HIV

A drive that would put more condoms in South Africa's classrooms has critics warning it will only stimulate sexual activity, a charge the country's health minister tells AFP is unfounded.

The great roll out has begun. After much planning, South Africa's government has launched a wide-ranging programme to give children from pre-school through pre-university a better chance of staying healthy as they begin to engage in sex.

Few would argue it is unwarranted.

The country, with a population of around 50 million recorded some 94,000 unplanned teen pregnancies in schools last year, of which 77,000 ended in abortions. In addition, one in every 11 people is infected with HIV.

Hiv-Aids figures are stabilising throughout the country with the Department of Health saying more people are on antiretroviral (ARV) treatment.

Acting director-general at the department, Yogan Pillay, told the health committee in Parliament yesterday that the inclusion of more people on ARV treatment had led to a stabilisation of the situation.

He said the fact there was no increase in the number of new cases meant that the situation was under control. He told MPs that HIV healthcare had been stabilising for some time with the provinces showing that more HIV positive people were taking ARV treatment and that people were now living longer.

World-renowned Durban scientist and researcher Professor Salim Abdool Karim, has been elected to the American Institute of Medicine as a foreign associate in recognition of his pioneering contributions to research into HIV prevention and treatment.

Election to the institute is considered to be one of the highest international honours in the fields of medical sciences, health care and public health.

Karim is the director of the Centre for the Aids Programme of Research in SA (Caprisa), Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and was this year appointed president of the SA Medical Research Council.

President Jacob Zuma will today [11 October 2012] launch the Integrated School Health Programme (ISHP) in Tshwane, which will ensure that learners have access to primary health care services.

Held under the theme, 'Taking responsibility for our learners' health and wellbeing', the government programme, which will be launched at Chokoe Primary School and ChipaTabane Secondary School in Cullinan, means that barriers to effective learning will be a thing of the past.

Many children face barriers to optimal health and development as a result of the HIV and Aids epidemic, violence and injuries and non-communicable diseases.

The President will launch the programme to ensure the optimal development of children in Tshwane.

The benefits of medical male circumcision have been proven to also extend to women. It has been shown that female partners of men who are circumcised have a less risk of contracting the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), a sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer.

“Women bear the brunt of HIV infections due to structures and systems which continue to perpetuate gender inequality.”

Explaining the social structures that leave women more susceptible to infection, Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) spokesperson Javu Baloyi said that limited economic opportunities left women “subservient to their spouses”.

“Inevitably these systems and structures operate in a manner where women are more prone to HIV flowing out of gender-based violence,” said Baloyi.

One-year contract appointment with possible extension
(Ref. TGB14/288/0912)

Duties:

One-year contract appointment with possible extension
(Ref. TGB14/287/0912)

Duties:

One-year contract appointment with possible extension

(Ref. TGB14/286/0912)

Duties:

The Eastern Cape Health and Treasury MECs have been given an ultimatum to either reply to a set of questions related to the staffing crises at Madwaleni and Livingstone hospitals, or face litigation.

Madwaleni, a 180-bed rural hospital, which as recently as three years ago had one of the best antiretroviral treatment programmes in Africa, is now operating with one Dutch doctor, who is only able to see complicated HIV and TB cases.

The overworked doctor has indicated that she will resign unless the situation improves, leaving the hospital with no doctor.

Two Clinical Associates, in their first year of employment, are working unsupervised.