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What kills mothers & babies Living with AIDS # 528

Health, Women's Health

In South Africa about 4 300 women die due to complications related to pregnancy and child birth. About 20 000 infants are still-born and a further 23 000 die in the first month of life. In addition 75 000 children never live to reach the age of five. What are the causes for this?

khopotsobodibe
August 16, 2012

TAC demands better health services

Health Systems

The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) in Gauteng says it will take the Health Department to court to force them to deliver quality health care to the citizens of the province should they fail to do so.

ayandamkhwanazi
August 16, 2012

Lack of pay frustrates Gauteng counsellors Living with AIDS # 527

Health, News

Repeated promises by the Gauteng Health Department to pay lay counsellors and home-based care givers who have gone without their monthly stipends of R1 500 for four months have still not materialised. The 6000-plus volunteers have voiced their frustration over the non-payment.

khopotsobodibe
August 10, 2012

Rid the health department free of corruption

Health Systems

Newly appointed Gauteng Health MEC has a huge task of ridding his department free of corruption. Democratic Alliance Health spokesperson, Jack Bloom says the department's financial crisis is transparent of the corruption within.

ayandamkhwanazi
August 6, 2012

Communication key to behaviour change Living with AIDS # 526

Health

Communication through media and from person to person is vital to influence behaviour change that is useful for HIV prevention, according to research.

khopotsobodibe
August 2, 2012

Progress in reducing mother to child transmission

Health, Women's Health

: Great progress has been made in reducing early mother to child transmission of HIV in the country. A study by the Medical Research Council (MRC) shows that the national HIV mother to child transmission rate was approximately two point seven percent in 2011.

ayandamkhwanazi
August 2, 2012

MEC says change will come

Health Systems

Newly appointed Gauteng Health MEC, Hope Papo, is determined to turn things around in his beleaguered department. In an interview this week, the MEC expressed his dissatisfaction with the department's current state of affairs.

ayandamkhwanazi
August 2, 2012

How lack of funding affects AIDS programmes Living with AIDS # 525

Health, Health Systems

New United Nations data shows great gains in AIDS treatment coverage, but countries most affected by the AIDS epidemic continue to struggle to place enough people on treatment, mainly due to cuts in donor funding.

khopotsobodibe
July 26, 2012

The impact of communication on HIV

Health

Results of a survey released today (Tues, 24 July) at the international AIDS conference in Washington shows that media communication programmes have a positive influence on people's behaviour. The research shows that people who are exposed to such programmes are more likely to test for HIV and to use condoms, for example.

khopotsobodibe
July 24, 2012

Helping adolescents understand themselves Living with AIDS # 524

Health

Remember how difficult understanding sexuality and the changes in your body was when you were growing up? Well, today's adolescents go through the same hardships and probably know no better. But help is at hand in a newly published guide that explains the changes and developments in young bodies.

khopotsobodibe
July 19, 2012

Inequalities affect health

Health, Health Systems

Child mortality rates have slowly come down, although they are still significantly high. Health experts say this is attributed to huge inequalities that exist in accessing health care.

ayandamkhwanazi
July 17, 2012

Gauteng counsellor strike continues over no pay Living with AIDS # 523

Health, Health Systems

The strike by AIDS counsellors in Gauteng is continuing, despite the provincial heath department's promise to settle the pay dispute. The striking workers say they will return to work only when the Gauteng Health Department has deposited their money into their accounts.

khopotsobodibe
July 12, 2012

Gauteng warns counsellors to return to work Living with AIDS # 522

Health, Health Systems

The Gauteng Health Department has warned protesting HIV counsellors and home-based care-givers that there will be consequences if they don't return to work immediately. But it also admits it might not be able to pay them on time if they do.

khopotsobodibe
June 28, 2012

Patients fed up with bad attitude from nursing staff

Health, Health Systems

During a recent visit to the Daveyton Main Clinic, on Gauteng's East Rand, Ayanda Mkhwanazi of Health-e News Service, found patients complaining of appalling staff attitudes, which hinder effective health service delivery.