The Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria faces bankruptcy and health activists are blaming the G8 nations. They are accusing US President George Bush of attempting to block bipartisan efforts to increase American contributions to the fund while it has also been revealed that the European Development Fund is sitting on 10 billion unspent euros.
Treatment Action Campaign leader Zackie Achmat has received the prestigious Jonathan Mann Award for Global Health Human Rights by the Washington-based Global Health Council. He was awarded it jointly with Dr Frenk Guni, the former director of the Zimbabwe Network of People living with HIV/AIDS. The award carries U$20 000 prize money. Achmat received U$10 000 of which half was donated to TAC. The award was accepted in Washington on behalf of Achmat by TAC's women's health programmes co-ordinator Nonkosi Khumalo. Click to read the full speech.
Africa has the highest rate of HIV infections in the world with an estimated 13 million children left orphaned by AIDS. In sub-Saharan Africa, around 75 precent of a population of 40 million people is infected. These are the challenges that face African scientists who are still searching for an AIDS vaccine. Since 1987, says the African Aids Vaccine Programme over 27 candidate vaccines have been tested but none have proved effective. Thandeka Teyise of Health-e News Service visited Kenya and spoke to Dr Malaki Owili of the Research Society on AIDS. She asked him about the challenges and obstacles faced by African scientists. In this audio Dr Owili sketches the background to the African AIDS Vaccine Programme and the development processes thus far.
A talk given by Kerry Cullinan at a Journ-AIDS Roundtable in May 2003.
A potentially precedent-setting court case between Rustenberg Platinum Mines, the Inspector of Mines and the Ministry of Mineral and Energy Affairs and which could have a serious impact on the mining industry with regard to the rights of HIV positive miners has been postponed in the Pretoria High Court until January next year.
The death of a Mozambican miner after a leg injury is the subject of a complicated legal wrangle with potentially serious implications for the mining industry and workers who are HIV positive.
While South African health journalists are doing a sterling job covering HIV/AIDS related issues, the focus should now shift to the provision of anti retroviral drugs and treatment. Richard Delate, of the Centre for Aids Development, Research and Education (CADRE) says while politics dominates coverage of the pandemic the focus should now be on people are affected and infected by the virus. He applauds the role and expertise of health journalists in the country who he said are committed to conveying information about the epidemic.
We follow up on the story we aired in our last Living with AIDS slot. A major court challenge against the Chief Inspector of Mines, Mavis Anne Hermanus and the Ministry of Minerals and Energy Affairs, brought by Rustenburg Platinum Mines gets underway in the Pretoria High Court tomorrow (Tue, May 27). A decision made by the Chief Inspector of Mines in January 2001, to classify the death of a HIV positive miner, Jose Mulungu Cossa, as a mine fatality and the resultant levy imposed on the mine, are at the centre of the court challenge. Khopotso Bodibe reports on this significant matter.
A court case that could have a significant impact on the protection of the rights of workers living with HIV is to be heard in the Pretoria High Court on Tuesday, the 27th of May. This is a matter between Rustenburg Platinum Mines and the Chief Inspector of Mines together with the Ministry of Minerals and Energy Affairs, wherein the mine is the applicant. Khopotso Bodibe gives us more details on the case.
Today the challenge brought by Rustenburg Platinum Mine against Mavis Anne Hermanus '€“ the Chief Inspector of Mines '€“ and the Ministry of Minerals and Energy Affairs will finally be heard in the Pretoria High Court. In the following report, the spokesperson of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) explains to Khopotso Bodibe the consequences of ruling in favour of the mine.
Some 4000 Free State children will take part in a study to test the HIV rate of South African children.
Wezi Khoza, Executive Manager for Corporate Health at SAA, says since the launch of its AIDS policy employees have been making use of the company'€™s clinic. Apart from providing Voluntary Counseling and Testing of HIV, staff at the clinic also manage other life limiting diseases such as diabetes and cancer. Ms Khoza said SAA was honouring the Bill of Rights and that workers who are HIV positive would not be discriminated against and that the company would attempt to create a secure, caring and confidential environment. Thandeka Teyise compiled this report.
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.
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.
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.
Be in the know with our free weekly newsletter. We deliver a round-up of our top stories and insightful reads from across the web.