Health e News

Anger brews at AIDS conference

A little corner of the Impact Conference Centre in Bangkok felt like home but for all the wrong reasons.

WHO wants 500 000 on treatment in SA

The World Health Organisation has high expectations of what South Africa’€™s care and treatment plan for HIV/AIDS can mean for encouraging other African countries to introduce similar programmes.

TAC appeals to AIDS conference

The Treatment Action Campaign was given a key platform at the XV International AIDS Conference to address delegates on the confusion regarding the South African health department’€™s position on the use of nevirapine.

Single dose nevirapine under review

The Medicines Control Council has recommended that nevirapine no longer be the only antiretroviral drug being offered to pregnant HIV positive mothers to prevent them passing the virus on to their newborn babies.

ABC isn’€™t that easyLiving with AIDS # 181

As the national comprehensive programme to treat people ill with AIDS conditions unfolds, one of the challenges facing government, civil society organisations and individuals in the fight against AIDS is not a new one. It’€™s to seek to improve programmes aimed at ensuring that those who are uninfected remain free of HIV. Health-e News Service looks at why new methods are needed to help enhance the Department of Health’€™s ABC HIV prevention message.

National ARV rollout sluggish

Political prevarication and weak management has hampered the implementation of the Operational Plan for Comprehensive HIV and AIDS Care, Management and Treatment for South Africa a new report has found.

Condoms ‘€“ short-changing womenLiving with AIDS # 180

The Health Department has recently launched a new stylish brand of condoms called ‘€˜Choice’€™ in the hope that it will encourage greater condom usage. But as Health-e reports, for women the branding of condoms means very little. What’€™s most important is their ability to negotiate when and how they would like to have sex. The names of the women interviewed in this report are not their real names.

Mental health under pressure

The World Health Organization estimates that about 450 million people worldwide are affected by mental, neurological or behavioural problems. This happens despite the existence of effective treatment for most mental disorders. In South Africa, severe staff shortages result in a ratio of one psychiatrist to 150 000 people according to South African Society of Psychiatrists. In Poffader in the Northern Cape, Stanley Basson is a Professional Nurse who cares for psychiatric patients as best he can.

Surviving rape and AIDS

Nonqaba Qotoyi was only six years old when her aunt’€™s husband raped her ten years ago. At the age of 12 she was diagnosed with HIV. Now 16 years old, Nonqaba is one of 1000 people on antiretroviral treatment from Medicins San Frontiers in Khayelitsha. Her dream is to live longer and become a doctor to help others with HIV/AIDS.

‘€˜Abstinence is cool’€™

What makes young people walk hundreds of kilometres to promote no sex before marriage?

Dikgohlopo ‘€“ na ke boikgethelo bo bobebo?

Dikgohlopo di teng tse ntjha tse tsejwang ka hore ke ‘€˜Choice’€™ tseo lefapha la naha la tsa maphelo di sa tswa di tsebisa setjhabeng. Hona ka mora hore maAfrika Borwa, haholoholo batjha, ba se thabele dikgohlopo tse bileng teng tsa ho hloka lebitso tse sephuthelwaneng se nyatsehang. Tlalehong ena re elellwa hore dintho di ngata tseo kgohlopo e lokelang ho eba tsona ntle le ho fana ka tshireletso feela.

Condoms ‘€“ a simple choice?Living with AIDS #179

A new brand of government condoms called ‘€˜Choice’€™, has entered the market to replace the old condom with its plain packaging and AIDS ribbons stamped on the wrapping. The re-launch was necessary after the old government unbranded condoms failed to strike the right chord with the public. As Health-e discovered, there’€™s much more to condom usage than merely providing protection.

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