Being young is often associated with risky behaviour - and research is showing that in South Africa the youth often take astounding sexual risks. But is this intentional dare-devilish behaviour?
The new urgency with which the government has started to address AIDS is like rain falling after a long drought. But it will take superhuman, united efforts to implement the country's new HIV/AIDS National Strategic Plan (NSP) and repair the damage done by years of government inaction, denial and simple incompetence.
The CEO of the R146-million Health and Welfare Sector Education and Training Authority (HWSETA) has been suspended, allegedly for 'gross misconduct' ' yet he claims it is because he questioned his board's operations, particularly huge payments made to some board members.
Presenters at the Durban Aids Conference have agreed on the urgent need for clinical trials of traditional medicine currently used by a wide spectrum of HIV infected South Africans.
Shocking figures about HIV infection in babies and high AIDS-related child mortality have made the transmission of HIV from mothers to babies a key focus of third South African AIDS conference.
Four weeks ago, we reported that Defence union, SASFU is taking the South African National Defence Force to court over what it calls 'discriminatory policies' on HIV/AIDS. This week, we hear how the union argues in court papers that the SANDF has made HIV a career-limiting factor for positive members and recruits alike.
South Africa's National Strategic Plan (NSP) could stand for 'No Substantial Policy' when it came to the needs of injecting drug users, a human rights advocate told a gathering at the national AIDS conference in Durban.
AIDS activists and their lawyers are gearing up for another battle in court in an attempt to force the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) to commit to the humane treatment of HIV-positive prisoners.
Government has claimed first evidence of a decline in South Africa's HIV/AIDS epidemic after its annual survey among pregnant women showed a 'statistically significant reduction' of HIV prevalence between 2005 and 2006.
Health minister Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang was repeatedly invited to speak at Tuesday's opening ceremony, organizers have revealed.
While South Africa has taken 'giant leaps' by reaching consensus on a national response to HIV/AIDS for the next five years, the biggest challenge is its implementation, Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka told the third national AIDS conference at its opening last night (Tuesday).
Hardly back in her office after a lengthy lay-off and Health minister Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang immediately placed herself at odds with the AIDS community.
'Consensus' is the theme of the third South African AIDS conference, which opens in Durban today (5 June) and, for the first time ever, it appears that agreement is possible between government, scientists and AIDS organisations on a wide variety of issues.
The lack of public sector antiretroviral programmes is no longer the reason why many HIV-infected people in Africa will die prematurely. A chronic shortage of staff to administer these programmes has now become the greatest challenge to saving lives.
A lack of guidelines regulating the multi-billion rand complementary medicines industry makes it difficult to control against false medicinal claims. This places consumers at the mercy of charlatans who claim that they can cure AIDS and other conditions.
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