Wits launches ‘€˜Centre for Rural Health’€™
Health care in rural areas is set to get a major boost. This follows the launch of the Centre for Rural Health by Wits University, in Johannesburg, recently.
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A diagnosis of SA’€™s health system Living with AIDS # 402
Respected medical journal, the Lancet, has published a special series of articles assessing the challenges of the South African health system. HIV and Tuberculosis, plus a lack of progress in achieving the health'€“related MDGs are shown to be two of the biggest health threats in the country.
Smoking continues to kill
DUBLIN '€“ Despite efforts to contain the use of tobacco, consumption is increasing as the world population grows, placing further strain on already overburdened health systems in developing countries.
‘€˜The paradox of apparent progress yet worsening health outcomes’€™
Despite the health of women and children being a priority for the democratically elected government, South Africa is one of only 12 countries in the world where the mortality rate for our children has got worse since 1990.
Massive twin burden of HIV and TB
Although South Africa has just a 0.7% of the world'€™s population, it has 17% of the global HIV burden. In addition, our tuberculosis epidemic is one of the worst in the world, and is further complicated by growing drug resistant strains of TB and a high level of HIV-TB coinfection.
Finding solutions
In 2000, the United Nations member states committed themselves to an eight-point development programme to improve the lives of those most in need by 2015, and these became known as the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs).
Steady growth in chronic diseases
Although South Africa is overwhelmed by infectious diseases, there has also been a steady increase in non-communicable diseases (NCDs), often as a result of changing lifestyles.
Lethal cocktail of epidemics
A special series of the Lancet focusing on South Africa spells out in painful detail how many of our health indicators are the worst in the world. But while our health system is littered with lost opportunities, the Zuma government brings the possibility of real progress, argue the series authors. Kerry Cullinan reports.
Coping with cancer
DUBLIN - A tall, vivacious South African redhead drew one of the biggest cheers at the opening session of the LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Summit which officially kicked off in the Irish capital yesterday (SUBS MONDAY).
New effort to curb child mortality
Government has added a new vaccine to fight mortality among children under five. The Rotavirus Vaccine, aimed at preventing diarrheal diseases, is the latest addition to the country'€™s Expanded Program of Immunisation (EPI).
Cancer hits Africa hard
DUBLIN '€“ Africa will be hardest hit by cancer '€“ projected to be the biggest killer in the world by 2010 '€“ with a massive treatment gap leading to people dying painful and undignified deaths of cancers that are preventable, treatable and curable.
More swine flu deaths
Two more people have died of swine flu bringing the number of deaths to eight since the first confirmed case of the virus in June this year.
HIV-law shortcomings hit women harder
Despite a two-year-old law in Niger penalizing discrimination against people infected with HIV, seropositive women say they still receive substandard health care, are denied employment and risk losing their children because of their status.
Justice slowly meted out in Global Fund corruption trials
NAIROBI: (PlusNews) - The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is one of Uganda's key health partners; over the past six years it has disbursed more than US$164 million in programme grants.
Agony aunties short on advice Living with AIDS # 401
Momma'€™s Bosom, Dear Dolly and Irma on Life and Love are some of the popular print media advice columns on issues including relationships and health. But these columns fail to adequately address HIV/AIDS-related queries from readers, according to a recent analysis.