South Africa's beleaguered Medicines Control Council (MCC) is slowly starting to make inroads into its massive backlog, however it will take a long time to repair the damage done by years of political meddling and incompetence.
The SA Red Cross Air Mercy Service's (AMS) flying doctor initiative is bringing hope to poor patients living in rural KwaZulu-Natal. Lungi Langa of Health-e News Service recently accompanied the health workers on a flying visit to Dundee Hospital.
New rapid tests at four decentralised sites is likely to bring in many more patients for the province
The HIV and AIDS epidemic is largely responsible for the increase of child mortality rates in South Africa, Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi said at a media briefing early this week. His remarks follow the deaths of six babies at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital and 10 at Natalspruit Hospital on Gauteng's East Rand, recently.
Donors are disengaging from the fight against HIV/AIDS leaving behind millions who are still in dire need of lifesaving treatment in South Africa and other hard-hit Sub-Saharan African countries, warned Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
With the help of cancer and tobacco control advocates around the world, the UN Resolution on the prevention and control of non- communicable diseases (NCDs), passed during the 64th session of the UN General Assembly on May 13 2010.
The theme is "Gender and tobacco with an emphasis on marketing to women". If women smoke like men they will die like men.
Pittsburgh ' A microbicide that researchers are pinning their hopes on is safe for use in pregnant women, according to a study presented at the Microbicide 2010 conference taking place in the United States this week.
Drunkenness accounts for many road fatalities and incidents of violent behaviour and illness in South Africa. But that need not be the case. A television drama series currently on SABC TV brings to life the horrific effects of alcohol abuse. The drama also shows that it is possible to drink wisely and to have fun without the use of alcohol.
A review of available studies on Efavirenz has found no increased risk of overall birth defects among women
exposed to the antiretroviral during the first trimester of pregnancy compared with exposure
to other antiretroviral drugs. The results were published in the AIDS Journal and comes after the South African Government opted not to include the drug due to what specialists described a unfounded fears of birth defects.
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.
Humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has expressed concern that a year after it released the report No refuge, Access Denied the situation of refugees in South Africa remains dire and unacceptable.
Almost half a million (419 144) children in South Africa are growing up without both parents, a Human Science Research Council study has revealed.
Non-communicable Disease Summit to focus on long-term killer diseases that threaten economic development in low- and middle-income countries.
UNICEF has welcomed finding from 'The Health of Our Children' HIV prevalence survey and called for better strategies to be developed to promote exclusive breast feeding.
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