World Health Month: The Metric We’re Missing
Every year, World Health Month prompts the same conversation… We talk about prevention. We talk about lifestyle. We talk about the growing burden of chronic disease and the need to intervene earlier, more effectively, and more sustainably. All important, all priorities. Yet, despite all of this, the trajectory hasn’t shifted in the way we might […]
7 April World Health Day: Stand With Science, But Don’t Stop Asking Questions
Every year on 7 April, the world marks World Health Day, a global initiative led by the World Health Organization (WHO) to highlight major health challenges and promote action to improve public health. In 2026, the theme is “Together for health. Stand with science.” The campaign encourages governments, scientists, health workers, and the public to […]
The Real Easter Egg: Nature’s Original Multivitamin
Every Easter, eggs suddenly appear everywhere. Chocolate eggs wrapped in bright foil. Caramel eggs. Giant eggs. Mini eggs. Purple eggs. Pink eggs. Even blue eggs. Entire supermarket aisles devoted to them. Children hunt for them in gardens, and adults pretend they’re buying them “for the kids”. But hidden underneath all that seasonal sugar is a […]
Greatest Moments of My 11 Years
After 11 years with The Noakes Foundation, it’s both humbling and emotional to pause and reflect on a journey that has shaped not only my career but my purpose. What began as stepping into the unknown quickly became a mission far greater than any one individual, a shared vision to challenge the status quo and […]
24 March: World TB Day Tuberculosis, Immunity and the Power of Metabolic Health
More than 140 years ago, on 24 March 1882, the German physician Robert Koch announced his discovery of the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, identifying the cause of tuberculosis (TB) and transforming the understanding of infectious diseases (3). Yet more than a century later, the fight against TB is far from over. Each year, World TB Day […]
Health Is a Human Right: Addressing Inequality in South Africa
Health is not a luxury; it is a fundamental human right. Yet in a society marked by persistent inequality, the right to health is not experienced equally. Human Rights Day reminds us of the struggle for dignity and justice in South Africa’s history. It is also an opportunity to reflect on the inequalities that continue […]
National Breakfast Day: The 100-Year-Old Myth Behind “The Most Important Meal of the Day”
Every year on 18 March, the phrase “National Breakfast Day” pops up across media channels, a marketing-friendly celebration of the meal many of us were told we should never skip. It’s the meal that supposedly kick-starts metabolism, fuels the brain, and sets the tone for the day. And of course, it’s the meal we’ve all […]
World Kidney Day: Your Body’s Filters Under Pressure
Every day, your kidneys filter almost 180 litres of blood (the same amount of fluid that fills an average bathtub), quietly removing waste, balancing fluids and electrolytes, regulating blood pressure, and even helping produce red blood cells. Most of the time, you never notice them working. They simply do their job in the background. But […]
International Women’s Day: Women Leading Change
Change does not always begin in parliaments or protest marches. Sometimes it begins in kitchens, around dinner tables, and in the everyday decisions about what families eat. Across the world, women play a central role in shaping household food environments, influencing the meals that nourish families and the habits that shape lifelong health (1). These […]
World Obesity Day: Real Food as a Response to a Global Crisis
Every year on 4 March, World Obesity Day brings together organisations, health professionals, and communities across the globe to raise awareness about obesity and its impact on health (1). Launched in 2015, the campaign is led by the World Obesity Federation, which works in official relations with the World Health Organization (WHO) (2). In 2026, […]