South Africa's health system has to make a 180 degree turn, away from the dominant curative health system, which is unsustainable and unaffordable, to a health system where prevention is the cornerstone, believes health minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi.
Ten months into what many will agree is one of the toughest cabinet portfolios, health minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi shares his vision for healthcare in South Africa. In his first wide-ranging interview the former Limpopo doctor speaks frankly about National Health Insurance, HIV and the struggling health system.
In the last 'Living with AIDS' feature we heard how young men in Orange Farm, situated in the south of Johannesburg, are taking to medical circumcision in their hundreds. This week, we hear the reasons fuelling their enthusiasm.
All patients entering a state health care facility will routinely be offered HIV counseling and testing while moves are afoot to enable community health workers to conduct these tests in an effort to not add to the burden of nurses and doctors.
The Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) was recently awarded with the 2009 World No Tobacco Day Achievement Award presented to CANSA CEO, Sue Janse van Rensburg by Dr Stella Anyangwe, World Health Organization Representative in South Africa, at a recently hosted Symposium on Environmental Carcinogens in Pretoria in honour of World Cancer Day held on 4 February 2010.
A ceremony marking the fifth anniversary of the entry into force of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control was held today in Geneva headquarters of the World Health Organization.
Young men in Orange Farm, a sprawling township south of Johannesburg, are lining up for medical circumcision in large numbers ahead of government moves to add the intervention to its HIV prevention basket. Khopotso Bodibe witnessed a young man's procedure and spoke to him afterwards.
The Khayelitsha programme has been held up as a best practice model across the world. A report attempts to summarise the various programmes and shows among others that antiretroviral therapy is feasible in poor settings, antenatal HIV prevalence can be stabilised and a decentralised, nurse-led service is possible. Read the full report here.
A lancet study suggests that completely removing both the pelvic lymph nodes (lymphadenectomy) and para-aortic lymph nodes could increase chances of survival in patients who are at risk of cancer recurrence.
Screening air passengers for Tuberculosis (TB) is inefficient and unlikely to prevent the spread of infections, a Lancet study has shown.
The National Council Against Smoking (NCAS) has urged finance minister Pravin Gordhan to review tobacco tax rates in South Africa.
The legal fraternity is being called upon to play a meaningful role in the response to AIDS, especially to combat prejudice and discrimination against people living with HIV and AIDS.
Every year, over 12 million people receive a cancer diagnosis and 7.6 million die of the disease - accounting for nearly 1 in 5 of all deaths in developed countries and the leading cause of death worldwide ¹. Yet, according to the International Union against Cancer (UICC) more than 40% of all cancers could be prevented by better lifestyle choices.
NAIROBI: (PlusNews) - The Kenya Prisons Service has won praise for its HIV programmes, including education, testing and the provision of anti-retroviral drugs to prisoners, but specialists say unless the issue of unprotected sex is addressed, HIV transmission will continue unchecked.
JOHANNESBURG: (PlusNews) - A sexy new South African television drama is set to show people that love, life and the risk of HIV does not stop after they turn 30.
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