| In the News |
| Zimbabwe launches 1st national scale cash grant programme for children and families |
HARARE, 27 September, 2011 –(UNICEF Zimbabwe)-In a collective move to address the unmet basic and social needs of orphans and other vulnerable children, the Inclusive Government of Zimbabwe, the International Donor Community comprising the Governments of Netherlands, Sweden, United Kingdom, the European Commission and UNICEF, today, unveiled a massive social protection response mechanism for Zimbabwe’s most vulnerable children.
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| Zimbabwe considers door-to-door HIV testing |
| Harare-September 2011-(The Herald)-GOVERNMENT is considering drastic measures such as door-to-door testing campaigns for every citizen to know their HIV status. |
| Compulsory HIV Testing Planned |
| NAIROBI - 26 September-(Daily Nation)-Testing for HIV will be made compulsory for those seeking treatment for ailments such as malaria and typhoid. |
| SA gets ready for trial of successful Thai vaccine |
| BANGKOK —13 September 2011-(Health-e)-Two years ago, the AIDS community was electrified by news that a vaccine had partially protected people against HIV. Now this vaccine will be tested in South Africa. |
| Trade Union Congress of Namibia (TUCNA) Set Agenda for Congress |
| WINDHOEK - 12 September 2011-(The Namibian)-A Backlog in Labour Court cases, high unemployment the social impact of HIV and AIDS on the Namibian workforce and an election of new leadership will be amongst the issues on the agenda of the 3rd National Congress of the Trade Union Congress of Namibia (TUCNA). |
| Chienge Hospital Works On Course |
| CHIENGE — 12 September 2011-(Times of Zambia)-The construction of a multi-billion Kwacha Chienge District Hospital has reached an advanced stage, district medical officer James Zulu has said. |
| Zimbabwe National HIV Conference: Poor Antiretroviral Supplies Claim 7 000 Kids Annually |
| HARARE -8 September 2011-(The Herald)-Nearly 7 000 children die of HIV and AIDS-related illnesses annually in Zimbabwe as the country lags behind in supplying Antiretroviral Treatment to those under 15 years. |
| President Mugabe urges Zimbabweans not to be complacent on AIDS |
| HARARE -6 September 2011-(Zim KC team) -Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has warned the population not to be complacent hoping that they have won the fight against HIV and AIDS. The President made the remark at the official opening of Zimbabwe's second national HIV and AIDS conference in Harare yesterday. |
| Low STI testing puts HIV-positive pregnant women at risk |
LUSAKA, 1 September, 1 (PLUSNEWS) - While most pregnant women in Zambia are now tested for HIV, other sexually transmitted infections such as syphilis are not being diagnosed, placing the lives of thousands of women at risk.
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| Zimbabwe National HIV and AIDS Conference |
| Zimbabwe, 1 September 2011-(National AIDS Council)-The Ministry of Health and Child Welfare and the National AIDS Council, in collaboration with the Elizabeth Glaser Paediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) and other key partners, are going to hold a National HIV and AIDS Conference from 5th – 9th September 2011 at Celebration Centre in Harare under the theme “Eliminate New HIV Infections in Children, Keep Mothers Alive”. The conference will give Zimbabwe the opportunity to reflect on progress made so far in the national response to HIV and AIDS. |
| Weak HIV-positive people struggle to access food aid |
NAIROBI, 23 August, 23 (PLUSNEWS) - Every morning, Julia Aukot walks 17km to eastern Kenya's Isiolo town in search of work so she can feed her six children and ailing husband; the journey is punishing, but as her family's sole breadwinner, she has no choice.
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| SWAZILAND: Swazis put lives on hold because of stigma |
MBABANE, 19 August 2011 (PlusNews) - The widespread fear of stigma and discrimination still leaves many HIV-positive people in Swaziland feeling so despondent they put their lives on hold. Many HIV-positive women have decided not to have children, while some feel marriage is no longer an option, a new survey has found.
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| MALAWI: HIV-positive civil servants angry at switch from cash to food parcels |
| BLANTYRE, 8 August 2011 (PlusNews) - HIV-positive civil servants in Malawi are unhappy with the government's announcement that it would stop providing a cash grant to help improve their diet. |
| Lironga Eparu Offered Help |
| WINDHOEK - 5 August 2011-(New Era)-Namibia Network of AIDS Services Organisations (NANASO) says Lironga Eparu can approach the centre to determine how they can intervene to help their members. |
| Domestic Workers Still Face Many Challenges |
WINDHOEK - 3 August 2011-(Namibian Economist)-The dismissal of domestic workers on the basis of their HIV status is unlawful, however, they can be dismissed on the grounds of incapacity caused by the illness. |
| Desperate HIV-positive people eat cow dung to sustain treatment |
MBABANE-28 July 2011-(Plus News)-Organizations fighting HIV/AIDS in Swaziland were at first incredulous at reports that hundreds of impoverished HIV-positive rural residents were eating cow dung to give their stomachs something to digest before taking their antiretrovirals (ARVs). |
| Putting TB on the Political Agenda |
Harare, Zimbabwe, 25 July 2011-(SAfAIDS Media)-The Zimbabwe National Network of People living with HIV (ZNNP+) in partnership with Southern Africa HIV and AIDS Information Dissemination Service (SAfAIDS) will on Wednesday, 27 July 2011, hold a half-day TB national policy dialogue breakfast meeting under the theme ‘Amplifying the Voices of the Vulnerable: Putting TB on the Political Agenda.”
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| The future of TB diagnosis: the paradigm shift? |
18 July-(KC) -Over a hundred years into the current fight against tuberculosis (TB), it remains one of the most critical medical and public health challenges, particularly the pulmonary form of it, which affects lungs. Not only has the disease steadily caused a great deal of illness and death over the years, tackling it has also become more complex and difficult.
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| Reproductive services could open door to HIV prevention |
| JOHANNESBURG—July 2011-(Plus News)-In theory, it should go something like this: pregnant woman tests HIV-positive as part of prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) services at her antenatal clinic, and tells dad-to-be; dad tests for HIV and they support each other, start treatment if need be, and prevent HIV transmission to baby or dad. |
| Debunking the spending backlash |
| JOHANNESBURG -12 July 2011-(Plus News)-National AIDS programmes are feeling the pinch as the international community and governments rethink their prioritization of AIDS over other infectious diseases. The withdrawal of support for the fight against HIV is gaining momentum and it is time to get angry, according to Francois Venter, head of the Southern Africa HIV Clinicians Society. He spoke to IRIN/PlusNews about debunking the five major claims fuelling the backlash against global HIV expenditure, drawing on work by University of Cape Town professor Nicoli Nattrass and long-time HIV activist Gregg Gonsalves. |
| First Lady to Head Continental Organisation |
| WINDHOEK - 12 July 2011-(New Era)-The First Lady, Madam Penehupifo Pohamba, was elected President of the Organization of African First Ladies Against HIV and AIDS (OAFLA) at a meeting that took place in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea on June 29. |
| Lesbian And Bisexual Women Vulnerable to HIV |
| CAPE TOWN - 6 July 2011-(Health-e)-Recent research shows that lesbian and women who have sex with both women and men are a marginalised group that is increasingly vulnerable to HIV and AIDS. |
| Money for HIV is there – if we can cut corruption |
| South Africa, June 2011-(Health-e)-Despite substantial cuts in donor funds to the HIV/AIDS sector, South Africa has enough money to deal with the epidemic – if we plug the corruption drain. |
| Knitting a more caring world Namibia |
| Namibia-June 2011-(The Namibian)-Namibian women from across the country have come together knitting jerseys for AIDS babies and orphans. |
UNICEF and partners commemorate the Day of the African Child in Zimbabwe
A call to accelerate the realisation of children’s rights |
| Zimbabwe, 16 June 2011– The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) today joined the rest of the African Continent in commemorating the Day of the African Child with a call to accelerate efforts to ensure the realisation of children’s rights. |
| UNAIDS and WHO prepare for the Implementation of 1% Tenofovir Gel |
| Johannesburg, South Africa –14 June 2011-Researchers, advocates, funders and pharmaceutical companies’ representatives are gathered in JHB, South Africa to prepare and plan for the implementation of 1% Tenofovir Gel. The meeting is a follow up to a similar meeting, “next steps 1% Tenofovir Gel,” meeting held in South Africa last year. |
| Straight Talk with Elizabeth Pisani, author of The Wisdom of Whores |
NAIROBI - 14 June 2011-(plus News)-Epidemiologist Elizabeth Pisani raised eyebrows in 2008 with her book, The Wisdom of Whores, a frank account of her experiences working in the field of HIV and AIDS, from the politics of raising money to conversations in the backstreet brothels of Bangkok. She spoke to IRIN/PlusNews:
Question: Why have HIV prevention efforts failed to curb the spread of the pandemic? |
| HIV/AIDS: UN High-Level Meeting on AIDS - where to from here? |
| JOHANNESBURG—9 June 2011-More than 30 heads of state and government are at the 2011 UN High-Level Meeting on AIDS in New York - one of the biggest events on the HIV/AIDS calendar. It has been 30 years since the first case of HIV was diagnosed, 10 years since the landmark UN General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS, and 5 years since countries met to commit to universal access to HIV services. The meeting couldn't have come at a better time - funding for AIDS is on the decline, while competing global priorities such as climate change have captured the world's attention. |
| Zimbabwe’s HIV Prevalence Decline in the Spotlight at SA AIDS Conference |
| Durban, South Africa, 9 June 2011, (SAfAIDS Media)-Zimbabwe’s HIV prevalence decline was once again in the spotlight at the South African AIDS Conference with neighbouring South Africa wanting to get a full of appreciation of how the country has managed to maintain an HIV prevalence and incidence decline over the years when in most of the other countries, prevalence has been leveling off. |
| Global Fund Board Adopts New Criteria for Eligibility, Counterpart Financing and Prioritisation |
| NAIROBI -17 May 2011-(Global Fund Observer)-After nearly two years of difficult discussion, the Board has agreed on new "eligibility, counterpart financing and prioritisation criteria" that specify which countries are entitled, under what circumstances, to apply for and receive Global Fund grants. |
| HIV/AIDS Case Despite Denials By Employers |
| NAMIBIA-6 May 2011-(The Namibian)-The Legal Assistance Centre (LAC) has confirmed they will continue to pursue the case of two farmworkers who claim they were dismissed after their employers found out they were HIV positive. |
| US project planning to sterilise HIV positive women in South Africa |
| JOHANNESBURG -6 May 2011-(Health-e)-A controversial US project that pays drug users and alcoholics to undergo sterilisation or long-term contraception, is setting its sights on women living with HIV in South Africa. |
| Local Trials on ARVs Efficacy to Continue |
| HARARE -28 April 2011-(The Herald)- Ongoing trials in Zimbabwe and other Sub-Saharan countries testing the efficacy of some ARVs in preventing HIV transmission from female to male will continue despite a premature halt to a similar but different research that was being done in the region, researchers have said. |
| Southern Africa: 11.3m infected and counting! |
| WINDHOEK – 28 April 2011-(The Southern Times)-Southern Africa now has 11,3 million people living with HIV, an increase of 31 percent from the 8,6 million of a decade earlier. |
| HIV keeps locals out of foreign universities |
| WINDHOEK —April 2011-(The Namibian)-Banning HIV-positive Namibians from obtaining overseas scholarships is discriminatory, unconstitutional and a human rights violation. These, and other concerns, were raised by the AIDS Law Unit at the Legal Assistance Centre (LAC) in a press statement yesterday |
| Zimbabwe: U.S. $1,500 Fine for HIV Taunt |
| HARARE - 26 April 2011-(The Herald)-A Harare woman recently paid the price for failing to control her tongue after she was ordered to pay US$1 500 in damages to another woman she insulted and denigrated over her HIV status in public. |
| Minister of health invited to join Global Task Force |
| HARARE —21 April 2011-In Focus-The Minister of Health and Child Welfare, Dr Henry Madzorera, has been invited to join the Global Task Team on the elimination of new child infections and keeping their mothers alive. This follows the participation of the minister in the first teleconference meeting of the task team. |
| Six million Babies stillborn in 2009 |
| GENEVA —20 April 2011-(The Lancet medical journal)-Some 2.6 million stillbirths occurred worldwide in 2009, according to the first comprehensive set of estimates published today in a special series of The Lancet medical journal. |
| SAfAIDS commemorates World Health Day 2011 |
| Harare, Zimbabwe, 13 April 2011 (SAfAIDS Media) – “Have Your Health Issues Heard?” was the theme for the Southern Africa HIV and AIDS Information Dissemination Service’s (SAfAIDS) World Health Day Campaign. In an exciting campaign, the organisation encouraged all its visitors and partners to share messages and commitments about health issues as a means of commemorating World Health Day. |
| Regional Rock Indaba: Traditional Leaders challenged to actively participate in the fight against HIV |
| JOHANNESBURG - 12 April 2011-(SAfAIDS Media)-Traditional leaders from southern Africa have been challenged to play an active role in the fight against HIV for the region to achieve zero new infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS related deaths. |
| KENYA: Patients on ARVs hard hit by drought, high food prices |
| NAKURU/ISIOLO, 12 April 2011 (PlusNews) - When IRIN/PlusNews recently visited Nuna Kahiro, 75, in Kenya's Rift Valley town of Nakuru, she asked the same question she asks everyone who visits: "Did you bring me anything to eat?" |
| Urgent action necessary to slow down the spread of drug resistance |
| 7 April 2011-(UNAIDS)-Drug resistance is becoming more severe and many infections are no longer easily cured, leading to prolonged and expensive treatment and greater risk of death, warns the World Health Organization (WHO) on World Health Day, 7 April 2011. |
| Moving slowly towards an HIV-free generation |
| NAIROBI, 4 April, 4 (PLUSNEWS) - Progress towards an HIV-free generation has been slow, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, as he released a report on achievements in combating HIV and AIDS in the past three decades. |
| BURUNDI: "Die-in" to protest lack of HIV care |
BUJUMBURA, 4 April 2011 (PlusNews) - Hundreds of Burundians living with HIV/AIDS recently staged a demonstration in the capital, Bujumbura, to protest against a lack of treatment.
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| Watch for malnutrition risk in children with HIV after starting ART |
| 30 March 2011-(AIDSMAP)-One in nine HIV-infected children with advanced illness was hospitalised with severe malnutrition within 12 weeks of starting antiretroviral and these children had a 15-fold increased risk of dying within the first six months compared to those children not hospitalised, Andrew Prendergast and colleagues reported in the ARROW study published in the advance online edition of AIDS. |
| Understanding the needs of adolescents living with HIV |
| LUSAKA —30 March 2011-(AIDS Alliance)-There are currently around 120,000 infected with HIV and 690,000 AIDS orphans. With growing numbers living with HIV there are concerns that their psychosocial, sexual health and reproductive health needs are not being met. |
| Condom recycling highlights gaps in HIV prevention programming in Kenya |
| ISIOLO — 30 March 2011-(Plus News)-Media images of men in northern Kenya washing condoms for re-use have underscored the need to improve HIV communication and close gaps in the supply of condoms in rural areas. |
| Quick and easy TB diagnosis puts pressure on treatment |
| KHAYELITSHA —28 March 2011-(Plus News)-A promising new diagnostic test for detecting drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) quickly and reliably is finally available, said a new report by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). |
| Spotlight on new approach to tuberculosis vaccine funding |
| 24 March 2011-(CNS)-European politicians, tuberculosis (TB) advocates and health advisers are gathering to discuss an innovative financing model that would enable scientific discoveries to be translated into TB vaccines. On the occasion of a World TB Day meeting, Joris Vandeputte of TuBerculosis Vaccine Initiative (TBVI) will present a new funding plan: "Our governments are faced with a difficult question: how to reduce the deficit while maintaining a commitment to invest 3% of gross national income in research and innovation?" |
| A Call to Improve Management of TB Disease |
| 22 March 2011-(Medical News Today)- The standard approach to re-treating tuberculosis (TB) in low and middle income settings is failing, according to research funded by the Wellcome Trust. In a study published in the open access journal PLoS Medicine, researchers call for improved access to rapid diagnostics for drug resistant TB, second-line TB treatment and antiretroviral HIV therapy. |
| New HIV Programme Targets Men |
| WINDHOEK — 15 March 2011-(all africa.com)-President Hifikepunye Pohamba last Thursday launched the male involvement campaign in the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) of HIV, a brainchild of the first lady, Madam Penehupifo Pohamba. |
| HCT and Teens - the Rights Connection |
| SOUTH Africa-15 March 2011-(allAfrica.com)-The Children's Rights Centre supports government's intention to extend and improve HIV Counselling and Testing (HCT) for teens as part of the revitalisation of a sustained school health programme to improve the health status and overall wellbeing of teens. We are encouraged by the Minister of Health's emphasis on the 'bigger picture', rather than targeting numbers for a once off campaign. |
| HIV/AIDS: Five ways to reduce women's vulnerability to HIV |
| NAIROBI, 15 March 2011 (PlusNews) - As the world celebrates the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day, women and girls across the globe continue to be disproportionately affected by the AIDS pandemic - HIV is the leading cause of death and disease among women of reproductive age worldwide. |
| Family Planning Helps Prevent Unplanned Pregnancies |
| LUSAKA (allAfrica.com) — 15 March 2011-Young people use family planning methods to simply prevent pregnancy. For youths the use of family planning helps them to prevent pregnancy. |
| Warning of Drug-Resistant HIV |
| 9 March 2011-(All africa.com)-African countries need to take steps to monitor and prevent the spread of drug-resistant HIV. This was the warning from researchers at the annual conference on retroviruses in Boston last week. |
| HIV a Challenge in Religion |
| Africa-02 March 2011-(all africa.com)-Hundreds of religious leaders across the globe are living with HIV, yet are afraid to come out because of the stigma attached to it. INERELA is a network of religious leaders across the globe which gives support to faith-based communities who are afraid to talk about HIV due to the stigma. |
| UGANDA: Cash crunch delays shift to WHO-recommended PMTCT regimen |
| KAMPALA, 1 March 2011- (PlusNews) - A shortage of money means Uganda is unlikely to shift its prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programmes to a more efficient UN World Health Organization (WHO) regimen soon, say government officials. |
| UN Women Celebrates Launch as Powerful Driver of Women’s Equality |
| New York, 28 February 2011—The UN today celebrates the historic launch of UN Women, its newest organization, with an evening including luminaries from the worlds of politics, entertainment, business, the media, music and film in the UN General Assembly Hall. |
| Integration of maternal, HIV services shows results in Kenya |
| KAKAMEGA —25 February 2011-The bold branding of HIV care centres in Kenyan hospitals stops many HIV-positive pregnant women from accessing vital HIV treatment that could protect their children from infection for fear of stigma. |
| Samples obtained after prostate massage a good guide to HIV load in semen |
| 24 February 24 February 2011-(AIDSMAP)-HIV can be successfully measured in urethral fluids and urine that are obtained after prostatic massage, an international team of investigators report in the online edition of Sexually Transmitted Infections. |
| A helping hand for HIV-positive mothers and babies |
| HARARE —24 February 2011-The high cost of maternity and health care, the lack of a proper follow-up system, and a limited ability to diagnose HIV infection early in babies means many Zimbabwean children are not being caught by the safety net that the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programme was intended to provide. |
| Zim celebs join SAfAIDS in HIV response |
| Harare, 22 February 2011-(SAfAIDS Media) - In a landmark expression of the need for unity in the HIV response, this past weekend saw big Zimbabwean names in the arts and political circles, as well as the members of the public, come together and speak out about the need to stop HIV and TB. Celebrities and audiences were invited to write their HIV and TB related messages and slogans on a large scale poster which was mounted by the Southern African HIV and AIDS Information Dissemination Service (SAfAIDS) at the entrance to the National Art Merit Awards (NAMA) at 7 Arts Cinema in Avondale, Harare. |
| Hungry HIV-positive mothers wary of exclusive breastfeeding |
| NYANDO —22 February 2011-Nutrition experts recommend that HIV-positive mothers exclusively breastfeed their babies for the first six months to reduce the risk of HIV transmission, but food-insecure Kenyan mothers worry they have insufficient milk to keep their babies full and healthy. |
| Saving Youth from Drugs, HIV/AIDS Through Methadone Treatment |
| TANZANIA-22 February 2011- They look frail and aged. Most of them are young-men aged 28-40 years but their faces bear hallmarks of individuals gone through a troubled life. |
| HIV patients go missing before treatment |
| JOHANNESBURG — 21 February 2011-(Plus News)-A study has found that about 55 percent of HIV patients in South Africa who are not eligible for treatment at the time of diagnosis will disappear from clinics within a year of initial monitoring, leaving a serious gap in HIV care and prevention, say researchers. |
| Government warned on ARVS shortage |
| LUSAKA— 17 February 2011-(Lusaka Times)- Government has been urged to take seriously the shortage of ARVs as the impact on patients may be difficult to address. |
| Condoms not the solution |
| WINDHOEK — 17 February 2011-(New Era)-Scripture Union (SU), an interdenominational movement, held a high school ‘True Love Waits Abstinence’ march over the weekend. |
| SOUTH AFRICA: No ARVs in 'whoonga', say experts |
| JOHANNESBURG, 15 February 2011 (PlusNews) - Media in South Africa recently erupted into a frenzy of coverage of an allegedly new illegal drug, 'whoonga', said to contain life-prolonging antiretrovirals (ARVs), but experts say the drug is actually an old foe, heroin, and does not include ARVs. |
| Can "love wheel" stop infidelity in marriage? |
| KAMPALA, 14 February 2011 (PlusNews) - Spin the wheel and get a tip to spoil your better half; spend more time together or go out for a romantic evening: A new Ugandan HIV prevention programme hopes a "love wheel" will encourage couples to seek excitement within their own marriages rather than in the arms outsiders. |
| Drive to cut HIV by 50 percent |
| WINDHOEK – 10 February 2011-(New Era)-The Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC-PF) is embarking on a campaign to reduce HIV/AIDS in the SADC region by 50 percent in the next four years. |
| Need for systematic HIV drug resistance testing |
| (PlusNews) -10 February 2011-HIV is a tough enough diagnosis, but when one contracts a strain of HIV resistant to some life-prolonging medicines, treatment options are limited. A new study has found that transmitted HIV drug resistance may be on the rise in Africa, and the authors warn that unless resistance surveillance is increased, the continent's treatment programmes could suffer |
| Global Fund Announces New Measures to Prevent Fraud |
| ABUJA - 8 February 2011-(all africa.com)-The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has announced a number of new measures to prevent and detect fraud, following corruption allegations in countries that received grants. |
| David Kato: man arrested over murder of Ugandan gay activist |
| Uganda-7 February 2011-(The Guardian)-Police in Uganda have arrested a man over the murder of the activist David Kato, saying the killing was not related to his campaign for gay rights. |
| Zambia Government Promises an End to ARV Rationing |
| LUSAKA—7 February 2011-(The Post)-The Ministry of Health yesterday issued an assurance to People Living with HIV on antiretroviral (ARV) treatment that the days of drug rationing are over. Triggered by an anticipated drug shortage, clients on ARV treatment have been receiving drug supply lasting up to only two weeks at the most. |
| HIV Testing in Schools Will Be Professional |
| PRETORIA —4 Febuary 2011-(BuaNews)-Cabinet has assured parents that care will be taken to ensure that the voluntary HIV testing in schools campaign will be done in a professional and responsible manner. |
| HIV Linked to Higher Pregnancy Rate in Young Women |
| WASHINGTONE D.C. —4 February 2011-(Healthday News)-HIV-positive teens and young women are more likely to get pregnant and to have pregnancy complications than are those who do not have HIV, a new study finds. |
| The tragedy of Johane Marange Child Brides |
| AT the tender age of 14, Nyarai has been betro-thed to a senior member of the apostolic sect as the eighth wife. |
| Child infection forecasts high |
| HARARE –January 2011-(The Standard)-About 14 000 out of the 47 000 children born to HIV positive mothers in Zimbabwe this year will be infected because of gaps in the health delivery system, the Minister of Health and Child Welfare, Henry Madzorera has said |
| UGANDA: Murder of gay activist "needs urgent investigation" |
| NAIROBI - January 2011-(Plus News)- Gay Ugandans say they are living in fear after the murder of David Kato, a prominent gay activist who opposed the Anti-Homosexuality Bill submitted to parliament in 2009. |
| Over 1,000 Undergo Male 'Cut' in U.S.-Funded Drive |
| BUKOBA —January 2011-(all Africa.com)-A total of 1,158 men in various Lake Victoria islands have been circumcised in the four weeks as part of efforts to curb the spread of HIV in Kagera Region. |
| Africa's Economic Expansion Not Strong Enough To Reach Poverty MDG, U.N. Report Says |
| ADDIS ABABA — January 2011- "Africa's economy expanded by 4.7 percent in 2010 and is expected to maintain similar growth over the next two years," according to the U.N.'s World Economic Situation and Prospects 2011 report, which was released Tuesday in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, Deutsche Presse-Agentur/M&C reports. But the economic growth and indicators of economic recovery are not strong enough to meet Millennium Development Goal (MDG) poverty targets, according to the report. |
| Catholics divided over Pope's condom comments |
| NAIROBI -January 2011-(Plus News)-Following the Pope's comments in a 2010 book to the effect that condom use may be permissible by HIV-positive sex workers to prevent HIV infection, many Roman Catholic Kenyans have found themselves at odds with their church leaders, who have retained their firm stance against condom use. |
| Spotlight: Namibia: Lironga Eparu Funding Withdrawn 'Because of Emma' |
| WINDHOEK -January 2011-The Namibian-The withdrawal of Global Fund support to an HIV/AIDS organisation, Lironga Eparu, is the result of personal grudges against its executive director, Emma Tuahepa. |
| Stigma and Violence against Gay Men and Transgender People Cited as Major Barrier to HIV Prevention and Treatment |
| December 7, 2010 (Oakland, California) – A new collection of in-depth interviews with men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender people around the world indicates that stigma and discrimination play a central role in blocking access to life-saving HIV prevention and treatment services. The qualitative study, commissioned by the World Health Organization and conducted by the Global Forum on MSM & HIV (MSMGF), adds to a growing body of literature that points to the importance of addressing human rights violations as a necessary pillar of an effective global AIDS response. |
| How to make broad ARV access work |
| Zambia -6 December 2010-(Plus News)-Zambia is a poor country with a severe shortage of health workers, but it is closer to achieving universal access to antiretroviral treatment by the end of 2010 than many of its equally resource-limited neighbours. |
| Government officials recognised for fight against AIDS |
| Zimbabwe, 06 December 2010-(The Zimbabwe Standard-THE United States has lauded Zimbabwe government officials for their efforts in fighting HIV and AIDS in the country, presenting two senior government officials with awards for outstanding commitment in fighting the spread of HIV |
| Global Fund Rejects Zim's bid |
| Zimbabwe 5 December 2010-(The Herald)-THE Global Fund to Fight HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria will not fund Zimbabwe’s Round 10 application for programme financing and is yet to give reasons for the rejection. |
| AIDS epidemic changing course |
| JOHANNESBURG —24 November 2010-(Plus News)-A new UNAIDS report claims the world has finally “turned the corner” on the AIDS epidemic, citing a downward trend in new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths over the past decade and stabilization of the number of people living with HIV globally. |
| French, World AIDS Campaigners Welcome Pope's Condom Change |
| 23 November 2010-(allAfrica.com)-AIDS campaigners in France and around the world have welcomed Pope Benedict XVI's statement that condoms could be used to prevent the spread of the virus "in certain cases". |
| SOUTHERN AFRICA: HIV-prevention for youth - it's complicated |
| JOHANNESBURG, 22 November 2010 (PlusNews) - When it comes to understanding what drives HIV infections among young people in southern Africa, the epicentre of the global AIDS pandemic, why not ask young people themselves? |
| Namibia records decrease in fertility |
| WINDHOEK —22 November 2010-(The Southern Times)-Namibia experienced a decline in fertility of two births over the past fifteen years, with fertility rates declining from 5.4 births per woman in 1990/92 to 3.6 births in 2005/07 says World Health Organisation (WHO) country representative Magda Robalo. |
| Clowning around boosts HIV positive children |
| KHAYELITSHA, November 2010 (PlusNews) - Shrieks of laughter echo through the community centre in the Cape Town township of Khayelitsha as 20 children aged between four and 15 play a game of tag. |
| Counselling key to success of male cut |
| KISUMU — 4 November 2010-(Plus News)-When Kenya launched its national voluntary male circumcision campaign in 2008, critics worried that it could lead to greater sexual risk-taking - but men in the western Nyanza Province seem to be disproving this theory. |
| New Model Shows Future Impact of Circumcision on Africa's HIV Epidemic Probably Underestimated |
| 26 October 2010 (aids map) - Projections of the impact of circumcision on the HIV epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa based on clinical trials may underestimate the number of infections that can be averted by around 40%, according to an international group of epidemiological modellers. |
| Mineworkers Organises VCT on HIV/AIDS |
| Ghana-26 October 2010-(all africa.com)- The Ghana Mineworkers' Union, GMWU has organized separate Voluntary Counseling Testing, VCT activities for some of its constituents at AngloGold Ashanti and Ghana Manganese Company Limited. |
| MOZAMBIQUE: Technology revolution hits HIV testing and treatment |
| MAPUTO, 26 October 2010 (PlusNews) - Delayed test results often mean HIV patients in Mozambique fail to get timely treatment, but new technology is reducing the need to send tests to far away laboratories, and speeding up test results and HIV treatment. |
| Bulawayo to intensify fight against TB |
| Zimbabwe-26 October 2010-(The Herald Bulawayo Bureau)- Bulawayo City Council’s Department of Health Services is gearing up to detect at least 70 percent of new tuberculosis infections, an official has said. |
| Parliamentarians Meet to Discuss Children and AIDS |
| WINDHOEK — 25 October 2010-(allafrica.com)-Parliamentarians from various eastern and southern Africa countries are in the country for a three-day Inter-Parliamentary Union workshop on Children and AIDS. The workshop, hosted by Parliament in partnership with the Inter-Parliamentary Union and UNICEF, started on Wednesday and will end this Friday (22 October). It aims to build consensus amongst parliamentarians on efforts to broaden safety nets for children affected by HIV and AIDS. |
| KENYA: Sex workers care for HIV-affected peers |
| NAIROBI —25 October 2010-(Plus News)-Shunned by mainstream society, sex workers with HIV-related illnesses in Nairobi are unlikely to receive help from concerned neighbours. Instead, some of them are being cared for by fellow sex workers. |
| Experts push for ‘right to health’ clause in the new constitution |
| Zimbabwe-25 October 2010-(The Standard)-THE right to health must clearly be spelt out in the new constitution preferably under the Bill of Rights to ensure that everyone has access to health in the country, experts have said. |
| Teens with HIV prefer religion to ARVs |
| KAMPALA —14 October 2010-(all Africa.com)-Ugandan health workers have expressed concern over the growing number of HIV-positive teens who are abandoning their HIV treatment after turning to religion. |
| Govt Pledges Over U.S$750 000 to Global AIDS Fund |
| WINDHOEK -14 october 2010-(allfrica.com)-Namibia has pledged over N$5 million (US$750 000) to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria at a conference held in the USA last week to replenish the fund. |
| Prostitution needs to be addressed |
| NAMIBIA-13 October 2010-(allafrica.com)-t is necessary to identify the diverse and complex range of legal, social and economic elements related to prostitution in order to establish an adequate policy and legislative options to either regulate, deter, prevent or reduce prostitution in Namibia. |
| HIV/AIDS: Record contributions to Global Fund "not enough" |
| NEW YORK, 12 October 2010 (IRIN) - Donor countries and private corporations pledged a record US$11.7 billion to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria at the end of a funding conference in New York on 5 October, allowing another two million people access to HIV treatment by 2015, but still falling short of the amounts organizers had hoped to raise. |
| HIV/AIDS risk high at tertiary hostels |
| OSHAKATI —11 October 2010-(New Era)-HIV/AIDS infection risk at Namibian tertiary institutions is “alarming”, according to a research paper presented at the Namibia Organisation for Social Science Research in Eastern and Southern Africa (OSSREA) conference in Oshakati last week. |
| South Africa: Centre Brings Hope for HIV, AIDS Orphans |
| DURBAN, 11 October 2010 (allAfrica.com) — Orphans infected with Tuberculosis and HIV and AIDS in Rorke's Drift have been given a reason to smile. |
| Zimbabwe: Extramarital Affairs Derail AIDS Fight |
| HARARE, 11 October 2010 (allAfrica.com) - Married couples are now the group with the highest risk of HIV infection because of the widespread prevalence of extramarital affairs, a recent regional study has revealed. |
| Clinical trial capacity remains challenge for TB vaccine development |
| TALLINN, ESTONIA-11 October 2010-(CNS)- While progress is being made in the development of new vaccines against tuberculosis (TB), sufficient clinical trial capacity remains a major challenge, researchers reaffirmed at the Second Global Forum on TB Vaccines in Tallinn, Estonia (21-24 September 2010). |
| The future of HIV epidemics and funding |
| JOHANNESBURG —11 October 2010-New modelling has offered governments and donors a glimpse into the future of HIV epidemics - and what it will cost to prevent and treat them. Researchers warn of hard choices ahead and a need for some countries to take more responsibility for their national programmes. |
| One-hour TB test "must be affordable" for poor countries |
| NAIROBI —17 September 2010-(Plus News)-A new one-hour test for tuberculosis will only have an impact in the global fight against the disease if it is made affordable to poor countries, experts say. |
| Activists appeal for release of TB prisoners |
NAKURU —16 September 2010-Kenyan human rights activists have filed an appeal for the release of two men imprisoned for defaulting on their tuberculosis (TB) treatment, and are warning that the arrests could discourage other patients from seeking treatment.
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| Varichem ARV drug plant meets WHO standards |
| Zimbabwe-15 September 2010-(the Herald)-Varichem pharmaceuticals’ anti-retroviral drug plant is now World Health Organisation-certified meaning it meets international standards. |
| Early HIV treatment may be cheaper than thought |
| MANZINI, 14 September 2010 (PlusNews) - Research by South Africa's University of the Witwatersrand and Boston University in the US, has found that starting HIV-positive people on antiretrovirals (ARVs) earlier, and at a higher CD4 count (a measure of immune system strength), may be cheaper than previously thought. |
| MSM and HIV: Family throws out gay son |
| Zimbabwe-14 September 2010- (newzimbabwe.com)-A Bulawayo man has disowned his son and thrown him out of the family home in Tshabalala Extension after the 20 year-old confessed to being gay. (Bulawayo, Zimbabwe) |
| Help HIV-positive children in pain, urges HRW |
| NAIROBI— 13 September 2010-Plus News-A new report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) says the Kenyan government needs to do more to provide palliative care for children with chronic illnesses, including cancer and HIV/AIDS. |
| ARV Switch Fine for Infants |
| SOUTH AFRICA-13 September 2010-(allafrica.com)- A South African study has found that antiretroviral therapy which includes a cheaper nevirapine-based regimen was as beneficial to the long-term health outcomes of HIV-positive infants' as the more expensive Protease Inhibitor (PI)-based regimens currently prescribed. |
| HIV Sterilisation Case Post-Poned |
| WINDHOEK — 13 September 2010-(allafrica.com)-A Namibian court postponed Friday for four months the trial of three women who are suing government for allegedly sterilising them without their consent because they are HIV-positive. |
| User fees a stumbling block |
| Zimbabwe-24 August 2010-(The Standard)-GOVERNMENT says consultation fees at state public health institutions remain the biggest impediment to access to treatment by people living with HIV and AIDS. |
| Communities debate microbicide results |
| JOHANNESBURG - 24 August 2010-(Plus News)-The recent release of positive results from a microbicide trial in South Africa have kick-started discussions between scientists, activists and community workers about the quickest and most responsible way of getting a product into women's hands. |
| Donor Fatigue a threat to HIV Fight |
| Harare — 24 August 2010-(The Financial Gazette)-An aftershock of the deadly HIV and AIDS tremor whose epicentre was located in sub Saharan Africa way back in the 1990s threatens to reverse all the gains made so far in the fight against the world's most dreaded ailment. The shock is in the form of alarming donor fatigue that is being felt across the sub-region. |
| Spotlight: HIV and AIDS communicators honoured at AfriComNet Awards |
| JOHANNESBURG -23 August 2010- (AF AIDS)-A studded black condom gets Ugandan men to ‘express their style’ while Zambian viewers enthusiastically devour a drama series that depicts the lives of three male friends who meet regularly in a bar to discuss life, sex, marriage – and the delicious secrets that their wives don’t know. |
| Tourists fuel spread of HIV — research |
Zimbabwe-23 August 2010-(The Herald)- Research has shown that many tourists are likely to engage in casual sex while on holiday, fuelling the spread of HIV and Aids, a senior Government official has said.
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| The HIV and AIDS movie |
| WINDHOEK —19 August 2010-(allafrica.com)-The 'Remember Eliphas' film series is an educational audio-visual project aimed at sensitizing viewers, especially men and women in uniform, on the impact of the AIDS pandemic on individuals, families, communities and the whole nation." |
| Africa Has 70 Per Cent of Patients Infected With AIDS |
| BRAZZAVILLE — 18 August 2010-(all africa.com)-At least 70 per cent of sick people in the world that are infected with AIDS are found in Africa. |
| Perspective: Experts tackle HIV within married and cohabiting couples |
It’s just you and me ... and my wife and your boyfriend...
This might sound like a humorous line. But in Lesotho, one of the world leaders in prevalence of HIV, this is the name of a play that has been developed to address the issue of multiple and concurrent partnerships (MCP). |
| Female students call for comprehensive health care |
| Zimbabwe-17 August 2010-(The Zimbabwe Standard-)-Female students from tertiary institutions have called for quality reproductive health services as well as HIV and Aids awareness programmes to stem the spread of the pandemic at colleges. |
| HIV positive children form support group in Zim |
Zimbabwe-16 August 2010-(the Standard)-SIZIMISELE is a Ndebele word which literally translated means “We are committed.”
Indeed, commitment is what has enabled 15 members of the Sizimisele Children’s Support Group in Matabeleland South to come to terms with living with HIV at their tender ages (eight-17) with the support of two dedicated nurses. |
| AIDS council places US$1,5m orders for anti-retroviral drugs |
| Zimbabwe-16 August 2010-(the Herald)- THE National Aids Council has channelled more than US$1,5 million towards the procurement of anti-retroviral drugs to be made available end of this year |
| Fighting AIDS, Lack of Professionalism in Theatre |
| WINDHOEK — 16 August 2010-(All africa.com)-Committed Artists of Namibia has announced the final cast of the third and final play, 'The Blood Brother', as part of its 4th annual theatre festival at the Ultimate Theatre in Khomasdal. |
| Namibia Women's Health Vienna 2010 AIDS conference Hubs |
| NAMIBIA-11 August 2010-(partnersnamibia)- Namibia Women’s Health Network (NWHN) hosted the AIDS 2010 Conference Hub, the first of its kind in Namibia under the name “Positive Women Monitoring Change in Namibia”. AIDS 2010, also known as the 18th International AIDS Conference (IAC) took place in Vienna, Austria from 18th – 23rd July 2010 under the theme “Rights Now, Right Now” as a gathering for those working in the field of HIV, as well as policy makers, activists, persons living with HIV and other individuals committed to ending the epidemic. It provided a chance to share lessons learned from the field, evaluate recent scientific developments and best practices, and collectively chart a course forward. |
| Could HIV be a matter of biology? |
| JOHANNESBURG -11 August (Plus News)-Africa’s HIV epidemic may not be driven by behaviour alone according to a new study suggesting that Kenyan women are more biologically susceptible to the virus. |
| Worrying Rates of Second-Line Treatment Failure |
| JOHANNESBURG —5 August 2010-(allafrica.com)-Patients with HIV on second-line antiretroviral (ARV) treatment are significantly more likely to experience treatment failure than those on first-line treatment, according to new research by health NGO Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). |
| Obama angry over spread of HIV/AIDS |
| 5 August 2010-(allafrica.com)-President Obama has told African governments to change the behaviour of their citizens to prevent HIV spread, saying treating patients while others are catching the virus is untenable. |
| New HIV Treatment Guidelines Indicate Importance Of Early, Individualized Antiretroviral Treatment |
| 3 August 2010-(Medical News)- Advances in antiretroviral treatment (ART) have shown that the progressive immune system destruction caused by HIV infection, including AIDS, can be prevented, indicating the importance of beginning ART early, when a person with HIV infection is without symptoms, according to the 2010 recommendations of the International AIDS Society-USA Panel, published in the July 21 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on HIV/AIDS. This shift to earlier therapy is made possible by the increased understanding of the negative consequences of ongoing HIV replication and the development of newer drugs providing the potential for potent viral suppression in initial and subsequent therapy. |
| AU Summit adopts forward-looking health measures |
| KAMPALA — 3 August 2010-(New Era)-The recently concluded 15th African Union (AU) Summit in Kampala, Uganda, deliberated on maternal, infant and child health and development in Africa. This, according to the AU Commission’s Director of Social Affairs, Advocate Bience Gawanas, was a historic first for the continental body. |
| Africa: Women, the Silent Bearers of HIV Burdens |
| 03 August 2010 (allAfrica.com) - When it comes to HIV, silence suffocates the women of Sub-Saharan Africa. |
| HIV generics under threat from tighter patenting rules |
| VIENNA, 3 August 2010 (PlusNews) - Most of the estimated 5.2 million people worldwide on antiretroviral (ARV) treatment are taking generic versions manufactured primarily in India, but tighter global intellectual property rights and trade rules could shut down "the pharmacy of the developing world" |
| Communities crucial in HIV battle |
| KEETMANSHOOP —02 August 2010-(New Era)-“In February 2007 the journey to introduce community capacity enhancement in Namibia was started through a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural Development and the United Nations Development Programme,” said Saul Kahuika who last week spoke on behalf of Karas governor Dawid Boois, at the opening of the training. |
| Seek, test, treat and retain to stem HIV among drug users |
| VIENNA —28 July 2010-(Plus News)-Activists and scientists at the International AIDS Conference in Vienna called on governments to stop criminalizing drug users and instead to provide them with addiction and HIV treatment. |
| Climate change and HIV is debilitating the elderly in Sub-Saharan Africa |
| The impact of climate change and HIV/AIDS on households headed by elderly people living in resource limited rural settings could prove debilitating if adequate measures are not taken to protect them. |
| Africa welcomes developments in the field of microbicides |
| Vienna, Austria-(SAfAIDS Media)- AFRICA has welcomed with excitement news that researchers have achieved an important scientific breakthrough in the fight against HIV and genital herpes with a vaginal gel that significantly reduces a woman's risk of being infected with these viruses. |
| AIDS Conference opens in Vienna, Austria: Zimbabwe gets special mention |
| VIENNA (SAfAIDS Media Desk) — Zimbabwe has been commended for its national response to HIV which has seen the country managing to record a decline in its HIV prevalence over the past decade. From a high of over 30 percent 10 years ago, the country’s HIV prevalence is currently at 13, 7 percent |
| Scientists Discover Antibody for HIV |
| JOHANNESBURG, 13 July 2010 (allfrica.com)-Researchers have discovered a protein that can protect against a wide range of HIV, and said they may now be able to finally design a vaccine against the fatal and incurable virus. |
| Namibia lifts HIV travel restriction |
WINDHOEK —14 July 2010-(Southern Times)-Namibia has lifted travel restrictions on people living with HIV/AIDS, warranting entry, stay and residence in the country.
The reforms, which took effect on 1 July 2010 - also remove entry restrictions against people living with other contagious diseases. |
| Perspective: HIV and AIDS: The elderly role neglected |
| Harare, 13 July 2010-(The Herald)-The devastating effects of HIV and AIDS have been felt in the old aged population, mainly because the active population is being wiped out leaving old parents and children to look after each other.The change in the demographic composition of the Zimbabwean population owing to AIDS is such that older persons and children are left behind without any means of livelihood. |
| AIDS Play On the Road Again |
| WINDHOEK — 13 July 2010-(All africa.com)-Committed Artists of Namibia is currently staging its knockout educational AIDS-play, The Trumpet Player, at more schools in the Hardap Region, courtesy of a generous donation by the Bank Windhoek Arts Festival. |
| Seven community organizations awarded grants |
| WINDHOEK — 8 July 2010-(All Africa.com)-Recently seven grants were signed over to seven Namibian community-based organisations by the American Cultural Center Auditorium |
| SAfAIDS and the German Development Service in South Africa (DED) sign cooperation agreement |
| PRETORIA, 7 July 2010 (SAfAIDS Media) -
Regional Director of the German Development Service (DED) in South Africa Dr. G.M. Teuber and SAfAIDS Executive Director, Mrs Lois Chingandu yesterday signed a two-year Cooperation Agreement that paves the way for the secondment of an International Technical Advisor to SAfAIDS. |
| Health Department allows patients to get three months of antiretroviral treatment |
| South Africa-07 July 2010-(TAC/Section 27)-The Department of Health has given the go-ahead for patients on antiretroviral treatment (ART) to be given three months supply of medicines instead of one month. The TAC and SECTION27 welcome this decision. |
| SAfAIDS and the German Development Service in South Africa (DED) sign cooperation agreement |
| PRETORIA, 7 July 2010 (SAfAIDS Media) -
Regional Director of the German Development Service (DED) in South Africa Dr. G.M. Teuber and SAfAIDS Executive Director, Mrs Lois Chingandu yesterday signed a two-year Cooperation Agreement that paves the way for the secondment of an International Technical Advisor to SAfAIDS. |
| Parent's Fears Slowing Uptake of Paediatric AIDS Treatment |
| Lusaka —07 July 2010-(IPS)-Diana Banda* is quickly running out of excuses to give her six-year-old son about why he has to take a schedule of drugs every day. |
| Winning the War on AIDS |
NAIROBI -07 July 2010-(All Africa)-Africa is succeeding in the war on AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis,
African Union ministers say. |
| KENYA: Muslim leaders champion HIV testing in marriage |
| MOMBASA-06 July 2010-(PlusNews) - Binti Omar waits anxiously for her HIV test in a tent erected as part of a testing drive being conducted by the Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya (CIPK) in the coastal city of Mombasa; Omar is accompanied by her fiancé, Abubakar Ismael, and his two wives. |
| SOUTH AFRICA: Who's tracking the world's biggest ARV programme? |
| JOHANNESBURG, 29 June 2010-(PlusNews) - The world's largest antiretroviral (ARV) programme may be operating in the dark most of the time, according to a long-awaited review of the HIV/AIDS national strategic plan (NSP) released by the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC). |
| World Cup HIV campaigns |
| NAIROBI— 29 June 2010-(Plus News)-The 2010 FIFA World Cup is underway in South Africa and HIV/AIDS campaigners are taking advantage of the international focus on Africa to raise awareness about HIV. IRIN/PlusNews lists some of the campaigns running during the month-long tournament from 11 June to 11 July. |
| New labour standard on HIV/AIDS |
| WINDHOEK —24 June 2010-(allafrica.com)-The annual International Labour Organization (ILO) conference last week adopted a new international labour standard on HIV/AIDS. |
| Nghidinwa Condemns Trafficking and Sex |
| WINDHOEK —23 June 2010-(allafrica.com)-The issue of the sex trade had dominated the news with the inception of the FIFA Soccer World Cup in South Africa and the recently held Africa Cup of Nations in Luanda, and had become a matter of major concern in the region as a whole. |
| Straight Talk with FIFA's Social Responsibility Head |
| JOHANNESBURG — 22 June 2010-(Plus News)-South African AIDS organisations have issued a statement lambasting FIFA, the world soccer body, for ignoring their requests to distribute HIV prevention information in stadiums and fan parks during the Soccer World Cup. |
| Tkmoams Launches Strategic Plan |
| ONGWEDIVA — 22 June 2010-(all Africa.com)-A local organization, 'Tate Kalunga Mweneka Omukithi wo AIDS Moshilongo Shetu' (TKMOAMS), which provides home-based care to people affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the northern regions, launched its 2010-2013 strategic plan last week. |
| AIDS activists slam Obama |
| JOHANNESBURG - 22 June 2010-(Plus News-)AIDS activists are to march on the US Consulate in Johannesburg on 17 June to protest against the deaths they say will result from President Barack Obama's "anti-treatment policies". |
| UNAIDS launches ‘red card’ campaign against HIV |
New global initiative at the FIFA World Cup 2010 shines spotlight on the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV
JOHANNESBURG, June 2010— A new campaign is using the power and outreach of football to unite the world around a common cause—preventing the transmission of HIV from mother to child. Launched in South Africa by the UNAIDS Executive Director, Michel Sidibé, Kirsten Nematandani, President of the South African Football Association, international musician Akon, UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador and producer of the World Cup opening ceremony, Lebo M and UNAIDS National Goodwill Ambassador, Jimmie Earl Perry. The campaign aims to ensure an HIV-free generation by the 2014 FIFA World Cup to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. |
| Factory closure could leave 7,000 babies without ARVs |
| NAIROBI —11 June 2010-(Plus News)-Civil society activists are protesting the closure of a factory that produces the only UN World Health Organization-pre-qualified version of a life-prolonging antiretroviral (ARV) drug for infants. |
| WHO recommends new early HIV detection |
| HARARE-10 June 2010-(The Herald) — The World Health Organisation has come up with new ways to enhance early detection of HIV and ensure quick access to anti-retroviral therapy. |
| World Cup poses risks for out-of-school kids |
| JOHANNESBURG— 10 June 2010-(Plus News)-As South African children look forward to a mid-year school holiday that will last longer than the usual winter break because of the FIFA World Cup, parents and caregivers are faced with the dilemma of how to keep them safe during the five weeks of festivities. |
| World Cup HIV prevention plans fall short |
| JOHANNESBURG -09 June 2010-(Plus News)-The excitement over the FIFA World Cup is not just about football, it's also about the party. Large quantities of alcohol are sure to be consumed as foreign football fans rub shoulders with locals, and inhibitions are likely to fall away. |
Scrap maternity fees, midwives urge Govt |
| HARARE-09 June 2010-(The Herald) — Midwives have urged the Government to scrap maternity fees and intensify training of experts in this field to minimise the number of expectant mothers and babies that die during labour. |
| HIV Test Results Are Confidential |
WINDHOEK —31 May 2010-(allafrica.com)-BE it positive or negative, no one's HIV test result may be made known by anyone without their consent and anyone who breaches this could face legal action. |
| Sterilised Woman Speaks Out |
| WINDHOEK — 31 may 2010-allafrica.com)-So said Vicky Noa, a woman who was allegedly sterilised without her consent in a State hospital nine years ago, in an interview with The Namibian on Wednesday. |
| Walvis Corridor joins HIV drive |
| WINDHOEK — 31 may 2010-(New Era)-Walvis Bay Corridor Group has joined in the HIV/AIDS national testing day with its Chief Executive Officer Johny Smith taking a voluntary test for HIV at the New Start Centre. |
| Namibian CSOs petition govt to end forced sterilisation of HIV+ women |
| JOHANNESBURG — 06 May 2010 (The Post online)-Namibian Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have circulated a petition, asking the Namibian government to end the forced sterilization of women living with HIV without their consent. |
| Southern Africa: Same problems, less funding |
| JOHANNESBURG— 06 May 2010-(PlusNews)- Without adequate funding, barriers to HIV treatment are likely to remain unchanged in spite of growing demand, a new report has warned. |
| World Cup and HIV: "Africa wins everytime you prevent HIV": The Africa Goal Launch in Zimbabwe SAfAIDS & Africa Goal |
| Harare, 04 May 2010-(SAfAIDS Media)- It was with much enthusiasm and excitement that the Africa Goal 2010 Project was launched in Zimbabwe last week. The project is an HIV initiative which harnesses the potential of the FIFA World Cup as a platform for HIV Information Dissemination. |
| Leaders go public with the test |
| NAIROBI/JOHANNESBURG—04 May 2010-(Plus News)-South African President Jacob Zuma recently launched one of the most ambitious voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) campaigns in history by disclosing his HIV-negative status. Ministers and provincial premiers have been following his example, but politicians in Africa have not always been so forthcoming. IRIN/PlusNews charts the history of who has and has not stepped up for "the prick". |
| Zuma Should Pledge New Sexual Habits |
| JOHANNESBURG - 04 May 2010-(Business Day)-President Jacob Zuma 's disclosure of his HIV status on Sunday was meant to encourage others to be tested for the virus, but may actually serve to muddy the waters in the fight against HIV/AIDS, which remains a complex disease with no simple answers. |
| World Cup and HIV: Activists hope the World Cup will draw attention to Southern Africa's AIDS issue |
JOHANNESBURG - 04 May 2010-(Associated Press)-For health workers, South Africa's World Cup isn't just about soccer. It's the right time for action against the deadly scourge of AIDS. |
| Crocodile fat sold as a cure for HIV in Zambia |
| Zambia-03 May 2010-(HealthDev.net)-Crocodile fat is increasingly being sold as a cure for HIV and a replacement for antiretrovirals (ARVs) for people living with HIV in Zambia. |
| World Cup and HIV: Fears that World Cup could increase spread of HIV |
| South Africa-03 May 2010-(CNN)-Advocates for sex workers in South Africa have warned that the 2010 World Cup could be a public health disaster. |
| Mortality Data Reveals HIV Treatment Progress |
| JOHANNESBURG - 03 May 2010-(Plus News)-A new study of adult mortality tells the tale of HIV over decades and across borders and how treatment may have helped to rewrite the ending. |
| Research, development key to better health service delivery: VP Mujuru |
Harare-30 April (The Herald)-Zimbabwean Vice President Joice Mujuru has called for increased research and development if service delivery is to be improved in the health sector.
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| African finance ministers dismiss development declarations |
| After two heated debates during the recent African ministers of finance meeting in Malawi, national delegations from South Africa, Rwanda and Egypt succeeded in deleting any reference to budgetary targets for education, health, agriculture and water in the Common Position on MDGs and the conference report and resolutions. Their action brings into question the extent to which African finance ministers are committed to continental integration, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the declarations and resolutions of their own heads of state. |
| South Africa: Govt Launches Massive UN-Backed HIV Prevention Drive |
| JOHANNESBURG, 30 April 2010 (PlusNews) - South Africa - home to the one-sixth of the world's population living with HIV - today unveiled an ambitious campaign to prevent and treat the virus, a move hailed by the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). |
| Zimbabwe: Experts Explore Ways to Curb HIV |
| HARARE, 30 April 2010 (Herald) - Zimbabwean researchers have not been spectators in the battle to cure HIV and AIDS. Through the University of Zimbabwe, working with the University of California in San Francisco, local researchers are exploring the possibility of using anti-retroviral drugs to prevent HIV transmission in women. |
| Zambia: Prison Conditions Endanger Inmates - Criminal Justice Failures, Overcrowding, And Poor Care Exacerbate Spread of TB, HIV |
| LUSAKA—30 April 2010-(allafrica.com)-Prisoners in Zambia suffer malnutrition, overcrowding, grossly inadequate medical care, and the risk of rape or torture, the Prisons Care and Counselling Association (PRISCCA), AIDS and Rights Alliance for Southern Africa (ARASA), and Human Rights Watch said in a report released today |
| The Forgotten Disease: photographic series on TB awarded Winnipeg Free Press |
| Free Press photographer Wayne Glowacki was honoured Saturday night (24 April 2010) for his exceptional visual work in a Free Press series on tuberculosis. |
| ZIMBABWE: Worrying rise in STIs among young people |
| HARARE, 20 April 2010 (PlusNews) - A new report by Zimbabwe's National AIDS Council (NAC), showing a dramatic rise in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among people aged 15 to 24 in the capital, Harare, has health experts worried that the country's success in reducing HIV could be unravelling. |
| Interlink prevention of violence against women activism, mitigation and prevention of HIV with gay rights activism |
| JOHANNESBURG, 20 April 2010 (SAfAIDS Media) - "Efforts to reduce incidences of violence against women need to be tied to interventions aimed at achieving a reduction in the stigmatisation of gay men" explained Dr Leigh Price as she presented a paper on ‘Understanding male dominance and remodelling cultural aspects to address the epidemic in southern Africa' on the second day of the HIV/Culture Conference which was held at Birchwood Hotel, Johannesburg, South Africa from 12 - 13 April 2010. |
| Civil society and media have shared responsibility to ensure accurate, non-stigmatising reporting on HIV |
| PRETORIA - 16 April 2010-(SAfAIDS Media)-The fight against HIV needs to be multi-sectoral and inclusive, and the media should remain a strategic partner in interventions. This was said by Mr. Jason Wessenaar, Project Director of the Siyasi Counselling and Testing Project in response to assertions that the language used by media practitioners when talking about HIV and AIDS issues often stigmatises and has done a lot of harm to, and compromised the fight against the epidemic. |
| Preventing HIV through theatre |
| Maseru, Lesotho 15 April 2010– In Berea, one of the highest HIV prevalence districts in Lesotho, Thabo* a young 16 year old boy is on stage, enacting the story of an HIV positive father unable to disclose his status to his children and expressing his distress through abusive actions. |
| Impact of religious and cultural interpretations on HIV prevention efforts |
| BOKSBURG, 14 April 2010 (SAfAIDS Media) -
"The discomfort about speaking about issues of sexuality and intimacy are partly tied to religious beliefs, but are also strongly linked to cultural contexts and beliefs. |
| Report hails Zim Govt on HIV/AIDS progress |
Harare, 14 April 2010-(The Herald)-ZIMBABWE has continued to demonstrate commitment and leadership on national response to HIV and AIDS, a report on the country’s progress towards meeting global targets says.
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| Special Advisor to the Minister of Women, Youth and People with Disabilities in South Africa Opens HIV/Culture Conference |
| BOKSBURG, 13 April 2010 (SAfAIDS Media) - SAfAIDS, in partnership with the MDG3 Fund, Oxfam Novib, HIVOS and KIT, were privileged to have Mr. Sandi Mbatsha, Special Advisor to the of Minister of Women, Youth and People with Disabilities in the Republic of South Africa, attend and officially open the HIV/Culture Conference. |
| Understanding cultural circumstances to effectively impact on HIV incidence |
| BOKSBURG, 13 April 2010 (SAfAIDS Media) - "
For success in HIV prevention and treatment there is a need for stakeholders to understand the socio-historical nature of cultures in southern Africa." This was the message from Professor Claude Mararike of the University of Zimbabwe's Sociology Department as he presented a paper on ‘Socio-historical analysis of southern African cultures and linkages to health and well-being: lessons for the "modern" world in addressing HIV'. |
| Unicef Chief Pushes for Boost to Voluntary Testing for HIV |
| Zambia, 13 April 2010-(allafrica.com)- Increasing the rates of voluntary testing and improving public awareness about HIV and AIDS are critical to overcoming the pandemic in Zambia, the head of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has stressed during a visit to the African country. |
| DRC: Funding crunch threatens ARV rollout |
| NAIROBI, 12 April 2010 (PlusNews) - With large donor projects winding up and little bilateral support for HIV programmes in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the country is facing the possibility of ARV shortages and rising HIV mortality, say aid workers. |
| WHO donates drugs, equipment to Zim |
| Harare, 12 April 2010- (The Herald)- The World Health Organisation last Friday donated vehicles, malaria equipment and a consignment of drugs to the Government to enhance the country’s disease surveillance mechanisms. |
| STIs on the increase in Harare |
| Harare, 9 April 2010- (The Herald)-Harare Province recorded an increase in sexually transmitted infections over previous years, the National AIDS Council report for 2009 shows. |
| Men take initiative in HIV testing |
Harare, 7 April 2010-(The Herald)
"Paya makazvisenga; paya mimba yorwadza; mosununguka munogona kupomera mwana utachiwana; chimbidzai kuenda kuchipatara; kurwara, maronda haaperi; rushiye kureruka, chimbidzai kuenda kuchipatara."
This is the message being disseminated to pregnant women by a group of men in Msume Village under Chief Mataga in Mberengwa.
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| Additional R366 million for health sector |
| WINDHOEK — 7 April 2010-The Namibian Government has allocated an additional amount of R366 million over the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) which is a period of three years to the ministry of Health, Social Services. |
| MALAWI: Court case drives MSM deeper underground |
| LILONGWE, 6 April 2010 (PlusNews) - An engagement ceremony has landed a same-sex Malawian couple in jail, propelled their country into international headlines, and pushed men who have sex with men (MSM) further towards society's risky margins. |
| News: TB detection rate unacceptable |
| Harare-30 March 2010-(The Herald) Government will this year establish 52 tuberculosis diagnostic centres across Zimbabwe — including seven in prisons — to reduce prevalence of the disease. |
| Catholic HIV stance causes uproar |
| WINDHOEK – 30 March 2010-(New Era)-An article by the Namibian Catholic Bishops Conference (NCBC) that states that “HIV/AIDS is a moral issue”, has dismayed the Solidarity Community Care Organisation. |
| TBVI Symposium stresses need for innovation to eliminate tuberculosis |
| Brussels, 30 March 2010 – The European Union needs to strengthen the fight against tuberculosis and concentrate on innovation and collaboration to globally control the infectious disease. This was the message of several expert speakers to the European Parliament, other politicians and decision makers at a special symposium today, World Tuberculosis Day. |
| Mother-Baby Pack Delivers Infant HIV Prevention in a Box |
| NEW YORK - 30 March 2010-(Media Global)-A new Mother-Baby pack for HIV positive women aims to revolutionize the prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) in several African countries. |
| HIV gave her courage |
| Namibia-30 March 2010-(The Namibian)-Fourteen years ago, when she was pregnant with her second child, a son, Magdalena Ndjuao discovered that she was HIV positive. Since then, her life has been subjected to the ultimate tests of courage, patience and acceptance. |
| Global Fund seeks $20 billion to fight AIDS, TB |
| HAGUE, Nertherlands -25 March 2010-(Associated Press)- A global group funding the battle against AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in impoverished countries urged wealthy nations on Wednesday to keep paying for the fight even as the economic crisis forces budget cuts. |
| The Union to launch international trial of 9-month MDR-TB treatment regimen |
| Paris, WORLD TB DAY (24 March 2010) — The need for accessible, effective multidrug-resistant tuberculosis treatment is urgent, as the incidence of MDR-TB continues to rise, and extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) has been reported in 57 countries. In response, the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) is launching a trial of a 9-month treatment regimen that has demonstrated cure rates exceeding 80% in a pilot programme. |
| Circumcision can cut HIV prevalence |
Harare, 24 March 2010-(The Herald)- Zimbabwe can reduce HIV prevalence by between 35 and 50 percent if half of the three million sexually active male adults are circumcised.
This was revealed recently in Kadoma at a National Aids Council-organised media editors’ meeting. |
| World TB Day: 24-hour World TB Day music marathon begins at midnight |
| Italy-24 March 2010-(stopTB)-With World Tuberculosis Day marked every year on March 24, advocates and supporters in the fight against TB are preparing to raise awareness on the disease. Among the most unusual events is "ToBe Continued..." which will be coordinated by Stazione di Topolò, Italy. To Be Continued - or TBC (which in Italian is the abbreviation for tuberculosis) - will be a unique sound experience - an original concert that will last a full 24 hours starting at midnight and ending at midnight on the following day, and therefore covering the entire March 24 World TB Day. |
| Zim Government to regulate HIV/AIDS organisations |
| HARARE-23 March 2010-(The Herald) — Government will promulgate a legal instrument to regulate all organisations that are involved in HIV and Aids to effectively co-ordinate the fight against the scourge, Secretary for Health and Child Welfare Dr Gerald Gwinji has said. |
| Funding shortfalls foil new treatment guidelines |
| NAIROBI- 22 March 2010-(Plus News)-Global funding shortfalls for fighting AIDS could make it impossible for developing countries to implement new World Health Organization treatment guidelines, activists have said. |
| If You Kiss for Five Minutes You Get It |
| WINDHOEK - 22 March 2010-(IPS)- "At home we have a bar," says grade seven learner David Bravo* (14). "When my mother puts on the music I cannot concentrate on (my) schoolwork anymore. Sometimes, in the middle of the night, I just sit there and watch the people." |
| Woman, you matter so much, Value yourself |
Harare, 16 March 2010-(SAfAIDS/H-Metro)- She was full of life and raring to go.She was young in marriage and looking forward to spending the rest of her life getting to know her husband and raising children with him.Then it all went bad. He started cheating on her.
Unlike many others who choose to stick it out, she just could not live with the sham that her marriage was and decided to end it. |
| Fund gets results, but will it get funding? |
| Pretoria, 12 March 2010-(SAfAIDS Media)- Imagine a situation where all HIV positive pregnant mothers in the world give birth to negative children. Malaria is eliminated as a public health problem within a decade in most countries, and tuberculosis prevalence is halved internationally by 2015. |
| Deadly multi-drug resistant TB case reported in Epworth |
| Harare, 12 March 2010-(The Herald)- ONE case of deadly multi-drug resistant tuberculosis has been confirmed in Epworth and two more people in the same area are suspected to be infected. |
| Donor HIV and AIDS funding declines in Zimbabwe |
| HARARE, 12 March 2010-(The Herald)-HIV and AIDS funding from the donor community has decreased by more than 50 percent since 2006, the National AIDS Council has said. |
| Fund gets results, but will it get funding? |
| JOHANNESBURG — 12 March 2010- (Plus News)-Achieving targets to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV and halve tuberculosis rates hang in the balance as donor commitments to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Fund come up for review. |
| Southern Africa: Preparing for the worst |
| JOHANNESBURG,—05 March 2010-(Plus News)-When a crisis strikes, access to antiretroviral (ARV) drugs can be among the first casualties, particularly in countries where many people are on treatment. |
| A day in the life of a Zambian TB patient |
| Zambia, 04 March 2010-(KC Team)-Marita Besa is aged 35 years and is married with three children. The youngest is 11 months old. She is co-infected with TB and HIV and is currently on medication for both illnesses. |
| Government to expand access to ARVs |
| Harare, 02 March 2010-(The Herald)- The Zimbabwean Government intends to provide 250 000 State patients with anti-retroviral therapy by year-end with a view to increasing the figure to 350 000 by 2012. |
| Namibian Health sector plans for 2010 |
| WINDHOEK -02 March 2010-(New Era)-For the next five years, the health sector has set its target to become the leading public provider of quality health and social welfare services in Africa. |
| Govt decentralises ARV follow up |
HARARE-26 February 2009-(The Herald) — Government has decentralised follow-up treatment for people on anti retroviral drugs to ensure easy access. |
| Health Authorities Tackle Maternal Mortality |
| Namibia-25 February 2010-(allafrica.com)- When maternal mortality almost doubled in fourteen years, health leaders in Namibia decided to make maternal health a priority - and set up a pilot in Khomas region. |
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JOHANNESBURG, 22 February 2010 (PlusNews) - New research could bolster arguments for a controversial approach that could eradicate HIV transmission in South Africa within five years, said Dr Brian Williams of the South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (SACEMA). |
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ZAMBIA— 23 February 2010 (Plus News)-Cervical cancer is a leading killer among women living with HIV, but a low-cost screening programme developed in Zambia is proving that simple techniques can go a long way in saving lives. |
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LONDON, 23 February 2010 (BBC) - Badly fitted condoms do not just reduce the pleasure of sex for men and women - they raise the risks of infection and pregnancy, researchers say. Men are twice as likely to take the condom off midway through sex due to a poor fit, a poll of 436 men in Sexually Transmitted Infections journal reveals. |
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JOHANNESBURG— 18 February 2010-(Plus News)New national treatment guidelines are set to make the world's largest antiretroviral (ARV) programme even bigger as South Africa extends treatment to more HIV-positive infants, pregnant women and people battling HIV-tuberculosis (TB) co-infection. |
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| Mazabuka- 17 February 2010-(The Post)- The Ministry of Health has banned all microbicide clinical trials in Zambia. This is according to a letter dated December 29, 2009, addressed to A Dr J. Stringer an official at the Centre for Disease Research, written and signed by health permanent secretary, Dr Velepi Mtonga. |
| ARVs increase fertility in women |
| JOHANNESBURG-16 February 2010-(PLoS One)- According to a recently published study in PLoS One, HIV-positive women who are receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) are twice as likely to become pregnant as those not receiving ART. |
| Zuma leaves many wanting more in HIV |
| JOHANESBURG—16 February 2010- (Plus News)-As South Africa marked the 20th anniversary of former President Nelson Mandela's release from prison, President Jacob Zuma reaffirmed his government's commitment to the fight against HIV and AIDS, but many activists said his second State of the Nation address on 11 February 2010 left them wanting more. |
| TV drama on MCPs on ZTV |
| Harare, Zimbabwe, 15 February 2010-(ACTION)- A new television drama exposing the complexities around multiple relationships and love in a time of HIV and AIDS, will be aired on the ZBC TV soon. The television drama was launched through a “march” last week. |
| Breakthrough could create better ARVs |
| NAIROBI - 11 Februray 2010-(Plus News)-Scientists have finally discovered the structure of a key enzyme found in HIV and similar viruses, a breakthrough that has crucial implications for HIV treatment. |
| South Africa: The President And HIV Prevention |
| CAPE TOWN, 11 February 2010 (Health-e) - HIV prevention is based on getting people to change their sexual habits - but this is a very difficult process as President Zuma has shown. |
| Uganda gay bill 'will be changed' |
| LONDON, 10 February 2010 (BBC) - Uganda's controversial Anti-Homosexuality Bill is likely to be changed, a minister has told the BBC. However, Deputy Foreign Minister Henry Okello Oryem did not give details of how he thought the final bill would be different to the current proposals. |
| World AIDS Campaign - Keep The Promise Now! |
| SOUTH Africa-10 February 2010-(WAC)- With the banking crisis threatening the lives of millions of the world’s poorest people, the World AIDS Campaign today launched Keep The Promise Now! An online petition calling on leaders of the world’s richest countries to live up to their faltering commitment to fund access for all to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support by the end of this year. |
| HIV-positive people want constitutional rights |
HARARE, 5 February 2010 (PlusNews) - AIDS activists in Zimbabwe have launched a major drive to ensure that the rights of people living with HIV are enshrined in the new constitution.
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| Zuma told 20th child harms safe sex drive |
| JOHANNESBURG – 02 February 2010-(New Era)-1South African opposition parties yesterday accused President Jacob Zuma of a cavalier attitude to safe sex that is hurting the HIV/AIDS campaign after news that a woman not one of his wives had had his 20th child. |
| The Secretary-General’s Network of Men Leaders |
New York-02 Feabruary 2010- (UN)- Too often, boys and young men are exposed to examples of sexist behaviour.
Too often, boys and young men are taught to equate masculinity with the use of violence and dominance over women. Too often, such behaviour is met with silence and tolerated by other men, which serves only to normalize gender inequality and negative stereotypes. |
| UNAIDS Commends Commitment By The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation To Advancing Vaccine Research And Development |
| Davos-02 February 2010-(UNAIDS)- UNAIDS strongly applauds today's announcement by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to invest USD 10 billion into research and development of vaccines over the next 10 years. |
| Menopause diagnosed incorrectly as HIV/AIDS, study |
| WINDHOEK – 02 February 2010- (New Era)-A study to gauge the knowledge and understanding of men and women about menopause has found that there is general lack of knowledge, which leads some people to misdiagnose some menopausal symptoms incorrectly as HIV/AIDS. |
Criminalising Prostitution Could Derail Fight Against HIV and AIDS – Official |
Rwanda - Kigali – 29 January 2010 (The New Times) - An official from the National Commission for the Fight against AIDS (CNLS) has said that criminalizing and denying the existence of sex workers is a threat to curbing the spread of HIV/AIDS in the country. |
HIV Home Tests – More Warnings |
South Africa – 27 January 2010 - The national health department and the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) have added their voices to condemning the use of HIV home testing kits, saying they are risky to use at home and their accuracy cannot be guaranteed. |
Gov't to double number of people on HIV treatment |
Zimbabwe - HARARE, 26 January 2010 (PlusNews) - An ambitious state plan that will almost double the number of people on antiretroviral (ARV) treatment by the end of 2010 has drawn mixed reactions from AIDS activists, but increased donor funding has made the government quietly confident.
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HIV Activists Demand Positive Clauses |
Zimbabwe – Harare – 26 January 2010 (The Standard) - ZIMBABWEANS living with HIV and Aids want the new constitution to guarantee their right to treatment and are demanding adequate representation during the outreach programme. The calls came as the country gears for a consultation process that will culminate in a new supreme law for the country in less than a year. |
World Cup Raises HIV Fears |
Botswana - Francistown – 22 January 2010 (Mmegi) - Although the soccer World Cup in South Africa is expected to come with good things, the Ministry of Health fears that it may also have an adverse impact on Botswana.Public relations officer in the ministry, Themba Sibanda said because of the cross border relations with South Africa, Botswana might possibly be affected by the rise of HIV infections during the World Cup. |
Raising more money for HIV and AIDS |
Zimbabwe - HARARE, 22 January 2010 (PlusNews) - A plan to expand the three percent AIDS levy to include those in the informal sector could have a negative impact on the lives of Zimbabweans, analysts have warned.
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Training Teachers to Cope With HIV-Positive Students |
Zimbabwe - Harare – 21 January 2010 (allafrica.com) - Eleven-year-old Memory's grandmother wanted her to drop out of school because she is not going to live long enough to complete her studies. |
UN Wants MTC Transmission Eliminated in Africa |
Lagos – 14 January 2010 - The United Nations (UN) is seeking to virtually eliminate mother-to-child (MTC) transmission of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa, where 390,000 infants became infected with the virus that causes AIDS in 2008, through the use of antiretroviral drugs during and after delivery. |
Reaching the handicapped with HIV prevention |
MOZAMBIQUE - TETE, 14 January 2010 (PlusNews) - Stefania*, 17, who has been wheelchair-bound since being involved in a traffic accident as a child, likes to go to Celso's, a popular bar in Matundo, a suburb of Tete city in northwestern Mozambique.
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NAC Procures ARVs, CD4 Count Machines |
ZIMBABWE – Harare – 11 January 2010 (The Standard) - THE National Aids Council, under fire for holding onto funds collected through the Aids Levy while hundreds of people in need of life-prolonging drugs die prematurely, has bought Antiretroviral Drugs (ARVs) worth US$1,8 million to increase access to treatment, an official has said. |
HIV Stigma Persists |
South Africa, 11 January 2010 - HIV-related stigma and discrimination remain a key concern in South Africa, despite the multitude of HIV awareness campaigns that have been launched by government and civil society organisations throughout the years, health experts say. |
HIV testing services missing the mark |
ZAMBIA - LUSAKA, 11 January 2010 (PlusNews) - New research has found that Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) services in Zambia are squandering the opportunity to reach clients with information about how to reduce their HIV risk.
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New Technology could revolutionise TB diagnosis |
| South Africa – Johannesburg – 5 January 2010 (PlusNews) - A new technology being pioneered in South Africa may make screening for tuberculosis (TB) faster, cheaper and more reliable – and it’s all based on technology found on a typical trip through airport security |
Government to focus on ARV treatment for children |
Zimbabwe – Harare – 5 January 2010 – (The Herald) GOVERNMENT will this year focus on putting more HIV positive children on anti-retroviral treatment after it emerged that few children are benefiting from the life-prolonging drugs. |
| New U.S. Ambassador pledges additional support |
| Harare, December 15, 2009-(US Embassy)- Five Zimbabwean HIV and AIDS activists received awards last week as the United States government pledged to scale up support to anti-retroviral treatment in the country. |
| Africa: Hospital-acquired HIV underestimated |
| JOHANNESBURG— 15 December 2009-(Plus News)The role of blood-borne HIV infections from unsanitary healthcare procedures has been underestimated in sub-Saharan Africa's HIV/AIDS epidemic, according to several researchers and epidemiologists. |
| U.S. film star to attend Chimusoro HIV andAIDS Awards |
| Harare, December 9, 2009- The Emmy Award winning actress and Population Services International (PSI) Ambassador, Debra Messing, is currently visiting Zimbabwe and will attend the ninth presentation of the Auxillia Chimusoro HIV and AIDS Awards on December 10. |
Zambia's celebrity couple reveal wife-beating past |
LUSAKA—09 December 2009-(BBC News)-One of Zambia's most famous singers has revealed how she was badly beaten by her husband. She now hopes to lift the lid on the country's ingrained acceptance of domestic violence. |
SWAZILAND: Marketing the cut |
MBABANE, 8 December 2009 (PlusNews) - A steady stream of young men from urban townships and rural farms are lining up for a procedure that few Swazi men have undergone since the custom of removing a man's foreskin died out in the 19th century. |
Integrated health systems "boost the fight against HIV |
Namibia, 7 December 2009-(Plus News)-If universal access to HIV prevention, treatment and care is to be achieved, experts recommend an inclusive approach to healthcare, rather than narrow HIV programmes. |
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JOHANNESBURG, 4 December 2009 (PlusNews) - An array of interventions aimed at slowing the rate of new HIV infections in Africa has been tried over the last two decades. Some were tested to see if they actually worked, but many were not.
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South Africa, Pretoria, 1 December 2009 (BuaNews) - For millions of South Africans infected and affected by HIV/AIDS, this year's World AIDS Day will signify a wave of change.
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MANILA, 1 December 2009 (PlusNews) - On 1 December, World AIDS Day, activists in the Philippines will be wearing nothing but the red AIDS ribbon in a campaign to raise awareness about the growing threat of HIV.
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NAIROBI, 1 December 2009 (PlusNews) - The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a new set of guidelines for the treatment of HIV and prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) on 30 November.
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TimesLive, 1 December 2009 - World AIDS Day is being marked by several events around the country. Everyone from rock stars to retired archbishop Desmond Tutu will be turning up at the events this week to pay tribute to those living with the virus.
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JOHANNESBURG, 1 December 2009 (AP) — The head of the U.N. AIDS program says South Africa is the ideal place for him to visit on World AIDS Day.
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Zimbabwe – 1 December 2009 (Gender Links) - My whole body is filled with so much anger and fury as I crawl out of the bed and wander around the house before heading to the lounge, where I sat feeling helpless until 5 o'clock.
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South Africa – Johannesburg, 1 December 2009 - (PlusNews) - That women and girls are particularly vulnerable to HIV and AIDS is well established, but a new report reveals how little we know about what countries are doing, or not doing, to address their vulnerability.
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Zambia – Harare – 30 November 2009 (Allafrica.com) - THE just-ended workshop for Organisation of African First Ladies Against HIV and AIDS will go a long way to ensure that maternity protection is used as a preventive and care strategy against mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
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| LUSAKA, 23 November 2009 (PlusNews) - Abigail Mwanashimba has been looking after her five siblings since the age of eight, when her parents died of AIDS-related illnesses. She is now 19 years old, and without relatives to represent her at her lobola (bride price) negotiations, she was forced to hire traditional counsellors to organise the process of marriage according to the tribal customs. They did a bad job. |
| Zimbabwe ratifies SADC Protocol on Gender and Development |
| Harare, 20 November 2009-Zimbabwe ratified the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Protocol on Gender and Development, this month, becoming the second country after Namibia, to accede to this important regional instrument for advancing gender equality and women's rights. |
| Trying to give sex workers safer alternatives |
JOHANNESBURG-19 November 2009 (Plus News)-A plan by Malawi to offer prostitutes low-interest loans to start small businesses in return for abandoning sex work is generating controversy in a country where women are disproportionately affected by high rates of poverty and HIV.
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| Older people need help to raise the next generation |
| NAIROBI—19 November 2009-(Plus News)-When the working members of a household die from HIV-related illnesses in northern Tanzania, older dependants have to work longer hours to cope financially, according to recently published World Bank study. |
| Haimbili School advises tattooed students to take HIV test |
| Namibia, 17 November 2009-(Informante)- The School management of Haimbili Haufiku Senior Secondary School at Eenhana plans to advise students who were accused of sharing needles to tattoo their bodies to go for HIV/AIDS testing and counselling. |
| Countries have unprecedented success on TB proposals for Global Fund Round 9 |
| 17 November 2009-(STOP TB News)- The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria’s Board of Directors has approved 34 TB proposals, with the highest level of funding to date -- up to $US 1.5 billion over five years -- in Round 9. |
| Orphans grow up without cultural identity |
| LUSAKA — 17 November 2009-Abigail Mwanashimba has been looking after her five siblings since the age of eight, when her parents died of AIDS-related illnesses. She is now 19 years old, and without relatives to represent her at her lobola (bride price) negotiations, she was forced to hire traditional counsellors to organise the process of marriage according to the tribal customs. They did a bad job. |
| New infections on the rise |
| LUSAKA— 10 November 2009 -(Plus News)-An estimated 82,700 Zambians will become newly infected with HIV in 2009, up from just over 70,000 in 2007, according to new figures from the National AIDS Council. |
| Donors Retreating On AIDS |
| Washington, DC — 10 November 2009-(AfricaFocus)- "After almost a decade of progress in rolling out AIDS treatment we have seen substantial improvements, both for patients and public health. But recent funding cuts mean doctors and nurses are being forced to turn HIV patients away from clinics as if we were back in the 1990s before treatment was available" - Dr Tido von Schoen-Angerer, Director of MSF's Access to Essential Medicines Campaign. |
| Determined HIV positive student graduates |
WINDHOEK –(New Era)-10 November 2009-A very courageous student, Idhidhimika Victoria Noa, brought proceedings to a hush when she divulged, to a huge audience during the IOL graduation ceremony, that she has been living with AIDS for nearly six years. |
Global : AIDS funding at “dangerous turning point” |
JOHANNESBURG - 6 November 2009 (PlusNews) - Wavering international support for HIV/AIDS efforts is resulting in funding shortfalls that could wipe out a decade of progress in rolling out AIDS treatment, the international medical and humanitarian organization, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), has warned.
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A risky combination of alcohol and sex |
BOTSWANA - SELEBI-PHIKWE - 6 November 2009 (PlusNews) - On a recent Wednesday evening, Gillian Otsile, a volunteer at a local NGO, Men Sex and AIDS, approached a group of young men drinking cartons of traditional sorghum beer at a tavern in Selebi-Phikwe, a mining town in northeastern Botswana.
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Aids Programme May Be Reducing Deaths |
SOUTH AFRICA - Cape Town - 6 November 2009 (BusinessDay) - The government's AIDS treatment programme may have begun to put the brakes on SA's rising death rate, a senior official of the Department of Health told Parliament yesterday. |
Time to talk about sex and HIV |
LESOTHO – MASERU - 3 November 2009 (PlusNews) - Having more than one sexual relationship at the same time is driving the spread of HIV in small landlocked Lesotho. The health sector has long suspected this, but a new report by the National AIDS Commission (NAC), in partnership with UNAIDS and the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, has confirmed it.
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| White House announces end to HIV travel ban |
United States – 3 November 2009 – (Washington Post) - President Obama called the 22-year ban on travel and immigration by HIV-positive individuals a decision "rooted in fear rather than fact" and announced the end of the rule-making process lifting the ban.
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Task-Shifting Brings Rapid Scale-Up of Art Rollout |
MOZAMBIQUE – 3 November 2009 (allafrica.com) - The use of mid-level health workers rather than doctors to prescribe antiretroviral treatment (ART), a strategy called task-shifting, has enabled Mozambique to triple the number of facilities providing medication within six months, according to a new study. |
World Aids Day to Mark Massive Mobilisation Campaign |
South Africa - Pretoria – 30 October 2009 – (BuaNews) - President Jacob Zuma wants to use this year's World AIDS Day to mark the beginning of a massive mobilisation campaign by government against HIV and AIDS. |
Using DOTS for TB, HIV and other chronic diseases |
NAIROBI - 30 October 2009 (PlusNews) - Malawi's successful use of a well-known tuberculosis (TB) treatment system to scale up antiretroviral treatment (ART) for HIV could improve chronic disease management in other African nations, experts say.
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Thandi Xaba, 'If You Feel Good About Life It Helps You Stay Healthy' |
SWAZILAND – Mbabane - Thandi Xaba, 23, an aspiring actress living with HIV, belongs to an itinerant theatrical group in Swaziland who perform plays dealing with HIV/AIDS, often spiced with humour to engage the rural audience who sit beneath trees to watch the shows. |
Nearly one in three people with HIV do not know: EU |
BRUSSELS- 28 October 2009 (AFP) – Almost one in three people infected with the virus that causes AIDS do not know they have the disease, increasing the risk of infection, the European Commission warned Monday. |
Participants Kick Against HIV/Aids Mandatory Tests Before Marriage |
GHANA – Accra – 28 October 2009 (Public Agenda) - Participants at a day's national seminar on the HIV-AIDS disease have expressed resentment at the insistence on "mandatory test" by some churches before allowing their members to marry. |
Life insurance for HIV-positive people, at a price |
SOUTH AFRICA – JOHANNESBURG - 28 October 2009 (PlusNews) - The availability of antiretroviral (ARV) treatment and legislation prohibiting discrimination have helped turn HIV/AIDS into just another chronic disease, but an HIV-positive status can still be an obstacle to getting a loan or buying insurance.
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| HIV positive rapist jailed 45 years |
| ZIMABBWE - BINDURA - 27 October 2009 - (The Herald) - An HIV-positive social worker has been slapped with a 45-year jail term for raping three sisters — aged 10, 14 and 16 — and infecting them with the virus that causes AIDS. |
HIV-positive inmates speak out |
SOUTH AFRICA - DURBAN, 22 October 2009 (PlusNews) - Just over three years ago, a group of HIV-infected inmates at Westville Correctional Centre, near the South African port city of Durban, won a High Court battle that forced the government to provide them with life-prolonging antiretroviral (ARV) treatment.
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No to HIV Stigma |
ZIMBABWE - Harare – The Herald - 22 October 2009 - Religious leaders have been urged to develop suitable approaches that do not stigmatise HIV positive followers within the church. |
Controversy over calls to legalise sex work |
SWAZILAND – MBABANE - 22 October 2009 (PlusNews) - A search for ways to curb the spread of HIV in Swaziland has led to a public debate on legalizing sex work, which would have been unheard of 10 years ago in this poor, food-insecure country.
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| USAID Recognizes Global Handwashing Day in Zimbabwe |
Harare, October 19, 2009: On the second annual Global Handwashing Day, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is highlighting this simple hygiene habit – washing hands with any soap as a way to reduce disease in Zimbabwe. |
| Male Circumicision in Zimbabwe |
| ZIMBABWE – HARARE –19 October 2009-A total of 1 291 men have so far been circumcised under the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare’s pilot circumcision project ahead of the stepping up of the programme next year, officials said. |
| Court case reignites HIV testing debate |
| LUSAKA—19 October 2009-(Plus News)-The human rights record of the Zambian military is being tested in court by two former air force officers who allege they were fired for being HIV positive. |
HIV – Positive Children ‘Missing’ from health system |
MALI – Bamako – 16 October 2009 - Parents are supposed to outlive their children, or so thought the grandmothers sitting in the children's playroom at Gabriel Touré hospital in Bamako, capital of Mali. They had all lost their children to AIDS-related illnesses, and met each other when they brought their HIV-positive grandchildren on hospital visits. |
Positive women’s football beats stigma |
| ZIMBABWE – HARARE - 16 October 2009 (PlusNews) - Janet Mpilime, 32, captain of the ARV Swallows, an all-woman football team based in the informal settlement of Epworth, 10km east of the Zimbabwean capital, Harare, has just led her team to a 2-1 victory over Sporting ART. |
Thinking outside the AIDS funding box |
NAIROBI - 16 October 2009 (PlusNews) - As traditional sources of financial aid dry up, new and innovative approaches to fundraising may be the best hope of generating money for HIV/AIDS efforts.
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| SAfAIDS launches HIV information kiosk |
| Harare – 13 october 2009-Southern Africa HIV and AIDS Information Dissemination Service (SAfAIDS) in partnership with the Matabeleland AIDS Council (MAC) will, on Thursday, the 15th of October, launch an HIV information kiosk in Plumtree to respond to the HIV information needs of people in Matabeleland South province. |
HIV and AIDS Couple Testing, Counselling vital for a secure future |
UGANDA - Kampala – New Vision - SULIMAN Byamugisha, a 40-year-old army officer, married to Hellen went for an HIV test at the AIDS Information Centre after his wife suspected that he was cheating on her. |
Court case holds up national ARV supply |
| KENYA – Nairobi - 12 October 2009 (PlusNews) - Kenya is facing a nationwide shortage of anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs as a court case continues to hold up the purchase of the life-prolonging medication. |
| Brothers are doing it for themselves |
| JOHANNESBURG— (Plus News)-12 October 2009-In the context of sub-Saharan Africa's HIV/AIDS epidemic, women have often been characterized as the victims and men as the perpetrators incapable of sticking to one partner or taking responsibility for their sexual health. |
Target the married in fight against HIV/AIDS |
UGANDA – Kampala – The Observer – 8 October 2009 -Men and Women in a marriage are expected to be faithful to each other. But is that the reality on the ground? Being faithful is just a fallacy among many men and women. Reports have shown that 40 to 60% of HIV positive persons have HIV negative spouses and these are at 10 to 12% HIV transmission risk per year (CeSSRA Public Lecture: March 6, 2009). |
Ambitious target for male circumcision |
SWAZILAND – MBABANE - 7 October 2009 (PlusNews) - Swaziland's Ministry of Health and Human Services aims to provide circumcision to 80 percent of men aged 15 to 24 in the next five years, in response to the surging number of men requesting the procedure to reduce their risk of HIV.
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HIV rate among pregnant women stays high |
SOUTH AFRICA - JOHANNESBURG - 7 October 2009 (PlusNews) - The rate of HIV infection among pregnant women in South Africa has remained stubbornly high at around 29 percent for the third year running, according to government figures released on 5 October.
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Inching towards universal access to PMTCT |
NAIROBI - 2 October 2009- (PlusNews) - More than half of HIV-positive pregnant women in low- and middle-income countries continue to go without life-saving anti-retroviral medication that could prevent transmission of the virus to their unborn children, according to a new report, Towards Universal Access. |
The bumpy road to universal ARV access |
JOHANNESBURG – 2 October 2009 - (PlusNews) - More than four million people globally are now on antiretroviral (ARV) treatment - a 10-fold jump in five years - but this is still less than half the people living with HIV who need it.
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| Namibia at forefront of global push to increase AIDS treatment |
| OHANGWENA DISTRICT – 02 october 2009-Alfeus, 8, misses school once a month, which makes everyone around him happy. His absence is excused because he is receiving his regular anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment as part of a vastly expanded HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention health programme in Namibia. |
| More than four million HIV-positive people now receiving life-saving treatment |
| Geneva/Paris, 30 September 2009 (UNAIDS) - More than 4 million people in low- and middle-income countries were receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) at the close of 2008, representing a 36% increase in one year and a ten-fold increase over five years, according to a new report released today by the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). |
| First positive results from an HIV vaccine |
| JOHANNESBURG, -29 September 2009-(Plus News)-A six-year clinical trial in Thailand has yielded the first ever evidence that an AIDS vaccine can provide some protection against HIV infection. |
| Male Circumcision and Women: Circumcision Not Enough to Stop HIV |
| Nairobi — 28 September 2009-(Daily Nation)-As thousands of young men in Nyanza Province troop to health centres to be circumcised in hopes of fending off HIV, new studies show it might be too early to claim victory. Although circumcision has been touted as one of the ways to prevent HIV infection, recent findings show an increase in HIV infection in regions where most males are circumcised. |
| Multiple partner study full of surprises |
| JOHANNESBURG — 28 September 2009- (Plus News)-Multiple partnerships may not be as common in South Africa as previously thought, according to a study presented at the recent AIDS Research Symposium at the University the Witwatersrand, in Johannesburg. |
| Fewer Zimbabweans HIV positive: NAC |
| Fewer Zimbabweans are HIV positive as prevention programmes and behavioural change bring down prevalence rates in the sexually-active population. |
First positive results from HIV vaccine |
JOHANNESBURG - 25 September 2009 (PlusNews) - A six-year clinical trial in Thailand has yielded the first ever evidence that an AIDS vaccine can provide some protection against HIV infection.
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| Thailand announces AIDS vaccine 'breakthrough |
Bangkok: 25 Septmber 2009- Thai health authorities on Thursday announced the first "effective" trial of an HIV-AIDS vaccine on some 16,000 volunteers, reports DPA.
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Debswana HIV and AIDS Policy Wins Praises |
Botswana – 24 September 2009 – (Mmegi) - Despite its sarcastic report and heavy criticism of De Beers and Debswana operations in Botswana, Bench Marks Foundation, acknowledges that the mining giants are the best when it comes to HIV/AIDS programmes and care for their employees. |
| Victory Gardens a Tool in War Against AIDS |
| Namibia-24 September 2009-( The Namibian)AT Opuwo in the Kunene Region small gardens are being used to fight poverty and HIV-AIDS - a disease known to thrive on poverty as it gnaws away at the immune system of infected people who have very meagre diets. |
Multiple partner study full of surprises |
SOUTH AFRICA – JOHANNESBURG - 24 September 2009 - (PlusNews) - Multiple partnerships may not be as common in South Africa as previously thought, according to a study presented at the recent AIDS Research Symposium at the University the Witwatersrand, in Johannesburg.
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| New UN women’s agency good news for “feminised’ AIDS epidemic |
NAIROBI- 22 September 2009 - (PlusNews) - AIDS activists around the world have welcomed a new UN General Assembly resolution to create a single agency to promote the rights and wellbeing of women, which they say is good news for women, who are bearing the brunt of the global AIDS pandemic.
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Kawuma’s HIV drive saves thousands |
Uganda – Kampala – 22 September 2009 – New Vision - THIS year, to commemorate the World AIDS Day, December 1, The New Vision, in conjunction with the parliamentary committee on HIV/AIDs, will award individuals who have played a remarkable role in the fight against HIV in their communities. Profiles of the nominees from which winners of awards will be selected will be published till November. |
| HIV-positive children living longer |
| JOHANNESBURG -21 September 2009-(plus News)-The number of HIV-infected children in southern Africa who survive into adolescence without treatment is greater than previously thought, and will keep increasing for years to come. |
| Doting dads can lower their children's HIV risk |
| MASENO—21 September 2009-(Plus News)-Jennifer Omasa had lost three children when using traditional birth attendants, so when she fell pregnant a fourth time, she opted to visit her local antenatal clinic in the town of Maseno, western Kenya, and now has an eight-month-old baby girl named Zawadi, Swahili for gift. |
| VOICE Study, a major HIV prevention trial for women, is launched in Zimbabwe |
Testing ARVs as prevention instead of treatment
PITTSBURGH -18- September 2009 – Microbicide Trial Network – Hopeful that some of the same antiretroviral (ARV) drugs used to treat HIV infection can also prevent it, researchers from the Microbicide Trials Network have enrolled the first participants into a new, large-scale clinical trial testing two approaches of the strategy in women. |
Text messages highlight drug stock-outs |
JOHANNESBURG -18 September 2009 - (PlusNews) - A multi-country campaign in Africa is using cell phone technology to expose stock-outs of essential medicines at public health facilities and put pressure on governments to address the issue.
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| World HIV and AIDS Figures Go Up |
Botswana – Gaborone – 18 September 2009 (Mmegi) -The number of people living with HIV and AIDS in the world has risen from around eight million in 1990 to 33 million today, Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health Dr. Koolaatema Malefho has said. |
Country to miss AIDS treatment goal |
South Africa - Johannesburg – 16 September 2009 (BusinessDay)THE government will not meet its target of providing life-prolonging treatment to 80% of people with HIV by 2011 due to logistical problems, a lack of personnel and a shortage of money, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said yesterday. |
No easy fixes for world’s highest infection rate |
| SWAZILAND –MBABANE -15 September 2009 (PlusNews) - Average life expectancy in Swaziland has plummeted from around 60 years in the 1990s to just over 30 years today. Few would deny that HIV/AIDS is largely to blame, but the reasons why the epidemic has devastated this tiny, southern African country more than any other are less clear. |
AIDS Council under fire over levy |
| ZIMBABWE – HARARE - 15 September 2009 (PlusNews) - Zimbabwe's National AIDS Council (NAC) has purchased US$890,000 worth of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs following allegations that it was abusing funds generated by a three-percent tax on income known as the AIDS levy. |
| HIV-positive people learn the value of leaving a will |
UGANDA – BUSIA - 14 September 2009 (PlusNews) - Discussing the prospect of death is taboo in many African cultures, but a new Ugandan programme is encouraging people living with HIV to secure their families' futures by leaving wills.
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| Disabled Demand Involvement in HIV and AIDS Programmes |
Maputo -14 September 2009 – (Allafrica.com) - Disabled Mozambicans on Thursday demanded their inclusion in the country's programmes to fight against HIV and AIDS. |
| Eleven Maidens Injured At Reed Dance Ceremony |
Nongoma- 14 September 2009 (BuaNews) - Eleven young women were involved in a stampede at the KwaZulu-Natal Royal Reed Dance ceremony at the weekend. |
| What of the female condom |
JOHANNESBURG-11 September 2009- (PlusNews) - If you haven't seen a female condom lately, you're not alone. More than 15 years after the only female-controlled method to prevent HIV was introduced, it is still largely marginalised and inaccessible.
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| Newfound weakness in HIV boosts vaccine hopes |
| NAIROBI—10 September 2009-(Plus News)-The search for an AIDS vaccine has taken a step forward with the discovery of two powerful new antibodies that can cripple the HI virus. |
| Drug deficits threaten HIV patients |
| BULAWAYO (Al Jazeera) —10 September 2009-Municipal health officials in Zimbabwe's second city, Bulawayo, are struggling to cope with growing waiting lists of people in need of HIV treatment and too few doctors to prescribe the drugs. More than 320,000 Zimbabweans are in need of anti-retroviral (ARV) drug treatment and of the 1.7 million living with HIV, only about 150,000 are receiving medication from the public health sector. |
| Alcohol counselling programme improves ARV adherence |
| KENYA-9 September 2009-(PlusNews) - Christopher Orodi admits he has a pretty serious drinking problem; the weekly support group he attends not only helps keep him off the bottle, it keeps him on his life-prolonging antiretroviral (ARV) medication. |
| Encourage Active Youth Participation |
| Luderitz — 9 September 2009-(New Era)-The Catholic AIDS Action (CAA), a non-governmental community based organization founded in 2001 with the aim to fight HIV/AIDS and care for those in need, held its first-ever Home Based Palliative Care (HBPC) graduation in Lüderitz over the weekend. |
| Mnangagwa orders army circumcision |
| Harare-8 September 2009-( NewZimbabwe.com) — ZIMBABWE’S Defence Minister Emerson Mnangagwa has ordered the country’s top military chiefs to “seriously consider” circumcision for troops to fight the spread of HIV. |
| Sex education effort raises storm in the clouds |
| JOHANNESBURG,7 September 2009-(Plus News)-An attempt to help educators around the world develop sex-education programmes as a way to reduce unwanted pregnancies and the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among young people has become bogged down in controversy. |
| Treating Cervical Cancer and HIV simultaneously |
| LUSAKA—4 Septmeber 2009-(Plus News)-The HIV and AIDS epidemic may have contributed to the high incidence of cervical cancer in Zambia, where the number of cases is the second highest in sub-Saharan Africa, and HIV prevalence is one of the highest in the world. |
| Climate change and AIDS Activists join forces |
| JOHANNESBURG, - 4 September 2009-(Plus News)-The people of sub-Saharan Africa, already bearing the brunt of the global HIV/AIDS epidemic, are also likely to be worst hit by the effects of climate change, but until now AIDS and climate change experts and activists have largely remained in separate camps. |
| Southern African Activists Respond to WHO Regional Director for Africa’s Statement on TB and HIV Drug Resistance ARASA, BONELA, SWAPOL and ADRA |
| Cape Town, Gaborone, Maseru, Manzini – 2 September 2009- (AF-AIDS)- Southern African TB and HIV activists have welcomed the emphasis placed on tackling increasing levels of TB, HIV and malaria drug resistance, at the Africa regional health committee meeting taking place in Rwanda this week; while accentuating that a bigger paradigm shift is needed to ensure a successful response to rising levels of drug resistance in the regional TB-HIV co-epidemic. |
| Global: Breast is Best |
| JOHANNESBURG, 1 September 2009 (PlusNews) - The debate about the safest and healthiest infant feeding choice for HIV-positive mothers in the developing world should be over, according to one of South Africa's leading HIV/AIDS researchers. |
| Zambia: NGOs Fear Law Will Hobble Their Activities |
| Lusaka, 1 September 2009 (IRIN) - Zambian civil society fears the imminent introduction of legislation designed to regulate non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that may compromise their independence and even result in a clampdown on their operations. The 2009 NGO Bill, passed by parliament last week and now awaiting the signature of President Rupiah Banda to become law, calls for "the registration and co-ordination of NGOs, to regulate the work, and the area of work, of NGOs operating in Zambia." |
| Tackling HIV and TB - where there's a will |
| JOHANNESBURG— 1 September 2009- (Plus News)-One in six HIV-positive people in the world live in South Africa, which is also experiencing a parallel tuberculosis (TB) epidemic, but years of weak leadership, poor policy implementation and inadequate resources have undermined efforts to control the twin health emergencies. |
| Lovers, fathers and brothers |
| JOHANNESBURG— 28 August 2009-(Plus News) -The days of South African men waiting at the kerbside while girlfriends and wives queue at the clinic for antenatal visits are gone; a new programme aims to create a new idea of what makes a man, and turn the tables on the old one. |
| Northern real estate company launches children’s trust Informante |
| Namibia, 26 August 2009- (Informante)-POWER couple and owners of Makalani Real Estate and Tuhumeko Property Developers, Amalia and husband Gerome Schmidt recently launched a trust called The Namibian Children’s Trust. |
| TB suspects access high quality services at Kanyama Clinic ZAMBART |
| Zambia, 26 August 2009-(ZAMBART Project)-The Zambia AIDS Related Tuberculosis (ZAMBART) Project along with the Dutch Ambassador to Zambia and Minister of Health last week celebrated the official opening of the Kanyama Clinic TB diagnostic area and digital x-ray machine. |
| Activists Take Issue With Adverts |
| Harare (The Standard) - 26 August 2009-The Zimbabwe National Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS (Znap) has demanded the withdrawal of television adverts meant to fight stigma saying the messages sent the wrong signals. |
| SOUTH AFRICA: "Agony Aunts" don't do HIV |
| JOHANNESBURG, 24 August 2009 (PlusNews) - Dear Abby, Dear Dolly, Ask Amy - advice columns are always popular in the print media, and South Africa is no exception. The "Agony Aunts" daily solve problems about love, lust, romance and other relationships, but one thing is consistently left off the page - HIV. |
| Hungry HIV-positive patients abandon ARVs |
| AMURIA— 24 August 2009- (Plus News)-HIV-positive patients in drought-hit eastern Uganda are abandoning their anti-retroviral regimens in droves, and leaders fear that unless more food becomes available, they will soon be dealing with drug resistance and death. |
| Marriage no safe haven for women |
| BALI— 20 August 2009 (Plus News)-An estimated 50 million women in Asia are at risk of contracting HIV from male partners who engage in risky sexual behaviours, says a new UNAIDS report released at the 9th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP) in Bali, Indonesia, this week. |
| AIDS levy spent on luxuries |
| Harare, 20 August 2009-The Herald- The National Aids Council has bought only US$20 000 worth of anti-retroviral drugs from the more than US$1,7 million in Aids levies collected since the inception of the multi-currency system in February this year, investigations by The Herald have established. |
| A timeline of HIV/AIDS funding woes |
| ZIMBABWE, (PlusNews) - 14 August 2009-Zimbabwe and international donors have had a long but uneasy relationship in the fight against HIV/AIDS – especially when it came to the money. Despite having one of the world's highest HIV prevalence rates, Zimbabwean proposals to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria have been turned down in five of the Fund's eight funding rounds since its formation in 2002. |
| Namibia’s HIV positive family launches initiative |
| Windhoek, 13 August 2009 (Informanté)-One of Namibia’s first couples to ever come out publicly about their HIV status is launching an initiative to help others in similar situation. |
| Global Fund Team Arrives |
| Harare —7 August 2009-(The Herald)-A team from the Global Fund to fight HIV and AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria arrived in the country yesterday to discuss a review of Round 8 financing for Zimbabwe's programmes in the areas covered by the organisation. |
| TOP JOBS IN THE SOUTHERN AFRICA MEDIA CONTINUE TO ELUDE WOMEN |
| Johannesburg, 6 August 2009: Women are underrepresented in Southern Africa media houses; they hit the ‘glass ceiling’ at senior management and their representation wanes in top decision-making positions. |
| Stretching the Debate in Zim |
| Harare, 4 August 2009-(The Standard)AN advert on ZTV suggesting a condom can stretch up to a metre and hold one litre of water has irked a female senator who wants it scrapped. |
| Namibia Makes Strides in Paediatric HIV |
| Windhoek —30 July 2009-(All Africa)-While paediatric HIV remains a growing concern throughout Southern Africa, Namibian doctors have managed to put high numbers of babies on the life-saving antiretroviral (ARV) treatment with the help of an early infant diagnosis (EID) programme based on dry blood sampling. |
| Changes afoot for US global AIDS policy |
| CAPE TOWN—28 July- (Plus News)-Just three weeks into his new appointment, United States Global AIDS Coordinator Dr Eric Goosby outlined on Monday some of the changes that President Barack Obama’s administration will make to the country's global AIDS policy at the 5th International AIDS Society (IAS) |
| Male circumcision slowly taking off |
| CAPE TOWN -28 July 2009-(Plus News)-The World Health Organization endorsed male circumcision (MC) as an HIV-prevention measure two years ago, but implementation of large-scale male circumcision programmes has been relatively slow. |
| G8 leaders criticised for failure to honour commitments on AIDS |
| Cape Town, (Key Correspondent Team)-23 July 2009-Health experts and scientists attending the 5th International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference in Cape Town have blamed the G8 nations for failure to fulfill their commitments towards the fight against HIV and AIDS in Africa. |
| Test and treat to wipe out AIDS |
| CAPE TOWN -(Plus News)- 23 July 2009-The idea of using antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) not only to treat HIV infection but also to prevent new infections, and eventually to eradicate the virus almost entirely, is being hotly debated at the 5th International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention in Cape Town, South Africa, this week. |
| South Africa begins AIDS vaccine trial, cuts funds |
| CAPE TOWN, South Africa –(Associated Press)- 21 July 2009-South Africa launched a high-profile trial of an AIDS vaccine created by its own researchers Monday, a proud moment in a nation where government denial, neglect and unscientific responses have helped fuel the world's worst AIDS crisis. |
| World leaders urged to continue funding AIDS programmes |
| CAPE TOWN – 21 July 2009-The world’s foremost AIDS scientists last night (Sunday) accused the G8 countries of “astonishing delinquency”, being “crazy” and “not just pathetic, but criminal” by failing at their recent meeting in Italy to renew their 2005 Gleneagles commitment to the universal treatment of HIV. |
| Male circumcision does not protect women |
| JOHANNESBURG (PlusNews) - 20 July 2009-New research suggests that circumcising HIV-positive men does not reduce the risk of their female partners becoming HIV-infected. |
| Journalists called to step up in the fight against HIV, AIDS and TB |
| Cape Town, (HDN KC Team)- 20 July 2009-Journalists must do more to report effectively on HIV, AIDS and TB issues in Africa, according to prominent health organisations. |
| Taking stock of condom stock-outs |
| Berlin, Germany - Af-AIDS)- 15 July 2009-Some people argue that no one really uses them ‘in the heat of the moment’. Others say they just don’t like the artificialness that they bring to what should be a ‘natural’ experience – sex. “It’s like eating a sweet with its wrapper still on, or an unpeeled banana,” so they say. |
| BOTSWANA: Court rules on privacy violation |
| JOHANNESBURG, 15 July 2009 (PlusNews) - In the first case of its kind in Botswana, a woman has successfully sued another woman for publicly revealing her HIV status. |
| AIDS number one cause of maternal deaths |
| JOHANNESBURG (PlusNews) - 9 July 2009-A new maternal mortality study names HIV and AIDS as the cause of one in four maternal deaths in Zimbabwe. |
| Doctors and ARVs in short supply |
| BULAWAYO (PlusNews) -9 July 2009-Municipal health officials in Zimbabwe's second city, Bulawayo, are struggling to cope with growing waiting lists of people in need of HIV treatment and too few doctors to prescribe the drugs. |
| Donors urged to step up gender equality efforts |
| JOHANNESBURG—(Plus News)-9 July 2009- When it comes to incorporating gender-related policies and interventions into their HIV/AIDS programmes, three of the largest global AIDS donors talk the talk, but have largely failed to walk the walk. |
| Zimbabwe to commemorate annual Candlelight Memorial |
| Harare, 01 July 2009-(SAfAIDS)- The media has been challenged to honour People Living with HIV by telling their stories, as the country commemorates the 26th annual Candlelight Memorial this Thursday in Harare’s First Street. |
| Zimbabwe: Long Distance, Lasting Love |
| Harare. 30 June 2009 (The Standard) - IN Hollywood movies, it is always perfect. A pair of teary-eyed lovebirds is depicted in a final embrace during which the young woman pleads,"Promise that you will wait for me?" |
| Time to re-think testing |
| JOHANNESBURG, 29 June 2009 (PlusNews) - It has become a given – test more people for HIV and you'll get more people on treatment earlier, plus cut down on risky sex. But recent research on the behaviour of people who test HIV negative, has led some doctors to question the testing gospel. |
| Come up with HIV policies |
| Harare, ZImbabwe-(The Herald)-26 June 2009- COMPANIES have been called upon to come up with HIV policies for the workplace which will define their position and practices for preventing the transmission of the virus and for handling cases of HIV infection or Aids among employees. |
| Male circumcision - What's the latest? |
| JOHANNESBURG, 25 June 2009 (PlusNews) - It has been two years since the World Health Organization recommended male circumcision (MC) as an HIV prevention measure, and countries in Southern Africa - the region hardest-hit by AIDS - have been slowly gearing up to provide widespread access to the procedure. |
| African women with HIV 'coerced into sterilisation |
| United Kingdom, (Guardian)-24 June 2009-Women in Africa are being sterilised without their consent after being told the procedure is a routine treatment for Aids, a lawsuit will claim. |
| Is AIDS still exceptional? |
| Brighton, 24 June 2009 (Alliance) - Professor Alan Whiteside visited the Alliance Secretariat in Brighton on 17 June to speak and answer questions about one of the most important issues facing the international HIV community. |
| Zimbabwe: Confessions From the Heart |
| Harare, 24 June 2009 (Herald) - Maybe I was too harsh last week. Maybe I should have tried to understand why they do it, why some people stigmatise and discriminate People Living with HIV. |
| US$10 000 cash boost for Mashambanzou |
| Harare-(The Herald)- 23 June 2009- MASHAMBANZOU Nursing Home yesterday received yet another donation from the Chinese Embassy which gave the home US$10 000 cash for the upkeep and education of vulnerable children that are under the care of the home. |
| Award for NGO using dance in HIV prevention |
| NAIROBI, 22 June 2009 (PlusNews) - An initiative that uses music and dance to convey HIV prevention messages to young people, dance4life, has won an award for Excellence in HIV/AIDS Communication in Africa from the African Network for Strategic Communication in Health and Development (AfriComNet) |
| Too much talk in cushy conferences, not enough action |
| SEATTLE, 22 June 2009-(The Seattle Times)-In the final hour of a Seattle conference on tuberculosis today, an African activist chided a room full of top health officials, scientists and other experts for their lack of action. |
| Getting the love test |
| MBABANE, 18 June 2009 (PlusNews) - A new campaign in the tiny kingdom of Swaziland is looking to get couples to get tested for HIV together. They are calling it the "Love Test" - an act by two intimate partners showing their devotion to each other. |
| Recession Threatens AIDS Programmes |
| Windhoek, 17 June 2009-(The Namibian)-THE world's key donors must sustain the funding of HIV-AIDS programmes despite the negative impact of the global financial crisis on their economies, several speakers at the international HIV-AIDS implementers' conference in Windhoek have urged. |
| MOZAMBIQUE: 1,001 things you can do with condoms |
| CHIMOIO, 15 June 2009 (PlusNews) - Carlito, just nine years old, is sitting at the edge of a sandy field in Chimoio, in the central province of Manica, Mozambique, where he and his friends play soccer, putting the finishing touches to an unusual ball to play the beautiful game. |
| GLOBAL: HIV, the silent partner in emergencies |
| NAIROBI (PlusNews) —12 June -Food aid and plastic sheeting are the hallmarks of every disaster, but not always condoms and antiretrovirals, even though humanitarian agencies recognize the link between emergencies and the increased risk of HIV and AIDS. |
| What's the take-home message for children affected by HIV/AIDS? |
| NAMIBIA-11 June 2009- (KC Forum)- As more than 1,500 HIV/AIDS implementers gather in Namibia for the 2009 HIV/AIDS Implementers’ meeting , all those working with children are expected to bring home something that can optimize the response to the needs of children affected by HIV/AIDS. |
| Right to Healthcare is Right to Life |
| NAIROBI (PlusNews) — 11 June-African governments are failing to offer even the most basic healthcare that could save lives, speakers warned a civil society meeting in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. |
| A mixed bag of new HIV figures |
| 10 June 2009- JOHANNESBURG (PlusNews) - The percentage of people living with HIV in South Africa has barely changed in the last six years, but new data released on Tuesday revealed that between 2002 and 2008 there were many changes in HIV knowledge, risk behaviour and testing habits. |
| Africa: Citizens Endorse Radical Plan to End AIDS |
| Addis Ababa, 9 June 2009 (Daily Monitor) - A summit comprising people living with AIDS, AIDS commissioners, representatives from governments, development organizations and UN has endorsed a radical plan to end AIDS especially in Sub Saharan Africa, according to Oxfam. |
| Zimbabwe launches One Love Campaign |
| Harare, Zimbabwe, The Sunday Mail-8 June 2009-On Wednesday, Zimbabwe launched a regional HIV prevention campaign entitled OneLove in Harare joining Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania and Zambia, whose campaigns are already in full swing |
| Prevention efforts and infection patterns mismatched |
| JOHANNESBURG- 4 June 2009 - (Plus News)- In at least five African countries, scarce resources are being spent on national HIV prevention campaigns that do not reach the people most at risk of infection, new research has found. |
| SOUTH AFRICA: Health care workers at higher risk of drug-resistant TB |
| JOHANNESBURG, 3 June 2009 (PlusNews) - Health care workers in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Province, on the east coast, are at much higher risk of drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) than the general public, according to new research. |
| Zimbabwe: One Love - It is Possible |
| 3 June 2009- The Herald)- AS Zimbabwe gears up to launch the "One Love" Campaign next week in Harare, I find it gratifying that so many of you out there do realise the importance of keeping your love under one roof by being faithful to your partners and spouses. |
| How Michelle Obama Can Help Africa |
| 3 June 2009 (allAfrica) - When Michelle Obama, the first lady of the United States, visits Ghana with President Barack Obama in July, the powerful voice she has used to empower disadvantaged girls at home can be extended to Africa. By spotlighting the disproportionate impact of AIDS on women and girls, she can help strengthen the Aids response - at home and abroad. |
| MP calls for HIV positive citizens to be branded on the buttocks |
| 28 May 2009 (SMH) - Swazi residents were asked on Tuesday to debate a politician's call for HIV positive citizens to be branded on the buttocks, which has sparked an uproar in the small mountain kingdom. |
| South Africa: Activists Mobilise Against Manto |
| Cape Town, 28 May 2009 (AllAfrica) - Health activists are mobilizing against the appointment of former health minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang as mentor and African Union Goodwill Ambassador on maternal, infant and child health. |
| ZAMBIA: Health funding frozen after corruption alleged |
| LUSAKA, 28 May 2009 (PlusNews) - Foreign aid for government health projects in Zambia, where most of the national health budget is donor-funded, was frozen last week after allegations of corruption |
| AFRICA: Pregnant, HIV-positive and falling through the PMTCT cracks |
| Mozambique-25 May 2009 (PlusNews) - An estimated 900 babies in the developing world are infected with HIV every day because governments fail to reach pregnant women with prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services. |
| Southern Africa: Global Financial Crisis Leads to HIV Budget Cuts |
| Cape Town, 22 May 2009 (IPS) - International donors and African governments are likely to cut health budgets due to the global financial crisis. Health experts fear that increasing unemployment and poverty will lead to less food security and quality of nutrition, which will in turn put more stress on already weak health systems. |
| AIDS Treatment Activists Push UNAIDS and WHO to Meet Commitments to Reduce HIV in Women and Newborns |
| GENEVA –22 May-In a dramatic meeting today at the UNAIDS headquarters in Geneva, members of the International Treatment Preparedness Coalition (ITPC) and AIDS-Free World met with the leaders and approximately 100 staff members of UNAIDS and WHO to present ITPC’s latest Missing the Target report, Failing Women, Failing Children: HIV, Vertical Transmission and Women’s Health, which identifies the failure of the international community in preventing vertical transmission (also known as prevention of mother-to-child transmission or PMTCT). |
| Southern Africa: Global Financial Crisis Leads to HIV Budget Cuts |
| Cape Town, 19 May 2009 (IPS) - International donors and African governments are likely to cut health budgets due to the global financial crisis. Health experts fear that increasing unemployment and poverty will lead to less food security and quality of nutrition, which will in turn put more stress on already weak health systems. |
| ZIMBABWE: HIV-positive nurses go it alone |
| HARARE (PlusNews) - 19 May 2009- For the past year, Olive Mutabeni's home in Chitungwiza, a low-income suburb 20km outside Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital, has been the makeshift centre of operations for the Life Empowerment Support Organisation (LESO). |
| Zimbabwe: Neglected health crisis on farms |
| (PlusNews) - It is harvest time in Zimbabwe's northern Mashonaland Central Province, but the only thing growing on most of the farms around Bindura, the provincial capital, is tall grass. |
| GLOBAL: Obama expands health agenda, but not funding |
| Washington-11 May 2009 (PlusNews) - At a time when many Americans are preoccupied with the economic crisis on their doorsteps, President Barack Obama has asked Congress to approve US$63 billion for global health over the next six years. |
| Another study supports early HIV therapy |
| Antiretroviral treatment for HIV should begin earlier than it does for many patients, say researchers who analyzed data on more than 45,000 HIV-infected patients in Europe and North America. |
| Prince Tendai, ZNNP+ Trade Accusations |
| 06 May 2009-MUSICIAN and businessman Tendai Mupfurutsa popularly known as Prince Tendai is involved in a wrangle with a group of people from the Zimbabwe National Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS (ZNNP+). |
| GLOBAL: Economic downturn puts treatment of millions at risk |
| (PlusNews) - 6 May 2009-After months of speculation about how the global economic downturn might affect HIV/AIDS programmes, a new World Bank report details the projected aftermath of the crisis and how it could place the treatment of more than 1.7 million at risk by year's end. |
| Gates Foundation Invests in 81 Unconventional Global Health Research Projects |
| SEATTLE – 5 May 2009-The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation today announced 81 grants of US$100,000 each to explore bold and largely unproven ways to improve health in developing countries. The grants were awarded to researchers in 17 countries through the foundation’s Grand Challenges Explorations initiative, which aims to develop a pipeline of creative ideas that could change the face of global heath. |
| ‘Love, connect and respect |
Harare, Zimbabwe, The Herald-City.COM-4 May 2009- Three powerful words that we have all realised do not come easy to most couples — be they married or not.
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| Kenyan women hit men with sex ban |
| Nairobi, Kenya, 30 April 2009- Women's activist groups in Kenya have slapped their partners with a week-long sex ban in protest over the infighting plaguing the national unity government. |
| Mum takes KZN to court over HIV status |
| KZN, South Africa, The Sunday Times-28 April 2009-She used to be a happy, healthy and sporty mum from the suburbs. |
| Financial Crisis Placing 1.7M HIV-Positive People Worldwide at Risk of Treatment Interruption, World Bank Report Says |
| 28 April 2009 (KaiserNetwork) - Antiretroviral treatment for up to 1.7 million HIV-positive people worldwide is "under threat" because of the current economic crisis, according to a report released on Friday by the World Bank, the Financial Times reports. |
| New HIV antigen-antibody combo test useful for high volume public health screening: Study |
| Montreal, (Pharmabiz) 17 February 2009- A new HIV antigen-antibody combination assay, currently available in Europe, can be useful for high-volume screening to identify individuals with acute HIV infection, who would be missed by traditional HIV antibody tests, according to research presented by Johns Hopkins University, Abbott and others at the 16th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI). |
| Human Trials of HIV Microbicide Successful |
| Harare, Zimbabwe, The Herald, 16 February 2009- THE first successful human trials on a gel — PRO 2000 microbicide — intended to prevent HIV infections in women has demonstrated a measure of success in Zimbabwe and other countries, a leading scientist has said. |
Optimistic UNAIDS sets ambitious goals |
| CAPE TOWN (PlusNews) 13 February 2009- Wearing an orange "HIV Positive" t-shirt, the new executive director of UNAIDS, Michel Sidibe, this week outlined his vision for the UN agency at the Ubuntu Clinic in Khayelitsha township in Cape Town, South Africa. |
| Press Statement; Journalists Against AIDSÂ Club |
| Harare, Zimbabwe , The Zimbabwe Union of Journalists president Matthew Takaona and SAfAIDS Country representative Monica Mandiki have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to support and run a Journalists Against AIDS Club. |
| GLOBAL: A glimmer of hope for microbicide research |
| DURBAN, 10 February 2009 (PlusNews) - After years of disappointments, AIDS researchers have announced results from a trial in which a vaginal microbicide appeared to offer promise in preventing HIV infection in women |
| Global Fund facing shortfall |
| JOHANNESBURG, 9 February 2009 (PLUSNEWS) - The Global Fund to Fight AIDS,
Tuberculosis and Malaria, which supplies one-quarter of all AIDS funding, is
facing a funding gap of US$5 billion. |
| Namibia embraces citizen journalism |
| Namibia,6 February 2009- Namibia has embraced one of the latest web-based communication technologies in order to enhance HIV, AIDS and tuberculosis (TB) reporting in the country. |
| New local TV and radio HIV series launched SAfAIDS |
| Harare, Zimbabwe (SAfAIDS MRD) 5 February 2009-Southern Africa HIV and AIDS Information Dissemination Service (SAfAIDS), in collaboration with Population Services International (PSI), is proud to announce the launch of a new 26 – programme radio and television series, ‘Positive Talk’, which will air for the next 6 months on Zimbabwe’s national broadcast stations. The weekly series will air every Sunday evening between 7.30 pm and 8 pm, on ZBC TV, and every Tuesday between 6.30 pm and 7 pm, on Radio Zimbabwe. |
| Perspective: Emma Tuahepa, "I didn't want her to appear in the newspapers ... the day she was born" |
| W INDHOEK, (Plus News) 4 February 2009- Emma Tuahepa was the first Namibian woman to state publicly that she was HIV-positive. In 2003 she was planning to marry her long-time boyfriend, who was HIV-negative, and they wanted to have a baby by means of artificial insemination, which was available in South Africa. |
| SOUTHERN AFRICA: HIV pregnancy, stigma and ignorance |
| JOHANNESBURG, (PlusNews) 4 February 2009— For many women, pregnancy is a time of anticipation and celebration, but for those living positively it can be frustrating when their status – and not their pregnancy – takes centre stage. Being pregnant and positive often comes with its own brand of stigma. |
| Media Nobody Knows It all |
Harare, Zimbabwe, (SAfAIIDS), 03 February 2009- One can never have enough of education! And nobody can claim to know it all.
A media briefing on Treatment Literacy conducted by Southern Africa HIV and AIDS Information Dissemination Service (SAfAIDS) with support from Population Services International (PSI) and National AIDS Council (NAC) under Global Fund Round Five activities recently revealed how crucial it is for the media to be kept abreast of important terminologies and facts around the epidemic. |
| Merger between Alliance and HDN now complete Alliance |
| 03 February 2009-Health & Development Networks (HDN) and the International HIV/AIDS Alliance signed a merger agreement in Chiang Mai, Thailand in December 2008. A full merger will be complete as soon as a new foundation is created in Thailand. |
| US funds holiday bonuses but breaks health promises |
| Davos, US, Kristi Heim, The Seattle Times, 30 January 2009-While U.S. bailout funds will help pay $18 billion in holiday bonuses for Wall Street executives, the U.S. has broken its promise to fund a global health program that saves millions of lives. |
| News: Free medical service for women, children launched |
| Bulawayo Bureau, The Herald, 30 January 2009- THE Government has launched free medical service for women and children in rural areas in a bid to promote access to health for the economically marginalised, the Minister of Health and Child Welfare, Dr David Parirenyatwa, said yesterday. |
| KENYA: FGM falsely touted as a panacea for HIV |
| KISII, 28 January 2009 (PlusNews) - Priscilla Bosibori, now 17, was 14 when an aunt fetched her from her school in Kisii, western Kenya, on the pretext of taking her to an important family function. Once they had left the school grounds, her aunt said her family had found a way of protecting her from HIV. |
| Uganda: Journalists Living With HIV/Aids Establish Network |
| Kampala, (allafrica), By Elvis Basudde, 26 January 2009— Over 8,000 people worldwide die of HIV/AIDS daily. UNAIDS estimates that there are now 33 million people living with HIV/AIDS, including 2.5million children.The epidemic is increasing. During 2007, some 2.5million people were living with the virus. A total of 95% of these people live in developing nations. |
| MOZAMBIQUE: Government repatriates Zimbabwe sex workers |
| CHIMOIO, 26 January 2009 (PlusNews) - A narrow hallway leads to a makeshift wooden counter where a shelf displays a few empty beer cans and soft drink bottles; a side door opens to a corridor with a series of bedrooms, almost all of them occupied. This is the 25 de Setembro Social Centre, one of the largest brothels in Chimoio, capital of Mozambique's central province of Manica. |
| Spotlight A National Testing Day for Journalists |
| Harare, Zimbabwe, (SAfAIDS MRD) 23 January 2009- How many of you have been recently tested for HIV?â€Â More than 20 Zimbabwean journalists attending a media training on HIV and AIDS Reporting, conducted by Southern Africa HIV and AIDS Information Dissemination Service (SAfAIDS) were asked this question by the workshop facilitator |
| Rent a wife Practice Continues in Bweemba |
| Bweemba, Zambia, (HDN Key Correspodent)- 22 January 2009- Somewhere in rural Monze lives a group of people who speak Lundwe, which is classified as a Tonga language. These people are mainly pastoralists and horticulturalists living along the Monze-Namwala road in an area called Bweengwa. |
| Kenya Sharing ARVs puts patients at risk of resistance |
| KURIA, 21January 2009 (PlusNews) - June and Paul Nyangweso*, a married couple living in the Kuria district of Nyanza Province in western Kenya, both tested positive for HIV recently, but only June visits the hospital to collect her monthly supply of antiretroviral medication, which she brings home and shares with her husband. |
| Poverty exacerbating spread of TB and HIV |
| Harare, Zimbabwe, (HDN Key Correspondent Team)-21 January 2009, The economic crisis facing Zimbabwe is exacerbating the spread of HIV and tuberculosis (TB), according to delegates at a recent Zimbabwe AIDS Network National TB Capacity Building and Policy Dialogue meeting in Harare. |
| Female carers on the frontline of fight against HIV |
| Harare, Zimbabwe, 20 January 2009-The serious economic conditions in Zimbabwe have encouraged many experienced health care workers to leave the country in search of better pay and conditions |
| HIV Advocacy Groups Restrategise Testing |
| Saturday, 17 January 2009 13:50 |
TEN years ago 38-year-old Memory Mwenga fell seriously ill and relatives were convinced she was dying.
Before her illness Mwenga used to have difficulties sleeping and she always felt hot and sweated excessively.
She finally decided to see a doctor.
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| Africa: Some Signs of Progress |
| Johannesburg, South Africa (all Africa)-16 January 2009— The latest UNAIDS Report estimated that 33 million people around the globe are living with HIV; 22 million in Sub-Saharan Africa alone. Around 2.7 million new HIV infections occurred worldwide in 2007. However, encouraging new data suggests there have been significant gains in preventing new infections in several African countries with high prevalence rates. |
| SAfAIDS in bid to increase HIV and AIDS knowledge levels in journalists |
| Harare, Zimbabwe, (SAfAIDS MRD) 15 January 2009-Southern Africa HIV and AIDS Information Dissemination Service (SAfAIDS) with support from Population Services International (PSI) and the National AIDS Council, under Global Fund Round Five, is facilitating theme based discussion fora with the media in a bid to sensitise journalists about HIV and AIDS, and TB issues. |
| Mumbwa husbands stealing ARVS from wives |
| Chris Hangombwa (HDN Key Correspondent), Zambia14 January 2009- A number of men living with HIV have started stealing antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) from their wives, according to members of a HIV support group in Zambia’s Mumbwa district. |
| Kenya: Desire for children eclipses HIV fears |
| KITUI (Plus News),13 January 2009- When Mary Muli and her husband failed to conceive a child, they followed the long-held tradition among the Kemba in Kenya's Eastern Province and brought another woman into their home to bear children for them. |
| The Global Fund demystified (Perspective) |
| Harare, Zimbabwe, 9 January 2009, SAfAIDS, Late last year, HIV and AIDS-related Global Fund activities swung into action with organisations such as the National AIDS Council (NAC), Population Services International (PSI) and the Southern Africa HIV and AIDS Information Dissemination Service (SAfAIDS) being involved in implementation and coordination. Largely responsible for communication and workplace components of the Global Fund activities, SAfAIDS embarked on conducting national journalists’ trainings on reporting on HIV and AIDS, as well as a mapping exercise of the different workplace policy programmes being implemented in Zimbabwe, while PSI has been in the process of drafting a communication strategy relating to the communication themes identified for this round of funds. |
| ZIMBABWE: "It is all just misery, death and pain" |
| HARARE, 8 January 2009 (PlusNews) - Tongai Chinamano*, 35, of Hopley Farm on the outskirts of the capital, Harare, describes being HIV positive in Zimbabwe as a death sentence. |
| Uganda: New HIV Cases Alarm Doctors |
| Kampala, Uganda, Janury 2009, New Vision— DOCTORS have raised a fresh alarm over the rate at which Ugandans are becoming infected with HIV, especially married people. |
| Adopt Male Circumcision as Strategy: Uganda |
| Kampala, 7 January 2009, (allAfrica) - In the recent past, there has been a lot of debate in the media regarding male circumcision as one of the HIV prevention measures. I would like to contribute to the debate by saying that as a country, we have delayed; we should have embraced it wholesomely when researchers disseminated their findings and deduced that it can reduce infection by 60%. |
| PAPUA NEW GUINEA: A helping hand for people living with HIV |
| MOUNT HAGEN, January 2009 (PlusNews) - In a small commune on a patch of wasteland next to the waterworks in Mount Hagen, the capital of Papua New Guinea's (PNG) Western Highlands Province, Paul Ari provides shelter to people living with HIV and AIDS who fear rejection by their families. |
| SA: Edwin Smith, "No one talked about what killed my sister nor the ravages AIDS is causing" |
| JOHANNESBURG, January 2009 (PlusNews) - Edwin Smith had helped raise his younger sister when she was a baby, carrying her on his back to underground anti-apartheid meetings, but the two had grown apart as adults. Smith has written about the silence that surrounded her death from AIDS-related illnesses, including multi-drug resistant TB. He shared an excerpt with IRIN/PlusNews. |
ONE-MAN- 24-HOUR MARATHON BROADCAST ON HIV AND AIDS
WORLD AIDS DAY 2008: Take the Lead |
| HARARE, Zimbabwe 26 November 2008 (SAfAIDS) For the first time ever in Zimbabwe, and indeed in world history, a 24-hour marathon broadcast on HIV and AIDS! |
| KZN Health minister mimics Manto and punts herbal remedies for Aids |
KWAZULU NATAL, 23 September 2008 (Sunday Times) - Kwazulu-Natal Health MEC Peggy Nkonyeni wants to experiment with traditional medicine for Aids patients at a Durban hospice. She is being assisted by traditional healers who are opposed to antiretroviral medication. |
| World AIDS Day Celebration Organisers Change Strategy |
| Gaborone, 18 September 2008 (allAfrica) - Organisers of the national celebration to mark the World AIDS Day on December 1 have buckled the trend by making sure there are build-up activities ahead of the date. |
| Surviving as an HIV-positive teacher |
| HARARE, 17 November 2008 (PlusNews) - Memory Motsi* rents a room in Chitungwiza, about 20km from the Zimbabwean capital, Harare. She wakes up at five in the morning to get to work on time at the school where she teaches Grade 5 in Hatfield, a suburb in the city, because the poor salaries in education sector, totally outpaced by hyperinflation, mean she can no longer afford the bus fare to and from work. |
| Malawi: Trying to Alleviate the Burden of the Old |
11 November 2008, (UN Integrated Regional Information Networks)- The respect Malawi's elderly once enjoyed in society is being soured by the twin pressures of poverty and HIV/AIDS, according to a recent report, and the government is introducing social grants to alleviate the burden they carry. |
| Miners face huge HIV Challenge |
| Johannesburg, 11 November (Business Day-Luphert Chilwane)-BY VIRTUE of the physical nature of their jobs, South African miners receiving treatment for HIV/AIDS are vulnerable to discrimination when they are not at peak performance, because of the drugs' side effects |
| HIV/AIDS 'Cure' Promoted by Gambian President Has Increased Use of Antiretrovirals, Reduced Stigma Associated With Disease |
5 November - An herbal treatment that Gambian President Yahya Jammeh in January 2007 claimed to be a cure for HIV/AIDS has had an "unanticipated" outcome on the fight against the disease in the country, according to some HIV/AIDS experts, IRIN News reports. The experts say that rather than drawing HIV-positive people toward the herbal cure, it has increased the use of antiretroviral drugs and reduced the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS. |
| Gates urges rich countries not to cut health aid |
NEW DELHI, 5 November - Microsoft founder Bill Gates on Wednesday said he was worried the global financial crisis he says could last two to three years might drive rich countries to cut back spending on health aid for the developing world. |
| Global Fund Says Zimbabwe Misused Grant, Requests Return of Money |
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| HIV-positive pastor challenges demotion |
Harare, Zimbabwe, 4 November 2008, (The Herald) REVEREND Maxwell Kapachawo, one of Zimbabwe’s leading HIV and Aids activists, is embroiled in a bitter labour dispute with his employer whom he accuses of discriminating against him because of his HIV-positive status after he was suspended from work. |
| Zimbabwe: NAC cuts agriculture inputs assistance |
Harare, 3 November 2008 (Herald) - The National AIDS Council has this year cut the assistance it provides chiefs throughout the country to produce food to feed people infected and affected by HIV/Aids, an official said on Saturday. |
| HIV/AIDS Clinics in Zimbabwe Close When Doctors, Nurses Join Strike by Health Workers |
13 November 2008 (Harare, ZImbabwe) Opportunistic infections clinics at three hospitals in Zimbabwe have closed after doctors and nurses joined a growing strike by health workers in the country, VOA News reports. The clinics at the Parirenyatwa, Harare and Chitungwiza hospitals provided services to people living with HIV/AIDS, including antiretroviral drugs and treatment for illnesses related to the disease. |
| Former Botswana President Mogae Wins Award for Leadership, Work on HIV/AIDS |
22 October 2008 (Kaisernetwork) - Â Former President of Botswana Festus Mogae on Monday received the 2008 Mo Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership, which is awarded annually in recognition of good governance on the continent, in part for his role in fighting HIV/AIDS in a country with one of the world's highest prevalence rates, the AP/Long Island Newsday reports. |
| Absent government puts burden of care on youth PlusNews 20 October 2008 |
HARARE (PlusNews), 22 October 2008— For almost six months now, John Mberi, 14, from the high-density suburb of Mufakose in Zimbabwe's capital, Harare, has been taking care of his sick mother, Fortunate, who returned home from neighbouring South Africa very ill. |
| Zimbabwe-Row over NAC board appointments |
Harare, (The Herald) 20 October 2008- SOME organisations representing people living with HIV and Aids are wrangling over the appointments of two members made to the National Aids Council saying they were not consulted. |
| Is the pen mightier than the virus? |
JOHANNESBURG, 17 October 2008 (PLUSNEWS) - Isn't it time that
journalists
started taking HIV/AIDS beyond the newsroom and into the bedroom? In many newsrooms the highly politicised topic of HIV/AIDS remains just that - political. Journalists aren't immune to HIV/AIDS; they just don't talk about it.
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| World Health Report calls for return to primary health care approach WHO |
| Press Release:( WHO) 16 October 2008- The World Health Report 2008, launched on 14 October, critically assesses the way that health care is organized, financed, and delivered in rich and poor countries around the world. The WHO report documents a number of failures and shortcomings that have left the health status of different populations, both within and between countries, dangerously out of balance. |
| SA Pain Reliever |
IT'S a privilege for us ... to say and feel confident that HIV causes AIDS without threats."
University of KwaZulu-Natal vice-chancellor Prof Malegapuru Makgoba's relieved response to newly appointed Health Minister Barbara Hogan's frank assessment of the AIDS crisis sums up the consensus view on the decision to shunt her predecessor Manto Tshabalala-Msimang to a portfolio where she can at least no longer do harm. |
| Activists shout from the Sidelines |
| HARARE, 8 October 2008 (PlusNews) - The new board of Zimbabwe's National AIDS Council (NAC) has a glaring omission: not one member is living openly with the HI-virus. AIDS activists have slammed the move, describing it as "discriminatory" and a step backwards in the fight against the epidemic. |
| Zimbabwe: Unesco Programme to Benefit Teachers Living With HIV/Aids |
| Harare, The Herald (7 October)- TEACHERS living with HIV and Aids will benefit from a network to be formed under the auspices of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation this year. |
| Blame Game Won't Change a Thing |
| Harare, 4 october 2008 (allAfrica), By Beatrice Tonhodzayi (SAfAIDS)- She is young and very striking. That type of girl that would give most of my male colleagues' ideas; if she ever looked their way. She is very pretty, what my male colleagues term the "typical African queen." However when you look deeply into her eyes, you can tell she is sad. |
| Journalists honoured at the National Journalistic and Media Awards |
| Harare, Zimbabwe, 30 September 2008, (SAfAIDS) - Three Zimbabwean journalists were last week honoured at the National Journalistic and Media Awards (NJAMA) for their commitment to telling the AIDS story. |
| International AIDS Conference 2008 regional feedback meeting held |
| Harare, 30 September 2008, (SAfAIDS)– Southern Africa HIV and AIDS Information Dissemination Service (SAfAIDS) and the Zimbabwe AIDS Network (ZAN), on Monday, convened a regional learning and sharing event under the theme ‘Universal Action Now: Global Thinking – Local Action’. The event was held as a feedback meeting for the International AIDS Conference held in Mexico, and sought to provide AIDS civil society representatives who did not attend the conference an opportunity to learn about new developments and interventions discussed at this year’s conference. Over 500 representatives of regional and national organisations registered to attend the learning event. |
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| JOHANNESBURG, 24 September 2008 (PlusNews) - An estimated three million injecting drug users in 120 countries around the world are HIV positive, according to new research, but a lack of data from Africa, the Middle East and Latin America could be obscuring an even larger global health problem. |
| Combating HIV/AIDS: Families have role to play |
| Harare, 23 September 2008 (Herald) - No human being can survive without love, history has shown. Everyone needs to love and be loved, to have a sense of belonging and the assurance that someone appreciates them |
| WAG holds silver jubilee public meeting on women’s empowerment |
| Harare, 17 September, By Fungai Machirori (SAfAIDS)- The Women’s Action Group (WAG) last week held a public meeting as part of the organisation’s silver jubilee commemorations to mark its 25th anniversary. The meeting, attended by about 40 representatives of organisations and institutions working in the fields of gender and HIV, ran under the theme of “Women’s empowerment in the HIV and AIDS era – successes and challengesâ€. |
| South Africa: Clear as Mud |
| JOHANNESBURG, 17 September 2008 (allAfrica) - Is the prevalence of HIV among SA's pregnant women still increasing, albeit slowly, or did the infection rate drop by more than a percentage point between 2006 and last year? |
| Africa: Continent Brings Along Its Own Piece of Good News |
| HARARE, 13 September 2008 (allAfrica) -Â AS news of a possible cure for AIDS, discovered recently by two American scientists is still making headlines the world over, Africa brings along its own piece of good news. |
| SOUTH AFRICA: Questions about new prevalence survey |
| JOHANNESBURG, 9 September 2008 (PlusNews) - Several prominent demographers and scientists have vigorously refuted Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang's claim that South Africa's HIV epidemic is declining and that the country "may be making some real progress in its response to the HIV epidemic". |
| Zimbabwe: Council Embarks on Health Care Programme |
| Harare, 8 September 2008 (allAfrica) - The Harare City Health Department; and International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases with funding from the European Union have embarked on the second phase of the Integrated Health Care programme aimed at reducing TB cases in Mabvuku. |
| Union provides free ARVs to journalists |
| HARARE, September 2008 (PlusNews) - The Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ), which represents journalists in the country, has launched a programme to provide life-prolonging antiretroviral (ARV) drugs to its HIV-positive members. |
| Zimbabwe gets top WHO post |
| Harare, 6 September 2008 (Herald) - ZIMBABWE, represented by the Minister of Health and Child Welfare, Dr David Parirenyatwa, has been selected to be Vice President of the World Health Organisation Regional Committee for Africa - the United Nations agency's governing body in the region. |
| Twelve TB patients missing from PE Hospital |
| September 05, 2008, (SAPA) Twelve tuberculosis patients have run away from the Jose Pearson TB hospital in Port Elizabeth, up from the initial six thought to have absconded, the Eastern Cape department of health said on Friday. |
| South Africa: Health Dept Dismisses HIV, Aids Fund Allegations |
Pretoria, 2 September 2008 (BuaNews) The Department of Health has dismissed a Sunday newspaper report suggesting that the HIV and AIDS projects funded by the Global Fund face the danger of collapse as a result of the department's incompetence.
The projects in issue are funded by the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. |
| Uganda: Shortage of Aids Drugs Persists, Says Ministry |
| Kampala, 1 September 2008 (New Vision) THE shortage of Anti-Retroviral (ARV) drugs in the country could be worse than earlier reported, according to the stock status of the health ministry's Anti-Retroviral Therapy programme. |
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| MBABANE, 22 August 2008 (PlusNews) - Several hundred Swazis, including people living with HIV, marched on 21 August to highlight the need for government to prioritise funding to alleviate the humanitarian crises in the country. |
| MOZAMBIQUE: Long road to successful PMTCT |
| BEIRA, 14 August 2008 (PlusNews) - More and more HIV-positive pregnant women are testing for the virus and seeking out prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services in Sofala Province, in central Mozambique, but local health officials say much work remains to be done. |
| SOUTH AFRICA: Alarm over drug recalls |
JOHANNESBURG, 12 August 2008 (PlusNews) - A packaging error by a factory worker a year ago has led to a nationwide recall of two types of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs manufactured by Adcock Ingram, a major supplier of ARV medicines to the private and public sectors.
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World Leaders, HIV and AIDS Experts Gather in Mexico City |
Africa, Kampala, 28 July, 2008, East African Business Week - All roads lead to Mexico City next week where the XVII International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) will take place. |
Stigma Still Big Headache in Botswana |
Botswana, Gaborone, Â 28 July, 2008, Mmegi - Many people with HIV and AIDS have died because of the stigma rather than the disease itself, experts have asserted. |
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| MOZAMBIQUE, BEIRA, 28 July 2008 (PlusNews) - In the AIDS unit of the paediatric ward in Beira Central Hospital, Mozambique, four-year-old Jacinto Cruz is glued to the television while he waits his turn to be treated. |
Forum on Anti-Retroviral Treatment, Children on Cards |
ZIMBABWE, HARARE, 21 July, 2008 (The Herald) - THE Southern Africa HIV and AIDS Information Dissemination Service has said about 400 000 children under 15 years were infected with the virus last year through mother-to-child transmission. |
Africa: U.S. Ban On Visitors With HIV to End Soon |
LAGOS, 21 July 2008, Daily Champiopn - The two-decade old ban on people with HIV visiting or immigrating to the United States may end soon through a Senate bill aimed at fighting AIDS and other diseases in Africa and other poor areas of the world. |
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| SOUTH AFRICA, JOHANNESBURG, 15 July 2008 (PlusNews) - Hidden behind the high walls that surround most middle-class suburban homes in South Africa is one of the largest and most marginalised black, female workforces in the country. |
| NAC Mobilises Men for HIV Programme |
ZIMBABWE – HARARE, 15 July 2008 (The Herald) - THE National Aids Council in Mashonaland East Province is mobilising men to participate in HIV and AIDS  prevention programmes. |
Wanted - more people for HIV testing |
ZAMBIA - LUSAKA, 9 July 2008 (PlusNews) - The drugs to manage HIV are available, and so is knowledge about how to prevent it, but far too few people in Zambia are coming forward to be tested.
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Govt to Introduce New AIDS Drug |
ZIMBABWE – HARARE – 8 July 2008 (The Herald) - GOVERNMENT will soon introduce a new drug for HIV and Aids patients to protect them from contracting tuberculosis. |
Abandonment of HIV and AIDS Therapy Worries PNLS |
| ANGOLA – LUANDA (Angola Press Agency – 8 July 2008 - The constant abandonment of treatment and therapy by HIV and AIDS positive patients in south Cunene province as been worrying the department of the National Programme of Combat to AIDS (PNLS) in the region, ANGOP learnt on Monday from the co-ordinator of the institution, Cândida Alcina |
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NAIROBI, 8 July 2008 (PlusNews) – HIV and AIDS funding to low- and middle-income countries reached a record level in 2007, according to a new report by UNAIDS.
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G8 Summit to Address Aid to Africa; Leaders Urged Not to Backtrack on Pledges to Continent |
Africa – 7 July 2008 (Kaisernetwork.org) - Leaders of the Group of Eight industrialized nations at their summit in Hokkaido, Japan, this week are expected to endorse a plan that will provide detailed assessments of how well the member countries are meeting their pledges to help fight HIV and AIDS, malaria and other diseases in Africa, the Washington Post reports (Abramowitz, Washington Post, 7/7). |
Challenges of Obesity, HIV and AIDS |
ZAMBIA – NDOLA (The times of Zambia) 7 July, 2008 - AMONG the stereotype it was commonly known as the sliming disease. AIDS was associated with involuntary sliming due to the on-set of opportunistic infections until in the recent past when a new scenario has emerged with those who are on anti retroviral therapy (ART) developing obesity. |
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SOUTH AFRICA: DURBAN, 4 July 2008 (PlusNews) - TB cure rates in South Africa have remained stubbornly low – about 60 percent nationally, but less than 50 percent in many districts. A number of studies presented at the national TB conference in Durban this week looked at some of the reasons why South Africa's programme is failing.
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| Drug-resistant TB demands new approaches |
SOUTH AFRICA - DURBAN, 3 July 2008 (PlusNews) - The increasing number of South Africans contracting drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) demands a radically different approach than the current policy of isolating patients in specialised facilities for long periods. This was the message of several presentations at the first national TB conference, held in Durban this week.
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SOUTH AFRICA - DURBAN, 3 July 2008 (PlusNews) - Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang opened South Africa's first national tuberculosis (TB) conference this week with some welcome good news: her department is to acquire technology that will reduce the time it takes to diagnose drug-resistant TB from as long as four months to less than a week.
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When Virginity is More Important Than Life |
UGANDA – KAMPALA (The Weekly Observer) – 2 July 2008 - Call it an obsession, dream or illusion but the importance of virginity is back and with a loud bang. More and more young people are deciding to remain chaste until marriage. |
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NEW YORK, 12 June 2008 (PlusNews) - With the encouragement of United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, civil society organisations are pressuring government representatives gathered at the UN High-Level meeting on HIV and AIDS in New York this week to step up their efforts in the global HIV and AIDS battle.
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First HIV and TB Global Leaders' Forum
"ONE LIFE - TWO DISEASES - ONE RESPONSE" |
NEW YORK CITY: For the first time ever, heads of government, public health and business leaders, heads of UN agencies and activists came together today to seek a common way forward on confronting HIV/TB. |
Should Intentional HIV and AIDS Infection Be a Crime? |
ANGOLA – LUANDA Proposed reforms to Angola's Penal Code have divided opinion in the country about whether HIV-positive people who intentionally infect others with the virus should be punished. |
Malawi launches 2008 International AIDS Candlelight Memorial |
MALAWI – LILONGWE – (APA) - Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika has appealed to the International community to be part of the solution in the fight against HIV and AIDS pandemic in the world. |
Hundreds Go for HIV Testing |
WINDHOEK – NAMIBIA - Hundreds of people flocked to the Oshakati State Hospital last week for pre-counselling and free HIV testing, heeding a nationwide appeal from the Ministry of Health. |
Death rate in Malawi falls by up to 35% due to free HIV treatment |
| The death rate among adults in rural Malawi has declined by 10% since the introduction of antiretroviral therapy, and in areas with the highest death rate, it may have declined by up to 35%, according to findings from a London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine study published in the May 10th edition of The Lancet. |
Circumcision and partner reduction should be priorities for HIV prevention, say US researchers |
| Michael Carter:-Investigators in the US are calling for male circumcision and partner reduction to become the focus of prevention efforts in countries with generalised HIV epidemics. In a paper published in the May 9th edition of Science, they argue that although condom use, testing, and treatment of sexually transmitted infections are of value, resource constraints mean that attention should be shifted to the promotion of initiatives known to work: male circumcision and partner reduction |
Malawi Chosen to launch Global HIV and AIDS Memorial |
Summary: The Global Health Council has chosen Malawi as the site of the Opening Ceremony to officially commemorate the launch of the worldwide 25th Anniversary Candlelight Memorial on 18 May 2008. The Council will be collaborating with the Malawi Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS (MANET+) for the ceremony, which will include lighting of the official candle. The theme for this year is “Never Give Up, Never Forget.†|
Millions of Mothers Lost |
| Once a minute, somewhere in the world, a woman dies in pregnancy or childbirth. The tragedy, says Kira Cochrane, is that most of these deaths could be prevented |
Media Houses Walk the Walk |
BOTSWANA – FRANCISTOWN (The Voice) - Three newspapers, Sunday Standard, Mmegi, and The Voice, made history last week Thursday when they launched Botswana's first HIV&AIDS policy booklet titled HIV&AIDS Workplace Policy and Code of Conduct for Botswana Media. |
Embassy, Zimart Hold Charity Exhibition |
ZIMBABWE – HARARE (The Herald) - The Canadian Embassy in conjunction with ZimArt recently held a charity exhibition in Harare.
The exhibition that was held at a colourful event at the Rainbow Towers last Friday was aimed at fundraising for projects in Zimbabwe supporting HIV and AIDS. |
| HIV and AIDS Hinders Implementation of Education Programme |
ANGOLA – LUANDA (Angola Press Agency) - Angolan deputy minister of Education for Educative Reform, Pinda Simão, said Tuesday in Luanda that HIV and AIDS constitutes an obstacle to the implementation of the "Education for All" programme designed to eradicate illiteracy until 2015. |
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ANGOLA - CABINDA (PlusNews) - Money and men are in no short supply in the petroleum-rich Angolan enclave of Cabinda. Workers from the petroleum industry, truck drivers, merchants and some 60,000 soldiers and police are based in the area; and sex workers from the country's poor and unstable neighbours are crossing Cabinda's porous borders, trying to make ends meet.
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SOUTH AFRICA - JOHANNESBURG (PlusNews) - Johannesburg, South Africa's largest and wealthiest city, has been attracting hopeful new residents since gold was discovered here more than a century ago. People from all over the African continent, many fleeing conflict and poverty, continue to flock to the city in search of a better life.
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| NAMIBIA - KEHEMU (PlusNews) - Home-based caregiver Salome Vendura knows firsthand that in Namibia’s far-flung rural areas, one of the biggest determinants of HIV and AIDS treatment adherence is access to affordable and reliable transportation. |
| Cimas suspends ARV drug facility |
ZIMBABWE – HARARE – (THE HERALD) -ZIMBABWE’S leading medical aid service provider, Cimas has suspended its anti-retroviral drug facility because of foreign currency shortages.
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| JOHANNESBURG, 25 March 2008 (PlusNews) - Another hospital breakout in South Africa by drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) patients desperate to spend the holidays with their families has some public health experts questioning whether forced isolation is either the most effective or humane way to treat such patients. |
Challenges of responding to drug-resistant TB |
Tayson Mudariki (ZImbabwe) A young woman in Malawi has a cough. She will probably ignore it, hoping that it will go away. But she is wrong. Soon, the cough will get worse and she will have to go to a distant clinic for help. |
Why Tuberculosis matters to women's health
Masimba Biriwasha-Thailand (HDN) |
"FOR WOMEN IN THE REGION, THE PROSPECT OF A GROWING TB EPIDEMIC IS HARROWING, BUT DISCUSSION ABOUT THE DISEASE RARELY SHEDS LIGHT NOR SEEKS TO ADDRESS WOMEN'S SPECIFIC NEEDS" |
Abstain From Many Partners, Unsafe Sex and Alcohol |
| BOTSWANA – GABORONE (Mmegi) - The youth have been encouraged to consider abstaining from sexual activities because it is one of the best methods of reducing the spread of HIV and AIDS |
| Faith can give comfort, but cannot cure AIDS |
| Malawi, (Plusnews), March 2008,, A billboard showing traditional and religious leaders holding hands in the fight against AIDS is a common feature in Blantyre, Malawi's commercial capital, but overzealous church leaders claiming to cure HIV with prayer are now causing more harm than good. |
| Women Celebrate In Kanye |
Botswana (Mmegi) First Lady Barbra Mogae says men should embrace gender equality and stop being threatened by the rise of women.
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Canada Donates C$2,4m for HIV and AIDS Project |
| ZIMBABWE – HARARE (The Herald) - THE Canadian government on Wednesday injected C$2,4 million into the Expanded Support Programme for HIV and AIDS Prevention, Treatment and Care in Zimbabwe while the Conglomerate of Farm and Industry has launched an HIV programme for the workplace |
Men Should Wake Up to AIDS Reality |
NAMIBIA – WINDHOEK (The Namibian) - The conference for men on HIV-AIDS was a timely wake-up call, President Hifikepunye Pohamba said. |
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| SOUTH AFRICA – JOHANNESBURG - (PlusNews) - The first microbicide candidate to reach the final phase of testing has failed to prevent HIV transmission, researchers announced recently. |
Women Robbed of Motherhood |
NAMIBIA – WINDHOEK (New Era) - Some young women have, unknowingly and forcibly, been sterilised because of their HIV status, New Era has learnt. |
No Sex, Please - You're HIV-Positive |
JOHANNESBURG – (Inter Press Service) – HIV and AIDS policies and programmes disregard the sexual needs of people living with the virus, claim a number of HIV-positive women who attended the third Africa Conference on Sexual Health and Rights -- held this week in Nigeria. |
Men Running Away From HIV and AIDSÂ |
NAMIBIA – WINDHOEK (New Era) - A male conference organised by Nedico Namibia through its project Mapilelo in the Caprivi Region started at the Caprivi College of Education near Katima Mulilo. |
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| ZAMBIA – LUSAKA (PlusNews) - A public health scare sparked by allegations that batches of the injectible contraceptive, Depro-Provera, contained the HI virus has exposed deep mistrust and high levels of misinformation about the safety of imported. |
Zimbabwe responding to the PMTCT challenge |
ZIMBABWE - HARARE (PlusNews) - A new five-year initiative is set to improve access to HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention services for pregnant mothers in Zimbabwe. |
Rural Areas Fertile Ground for HIV and AIDS |
ZIMBABWE – HARARE (INTERPRESS SERVICE) They left the country in search of jobs to better their lives, but village elders in rural Tsholotsho, say young men who left home to fend for their families are losing their lives at alarming rates to HIV/AIDS related ailments. |
Gender Links Opinion and Commentary Service
Media Briefs – HIV & AIDS |
| Once again, Gender Links is offering a series of commentary articles and “I Stories,†personal narratives of people who have been affected by gender violence, for use in the media. The Gender Links Opinion and Commentary Service holds copyright to all articles and the credit provided at the end of each article must be used in the event of publication, and if you would like to republish the article please let us know how it will be used. Please be aware that to avoid duplication in publications in various countries, articles may be available on a first to request basis. |
Nits Torment HIV and AIDS Patients |
| BOTSWANA – FRANCISTOWN (Mmegi) - It was supposed to be a normal day for patients at Botswelelo Clinic in Somerset Extension who went to get their ARV doses. But then the itches started. |
Dandara Clinic Gets HIV and AIDS Monitoring Machines |
ZIMBABWE – HARARE (THE HERALD) - DANDARA Clinic in Murehwa on Friday received laboratory equipment to help monitor HIV and AIDS patients taking anti-retroviral drugs. |
Outdated Treatment Frustrates AIDS Activists |
SOUTH AFRICA – JOHANNESBURG (BUSINESS DAY) - AIDS activists have urged doctors and nurses to ditch the government's outdated guidelines for preventing HIV transmission from mothers to their babies, and to start providing a two-drug cocktail instead of nevirapine alone. |
AIDS Organisation Splits As Gwisai, Majongwe Join |
ZIMBABWE – HARARE (The Herald) - THE Zimbabwe National Network for People Living with HIV and Aids has split after two Government critics joined the organisation, the majority of whose members want it to be totally free of party politics. |
Concern Over Corruption Threat to HIV Funds |
SOUTH AFRICA – JOHANNESBURG (Business Day) - Poor government oversight of HIV/AIDS funding has created fertile ground for corruption, warns a new Institute for Security Studies report. |
Edutainment for HIV Awareness |
BOTSWANA – GABORONE – (Mmegi) - Tebelopele Voluntary Testing and Counselling Centre is holding edutainment campaigns to encourage people to know their HIV status before the end of the year. |
Gender-Based Violence Fuels HIV - Speaker |
ZAMBIA – NDOLA (The Times of Zambia) - SPEAKER of the National Assembly Amusaa Mwanamwambwa says gender-based violence and HIV/AIDS are interlinked as their major cause is mostly unequal gender relations influenced by social and cultural factors. |
Imagine Afrika Marks World AIDS Day |
ZIMBABWE – HARARE (The Herald) - REALITY television show - Imagine Afrika - in which Studio 263 actress Yvonne Mangunda is participating - last week treated its fans to a special World Aids Day 48-minute episode of the continental show. |
Men Called On to Get Involved |
NAMIBIA – WINDHOEK (New Era) - The involvement of male citizens in combating the HIV/AIDS pandemic came under the spotlight in the Caprivi Region during the commemoration of World AIDS Day over the weekend. |
To Tell or Not to Tell, That is the Tricky Question |
ANGOLA – LUANDA (UN Integrated Regional Information Networks) - Maria Antónia* began to wonder about her husband's frequent trips to neighbouring South Africa, especially when he was away for 15 days without contacting her on one occasion. |
TB And HIV Treatment Must Be Integrated |
SOUTH AFRICA – CAPE TOWN - (Health-e) - TB activist group sets four key tasks to contain southern Africa's TB epidemic. |
ZIMBABWE : HIV rate falls again |
JOHANNESBURG, (PlusNews) - When Zimbabwe registered a decline in HIV prevalence rates in 2004, and again in 2006, the news was met with scepticism, but new official figures released on Wednesday indicate the downward trend has continued, with rates falling by 10 percent over the past 5 years.
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Treat TB, HIV As 'A Single Threat' |
SOUTH AFRICA – CAPE TOWN - (BUSINESS DAY) Tuberculosis (TB) and HIV should be thought of as a single challenge instead of two separate diseases, Dr Greg Hussey of the University of Cape Town's Institute for Infectious Diseases said yesterday. |
Prime Minister Launches Orphan Action Plan |
NAMIBIA - Windhoek (The Namibian) - THE Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare yesterday launched the National Plan of Action for Orphans and Vulnerable Children. |
| An end in sight to travelling abroad for second-line ARVs |
| ANGOLA – LUANDA (PlusNews) - Every month, Carolina Pinto has to rely on friends in another continent to collect, send on and deliver her lifesaving antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) to Angola’s capital Luanda. |
| Women take sexual risks to feed their families |
| KENYA – NAIROBI (PlusNews) - Women in food insecure southern Africa are putting themselves in danger of contracting HIV in their desperation to feed themselves and their families, a new study has found. |
| HIV-induced famine's impact on agriculture |
SOUTH AFRICA – JOHANNESBURG - (PlusNews) - Hunger and HIV/AIDS are reinforcing each other in Southern Africa, "leading to a potentially tragic new level of famine", says a book published by a regional agricultural think-tank. The World Bank's annual report, released last week, also raises concerns over the pandemic's impact, pointing out that most people affected by HIV and AIDS depend on agriculture.
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| Sugar Daddies find plenty of sweet teeth |
| JOHANNESBURG – SOUTH AFRICA (PlusNews) - It is 10 o'clock on a Friday night in Soweto, Johannesburg's most famous township, but it's still early for The Rock, a nightclub popular with the young and upwardly mobile, and most potential patrons are drinking at a shebeen [informal bar] operating in the parking lot. |
Rights Group Canvasses Access to Information |
LAGOS – NIGERIA (This Day) - The society would be a lot better if teachers and parents work together to ensure that children have the right to comprehensive information and education. |
| Home-based care succumbing to economic burnout |
| HARARE – ZIMBABWE (PlusNews) - Zimbabwe's sinking economy and reduced donor support are threatening home-based care (HBC) programmes for people living with HIV and AIDS, according to a new report. |
HIV and AIDS Dulls Shine of Good Development Scores |
NAMIBIA (IRIN NEWS) A sharp drop in life expectancy, with HIV/AIDS the primary driver, has sent Namibia's human development indicators plummeting; gains in other areas will continue to be undermined by the epidemic unless treatment and prevention programmes are stepped up, a new report warns. |
Criminalising HIV Transmission Sparks Debate |
FRANCISTOWN – BOTSWANA – (THE VOICE) The issue of criminalising intentional transmission of HIV received mixed reaction from residents of Lobatse and surrounding areas. |
Francistowners Reject Commercial Sex As a Profession |
Francistown – BOTSWANA (Mmegi/The Reporter - The issue of legalising commercial work has followed the HIV/AIDS parliamentary committee to Francistown where speakers said it would be an abomination for the 'practice' to be legalised. |
Promote HIV Testing Among Couples |
HARARE – ZIMBABWE (THE HERALD) - Far too few adult Zimbabweans are willing to learn their HIV status, even when they are about to be married or enter a long-term relationship, a time one would have thought that both members of a couple would like to have such knowledge. |
'I Helped Top Pastor Con AIDS Patients' |
KAMPALA – UGANDA (THE MONITOR) - A PROMINENT female Kampala pastor bribed and blackmailed worshippers to fake health ailments as serious as HIV/AIDS so that she could then claim to have healed them, a parishioner alleged in a recent interview. |
| Gombe to Establish 50 HIV/Aids Control Centres |
LAGOS – NIGERIA (DAILY CHAMPION) - GOMBE State Action Committee on HIV/AIDS (GOMSACA) in collaboration with some international Organisationas has disclosed plans to establish about 50 prevention of mother to child transmission centres of HIV/AIDS before the end of the year. |
| People Living With HIV/AIDS Use New Ways to Handle Hard Times |
HARARE – ZIMBABWE – PLUSNEWS – Dire shortages of such essentials as electricity and water are forcing Zimbabweans living with HIV/AIDS to combat the country's hardships with new and novel approaches. |
Cultural Factors Undermine Fight Against AIDS |
| MAPUTO – MOZAMBIQUE - Socio-cultural factors are undermining the health authorities' efforts to convince more people to take HIV tests and to undergo treatment in the southern Mozambican province of Gaza. |
| SADC Artistes to Set Up HIV/AIDS Initiative |
| HARARE – ZIMBABWE (THE HERALD) - A REGIONAL HIV and AIDS initiative by artistes in the SADC region will be launched in December in Harare to coincide with World Aids Day. |
HIV Prevention Intensified |
TSHWANE - SOUTH AFRICA - BUANEWS - Although there has been a decrease in the prevalence of HIV, the Department of Health is intensifying its HIV prevention programme including the improvement of regimen for Prevention of To-Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT). |
| Review Doctor-Patient Confidentiality Policy, Govt Told |
HARARE – ZIMBABWE (THE HERALD) - Government has been called to urgently review the medical doctor and patient confidentiality policy in cases where one partner goes for HIV testing and keeps it a secret from his or her spouse as the other partner had the right to know as well. |
| Two-thirds of women beaten and abused |
MBABANE – SWAZILAND (PlusNews) - One in every three female Swazis has experienced some form of sexual violence before turning 18, and two out of three aged 18 to 24, according to the first national survey to chart the scope of sexual and other types of violence perpetrated against women and girls.
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| A winning recipe for PMTCT but few follow it |
GABORONE - BOTSWANA (PLUSNEWS) - Botswana has lowered the rate of mother-to-child transmission of HIV to less than four percent, coming close to developed countries that have almost eliminated paediatric AIDS. |
| Our Lady's Hospice Tackling New Dimensions of Aids Stigma |
NDOLA – ZAMBIA (The Times of Zambia) - Extremely ill and diminutive souls lying in bed with sores or cancers eating into their flesh as it snugly clings to their bones, they clearly are awaiting their last breath. |
| Institution Holds Workshop on HIV/Aids Research Funding |
HARARE – ZIMBABWE (The Herald) - Centre for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday held a workshop to disseminate information on how to apply for funding from the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare and other organisations in the country. |
| Tradition as a force against HIV/AIDS |
| MBABANE – SWAZILAND (PlusNews) - Circumstance, rather than planning, has placed the battle against HIV/AIDS firmly in the hands of Swaziland's 355 chiefdoms. |
| Bibles and condoms |
LUSAKA - ZAMBIA (PlusNews) - It is mandatory that Zambia's hotels, lodges and guest houses stock at least two Bibles in each of their rooms, but it is rare to come across condoms or even condom-vending machines, despite many of these establishments being used by commercial sex workers and their clients. |
| Botswana: PMTCT Children HIV/AIDS Free – Tlou |
| Mmegi - Francistown : Ninety-six percent of infants who are born from HIV positive mothers are HIV free. Minister of Health, Sheila Tlou, said it is commendable that Prevention from Mother To Child Transmission (PMTCT) coverage is 100 percent and the uptake up to 96 percent. |
| Zimbabwe: 'Hiv/Aids Prevention Should Be Everyone's Responsibility' |
| The Herald – HARARE : THE prevention of HIV and Aids should not be left to those who are living with the ailment but is everyone's responsibility, the head of unit for HIV and Aids communication and knowledge at the Southern Africa Aids Information and Dissemination Service has said. |
| South Africa: Mr AIDS, Reuben Sher, Dies |
| Health-e - Cape Town : 12 September 2007 - The "grandfather" of AIDS, Reuben Sher passed away on Monday morning following post surgery complications. |
| Lesotho's Crisis: 6 Doctors -- 800,000 Kids |
By KATE SNOW
ABC NEWS Sept. 3, 2007 : In a dimly-lit ward in the one public hospital in Lesotho's capital city, Maseru, the sickest infants have to take turns using the only oxygen tanks available. One mother sits nervously watching her tiny child's labored breathing. Another is slumped over, perched halfway on a chair with her torso bent over on her child's bed, her face buried in the sheets. |
News: Zimbabwe: Child migrants seek a better life in South Africa |
| MUSINA PLUSNEWS 4 September 2007— He is only a teenager, but he is already a seasoned border jumper. Dressed in a torn t-shirt and blue work trousers, Robert, 16, (not his real name) told IRIN/Plus News he had crossed the border from Zimbabwe four times since he first decided to come to South Africa in January this year. |
| ZIMBABWE: Disability is much more than a physical constraint |
HARARE, 31 August 2007 (PlusNews) - The disabled are becoming increasingly marginalised, with the state and civil society neglecting their basic needs, says The forgotten tribe, people with disabilities in Zimbabwe, a new report.
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| SOUTH AFRICA: New report confirms nutrition no substitute for treatment |
| JOHANNESBURG, (PlusNews) - There is no evidence that better nutrition can substitute for antiretroviral (ARV) treatment, a new report has found. These findings might seem unremarkable anywhere else in the world, but not in South Africa, where the issue of nutrition has been tainted by a damaging debate that has tended to frame it as an alternative to ARVs. |
South Africa: Faulty Zalatex Condoms Recalled
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The health department yesterday recalled all condoms supplied by Zalatex, after concerns about the quality of its products.
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| Gender Alliance Dismayed by Leaders |
| The Southern African Gender Protocol Alliance is disappointed that SADC leaders failed to walk the talk of gender equality at their just ended summit in Lusaka by not signing the Protocol on Gender and Development |
| SADC Ministers endorse Gender
protocol ahead of Lusaka Summit |
Ministers for gender and women’s affairs from southern Africa
have endorsed the contents of a Gender Protocol that would make
regional decisions on gender equality legally binding for the
first time.
The protocol contains several measures to address the attainment
of commitments to gender equality, justice and women’s empowerment
in the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
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Alcohol Abuse – Another Key
Driver of HIV?
Alcohol, in many resource-limited
settings provides affordable entertainment, and because of
its legal status, is the recreational drug of choice for many
Africans. Not only does ir provide an affordable source of
entertainment, but alcohol plays a socially cohesive role
as it often allows for people to meet and relieve the normal
stresses of day-to-day life. Most prefer to consume it in
public settings (beer halls and clubs), which allow for people
to meet and socialise.
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Malawi
Aims To Provide 150,000 HIV-Positive People with Access to
Antiretrovirals
 Malawi plans to provide 150,000
HIV-positive people with access to no-cost antiretroviral
drugs by the end of the year, Biziwick Mwale, chief of the
National AIDS Commission, said on Monday, AFP/Sunday Times
reports. According to Mwale, there already are about 110,000
people with antiretroviral access, and the goal is to expand
that number to 150,000 by the end of December, when a "massive"
drug treatment program is launched. ..
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Media Development in Africa:
POLIS - The Soul Beat Issue 88
Inspired by the July 2006 release
of a "white paper" by the UK Department
for International Development (DFID) titled "Eliminating
World Poverty:
Making Governance Work for the Poor", in March 2007,
a POLIS conference
brought together senior African, UK and international journalists,
policymakers, academics and media development professionals
to debate the
role of the media in building African society...
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Libya HIV
death sentences upheldÂ
Libya's Supreme Court has upheld
the death sentences imposed in 2004 on six Bulgarian nurses
and a Palestinian doctor for infecting children with HIV.
However, a mediating body - the Gaddafi Foundation - has reportedly
agreed a financial settlement with the children's families....
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Sexuality
a human right for HIV positive women
NAIROBI, 9 July 2007 (PlusNews)
- Abstinence or a sexually active life? The dilemma, faced
daily by HIV-positive women around the world, was discussed
by delegates attending the first global conference on women
and AIDS, in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi...
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LESOTHO:
Helpline allows children to report abuse
JOHANNESBURG, 13 June 2007 (PlusNews) - Children in Lesotho
will soon be able to report abuse simply by picking up the
phone, thanks to a new helpline being piloted by the United
Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Lesotho Ministry
of Health and Social Welfare. (more) |
ZAMBIA:
Mining growth brings increased HIV risk
SOLWEZI, 13 June 2007 (PlusNews) - The expansion of mining activities
in Solwezi District in Zambia's North-Western Province has spurred
a rise in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and health
officials fear this could indicate an increase in the region's
HIV infection rate. (more) |
SAfAIDS,
UNAIDS and HDN launch Accelerating-Prevention eForum
30 April 2007 - Although a small number of countries around
the world have seen HIV prevalence decline due to sound HIV
prevention efforts, in 2006, there were still 4.3 million new
HIV infections with over 40% of new adult infections occurring
among young people aged 15-24.
These figures underline a clear and urgent need to intensify
HIV prevention to halt growing infection rates and sustain the
gains that have already been made in the AIDS response if the
commitment to achieve universal access to HIV prevention, treatment,
care and support by 2010 is to be met... (read more) |
