“2026 is shaping up as a year of sharp policy fights, fast-moving science and stubborn system failures,” wrote Marcus Low in Spotlight (19 Jan 2026).
He compiled a Healthcare Watchlist “tracking nine stories that could shift budgets, reshape services and test public trust”:
The New HIV Prevention Jab Test
NHI Court Battles And Reform Options
Weight-Loss Medicines: Pills, Patents, And Prices
TB Vaccines: Could Trial Results Land Early?
Staffing Shortages: Will A Real Plan Arrive?
Corruption Consequences: Thembisa and Beyond
Leadership Shake-Ups: Who Might Fall?
Global Institutions Under Strain
Life After US Aid Cuts
TO READ MORE
https://www.spotlightnsp.co.za/2026/01/19/spotlights-top-9-health-stories-to-watch-in-2026/