More young adults, children under five, babies and women in childbirth are dying now than a few years back, both as a result of HIV/AIDS and the deterioration of health services In addition, chronic diseases associated with poor diet, smoking, excessive drinking and lack of exercise are on the increase.
The Bush Administration's approach to the global fight against HIV/AIDS is increasingly taking on the domineering, "go-it-alone" trademarks of US foreign policy.
Shops are full of Father's Day gifts and cards in preparation for June 20. But the sad reality is that millions of South African children have little or no contact with their fathers, and are very unlikely to spend the day with their dads.
While African countries battle with stunting of children caused by lack of food, one of the biggest challenges in child health in the US is obesity.
How do you get people to change their sexual behaviour so that they are not at risk of getting HIV/AIDS? Not by simply giving them the "right" information and assuming that they will modify what they do.
Millions of South African children grow up without their fathers, a situation that has a profound impact on their lives. But a new initiative that encourages men to care for their children hopes to change this.
South African health officials have been placed on alert following the first polio case in neighbouring Botswana in 13 years.
Two million out of 9,4 million KwaZulu-Natal residents who live mostly in rural areas and informal settlements still don't have adequate care in South Africa's most populous province.
Two million out of 9,4 million KwaZulu-Natal residents who live mostly in rural areas and informal settlements still don't have adequate care in South Africa's most populous province.
South Africa is among 10 hotspots of multi-drug resistant TB identified by the World Health Organisation and at Durban'€™s busiest TB treatment clinic, rates of MDR TB have more than doubled in the past three years.
There appears to be an increase in child rape including cases involving
children raping other children.
The relationship between the South African government and the Clinton Foundation, which helped procure low cost antiretroviral drugs for the country's long-awaited AIDS treatment programme, appears to have broken down.
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