At least 5.7 million children in South Africa could lose one or both parents from HIV/AIDS by 2015 unless there are major interventions, the country's Medical Research Council (MRC) warned in a new report. By 2015 more than 30 percent of all children between the ages of 15 and 17 will have lost their mothers, it added.
The impact of prevention of mother-to-child transmission programmes (PMTCT) on the number of orphans was minimal, despite suggestions that implementing a PMTCT would result in a...
Babies born to HIV-positive mothers could be given a new lease of life.
A new process called Pretoria Pasteurisation, which prevents the AIDS-causing virus from being transmitted through breast milk, has been developed after extensive research by the University of Pretoria's faculty of health sciences.
Dr Bridget Jeffery, from the Medical Research Council's unit for maternal and infant healthcare strategies at Kalafong Hospital, said she found that neither of the feeding methods used by HIV-...
Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, the Minister of Health, has announced the beginning of the Heath Worker Excellence for HIV and AIDS, TB, STI campaign. This campaign is being developed to motivate and encourage health workers to change attitudes, enabling them to act responsibly in dealing with those infected and affected by HIV and AIDS and other opportunistic infections.
A positive health worker response is essential in all of these areas, if South Africa is to meet the challenge of the HIV and...
Smoking contributes to almost one in 10 of all adult deaths in South Africa, with more smokers dying of tuberculosis (TB) and lung-related disease than of cancer. Margaret Urgan, study co-ordinator of the Cancer Epidemiology Research Group in Johannesburg, gave these statistics to the 14th conference of the Africa region of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease in Durban.
Urgan said that today's smoker predetermined his premature death 30 or 40 years down the line....
Altogether 199 medical professionals left the country in 2000 and 2001, according to Health Minister Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang.
In written reply to a question in the National Assembly, she said although doctors, like all other professionals, had a constitutional right to freedom of movement, the department was developing a retention strategy to curb the outflow of health professionals from the public sector. (Source:SAPA, 14 June 2002)
Malaria cost southern Africa an estimated R5,9-bn in 1998 and South Africa more than R124-m, the Minister of Health revealed in a parliamentary question. Dr Kobus Gous, NNP spokesman for Health said these high 1998 figures are worrying because they would most likely have increased dramatically since then.
He also referred to the fact that diseases like cholera, malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS are costing South Africa phenomenal amounts of money. is remarks followed an earlier article...
Private sector healthcare in South Africa ranks with the best in the world, yet barely 30% of the population can access it. The remaining 70% cannot afford private healthcare, placing the responsibility in the public sector.
The Medical Schemes Act was intended to widen private sector membership by outlawing discrimination on any basis other than family size and income, but that has not happened yet. By removing the capacity to cherry-pick the best risks, schemes will have to compete by...
One of South Africa's biggest employers believes the rate of AIDS infection among staff is now on the decline because of a comprehensive programme which costs it about R180 million a year.
Power utility Eskom said the rate of infection in the company was currently estimated at 9 percent, down from 12 percent in 1995. Seven years ago it was predicting that a quarter of the workforce would be infected by 2003.
Charles Roos, Eskom's chief medical officer, said the money the company was spending...
Religious organisations are better placed to change the prevailing negative attitudes towards HIV/AIDS which have undermined efforts to contain the pandemic in many African societies, Carol Bellamy, head of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), has said.
Addressing 120 African religious leaders meeting in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, on Monday, to discuss the plight of African children affected by HIV/AIDS, Bellamy said that although campaigns had made hard-won gains in bringing the...
Experts have doubts about health minister's claims
South Africa's newest HIV figures may show that the virus is spreading at a slower rate, but experts are sceptical about government claims that fewer teenagers are becoming infected.
The long-awaited statistics were finally released in Pretoria yesterday, amid excitement over the Health Department's optimistic assertions.
The figures show a minor average increase - from 24,5% to 24,8 %. But even this tiny percentage translates into 40 000...
UNAIDS called for stronger action on famine and HIV/AIDS.
HIV/AIDS and hunger were a dual tragedy threatening sub-Saharan Africa, and endangering the lives of millions. They were also hindering development, UNAIDS told the World Food Summit in Rome on Wednesday.
Where the lack of food is greatest, HIV prevalence is alarmingly high, Marika Fahlen, head of social mobilisation at UNAIDS, said.
She added: In a world of AIDS, rural development, food security and agricultural policies cannot be...
Children are heeding health warnings about the dangers associated with cigarette smoking.
A national survey of 1 400 South African children, aged between five and eight years, found that most declared they would never smoke. Many complained that it was unhealthy, antisocial and affected personal hygiene.
Some of the comments made by the children included:
People smoke, drink liquor and get drunk. When they get home, they curse their grandmothers.
You'll be sick and you'll die from cancer if...
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