Health e News
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The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) confirmed today that a 49-year old male from the Karoo has been the first human to die from Rift Valley Fever in the Western Cape. He died in Oudtshoorn Hospital. The NICD is still investigating the patient’s source of exposure. It is unsure in which manner he contracted the disease. There have been confirmed cases of Rift Valley Fever in animals in the Oudtshoorn area.
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A lot of heads were turned last night when Annie Lennox showed up on ‘Idol Gives Back ‘ wearing a t-shirt with the words ‘HIV POSITIVE’ emblazoned on the front (she also wore the shirt to events last year, including the 2009 Edinburgh Festival of Politics and the 25th Anniversary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame concert in New York last October). The good news is she herself is not HIV positive, but simply showing solidarity with the millions of people who are.
On 13 April 2010 Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi delivered his budget speech in Parliament. He reiterated the efforts that the Department of Health is undertaking to improve health outcomes and meet the targets of the HIV/AIDS & STIs National Strategic Plan (2007-2011) in line with carrying out its 10 point plan to transform the health sector. He also committed South Africa to purchasing the lowest-price antiretroviral (ARV) medicines. This is a challenge to local companies to price their ARVs more competitively.
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We need your help in the fight against cancer! Please call on your government to support a United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Non-Communicable Diseases.
There has been a lot of talk about health system reform, including the National Health Insurance (NHI) system. But the voices of ordinary people who use the government clinics and hospitals every day are missing. The Black Sash, University of Cape Town Health Economics Unit and Health-e are hosting the first provincial health conference in Port Elizabeth to make sure the voices of communities are heard.
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The country’s top political leadership will lead the nation in an historic massive HIV testing drive this morning (Sunday, 25 April).
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Six additional cases ‘ 5 from Free State and 1 from Northern Cape – of Rift Valley fever (RVF) have been reported by the South African National Institute of Communicable Disease (NICD) Laboratory. The total number of laboratory confirmed human cases of RVF is now 149 since the first incident on 13 February 2010.
Medical male circumcision now forms part of government’s policy to reduce new HIV infections. ‘By 2011, medical male circumcision must be practiced all over South Africa’, Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi announced recently when he detailed new protocols for TB and AIDS treatment which came into effect on April 1.
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Read part 3 of a diary that was kept by a TB patient, Lungi Langa as she describes her journey toward recovery from TB.
A large proportion of pregnant women who access antenatal care in South African clinics and hospitals are depressed which could pose a risk to their unborn babies. However, the Perinatal Mental Health Project in Cape Town, which offers counselling to mothers throughout their pregnancy, is playing a role by tackling depression in the initial stages of the pregnancy.
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OPINION:’You will never be the same again’, is a comment you may hear from a health care provider(HCP) on receiving a diagnosis of cancer. This assuming the HCP is bold enough to state this obvious, yet highly controversial statement. You will, in fact, never be the same again.
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The latest newsletter from the health department on the Expansion of HIV Testing and Treatment gives details on the launch which will now take place on April 25.