Sarah Downs 🇿🇦

I wish I believed this.

The HPV vaccine can prevent most cases of cervical cancer if the vaccine is given before girls are exposed to the virus #EndHPV #GetVaccinated #VaccinesWork #VaccinesAreSafe

The @WitsVIDA team making a splash at @WitsHealthFac School of Clinical Medicine research day. A very busy stand with many keen on research & collaboration. Our own Dr Hall won an award for best oral. Shout out to @GmyworldG for being a great sport & taking our quiz to get a mug!

@atkinsmike1 @DStv Get Waka tv.

I know that this is a first-world problem, but the @DStv app is really cr***y at the moment.

Today is #WorldPatientSafety @WitsHealthFac @WitsVIDA will be represented by Dr Siobhan Johnstone #CHAMPS. Webinar from 10:00 - 12:00 with key Department of Health experts: “Safe care for every newborn and every child” @ShabirMadh @miamalan Register: zoom.us/webinar/regist…

@SonOfScrat @AshrafGarda Have you bought anything online recently? I bought a flood light, there were more than 11 languages. QR codes are also a thing if you don't want to print. Why are English and Afrikaans the most impt to be on there? What is the most spoken home language in SA?

Dr Khoza on @AshrafGarda raising impt points about language in SA - if you buy meds, side effects are in English & Afrikaans & this applies to many things. This long into our democracy we are perpetuating inequality in so many areas still. Continue speaking up dr #womensday

@BoerSlim @AshrafGarda Not true. Many ppl read them when they are accessible. Everyone has a right to be informed about their health. Also, it's one example she gave Abt a much wider issue.

I think going forward whenever I say I'm good, I'm doing great, I need to also yell to the universe - THAT IS NOT A CHALLENGE

Recently I went through something super hard that shook me entirely. The silver lining? I learned that sewing kindness and friendship means when you're in crisis, you have an army of people who just want to support you.

This morning, not a fan of the cold, my windscreen frost reminded me: All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost

Malnutrition is on a dangerous trajectory in the Gaza Strip, marked by a spike in deaths in July. Of 74 malnutrition-related deaths in 2025, 63 occurred in July—including 24 children under five, a child over five, and 38 adults. Most of these people were declared dead on arrival at health facilities or died shortly after, their bodies showing clear signs of severe wasting. The crisis remains entirely preventable. Deliberate blocking and delay of large-scale food, health, and humanitarian aid has cost many lives. Nearly one in five children under five in #Gaza City is now acutely malnourished, as reported by Nutrition Cluster partners. Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM), which measures the percentage of children aged 6–59 months suffering from acute malnutrition, has tripled since June, making it the worst-hit area in the Gaza Strip. In Khan Younis and the Middle Area, rates have doubled in less than one month. These figures are likely an underestimation due to the severe access and security constraints preventing many families from reaching health facilities. So far in July, over 5000 children under five have already been admitted for outpatient treatment of malnutrition in just the first two weeks, 18% of them with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), the most life-threatening form. This continues a significant rising trend since May, with 6500 children admitted for treatment in June, which is the highest number recorded since October 2023. An additional 73 children with SAM and medical complications were hospitalized in July, compared to 39 in June, bringing total inpatient admissions in 2025 to 263. This surge in cases is overwhelming the only four specialized malnutrition treatment centres in the Gaza Strip, pushing an already fragile health system closer to collapse. All four centres are working beyond capacity, running low on fuel, with their supplies expected to run out by mid-next month. Health workers are exhausted, and the breakdown of water and sanitation systems is accelerating the spread of disease, driving a dangerous cycle of illness and death. The crisis is taking a severe toll on pregnant and breastfeeding women. Recent Nutrition Cluster screening data shows that over 40% are severely malnourished. The situation is most critical in the Middle Area, where rates have tripled compared to June, and in Gaza City and Khan Younis, where they have doubled. It is not only hunger that is killing people but also the desperate search for food. Families are being forced to risk their lives for a handful of food, often under dangerous and chaotic conditions. Since 27 May, more than 1060 people have been killed and 7200 injured while trying to access food. ▶️ WHO calls for urgent, sustained efforts to flood the Gaza Strip with diverse, nutritious food and to expedite the delivery of therapeutic supplies for children and vulnerable groups, as well as essential medicines and supplies. This flow must remain consistent and unhindered to support recovery and prevent further deterioration. ▶️WHO reiterates its call for the protection of civilians and health. ▶️WHO also calls for the release of our detained colleague, the release of hostages, and for an immediate #ceasefire.

Gaza is suffering man-made mass starvation caused by a blockade on aid into the Palestinian enclave, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said reut.rs/44JnCAE

"now"

It’s never too late to catch-up #VaccinesWork

While an #HIV vaccine remains elusive, lenacapavir is the next best thing: a long-acting antiretroviral shown in trials to prevent almost all HIV infections among those at risk. Today, @WHO released new guidelines on the use of injectable lenacapavir: who.int/news/item/14-0…

⚠️ 1.3 million people acquired HIV in 2024 alone, including thousands of adolescent girls and young women. Today, in a landmark move towards HIV prevention, WHO recommends twice-yearly injectable lenacapavir as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to protect people at risk of HIV.

Vaccine Hesitancy Webinar today at 13:00, aimed at Journalists. Will also include Prof Michelle Groome. To join: @a6fa3b03-0a3c-4258-8433-a120dffcd348" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">events.teams.microsoft.com/event/6eedeb13…

Did she mean this to sound the way it does?

Manages to nail condescending and tone deaf all at the same time.