A senior cardiologist at the largest hospital in the southern hemisphere recently slammed the South African medical profession as being racist, corrupt and self-serving. He acknowledged that South Africa had all the attributes for success, but just had to "get things right".
Medical innovations such as the DNA revolution, the microchip and the Human Genome Project, along with diseases such as HIV/AIDS, have shifted the way in which medicine will be practised said Professor William Makgoba in a wide-ranging speech to the South African Medical Association
The social security system is failing hundreds of children in one of the poorest regions of South Africa. Children hospitalised for severe malnutrition in the Mt Frere distrtict are being discharged simply to face starvation again as their child support grants fail to materialise, despite several applications being lodged.
The fact that one dose may lead to the creation of an HI-virus resistant to Nevirapine is no reason in itself not to register the anti-AIDS drug, but there should be strict monitoring by the drug companies of this, according to Professor Helen Rees chairperson of the Medicines Control Council (MCC).
Black Sash and COSATU have made recommendations to the Committee and have called for a grant that is accessible to all children
Three grants are currently available to children, but they reach only a small percentage and it is difficult to access.
Statistics reflecting the "state of our children"
It has been almost two and a half years since Parliament passed the Medicines and Related Substances Control Amendment Act on October 31, 1997. During this time the legislation has been tied up in litigation instituted by the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers' Association who argue that their patent rights will be ignored by section 15c of the new law. AIDS activists around the world have thrown their weight behind the South African government in its bid to create a legal framework to ensure more affordable drugs.
Despite praising the Department of Health for effectively managing malaria, the South African Health Review today warned that there had been a dramatic rise since 1996.
The Treatment Action Campaign has had an impressive, worldwide response to a call for an international day of action against "pharmaceutical company profiteering at the expense of the lives of people with HIV/AIDS". From Brail to Australia and Paris to Vancouver, activists will gather today in solidarity.
The hopes of millions of South Africans and fellow Africans will be pinned on the outcome of the court case between 41 pharmaceutical companies and Government which starts in Pretoria today (Monday). Health-e investigate what gave rise to the case and the opposing arguments that are likely to be presented.
HIV infection, if it remains uncontrolled, has the potential to swamp progress made in tuberculosis (TB) control, according to the South African Health Review released today.
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