Anso Thom

Anso Thom

No reason not to get anti-retroviral drugs to the poor

There is no longer any reason to believe that it should not be possible to get anti-retrovirals to poorer nations, the World Health Organisation said today (Monday). Addressing the first session of the 14th International Conference on HIV/AIDS, Dr Bernhard Schwartlander, director of HIV/AIDS at the WHO said Brazil had shown the way in that it actually cost less money to give people anti-retrovirals that to just let them die.

Read More »No reason not to get anti-retroviral drugs to the poor

Least developed countries need support if Global Fund to succeed

Health minister Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang delivered her budget to Parliament this week. Criticised by the opposition  who  accused  her of a lack of leadership in tackling HIV/AIDS, Tshabalala-Msimang announced her priorities. These included a number of issues ranging from the measures to tackle the AIDS epidemic to the improved training of health professionals. But she also highlighted the need for the Global Fund to disburse much needed money and technical support to the least developed nations.

Read More »Least developed countries need support if Global Fund to succeed

Innovative community health scheme unceremoniously stopped by politicians

The Boland Districts Municipality has stopped an innovative  scheme in Robertson, in which patients attending local clinics  gave a small medication  donation and  managed to raise a significant amount of money  to finance  a wide range of health services not covered by government. Health-e visited the Boland town to investigate the issue.

Read More »Innovative community health scheme unceremoniously stopped by politicians

Staff attitudes one of the main hurdles in making abortion accessible  

The young girl who shot herself in the stomach to get rid of her unwanted pregnancy has always stuck in Elizabeth Serobe'€™s mind.This image is one the main driving forces behind this Soweto midwife's commitment to providing women in Soweto with a choice to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. This week doctors, midwives, social workers and researchers shared their assessment of the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy (TOP) Act with Parliament.

Read More »Staff attitudes one of the main hurdles in making abortion accessible  

Abortion is a human and reproductive right

It is crucial that women, especially those living in less developed parts of the world such as Sub-Saharan Africa, have access to termination of pregnancy (TOP) services, according to Dr Helen Rees of the Reproductive Health Research Unit at Chris Hani Barangwanath Hospital. Rees was one of several TOP experts who made submissions at the national oversight hearings into the implementation of the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act held in Parliament this week.

Read More »Abortion is a human and reproductive right

Nevirapine and drugs for rape survivors all part of a comprehensive healthcare package, says health minister

Providing nevirapine to pregnant women was inevitable and would probably have been rolled out at the end of the year had a Constitutional Court ruling not forced her to announce it sooner, said Health minister Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang. In an exclusive interview,  she  talks about the surprise decision to provide anti-Aids drugs to rape survivors and calls on South Africans to tackle the epidemic as partners, not enemies.

Read More »Nevirapine and drugs for rape survivors all part of a comprehensive healthcare package, says health minister

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