Netcare has submitted an application to the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority for approval of an artificial intelligence-based system. This system is designed to predict early signs of life-threatening patient deterioration in inpatient settings following clinical trials conducted in the group's intensive and high-tech care units.
The system is an artificial neural network that applies machine learning algorithms to real-time patient data. This data includes heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and respiratory rate, which are continuously monitored via Netcare's digital health platform. The goal is to capture clinical risk before it becomes detectable by traditional methods.
The development is based on the quick SOFA score, a well-established indicator used in critical care. Professor Ritze Rodset, Head of Innovation and Clinical Data Research at Netcare, stated in a Wednesday submission that 'the qSOFA score has already proven its value in critical care as an indicator of potential risk for developing serious conditions such as heart failure, respiratory distress requiring mechanical ventilation, infection, sepsis, or acute cardiac arrhythmias.'
The algorithm was created by Telehealth Competence Centre (TCC) Clinical Solutions, a German clinical AI manufacturer that has been collaborating with Netcare since 2023. After TCC's development, researchers from Netcare, TCC, the University of KwaZulu-Natal, and DigitalOn Tech tested the algorithm over several years. Netcare did not disclose the study data, sample size, or performance metrics.
Professor Christian Storm, CEO and co-founder of TCC, and a specialist in internal medicine, intensive care, and emergency medicine, noted in a statement that 'remote digital intensive care monitoring provides high-frequency real-time data that serves as the basis for predicting a person's medical course using AI, proactively identifying areas where preventive treatment can be useful for directing earlier intervention.'
Both companies emphasized that patient data security is a central element of this agreement. The application was submitted after the regulatory framework was published a year earlier. Sahpra released its first consolidated requirements for AI and machine learning-supported medical devices in September 2025, based on regulations from the International Medical Device Regulation Forum, the US FDA, EU, UK's MHRA, Singapore's Health Sciences Authority, and the World Health Organization.
Under these rules, any device with AI or machine learning requires Sahpra approval before use in South Africa, and importers and distributors must hold a medical device license. Devices are classified by class from A to D depending on risk, with systems directly influencing clinical decisions typically falling into classes C or D—the two highest levels. Manufacturers are required to comply with ISO 13485:2016 and provide a technical file covering software design, validation, risk analysis, and cybersecurity, as well as clinical evidence, including real-world validation and model performance analysis across different patient subgroups. Sahpra has not yet begun full registration of medical devices under the Medical Device Regulations 2016 and has stated that it is actively engaging with the industry during the transition period.
Netcare and TCC are working on creating additional models. These include predicting the risk of kidney failure and respiratory difficulties requiring ventilation, both while hospitalized and after discharge, as well as calculating the probability of a patient being readmitted to the intensive care unit after leaving it. Rodset added: 'Based on the algorithm's capabilities, we are now focusing on models that further protect hospital patients.'
Group Medical Director Dr. Anchen Loubscher noted that Netcare's shift towards a data and AI-driven approach, under the leadership of CEO Dr. Richard Friedland, places the company among global healthcare trends. She stated: 'Today, the intelligent use of AI has become an integral part of healthcare. Clinical indicators obtained through this technology provide valuable data to support doctors' treatment decisions, often creating opportunities to prevent clinical deterioration.'
Netcare has not specified when it expects a decision from Sahpra.
Transplanting gut bacteria allowed six people with severe peanut allergies to tolerate small amounts of the product. The results, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, may open a new path for treating food allergies.
This study is the first evidence in human trials that the gut microbiota can be used to attempt to reduce allergic reactions. Before the procedure, all fifteen participants reacted to small doses of peanut protein and could not consume more than 100 milligrams without symptoms, which is less than half a peanut.
Four months after the transplant, six volunteers showed improvement. One of them was able to tolerate 300 milligrams of protein, while the other five reached a level of 600 milligrams or higher, which is about two and a half peanuts.
This result received significant attention because currently, people with severe allergies must completely avoid this product and constantly carry injectable adrenaline in case of accidental contact.
The idea for the work arose after studies linked food allergies to changes in gut bacteria. It is hypothesized that these microorganisms help regulate the immune system's response.
During the experiment, participants were given tasteless and odorless capsules containing gut bacteria collected from healthy volunteers who were not allergic to peanuts. Most took 36 pills in one day. Five participants also underwent an antibiotic course for four days before the procedure.
Nine people did not show improvement. The scientific team proposes several possible explanations, but the researchers believe that the observed response justifies further stages of study, despite the differences between participants.
To better understand the mechanism of action of this method, scientists transplanted bacteria from participants into mice and analyzed the animals' reaction to egg white.
Mice that received bacteria from people who improved their condition in the study were protected against developing egg allergies. This finding suggests that the effect may not be limited only to peanuts.
During the analysis, the team identified a protective species in the animals: Bacteroides ovatus. The discovery of microorganisms capable of reducing the excessive immune response is one of the main goals of this field of research.
Despite the positive results, gut bacterial transplantation is still at the experimental stage and is not available to patients. The team is already preparing a new, larger clinical trial to determine which bacteria have the best effect and who has the highest chance of a positive response to the procedure.
In the next stage, participants will receive a dose of bacterial cocktail approximately 12 times larger than in the first study, and the application will be distributed over a month instead of being concentrated in just one day. This work strengthens the research direction aimed at using gut microbiota as a potential tool in controlling food allergies.
Rwanda has issued an order to recall all types of alcoholic beverages and has closed 101 production sites. These measures were taken after inspections revealed widespread violations of safety and licensing regulations at various distilleries.
The Rwanda Food and Drug Authority (Rwanda FDA) announced these measures on Monday, as inspections uncovered the widespread nature of violations in the distilleries. The recall affects numerous local alcoholic drinks.
According to the Rwandan Ministry of Health, poisoning from contaminated alcohol has led to the death of at least 50 people this year, over 500 required hospitalization, and approximately 100 people reported blindness.
Health Minister Sabine Nsanzimana stated that the situation is being treated as an epidemic, warning that the country 'will pay tomorrow' if urgent action is not taken.
These actions come against a backdrop of high alcohol consumption in Rwanda. According to the Seventh Demographic and Health Survey of Rwanda, 15% of men and 7% of women consume alcohol daily, while half of men and 18% of women aged 15 to 49 reported consuming alcohol in the last month.
Rwanda's campaign aligns with broader regional efforts to combat alcohol abuse. In neighboring Kenya, authorities launched a nationwide campaign in 2024, closing thousands of illegal bars and distilleries, tightening licensing rules, and imposing stricter penalties on establishments violating operating hours.
Uganda has also intensified its efforts to address alcohol abuse with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), which endorsed new national guidelines for treating alcohol-related disorders.
WHO also noted that European colonial expansion transformed alcohol in Africa from a predominantly local product into a commercial commodity through taxation and mass distribution. In its review, the agency indicated that during the colonial period, 'the commercialization and taxation of alcoholic beverages were introduced,' and alcohol availability was used as a tool for controlling the local workforce.
The General Consulate of Uzbekistan in Almaty assisted an Uzbek woman who suffered a stroke while in Kazakhstan and helped her return to her homeland.
Consular diplomats promptly addressed the situation. A certificate for return was issued to the woman to facilitate her departure, and the purchase of an airline ticket from 'Almaty to Tashkent' was organized. Furthermore, the consulate coordinated the exit process with relevant migration and law enforcement structures of Kazakhstan, ensuring a legal return procedure.
As part of this assistance, the Consulate also expressed gratitude to a resident of Kazakhstan who voluntarily provided support to the Uzbek citizen during her illness. This resident provided her with housing, necessary items and food, and assisted with document processing and solving daily problems.
Representatives of the diplomatic mission stated their intention to continue supporting Uzbek citizens facing difficult life circumstances outside the country. Previously, Uzbek diplomats had also helped a compatriot reduce treatment costs for cancer in China.
