Health e News
- ///Free State, News
At the first public forum to discuss the antiretroviral rollout, healthworkers are blunt about their problems.
- ///Health
In his memoir Justice Edwin Cameron reveals how social and political denial, fear of illness and death, government’s reluctance to provide ARV therapy as well as the double stigma of being homosexual and infected, impacted on his life.
Breastfeeding of babies by a non-biological caregiver with HIV is one of the most important factors associated with HIV infection in children. A study released in Cape Town this week also found that there is a potential for health-care acquired transmission of HIV in the maternity, paediatric and dental facilities in the Free State health institutions.
- ///Health
Thousands of teachers have been lost to HIV. An HSRC study has revealed the extent of the epidemic among educators and has called for 10 000 to be placed on anti-retroviral treatment with immediate effect.
- ///Health
Jaco Joseph (17) returns to his Vredendal home after almost three years in Cape Town hospitals as doctors battled to cure him of Multi Drug Resistant TB. Jaco will return to his foster parents and six year old brother after losing his mother to the same disease. Anso Thom spoke to him before he boarded a minibus taxi.
- ///Health
The TB rate in Cape Town continues to be among the highest in the world, yet the city has managed to achieve impressive cure rates.
- ///Health
Researchers in Stellenbosch and Zambia are testing hundreds of school children for TB infection as part of a study which aims to cut the TB burden in half.
- ///Health
South Africa has one of the highest TB rates in the world but a cure rate of only 54%. On International TB Day, Health-e investigates the disease that is the country’s biggest killer.
Government will be able to supply state patients with three antiretroviral drugs (triple therapy) for around R100 a month.
More people are affected by the negative impact of poor water supply and sanitation than by war, terrorism, and weapons of mass destruction combined, according to a paper published in this week’s issue of The Lancet. Almost 4 000 children are killed everyday by this ‘silent humanitarian crisis’.
- ///News
After the post remained vacant for a couple of months, the national Department of Health now has a new Chief Director for the HIV and AIDS, TB and STI’s cluster. Dr Nomonde Xundu’s appointment comes at a crucial time when implementation of the Care and Treatment Plan for HIV and AIDS needs to be strengthened. A bit uncomfortable, she spoke to Health-e about what work awaits her.