While the heat of public attention has been focused on government and its response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the business sector has been slow to come to terms with the potential impact of the disease on people and how to pre-empt it.
There is substantial research to show that in addition to diet and exercise, psycho-social factors play a significant role in in the cause '€“ and treatment '€“ of heart disease. Kerry Cullinan reports.
Africa'€™s biggest killer disease could be stopped in its tracks if a new malaria vaccine for children proves successful in clinical trials which are due to begin soon in The Gambia.
Doctors meeting at the World Congress of Family Doctors in Durban have commmitted themselves to ensuring that affordable anti-AIDS drugs become available to the world'€™s poor '€“ not just to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission, but also as treatment for those living with the virus.
The pharmacy industry has moved swiftly to prepare itself for the implementation of the much disputed Medicines and Related Substances Control Amendment Act that is set to bring huge changes to the entire medical industry. The price of prescription medicine is likely to fall as pharmacists  swop their profit margins for a professional fee. Anso Thom reports...
AIDS activists will picket outside the Johannesburg Hospital's HIV clinic today (Friday) in protest against understaffing and poor resources which have rendered the clinic virtually inoperable over the past few months. As Anso Thom reports, the sorry state of affairs at the clinic has existed for some time.
A medical research centre to study diseases that most affect Africa is in the final stages of being established at the University of Cape Town. The new institute will concentrate on a variety of diseases including HIV/AIDS, malaria, major cancers and various genetic and metabolic disorders. It also hopes to reduce the "brain drain" by offering South African scientists a place to pursue top quality research.
In the wake of the collapse of the court case brought by major pharmaceutical companies against the Medicines and Related Substances Control Amendment Act, health minister Manto Tshabalala Msimang will meet some of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies in London to discuss access to drugs and the implementation of the Act.
The Treatment Action Campaign plans to intensify its campaign to pressurise government to extend its prevention programme against mother-to-child-transmission of HIV. TAC wants government to offer HIV positive pregnant women access to the anti-retroviral drug Nevirapine at 18 sites countrywide.
Swiss drug company Novartis has indicated that is in the final stages of negotiating a slash in the price of a malaria drug, a move that would benefit South Africa as well.
Infectious diseases can be controlled in the world'€™s poorest countries. This is the message contained in a World Health Organisation (WHO) report '€“ "Health A Key to Prosperity". The report names Uganda, Thailand and Senegal as national success stories in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Health-e reports on some of the success stories, many from Africa...
The United Nations Secretary-General has called for the creation of a global fund to battle HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases in Africa. Speaking at the Organisation of African Unity summit on HIV/AIDS being held in Nigeria, Koffi Annan said between US$ 7 - 10 billion was needed over an extended period of time to combat the pandemic. This is a seven fold increase from the 1 billion US dollars presently being spent on HIV/AIDS in developing countries in Africa.
April 25 is Africa malaria day. South African health authorities will purchase thousands of mosquito nets as part of the campaign to protect people living in malaria areas. Research has shown that bednets are effective, well accepted by local communities and cheaper than residual spraying of houses in affected areas.
The withdrawal of the pharmaceutical industry from litigation against the Medicines and Related Substances Control Amendment Act opens the way for the South African government to offer consumers access to cheaper medicines. But the public should be under no illusions that it immediately creates the conditions for affordable medicines and cheap anti AIDS drugs.
The South African government and the Treatment Action Campaign might have emerged victorious from the Pretoria High Court, but this does not mean that cheap anti-AIDS drugs will suddenly be available to all South Africans who need them. As Kerry Cullinan reports, the Medicines and Related Substances Control Amendment Act does not challenge patent rights and the pharmaceutical giants retain a 20-year hold on the production and pricing of anti-retroviral drugs.
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