The ANC had lashed out at comments by Democratic Allicance leader Tony Leon who claims that the Western Cape was likely to "turn into a replica of the other provinces that pandered to President Thabo Mbeki's bizarre views on AIDS". "This statement is nothing more than political chicanery and a desperate attempt by Tony Leon to muster support for a misguided political strategy to win the hearts and minds of the Western Cape populace," is the response from the ANC's health committee. ANC National Health Secretary Dr Saadiq Kariem believes that it will be irresponsible to remove the funding from MTCT sites that are already up and running.

Government has indicated that it will attempt to further address the needs of some of the Northern Province communities, whose plight was highlighted by Health-e recently. The articles told stories of people dying of hunger in the rural areas of the province, the majority of them HIV positive.

Nozuko Ngcaweni, a young mother who was diagnosed HIV positive two years ago, says people should work together to understand the reality of HIV/AIDS and stop blaming those who live with the virus.

While anti-retroviral drugs for mineworkers remain out of reach, most mines have well developed HIV/AIDS strategies.

Natalia Baloi of Marirone, outside Tzaneen in the Northern Province, is a 22-year old unemployed single mother of a six year old boy. But now she finds herself not only being a mother to one child, but four others, the oldest of which is 17 years old. These added children are her younger siblings for whom she has to care since their parents died of an Aids-related disease. Although Natalia feels the responsibility to look after her siblings, she reveals that it is a very difficult task. This audio report is in Sesotho.

The question of child prostitution and how to deal with sex tourists who visit South Africa looking for children for sex were among those raised at the Sex Tourism conference held recently in Cape Town. The conference was convened as a result of the growing number of South African children who are being dragged into prostitution here at home, while others are being trafficked out of the country. This audio report is in Sesotho.

The most vulnerable victims of Aids in South Africa are children. When parents die, they are often left alone to fend for themselves and their siblings. Sometimes, this means leaving school and losing their identity as a normal child. Fortunately for Elvis Lerole of Maupye in the Northern Province, he still goes to school. But instead of playing with his friends after class, he herds relatives' cattle for R400 a month. This meagre amount is the only income supporting Elvis and his sister - as well as the aunt, uncle and cousins they stay with ever since their parents died. This audio report is in Sesotho.

The South African government and the legal system come under fire for ignoring the plight of child prostitutes at a recent conference on sex tourism held in Cape Town. This audio report is in Sesotho.

The Roman Catholic Church has come under criticism for its view that condoms should not be seen as a means to fight the spread of Aids. Little credit is given though to the work the Church does to help those infected and affected by Aids, as well as its prevention education methods. In Tzaneen in the Northern Province, the Catholic Church has put together a programme called Education for Life, through which it teaches people about the dangers of AIDS and how to deal with the challenges put forward by the epidemic. And crucial to this programme is the need to address people's daily needs, like providing them with food. This audio report is in Sesotho.

Government affidavits filed in response to a court challenge by the Treatment Action Campaign say the slow introduction of nevirapine through 18 pilot sites is rational and responsible.