From April 1st, insurance companies belonging to the Life Offices' Association, will no longer deny policy holders life, disability or funeral cover benefits should they become infected with HIV.
A new publication, 'Off the Map', shows how the exclusion of sexual minorities in national HIV/AIDS programmes in Africa could jeopardise the continent's efforts to rid itself of the epidemic.
In what is termed a 'historic' meeting, government, civil society and business leaders are today coming together for the last of a two-day summit in Johannesburg to finalise the country's AIDS plan for the next five years.
Legalising commercial sex work, programmes against alcohol and drug abuse, subsidies for people who adopt orphans and food support for HIV positive moms who breastfeed exclusively are some of the innovative new interventions contained in government's draft plan to fight HIV/AIDS.
The Departments of Correctional Services and Health as well as AIDS advocacy groups have begun urgent talks that could see the parties reaching an out-of-court settlement on the provision of anti-retrovirals to prisoners at Westville Prison in Durban.
Transport Minister Jeff Radebe has been appointed acting health minister while Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang remains in Johannesburg Hospital's high care unit.
The Belgian-based pharmaceutical company, Glaxo-Smith-Kline, has introduced a new vaccine to prevent six child-hood diseases. The vaccine 'the first of its kind in South Africa - is aimed at protecting children against whoopping cough, polio, diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis B and haemophilus influenza type B.
Despite spending slightly more than the national average on health per person, a number of KwaZulu-Natal's key health indicators are getting worse.
Old Transkei emerges as country's poorest area, while the living is easy in the West Coast.
Home to the poorest districts in the country, the Eastern Cape health system continues to be plagued by huge staff shortages, poor management and weak primary care.
The Free State has more than doubled its expenditure on Primary Health Care (PHC) from R91 per patient in 2001 to R221.
Despite being the second highest spender on primary health care in the country, NorthWest's health system has recorded an average performance.
Mpumalanga's tuberculosis programme is the worst in the country. Its TB cure rate of 32 percent is the lowest in South Africa and has deteriorated from just under 48 percent in 2003.
Always considered the 'rich kid', the Western Cape has committed large amounts of money to primary health care (PHC) and so far it is translating into good health outcomes for the province.
South Africa's 'powerhouse', Gauteng is the country's most densely populated province and home to almost 10-million residents (20 % of the population).
