South African activists and scientists will play a prominent role in the 14th International AIDS conference which opens in Barcelona on Friday.

South African activists and scientists will play a prominent role in the 14th International AIDS conference which opens in Barcelona on Friday.

The director general of health, Dr Ayanda Ntsaluba, a keynote speaker at the national HIV/AIDS treatment conference which began in Durban last night, decided at the last minute not to attend the gathering.

Cosatu and the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) are to table a national HIV/AIDS treatment plan in the National Economic, Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) following the first national treatment conference which concluded in Durban yesterday (sat).

In this audio report, the health MEC for Gauteng tells Khopotso Bodibe that post exposure prophylaxis for rape survivors will be available at seven public hospitals by the end of June.

"Between April and June this year more than 300 000 children were registered to receive social grants." This is according to Dr Zola Skweyiya, the Minister of Social Development. But in this report by Khopotso Bodibe, Skweyiya says that the low number of children who are receiving foster care and care dependency grants is cause for concern. The Ministry of Social Development has earmarked two-billion rands to disburse as arrears payment to grant beneficiaries under these categories between now and August.

South African scientists have made a breakthrough in malaria research which will enable more effective drugs to be developed to treat the parasite-based infection. The breakthrough is based on identifying how the malaria parasite, transmitted to people by the Anopheles mosquito, operates in humans' red blood cells, according to Dr Giovanni Hearne of Wits University's School of Physics.

Although the Eastern Cape health department has welcomed the announcement of protocols for the use of anti-retroviral drugs in the treatment of rape survivors, the province will make no clear commitment as to when they will implement the treatment option. The Acting MEC of Health in the province, Max Mamase, says he would have liked the protocols to specify a triple combination therapy to ensure maximum efficacy. Mamase also says, because the drugs have not been proven to be completely effective, it is important that the protocols must exempt government from any litigation.

On May 29, the Minister of Health announced protocols for the use of post-exposure prophylaxis against HIV for rape survivors in public health facilities around the country. In this series of interviews, Khopotso Bodibe spoke to a number of provincial health ministers to find out what plans were in place to implement the protocols. The answers he received were mixed. First in line was the MEC of Health in Limpopo, Sello Moloto.

A nurse should be a caring and loving person with good listening and communication skills say student nurses at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Gauteng. It also takes hard work and dedication. Thandeka Teyise joined the first year students on their rounds at Chris Hani Baragwanath and found out what motivated them in their chosen profession.