One of the biggest killers in Africa, but often overlooked in the age of AIDS, cancer will be the focus this week when experts gather for the 6th International Congress of African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC) meeting in Cape Town.
Israeli doctors will be traveling to Swaziland for two week stints to assist in a mass circumcision campaign in the hope of curbing the spread of HIV. This and other stories are contained in the latest Centers for Disease Control HIV, Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention newsletter.
The cost of wars in Africa over the last 15 years could solve the HIV/AIDS crisis, prevent TB and malaria, or provide clean water, sanitation and education for the continent, an Oxfam report has found.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has dangled a U$100-million carrot in front of scientists, especially those in Africa and Asia, who may have 'creative, unorthodox ideas' that could lead to breakthroughs against some of the greatest health challenges facing poor countries.
In a first for South Africa, a national PMTCT (Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission) hotline, manned by HIV positive women who are part of the mothers2mothers (m2m) organization, has been launched.
Marie Stopes has been a granted an interim order allowing it to continue offering termination of pregnancy services in the Western Cape until a dispute with the Western Cape health department comes before the court in February next year.
The Cape High Court will today hear an urgent application by Marie Stopes clinics alleging that the actions of the Western Cape Provincial Department of Health have put women's right to access terminations of pregnancy under threat.
Although pregnancy is a good thing to most women, delivering the baby, which most women do at public hospitals, could be the most unpleasant experience, according to allegations of ill-treatment that they endure at the hands of nurses in public sector hospitals.
Government has claimed first evidence of a decline in South Africa's HIV/AIDS epidemic after its annual survey among pregnant women showed a 'statistically significant reduction' of HIV prevalence between 2005 and 2006.
Rape survivors are not getting the healthcare they need.
A unique programme investigating whether access to money can reduce rural women's vulnerability to HIV, shows that with economic power comes a sense of optimism. Researchers reckon that this leads to better health decisions, reduced health risks and improved gender relations.
Mention the Peri-natal HIV Research Unit to anyone working in the scientific and medical fields of AIDS, and the names Glenda Gray and James McIntyre will pop into mind. For many women, the two are the angels that have saved their babies' lives.
Women's rights to access abortion services are not under threat.
Densely populated, crime ridden; filthy and full of brothels is how Hillbrow is usually described. Sex workers thrive. The rate of sexually transmitted infections is high in such areas. Yet an HIV Voluntary Counselling and Testing programme introduced a few years ago is showing positive results. And a number of women in this area celebrate Women's Day with vigour ' knowing that they have a clean bill of health.
Social conditions such as poverty and gender inequalities play a major role in driving the AIDS epidemic in South Africa. Often, it is women who are at the mercy of such conditions. A unique pilot project in the remote villages of Limpopo and Mpumalanga is using micro-finance to intervene.
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