At the recent International AIDS Conference in Vienna, Austria, Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi appealed to donors to desist from cutting aid to support AIDS programmes in sub-Saharan Africa. The irony of his call, however, is that countries in Africa are not increasing their spending on health.
Read More » Need for African govts to increase health spending Living with AIDS # 441
A gastro-intestinal infection killed six babies at the Charlotte Maxeke Hospital in May, according to findings of an investigation launched into the tragedy. The investigation also found that health care staff did all they could to save the babies. Hospital systems, however, were found to be lacking.
Read More » Health systems to blame for Charlotte Maxeke baby deaths
Twenty-five percent of all women can develop some kind of vaginal infection. This is according to specialists, who say thrush and bacterial vaginosis are the most common. But, the majority of women are too ashamed to consult their doctors and would prefer to self-medicate, which may aggravate the infection.
Read More » Women advised to know their anatomy
The good news from the International AIDS Conference in Vienna that a microbicide gel tested in South Africa for the prevention of HIV infection is an ironically painful reminder that there is an urgent need for effective preventative measures to reduce new HIV infections.
Read More » Lack of HIV prevention methods a major concern Living with AIDS # 440
More and more caregivers are consulting psychiatric institutions to have their children's mental health assessed. Psychiatrists have attributed this to caregivers paying more attention to their children's behavioural patterns than before.
Read More » Parents waking up to kids’ mental health
At a week-long international summit in Johannesburg recently, men and women were challenged to step up the fight on gender-based violence.
Read More » ‘Step up and fight women abuse’ – men urged
An upbeat Health Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, says this year South Africa has something different to show the world regarding its response to AIDS at the 18th International AIDS Conference, which opened in Vienna, Austria, today (Sunday, 18/07/2010).
Read More » SA has lots to show off in Vienna
In 2000, the world's leaders committed themselves to the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals to make our planet a healthier place to live in by the year 2015. Two-thirds of the deadline has already passed. Is the world succeeding in its commitments, for instance, to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases which are endemic in countries such as South Africa?
Read More » Millennium Development Goals count-down Living with AIDS # 439
Discrimination against people with mental disorders makes it difficult to reintegrate them into society. Psychiatric health specialists blame this on the lack of understanding of mental illness and not knowing how to deal with someone who is mentally ill. In this report, we meet someone who has experienced first-hand such discrimination.
Read More » Stigma still rife in mental health
South African nurses are just as competent as doctors in monitoring patients on antiretroviral therapy. This is according to results of a four-year long study published recently in the respected international medical journal, The Lancet.
Read More » Nurses can also do ART Living with AIDS # 438
Public sector doctors continue to be in short supply in South Africa as many leave the health system because of poor working conditions, bad management and low pay.
Read More » Doctors still getting short end of the stickWork-place peer educators are a unique invaluable resource that the country has in its response to the HIV and AIDS epidemic, but their role is not sufficiently exploited. This is according to a book, titled 'Changing the course of AIDS'.
Read More » Calling for better utilization of work-place peer educators Living with AIDS # 437
Yesterday the country observed Youth Day, a day that has a history steeped in our oppressive political past. Today, South African youth have a plethora of challenges, politics not being at the top of the list. In this report we look at alcohol's easy access to the youth and how it impacts their health and lives.
Read More » Plying youth with alcohol Living with AIDS # 436
The majority of countries in sub-Saharan Africa rely on foreign funding to run their national AIDS programmes. But this over-reliance on donor agencies is now proving unsustainable as funders are freezing or reducing their support. Thus, local governments are now required to look no further than inward to save their own.
Read More » African governments urged to save their own Living with AIDS # 435
Millions of AIDS patients in Africa will face severe suffering and death if donor nations and organisations continue to back-track on their commitment to fund AIDS treatment programmes, warns Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF).
Read More » Rich nations taking health away from poor Living with AIDS # 434
