Migrant Children and Immunisation Gaps in South Africa Opening: a worrying real-world snapshot When one thinks of immunisation in South Africa, the assumption is often that children — whoever they are — receive vaccines via the state’s well-established immunisation schedule. But for many migrant children, especially those whose parents are foreign nationals or undocumented, reality […]
When networks become lifelines: a migrant household in Johannesburg In 2024, a family of Mozambican migrants living in a township near Johannesburg spoke with researchers about their weekly food situation. They reported surviving on “what the group can afford together.” Neither parent had stable employment. Instead, they pooled income and shared staples bought in bulk
Long-Term Health Implications of Dietary Acculturation for Second-Generation African Migrants in South Africa Introduction: Migration and Metabolic Risk Consider a hypothetical child, born in Johannesburg to parents who migrated from rural Limpopo. At home, the family still eats traditional meals such as maize porridge (pap), leafy greens, and pulses. Outside the home, at school and
Barriers to Healthcare Access for Diet‑Related Non‑Communicable Diseases (NCDs) Among Undocumented African Migrants in South Africa Introduction: A Hidden Burden in Plain Sight “ I worry when my chest feels tight and I cannot eat; but I dare not go to the clinic. I might be turned away.” — interview with an undocumented migrant in
The Invisible Barrier: How Xenophobia Undermines Health Access for African Migrants in South Africa In June 2025, a 32‑year-old female migrant from Zimbabwe — let us call her Amina — arrived at a busy public clinic in Johannesburg with fever and persistent cough. Clinic staff demanded identification and proof of documentation. When Amina could not produce
Maternal and Child Health Among Mozambican Migrants in Border Communities Opening: A Border Story, A Human Cost In a rural border community in northeastern South Africa — home to many former refugees and migrants from Mozambique — 4‑year-old Maria* died of a preventable illness after missing her routine immunisation. Her mother, a Mozambican migrant, lacked
Maternal and Child Health Outcomes Among Mozambican Migrant Women in Border Communities Read More »
Overcrowding and Disease Transmission Among SADC Migrants in Hillbrow Opening: A Dense Reality with High Stakes Hillbrow, Johannesburg’s inner-city, is a microcosm of density, diversity—and vulnerability. Once a well-maintained apartment district, decades of neglect, high migration, and poverty have transformed parts of Hillbrow into overcrowded, under-serviced high-rises. Wikipedia+1 Research shows that more than half of
TB and Migration: Is South Africa’s Health System Ready Opening: Snapshot & Case Study In 2023, South Africa recorded roughly 270,000 new tuberculosis (TB) cases and an estimated 56,000 deaths. (tbac.org.za) Although the country reduced TB incidence by 51% since 2015, the burden remains high. South Africa also hosts a large migrant population. The 2022
The Double-Edged Sword: How Cross-Border Migration of Zimbabwean Healthcare Workers Affects South Africa’s Public Healthcare System Opening: A Crisis at the Crossroads When Documentation Denies Life-Saving Care In December 2023, a gunshot shattered Zweli’s leg. The pseudonymous Zimbabwean national had just finished his part-time job in Pretoria’s Nellmapius suburb. When the ambulance arrived, he faced
Southern Africa’s Climate Migration in 2050: Preparing Health Systems Today Opening: A Changing Migration Horizon Imagine Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, in 2050. Urban sprawl is no longer driven solely by economic migration. Increasingly, people move because climate change has destroyed rural livelihoods. Rural communities in Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Mozambique face worsening droughts, failing crops, and water
