NCDs+ Blog
About Me
Dr. Vicki Pinkney Atkinson
Vicki is the CEO of the SANCDA+ and writes the blog in her personal capacity as a person living with nearly 20 NCDs+ some since birth.
Tribute to Dr Vicki Pinkney Atkinson
Over 1 in 3 people affected by neurological conditions, the leading cause of illness and disability worldwide
EDITORIAL: With elections and NHI, this is a big year for healthcare in SA
Comment on Prevention & treatment for substance use draft policy
NCDs in the South African National Development Plan – a change of heart?
Letter to minister -NCDs strategic plan implementation & resourcing
Food labelling & advertising regulation for comment by 14 July 2023
NHI Bill- Health Committee briefed by Parliamentary Legal Service & State Law Advisors
Insulin in the time of Covid-19
It is our third week of hosting the #diabetes helpline. One clear message is that access to #insulin and other supplies are problematic in the public sector for those with #type1diabetes or #type2diabetes. Insulin is injected and must be administered as prescribed and...
Government spending – carrying on regardless
Dismal results in the Auditor General’s report on public spending for 2018-19. And, distressing in that government pays so little attention carrying on regardless.
Government spending – carrying on regardless
Dismal results in the Auditor General’s report on public spending for 2018-19. And, distressing in that government pays so little attention carrying on regardless.
Looking for 3 more NCDs years
Living for 3 more years with 20+ NCDs. Join me #VixView
NCDs cause most disability in South Africa
The leading cause of disablity in South Africa is hardly a surprise, HIV/AIDS. And, the good news is that there is a 10% reduction compared to 2007.But what this image shows is that NCDs (the blue dots) remain the largest group illnesses to cause disability...
Comment on NCDs policy draft concept note April 2019
An NCDs concept note, that is set to inform the expired national NCDs policy, is up for comment following a stakeholder consultation in April 2019. Its purpose is to frame and inform South African NCDs policy for the next 5 years. It is the first policy developed in...
NCDs insanity – rewriting health policy
The South African elections are over, and it is back to business. It needs to be business as unusual in the case of NCDs prevention and management. Business as unusual? Einstein characterised insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different...
Young people set to transform global mental health: action needed for young people
Youth Leaders for the Lancet Commission on Global Mental Health will present key mental health recommendations for young people this week at the World Health Assembly. The young people initiated and developed the policy brief to global policymakers. I am excited to...
NCDs lives matter: election 2019
Grand corruption, slow transformation and poor governance dominates the election rhetoric. A health system that fails the people does not feature often. If health gets on the agenda what dominates is back slapping about the 5 million people on HIV treatment, not the...
MY SOUL HAS A HAT
MY SOUL HAS A HAT I counted my years & realized that I have Less time to live by, Than I have lived so far. I feel like a child who won a pack of candies: at first he ate them with pleasure But when he realized that there was little left, he began to...