World Environmental Health Day 2024 focuses on "Environmental Health: Creating Resilient Communities through Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation." This theme highlights the urgent need for communities to bolster their resilience against environmental hazards and the impacts of climate change. With increasing climate events and natural disasters, building resilience has never been more critical.

Beneficiaries of the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) Mid-Career Scientist Programme (MCSP) continue to showcase their remarkable achievements. Two notable successes are recent outstanding awards of a Lifetime Achiever and Trailblazer for Prof Refilwe Nancy Phaswana-Mafuya and the appointment of Prof Salome Maswime as the Director of the newly established World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre.

South Africans should be concerned about the spread of mpox in the country with certain variants rapidly spreading between humans, including through sexual contact.

Public health challenges are never simple, particularly in a country as socio-politically diverse as South Africa. While scientific and quantitative research provides invaluable evidence to shape interventions, there’s a crucial missing link in many health programmes — qualitative research.

As we navigate the complexities of the 21st century, the health status of our nation is a mirror reflecting both the triumphs and challenges that South Africa faces. In my recent address on “The State of Health in South Africa”, I had the opportunity to provide an overview of the nation’s health landscape, focusing on priority concerns as outlined in the South African Medical Research Council’s Annual Performance Plan.