In South Africa the spread of HIV has largely been associated with men'€™s sexual athleticism, their unwillingness to use condoms and the uneven gender relations that often render women unable to negotiate safe sex.

The chairperson of the South African Medical Association, Dr Kgosi Letlape, has often said that doctors are ethically bound to serve their patients; that the government'€™s policy of no treatment for AIDS is not acceptable to the medical profession; and that doctors must stand up for the health of their patients. And stand up for the health of their patients is exactly what doctors did at various hospitals and clinics nationwide this past Monday and Tuesday. Doctors at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto also took part in this solidarity action. Khopotso Bodibe was there.

Last week, ahead of Workers'€™ Day 2003 - which is being celebrated today - the National Union of Metalworkers'€™ of South Africa (NUMSA) demanded that employers provide anti-retroviral drugs to HIV positive employees.

As the TAC'€™s civil disobedience campaign against government'€™s tendency to drag its feet in introducing a comprehensive AIDS treatment programme in the public health sector continues, Khopotso Bodibe went out to seek the views of ordinary South Africans on this heated and somewhat controversial debate.

Out of 120 million Nigerians about 2.6 million are living with HIV/AIDS. Helen Shok-Jok, a journalist who has worked in Nigeria for the past 16 years, says that government in that country has shown no political will when it comes to addressing the HIV epidemic. She adds that the situation is getting worse as people are still afraid to disclose their HI status because of the stigma that is still attached to the disease. Shok-Jok added that the silence about HIV/AIDS was an issue in all regions and that those who are being tested are pregnant women. Thandeka Teyise of Health-e News Service asked Shok-Jok for an update on HIV/AIDS in Nigeria.

Prof. Richard Feachem, Executive Director of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria is concluding a week-long fact-finding mission to South Africa, which is expected to culminate in the signing off on a document that will see the first funds of a promised total of $US 150 million (R1.2 billion) released to the government.

Khanyisa Ndlotyeni of Guguletu in Cape Town was born HIV positive fifteen years ago. While Khanyisa'€™s mother, Ntsuki, unfortunately died last year, the teenager has managed to surive despite poor living conditions and without taking anti-retrovirals. Does her survival mean children born with HIV can survive and live longer? Nkosi Johnson, who died at the age of 12 two years ago, was believed to be the oldest surviving child in South Africa. Now Khanyisa'€™s survival is offering new hope to those children born with HIV. Dr Kwezi Mtoti, of the Guguletu Community Health Clinic, said when Khanyisa'€™s health deteriorated last year she began taking anti-retrovirals and has become a beacon of hope for those who are infected or affected by HIV/AIDS. While Khanyisa accepts that she contracted HIV from her mother she is determined to get on with her life. One day, she says, she hopes to become a nurse so that she can help others.

Many religious organisations have long been silent on the issue of HIV prevention, instead addressing the pandemic by offering care to those already infected or support for orphans. Those that do tackle prevention tend to promote sexual abstinence and steer clear of condom promotion. By Abbie van Sickel.

Globally, women are still disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS because they are socially, culturally, biologically and economically more vulnerable and because they shoulder the burden of caring for the sick and dying. Richard Delate, of Journ AIDS and the Centre for AIDS Development and Evaluation (CADRE), says women are still afraid to negotiate condom use and in most cases do not seek treatment for sexually transmitted infections because of the stigma that is still attached to these infections. According to UNAIDS, about 50 percent of adults living with HIV/AIDS globally are women. Women constitute 58 percent of HIV/AIDS positive adults in Sub-Saharan Africa, 55 percent in North Africa and Middle East and 50 percent in the Caribbean. Thandeka Theyise of Health-e News Service compiled this report.

Deputy President, Jacob Zuma says government has allocated about R3.3 billion to fight HIV/AIDS over the next three years through a comprehensive HIV/AIDS strategy that includes prevention, treatment, care and support. He says an additional R350 million has been set aside for home and community-based care and support programmes and that over the past two years an estimated eleven thousand health workers have been trained to manage opportunistic infections. For the next three years about 100 health workers per province will be trained annually to manage HIV/AIDS. Zuma adds government has also formed partnerships with civil society including traditional leaders, traditional healers, non-governmental orgranisations (NGO'€™s), community-based organizations (CBO'€™s) , trade unions and faith-based organizations. Thandeka Teyise compiled this report.

Each year over 300 million people fall ill and about one million people worldwide die of malaria, a disease that is preventable. The disease affects populations in more than 90 countries, many of them in Africa. Professor Richard Feachem, Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria says South Africa and Tanzania will benefit from the malaria eradication programmes under Global Fund that will hopefully prevent the spread of malaria in both countries.

Squabbling over who should control the fund money delays SA grants yet again.

The South African government and the Global Fight to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM) finally ended their 18-month stand-off this week, opening the door for three multi-million rand grants from the fund to enter the country. By Kerry Cullinan.