The Communities of Guguletu, Langa, Nyanga and Crossroads have taken upon themselves a responsibility to fight alcohol and drug abuse in their townships. Pupils, parents and elderly societies are saying enough to drug trafficking.

How do well-known South Africans deal with talking about sex to their children? To celebrate youth during the month of June, Thandeka Teyise of Health-e News speaks to two role models. The Mayor of Cape Town, NomaIndia Mfeketho, says children have the right to know more about issues that affect them and that discussing sex opens their minds, enabling them to make informed choices. Essop Pahad, Minister in the President'€™s Office feels HIV awareness messages are getting through to the youth but adds that it is still best for parents to talk to their children about their options.

Sexism, culture and religion can have a positive or negative impact on the young. So says Brandon Keegan, an 18-year-old first year student at UCT and a Sunday school teacher at the Rondebosch United Presbyterian Church. Brendan feels churches can become more involved in HIV/AIDS awareness among young congregants who are often the most vulnerable. Thandeka Teyise of Health-e News Service compiled this audio in English.

Kenya is one of the leading African countries that have started AIDS vaccine trials. The Kenyan AIDS Vaccine Initiative (KAVI) was initiated in 1998 and began HIV-1 vaccine trials in 2001. All of the vaccines that were tested have been specifically designed to be used in Kenya but have also been tested in UK. Phase One testing in humans has been proven to be safe and, says Dr Omu Anzala of KAVI, second phase vaccine trials will kick off soon. These will take approximately two years and will test the body'€™s immune response to the vaccine. The trials will include volunteers from Nairobi and London. Thandeka Teyise of Health-e News Service spoke to Dr Anzala and asked him to explain KAVI'€™S second phase of the vaccine trials.

Africa has the highest rate of HIV infections in the world with an estimated 13 million children left orphaned by AIDS. In sub-Saharan Africa, around 75 precent of a population of 40 million people is infected. These are the challenges that face African scientists who are still searching for an AIDS vaccine. Since 1987, says the African Aids Vaccine Programme over 27 candidate vaccines have been tested but none have proved effective. Thandeka Teyise of Health-e News Service visited Kenya and spoke to Dr Malaki Owili of the Research Society on AIDS. She asked him about the challenges and obstacles faced by African scientists. In this audio Dr Owili sketches the background to the African AIDS Vaccine Programme and the development processes thus far.

While South African health journalists are doing a sterling job covering HIV/AIDS related issues, the focus should now shift to the provision of anti retroviral drugs and treatment. Richard Delate, of the Centre for Aids Development, Research and Education (CADRE) says while politics dominates coverage of the pandemic the focus should now be on people are affected and infected by the virus. He applauds the role and expertise of health journalists in the country who he said are committed to conveying information about the epidemic.

Wezi Khoza, Executive Manager for Corporate Health at SAA, says since the launch of its AIDS policy employees have been making use of the company'€™s clinic. Apart from providing Voluntary Counseling and Testing of HIV, staff at the clinic also manage other life limiting diseases such as diabetes and cancer. Ms Khoza said SAA was honouring the Bill of Rights and that workers who are HIV positive would not be discriminated against and that the company would attempt to create a secure, caring and confidential environment. Thandeka Teyise compiled this report.

Out of 120 million Nigerians about 2.6 million are living with HIV/AIDS. Helen Shok-Jok, a journalist who has worked in Nigeria for the past 16 years, says that government in that country has shown no political will when it comes to addressing the HIV epidemic. She adds that the situation is getting worse as people are still afraid to disclose their HI status because of the stigma that is still attached to the disease. Shok-Jok added that the silence about HIV/AIDS was an issue in all regions and that those who are being tested are pregnant women. Thandeka Teyise of Health-e News Service asked Shok-Jok for an update on HIV/AIDS in Nigeria.

Globally, women are still disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS because they are socially, culturally, biologically and economically more vulnerable and because they shoulder the burden of caring for the sick and dying. Richard Delate, of Journ AIDS and the Centre for AIDS Development and Evaluation (CADRE), says women are still afraid to negotiate condom use and in most cases do not seek treatment for sexually transmitted infections because of the stigma that is still attached to these infections. According to UNAIDS, about 50 percent of adults living with HIV/AIDS globally are women. Women constitute 58 percent of HIV/AIDS positive adults in Sub-Saharan Africa, 55 percent in North Africa and Middle East and 50 percent in the Caribbean. Thandeka Theyise of Health-e News Service compiled this report.

Khanyisa Ndlotyeni of Guguletu in Cape Town was born HIV positive fifteen years ago. While Khanyisa'€™s mother, Ntsuki, unfortunately died last year, the teenager has managed to surive despite poor living conditions and without taking anti-retrovirals. Does her survival mean children born with HIV can survive and live longer? Nkosi Johnson, who died at the age of 12 two years ago, was believed to be the oldest surviving child in South Africa. Now Khanyisa'€™s survival is offering new hope to those children born with HIV. Dr Kwezi Mtoti, of the Guguletu Community Health Clinic, said when Khanyisa'€™s health deteriorated last year she began taking anti-retrovirals and has become a beacon of hope for those who are infected or affected by HIV/AIDS. While Khanyisa accepts that she contracted HIV from her mother she is determined to get on with her life. One day, she says, she hopes to become a nurse so that she can help others.

Each year over 300 million people fall ill and about one million people worldwide die of malaria, a disease that is preventable. The disease affects populations in more than 90 countries, many of them in Africa. Professor Richard Feachem, Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria says South Africa and Tanzania will benefit from the malaria eradication programmes under Global Fund that will hopefully prevent the spread of malaria in both countries.

Deputy President, Jacob Zuma says government has allocated about R3.3 billion to fight HIV/AIDS over the next three years through a comprehensive HIV/AIDS strategy that includes prevention, treatment, care and support. He says an additional R350 million has been set aside for home and community-based care and support programmes and that over the past two years an estimated eleven thousand health workers have been trained to manage opportunistic infections. For the next three years about 100 health workers per province will be trained annually to manage HIV/AIDS. Zuma adds government has also formed partnerships with civil society including traditional leaders, traditional healers, non-governmental orgranisations (NGO'€™s), community-based organizations (CBO'€™s) , trade unions and faith-based organizations. Thandeka Teyise compiled this report.