TB remains leading killer in SA
Mail & Guardian | 11 April 2013
Tuberculosis is still the number one cause of death in South Africa, accounting for 12% of the deaths that occurred in 2010.
This emerged from a report on the country's mortality rate, released by statistician general Pali Lehohla in Phuthaditjhaba, Free State on Thursday.
"Differentials show that [TB] was the leading underlying natural cause of death for both males and females in all provinces, except Free State and Limpopo, and among those aged 15-64 years,"...
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Fewer South Africans dying of HIV/AIDS, but more of diabetes
Health-e News | 11 April 2013
Government’s annual death report has confirmed the trend that fewer South Africans have been dying of HIV/AIDS-related diseases. However, more people are dying of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes.
Released in the Free State yesterday morning (THURSDAY), the Statistics SA report Mortality and causes of death in South Africa, 2010: Findings from death notification, records and analyses deaths reported in 2010 as it is written on death certificates completed by doctors...
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People on ART have near normal life expectancies
Health-e News | 10 April 2013
People living with HIV in South Africa, who access antiretroviral therapy (ART) before their immune systems are severely compromised, have life expectancies close to that of the general population, researchers have found.
Published this week in the journal PLOS Medicine, the research shows that the life expectancies (additional years of life) are around 80% of that of the general population, provided those with HIV initiate treatment before their CD4 count (a measure of the...
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28% of schoolgirls HIV positive stat incorrect: Health Department
TimesLive | 10 April 2013
A recent report incorrectly stated that 28% of schoolgirls in South Africa are HIV positive, the Health Department said.
"It only applied to a very small area in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, where HIV was prevalent - six or seven schools," department spokesman Joe Maila said.
On March 14, the Sowetan ran the headline: 28% of schoolgirls are HIV positive, based on comments by Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi.
Sapa lifted the essence of the story. Fact-checking...
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Sick hospitals get new heads
The New Age | 9 April 2013
Three newly appointed hospital CEOs in North West have vowed to hit the ground running and make a meaningful turn-around in the way health is run in the province.
The three are Polaki Mokatsane, Adrain Lourens and Gloria Tlhapi. Mokatsane and Lourens were appointed to manage Klerksdorp/Tshepong and Mafikeng provincial hospitals respectively while Tlhapi was retained at the Potchefstroom hospital.
The three executives were among the 102 new CEOs announced by Health Minister Aaron...
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Global Fund Targets $15 Billion to Effectively Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria
Global Fund | 8 April 2013
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria announced a goal of raising US$15 billion so that it can effectively support countries in fighting these three infectious diseases in the 2014-2016 period.
The Global Fund is determined to accelerate the gains achieved in recent years against AIDS, TB and malaria through strategic investment in programs that can save millions of lives and tens of billions of dollars in future costs. While acknowledging the challenging fiscal...
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Fixed-dose combination ARVs: Everything you need to know
SANews.gov.za | 8 April 2013
Background
In late 2012 the Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, announced that fixed-dose combination (FDC) antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) will be used in the first line treatment of HIV-positive patients from 1 April 2013.
This fact sheet explains everything that civil society needs to know about the changeover to fixed-dose combination ARVs – how it impacts on civil society sectors and their constituents.
What is a fixed-dose combination ARV?
Fixed dose combination, or FDC...
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Single antiretroviral pill launched
Business Day | 8 April 2013
THE long-awaited antiretroviral (ARV) single pill, aimed at improving compliance rates and reducing the time and money government spends on distribution, was launched in Pretoria on Monday.
This follows the cancellation of a contract that prevented the distribution of the one of world’s cheapest three-in-one antiretroviral pills in October 2012.
South Africa has the world’s largest ARV programme, with most government patients taking first-line treatment, which consists of...
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Salt sellers shaken by Motsoaledi's rules
Mail & Guardian | 5 April 2013
A fragile agreement is being brokered between food manufacturers and government, but this one is not about wages or ownership requirements — it's about how much salt is allowed in our bread, potato crisps and other foodstuffs.
Although South Africans currently eat twice the recommended daily amount of salt, the move by government to regulate how much salt manufacturers can add to processed foodstuffs has raised concerns from big businesses and consumer groups about the costs...
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State consolidates HIV treatment
Mail & Guardian | 5 April 2013
New medicine combines ARVs into one pill, making them easier to supply.
The health department says it will provide close to a million more HIV-infected South Africans with antiretroviral (ARV) medication over the next two years through its introduction of single-dose pills from April 1.
According to the department's chief director of procurement, Gavin Steel, single-dose or fixed-dose combination drugs – which combine three different ARVs in one pill – are...
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Madiba's neighbours are worst off
Health-e News | 4 April 2013
One of South Africa’s poorest districts and home to former President Nelson Mandela has scored bottom of the class when it comes to the delivery of health care services.
OR Tambo district in the Eastern Cape home ranked bottom of the 52 districts when measuring the state of health in accordance with a set of indicators.
It has the worst rate of newborn deaths in the country – double the number of newborns died in the district than the national average – 20.8...
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SA-Cuba deal ‘on track’
The New Age | 4 April 2013
Despite the heavy criticism it has attracted from some quarters, the South African and Cuban medical training programme is here to stay.
That’s the word from the health department on the programme aimed at tackling the doctor shortage and assisting in the overhauling of the healthcare system.
“South Africa has a critical shortage of doctors and as part of government’s aim of increasing the number of doctors, the South African and Cuban health ministries signed a...
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