Big tobacco’s challenge to smoking act fails
A court challenge by British American Tobacco (Batsa) on the advertising ban of its products in South Africa was dismissed by the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) yesterday.
Health
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TAC still fights for medicines
The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) has vowed to mobilise more communities to fight for quality health should the Gauteng Health Department not deliver on their demands. This week, the TAC marched to the office of Gauteng Health MEC demanding the restoration of health services.
Doing their best for pregnant women
With maternal health being one of the priority areas for health improvement, it's important for primary health care facilities to improve care for pregnant mothers. The Witkoppen Health and Welfare Centre in Fourways, north of Johannesburg, says it's trying to improve on these health indicators.
Destined to live and die in pain
Many ill South Africans live and die suffering from unnecessary and excrutiating pain. It is estimated that almost all HIV patients (96%) and more than two in three (70%) of cancer patients experience severe pain during the course of their disease because they do not have access to cheap and effective pain medication.
Lessons learned from Tenofovir shortage
The recent shortage of a crucial antiretroviral drug, Tenofovir, is but just a symptom of an underlying general problem of health management in South Africa. Part of this is the lack of oversight on drug supplies and availability by the national Health Department.
Pain, cancer and HIV/Aids
The majority of patients with advanced cancer and HIV suffer pain. In the case of cancer, the pain is mostly caused by inflammation or pain in the bones. With HIV/AIDS, a patient can suffer various versions of pain, with some of the more common being peripheral neuropathy, meningitis, thrush in the mouth, oesophageal thrush and cramps from diarrhoea. Most medical practitioners only treat patients with anti-retrovirals which takes several months to relieve symptoms such as pain.
Never too late to quit smoking
Regardless of the age at which you quit, ex-smokers live longer than those who continue to smoke, according to a recent meta-analysis published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
AIDS conspiracies – Science fights back Living with AIDS # 520
No single infection has probably inspired as many conspiracy theories as AIDS has over the last 30 years. The science of AIDS has endured tremendous attacks from as early as when the virus first appeared. A book entitled 'The AIDS Conspiracy ' Science Fights Back', looks at how science has triumphed and sought to bring sense to a condition that has attracted a flurry of mad conspiracy theories.
Alcoholics more likely to get TB
DURBAN - Heavy drinkers are three times more likely to have tuberculosis than those who don't drink heavily. They are also far less likely to complete their TB treatment.
This is according to Professor Charles Parry of the Medical Research Council, who believes that TB patients should be screened for alcohol abuse and educated about its dangers.
Diesel fumes cause cancer: WHO
Diesel exhaust fumes cause cancer and should be categorised along with asbestos, arsenic and mustard gas as a potentially deadly carcinogen, according to the World Health Organisation's (WHO) cancer agency.
Prisons breed TB
DURBAN - South Africa's overcrowded, poorly ventilated prisons are 'melting pots' for tuberculosis infection, according to Professor Robin Wood from the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre.
Deaf or dead? Better drugs needed to stop drug-resistant TB
DURBAN ' Cases of drug-resistant tuberculosis will continue to increase unless scientists develop more effective medicines with fewer side effects.
Big tobacco’s ‘dark marketing’ tactics
Smoking continues to be a major challenge to public health despite efforts by government and civil society to limit the use of harmful tobacco products.
75% rise in cancer cases expected
Cancer cases worldwide are likely to rise by nearly three-quarters by 2030, partly because other diseases are being stamped out and more developing countries are adopting Western lifestyles linked to cancer.
The causes of maternal and child deaths
The lack of proper sanitation, poor access to health services, malnutrition and HIV/AIDS are all contributing factors to early childhood deaths. Maternal deaths are also increasing, mainly due to HIV infection. This is according to studies done by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).