South Africa is working against the clock to complete two applications for money from the $2-billion Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria, Health Minister Dr Manto Tshablala-Msimang announced on Tuesday.

A seaweed-based microbicide gel will be tested on 6 000 South African and Batswana women this year in the hope of finding a safe and effective means to protect women from contracting HIV. Microbicides offer an important way in which women can protect themselves from HIV infection even if their partners refuse to use a condom.

The health department has denied that government does not wish to access money from the multi-billion Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. This comes after comments by finance minister Trevor Manual in New York that money was not the issue in the fight against HIV/AIDS in South Africa, but that it was rather a question of capacity to spend existing budgets.

The newly constituted board of the $1,9-billion Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria yesterday (Tues 29) called for funding proposals from "country partnerships" affected by the three epidemics, saying money would be disbursed from April.

A man who was exposed to asbestos fibres as a nine-year old is suing a leading asbestos manufacturer for R7-million for a rare form of cancer which he believes was caused by the exposure.

South Africa has the highest rate of mesothelioma in the world, as we were one of a handful of countries that extensively mined the most dangerous "blue asbestos".

Unless the South African government develops a treatment plan for people with HIV/AIDS, this country is not going to get access to the multi-billion rand Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. This is according to the Treatment Action Campaign's (TAC) Nathan Geffen.

A company in which government is a major shareholder has this year resolved to offer clients free anti-retroviral drugs if they believe they have been accidentally exposed to HIV.

With the start of the school year, many parents are once again fearful that their children may contract HIV through playground rough-and-tumble with infected children. However, HIV/AIDS experts stress that the chances of such transmission of the virus are virtually zero.

The British government has given three South African organisations and researchers from five countries a multi-million rand grant to develop vaginal microbicides (a gel that can be used to prevent HIV transmission) over a five-year period.