The news in brief
A national circular announces approved tuberculosis updates, including care around birth, and asks services to implement them.
The health department has announced approved updates to its primary care and hospital treatment guidelines. Its circular points to a new primary-care tuberculosis chapter, which includes new guidance on perinatal tuberculosis and updates aligned with the national tuberculosis programme. Perinatal care concerns the period around birth, which makes the update relevant to pregnancy and newborn services. National treatment guideline update, 1 October 2026
The circular also describes changes to the adult and paediatric hospital chapters. It directs services to the national repository of guideline chapters, medicine reviews and supporting reports. Different levels of care have different guidance, and a summary circular does not replace the full chapter when choosing treatment. National treatment guideline update, 1 October 2026
The department asks for the updates to be disseminated and implemented immediately. That instruction is not evidence that every facility has completed implementation. Families should discuss care with their clinical team rather than infer a medicine regimen from a publication announcement. National treatment guideline update, 1 October 2026
Going further
This news item is part of a broader topic, which our page South Africa: pregnancy, HIV and STIs and periods covers in detail.
Read the page: South Africa: pregnancy, HIV and STIs and periods