Cancer kills more than seven million people a year throughout the world. This is more than HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined, and African countries - which carry a large part of the burden - are the least able of all developing countries to cope with the challenges it presents, says a consortium of international cancer organisations.
New research suggests that certain antiretroviral treatment (ART) may increase a person'€™s risk for heart disease, yet scientists believe that its benefits still far outweigh the harm caused by any of its side effects.
Cancer is no longer just a disease of western nations with ageing populations, it afflicts the young and the old alike, and is now clearly a rising concern in the poorest countries on earth, who stand to lose millions of lives unless action is taken.
Around 200-million children, including many in South Africa, fail to meet their full developmental potential because of the debilitating impact of poverty '€“ contributing to a cycle where poor countries remain poor.
Some spaza shop owners in Khayelitsha are selling Department of Health (DoH) formula milk that is marked "Not for resale". This milk is supposed to be given free to HIV-positive mothers to give to their babies instead of breast milk. By Mary-Jane Matsolo, GroundUp
Men considering fatherhood should steer away from nicotine '€“ and not only in cigarettes, but nicotine-replacement products, such as gum or patches should also be avoided.
PRESS RELEASE: Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis heads to the Indian Supreme Court today in New Delhi, in a final bid to undermine a key public health safeguard in Indian patent law specifically designed to prevent drug companies from abusive patenting practices which keep medicine prices high.
Most teenage girls in South Africa start having sex to prove their love to their boyfriends. This is according to new research presented by Neloufar Khan from the Department of Social Development at the Carnegie III conference which took place in Cape Town last week.
Infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV) '€“ which is the most common cause of cervical cancer '€“ also increases a person'€™s risk for contracting HIV.
Many South Africans are too poor to access free healthcare provided by the state, mostly due to the cost of transport.
HIV positive men in South Africa are presenting much later for treatment than women and are much more likely to die than HIV-positive women who are receiving similar treatment, an international study has revealed.
It has been 30 years since South Africa altered the Tuberculosis (TB) treatment guidelines, however the a recent change holds the promise of curing more drug resistant (DR) TB cases and a reduction in infections.
Electronic cigarettes are harmful to the lungs, new research has shown.
Water pipe smoking, also known as hubbly bubbly, causes as many respiratory problems as cigarette smoking, according to a new study published in the journal Respirology.
Researchers find 6.7% of drug-resistant tuberculosis patients have a form of the disease that may take years to treat. Sarah Boseley, health editor guardian.co.uk.
