Sipho Kabane

• Chief Executive at Council for Medical Schemes

Cervical cancer poses a considerable public health challenge in South Africa, necessitating effective screening programs for early detection and prevention. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted healthcare services, including cervical cancer screening, posing challenges to disease management efforts. This study aimed to assess cervical cance...

Background This research addresses the intricate dimensions of reproductive healthcare by examining the complex interplay of medical, legal, and ethical considerations surrounding abortion. The Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act (CTOP) of 1996 in South Africa aims to establish the circumstances and conditions under which a woman’s pregnancy may...

Background-This research addresses the intricate dimensions of reproductive healthcare by examining the complex interplay of medical, legal, and ethical considerations surrounding abortion. The Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act (CTOP) of 1996 in South Africa aims to establish the circumstances and conditions under which a woman's pregnancy may...

Purpose: This study analyses the prevalence of audit firm dominance within the South African medical scheme industry. Design/methodology/approach: A comprehensive approach utilised expenditure data sourced from industry reports and insights gained from industry professionals. Findings/results: The study revealed a significant dominance of two audi...

Background: Understanding the relationship between ageing and chronic diseases becomes crucial as global demographics shift towards an increasingly aged population. Aim: The primary objective of this review is to explore various theories of ageing and their implications for chronic disease prevalence in ageing populations. Methods: The study design...

Purpose: Cervical cancer poses a considerable public health challenge in South Africa, necessitating effective screening programs for early detection and prevention. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted healthcare services, including cervical cancer screening, posing challenges to disease management efforts. Design/Methodology/Approach: Thi...

Oesophageal disorders, including gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and oesophageal cancer (EC), pose significant challenges to public health globally. While GERD is prevalent worldwide, EC remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality, with distinct geographical and demographic variations. This paper reviews the epidemiology, risk factor...

Purpose: This study analyses the prevalence of audit firm dominance within the South African medical scheme industry. Design/methodology/approach: This study employs a comprehensive approach utilising expenditure data sourced from industry reports and insights gained from industry professionals. By amalgamating these sources, audit firm dominance w...

Oesophageal disorders, including gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and oesophageal cancer (EC), pose significant challenges to public health globally. While GERD is prevalent worldwide, EC remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality, with distinct geographical and demographic variations. This paper reviews the epidemiology, risk factor...

Background: Understanding the relationship between ageing and chronic diseases becomes crucial as

In the intricate landscape of healthcare governance, Annual General Meetings (AGMs) for Medical Schemes play a fundamental role as a vital platform for transparent communication between administrators and members. Beyond formality, these meetings serve as a nexus for sharing critical updates, financial reports, and strategic plans. AGMs are crucial...

Prenatal and neonatal care are vital components of maternal and infant healthcare, encompassing a continuum of services aimed at safeguarding the health and well-being of expectant mothers and their newborns. Prenatal care involves regular check-ups, medical assessments, and guidance by healthcare professionals to detect and address potential issue...

In recent years, the healthcare industry has witnessed a significant transformation in the realm of medical transportation. The emergence of on-demand ambulance services facilitated by E-hailing platforms has disrupted traditional models of patient transport. This paper explores the revolutionary impact of E-hailing platforms on medical transportat...

In exchange for monthly premiums, medical schemes are private organizations that provide healthcare coverage to their members. Regulatory bodies, such as the Council of Medical Schemes (CMS), establish the regulations and guidelines for medical scheme operations. As of December 2021, medical schemes covered approximately 15%, or nearly 9 million in...

The escalating prevalence of chronic conditions presents a multifaceted public health challenge with substantial clinical and economic implications. The growing number of individuals living with chronic conditions calls for heightened attention and concerted efforts to address this pressing issue.

The escalating prevalence of chronic conditions poses a significant public health challenge, impacting both clinical outcomes and healthcare costs. The rising number of individuals living with chronic conditions necessitates increased attention and collective efforts to address this pressing issue. Recognizing the prevalent chronic conditions in wo...

Breast and cervical cancers are among the top five worldwide. Over half of untreated breast cancer patients die, compared to nearly 90% of cervical cancer patients. Early breast and cervical cancer screening can reduce mortality risk. This study examined breast and cervical cancer rates among South African medical scheme members. The study’s second...

This report reviews state employees’ medical schemes and schemes with fewer than 6000 principal members and assesses how these compare to closed schemes and that of the industry. The 2021 CMS Industry Report data showed that the 11 state employees’ medical schemes accounted for 1.1 million principal members and 2.9 million beneficiaries, making up...

This paper provides an update on the impact of COVID-19 on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care in Africa.

Breast and cervical cancers are among the top five worldwide. Over half of untreated breast cancer patients die, compared to nearly 90% of cervical cancer patients. Early breast and cervical cancer screening can reduce mortality risk. This study examined breast and cervical cancer rates among South African medical scheme members. The study's second...

Background: Orthoptists are specialists in diagnosing and treating ocular movement disorders and problems related to how the eyes work together, known as binocular vision. There is currently about 1 100 orthoptist registered and working in the UK. The comparative figure to South Africa is much lower at only nine registered orthoptists. Study design...

COVID-19 had a detrimental effect on the livelihoods of many beyond the clinical aspects, such as infection, mortality, and hospitalisation rates. The pandemic altered consumers’ product needs, shopping and purchasing behaviours, and postpurchase satisfaction levels. During the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers modified their behaviours due to national...

Data from various sources correctly predicted the third wave in advance before it occurred. Most of the predictions were based on the 2020 experience predictive models. Furthermore, the rate of infections seem to follow a seasonality pattern peaking between June- July and Dec – Jan. According to John Hopkins University, the third wave in Souh Afric...

Background: The COVID-19 climate has seen a shift in the manner that patients seek care. Lockdown measures and COVID-19 regulations, and the fear of contracting the virus at a health care facility has also changed health seeing behaviour among patients. The COVID-19 climate has seen a significant increase in the utilisation of virtual platforms to...

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 epidemic has adversely affected health systems globally, with some on the verge of collapse as countries experience the second wave of the pandemic. Millions of people have died from the pandemic. Hard hit is the elderly and those with co-morbidities such as hypertension and diabetes. Hypertension is one of the most prevalen...

Medical scheme membership is used as a proxy for assessing medical scheme performance in terms of beneficiaries into the schemes. Increasing membership is primarily driven by new beneficiaries, which potentially implies a higher contribution income for the scheme and thus a possible increase in the bottom line of the scheme. Membership in medi...

The cost of healthcare is constantly increasing. This is a consequence of an ageing population, an increase in the burden of disease, increasing utilisation of health services, including provider-driven healthcare services, and the increase in the cost of health services. There is also an increasing trend with regard to the direct expenditure of me...