The HIV community is reeling from the death of Cape Town doctor Steve Andrews (39) ' activist and people's doctor and one of the top HIV physicians in the country. Andrews, personal physician to many HIV activists, died in his sleep on Friday night.
While South Africa has made some progress towards reaching the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), mental health and poverty remain major challenges, according to public hearings on the MDGs hosted by the SA Human Rights Commission.
Up until March this year, there were 1 234 people in need of a kidney transplant in the Johannesburg region alone. So far, only 20 people have received kidney transplants. South Africans are being called upon to become organ donors.
About 3 500 patients are currently on the waiting list for kidney transplants. At Chris Hani-Baragwanath Hospital alone, 160 patients are awaiting a transplant. But not all of them will be lucky enough to receive a kidney.
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has heard that mental health is an overlooked priority. This was said at the Commission's recent public hearings focusing on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the realisation of economic and social rights in South Africa.
International medical and humanitarian aid organisation Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF), has released a report detailing the extent to which illegal Zimbabwean immigrants, are denied the right to access health care in South Africa.
Pharmaceutical giant Tibotec and the non-profit Global Alliance for TB Drug Development (TB Alliance) have teamed up to expedite the development of TMC207, which could become the first TB drug with a new mechanism of action in 40 years.
JOHANNESBURG:(PlusNews) - For the first time in nearly half a century, the world may be on the verge of adding a new drug to its arsenal against tuberculosis (TB) ' one that would not only drastically improve the treatment of TB and its multidrug-resistant strains, but also shorten it.
More South Africans are now testing to find out their HIV status according to the 2008 National HIV prevalence survey. But more creative ways to test for HIV are needed to encourage even more people to test.
Nicole Johnston meets an inspiring campaigner at the Oxfam-supported Global Citizen's Summit on HIV/AIDS.
Mental conditions and illnesses manifest themselves in different and complicated ways. One of them is the mysterious Autism, a developmental disorder that strikes from a young age.
NAIROBI: (PlusNews) - Food aid and plastic sheeting are the hallmarks of every disaster, but not always condoms and antiretrovirals, even though humanitarian agencies recognize the link between emergencies and the increased risk of HIV and AIDS.
CHIMOIO, 10 June 2009 (PlusNews) - Carlito, just nine years old, is sitting at the edge of a sandy field in Chimoio, in the central province of Manica, Mozambique, where he and his friends play soccer, putting the finishing touches to an unusual ball to play the beautiful game.
CAPE TOWN ' African health and human rights activists have called on leaders attending the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting on Africa to 'not use the same pie and split it between more people', but to make the pie bigger.
CAPE TOWN - Diabetes, respiratory diseases, some cancers and cardiovascular disease, the cause of over 50% of the disease burden in the world, can be decreased substantially by focusing on nutrition, encouraging physical activity and curbing smoking, Dr Craig Nossel of Discovery Health told a debate at the World Economic Forum (WEF) on Africa.
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