After many delays, South Africa has a new National Health Act. The framework legislation is due to become operational in the coming weeks, once signed into law by the President. Health-e summarises the issues that the Act addresses.
A consultative workshop involving the national health minister, her provincial counterparts, scientists, researchers and other experts has agreed that nevirapine will remain as therapy to prevent the transmission of HIV from a pregnant women to her child. A decision on alternative therapy will be taken once further research has been conducted.
A group of youngsters brought a hush to Parliament'€™s Old Assembly chamber this week when they spoke about their lives of poverty and hardship and how they thought the proposed Children'€™s Bill could create a happier future for them.
CAPE TOWN - A group of youngsters brought a hush to Parliament'€™s Old Assembly chamber this week when they spoke about their lives of poverty and hardship and how they thought the proposed Children'€™s Bill could create a happier future for them.
Growth in spending on health personnel masks the abolition of 19 000 filled posts while spending levels on health care per person has declined since the mid-1990s.
South Africa'€™s northwestern neighbour has one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the world. With 38 percent of its 1,7 million population infected with HIV, Botswana has shown determined leadership in providing free antiretroviral therapy to all its citizens who need it.
The greatest shortage among health professionals is in the nursing sector which has a 25 percent vacancy rate, but a failure to address human resource issues at all levels is undermining the entire public health system.
Two leading international health experts have given government'€™s new policy on transparent medicine pricing the thumbs up.
AIDS activists have accused US President George Bush of hampering HIV prevention campaigns.
Cheaper drugs, certificates of need, social health insurance? Has government made sudden and major shifts in health policy?
The World Health Organisation warns that cardiovascular disease, tobacco-related illness and road deaths are increasingly responsible for millions of deaths in the developing world.
Five to six million people infected with HIV/AIDS in the developing world need access to anti-retroviral drugs, but only about 400 000 receive this life-prolonging treatment.
