Health e News
Last Friday, the Department of Health released its long overdue policy revision of the prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission programme (PMTCT). But medical experts say the new policy is still inadequate.
Attempts on the HIV prevention front have been dealt yet another blow, following the failure of the Carraguard microbicide to prove effective in preventing HIV infection from males to females.
A recent report by UNICEF says South African AIDS orphans are in a far better position than many from eastern and southern Africa.
There’€™s a further upset in microbicides research as results of Carraguard, the only microbicide candidate to complete all three stages of research, show that the compound does not prevent HIV infection.
On the 25th of January, the Department of Health announced that it would publish new guidelines for the prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission allowing doctors to give both Nevirapine and AZT to pregnant women with HIV. But once again, it seems to be dragging its feet on the matter.
The adoption of new guidelines for the prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission by the Policy Committee of the National Health Council is good news to HIV-positive pregnant women. But it is too little too late for some.
Results of a study set in rural South Africa suggest that young people attending school may be at a lower risk of HIV infection, compared to those who leave school early.
After years of debate, the national Department of Health has changed its protocol for the prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission. Last week, the National Health Council’€™s policy committee adopted new guidelines for PMTCT.
A recent study published in the South African Medical Journal suggests that the shortage of suitable emergency transport services for patients needing intensive care is putting patients’€™ lives at risk and results in an increase in medical costs.
Men as Partners – a project of Engender Health – a group working in gender and health issues, have launched a new DVD highlighting the role that men can play in reducing the spread of HIV.
Snap out of your inaction! That’€™s the message the Society for Family Health is sending out to people who are secretly living with HIV.
The Southern African HIV Clinicians Society has added its voice to the growing criticism of the health department’s failure to get its house in order on the prevention of mother to children transmission (PMTCT) programme.
