In spite of its middle income status, South Africa is high up with 10 of the 68 worst performing countries in making progress towards reaching the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) that relates to reducing child deaths by 2015.
Despite attempts by both the government and other sectors to encourage testing for HIV, most South African men are still not willing to get tested. We spoke to some of the nation'€™s men'€™s organizations to get more insight on this.
Health experts have warned of a possible increase of cervical cancer among HIV-positive women if nothing is done to prevent the Human Papilloma Virus, which causes this form of cancer.
In just less than two months after the registration of Glaxo-Smith-Kline'€™s cervical cancer vaccine by the Medicines Control Council, the regulatory body has registered yet another vaccine aimed at preventing the cancer.
TB scientists say HIV infection and poor quality sputum specimens make it difficult to diagnose TB. This in turn contributes to the rapid spread of TB and drug resistance, especially in HIV-positive patients.
Statements made by ANC politicians at the recent national congress of the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) suggest a move towards better relations between the government and the activist group. The relationship between the two has been at an all-time low over the last few years amid confrontation and mudslinging over the anti-retroviral treatment roll-out plan.
The outbreak of Extensively Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (XDR TB) in Tugela Ferry in the Msinga area of KwaZulu-Natal in 2006, marked a turning point in the fight against TB.
In just less than a month after the disappointing Carraguard microbicide results, a study using a genital herpes drug, Acyclovir, has proved that it does not reduce the risk of HIV infection among people with Herpes Simplex Virus-2.
Statistics show that cervical cancer kills more women than any other form of cancer in South Africa. Yet fewer women go for a regular pap smear test to check for the development of the cancer.
South African women can now, for the first time, be vaccinated against cervical cancer. This follows the recent registration by the Medicines Control Council of a vaccine to prevent the growth of this particular cancer.
Organizations working in the field of HIV/AIDS are still hopeful that new HIV prevention methods will be found despite Carraguard'€™s disappointing results.
A recent report by UNICEF says South African AIDS orphans are in a far better position than many from eastern and southern Africa.
Attempts on the HIV prevention front have been dealt yet another blow, following the failure of the Carraguard microbicide to prove effective in preventing HIV infection from males to females.
The adoption of new guidelines for the prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission by the Policy Committee of the National Health Council is good news to HIV-positive pregnant women. But it is too little too late for some.
An expert in high-care says the desperate shortage of nurses trained in intensive care services is too complex and needs a multi-dimensional approach to address it.
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