On 10 May 2022 the South African Health Technologies Coalition (SAHTAC), in collaboration with the National Department of Health, and the South African HVTN, International Partnerships of Microbicides (IPM) and Advocates for Prevention of HIV in Africa (APHA) hosted a virtual webinar titled, ‘THE DAPIVIRINE VAGINAL RING GETS SAHPRA APPROVAL – A MILESTONE FOR WOMEN’S...

Across Africa, local manufacturing and pharmaceutical companies are responding to the urgent need for locally produced medical products and technologies despite the existing regulatory challenges. We can support manufacturing capacity by expediting the establishment and operationalisation of the African Medicines Agency (AMA). In November 2021, after 15 countries signed and ratified the AMA treaty, the AMA...

While Kenya and South Africa begin to ease to Covid-19 restrictions, including mask wearing  in open spaces, Nigeria is still in national disaster status with no announcement of when restrictions might be lifted. These differing approaches reflect Africa’s general uncertainty and unpredictability on how Covid-19 will evolve going forward. Despite the challenges of the past two years, the world now has...

As advocates for access to lifesaving and innovations, the South African Health Technologies Advocacy Coalition (SAHTAC) welcomes the approval of the dapivirine vaginal ring for use in South Africa. The coalition hailed the announcement by the  South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) as a great stride for HIV prevention and one which demonstrate the...

The South African Health Technologies Advocacy Coalition (SAHTAC) held it’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 17 and 18 February 2022 at Southern Sun Elangeni Maharani in Durban. There were 22 coalition members that attended in person and 3 attended virtually. The guest presenter, Michelle Mulder, Executive Director: Grants Innovation and Product Development, South African Medical...

  While most African countries missed the global goal of fully vaccinating 10% of its population, other countries up north such as Germany and France are offering booster shots to their citizens. While this may mirror the disparity between the Global North and Global South, there is a worrying Covid-19 vaccine disproportion in Africa itself....

  Sakhile Khaweka is Project Manager at the Aurum Institute, a global health and research organisation. The long queues forming at Covid-19 vaccination sites are bittersweet as we look forward to rebuilding while remembering those we lost before they could get vaccinated. When infections and deaths skyrocketed the initial focus in fighting the disease was...