The rape of girls and women remains a major concern in South Africa, and the health care sector needs to be better equipped to collect evidence to prove sexual violation to help secure the conviction of perpetrators by the courts.
Every year thousands of South Africans of all ages and races are diagnosed with diseases such as leukaemia, marrow failure or some other rare blood disorders. Seventy-five percent of these patients are under the age of 25. Their only hope of survival is a blood stem cell transplant from a donor who shares the same tissue type.
Hospice offers care that focuses on alleviating pain of very ill patients, as well as providing emotional support and counselling to them and their families. Whilst many hospice patients are terminally ill, some are able to recover through the wonderful care they receive.
For many years, hospices were known as places where people are sent to die. But many patients, especially those with AIDS, come out alive.
Most women still find it difficult to negotiate safe sex with their partners. The problem is even more prevalent among women who are economically dependent on men. Some institutionalised social and cultural norms also fuel the challenge.
The mortality rate in South Africa is decreasing. But more men than women continue to die due to natural causes, with Tuberculosis and pneumonia being the two leading causes of death. This is according to Statistics South Africa, which recently released its report on mortality and causes of death.
Thirty years into the HIV epidemic, women of the world are still at a higher risk of contracting HIV infection than men, although the latest figures by the United Nations show that overall infection levels have dropped significantly over the last 10 years.
Leukaemia, a blood cancer once considered deadly, can now be treated and managed well but, like any other cancer, it requires intensive treatment early enough, coupled with a good support structure. A survivor, Zuki Mokwebo, shares her story.
Amnesty International has accused governments failing to make a concerted effort to reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of abusing the human rights of the poorest in society.
At a week-long international summit in Johannesburg recently, men and women were challenged to step up the fight on gender-based violence.
Health and human rights groups have warned that discrimination and homophobic legislation hampers the success of health initiatives.
Zuzimpilo, the low-cost HIV and AIDS treatment clinic in the heart of Johannesburg, has now added medical male circumcision to its services. This follows the Health Department'€™s approval of the procedure as part of the country'€™s HIV prevention arsenal.
Church leaders from eastern and southern Africa met in Johannesburg recently to discuss how the church can help mitigate the impact of HIV and AIDS. The meeting suggested that the current strategy of HIV prevention is not sufficient to prevent new HIV infections.
HIV prevalence among university students in South Africa is lower than in the general population, according to a new study. But HIV infection among female students is more than double that of their male counterparts.
Cancer survivor Jenny Heunis recently met her idol and fellow cancer survivor Lance Armstrong when he visited Cape Town. Heunis shares her story of triumph and how being mentally and physically strong helped her to pull through challenging times.
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