Brown bread and mielie meal, the staple food of the country's poorest citizens, will soon be fortified with vitamins to help combat malnutrition. According to draft regulations published by the Department of Health on Friday (October 18), it will soon be compulsory for the milling industry to add a range of micro-nutrients to their products or face legal action.
CAPE TOWN - Deputy-president Jacob Zuma has met with the Treatment Action Campaign leadership, the second positive indication in less than a week that Government was grappling with providing anti-retrovirals in the public sector. In a significant move, Zuma and director-general for health Dr Ayanda Ntsaluba met with the TAC representatives led by national chairperson Zackie Achmat and national secretary Mark Heywood at Tuynhuys on Tuesday night.
Men Care Enough to Act was the theme of the Men's Imbizo held in Parow and Langa near Cape Town recently. Men in Partnership against HIV/AIDS also gathered in Cape Town to voice their frustration and disappointment at those men who continue to abuse women and children. The main focus of the event was the role men can play in addressing the HIV/AIDS pandemic and sexual and domestic violence in South Africa. Well-known South Africans such as Steve Khompela, Caesar Molebatse, Dumile Mateza, Blondie Makhene as well as hundreds of men from the nine South African Provinces attended the forum to show their support.
Khaya Nkontso, coordinator of PPASA's Men As Partners programme, is trying to help raise men's awareness around issues of reproductive health, sexuality and HIV. Khaya says not all men are violent and want to dominate women. He says many men are showing a greater willingness to become involved in health issues that affect themselves as well as women and children. One of Khaya's aims is to educate men about HIV/Aids, sexual violence and how to work in partnership with their wives or lovers.
In its recent workshop in Cape Town, the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) agreed that the body should undergo massive restructuring in order for it to have a clear response to the HIV/AIDS challenge. SANAC has drawn criticism from a range of AIDS organisations, which accuse it of not representing the interests of people living with HIV/AIDS. The organisations have called for more representation on the SANAC of civil society as well as business organisations. Khopotso Bodibe filed this report.
Brian Smith, Human Resources Director at Volkswagen South Africa's Uitenhage plant says that although his company has been involved in HIV education for quite some time a formal policy was only implemented in July this year. The National Union of Metal Workers is working with the company to make a success of the programme. Mr Smith was reluctant to confirm HIV prevalence at VWSA saying the company was awaiting results of saliva tests that were recently taken from workers. Thandeka Teyise reports.
In this audio report by Khopotso Bodibe, we hear how the unwillingness of many South Africans to speak openly about sex and HIV/AIDS is slowing down efforts to market the concept of sexual rights to society.
Have you ever heard about sexual rights? If you have are you denying others their sexual rights because you are simply too macho to care? Or, you can't negotiate your sexual rights because you feel powerless to insist on them? Well, the Women's Health Project ' an NGO that works in the field of women's health promotion ' is currently running a workshop called 'The Sexual Rights Campaign' in an attempt to educate men, women and the youth about sexual rights and how they can be attained. Khopotso Bodibe reports.
Two hearts beating as one. No, this is not the title of the latest Hollywood blockbuster or a pop song. It's a reality in the life of 37-year-old Paul Thesen.His life story could quite easily be a big hit, almost too incredible to be true.
Next time you get a sexually transmitted infection (STI), it may be worth your while to go to your local clinic rather than slinking off to see a private doctor. Researchers have found that the much-maligned government clinics are better at treating STIs than the average general practitioner (GP).
Stronger warning labels will be added to paracetamol sold in the United States in an effort to curb accidental overdoses that have lead to hundreds of deaths in that country. Anso Thom reports.
Lack of male involvement in government's prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission programme (PMTCT) is undermining its success, according to HSRC researcher Dr Christine Varga. Kerry Cullinan reports.
The way South African men construct their identity plays a major role in the health and well being of families and communities in this country. Anso Thom spoke to one man who is trying to demystify masculinity.
Half its patients die of AIDS, and 54% of pregnant women are HIV-infected. In the absence of any national HIV/AIDS treatment plan, the tiny and embattled St Mary's Hospital has started its own projects to try to restore hope to its community
Sam Ndunyana is a peer educator who works at the Mercedes Benz Body Plant at Daimler Chrysler in East London. On Mondays peer educators are allocated 10 minutes to educate and do talks on HIV related issues to their fellow colleagues in the canteens. Ndunyana says this has been an eye opener for him on HIV related issues he was not aware of. Thandeka Teyise compiled this report.
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.