is Brilliant at Writing “Learning Objectives” Prove They're Not Really Needed?

Recently, I was invited to speak at a primary care conference on a terrific topic: “Can’t Miss Diagnoses in ID for the PCP.” Love it. So many great examples come to mind — endocarditis, Lemierre syndr...

blogs.jwatch.org

Francois Venter @francoisventer.bsky.social · Aug 21

www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025... Fascinating history.

Why we should not forget the yellow fever story

A primary driver of the monumental endeavour to develop the yellow fever vaccine was a shared sense of responsibility that America, having the means and knowledge, should use its resources for the goo...

www.dailymaverick.co.za

Francois Venter @francoisventer.bsky.social · Aug 20

bhekisisa.org/article/prof... 👏

At 16, he mediated a highjacking. Now he’s negotiating for the survival of HIV programmes - Bhekisisa

Ndiviwe Mphothulo started in politics at the age of 12 in Soweto, where he was born with activism in his bloodline. Now, a medical doctor and the president of the Southern African HIV Clinicians Socie...

bhekisisa.org

Francois Venter @francoisventer.bsky.social · Aug 13

journals.lww.com/aidsonline/f...

The cost of the plunge: the impact and cost of a cessation... : AIDS

cal impact of ceasing provision of services currently supported by PEPFAR and the costs and cost-effectiveness to the South African government (SAG) of potentially taking over these services. Methods...

journals.lww.com

GroundUp News @groundup.org.za · Aug 8

For more than 27 years, raw sewage has been flowing into the Kruger National Park from Phalaborwa. Sewers and pump stations in Phalaborwa are barely working, despite having been refurbished.

Read groundup.org.za/article/sten... by Bernard Chiguvare