Minister of Health, Aaron Motsoaledi addressed the South African Medical Association (SAMA) Health Summit in Durban on Friday.
Image: National Department of Health / Facebook
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi says South Africa is entering a new era of healthcare innovation that could dramatically change the fight against HIV, tuberculosis, and cervical cancer.
Addressing healthcare leaders at the South African Medical Association (SAMA) Health Summit in Durban, Motsoaledi outlined an aggressive plan to use breakthrough medicines, artificial intelligence, and digital technology to tackle some of the country’s deadliest diseases.
“We have no choice; we must innovate to survive,” he said.
At the centre of the government’s plans is the rollout of Lenacapavir, a groundbreaking HIV prevention injection administered only twice a year. Motsoaledi described the drug as one of the most important developments in the fight against HIV in decades.
Clinical trials have shown the injection provides near-total protection for adolescent girls and young women while also offering strong protection for men who have sex with men.
South Africa will officially launch the programme on 5 June 2026, led by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
“We have lived with HIV for 44 years. We must not get used to it,” Motsoaledi said. “Our goal is to eliminate HIV as a public health threat by 2030.”
The minister also revealed that South Africa is preparing to intensify its fight against tuberculosis using portable AI-powered digital X-ray machines capable of operating in deep rural communities. Unlike conventional systems, the new technology can analyse lung scans without requiring specialist radiologists.
Motsoaledi said the machines would allow healthcare workers to screen millions of people in remote communities where access to diagnostic services remains limited. “We aim for this innovation to reach the most remote and underserved areas,” he said.
South Africa plans to begin rolling out the programme from July.
The minister also highlighted progress in the country’s cervical cancer elimination campaign using the World Health Organization’s “90-70-90” strategy. The government aims to vaccinate 90% of girls under the age of 15 against HPV, screen 70% of women using new DNA-based technology, and ensure 90% of women diagnosed with advanced cervical cancer receive treatment.
Motsoaledi said six million South African schoolgirls in public schools had already received HPV vaccines since the programme began in 2014. He also confirmed that the government would now extend vaccinations to private schools after the WHO approved a single-dose HPV vaccine schedule.
“We are moving away from older systems and embracing new technology,” he said.
But the minister warned that healthcare innovation could not become something only available to wealthy communities. “Innovation without access is a crime,” he said. “What are you innovating for if it cannot transform humanity?”
Beyond disease prevention, Motsoaledi announced that South Africa is piloting a locally developed digital healthcare information system through the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. The platform is designed to allow patient records to move seamlessly between hospitals, clinics, GPs, and specialists across both public and private healthcare sectors.
“It will track patients from one system to another,” he explained. “It will integrate private and public healthcare.”
The minister said fragmented healthcare systems continued to undermine patient care and efficiency across the country. He also warned that healthcare systems worldwide were under pressure from climate change, new disease outbreaks, and shortages of healthcare workers.
Before the summit, Motsoaledi attended the World Health Assembly in Geneva, where ministers discussed future global healthcare threats and the growing strain on international health systems. While celebrating technological advances, Motsoaledi cautioned that healthcare reform would also require political courage and stronger public systems.
“The question is not whether healthcare systems will innovate,” he said. “The question is whether innovation will strengthen equity and ensure access for all.”
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