The Medicines Control Council (MCC) is threatening to de-register Nevirapine unless further studies and appropriate documentation can show its efficacy in the prevention of mother to child transmisssion of HIV. Glenda Grey of the Peri-natal HIV Research Unit at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital argues that enough evidence has already been presented.

The future of the use of the prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission drug, Nevirapine, as a single intervention administered to mother and baby during labour and at birth hangs in the balance.

The need for new and innovative ways to attract resources to the cash-strapped Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria in developing nations was the subject of discussions at the one-day International Meeting to Support the Global Fund held in Paris, France, yesterday (Wed 16/07/03).

Telling people in the developing world about what the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria can do for their communities, is one of major challenges facing the organisation.

The death of a budding Johannesburg film-maker, Mpumi Njinge, due to AIDS in October last year left sadness and a deep void amongst his friends and family. On a personal level, Mpumi faced a double prejudice, not only was he living with HIV/AIDS, he was also gay. However, instead of the shame and silence that often accompanies HIV, Mpumi's death has brought his friends together to discuss the possibility of preventing further losses to AIDS.

In our last Living with AIDS slot we discussed how participants in the upcoming Phase One HIV vaccine trial - due to start in less than three months - would be protected against HIV infection during the trial.

What should happen when miners who are HIV positive are injured or die as a result of working underground?

The first human trial of HIV vaccines to be held in South Africa is due to start in the next two to three months.

Hopes of most developing countries of stemming the tide of AIDS, TB and Malaria have very little chance of becoming reality.

Twenty-seven years ago, in 1976 the youth of South Africa stood up to wage a fight against the injustices of apartheid.

April 17 is a day that could have gone down in the history of South Africa as a turning point in the manner that government views the AIDS epidemic and how it deals with it.

In what could be seen as a move to an out-of-court settlement, Rustenburg Platinum Mine withdrew its challenge, for the meantime, against the Chief Inspector of Mines and the Minerals and Energy Affairs Ministry.

One of the latest research studies in the ongoing search for innovative technologies and strategies to help prevent HIV infection is the development and testing of microbicides.