In this report, Khopotso Bodibe sketches the arguments from both sides in the court case.

For doctors who qualified in the 1970s or 80s, the rapid spread of HIV/AIDS in South Africa in the past 10 to 15 years has left many of them ill-equipped to respond to the needs of patients with HIV or AIDS. In an effort to solve the problem, the South African Medical Association (SAMA), has been running three-day courses for General Practitioners in various parts of the country. At one of these courses in Cape Town, the association invited Elaine Maane, Provincial Co-ordinator of the National Association of Persons Living with HIV and AIDS (NAPWA), to talk about how people with AIDS want to be treated by doctors.

Wednesday, November 14th was observed internationally as World Diabetes Day. To some people the day doesn't bear any significance whatsoever, but to others like Michelle Kannemeyer, a travel and tourism student at Cape Technikon, the day has greater significance. Michelle Kannemeyer is 18. When she was eleven months old she was diagnosed with diabetes. Doctors refer to this disease in children and young people as Type 1 diabetes. To survive for the past 17 years, Michelle has been on a strict programme of insulin injections because her pancreas cannot produce insulin naturally. In this audio report in Sesotho and English, Michelle speaks about life with diabetes and how she copes with it.

How does a child begin to understand that her mother is going to die because of AIDS? This is the story of the Letsoalo children, who live in the village of Segoreya, Mentz, outside Pietersburg in the Northern Province. The head of this family is a young, unemployed, widowed HIV-positive mother. She lives with her five children in a one-roomed corrugated iron house. Like many other families in South Africa who have someone who is HIV-positive, the Letsoalo's experience rejection in their community. And it is the children who suffer the most. This audio report is in Sesotho.

Medical practitioners and researchers are working against time to find a vaccine against AIDS in South Africa. The first Phase One human trials are scheduled for early next year at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto. Other sites around the country will also conduct trials as soon as they are ready. Keletso Mmoledi, is a Research Nurse and Co-ordinator of the hospital's Vaccine Research Unit. Here she tells us where they are with the process. This audio report is in Sesotho.

In preparation for the testing of an AIDS vaccine early next year, medical workers find that the real test they have to deal with now is the recruitment of people to participate in the trials for the vaccine initiative. One hospital encountering this challenge is the Chris Hani-Baragwanath Hospital, in Soweto. Keletso Mmoledi, a Research Nurse and Co-ordinator of the hospital's Vaccine Research Unit, talks about efforts to encourage people to register as participants for the trial programme. This report is in Sesotho.

In 1998 the Department of Education started a sex education pilot programme in public schools to teach young people about the dangers of unprotected sex and the need for responsible sexual behaviour. In South Africa, statistics show that the prevalence of HIV/AIDS is more rife among the youth from age 15 to 25. Last year, the Department of Education formally introduced the Sex Education Programme, as part of the Life Skills Project in schools. Harry Gwala High School, in the Western Cape is one of the few schools that is implementing the project. This audio report in Sesotho and English.

A frequently asked question by those who might consider volunteeting to be part of the Phase One trials to test for an AIDS vaccine in South Africa is, "how will this benefit me?" Keletso Mmoledi, a Research Nurse and Co-ordinator of the Aids Vaccine Research Unit at the Chris Hani-Baragwanath Hospital, talks about some of these benefits. This report is in Sesotho.

Natalia Baloi of Marirone, outside Tzaneen in the Northern Province, is a 22-year old unemployed single mother of a six year old boy. But now she finds herself not only being a mother to one child, but four others, the oldest of which is 17 years old. These added children are her younger siblings for whom she has to care since their parents died of an Aids-related disease. Although Natalia feels the responsibility to look after her siblings, she reveals that it is a very difficult task. This audio report is in Sesotho.

The Roman Catholic Church has come under criticism for its view that condoms should not be seen as a means to fight the spread of Aids. Little credit is given though to the work the Church does to help those infected and affected by Aids, as well as its prevention education methods. In Tzaneen in the Northern Province, the Catholic Church has put together a programme called Education for Life, through which it teaches people about the dangers of AIDS and how to deal with the challenges put forward by the epidemic. And crucial to this programme is the need to address people's daily needs, like providing them with food. This audio report is in Sesotho.

The South African government and the legal system come under fire for ignoring the plight of child prostitutes at a recent conference on sex tourism held in Cape Town. This audio report is in Sesotho.

The most vulnerable victims of Aids in South Africa are children. When parents die, they are often left alone to fend for themselves and their siblings. Sometimes, this means leaving school and losing their identity as a normal child. Fortunately for Elvis Lerole of Maupye in the Northern Province, he still goes to school. But instead of playing with his friends after class, he herds relatives' cattle for R400 a month. This meagre amount is the only income supporting Elvis and his sister - as well as the aunt, uncle and cousins they stay with ever since their parents died. This audio report is in Sesotho.