Discovery Health Journ finalists announced

"The healthcare beat covers finance, economics, ethics, clinical policy, science, wellness, medical technology, research, and the human experience and I am pleased to report there were strong entries from the media that covered some of these topics," says Professor Tawana Kupe, moderator of the judging panel and the executive dean of the Humanities Faculty at the University of the Witwatersrand.

Kupe goes on to say that the mix of the judging panel led to a high level of debate during the judging process. "As a consequence of the collective knowledge and experience of the journalists, medical and media academics on the panel, certain things were highlighted that one group could have missed. It was the most intense and concentrated judging exercise that I have ever been part of."

Second year

"This is the second year that we are honouring the top health journalists and we are delighted that they have been supported so well by the media industry. These awards will become a regular feature on our calendar as we want to continue to support excellent health journalism that is fair, balanced and credible," says Neville Koopowitz, CEO of Discovery Health.

"The group is committed to empowering people to improve their health and thereby contribute to their quality of life. We believe that promoting excellence in health journalism supports this vision as it leads to rigorous debate within the healthcare sector, raises consumers' awareness of healthcare and lifestyle issues as well as impacting on healthcare policy."

Category, prizes

This year a new category, 'Best health consumer reporting and feature writing', was added. Each category winner will receive R25 000. The overall winner, selected from the category finalists, is the Discovery Health Journalist of the Year and receives a total prize of R75 000.

Category 1: Best health economics journalism

• Bruce Whitfield - A quick fix, Finweek
  
• Tamar Kahn - Cutting the cost of HIV treatment, Business Day
  
• Joan Van Zyl - National Health Unsureness, What's New Doc
  
• Carol Paton - Wrong prescription: SA's new health plan, Financial Mail

Category 2: Best analysis and commentary writing

• Anso Thom - NHI won't work until state hospitals are fixed, Cape Times & The Star
  
• Tamar Kahn - Denialists' time has come, Business Day
  
• Antoinette Pienaar - Meningitis: Onnodige Angs, Beeld
  
• Elsabe Brits - ©°Ongesonde klimaat, Die Burger
  
• Elsabe Brits - Man, muis, mammoet, Die Burger

Category 3: Best health news reporting

• Siphokazi Maposa -The city's shame, Cape Argus
  
• Zintle Mapumulo and Kingdom Mabuza - Public service doctor strike, Sowetan
  
• Anso Thom and Lunga Langa - Hovering at death's door, The Star & Cape Times
  
• Tamar Kahn - Health Department backtracks on HIV figures, Business Day
  
• Zintle Mapumulo - Doctor left my mom in the theatre after cutting her open, Sowetan

Category 4: Best investigative reporting

• Zintle Mapumulo - Abortion Pills sold on streets in Soweto, Sowetan
  
• Zintle Mapumulo - Hospital turns the dying away, Sowetan
  
• Kerry Cullinan - Edendale series, Sunday Tribune & Mercury

Category 5: Best healthy lifestyle feature

• Janine Stephen - The new Baby Boomers, Marie Claire
  
• Lori Cohen - Two glasses of wine, Marie Claire
  
• Lydia VD Merwe - H2O beter in ©° bottel, Sarie
  
• Glynis Horning - Women on the verge?, Cosmopolitan

Category 6: Best health consumer reporting and consumer writing

• Glynis Horning - Revenge of the couch potato, Cosmopolitan
  
• Glynis Horning - Jumpstart your libido, Femina
  
• Marzanne van den Berg - Wanneer ©° kind se lag verdwyn, Beeld
  
• Antoinette Pienaar - Nooit te laat om stil moordenaar te stuit, Beeld

Category 7: Best trade publication health journalism

• Chris Bateman - Millions of 'snips' will bolster our health system, SA Medical Journal
  
• Mari Hudson - Thinking outside the black box and Making a mental note, What's New Doc
  
• Mari Hudson ¬ - The Twisting Heart, What's New Doc
  
• Dr Nerina Wilksons and Dr Alek Nikolic - The Dos and don'ts of Botox, What's New Doc
  
• Chris Bateman - Government shifts duty of care to underpaid public sector doctors, SA Medical Journal
  
• Mari Hudson - Revealed: Details of the ANC's NHI plan, What's New Doc
  
• Mari Hudson - Anaesthesia shock: fatal decisions, What's New Doc
  
• Chris Bateman - Up to its eyeballs in sewage - Government pleads for help, SA Medical Journal

Category 8: Radio health journalism

• Khopotso Bodibe - A window into Tender's life, SAFM
  
• Khopotso Bodibe - What drives some men to MCP (part 1), SAFM
  
• Thabile Maphanga - Baby heart, SABC Radio
  
• Thabile Maphanga - Bara doctors, SABC Radio

Category 9: TV health journalism

• Andrea Sasha Wales-Smith - Dik getik, Special Assignment, SABC 3
  
• Anna-Maria Lombard - Price of denial, Third Degree, e-TV
  
• Anna-Maria Lombard - Dora Ngiza, Carte Blanche, M-NET
  
• Yolisa Njamela - NHI, SABC
  
• Julie Laurenz and Nicky Troll - Facelift, Carte Blanche, M-NET
  
• Julie Laurenz and Nicky Troll - Dead meds, Carte Blanche, M-NET.