Health e News
KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo visited fellow doctor Nerissa Pather at her home after seeing Health-e’s ‘Special Assignment’ feature on her.
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We are ready to tackle HIV and AIDS! That was the gist of Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi’€™s address today (25 March) when he announced plans for a massive national HIV counseling and testing campaign which aims to reach 15 million South Africans. The Minister also spoke about plans with regard to the rollout of new guidelines for AIDS and TB treatment, due for implementation at the beginning of April.
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A protein discovered in fruit fly eyes has brought a Johns Hopkins team closer to understanding how the human heart and other organs automatically “right size” themselves, a piece of information that may hold clues to controlling cancer.
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South Africa’s antiretroviral treatment guidelines have been updated. The guidelines offer a range of improvements over the 2004 guidelines including new, more tolerable antiretrovirals, immediate ARV treatment for drug-resistant TB patients and improved prevention of mother to child transmission procedures.
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Five (5) more people have been infected with Rift Valley Fever (RVF), bringing the total to 52 of laboratory confirmed human cases since the first incident on 13 February 2010. The mortality rate remains the same at 2.
At a media briefing later this morning (25/03/2010), Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi will outline how ready the country’€™s health facilities are to test up to 15 million people for HIV. This is for the imminent HIV Counseling and Testing (HCT) campaign launching in April. People who have tested and are living with HIV indicate that they are ready to help if needed.
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As of this morning 24 March 2010, five (5) more laboratory confirmed human cases of Rift Valley Fever (RVF) have been reported by the National Institute of Communicable Disease (NICD), bringing the total to 47 of people infected by RVF.
Mpumalanga’€™s cure rate of 60% for Tuberculosis falls far below the national target of 70% and is a sign that the province’€™s TB Control Programme is failing. Many patients are defaulting on treatment and dying of TB. The province is also home to one of the six districts with the worst track-record of curing TB in South Africa. A critical staff shortage, says the provincial TB unit head, is hindering progress.
From the 1st of April, HIV and TB patients will experience a major shift in policy when they go for their next appointment at a public health facility. The two will be treated by the same unit from now on. We find out why.
My name is Lungi Langa. I am a 24-year-old HIV-negative health journalist. I am living with TB. It sounds odd when I say that. But it’€™s real.
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To date Tuesday morning, 23 March 2010, the National Institute of Communicable Disease (NICD) has reported 42 laboratory confirmed human cases of Rift Valley Fever (RVF). There has been no increase since Sunday.
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Sir Elton John today (23 March) announced from Cape Town, South Africa, the granting of a £984,000 award to mothers2mothers (m2m) to be used to help prevent hundreds of thousands of babies across Africa from contracting HIV and empowering mothers living with HIV.