The health minister Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, denied in Parliament that she ever said that traditional medicines, nutrition and vitamins should be offered as an alternative to antiretrovirals. Health-e, spoke to the health department's Director-General Thami Mseleku, and asked him what point the Minister seeks to make when she talks about AIDS treatment.
In her recently-published book, 'Khabzela: The Life and Times of a South African', first-time author Liz McGregor asks the most pertinent question: Why did Fana Khaba, the popular deceased DJ on Gauteng-based youth station, YFM, die?
Top government health officials seem poised to let the Dr Rath Health Foundation off the hook for conducting illegal clinical trials on people with HIV in Khayelitsha.
Government's lack of leadership in the HIV/AIDS epidemic and its mixed messages about antiretroviral drugs has created fertile ground for those against medication to misinform people living with HIV and AIDS in South Africa. We report on another treatment programme taking advantage of the situation.
Dr Matthias Rath's unshakeable belief that nutrition alone as well as
micro-nutrients can save the lives of people living with HIV and AIDS has endeared him to some. Yet, it has also made him the pet hate of many. We assess Dr Rath's crusade of feeding copious amounts of multi-vitamins to this country's HIV-infected citizens.
Two HIV-positive women in Khayelitsha died within weeks of being convinced to discard their medication in favour of vitamins touted as a cure by the Dr Rath Health Foundation, while others say they were told to strip to their underwear, photographed and had blood taken without giving consent.
Children tend to do better on antiretroviral treatment than adults, but many treatment sites are nervous to treat them.
A new school of thought in gender and AIDS education is emerging. It reckons that women should not be seen simply as passive victims in the transmission of HIV.
South Africa now has the biggest prevention of mother to child HIV transmission (PMTCT) programme in the world. Health-e speaks to the health department's Dr Nomonde Xundu about its challenges and successes.
Fear of antiretroviral drugs meant that most patients at one of the country's oldest HIV/AIDS treatment clinics waited until they were desperate before seeking treatment.
Only 5% of babies born to HIV positive mothers at a small, dedicated hospital get the virus.
Like many young South Africans his future was confined by financial constraints. But even so, after matriculating, young Raphakisa Botha could have chosen a number of other paths but instead he became a gender activist.
The tendency by most men to avoid or refuse professional medical help often puts the lives and well-being of their partners at risk.
The message 'it pays to know your HIV status' hasn't caught on very well with most South African men, according to a study published recently.
Despite her HIV status and the depression it sometimes brings her, Pinky Tiro remains committed to helping others with HIV, even at the expense of her family and even when she feels her education work makes little impact.
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