The current landscape of healthcare in South Africa reflects one of the most dynamic sectors in the country with an array of disparities at play. In the midst of these challenges faced, the South African Association for Bioethics and Health Law (SAABHL) was founded in 2024 with Neil Kirby, Director and Head of our Healthcare & Life Sciences practice area at Werksmans Attorneys, as a founding member.
 
This Association was established in order to bring together lawyers, healthcare providers, bioethicists, academics and other relevant experts into a single forum in order to discuss the fast-paced developments in, and the future of South African health law. The SAABHL presents a unique and pioneering opportunity to bring those constituencies and expertise together in one forum to foster learning and share thoughts, ideas and approaches. The establishment of SAABHL is an exciting chapter in the development of healthcare law, from a regulatory perspective in South Africa - a first of its kind and a unique opportunity for persons dealing with any manner of legislation, regulation or ethical rules to trade in and expand expertise in the field of South African health law and to join and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our colleagues in the field of healthcare law internationally.
 
"I am incredibly honoured to be a founding member of the SAABHL, an association that will bring together various disciplines in the South African healthcare sector in a multiparty dialogue to address, understand and debate the status of and developments in the South African healthcare sector," said Kirby.
 
Other founding members include, Mr H Snoyman at Discovery Health Medical Scheme, Ms A Richards of ENS and Dr A McAlpine. As part of this initiative, the Mandela Institute, School of Law at the University of the Witwatersrand - in partnership with the SAABHL - will be hosting a Masterclass Series on Healthcare Law and Policy featuring four expert - led sessions aimed at enhancing understanding of key issues in healthcare law. The first Masterclass, taking place on the 13th of March 2025, will unpack the navigation of medical schemes with Neil Kirby as one of the presenters. For further information, please click here.
 
Werksmans' association to this Masterclass is only by virtue of Neil Kirby's presentation slot as a member of the SAABHL and is not an initiative of Werksmans.