Khopotso Bodibe

Khopotso Bodibe

Is prevention better than cure?
Living with AIDS # 207

If one is HIV-positive and lives in the developing world is it inevitable that they will also contract tuberculosis? There'€™s no easy answer to that, but because of the sheer scale of TB infection rates among HIV-positive individuals it is becoming standard practice to provide prophylactic medicine to prevent dual infection. But does it work?

Read More »Is prevention better than cure?
Living with AIDS # 207

The dark side of TB

Erratic exposure to treatment due to irregular drug supply, inappropriate diagnosis and prescription by health care providers as well as poor adherence to treatment by the patient are all factors leading up to the development of Multi-Drug Resistant TB. Side-effects associated with treatment can also influence patients to stop taking their medication. In this report we visit an MDR-TB referral centre in Klerksdorp, North West.

Read More »The dark side of TB

‘€œTB is curable, even if you’€™re HIV-positive.’€
Living with AIDS # 206

South Africa is the country with the highest co-infection rate of HIV and TB in the world, with more than half of those who have TB also testing positive for HIV. People with HIV are most likely to die of tuberculosis than any other opportunistic infection. But if detected early, death from TB can be prevented even in the presence of HIV infection.

Read More »‘€œTB is curable, even if you’€™re HIV-positive.’€
Living with AIDS # 206

SA on routine testing
Living with AIDS # 204

Only 850 000 South Africans have actually been tested for HIV in the past four years, while 1.2 million people have had pre-test counselling. The low rate of testing is a common problem worldwide, which has led to countries such as Botswana and the US making the HIV test a routine service available at primary health facilities. Does South Africa plan to change its approach to Voluntary Counselling and HIV testing? Health-e finds out.

Read More »SA on routine testing
Living with AIDS # 204

‘€¦ and what she likes talking about.

It'€™s been a month since she'€™s been the national Chief Director of the HIV and AIDS, TB and STI'€™s cluster. Dr Nomonde Xundu admits that she comes to the job at a time when '€œa lot of work has been done already'€. Her predecessor Dr Nono Simelela, left the post late last year after a perceived '€œfrustration'€ at the government'€™s slow pace in ensuring treatment for people living with HIV and AIDS. In this report, we find out who Dr Nomonde Xundu is.

Read More »‘€¦ and what she likes talking about.

The future of ART
Living with AIDS 201

New research suggests that starting antiretroviral therapy while the immune system is still relatively strong rather than at the later stages of HIV infection could be beneficial. Up to so far, guidelines on AIDS treatment require that ARV'€™s should be started when a person'€™s CD 4 cell-count reaches the clinically crucial 200 mark or less. Health-e News Service, reports.

Read More »The future of ART
Living with AIDS 201

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