Health e News
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The 2008 antenatal clinic survey, which measures the prevalence levels of HIV amongst pregnant women attending public health care facilities, shows that HIV in this group is not declining.
CAPE TOWN – More than one-million babies are stillborn during labour every year ‘€“ 98% in low- and middle-income countries – yet global policy discussions around these largely silent deaths are mostly nonexistent. On top of this another 904 000 babies die soon after birth due to birth complications, closely linked to almost half of the world’€™s 536 000 maternal deaths.
The Minister of Health, Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi spoke at the recent launch of the 2008 National Antenatal Sentinel HIV and Syphilis Prevalence Survey.
Phakamile Magamdela recently visited Virginia O’€™Grady, a widowed 82 year-old who now lives at a retirement village in Johannesburg under the careful supervision of care-givers. Virginia has Alzheimer’€™s disease.
CAPE TOWN ‘€“African countries, much poorer and less resourced than South Africa, are using trained mid-level health workers to perform tasks traditionally reserved for doctors, including surgery, and in the process saving the lives.
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Infection control experts at Johns Hopkins and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control report that a contentious debate in the medical community over what type of protective masks health workers should wear to prevent the spread of H1N1 and other flu viruses is dangerously distracting the health care community from focusing on simple prevention measures that are clearly known to work.
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Over four million people were receiving AIDS treatment in low and middle-income countries by the end of last year – a significant increase from five years ago. But although access to treatment has improved, five million more people had still not received ARVs in 2008.
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Less than half of adults and children needing antiretroviral treatment (ART) in sub-Saharan Africa – where two-thirds of all global HIV infections occur – are receiving it. This is despite the region showing the greatest gains worldwide in terms of access to the lifesaving drugs.
Six provinces may run out of anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs as a result of a financial shortfall experienced by the Department of Health totalling one billion rand.
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With the economy in a recession, fears abound that government funding of major health programmes, including HIV/AIDS, could diminish. But the country cannot afford to let its citizens go without much-needed treatment, warns the head of the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC).
A 25 year-old Johannesburg man shares his story of growing up with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and how he overcame the challenges associated with the condition, turning his life into a success story.
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An HIV activist since testing HIV positive eleven years ago Pholokgolo Ramothwala has written an open letter urging all those living with the disease to assist in reducing stigma and the number of new infections.