Out of 120 million Nigerians about 2.6 million are living with HIV/AIDS. Helen Shok-Jok, a journalist who has worked in Nigeria for the past 16 years, says that government in that country has shown no political will when it comes to addressing the HIV epidemic. She adds that the situation is getting worse as people are still afraid to disclose their HI status because of the stigma that is still attached to the disease. Shok-Jok added that the silence about HIV/AIDS was an issue in all regions and that those who are being tested are pregnant women. Thandeka Teyise of Health-e News Service asked Shok-Jok for an update on HIV/AIDS in Nigeria.

Prof. Richard Feachem, Executive Director of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria is concluding a week-long fact-finding mission to South Africa, which is expected to culminate in the signing off on a document that will see the first funds of a promised total of $US 150 million (R1.2 billion) released to the government.

As the TAC'€™s civil disobedience campaign against government'€™s tendency to drag its feet in introducing a comprehensive AIDS treatment programme in the public health sector continues, Khopotso Bodibe went out to seek the views of ordinary South Africans on this heated and somewhat controversial debate.