Although South Africa does not feature prominently in UNICEF's State of the World's Children report, statistics reveal how the country is performing.

"It is deeply ironic that despite widespread concern about the lack of sustainable development in numerous countries around the world, government leaders, policy makers and development agents seem blinded to the one investment opportunity with almost guaranteed returns '€“ ensuring children start a good life." This is how the United Nation Children'€™s Fund (UNICEF) summarises "The State of the World'€™s Children" in its 2001 report. By Anso Thom

While some might baulk at an annual figure of US $3 billion suggested by UNAIDS to combat HIV/AIDS in Africa, this amount is a mere fraction of the $52 billion the United States spends each year treating people for the medical consequences of being overweight.

A British study shows that the chronic use of pain killers commonly used for arthritis leads to the death of some two thousand patients each year. South African specialists confirm these findings.

Will South Africa be able to stem the tide before it is too late? Will the country show a commitment towards finding innovative ways to treat the already more than four million people living with HIV/AIDS or providing a sanctuary for the millions of orphans that will result from the epidemic? Or will our response continue to be questions related to the link between HIV and AIDS, the toxicity of drugs such as AZT or the vested interests of the drug companies. Anso Thom reports

Suzanne believes in not telling children more than they ask when it comes to sex. '€œDon'€™t overload them,'€ says the mother of Cape Town teenager Catherine (14).

If party political promises would translate into improved basic health care, the lives of many underprivileged South African would be transformed - and yet when it come to health issues most parties are only interested in beating the HIV/AIDS drum to woo voters. By Anso Thom

The Medicines Control Council last week approved a new HIV/AIDS antiretroviral drug that combines AZT and 3TC. But it's going to cost patients over R1 000 per month. By ANSO THOM.

Evidence from over 35 studies is increasingly showing that male circumcision provides significant protection against heterosexual HIV infection and that circumcised males are two to eight times less likely to become infected by women with the virus. Some researchers say the jury is still out on the procedure, others are calling for immediate implementation. Anso Thom investigates

The health department and the SA Bureau of Standards have been caught with their pants down. Clinics have run out of condoms, while the Department of Health claim they have received no requests for additional stocks from the depots that supply the clinics.