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.
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.
What made Cabinet change its mind on HIV/AIDS and offer hope to the nation? 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.
Multi-million rand developments are being planned for various parts of the eThekwini unicity in a bid to boost tourism and stimulate the local economy, but have the conditions of ordinary residents improved?
Mbali Mosia was born in Umlazi'€™s G Section, as were her three children. She lives with her parents in a four-room former council house now owned by her mother.Not long ago, Umlazi was characterised by a high level of political violence. Today the township is still clearly demarcated into ANC and Inkatha areas, but acts of violence are now criminally rather than politically motivated.
"We don'€™t have race problems here. We are fortunate because we have very decent neighbours. You can see by the cars they are driving that they are earning good salaries."Chris Botha, 73, has lived in Seaview for the past 60 years. He remembers when the Southway Mall was nothing but a grove of mango trees, and Indian people were removed from Titren Road in the 1960s.
Shirley Ebrahim does not know where to turn. She owes the eThekwini council R22 000 in arrears in rent and services for the tiny flat that she occupies with her four children, aged from seven to 17.
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