Giving pregnant HIV positive women two anti-AIDS drugs rather than one substantially reduces the chances of them passing the virus on to their babies, delegates to the 14th world AIDS conference in Barcelona were told yesterday (Monday).

South African activists and scientists will play a prominent role in the 14th International AIDS conference which opens in Barcelona on Friday.

South African activists and scientists will play a prominent role in the 14th International AIDS conference which opens in Barcelona on Friday.

Cosatu and the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) are to table a national HIV/AIDS treatment plan in the National Economic, Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) following the first national treatment conference which concluded in Durban yesterday (sat).

The director general of health, Dr Ayanda Ntsaluba, a keynote speaker at the national HIV/AIDS treatment conference which began in Durban last night, decided at the last minute not to attend the gathering.

South African scientists have made a breakthrough in malaria research which will enable more effective drugs to be developed to treat the parasite-based infection. The breakthrough is based on identifying how the malaria parasite, transmitted to people by the Anopheles mosquito, operates in humans' red blood cells, according to Dr Giovanni Hearne of Wits University's School of Physics.

Rape survivors will be offered two anti-retroviral drugs, AZT and 3TC, by public health facilities in a bid to prevent HIV infection from the sexual assault. The drugs will also be available in syrup form for child rape survivors.

Provincial health officials in Mpumalanga and Limpopo may be in contempt of court after refusing to provide the anti-AIDS drug nevirapine to certain hospitals that want to offer it to HIV positive mothers and their newborn babies.

Ground-breaking research aimed at using short courses of anti-retroviral drugs to boost the long-term immunity of babies with HIV is due to begin within weeks at St Mary's Hospital in Marianhill, outside Durban.

South Africa's battle against HIV/AIDS has been given a massive $165-million (about R1,8-billion) boost from the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria - almost double the national HIV/AIDS budget of R1-billion for this year.

President Thabo Mbeki himself spurred Cabinet to decide that anti-retroviral drugs should be given to rape survivors, according to a Cabinet source who spoke exclusively to Health-e News Service. Kerry Cullinan reports.

What made Cabinet change its mind on HIV/AIDS and offer hope to the nation? Kerry Cullinan reports.

Health workers will continue to get anti-retroviral drugs for needlestick injuries, despite a decision by the ANC'€™s National Executive Committee (NEC) that this practice should stop. Kerry Cullinan reports.

About 200 destitute HIV positive mothers and 383 children in Gauteng will soon have a place to stay, thanks to the efforts of AIDS activist Gail Johnson. Since her adopted son Nkosi died of AIDS last year, Johnson has been working flat-out to raise money to buy two properties to accommodate HIV positive women, their children and AIDS orphans. Kerry Cullinan reports.