2004

BURKINA FASO: Government needs help to increase numbers on ARV, aid workers say: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 31, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] OUAGADOUGOU (PLUSNEWS) - Health authorities in Burkina Faso have already admitted they will not be able to meet global goals for providing antiretroviral (ARV) drugs to people living with AIDS, but aid workers say even the government s scaled-do
SOUTH AFRICA: Tired of the "same old" AIDS messages: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 31, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN (PLUSNEWS) - AIDS activists in South Africa have called for the revision of outdated HIV/AIDS messages which have been circulating for years but have failed to achieve behaviour change. Handing out pamphlets with catchy slogans has little
SWAZILAND: Prominent traditional leader condemns AIDS drugs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 30, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MBABANE (PLUSNEWS) - Swaziland s AIDS control programme received a set back this month in the shape of a prominent traditional healer who has condemned the use of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs. Why do we spend money on something which does not cure
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Rising child deaths illustrate region's health crisis: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 29, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - When Dr Keith Bolton treated children in the 1990s, the death of a patient was still relatively infrequent. As head of child health at South Africa s Coronation Hospital in Johannesburg, Bolton saw an average of one chi
MALAWI: Community NGO breaks silence around HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 27, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] LILONGWE, 27 December (PLUSNEWS) - In a small village in Kaswela in Karonga district in the northern region of Malawi , 35-year-old Lucy Banda has been critically ill for a year, and her neighbours suspect she is HIV-positive. Despite numero
SOUTH AFRICA: NGO launches countrywide monitoring of ARV rollout: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 23, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN (PLUSNEWS) - A new project by the South African NGO, Health Systems Trust (HST), will enable communities across the country to provide feedback on progress in the rollout of free anti-AIDS medication. HST, based in the east-coast city of
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Millions will go hungry this festive season says WFP: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 23, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has warned of a grim Christmas season and new year for the millions of people across Southern Africa who are facing hunger. The agency lacks the funding to ensure adequate food supplies
SWAZILAND: Army to Reject HIV-Positive Recruits: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 23, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG(PLUSNEWS) - Swaziland officials announced last week that the country s armed forces would not accept HIV-positive recruits. The army is experiencing a rise in HIV/AIDS-related illnesses and deaths, and this has adverse effects on th
AFRICA: AIDS could orphan 20 million children by 2010 - World Bank: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 22, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The HIV/AIDS epidemic is likely to rob as many as 20 million children of their parents by 2010, a new World Bank report has found. According to the report, Reaching Out to Africa s Orphans , caring for the rising number
AFRICA: Drug manufacturers collaborate to develop single-dose daily ARV: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 22, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Two drug-manufacturing firms this week launched a collaboration to develop the first single-dose daily combination antiretroviral drug to treat HIV-positive people. The combination pill, to be manufactured by Gilead and
ANGOLA: World Bank approves US $21 million grant: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 22, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - A World Bank initiative has been launched to mitigate a potential rise in the HIV/AIDS infection rate in Angola . The World Bank this week approved a grant of US $21 million to assist Angola s government in implementing
SOUTH AFRICA: Hope for those co-infected with HIV/AIDS and TB: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 21, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - All Dr Gilles van Cutsem would like for Christmas is a painless way of testing children for tuberculosis (TB). The standard test used in Africa detects the TB bacillus in the sputum, but obtaining a sample is difficult,
KENYA: HIV/AIDS policy to protect HIV-positive teachers: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 21, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Kenya plans to launch an HIV/AIDS policy to prevent discrimination against HIV-positive teachers in the workplace. Secretary of the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), Gabriel Lengoiboni, was reported by the Nation newsp
SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE: Island state steps up fight against HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 21, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] SAO TOME, 21 December (PLUSNEWS) - Sao Tome and Principe is stepping up the fight against HIV/AIDS, which is becoming a serious problem in this small twin-island state as drilling for oil gets underway in its offshore waters.
ZIMBABWE: Mental health policy launched: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 20, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Activists have welcomed the launch of the Zimbabwe s first national mental health policy, but warned that delays in implementation could make it irrelevant. Elizabeth Matare, director of the Zimbabwe National Associatio
SOUTH AFRICA: TAC slams government on Nevirapine safety claims: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 20, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - South African AIDS lobby group, the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), has accused the national health department of trying to undermine public health with its unscientific, irresponsible and inaccurate statement on the a
GUINEA: Global Fund donation lowers ARV price dramatically: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 20, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - An international donation of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) will see a dramatic reduction in the price of the anti-AIDS medication in Guinea . The consignment of ARVs from the Global Fund will enable 150 people, including
MOZAMBIQUE: National AIDS council spent less than 40 percent of budget: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 20, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Mozambique s National Council for the Fight Against AIDS (CNCS) has spent less than 40 percent of the funds allocated to HIV/AIDS activities in the country this year. According to the local news agency, AIM, the CNCS ha
GUINEA: First donation of ARVs will help slash costs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 17, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] CONAKRY (PLUSNEWS) - Guinea received a donation of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) from the international community for the first time on Friday that will allow costs to be dramatically reduced. The consignment of ARVs, which will enable 150 people
SOUTH AFRICA: HIV-positive and pregnant - weighing the risk: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 17, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - As anti-AIDS drugs become available to more South Africans, a growing number of HIV-positive women are choosing to become pregnant in spite of their status. Although it is generally accepted that all women have the righ
AFRICA: MSF calls for child-friendly ARVs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 17, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Seven months ago, Nomlindelo Nkoninga began giving her four-year-old son a combination of drugs to stem the progress of HIV. But only last month did he weigh enough to take the antiretroviral (ARVs) medication as three
SOUTH AFRICA: "Positive living" eclipsed by ARV drive: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 17, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - In sub-Saharan Africa, the region hardest hit by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the thrust to bring antiretroviral (ARV) drugs to the 3.8 million people who need them has tended to overshadow all other treatment efforts. The
AFRICA: Local manufacture - competition key to cheaper ARVs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 17, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] PORT ELIZABETH (PLUSNEWS) - The high-tech compression machine at Aspen Pharmacare s new facility in Port Elizabeth, South Africa , spits out Nevirapine tablets at a rate of 150,000 an hour. Pharmacists clad in surgical masks and hairnets fiddle
ZAMBIA: Second-class women left behind in access queue: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 17, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] LUSAKA (PLUSNEWS) - Zambia s rollout of antiretroviral therapy (ART) is one of the largest in Africa, but it is missing a vital chunk of the population - HIV-positive women. According to Central Board of Health figures, of the 1,483 people who e
SOUTH AFRICA: Monitoring access to free ARVs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 17, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN (PLUSNEWS) - A South African non-profit organisation has initiated a nationwide network to monitor access to free antiretroviral (ARV) treatment. The project, called the Treatment Monitor , collects data from a wide range of organisations
AFRICA: Multimillion dollar British boost for AIDS orphans: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 17, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) is to receive a US $88 million British grant for its work with children orphaned by AIDS in developing countries. According to UK Under-Secretary of State for International Development, G
SOUTH AFRICA: Glaxo again under fire from AIDS activists: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 17, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The Network of AIDS Communities in South Africa (NetCom SA) says multinational drug giant GlaxoSmithKline s (GSK) past pricing policies have limited people s access to AIDS drugs in developing countries. Glaxo recen
AFRICA: No support from Muslim clerics on barrier contraceptives: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 17, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - At least 80 Muslim and Christian religious leaders debating HIV prevention at a recent conference in Cairo, Egypt , have not endorsed the UN s support of barrier contraceptives. However, a joint declaration emphasisin
AFRICA: CHGA urges govts to respond to needs of women and orphans: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 16, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] YAOUNDE (PLUSNEWS) - The life expectancy of African women has been dramatically reduced by their vulnerability to HIV/AIDS, while the number of orphans created by the pandemic is soaring, Paulo Roberto Teixeira of the Commission on HIV/AIDS and
GABON: Taxis the new weapon in the fight against HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 16, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] LIBREVILLE (PLUSNEWS) - Flag down a red and white taxi in Gabon s capital between now and February and you might get more than you bargained for. Around 300 taxi drivers in Libreville have been drafted into the fight against HIV/AIDS and are han
ZAMBIA: Interview with Minister of Health Dr Brian Chituwo: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 16, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Zambia has one of Africa s largest HIV/AIDS treatment programmes, reaching almost 14,000 people, and is projected to expand to 100,000 by the end of 2005. PlusNews spoke to Minister of Health Dr Brian Chituwo about the
AFRICA: Interview with Stephen Lewis, UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 16, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Stephen Lewis is the UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, and has been a key campaigner for urgent and robust international action to meet the challenge of the pandemic. He spoke to PlusNews about his optimism over
UGANDA: PLWAs at the centre of AIDS response: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 16, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] KAMPALA (PLUSNEWS) - Lydia Mungherere speaks with passion about the need for antiretrovirals (ARVs), not only because she is a doctor - the first in Uganda to disclose being HIV positive - but also because she would be dead today if it weren t f
SOUTH AFRICA: Rollout bogs down: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 16, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - One year after the South African government launched its much-anticipated HIV/AIDS treatment programme, there is frustration at the slowness with which the plan is being realised. In November 2003 the government committ
UGANDA: New import measures lead to condom shortage: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 15, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] KAMPALA (PLUSNEWS) - New measures aimed at preventing the dumping of low quality condoms in Uganda have resulted in shortages across the country, a senior health ministry official told PlusNews on Tuesday. After getting a batch of Engabu br
ETHIOPIA: Orphan crisis fuelled by AIDS and poverty: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 15, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The presence of HIV/AIDS, extreme poverty and a lack of basic healthcare in Ethiopia are fuelling an orphan crisis, according to a report by the government, the UN and international aid group Save the Children. Rese
UGANDA: AIDS prevention methods passed to Sudan: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 15, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Uganda and Sudan are exchanging ideas on how best to tackle the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Sudanese health minister Ahmed Bilal Osman met earlier this week with his Ugandan counterpart, Jim Muhwezi, in Uganda s capital, Kampala
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS group's legal costs paid by government: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 15, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The South African AIDS NGO, Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), has welcomed a high court judgment awarding it limited legal costs for its application to gain access to certain department of health documents. TAC has been
ANGOLA: US assists military with HIV/AIDS plan: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 14, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] Researchers are attempting to discover HIV/AIDS prevalence rates among Angolan soldiers JOHANNESBURG, 14 December (PLUSNEWS) - The United States has been assisting the Angolan military in designing and implementing an HIV/AIDS strategy that focu
AFRICA: Worldwide appeal for free AIDS treatment: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 14, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN (PLUSNEWS) - Nearly 600 health experts, economists and policy-makers have joined an appeal for free AIDS treatment for all people living with HIV/AIDS in the developing world. The Free By 5 declaration will be presented to the World Bank,
ETHIOPIA: Plan launched to help orphans: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 14, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ADDIS ABABA, 14 December (PLUSNEWS) - One Ethiopian child out of 10 is an orphan, according to a report by the UN, the government and the NGO, Save the Children. The HIV/AIDS pandemic, appalling poverty and dire health conditions had left 4.6 mi
SOUTH AFRICA: Local firm could bag US AIDS drug supply contract: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 14, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - South African drug firm Aspen Pharmacare has received the go-ahead from the US Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) to produce and supply generic anti-AIDS drugs. Aspen CEO Stephen Saad said in a statement that further
AFRICA: Declaration for free AIDS treatment signed: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 14, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - At least 600 global health experts are participating in an appeal for the provision of free treatment to all people living with HIV/AIDS in developing countries. The Free by 5 declaration, initiated by the Health Econom
SOUTH AFRICA: Blood safe despite unacceptable testing policy: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 14, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The Medical Research Council (MRC) says blood from the South African National Blood Service (SANBS) is safe, and strict measures are taken to ensure that patients do not contract transmittable diseases. However, the MRC
ZIMBABWE: Doctor shortage increases AIDS deaths: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 14, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - HIV/AIDS activists are concerned that the critical shortage of doctors in Zimbabwe is fuelling the number of AIDS-related deaths in the southern African country. Susan Mbiriyakura, a counsellor at The Centre, an AIDS ad
SOUTH AFRICA: Major threats to children are poverty and AIDS - UN: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 14, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The biggest threats facing South Africa s children are HIV/AIDS and poverty, according to the UN Children s Fund (UNICEF). In its newly released report, The State of the World s Children 2005 , the agency says an estima
ZAMBIA: HIV-positive people advice AIDS training initiative: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 14, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The World Health Organisation (WHO) and Zambia s Central Board of Health have embarked on a joint initiative to train health workers in HIV/AIDS care and management, as part of the national antiretroviral treatment plan
Sierra Leone: Efforts to Break Down HIV/Aids Stigma Starting to Pay Off: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 10, 2004; HIV/AIDS campaigners in war-scarred Sierra Leone say the stigma surrounding the disease is starting to be chipped away, with more people coming forward and some not afraid to wear T-shirts announcing they have the virus. Mariama Diarra, who works for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in the capital, Freetown,
ETHIOPIA: Free HIV drugs distribution to be undertaken by government: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 10, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ADDIS ABABA (PLUSNEWS) - Ethiopia is to begin free distribution of potentially lifesaving drugs next month for people living with HIV, US officials supporting the programme said on Thursday. The move is part of a US $43 million scheme from the U
AFRICA: Greater support urged for developing HIV and malaria vaccines: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 10, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - British Chancellor Gordon Brown says wealthy nations must do more to develop vaccines against HIV/AIDS and malaria. He urged the G8 group of industrialised countries to match his government s target of spending 0.7 perc
LIBYA: No execution for AIDS accused health workers: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 10, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Libya will not execute six health workers accused of intentionally infecting more than 400 children with HIV, said Seif al-Islam e-Qaddafi, the son of Libyan leader Muammar el-Qaddafi. Five Bulgarian nurses and a Pa
AFRICA: Child marriage puts women at risk of AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 10, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Child marriage affects about 51 million girls in developing countries, not only putting women at risk of contracting HIV, but also promoting poverty, the International Centre for Research on Women has said. The Centre s
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Childhood under threat, warns UNICEF: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 9, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The HIV/AIDS pandemic has already created millions of orphans throughout sub-Saharan Africa, but the worst is yet to come, warned Per Engebak, UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) regional director for Eastern and Southern Afric
MALAWI: Health sector gets funding boost: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 9, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Over the next six years Malawi s health service will receive a �100 million (US $193 million) shot in the arm from the United Kingdom s Department for International Development (DFID). The aid package will help provide
AFRICA: HIV vaccine years away, despite hopeful research: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 9, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Researchers from universities in the UK, the US and South Africa have successfully identified key genes in the body s fight against HIV infection. According to lead researcher Dr Philip Goulder, identifying the genetic
UGANDA: Spread of HIV in north threatens national gains: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 9, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - HIV/AIDS infection rates are rising in Uganda s war-torn northern areas, despite a decrease in national prevalence, a local newspaper, The East African, reported. According to a recent report by the global relief organi
AFRICA: Education fundraiser to benefit AIDS orphans: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 9, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - A new fundraising campaign launched by former South African president Nelson Mandela will help AIDS orphans in six African countries by creating child-friendly schools , the South African Press Association has reported.
AFRICA: Children severely affected by AIDS, war and poverty: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 9, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Poverty, war and HIV/AIDS are hampering the health and security of children worldwide, according to a new report released on Thursday by the UN Children s Fund (UNICEF). In The State of the World s Children 2005 , UNICE
TANZANIA: Poverty and neglect causes HIV risk for elderly: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 8, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 8 December (PLUSNEWS) - Neglect, ignorance and poverty could put more than 2 million elderly Tanzanian women at risk of HIV infection, the global aid organisation, HelpAge International, has suggested in a new study. The report, ti
SOUTH AFRICA: Blood service system "smacks of racism" - health minister: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 8, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 8 December (PLUSNEWS) - The South African National Blood Service (SANBS), will no longer base donors risk of HIV infection on race, after Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang said the SANBS policy smacks of racism , London s Gu
LIBYA: Sentences in AIDS case may be reviewed: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 8, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 8 December (PLUSNEWS) - Libya may review death sentences imposed on five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor convicted of infecting more than 400 children with HIV. Libyan Foreign Minister Abdelraham Shalgam said this could b
MALI: Using telephones to fight HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 7, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 7 December (PLUSNEWS) - Mali has a new tool to help it curb the spread of HIV/AIDS - the cellphone. The international NGO, Population Services International (PSI), has launched a campaign using cellular technology to educate Malian
SOUTH AFRICA: GlaxoSmithKline grants fourth voluntary licence for ARVs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 7, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 7 December (PLUSNEWS) - A South African generic drug manufacturer has been granted a voluntary licence to produce and sell some GlaxoSmithKline antiretroviral (ARV) medication. Under the terms of its agreement, Biotech, the fourth
NAMIBIA: Female condom still has a long way to go: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 7, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 7 December (PLUSNEWS) - A study on condom use in Namibia , conducted by the National Social Marketing Programme (NASOMA), said consumers found the female condom, the femidom, was not readily available, and complained of its high pr
MAURITANIA: Nouakchott gets its first HIV/AIDS test and treatment centre: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 3, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] NOUAKCHOTT (PLUSNEWS) - Mauritania opened its first HIV/AIDs testing and treatment centre this week in the hope of improving early detection of the disease in this staunchly Islamic desert state where public discussion of AIDS has long been rest
GUINEA-BISSAU: Brazil to sponsor first ARV treatment programme: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 3, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] BISSAU (PLUSNEWS) - Brazil will start supplying Guinea-Bissau with antiretroviral (ARV) drugs to launch its first treatment programme for HIV-positive people in the first quarter of 2005, Health Minister Odete Costa Semedo has announced.
SOUTH AFRICA: Children helping children empower themselves: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 3, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN (PLUSNEWS) - Children often seem helpless in the face of the onslaught of HIV/AIDS, but a South African network of NGOs helping children affected by the pandemic has recognised that they can play a proactive role in combating the disease.
ANGOLA: HIV infection rate for pregnant women at 2.8 percent: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 3, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] LUANDA (PLUSNEWS) - The rate of HIV infection among pregnant women in Angola is 2.8 percent, half earlier estimates, according to a new national study. A health ministry report covering all of Angola s 18 provinces found that the highest HIV rat
NIGERIA: MSF urges quality healthcare with AIDS drugs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 3, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - People living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria are in need of education in maintaining their anti-AIDS medication regimen, the international NGO, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has said. MSF s country chief, Sebastian Weber
SOUTH AFRICA: Need to erase AIDS stigma - Deputy President: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 3, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - There is an urgent need to erase the stigma surrounding HIV and AIDS, South African Deputy President Jacob Zuma has said, as secrecy and shame often prevented people from acknowledging their HIV status. During the recen
SOUTH AFRICA: Telkom urged AIDS action by businesses: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 3, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The South African parastatal telecommunications company, Telkom, says an estimated 11.4 percent of its 32,000 workers could be HIV-positive by 2006. According to Telkom human resources executive Oupa Magashula, the comp
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Cycle of poverty leads to recurring crises: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 2, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Governments, aid agencies and donors need to acknowledge the chronic nature of problems that lead to recurring crises in Southern Africa, such as the widespread food shortages two years ago, a new report recommends.
AFRICA: Condoms and AIDS information restrictions a concern: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 2, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - International rights group Human Rights Watch (HRW) is concerned that restrictions on condoms and HIV/AIDS information are undermining global efforts to tackle the pandemic. Although condoms remain the single most effec
SOUTH AFRICA: Abstinence message against AIDS criticised: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 2, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Leading voices in the war on HIV/AIDS have blasted a US-backed approach of encouraging sexual abstinence among young people to protect them against HIV infection. Mary Crewe, director of the Centre for the Study of AIDS
GHANA: AIDS efforts hailed as Canada pledges support: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 2, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Canada has lauded Ghana s anti-AIDS efforts by pledging future support for tackling the pandemic. In a message to mark World AIDS Day, the Canadian High Commissioner in Ghana, Donald Bobiash, said HIV/AIDS in Africa was
AFRICA: Survey reveals who fears AIDS the most: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 2, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - HIV/AIDS is the disease most important to Africans, West Asians and Latin Americans, while people elsewhere fear cancer, according to research companies Gallup International and South Africa-based Markinor. Of more than
ANGOLA: Youth key to halting epidemic: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 1, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] LUANDA (PLUSNEWS) - Angola , which has maintained a relatively low rate of HIV infection, could see an exponential spreading of the virus if it did not act quickly to educate its youth, according to a new report. Young Angolans have almost a
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Renewed calls for sexual behaviour change: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 1, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Growing concern over the sustainability of government-sponsored HIV/AIDS treatment programmes in Southern Africa has prompted renewed calls for a change in sexual behaviour to curb the spread of the disease. Four southe
AFRICA: Women wait to be heard - World AIDS Day: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 1, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - African women don t need statistics to tell them that they are the face of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. They are forced to confront this reality in all aspects of their lives - the bedroom, the classroom and the workplace.
AFRICA: UN highlights gender-based violence and AIDS treatment: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 1, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - On World AIDS Day the UN has highlighted the importance of treatment, as well as the need to address violence against women and girls, as an integral part of the global AIDS response. Director-General of the World Healt
ETHIOPIA: Prime minister's wife takes public HIV test: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 1, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ADDIS ABABA (PLUSNEWS) - The Ethiopian prime minister s wife became one of the few high-profile figures in the country to take a public HIV test on Tuesday. Azeb Mesfin, 38, joined seven female ambassadors to take the test to mark World AIDS Day
LESOTHO: Abuse of child domestic workers uncovered: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 1, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MASERU (PLUSNEWS) - The preliminary findings of a study on child domestic workers in Lesotho , forced onto the job market by poverty and HIV/AIDS, has uncovered the sometimes highly abusive nature of their relationship with employers. Commis
SOUTH AFRICA: Elderly increasingly burdened by HIV and AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 1, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - HIV/AIDS is placing a heavy burden on the elderly in South Africa s Mpumalanga province, a study by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) has revealed. Researcher Dr Monde Makiwane found that 72 percent of older pe
AFRICA: UK to tackle AIDS during G8 presidency: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 1, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - British Prime Minister Tony Blair says HIV/AIDS and other problems facing Africa will be a priority when the UK takes the helm of the G8 group of industrialised nations next year. It was important to realise that Africa
BOTSWANA: President's shock warning on AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 1, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Botswana s President Festus Mogae has warned that the country cannot sustain the current high rate of HIV infection and that people should abstain from unsafe sex, or die . With an estimated 37 percent of the population
TOGO: Truckers know the risks but spurn condom use: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 30, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] SANVEE KONDJI (PLUSNEWS) - It s a question of money, said one of the many truck drivers milling about the main border crossing between Benin and Togo . Most of the girls are simply after money, and if I decide it ll be without a condom, then it
AFRICA: US blood safety project to benefit millions: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 30, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - A new programme under the US President s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief aims to improve blood transfusion safety in African and Caribbean countries heavily affected by HIV and AIDS. As part of the $2.4 million initiativ
MALAWI: AIDS drug rollout hampered by lack of funds: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 30, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Malawi needs an estimated US $28 million to provide free anti-AIDS treatment to some 36,000 people by next year, Health Minister Heatherwick Ntaba, has announced. According to the Pan African News Agency, Ntaba said a l
SOUTH AFRICA: World's writers make AIDS gesture: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 29, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The South African AIDS NGO, Treatment Action Campaign, is to receive all royalties from a collaborative literary effort by 21 of the world s best-known authors, including the internationally acclaimed Salman Rushdie.
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Child AIDS research 'critical' for regional development: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 29, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The South African social services and population development minister, Zola Skweyiya, has said research into the effect of HIV/AIDS on children is critical for the region s future development. Skweyiya told his southern
ZIMBABWE: Clerics publicly tested for HIV: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 29, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - In an effort to raise awareness in Zimbabwe ahead of World AIDS Day on 1 December, close to 30 church leaders underwent voluntary counselling and testing at the weekend. Lindani Dube, a spokesman for the clerics, said t
SOUTHERN AFRICA: AIDS rolls back democratic gains - report: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 29, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - A major study on the impact of HIV/AIDS on southern Africa s electorate says the pandemic threatens to roll back democratic gains in much of the region. Countries are facing the added burden of replacing representatives
LESOTHO: Book to mobilise politicians to fight HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 26, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - In an effort to mobilise leaders to fight HIV/AIDS, the parliament of Lesotho and the UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) this week launched a publication called What Parliamentarians can do about HIV/AIDS Action for Children a
SOUTH AFRICA: Partner violence puts women at greater risk of HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 26, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - South African women with violent or controlling male partners run a higher risk of HIV infection, according to a study published in the Lancet medical journal. The report, Gender-based Violence, Relationship Power, and
SOUTH AFRICA: Health minister announces increased AIDS treatment: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 26, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - South African Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang on Thursday announced an increase in the number of people on anti-AIDS therapy in accredited government facilities. This year s treatment number is said to be up fr
AFRICA: South African AIDS impact to shake continent: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 26, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The HIV/AIDS crisis in South Africa will shake all of Africa, suggests a commentary to be published in next week s Lancet. Jerome Singh of the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa says the country s
SOUTH AFRICA: Mines reeling from AIDS impact: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 26, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The largest survey to date on the impact of AIDS on South African business shows that HIV/AIDS-related illnesses and deaths are taking their toll on the country s mining sector. The in-depth South African Business Coali
SOUTH AFRICA: Economic cost of AIDS set to worsen: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 25, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN (PLUSNEWS) - Although data on the extent of HIV/AIDS and its impact on the South African economy vary, analysts agree that government and businesses need to take urgent action to combat the virus. Already HIV/AIDS is estimated to be reduc
SOUTH AFRICA: Youth misconceptions about HIV and sexual violence: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 25, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - A recent study has found that South African school pupils are prone to misconceptions about sexual violence and HIV/AIDS. The report, a nationwide cross-sectional study of views on sexual violence and the risk of HIV in
AFRICA: Greed delays cheap Canadian drug export: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 25, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Canada risks embarrassment if Bill C-9, proposed legislation allowing the export of discounted medicines to poor nations, ends up stillborn, a senior UN official has said. Stephen Lewis, the UN special envoy for AIDS in
AFRICA: Health worker scarcity in AIDS-ridden countries highlighted: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 25, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - A new study to be published in the Lancet has, for the first time, quantified the dangerous scarcity of healthcare workers in countries with climbing rates of HIV, tuberculosis and malaria. The report, Human Resources f
AFRICA: UN envoy calls AIDS 'mass murder by indifference': Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 25, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The severity of HIV/AIDS in Africa is tantamount to mass murder by indifference , the UN special envoy for AIDS in Africa, Stephen Lewis, said in the German weekly, Die Zeit. Speaking ahead of World AIDS Day on 1 Decemb
NAMIBIA: MDGs - the challenge of HIV/AIDS "can be overcome": Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 24, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] WINDHOEK (PLUSNEWS) - A giant bright yellow condom was the centre of attraction in Namibia s capital, Windhoek, last Friday. Namibian civil society organisations - united in the fight against HIV/AIDS - had kicked off a series of activities in t
SOUTH AFRICA: Using funerals to tackle stigma in rural communities: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 24, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] The rural areas of KZN and the Eastern Cape are severely affected by the pandemic DURBAN (PLUSNEWS) - When a group of aid workers in the rural areas of northern KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and the Eastern Cape were confronted with a growing number of pe
SOUTH AFRICA: Road freight industry feels AIDS impact: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 24, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - HIV/AIDS is taking its toll on the road freight industry in South Africa as employees fall ill or die from AIDS-related illnesses, said Sipho Khumalo, CEO of the country s Road Freight Association. At the recent ope
AFRICA: AIDS shadow looming over future generations: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 24, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - HIV/AIDS is so severe in sub-Saharan Africa that the UN is concerned it will cast a shadow over generations yet to come. According to their recent annual AIDS Epidemic Update 2004 , the World Health Organisation (WHO) a
SOUTH AFRICA: Capital plans massive AIDS education campaign: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 24, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Authorities in South Africa s capital, Pretoria, are embarking on a massive door-to-door AIDS education campaign in an effort to curb the spread of the virus and promote safe sex. The campaign kicks off on Monday as par
AFRICA: Pandemic of women abuses fuel AIDS - report: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 24, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The international human rights group, Amnesty International, said on Wednesday that a global pandemic of violence against women was fuelling the spread of HIV and AIDS. The increasing spread of HIV/AIDS among women and
AFRICA: UN report reveals extent of HIV/AIDS epidemic: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 23, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] In some countries girls do not know enough about HIV/AIDS JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - As the number of people living with HIV continues to rise globally, sub-Saharan Africa remains by far the worst affected region - with two-thirds of all HIV-posi
MOZAMBIQUE: HIV prevention training for traditional healers: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 23, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The role of traditional healers in HIV prevention is receiving recognition in Mozambique s Maputo province. According to the local news agency, AIM, the provincial director of health, Abdul Mussa, said traditional pract
AFRICA: Drugs alone cannot win AIDS battle - report: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 23, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - HIV/AIDS will continue to devour much of the progress made towards global development, unless the role of poverty in advancing the virus is also acknowledged, an international charity organisation has warned. In its new
AFRICA: UN report highlights global AIDS toll: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 23, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The UN has warned that without urgent action the world is unlikely to gain the upper hand against HIV/AIDS. In their annual AIDS Epidemic Update 2004 report, released on Tuesday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS exclusion clause amended by life insurers: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 23, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s Life Offices Association (LOA), which represents major life assurance firms, announced on Monday that HIV-positive people would no longer be refused cover. The South African Associated Press quoted LOA di
AFRICA: Cheap drug to halve kiddie AIDS deaths: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 22, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Administering co-trimoxazole, a cheap, widely used antibiotic, to HIV-positive children could dramatically cut AIDS-related deaths in Africa. During clinical trials conducted between 2001 and 2003 by the British Medical
AFRICA: WHO backing for AIDS treatment preparedness project: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 22, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The World Health Organisation (WHO) has awarded US $1 million to the Collaborative Fund for HIV Treatment Preparedness, a global consortium, to help prepare HIV-positive people for treatment. Defined at the 2003 Interna
AFRICA: Dangerous lack of workplace AIDS policies highlighted: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 22, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Experts at the recent UN Commission on HIV/AIDS and Governance in Africa (CHGA) have warned that AIDS could decimate sub-Saharan Africa s human resource capacity, unless countries initiate workplace anti-AIDS programmes
AFRICA: Third Indian drug firm withdraws from WHO AIDS list: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 22, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Another Indian generic drug manufacturer, Hetero Drugs, has withdrawn six of its anti-AIDS medicines from the World Health Organisation s (WHO) prequalification list. The move followed inspections by the UN health agenc
ZAMBIA: Inexpensive antibiotic offers hope to HIV positive kids: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 19, 2004; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Zambian health experts on Friday heralded the results of clinical trials showing that a widely available antibiotic drug could dramatically cut AIDS-related deaths in children. The trials, conducted in the capital, Lusaka, between 2001 and 2003, were backed by the UK s Department for Internati
AFRICA-KENYA-TANZANIA-UGANDA: Global Fund approves funding proposals for AIDS, malaria and TB: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 19, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] AFRICA (PLUSNEWS) - The Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis (TB) approved on Thursday the fifth round of funding proposals to combat the three diseases. The decision was made after a two-day, closed-door meeting of the Global
SWAZILAND: Swazis strengthen efforts to fight HIV/AIDS stigma: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 19, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MBABANE (PLUSNEWS) - Shame was replaced by solidarity at the launch of an umbrella body of organisations of Swazis living with HIV/AIDS this week. The Swaziland National Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS (SWANNEPHA), comprising 46 organ
AFRICA: Call to initiate HIV/AIDS worker protection plans: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 19, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ACCRA (PLUSNEWS) - Unless sub-Saharan African countries initiate workplace anti-AIDS programmes, the pandemic will decimate the region s human resource capacity, experts warned in the Ghanaian capital, Accra, on Friday. African companies already
ETHIOPIA: Musicians join politicians to fight HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 18, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ADDIS ABABA (PLUSNEWS) - Top Ethiopian musicians joined hundreds of politicians on Thursday to launch their own charity song with inspiration from the United Kingdom s Band Aid success, organised by famed musician Bob Geldof. The artists and 500
AFRICA: Leaders appeal for continued fight against AIDS, malaria and TB: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 18, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ARUSHA (PLUSNEWS) - Three African heads of state appealed to rich countries on Wednesday to continue funding the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. I am convinced that working together we can roll back HIV/AIDS and malaria
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS activists want billion dollar Glaxo trust: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 17, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - An HIV/AIDS rally against drug giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in South Africa s eastern seaboard city of Durban on Thursday is expected to draw at least 1,000 participants. The marchers will urge Glaxo, which controls over
ZAMBIA: Teacher AIDS-related deaths on the rise: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 17, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - More than 1,200 Zambian teachers have died of AIDS-related illnesses since the beginning of 2004, and this number is expected to soar by the end of the year, the National Union of Teachers has revealed. General secretar
AFRICA: Leaders trying to secure AIDS funding: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 17, 2004; This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The Presidents of Tanzania , Uganda , Rwanda and Kenya are currently in the northern Tanzanian town of Arusha to lobby the 9th Global AIDS Fund meeting for more money
SOUTH AFRICA: Frank dialogue about gender key to tackling HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 16, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, (PLUSNEWS) - In a community hall in South Africa s largest informal settlement, Soweto, about 20 men and women are seated in a semi-circle, talking about sex and gender roles. Working in groups, they have just completed two lists,
AFRICA: Continent let down by AIDS drug firms - GSK chief: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 16, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The CEO of drug giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Jean-Pierre Garnier, says the international pharmaceuticals industry has been too slow in addressing the HIV/AIDS pandemic, especially in Africa. While defending GSK s po
TANZANIA: Global AIDS commitment of US businesses urged: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 16, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The US Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tommy Thompson, has applauded the efforts of a public-private initiative to advance HIV/AIDS care in Tanzania . During his visit this week to the capital, Dar es Salaam, Th
SOUTH AFRICA: Limpopo premier gets tough on school AIDS education: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 16, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The Premier of South Africa s Limpopo province, Sello Moloto, has warned school principals and teachers about the consequences of failing to educate pupils about HIV/AIDS. A local newspaper, The Pretoria News, quoted Mo
MOZAMBIQUE: Failed AIDS treatment target predicted: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 16, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - It is unlikely that Mozambique will meet its target of having 8,000 people on anti-AIDS treatment by the end of 2004, although more than 5,000 are already being treated. The Ministry of Health revealed this during a rec
UGANDA: Global Fund millions announced for AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 12, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - A new grant of US $370 million, announced earlier this week by Richard Feachem, executive director of the Global AIDS Fund, will help Uganda tackle HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis (TB) over the next three years.
AFRICA: Increased AIDS support promised by Germany: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 12, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Germany has announced plans to boost programmes aimed at tackling HIV/AIDS in developing countries. According to German Development Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, her country was committed to the Millennium Develop
KENYA: Swedish millions pledged for AIDS and governance: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 12, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Sweden has granted Kenya more than US $100 million to tackle HIV/AIDS and strengthen its development activities between 2004 and 2006, Agence France-Presse reported. The money will cover projects that promote good g
AFRICA: UN launches online sex worker AIDS campaign: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 12, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - A first-ever online AIDS toolkit, launched by the World health Organisation (WHO) and the German technical assistance agency (GTZ), aims to help sex workers protect themselves and their clients against HIV. According to
SOUTH AFRICA: Women street traders falling through the cracks: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 11, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN (PLUSNEWS) - Women street hawkers are falling through the cracks of HIV/AIDS prevention efforts, despite being one of the highest risk groups. Up to 40 percent of female street traders in South Africa s KwaZulu-Natal province are HIV-posi
KENYA: AIDS activists to rally at Global Fund meeting: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 11, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Kenyan AIDS activists are planning to rally outside a hotel in Arusha in northern Tanzania , where Global AIDS Fund board members will be meeting on 18 and 19 November. The activists fear a cash shortfall could prevent
LESOTHO: Rise in HIV-positive babies recorded: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 11, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - At least 15 percent of babies born in Lesotho each year are HIV-positive, the government and the UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) have said. A joint report on the country s women and children, released on Wednesday, showed t
MOZAMBIQUE: Artists create AIDS awareness: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 10, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] -- A model of a MSF Voluntary Counselling and Testing Centre and clinic made in the traditional Psikhhelekedana wood sculpture style of southern Mozambique s Ronga people MAPUTO (PLUSNEWS) - Mozambican artists organised a four-day festival on Ar
AFRICA: Generic anti-AIDS drugs withdrawn from WHO list: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 10, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] -- Seven Ranbaxy ARVs have been withdrawn from the WHO list JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - In a move that could affect HIV-positive people on treatment in developing countries, an Indian generic drug manufacturer voluntarily withdrew its drugs from t
LESOTHO: Canadian AIDS project planned for December: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 10, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Lesotho is set to benefit from a Canadian AIDS initiative, to be launched in December. In response to an appeal by UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, Stephen Lewis, the Ontario Hospital Association in
SOUTH AFRICA: Welfare system crumbling under AIDS orphan weight: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 10, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The estimated 18 percent of South African children who are AIDS orphans are placing enormous pressure on the child welfare system. Sioux Hedden, a project manager with Woza Moya, an AIDS orphan NGO in KwaZulu-Natal prov
SOUTH AFRICA: Businesses still ignorant about impact of AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 10, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - South African companies are still ignorant of the devastating effects of HIV/AIDS on business, a recent survey has revealed. Findings by the South African Coalition for Business against HIV/AIDS showed that only 40 perc
AFRICA: AIDS drugs removal to cause confusion: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 10, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - India s largest pharmaceutical company, Ranbaxy, has voluntarily withdrawn all its anti-AIDS drugs from the World Health Organisation s (WHO) list of prequalified medicines. Ranbaxy decided to remove its seven generic m
Swaziland: Headmasters Threaten School Closure: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 9, 2004; Government s unmet commitment to finance the education of AIDS orphans and children from indigent families could lead to the imminent closure of all primary schools in the country, headmasters have warned. If government fails to pay by 10 November, we would be compelled to close down all schools, said Themba Shabangu,
SOUTH AFRICA: Child welfare system leaves many AIDS orphans stranded: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 9, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN (PLUSNEWS) - With an increasing number of children orphaned by HIV/AIDS seeking foster care, the HIV/AIDS epidemic is placing enormous pressure on South Africa s child welfare system. An estimated 18 percent of the country s children are
BURKINA FASO: Local fundraising planned for AIDS treatment: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 9, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - An AIDS NGO in Burkina Faso is shifting to local fundraising, as external funding seems to focus more on prevention programmes than long-term anti-AIDS treatment. Although an estimated 43,000 people are in need of treat
KENYA: AIDS product sales bring female financial freedom: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 9, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Kenyan women are gaining financial independence by selling medical products to treat AIDS-related skin infections and diarrhoea. Local female distributors can purchase the items at wholesale prices through a new program
SOUTH AFRICA: Gender equality urged in AIDS policy: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 9, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Gender AIDS Forum (GAF), a South African lobby group, plans to pressure national and provincial health officials to focus on the sexual rights of women. GAF says not enough emphasis has been placed on gender inequalitie
SOUTH AFRICA: Ruling party slams TAC legal actions: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 9, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s ruling African National Congress (ANC) party has slammed legal actions by the AIDS lobby group, Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), against the government. The TAC has been requesting Annexure A , an unpubli
BURKINA FASO: NGOs seek local funds to access ARVs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 8, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] OUAGADOUGOU (PLUSNEWS) - Local HIV/AIDS NGOs in Burkina Faso are planning to raise funds in the country rather than seek external sources of funding for antiretroviral (ARV) drugs, activists told PlusNews. About 43,000 HIV-positive people in
SOUTH AFRICA: Gender equality needed in national HIV/AIDS policy: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 8, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN (PLUSNEWS) - South African lobby group, the Gender Aids Forum (GAF), is calling for a stronger emphasis on addressing gender inequalities in the national HIV/AIDS policy. Gender-based power imbalances are not reflected in the national AID
MALAWI: Cultural practices make HIV/AIDS a women's disease: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 8, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - As Malawi prepares to commemorate World AIDS Day, with the global theme of Women, Girls, HIV and AIDS , the National AIDS Commission (NAC) has said that HIV/AIDS was killing more women than men. According to Malawi
SOUTH AFRICA: Participation of all urged in AIDS survey: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 8, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s groundbreaking AIDS survey kicked off again this week. Olive Shisana, executive director of the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), urged all South Africans to participate in the 2004 national HIV and
BOTSWANA: US cash boost for AIDS battle: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 5, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The US has announced plans to commit almost $30 million to Botswana s battle against HIV and AIDS as part of the President s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Some $11 million each will go to prevention and care,
AFRICA: WHO to miss AIDS target: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 8, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The World Health Organisation (WHO) is unlikely to meet its target of having 3 million HIV-positive people in developing countries on anti-AIDS treatment by 2005. During a recent visit to Ottowa, Canad
AFRICA: First ladies hold HIV/AIDS conference in Kigali: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 5, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] KIGALI (PLUSNEWS) - First ladies from five African countries began a meeting on Friday in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, to map out strategies for combating the HIV/AIDS pandemic that has devastated millions on the continent. Under their associati
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Studies highlight aid efforts in context of HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 5, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Given the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa, food aid programming needs to be adapted to address the multiple impacts of the pandemic, say two new studies. The reports, both compiled by the Consortium for Southe
SOUTH AFRICA: Treatment plan forgets HIV-positive kids: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 5, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - AIDS lobby group, the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) has raised concern over the disturbingly small number of HIV-positive children on treatment in South Africa s KwaZulu-Natal province. Although the government s treat
AFRICA: First ladies map out new AIDS strategies: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 5, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Five African first ladies are in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, to review the continent s achievements in combating HIV/AIDS over the past year and map new strategies for the next two years. The Organisation of African Fi
SOUTH AFRICA: New project to combat AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 5, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - British billionaire Sir Richard Branson and mining magnate Cyril Ramaphosa this week joined forces in a new initiative to tackle HIV and AIDS in South Africa . The project, titled Your Finest Hour , was launched at the
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS activists want legal fees from government: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 5, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Lawyers representing the South African AIDS activists, Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), confronted the health department in court this week over Annexure A, an unpublished timetable for the government s free AIDS drug p
KENYA: AIDS deaths outnumber malaria and TB: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 5, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 5 November (PLUSNEWS) - Kenya s Ministry of Health is concerned that HIV/AIDS has overtaken tuberculosis (TB) and malaria as the leading cause of deaths in the country, a local newspaper, The Nation reported. It is estimated that m
SWAZILAND: Construction declines as impact of HIV/AIDS builds up: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 5, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MBABANE, 5 November (PLUSNEWS) - The rate of construction in Swaziland has more than halved as a result of the AIDS pandemic, as property owners and small businesses are forced to spend more money on medical bills and funerals. According to
SOUTH AFRICA: TAC takes govt to court over ARV rollout timetable: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 4, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s AIDS lobby group, the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), on Thursday confronted the health department in court over an implementation timetable for the country s national treatment plan. According to the la
BOTSWANA: President promises attack on AIDS and poverty: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 4, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Botswana s President Festus Mogae pledged to tackle HIV/AIDS and poverty as he began his second and final term as leader earlier this week, telling the National Assembly that the situation demanded urgent action. Agen
UGANDA: Promise of affordable AIDS drugs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 4, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - A partnership between Uganda s Quality Chemicals and Indian drug manufacturer Cipla will make anti-AIDS drugs more affordable for HIV-positive Ugandans. The managing director of Quality Chemicals, Emmanuel Katongole, sa
NAMIBIA: UN staff publicly tested for HIV: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 4, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - UN officials who were publicly tested for HIV in Namibia s capital, Windhoek, earlier this week, called on political, religious and traditional leaders to do the same. Jacqui Badcock, the UN Development Programme reside
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Region's nurses at risk of HIV infection: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 4, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Nurses in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries are at increasing risk of infection from the number of HIV-positive people admitted to hospitals in the region. This emerged at a workshop on develop
SOUTH AFRICA: HIV discrimination against domestic workers: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 4, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - South African domestic workers who are pressured or tricked into taking HIV tests by employers are often dismissed if they test positive. Although it is illegal to test someone without their consent or fire them because
Africa: Kerry Win Could Benefit Aids Struggle - UN: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 4, 2004; A senior UN official has described the US election as a matter of mortal concern for the people of Africa. Stephen Lewis, the UN special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, told Canadian reporters earlier this week that a win for Senator John Kerry could profoundly affect the world s response to AIDS and change how the White
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS drugs needed for HIV positive children: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 3, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN (PLUSNEWS) - The South African government s refusal to disclose the number of children receiving antiretroviral (ARV) drugs in KwaZulu-Natal province has raised fears among AIDS activists that children s rights to health care and life are
ZAMBIA: Local AIDS drug production expected: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 3, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - People living with HIV/AIDS in Zambia could soon benefit from the local manufacture of anti-AIDS drugs. PHARCO, a pharmaceutical firm partly owned by the government, announced that it was ready to begin a three-month dr
MALAWI: Project encourages female condom use: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 2, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] LILONGWE (PLUSNEWS) - In a move considered to be a breakthrough for the conservative culture of Malawi , a local NGO has been distributing female condoms to schoolgirls in the southern districts - the region worst affected by HIV/AIDS. Hunge
UGANDA: US gives $100 million for HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 2, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The United States has given Uganda an additional funds for HIV/AIDS projects, including programmes to support orphans and other vulnerable children, the US embassy announced in a statement released on Monday.
ETHIOPIA: Church leaders on AIDS awareness road trip: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 2, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Leaders of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church have embarked on a two-week tour of the country s southern provinces to raise awareness about the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The campaign is part of an inter-denominational initiative in
MALAWI: UNAIDS Special Envoy hails rollout efforts: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 1, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 1 November (PLUSNEWS) - UN Special Envoy for AIDS in Africa Stephen Lewis has expressed confidence in Malawi reaching its target under the World Health Organisation s (WHO) plan to provide treatment to three million people by 2005.
UGANDA: US gives US $100 million to combat HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 1, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] KAMPALA, 1 November (PLUSNEWS) - The United States has given Uganda an additional US $100 million to fund HIV/AIDS projects, including programmes to support orphans and other vulnerable children, the US embassy announced in a statement released
AFRICA: Global Fund faces critical shortfall: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 1, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 1 November (PLUSNEWS) - Severe funding shortfalls could mean that the Global Fund will not be able to award new grants in 2005, executive director of the Fund Richard Feachem was reported as saying last week. It would be a major lo
AFRICA: EU to help supply cheaper anti-AIDS drugs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 1, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 1 November (PLUSNEWS) - The European Union (EU) has proposed new laws to export cheaper anti-AIDS drugs to developing countries, the Associated Press news agency reported on Friday. The legislation will allow poor nations facing pu
MALAWI: ARV rollout hampered by Global Fund delays: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 1, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 1 November (PLUSNEWS) - The Malawian government was finding it difficult to access funds from the Global Fund, health officials said over the weekend. During his four-day visit to assess the government s free treatment programme, U
MALAWI: Girls clubs spearhead gender equality: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 29, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] LILONGWE, 29 October (PLUSNEWS) - When 20-year-old Maureen Kumwenda formed an all-girls club in the local township of Area 18 in Malawi s capital, Lilongwe, she faced a lot of resistance from her community. She was accused of being a prostitute
MALAWI: Senior UN official assess government AIDS drug roll out: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 29, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 29 October (PLUSNEWS) - The UN special envoy for AIDS in Africa, Stephen Lewis, began a tour of Malawi this week to assess the government s rollout of free anti-AIDS drugs. Agence France Presse quoted
CAMEROON: More advanced research records lower AIDS rate: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 29, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 29 October (PLUSNEWS) - A new survey released by Cameroon s health ministry indicates a drop in the number of adults living with HIV/AIDS. According to preliminary results from the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS-III) of 11,400
SOUTH AFRICA: People can't be forced onto AIDS drugs - Health Minister: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 29, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 29 October (PLUSNEWS) - South African Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang has defended the poor uptake of the country s free AIDS drug rollout by saying she could not force people to use antiretrovirals. A local newspaper, Bus
CAMEROON: HIV/AIDS New survey shows lower HIV prevalence rate of 5.5 percent: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 28, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] YAOUNDE, 28 October (PLUSNEWS) - A new survey released by Cameroon s health ministry indicates that only 5.5 percent of the country s adult population is infected with the HIV virus that causes AIDS. The government had previously used an estimat
SUDAN: Fears over increase in HIV/AIDS as calm returns to the south: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 28, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] NAIROBI, 28 October (PLUSNEWS) - Following progress in negotiations between the government of Sudan and the rebel group SPLM/A, the anticipated return to peace in the embattled southern Sudan could lead to a further spread of HIV/AIDS, which alr
MOZAMBIQUE: Youth health targeted: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 28, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ZAMBEZIA, 28 October (PLUSNEWS) - As HIV infection continues to climb among Mozambican youth, initiatives are underway to address their specific health concerns. In Gurue, a picturesque town in the central province of Zambezia, 14 year-old Rosin
AFRICA: World leader in AIDS deaths - AU: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 28, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 28 October (PLUSNEWS) - Africa has been hit harder by the HIV/AIDS pandemic than any other continent in the world, delegates to an African Union (AU) seminar in Nigeria heard on Wednesday. The AU representative for Nigeria, Gra
AFRICA: Blair can use G8 to fund AIDS - UN: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 28, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 28 October (PLUSNEWS) - A senior UN official has urged increased funding from the UK to tackle HIV and AIDS in Africa. Launching the Stop AIDS Campaign in London recently, the UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, Stephen Lewis,
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Kiddie AIDS clinics on horizon: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 27, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 27 October (PLUSNEWS) - Drug giant Bristol-Myers Squibb is funding the development of two new paediatric HIV/AIDS clinics in Lesotho and Swaziland through its programme, Secure The Future .
MOZAMBIQUE: US millions pledged for HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 27, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 27 October (PLUSNEWS) - The US plans to fund 14 centres for HIV counselling and testing in Mozambique , as well as various programmes to prevent transmission of the virus from mother to child, the Portuguese news agency, Lusa repor
DRC: War-driven rape fuels AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 27, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 27 October (PLUSNEWS) - Experts are concerned that rape attacks in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are causing the rate of HIV infection to rise. Stephen Bowen, campaigns director of rights group Amnesty International said:
SUDAN: AU soldiers to be checked for AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 27, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 27 October (PLUSNEWS) - Sudan s Ministry of Health has announced that African Union (AU) peacekeepers entering Sudan to monitor a ceasefire deal in crisis-hit Darfur will be checked for HIV. According to the Sudanese Media Centre,
AFRICA: Double impact of TB and AIDS threatens millions: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 27, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 27 October (PLUSNEWS) - The international NGO, Medecins San Frontieres (MSF,) has called for massive global investment in TB treatment and testing to alleviate the double impact of drug-resistant TB and HIV that is threatening mill
ZAMBIA: Health programmes receive US cash boost: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 27, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 27 October (PLUSNEWS) - The US Agency for International Development this week pledged $24 million over the next six years to Zambia for treating drinking water and to combat malaria and HIV/AIDS. According to a statement from t
AFRICA: Reducing HIV risk in breastfeeding: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 27, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 27 October (PLUSNEWS) - For many HIV-positive mothers in resource-poor settings, breastfeeding is often the only option, despite the risk of HIV transmission. The challenge now is for healthcare workers to accept this reality and m
SOUTH AFRICA: Local firm loses government AIDS drug tender: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 26, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 26 October (PLUSNEWS) - South African generic drug manufacturer Thembalami Pharmaceuticals is out of the running in the government s anti-AIDS drug tender. Thembalami, a joint venture between the leading local drug firm, Adcock Ing
BOTSWANA: AIDS drug roll out bearing fruit: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 26, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 26 October (PLUSNEWS) - Health experts have attributed fewer AIDS-related deaths in Botswana to the government s steadily progressing rollout of anti-AIDS drugs. In a new report Botswana s health ministry and the World Health Organ
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS group continues legal battle with government: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 26, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 26 October (PLUSNEWS) - South African AIDS NGO, Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), has dismissed claims that its dropped legal action against the health department. The department said at the weekend that TAC had decided to withdraw
MALAWI: Convicts feign HIV infection to escape jail: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 26, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 26 October (PLUSNEWS) - Incidences of convicts seeking pardon from courts by faking or disclosing their HIV status during litigations is on the rise in Malawi . However, Magistrate Kitty Nkhono said while the pandemic has reached a
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS awareness progressing in Northern Cape: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 26, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 26 October (PLUSNEWS) - HIV/AIDS awareness programmes are only now starting to take effect in the Northern Cape town of Colesberg, halfway between Cape Town and Johannesburg. An estimated daily number of 200 to 300 youth from Coles
SOUTH AFRICA: Increased need for counselling services: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 26, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 26 October (PLUSNEWS) - As a basic understanding of AIDS deepens in South Africa , people are increasingly seeking counselling services to learn how to live with the virus, a new survey has found. Research conducted by the Cent
ANGOLA: Cabinda slowly waking up to HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 26, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] CABINDA, 26 October (PLUSNEWS) - The sleepy town of Cabinda has a forlorn air about it, but few outward signs of the decades-long conflict that has plagued the oil-rich Angolan province. Although Cabinda produces 60 percent of Angola s oil reven
MOZAMBIQUE: Securing an AIDS-free future: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 26, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ZAMBEZIA, 26 October (PLUSNEWS) - A crowd of young Mozambicans gathered under the shade of a tree last week to discuss what they knew about HIV/AIDS, as part of a peer education programme underway in central Zambezia province. Some answered conf
ZAMBIA: Dramatic boost in free AIDS treatment announced: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 25, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 25 October (PLUSNEWS) - Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa has announced plans to scale up the provision of free anti-AIDS drugs from the current 12,000 people to 100,000 by 2005. Although no cost estimate was disclosed, the governme
SOUTH AFRICA: US funds prisons anti-AIDS campaign: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 25, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 25 October (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s Correctional Services Minister Ngconde Balfour has announced a pledge by the United States of more than $600,000 this year to help prisons tackle HIV/AIDS among inmates and officers. A loc
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS drugs boost for Western Cape residents: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 25, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 25 October (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s Western Cape province has received US $70 million from the Global AIDS Fund to provide people in need of antiretrovirals with free medication by the end of next year. A local newspaper, The Ca
UGANDA: Trials date announced for new AIDS drug: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 25, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 25 October (PLUSNEWS) - Uganda is to begin trials on Chemokine Receptor (CCR5), a new anti-AIDS drug that prevents the virus from spreading in infected people, Pfizer Global Pharmaceuticals has announced.
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS treatment reluctance presents barrier: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 25, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 25 October (PLUSNEWS) - In countries like South Africa , where AIDS drugs are freely available, the reluctance to take them has presented an unexpected barrier. The fear of side effects and stigma, widespread scepticism of Western
ERITREA: HIV rate worrying, but stabilising: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 25, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 25 October (PLUSNEWS) - Although low compared to other African countries, Eritrea s more than two percent national HIV prevalence rate is still cause for concern, according to Dominique Mathiot, a UNAIDS country programme ad
UGANDA: NGO disagrees with release of AIDS prisoners: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 25, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 25 October (PLUSNEWS) - Uganda has been releasing prisoners in the advanced stages of AIDS infection because the state is unable to care for them. Inter Press Service quoted Commissioner of Prisons Jethro Mumbuwa as saying: The pr
GABON: Female condoms are subsidised, but not widely advertised: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 21, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] LIBREVILLE (PLUSNEWS) - A sharp cut in the price of female condoms should promote their use in Gabon , one of the Central African countries most affected by HIV/AIDS, medical workers said. In September 2003 the Gabonese Movement for Family Welfa
Namibia: Aids, Drought, Floods, Anthrax And Now, Locusts: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 21, 2004; Katima Mulilo; A bumper harvest in Namibia s northeastern region of Caprivi has not eased the plight of vulnerable groups, aid workers warn. The entire issue is one of accessibility [to food], said the head of the World Food Programme (WFP) in Namibia, Abdirahman Meygag. While there has been a good crop in parts of the region, there
SOUTHERN AFRICA: WFP asks for US $404 million to aid 1.5 million people: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 21, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The World Food Programme on Thursday launched an appeal for US $404 million to support a monthly average of 1.5 million people in five southern African countries affected by food shortages, high HIV/AIDS rates and weake
KENYA: Impoverished community receives HIV/AIDS care: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 21, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Residents of Kibera, a slum in Kenya s capital, Nairobi, are set to benefit from the launch on Thursday of a new health centre that will provide treatment for HIV/AIDS and other illnesses. Kibera South Health Centre, a
ERITREA: Gov't says HIV prevalence stabilising: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 21, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] NAIROBI (PLUSNEWS) - The HIV prevalence in Eritrea has shown a slight decline over the past few years and appears to have stabilised, with survey results showing that the unweighted national prevalence rate has fallen from 2.8 percent in 2001 to
UGANDA: HIV/AIDS training institute opened: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 21, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] KAMPALA (PLUSNEWS) - One of the largest HIV/AIDS training centres in Africa has been opened in the Ugandan capital, Kampala. The institute is designed to treat people suffering from AIDS and train more than 250 health professionals annually on h
KENYA: Basic and HIV/AIDS care for slum dwellers: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 21, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - A new health centre started providing basic healthcare and HIV/AIDS treatment to residents of Kibera, a slum in Kenya s capital, Nairobi on Thursday. Kibera South Health Centre, an initiative by the government and inter
UGANDA: Modern AIDS treatment and training centre opens: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 21, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - One of East Africa s biggest medical and training facilities for HIV/AIDS has opened in Uganda s capital, Kampala. The Infectious Diseases Institute, funded mainly by drug company Pfizer , will offer state
AFRICA: Coordination urged as AIDS vaccine funding sidestepped: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 21, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Health ministers from seven European countries this week called for increased coordination of global HIV/AIDS vaccine research. According to Agence France-Presse, a European Commission representative said the developmen
ZIMBABWE: Rural dwellers shun VCT centres: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 20, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] HARARE (PLUSNEWS) - Few rural Zimbabweans are using the Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) centres, according to the latest Zimbabwe Human Development Report. The US-based NGO, Pact, recorded only 50 to 108 visitors a month at two of its VC
ANGOLA: Empowering young people to prevent HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 20, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] LUANDA (PLUSNEWS) - Wednesday mornings at the Jango youth centre in Viana, just outside the Angolan capital, Luanda, are characterised by the beating drums and clapping that are part of a capoeira class - an energetic Brazilian dance and exercis
AFRICA: War in Iraq sidelines global poverty and AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 20, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The World Bank has expressed concern that terrorism and the war in Iraq are diverting attention from efforts to tackle poverty and HIV/AIDS in developing countries. Addressing the recent African Development Forum in
UGANDA: Free AIDS prevention recalled over quality: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 20, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Uganda s National Drug Authority (NDA) has issued a statement on behalf of the Ministry of Health saying its free condom brand, Engabu, were found to be unsatisfactory, according to a local newspaper, The Monitor. En
SOUTH AFRICA: Cabinet to examine AIDS drug programme success: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 20, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - South African Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang will release a full report to cabinet on her comprehensive HIV/AIDS plan on Thursday. This follows an eight-month legal battle between the health department and the
AFRICA: AIDS-related labour loss predicted: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 20, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Africa could lose one million workers to AIDS annually over the next decade if urgent action is not taken, the 4th African Development Forum (ADF) has warned. The Forum concluded its five-day deliberations in the Ethiop
AFRICA: New Canadian initiative to ease HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 19, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - A major project launched by Canada s Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union aims to ease the impact of HIV/AIDS in Africa. During its 6th National Convention this week, the union announced plans to raise US $500,
AFRICA: Future tied to keeping HIV-positive alive: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 19, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOAHNNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Africa s future depends on the treatment of HIV-positive people, delegates at the African Development Forum in Ethiopia s capital, Addis Ababa, have heard. Former Mozambican prime minister Pascoal Mocumbi previewed like
AFRICA: AIDS song to accelerate MDGs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 19, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOAHNNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Salif Keita is one of 18 African musicians who released a song this week to spark action against poverty and HIV/AIDS on the continent. The song We are the drums is part of the Africa 2015 initiative led by the United N
SOUTH AFRICA: HIV-positive Muslims warned against fasting: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 19, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOAHNNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - South African Muslims in the advanced stages of AIDS infection and on treatment have been cautioned against fasting during the current religious month of Ramadan. South Africa s Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) fears that
Sudan: HIV/Aids Swell Feared When Refugees Return - UNFPA: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 18, 2004; The anticipated return of hundreds of thousands of Sudanese refugees, once peace comes back to the south and west, could lead to a further spread of HIV/AIDS which already affects 2.6 percent of the general population, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) warned in a report. HIV-infection in Sudan, according to UNFPA, is alr
AFRICA: 'Three by five' hampered by slow cash flow: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 18, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 18 October (PLUSNEWS) - Plans by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to provide anti-AIDS treatment to millions people in developing nations by the end of next year are falling behind due to the slow spending of funds. The WHO goal
SOUTH AFRICA: Population shrinkage caused by HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 18, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 18 October (PLUSNEWS) - Academics have warned that South Africa s population may be growing at only a third of the official estimate of 1.8 percent per year, due largely to HIV and AIDS. If the latest figures are correct, this coul
SUDAN: Concern over returning refugees: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 18, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 18 October (PLUSNEWS) - Peace in Sudan s south and west could lead to an uptick in the spread of HIV/AIDS by returning refugees, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) has warned. The fact that many Sudanese will return to their homes from
NAMIBIA: New hope for Caprivi with launch of AIDS treatment: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 15, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] KATIMA MULILO (PLUSNEWS) - Stigma keeps people in denial over HIV and AIDS. They are silent about their fears, too afraid to change, and wait far too long before seeking medical help. Where there is no treatment option, especially in conservativ
ZAMBIA: ADF eases effect of AIDS and poverty on children: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 15, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The African Development Fund (ADF), a concessional window of the African Development Bank, has earmarked over US $20 million for a programme to ease the impact of HIV/AIDS and poverty on Zambian children. A combination
SOUTH AFRICA: Additional AIDS treatment sites in Gauteng: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 15, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The health department of South Africa s Gauteng Province this week began providing anti-AIDS treatment at seven new sites. A local newspaper, the Sunday Times, quoted provincial health minister Gwen Ramokgopa as saying:
AFRICA: Dutch millions pledged to Global AIDS Fund: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 15, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - In response to an appeal from former South African president Nelson Mandela, the Dutch government has followed Sweden s lead and pledged US $6 million to the Global AIDS Fund. The director of the Dutch government s UN a
LIBYA: US backs conversion of weapons plant to AIDS drug plant: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 15, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The US has agreed to help Libya convert its Rabta chemical weapons plant near the capital, Tripoli, into a factory for drugs to treat AIDS, malaria and other infectious diseases. According to the Washington Times, t
ZIMBABWE: Hair salons come to rescue of female condom: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 14, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] BULAWAYO, 14 October (PLUSNEWS) - Besides styling hair, Zimbabwean hairdressers are now making waves by promoting the female condom as a protective device against HIV/AIDS. After struggling for six years to sell the contraceptive sheath, partly
MALAWI: "Capacity shortfall" could derail ARV rollout: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 14, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] LILONGWE, 14 October (PLUSNEWS) - As the recipient of a significant amount of donor funding for HIV/AIDS, money is no longer seen as a constraint to Malawi s treatment programme, officials told PlusNews. But the country is now faced with a seri
AFRICA: Full impact of AIDS yet to be felt - UN Commission: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 14, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ADDIS ABABA, 14 October (PLUSNEWS) - Africa must brace itself for the AIDS time bomb that has killed 20 million people but whose full impact could still be a decade away. According to a special commission set up by UN Secretary-General Kofi Anna
GAMBIA: Free AIDS treatment programme launched: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 14, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 14 October (PLUSNEWS) - A free anti-AIDS drug programme launched this week in Gambia will benefit 150 people living with HIV and AIDS, the country s Medical Research Council has announced. According to council director Dr Sam Mc
UGANDA: Drugs and alcohol a danger to HIV-positive people: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 14, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 14 October (PLUSNEWS) - A Ugandan AIDS expert has suggested that addressing alcohol and drug abuse by HIV-positive people could prove useful in tackling the pandemic. The national coordinator for HIV testing and counselling, Dr Zai
AFRICA: HIV/AIDS explosion looming - UN: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 14, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 14 October (PLUSNEWS) - Africa is on the verge of an HIV/AIDS explosion as 8,000 people now become infected daily, the UN warned on Thursday. Alan Whiteside, a member of the Commission on HIV/AIDS and Governance in Africa, told a c
Africa's bleakest days are yet to come: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 13, 2004; Africa s cemeteries are filled beyond capacity because of the HIV/Aids pandemic, Ethiopian President Girma Wolde-Giorgis told experts meeting in the capital, Addis Ababa, on Tuesday to discuss combating the spread of the virus. Opening a session of the Commission on HIV/Aids and Governance in Africa (CHGA), a UN-inspir
Gambia: 150 Aids Patients to Benefit From Pilot ARV Programme: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 13, 2004; About 150 people living with AIDS in the Gambia will benefit from free anti-retroviral therapy in a pilot programme launched by the government this week, Doctor Sam McConkey, a director of the government s Medical Research Council, said on Wednesday. During the first phase of the programme a group of 15 to 20 people wo
GAMBIA: Free AIDS treatment programme launched: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 13, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - A free anti-AIDS drug programme launched this week in Gambia will benefit 150 people living with HIV and AIDS, the country s Medical Research Council has announced. According to council director Dr Sam McConkey, between
UGANDA: Drugs and alcohol a danger to HIV-positive people: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 13, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - A Ugandan AIDS expert has suggested that addressing alcohol and drug abuse by HIV-positive people could prove useful in tackling the pandemic. The national coordinator for HIV testing and counselling, Dr Zainab Akol, wa
AFRICA: HIV/AIDS explosion looming - UN: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 13, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Africa is on the verge of an HIV/AIDS explosion as 8,000 people now become infected daily, the UN warned on Thursday. Alan Whiteside, a member of the Commission on HIV/AIDS and Governance in Africa, told a conference in
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS drug firms renege on price promise: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 13, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Activists have urged pharmaceutical companies not to raise AIDS drug prices in South Africa when acting on the government s new medicine pricing regulations. According to new regulations, manufacturers are required to c
SOUTH AFRICA: Health worker shortage fuelled by AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 13, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The rising number of HIV/AIDS infections in the country s health sector means South Africa is in urgent need of more nurses, a study by the South African Medical Journal has found. According to a South African Press
AFRICA: UN highlights AIDS devastation: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 13, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - A senior UN official has warned that famine in Africa could worsen unless action was taken to tackle HIV/AIDS. UNAIDS executive director Peter Piot made the statement during a conference of the UN Commission on HIV/AIDS
ZIMBABWE: Global AIDS Fund accused of political bias: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 13, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Zimbabwe s Health Minister, David Parirenyatwa, has again accused the Global AIDS Fund of political bias following rejection of his country s appeal for funding. Zimbabwe recently appealed an earlier rejection of its HI
Lesotho: Coping in the midst of crisis: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 12, 2004; The impoverished mountain kingdom of Lesotho has experienced three consecutive years of drought-induced food shortages. Irin spoke to three people about how their lives have been affected by the crisis. Ishmael Nthlomo, 53, is part of a World Food Programme (WFP) food-for-work project in Tsoeneng, southwest of the capi
AFRICA: Experts explore rural impact of AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 12, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ADDIS ABABA (PLUSNEWS) - Africa s cemeteries are filled beyond capacity because of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, Ethiopian President Girma Wolde-Giorgis told experts meeting in the capital, Addis Ababa, on Tuesday to discuss combating the spread of the
ZIMBABWE: Global Fund rejects appeal, denies political bias: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 12, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Zimbabwe s request for funding from the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria has again been rejected. Last week Zimbabwe appealed the Fund s earlier rejection of its HIV/AIDS and TB grant proposa
SOUTH AFRICA: Recommit against AIDS stigma - Zuma: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 12, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - South African Deputy President Jacob Zuma has called for a public recommitment to tackle AIDS-related stigma and promote positive attitudes to affected individuals and families. Zuma was addressing a recent anniversary
UGANDA: President's new attack on condoms in AIDS battle: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 12, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOAHNNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has again cautioned the public against condoms in tackling sexually transmitted infections (STI s) like HIV/AIDS. During recent independence day celebrations the president said condoms
SOUTH AFRICA: High percentage of unsafe sex despite AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 12, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Some 58 percent of South Africans are having unprotected sex despite the risk of contracting HIV, condom manufacturer Durex revealed in its annual global sex survey. According to the South African Press Association, the
AFRICA: AIDS prevention and support forgets rural dwellers: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 12, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Delegates at a conference of the UN Commission on HIV/AIDS and Governance in Africa (CHGA), being held in Ethiopia , have heard that Africa s rural communities are being forgotten. According to CHGA Secretary-Genera
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS stigma a major challenge in public service: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 12, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - HIV/AIDS stigma is still an issue in South Africa s Public Service Department, delegates at a Johannesburg conference on Health and Wellness in the Public Service Workplace have heard. Although the department is conside
Africa: Millions Lack Access to ARVs - UN Study: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 12, 2004; The United Nations Commission on HIV/AIDS and Governance in Africa (CHGA) is to meet later this week in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, to discuss how treatment for people living with the virus could be scaled up, as a new report shows that millions of Africans lack access to potentially life-saving antiretroviral
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS orphan village planned: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 12, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - An organisation in South Africa s KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province plans to build an AIDS orphan village to take the burden off grandmothers, who are frequently the main caretakers of an ever-growing number of these childre
MOZAMBIQUE: Religious leaders tackle AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 11, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MAPUTO (PLUSNEWS) - In an unprecedented show of solidarity, 16 faith-based organisations in Mozambique have united to tackle the HIV/AIDS epidemic, coming up with a national action plan. Faith-based Organisations (FBOs) can make a big difference
SOUTH AFRICA: Progress threatened by AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 11, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Progress made by South Africa since the inception of democracy in 1994 could be reversed by HIV and AIDS, according to Minister of Provincial and Local Government Sydney Mufamadi. The minister told an AIDS gathering
ZAMBIA: Japan to increase AIDS funding: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 11, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Zambia has been included in Japan s increased budgetary allocation for African countries hard-hit by HIV/AIDS. The cumulative total amount of JICA s allocation to Zambia is US $340 million, the third highest amount give
SOUTH AFRICA: Renewed Global Fund appeals in pipeline: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 11, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s National AIDS Council (SANAC) will renew its grant appeal to the Global AIDS Fund next year. SANAC received US $18 million of the total $64 million made available by the Fund during the first three rounds
AFRICA: AIDS major obstacle in child deaths - UN: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 11, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) has warned that HIV/AIDS is a major obstacle to countries fulfilment of the UN Millennium Goal of reducing child mortality rates by two-thirds by 2015. In its annual Progress for Children
AFRICA: AIDS impact on rural people under discussion: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 11, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - HIV/AIDS and the impact on Africa s rural populations is currently under discussion in Ethiopia s capital, Addis Ababa. The meeting was convened by the Commission on HIV/AIDS and Governance in Africa (CHGA) to exchange
South Africa: HIV/Aids Care Centre Not Being Fully Utilised: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 8, 2004; An HIV/AIDS care facility in South Africa s KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province is not being fully utilised because people do not know it exists. Two-thirds of the 240 beds at the Dream Centre, a step-down-care facility, are standing empty - despite the fact that the institution is located in the province with the highest HIV
Uganda: Policy On HIV-Testing for Children Reviewed: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 8, 2004; The Ugandan government is reviewing its policy on HIV-voluntary counselling and testing for children following recommendations by experts that disclosure of a child s sero-status should only be done by a person with whom the child feels most comfortable. Currently, a Ugandan below the age of 18 years is legally a child
Southern Africa: HIV/Aids Remains a Big Child Killer: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 8, 2004; HIV/AIDS remains one of the main causes of child mortality globally, with Botswana , Zimbabwe and Swaziland recording the second, third and fourth fastest increases in under-five deaths in the world, according to a UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) report released on Friday.
Kenya: Overwhelming Rush for HIV Testing: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 8, 2004; HIV/AIDS voluntary counselling and testing centres in Kenya are being overwhelmed by people wanting to know their status. According to the media agency, African Women and Child Feature Services, the demand at Kenyatta Hospital in the capital, Nairobi, was so high that people were being placed on a three-week waiting li
Africa: Millions Pumped Into Global Aids Fund: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 8, 2004; Sweden has pledged more than US $2 million to the Global AIDS Fund in response to an appeal from former South African President Nelson Mandela. The latest cash boost brings Sweden s contribution to the Fund to just over $75 million since 2004. South African news agency, BuaNews, quoted the Swedish Minister for Intern
SWAZILAND: Men urged to take more responsibility in curbing HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 7, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MBABANE (PLUSNEWS) - Heterosexual men need to take more responsibility for trying to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa, according to regional health experts. At a workshop held in Swaziland s capital, Mbabane, on Thursday, health wo
SWAZILAND: Men urged to reduce effects of AIDS on women: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 7, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - A workshop by the Commonwealth Secretariat s Health Section in Swaziland is seeking greater involvement from men in reducing the spread and impact of HIV/AIDS among women. The Secretariat s chief HIV/AIDS programme off
SOUTH AFRICA: HIV testing encouraged through theatre: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 7, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers Union (SACTWU) is using theatre to encourage HIV testing among its members in KwaZulu-Natal province. Five retrenched textile workers were employed by SACTWU to perform
ANGOLA: Rise in AIDS rates recorded: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 7, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Results from a study on HIV prevalence, which is underway in Angola , will be released at the end of December, the Ministry of Health has announced. Although rates are currently estimated between five and seven percent
AFRICA: Multimillion AIDS programme approved for refugees: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 7, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - A sub-regional health programme for refugees in the West African countries of Guinea , Liberia , Sierra Leone and Cote d Ivoire will help them attain the UN
Central African Republic: Reviving Post-War Agriculture an Uphill Battle: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 7, 2004; Although the Central African Republic (CAR) has experienced relative calm one and a half years since a coup d etat on 15 March 2003, the country is yet to fully recover from more than a decade of civil strife that had adversely affected all aspects of life across the country. Illiteracy, food shortages, poverty and
South Africa: Using Theatre to Encourage HIV Testing: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 6, 2004; A trade union in South Africa s KwaZulu-Natal province has launched a theatre project to encourage more union members to know their status by coming forward to be tested for HIV. The Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers Union (SACTWU) AIDS Project has employed five retrenched workers from the textile industry
Africa: Denmark to Allocate Additional Aids Funds: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 6, 2004; Although Denmark already directs 60 percent of its bilateral aid to Africa, it promised on Tuesday to allocate additional funds to tackle HIV and AIDS. Agence France-Presse quoted the Danish Prime Minister, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, as saying: AIDS constitutes the largest individual threat to the populations of Africa.
South Africa: Poor Turnout Hampers HIV Vaccine Trials: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 6, 2004; The low turnout of respondents for South Africa s HIV vaccine trials is threatening to undermine research efforts launched almost a year ago. According to researchers from the Medical Research Council (MRC), the fear of AIDS-related stigma and discrimination from communities had prevented people from taking part. De
Cote d'Ivoire: West Struggles Against Rebels And Aids: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 6, 2004; Cote d Ivoire s rebel-held western town of Man is bracing itself for an invasion of a different nature - HIV and AIDS. Current research on how many people are HIV-positive is vague, but experts are concerned that prevalence rates could be alarmingly high. Although foreign NGOs provide basic healthcare that does not inc
South Africa: Vaccine Research Struggles to Find Trial Participants: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 5, 2004; South African HIV vaccine research efforts are being threatened by the low number of people willing to participate in trials, said the Medical Research Council (MRC). According to researchers from the MRC in the port city of Durban, the fear of stigma and discrimination from their communities prevented people from taki
Cote d'Ivoire: Aids Prevention Measures Collapse in Rebel-Held City: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 5, 2004; First came the rebel movement. After the Ivorian rebels, the Liberian mercenaries swept in. Now, the western town of Man is bracing itself for another invasion. AIDS is lurking at the city gates. Nobody knows exactly how many people are affected. But everybody agrees that the prevalence rate must be alarmingly high.
Uganda: Global Fund Gives $70 Million for ARVs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 5, 2004; The Ugandan government s efforts to scale up anti-retroviral (ARVs) drugs to cater for about 120,000 people living with HIV/AIDS, received a boost with the donation on Friday of US $70.35 million dollars from the Global Fund on Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The funds will also help the East African country offer assi
Lesotho: Lack of Revenue Could Sink Anti-Aids Policy: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 5, 2004; Lesotho s lack of a sound revenue base could render its well-drafted anti-AIDS policy meaningless, a new report has found. Responding to the epidemic without a meaningful national economy would be a formidable challenge for Lesotho s policymakers, the Institute of Security Studies (ISS) said in it latest report. Re
South Africa: Government Loses Years in Aids Fight: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 5, 2004; South Africa has lost years in the HIV/AIDS battle by ignoring plans drawn up by its apartheid-era predecessor, said former president FW de Klerk. According to De Klerk, his health minister, Rina Venter, drew up a detailed action plan on the challenges of the pandemic before the first democratic election. That a
South Africa: HIV/Aids Hampers Fat Reduction Efforts: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 5, 2004; As South Africa prepares to unleash a new offensive on obesity, perceptions that thin people are HIV-positive threatens to hamper the battle. Doctor Thandi Puoane, a researcher at the School of Public Health at the University of the Western Cape, said surveys in the Eastern and Western Cape showed that fat was associat
Kenya: Large Corporate Aids Programme in Final Phase: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 5, 2004; Barclays Bank will complete its national workplace HIV/AIDS rollout programme in Kenya this month. The final phase of what is believed to be the largest private sector initiative of its kind will target the bank s business divisions in Coast Province and parts of Eastern Kenya. A local newspaper, The Nation, quoted
Uganda: Authorities Defend Free Condom Brand: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 5, 2004; Uganda s National Drug Authority (NDA) has defended the quality of Engabu, its free condom brand, according to a local newspaper, The Monitor. Engabu s safety and quality were highlighted at a recent HIV/AIDS workshop in the capital, Kampala, where experts said the condoms were questionable as an effective prevention o
Uganda: Global Fund Boosts Aids Treatment Access: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 5, 2004; A pledge of more than US $70 million from the Global AIDS Fund will boost Uganda s efforts to scale up anti-AIDS treatment. According to the BBC, the government said over 40 percent of the funds would be used to procure health and non-health supplies from outside the country. Uganda has had considerable success in redu
Lesotho: Challenges in Implementing Anti-Aids Policy: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 4, 2004; The Lesotho government has drafted an impressive anti-AIDS policy, but the country s lack of a sound revenue base and inadequate capacity could render it meaningless, a new report has found. Lesotho, a small mountain kingdom surrounded by South Africa , is in the grip of an HIV/AIDS emergency.
Cameroon: Global Fund Millions Bring Cheaper Aids Drugs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 4, 2004; Cameroon s Ministry of Health reduced the cost of anti-AIDS drugs on Friday from just over US $55 to around $13 per person per month. According to the Pan African News Agency, Health Minister Urbain Olanguena Awono attributed the reduction to a Global AIDS Fund pledge of more than $94 million. Ten sites have been desig
Kenya: Cosmos Clinches Another Aids Drug Deal: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 4, 2004; The Kenyan drug firm, Cosmos, has been granted a license by German pharmaceutical giant Boehringer Ingelheim to produce generic versions of its patented anti-AIDS drug, Nevirapine, for resale across east Africa and in Rwanda and Burundi . Cosmos will produce Nevirapine in combinatio
Uganda: Few On Aids Treatment Despite Low Cost: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 4, 2004; Cheaper antiretrovirals in Uganda have resulted in an increased number of people on treatment, the Ministry of Health has announced. A local newspaper, New Vision, quoted Health Minister Jim Muhwezi, as saying: The cost of the drugs has dropped from US $31 to $16 for a month s treatment - more people can afford them.
South Africa: Best Healthcare for HIV-Positive Gold Miners: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 4, 2004; South Africa s largest gold mining company, Harmony, estimates that up to a third of its workforce are living with HIV and AIDS, according to a local newspaper, Business Day. In its latest annual report, the company noted that the incidence of HIV/AIDS in South Africa poses risks to Harmony in terms of potentially redu
NIGERIA: Closer examination of AIDS dementia urged: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 1, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 1 October (PLUSNEWS) - Nigerian health care workers have been urged to pay greater attention to the mental condition of people living with HIV and AIDS, a local newspaper, The Daily Champion, reported. The director of the Lagos Med
AFRICA: AIDS treatment advances forget children: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 1, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 1 October (PLUSNEWS) - Paediatric AIDS care experts are concerned that HIV-positive children in sub-Saharan Africa are not benefiting from the enormous strides made in treating HIV-positive adults. According to Richard Marlink, the
NIGERIA: Funding released for "ambitious" AIDS plan: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 1, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 1 October (PLUSNEWS) - The US this week released $200 million to Nigeria for the nationwide scaling-up of its anti-AIDS treatment programme. Nigerian Health Minister Eyitayo Lambo recently announced $248 million was needed to have
AFRICA: Pope says AIDS "pathology of the spirit": Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 30, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - People living with HIV and AIDS in Africa need moral, spiritual and medical help, Pope John Paul II has said. In his annual message for the World Day of the Sick, published on Thursday by the Vatican, the Pope said in i
UGANDA: WFP feeds thousands of HIV-positive: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 30, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 30 September (PLUSNEWS) - The World Food Programme (WFP) is feeding more than 18,650 HIV-positive people in Uganda , a local NGO, The AIDS Support Organisation (TASO), has announced. During its recent annual general meeting, TASO c
MOZAMBIQUE: UN urges religious leaders to join AIDS battle: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 30, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - A probable increase in the number of AIDS orphans in Mozambique has caused the UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) to seek assistance from the country s religious leaders. During a recent two-day conference, the agency urged mo
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS costs retailer millions: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 30, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The South African food and clothing retailer, Woolworths, has revealed that 6 percent of its 13,500 workforce are HIV-positive. Although the figure is considerably lower than the prevalence rate in the general populatio
MADAGASCAR: Free condoms to tackle HIV and AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 30, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - In a bid to promote safe sex and curb the spread of HIV and AIDS, Madagascar has announced plans to distribute 15 million free condoms in 2005. Fenosoa Ratsimanetrimanana, executive secretary of the national AIDS commit
AFRICA: Rock star urges action against AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 30, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Irish rock star Bono told the annual conference of the UK s Labour Party on Wednesday that HIV/AIDS was killing thousands of Africans daily because rich nations were failing the people. Reuter quoted Bono as saying: 6,
Zambia: Italian Aids Drug Firm to Treat Thousands: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 29, 2004; Zambia has licensed a foreign drug manufacturer to produce anti-AIDS drugs for the benefit of thousands of HIV-positive people. The Italian company, PHARCO Limited, was confident its manufacturing capacity would help the government reach its target of having 100,000 people on antiretroviral treatment by the end of 20
South Africa: Cell Phones to Ease Aid Treatment Monitoring: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 29, 2004; New mobile phone technology is helping South Africa s health workers monitor AIDS drug adherence and spot complications in HIV-positive patients. The Cell-Life project, backed by local mobile phone giant Vodacom, has just completed a successful run across townships in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces, where
South Africa: North West Meets Aids Treatment Target: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 29, 2004; More than 1,000 people in South Africa s North West province are receiving anti-AIDS drugs since the health department started its rollout programme four months ago, the provincial health department has announced. The programme is currently operational at three of four identified health sites and over 1,200 health work
Uganda: Aids Leading Cause of Death in War-Ravaged North - World Vision: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 28, 2004; AIDS is killing three times more people in northern Uganda than the ongoing violence there, World Vision International said on Monday, adding that the 18-year conflict between the Ugandan army and rebels of the Lord s Resistance Army (LRA) was to blame for the high infection rates. World Vision found that HIV/AIDS
Uganda: HIV/Aids Success Threatened By War - Report: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 28, 2004; HIV/AIDS rates in northern Uganda are higher than the rest of the country due to ongoing civil war, says a new report by the international aid agency, World Vision. Massive displacement, poverty, lack of healthcare, and the high prevalence of rape as a weapon of war have all contributed to the high number of HIV infect
South Africa: Glaxo Aids Drug Price Probe Proceeds: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 28, 2004; Investigations by South Africa s Competition Tribunal into the pricing of GlaxoSmithKline s (GSK) anti-AIDS drugs will proceed, despite GSK citing a complaint by the US-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) as unfounded and without merit . The foundation, which runs an AIDS clinic in KwaZuluNatal Province, lodged the
South Africa: Aids NGO Targets Rural Youngsters: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 28, 2004; South African youth AIDS NGO, LoveLife, has launched a new initiative in the KwaZulu-Natal province. LoveLife s Body Y programme will grant young people access to health information and services, including contraceptives, treatment for sexually transmitted infections and voluntary counselling and testing for HIV. D
COTE D IVOIRE: AIDS treatment access hampered by civil strife: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 28, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 28 September (PLUSNEWS) - Cote d Ivoire s target of having 63,000 HIV-positive people on treatment by the end of 2005 will fail because of fighting in parts of the country, a UN official has said. UNAIDS country adviser
Cote d'Ivoire: Civil War Hinders Planned Expansion of Aids Treatment: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 27, 2004; Cote d Ivoire will fail to reach its target of extending anti-retroviral (ARV) therapy to 63,000 people living with AIDS by the end of 2005, since hospitals and health centres have been destroyed by fighting in the west of the country and medical staff have fled the rebel-held north,
South Africa: Zuma Criticised On Aids Virginity Testing: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 27, 2004; South African opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), has slammed Deputy president Jacob Zuma s recent call for virginity testing as an HIV/AIDS prevention method. Zuma recently encouraged young girls to take part in the practice, saying it could curb the spread of the HI virus and reduce teenage pregnancies.
Ethiopia: Interview With WHO Assistant Director-General: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 27, 2004; Jack Chow is the Assistant Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO). During a recent visit to Ethiopia he highlighted the combined-global threat from HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, two of the world s leading killers claiming 13,000 lives a day, and told IRIN that billions of productive dollars are being lost
South Africa: Countering the Impact of Child Abuse: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 27, 2004; The prevalence of sexual violence, particularly among children, has led an NGO in South Africa s KwaZulu-Natal province to focus on informing children about their rights and what to do in case of abuse. Operation Bobbi Bear has been working near Amanzimtoti on the Natal South Coast to break the silence surrounding the
Botswana: US Ambassador Predicts Ultimate Aids Victory: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 27, 2004; The US ambassador to Botswana , Joseph Huggins, says the country may ultimately win the battle against HIV and AIDS, although it could be a slow and mammoth process, according a local newspaper, The Daily News. Addressing a recent HIV/AIDS gathering in the Ngamiland district in the north of the country, Huggins said kn
SOUTH AFRICA: A health system under pressure: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 24, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 24 September (PLUSNEWS) - As South Africa rolls out its national treatment programme, the country continues to lose skilled healthcare professionals to wealthier nations abroad, leaving severe shortages in an already over-stretched
MOZAMBIQUE: Sant'Egidio ARV programme records success: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 24, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MAPUTO, 24 September (PLUSNEWS) - Mozambique plans to have 8,000 people living with AIDS on free triple-therapy antiretroviral (ARV) treatment through its public health system by the end of the year. Although this is only a small proportion
South Africa: E Cape Treats More Than Half of 2005 Aids Target: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 23, 2004; South Africa s Eastern Cape provincial health department has announced its anti-AIDS treatment programme is on track. The department said 1,524 HIV-positive people were receiving antiretrovirals, representing 55 percent of its projected target of 2,750 people on treatment by March next year. The South African Press ass
Africa: UN Fundraising Could Help Millions of Aids Orphans: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 23, 2004; The UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) has announced plans to launch a billion dollar global fundraising campaign to benefit orphans living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. UNICEF HIV/AIDS advisor Peter McDermott said: Our target is to reach 10 million orphans and assist them to get access to schools, have food, and meet other
South Africa: Gauteng Confident About Aids Treatment Goal: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 23, 2004; The health department of South Africa s Gauteng province is confident about meeting its target of treating 10,000 HIV positive people by March next year. Provincial Health Minister Gwen Ramokgopa said more than 5,000 people had been receiving treatment since the government rolled out its antiretroviral programme in Apr
Kenya: Green Light for Generic Aids Drug Production: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 23, 2004; Kenyan drug firm Cosmos was granted permission on Wednesday to produce generic versions of pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline s (GSK) patented anti-AIDS drugs. The voluntary license will enable Cosmos to manufacture the generic drugs Zidovudine and Lamivudine , as well as a combination of the two, Combiver.
COTE D IVOIRE: Private AIDS clinic brings hope to Abidjan slum: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 23, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ABIDJAN, 23 September (PLUSNEWS) - For Swiss-born Lotti Latrous, founder of a private AIDS clinic in the slums of Abidjan, Cote d Ivoire s economic hub, the cup is never half empty, but always half full. In other words, she is an optimist.
KENYA: AIDS drugs to be manufactured within weeks: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 23, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] NAIROBI, 23 September (PLUSNEWS) - A Kenyan pharmaceutical company will start manufacturing and selling generic versions of anti-retroviral AIDS (ARVs) medications in the approaching weeks, a move that is expected to make the drugs considerably
Swaziland: Grassroots Approach to Orphan Care: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 22, 2004; The Swazi government and the United Nations Children s fund (UNICEF) are canvassing the country s 55 rural districts in a novel initiative to collect ideas for developmental programmes aimed at orphans and vulnerable children. Key to these grassroots-generated ideas is the identification of responsible volunteers and a
Botswana: Main Referral Hospital Facing Crisis: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 22, 2004; A major hospital in Botswana is struggling to cope with the mounting pressure of staff and resource shortages, the HIV/AIDS crisis and a high rate of road accidents. The Princess Marina hospital was initially meant to be a referral facility for districts south of the capital, Gaborone, but has evolved into a national r
Mozambique: New Protocol for Malnutrition Management to Save Lives: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 22, 2004; Improved measures to tackle acute malnutrition in Mozambique are expected to save the lives of thousands of children and adults. During a five-day workshop supported by the UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) last week, about 100 health workers in the capital, Maputo, adopted a protocol outlining step-by-step guidelines for th
Africa: Thousands Dying Due to Failure of Coordination Against Fatal Diseases: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 22, 2004; Half a million Africans die each year because of a failure to coordinate the fight against HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis (TB), the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday. Jack Chow, WHO Assistant Director General, said joint treatment of the world s two leading killer diseases would save thousands of lives. Ac
South Africa: Businesses to Be Forced Into Aids Action: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 22, 2004; South Africa s largest mining company, Anglo American, has warned that new measures to compel AIDS action by all businesses could be introduced, a local newspaper, Business Day, reported. This was due to an apparent lack of interest by local companies in tackling HIV/AIDS, delegates heard on Tuesday at the launch of th
South Africa: More Than Five Million Aids Deaths Predicted By 2011: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 22, 2004; HIV/AIDS-related illnesses could kill more than five million South Africans by 2011, with the figure rising to nine or 10 million by 2021, new research suggests. The University of South Africa (UNISA) report, A Projection of the South African Population, 2001 to 2021 , estimates that the annual number of deaths between
South Africa: Aids Report Takes Political Party to Court: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 22, 2004; South African opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), has under the Promotion of Access to Information Act applied for the release of the 2003 HIV/AIDS and Syphilis Sero-prevalence Report. DA health spokesman Ryan Coetzee was quoted by the South African Press Association as saying: The report is a critical tool
Nigeria: Many People in Aids Denial: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 22, 2004; Nigeria plans to expand its HIV/AIDS awareness campaign by raising the number of information-dissemination outlets from 20 to 40. According to Babatunde Osotimehin, chairman of the National Action Committee on HIV/AIDS (NACA), most Nigerians did not believe HIV and AIDS were real. A local newspaper, This Day, quo
Zambia: US Millions Earmarked for Aids Care: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 22, 2004; A community-based project in Zambia is set to target over 500,000 people living with HIV and AIDS over six months, according to a local newspaper, the Daily Mail. US $34 million has been made available to Reaching HIV/AIDS Affected People with Integrated Development and Support by the US President s Emergency Plan for
AFRICA: Thousands dying due to failure of coordination against fatal diseases: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 22, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ADDIS ABABA, 22 September (PLUSNEWS) - Half a million Africans die each year because of a failure to coordinate the fight against HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis (TB), the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday. Jack Chow, WHO Assistant Direc
South Africa: Youth Turn to Activism On Campus: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 21, 2004; Gabriel Mahlangu is pleased with his work: 400 condoms handed out in half an hour. It s Friday and students at Vista University in Mamelodi township near Pretoria are making weekend plans. Mahlangu s black T-shirt with the logo future leaders @ work labels him as a volunteer with the Centre for the Study of AIDS (CSA)
Ethiopia: Leaders Urged to Publicly Test for HIV/Aids: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 21, 2004; Ethiopia needs to expand its voluntary HIV/AIDS counselling and testing (VCT) centres to stem the tide of the pandemic, Julie Gerberding, a senior US health official, urged on Monday. Gerberding, director of the Centre for Disease Control, also called on public figures to have public tests to help in ending stigma su
Africa: Greater Commitment, More Funding Urged for Treatment: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 21, 2004; Despite a broad commitment to combating the spread of HIV/AIDS on the continent, African governments spend far too little of their own funds on intervention programmes, a new study has found. A review of national budgets included in Funding the Fight: Budgeting for HIV/AIDS in Developing Countries showed that while man
Africa: Combined HIV And TB Efforts Could Save Many: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 21, 2004; The lives of 500,000 HIV-positive people in Africa could be prolonged each year if they were also treated for tuberculosis (TB), two UN agencies announced on Tuesday. The World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNAIDS said at a meeting this week in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, that about eight million of the estimat
Ghana: Government Worried By Effect of Aids On Women: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 21, 2004; Ghana s Deputy Minister for Women and Children s Affairs, Kofi Poku-Adusei, has expressed concern over the rate at which HIV/AIDS was creating orphans. The Ghana News Agency quoted Poku-Adusei as saying: The new dimension of the disease is the creation of a rapidly growing orphan population ... statistics reveal that m
Mozambique: HIV-Positive to Benefit From New Malnutrition Protocol: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 21, 2004; A new protocol to manage malnutrition among thousands of Mozambican children and adults could also save the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS. We found that if you treat HIV positive patients for severe malnutrition, they respond extremely well under the new protocol: they have the same weight gain and the same rate
Tanzania: Canadian Cash for Aids Care And Treatment: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 21, 2004; Canadian Minister of International Cooperation Aileen Carroll has pledged US $4.5 million on behalf of Canada s International Development Agency (CIDA) to tackle HIV/AIDS in Tanzania . The Minister is visiting the East African country to inspect CIDA-funded projects, which focus on HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and ca
ZIMBABWE: Women and children most vulnerable, UNICEF: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 21, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 21 September (PLUSNEWS) - Faced with diminishing access to basic social services, the effects of three years of drought and the impact of HIV/AIDS, Zimbabwean families are in a desperate struggle to cope, the UN Children s Fund (UN
Madagascar: New Protocol for Malnutrition Management to Save Lives: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 20, 2004; Improved measures to tackle acute malnutrition in Mozambique are expected to save the lives of thousands of children and adults, including those living with HIV/AIDS. During a five-day workshop supported by the UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) last week, about 100 health workers in the capital, Maputo, adopted a protocol ou
SOUTH AFRICA: Risky sex and alcohol abuse - making the connection: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 20, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 20 September (PLUSNEWS) - In a regularly flighted television advert in South Africa , a black screen appears with the words: Good Idea - get some rest. A young girl sleeping innocently then appears. The black screen emerges again w
GABON: Government launches free AIDS helpline: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 20, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] LIBREVILLE, 20 September (PLUSNEWS) - The government of Gabon has set up a free 24-hour telephone information helpline for people seeking information on HIV/AIDS and how to obtain treatment for the disease. The experimental helpline was laun
MOZAMBIQUE: Women four times more affected by AIDS - UNFPA: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 20, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 20 September (PLUSNEWS) - If Mozambique is to halt the spread of HIV/AIDS, it needs a development concept centred on human beings, a UN Population Fund (UNFPA) representative has said. The country representative, Petra Lantz, es
TANZANIA: Joint HIV vaccine initiative with Sweden announced: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 20, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 20 September (PLUSNEWS) - HIV vaccine trials to be conducted in Sweden next month are expected to be extended to Tanzania in 2005. The vaccine, developed under the HIV Vaccine Immunogenicity Study, a European Union-funded partnersh
AFRICA: Global blood safety threatened by AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 20, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 20 September (PLUSNEWS) - The spread of HIV/AIDS and other blood-borne diseases, including hepatitis B and C, is threatening global blood safety, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned. Shigeru Omi, WHO regional director fo
SOUTH AFRICA: Findings on traditional anti-AIDS medicine to be announced: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 20, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 20 September (PLUSNEWS) - The Medical University of South Africa (MEDUNSA) has announced it is just months away from concluding research on an anti-AIDS traditional medicine. The chief researcher at MEDUNSA s department of family m
Nigeria: Conference to Seek HIV/Aids Solutions: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 17, 2004; An upcoming four-day HIV/AIDS conference in Nigeria aims to stem the increasing rate of HIV/AIDS in Africa. The gathering, titled, HIV/AIDS Pandemic: Implication for Human Development in Africa , will take place in the capital, Abuja, from 21 to 24 September, and is supported by the Federal Ministry of Science and Tech
Africa: Health Issues Neglected in Media Coverage - Report: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 17, 2004; Media coverage of health issues in sub-Saharan Africa has been inadequate in terms of both content and quantity, a new report has found. The International Women s Media Foundation (IWMF) last week released Deadline for Health: The Media s Response to Covering HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria in Africa , in which the African Wo
Zambia: Manufacture of Anti-Aids Drugs Set to Begin: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 17, 2004; A Zambian government initiative to begin the local manufacture of cheap generic antiretroviral (ARV) drugs has been welcomed by AIDS activists. We have been lobbying for affordable drugs for 10 years. This is a dream come true, said coordinator of the Network of Zambian People Living with HIV/AIDS (NZP+), Clement Mfuzi
AFRICA: Government assistance urged on refugee AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 17, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 17 September (PLUSNEWS) - The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has called on Africa s governments to include displaced people in anti-AIDS programmes. The UNHCR regional deputy representative, Fernando Protti-Alvarado, tol
AFRICA: UN foresees destructive effects of AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 17, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 17 September (PLUSNEWS) - The UN has predicted that HIV/AIDS will have destructive effects on virtually every sector of society. In a new report called, The Impact of AIDS , the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) s
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Region slow but tenacious in AIDS fight - UN: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 17, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 17 September (PLUSNEWS) - Southern African countries are showing determination to overcome HIV/AIDS, but many have started too late and hurdles remain, Stephen Lewis, the UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, has said. Briefing
SOUTH AFRICA: Gays neglected in HIV/AIDS campaigns: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 16, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s homosexuals are finding themselves excluded from safe sex campaigns, despite evidence of rising prevalence rates in the gay community. According to research presented at a recently held first African Cong
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Humanitarian crisis crippling public health sector: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 16, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - As a rising number of HIV/AIDS patients turn to already over-stretched public sector facilities, the ongoing humanitarian crisis is undermining the quality of care in Southern Africa s health system. Two years after com
SOUTH AFRICA: Visiting Indian president suggests joint AIDS effort: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 16, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Indian President Abdul Kalam is seeking to join forces with South Africa in tackling HIV and AIDS, as the two countries are estimated to have the highest number of infected people. At a meeting with President Thabo
SOUTH AFRICA: Shock AIDS rates among married people: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 16, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The rate of HIV/AIDS among married couples in South Africa is horrifyingly high compared to global figures, a recent study suggests. The joint research by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) and the University of
AFRICA: Women susceptible to AIDS through lack of contraception: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 16, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The lack of access to contraception in developing countries has resulted in a disproportionate number of HIV-positive women, the UN has said. In its latest report, The State of World Population 2004 , the UN Population
ANGOLA: Study underway to develop AIDS strategies: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 16, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Angola s health ministry has started collecting blood samples from pregnant women to determine the prevalence of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections. The research, supported by the Centres of Disease Cont
TANZANIA: Two million people living with HIV/AIDS - report: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 16, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Out of an estimated 2 million people living with HIV/AIDS in Tanzania , approximately 1.7 million are aged between 15 and 49, the National 2004 AIDS Control Programme report has revealed. Deo Mmari, the permanent se
AFRICA: PEPFAR criticised by AIDS care provider: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 15, 2004; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - A US congressional report has estimated that some 25,000 HIV-positive people in developing countries have started anti-AIDS treatment under the President s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). According to the report, AIDS drugs have already been directly funded for 18,800 people and indi
TANZANIA: HIV/AIDS testing planned for TB patients: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 15, 2004; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Tanzanian health officials have announced plans to screen tuberculosis (TB) patients for HIV/AIDS after research suggested that 44 percent of people with TB were also HIV-positive. Tanzania is one of 22 countries with the highest incidence of TB worldwide, but the national coordinator for TB a
COTE D IVOIRE: Government announces first AIDS survey in fifteen years: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 15, 2004; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Cote d Ivoire will launch a national AIDS survey by November, to formulate strategies for the benefit of people living with HIV/AIDS. The six-month study is to be conducted by the Ministry to Fight AIDS and will cover 10,000 homes in both government and rebel-held areas in the north, where no
SOUTH AFRICA: Rural woman risk HIV for employment: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 15, 2004; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - A new study has found that rural South African women run the same risk of contracting HIV as men when seeking work in urban centres. The research conducted by the UK Department for International Development in the small mining town of Carltonville, southwest of Johannesburg, showed a 46 percen
SOUTH AFRICA: Antiretroviral therapy is cost-effective, says report: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 15, 2004; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - A new study says the benefits of a public sector rollout of antiretroviral therapy (ART) to people living with HIV/AIDS outweigh the costs of not doing so. The report, Cost-effectiveness of Antiretroviral Treatment for HIV-Positive Adults in a South African Township , is based on research cond
GAMBIA: Condom campaign angers Catholic cleric: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 15, 2004; BANJUL (PLUSNEWS) - The Roman Catholic Church has voiced its opposition to the use of condoms to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS in Gambia , challenging a government-backed prevention campaign based on the distribution of cheap contraceptives to the country s youth. Father Edward Gomez, a well-known Catholic priest who
AFRICA: HIV/AIDS taking its toll on population: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 15, 2004; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The HIV/AIDS pandemic will reduce life expectancy in the worst affected African countries to an average of 29 years, a new UN Population Fund (UNFPA) report has said. Although the UNFPA s State of the World Population 2004 report predicts that the world s 50 poorest countries will triple in si
COTE D IVOIRE: Nationwide HIV/AIDS prevalence survey to be launched in November: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 15, 2004; ABIDJAN (PLUSNEWS) - Cote d Ivoire is preparing to launch its first nationwide HIV prevalence survey for fifteen years, covering 10,000 homes in both government and rebel-held areas of the divided country, Mamadou Diallo, the head of UNAIDS in Cote d Ivoire, said on Tuesday. The six-month survey would be launched b
SOUTH AFRICA: Using beaded crafts to talk about HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 14, 2004; DURBAN (PLUSNEWS) - Gender inequalities in rural South Africa have traditionally left women with no voice, but a group of female Zulu doll makers in the KwaZulu-Natal province are now speaking about HIV/AIDS through their craftwork. The women are part of the Siyazama Project ( We are trying in Zulu), an initiative tha
SOUTH AFRICA: Migrant women at much higher risk of HIV/AIDS - new report: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 14, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 14 September (PLUSNEWS) - Rural women seeking work in South Africa s urban centres are as much at risk of contracting HIV as a their male counterparts, a new study has found. Research funded by the UK Department for International D
SOUTH AFRICA: Zulu ritual used as AIDS prevention tool: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 14, 2004; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The monarch of South Africa s KwaZulu-Natal province is in the process of having all the prospective husbands of maidens in the royal reed dance tested for HIV. Princess Thembi, a senior member of the Zulu royal family, made the announcement during this year s ceremony at Nongoma Enyokeni Pala
SOUTH AFRICA: Government forced to disclose AIDS drug plan: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 14, 2004; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The South African AIDS lobby group, Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), is taking the government to court to force it to disclose the targets and timetable for the rollout of free anti-AIDS drugs. Fatima Hassan, a lawyer with the advocacy group, AIDS Law Project (ALP), said they would present the
SOUTH AFRICA: US millions secured for AIDS battle: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 14, 2004; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - A new US cash boost of more than $35 million will help South Africa tackle HIV/AIDS and accelerate social development. This follows the signing on Monday of a development cooperation agreement between the two governments in the capital, Pretoria. US Ambassador Jendayi Frazer said the latest do
SOUTH AFRICA: NGOs to monitor ARV rollout: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 13, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 13 September (PLUSNEWS) - Close to 8,000 South Africans are now receiving anti-AIDS drugs, but several provinces are still not doing enough to rapidly roll out the treatment programme, an NGO coalition has said in a new report.
GHANA: USAID helps people with HIV/AIDS in northern Ghana: [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ACCRA, 13 September (PLUSNEWS) - The United States has launched a US $25 million aid programme in nothern Ghana that includes help for people living with HIV/AIDS, orphans and vulnerable children. The Ghanian Chronicle said on its website th
SOUTH AFRICA: Concern over AIDS rate among healthcare workers: [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 13 September (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s health system, already burdened with a high number of HIV-positive patients, could be dealt a further blow by infections among its medical staff, a recent article in the British Medical Jour
NIGERIA: Multi-million AIDS agreement signed: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 13, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 13 September (PLUSNEWS) - An agreement providing Nigeria with a credit facility of more than US $90 million has been signed by the World Bank to support HIV/AIDS efforts in Africa s most populous country. Jane Miller, the bank
ZAMBIA: Cash injection for rural HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 13, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 13 September (PLUSNEWS) - The Zambia National AIDS Network (ZNAN) has provided a cash injection to support organisations implementing HIV/AIDS programmes in rural areas. Sam Kapembwa, ZNAN s communications officer, said the network
SOUTH AFRICA: Traditional medicine gets formal recognition: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 10, 2004; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Traditional healers in South Africa were formally recognised this week after parliament approved legislation to regulate the industry. According to the Department of Health, an estimated 70 percent of South Africans consult the country s 200,000 healers. But until now, this sector of healthcar
AFRICA: HIV/AIDS asylum case divides Canadian immigration experts: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 10, 2004; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Discrimination and stigma faced by Nigerians living with HIV/AIDS could be grounds for obtaining refugee status in Canada , a federal judge has ruled in the deportation case of an HIV-positive Nigerian women and her child. Immigration experts are divided on whether the case will make it easier
NIGERIA: More AIDS treatments sites planned: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 10, 2004; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Nigeria has announced plans to increase the number of anti-AIDS treatment sites from the current 25 to 100. According to the government s online new service, Nigeria First, Health Minister Eyitayo Lambo expects the additional sites to provide greater access to antiretroviral drugs and improve
AFRICA: Greater media health coverage needed - report: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 10, 2004; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Health coverage in Africa needs improvement, according to a new study that examines the continent s media response to HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. The report, which is a joint project by the US-based International Women s Media Foundation (IWMF) and the African Women s Media Centre (AWM
SOUTH AFRICA: Continued role of schools in AIDS fight urged: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 10, 2004; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Schools have a crucial role to play in ensuring that South African youth are not at risk of contracting HIV and AIDS, premier of the North West province, Edna Molewa, has said. Speaking at the provincial Schools AIDS Day in the capital, Mafikeng, she said the pandemic had a particularly devast
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Experts warn of AIDS threat to security: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 10, 2004; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Delegates at a two-day overview of the world s AIDS crisis in the UK have heard that the pandemic is threatening security in hard hit southern African countries and creating potential havens for terrorists . According to Agence France-Presse, Joep Lange, a professor at the University of Amster
GAMBIA: WHO helps develop policy on traditional medicine: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 9, 2004; JOAHNNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The World Health Organisation (WHO) is helping to fund the development of a tradional medicine policy for the West African country of The Gambia . For the vast majority of Gambians, traditional medicine is the first treatment option, and the government has been working with healers on diseases
AFRICA: Network for HIV-positive clerics launched: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 9, 2004; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - An HIV-positive South African priest has co-founded a network to provide non-judgemental support for religious leaders living with HIV/AIDS. The Rev Jape Heath, who was diagnosed in 2000 with AIDS, said his feelings of intense loneliness and isolation had helped to spur the formation of the Af
SOUTH AFRICA: New ARV testing centre opens: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 9, 2004; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The South African government has opened a new centre to monitor the safety of antiretrovirals (ARVs) and other medicines used in the treatment of HIV and AIDS. Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang said the centre would focus on the use of ARVs among adults, while a similar institution woul
UGANDA: PMTCT programme in trouble: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 9, 2004; KAMPALA (PLUSNEWS) - Less than four percent of HIV-positive pregnant women in Uganda use Nevirapine to prevent HIV transmission to their babies, despite the drug being free. Nine out 10 pregnant women visit an antenatal clinic where they are offered treatment to prevent mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT), but the low
MOZAMBIQUE: AIDS threatens development and life expectancy: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 9, 2004; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - HIV/AIDS is cutting life expectancy in Mozambique and threatening the ongoing reconstruction that has taken place since the 16-year civil war ended in 1992. According to a Ministry of Health report, life expectancy at birth is now estimated at 38.1 years, compared to 46.4 years without the pre
MADAGASCAR: Youth clinics raise HIV/AIDS awareness: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 9, 2004; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The use of condoms has steadily climbed among Malagasy youth as the government and NGOs increase their efforts to raise awareness about the dangers of unsafe sex. According to Population Services International (PSI), an American non-profit organisation, safer sex campaigns targeting young peop
AFRICA: AIDS efforts discussed at Red Cross meeting: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 8, 2004; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Some 700 aid officials are currently in Algiers for the 6th Pan African Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies conference on food security, HIV/AIDS and other diseases in Africa. The gathering aims to fortify partnerships between the federation, other agencies and governments, which often have t
SWAZILAND: Holistic approach to combating HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 8, 2004; MBABANE (PLUSNEWS) - An HIV/AIDS testing and counselling centre that will be the template for other such facilities in Swaziland s urban areas opened this week in the centrally located town of Manzini. This is a holistic centre offering many services - that reflects the holistic approach needed for living with HIV-AIDS
AFRICA: Kids must be at heart of AIDS programmes: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 7, 2004; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - HIV-positive children should be at the forefront of national efforts to provide treatment and care, development experts said this week. Peter McDermott of the UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) said: The global treatment discussion is only beginning to factor in the needs of children, in terms of the
UGANDA: Health expert calls for wider condom access: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 7, 2004; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The persisting prevalence in Uganda of sexually transmitted illnesses, including HIV/AIDS, has been blamed on inadequate access to condoms. The coordinator of condom consignment in the health ministry, Vastha Kibirige, said the sixty million condoms imported by the government last year were in
SOUTH AFRICA: Moving towards marketable microbicides: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 7, 2004; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Microbicides could avert an estimated 2.5 million HIV infections globally over the next three years, according to the South African Medical Research Council (MRC). Vaginal microbicides that prevent HI-virus transmission are currently being tested in South Africa and could be available for sale
SOUTH AFRICA: WHO launches AIDS drug monitoring workshops: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 6, 2004; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The World Health Organisation (WHO) launched the first in a series of training workshops on anti-AIDS drug treatment this week in South Africa s capital, Pretoria. As more treatment programmes are rolled out in developing countries, there is a pressing urgency to track the benefits as well as
AFRICA: Placental malaria fuels mother-to-child HIV - study: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 6, 2004; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Researchers have revealed that transmission of HIV from mother to child is significantly increased as a result of placental malaria in expectant mothers. A study of 746 HIV-positive women in Uganda by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found a 40 percent HIV transmission rate
SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape exceeds AIDS treatment target: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 6, 2004; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s Western Cape province has exceeded its target of placing 3,000 HIV-positive people on antiretrovirals by the end of a 100-day deadline and 4,200 people are now receiving treatment. A local newspaper, The Cape Times, quoted provincial health minister Pierre Uys as saying, Everyth
AFRICA: Worldwide cooperation urged on AIDS vaccine: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 3, 2004; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) has said the development of a successful HIV/AIDS vaccine will require global cooperation. According Dr Seth Berkley, CEO of the US-based initiative to research and develop potential AIDS vaccines, although the World Health Organisation s plan t
KENYA: AIDS vaccine fails despite being safe: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 3, 2004; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Two vaccines developed by Kenya s AIDS Vaccine Initiative (KAVI) have proved unsuccessful during recent clinical trials. According to the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), which worked closely with KAVI during the trials, the vaccines, known as DNA and MVA, failed to elicit the exp
AFRICA: New AIDS initiative assists developing nations: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 3, 2004; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - A new initiative between UNAIDS and Brazil aims to scale up the response to HIV/AIDS in developing countries. As part of the joint initiative, an International Centre for Technical Cooperation on AIDS will be established in Brazil by UNAIDS to build technical capacity needed by developing coun
GABON: Donated Aids Drugs Plug Gap While Local Production is Planned: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 2, 2004; Anti-AIDS drugs recently donated by Brazil will bring temporary relief to people living with HIV/AIDS in Gabon . The donation follows a pledge by Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula Da Silva during his visit to the central African country in July last year. Gabon s Health Minister, Faustin Boukoubihe, was quoted b
SOUTH AFRICA: Strengthened Efforts Urged Against Aids And Stigma: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 2, 2004; South African Deputy President Jacob Zuma has called for an intensified effort to tackle HIV/AIDS and the stigma associated with it. He said AIDS prevalence was high in South Africa and almost everybody was affected, but openness about the disease could ensure that prevention campaigns had the necessary impact. BuaNew
SOUTH AFRICA: Paper Giant Tackles Aids in the Workplace: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 2, 2004; In an effort to tackle HIV/AIDS among its workers, South African pulp and paper giant, Mondi, is encouraging employees to undergo voluntary HIV counselling and testing. Over 1,000 employees at Mondi s headquarters in the port city of Durban were urged to know their HIV status by making use of free counselling and testi
UGANDA: EU Promises More Aids Funding: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 2, 2004; A 12-member European Union (EU) delegation to Uganda has lauded the country s efforts in tackling HIV/AIDS. Elly Leemhuis, a senior nutrition advisor in the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, promised more funding for Uganda s anti-AIDS programmes while visiting the Naguru Teenage Information and Health Centre, a
ZAMBIA: Prominent figure publicly tested for HIV: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 1, 2004; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Zambia s Vice president, Nevers Mumba, was earlier this week publicly tested for HIV in an effort to promote voluntary counselling and testing by his countrymen. He said he hoped that being tested in public would encourage others to know their HIV status. The Zambian News Agency (ZANA) quoted
AFRICA: Educators against condoms in schools: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 1, 2004; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Sexual abstinence, not condoms, should be the key anti-AIDS message in schools, African education officials said during a meeting on the impact of HIV/AIDS on education held recently in South Africa s port city of Durban. However, some attendees felt that schools should at least provide inform
SOUTH AFRICA: Denied healthcare, Zimbabwean illegals risk AIDS and TB: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 1, 2004; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis (TB) are affecting illegal Zimbabwean immigrants who are denied medical care in South Africa , said the Southern African Women s Institute for Migration Affairs. The director of the NGO, Joyce Dube, said the situation was terrible , as immigrants afraid of being arres
SOUTH AFRICA: Local company to manufacture generic AIDS drugs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 31, 2004; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), the world s biggest manufacturer of AIDS drugs, has issued a voluntary licence to a South African drug firm to make generic copies of its patented drugs, according to a local newspaper, Business Day. The agreement with GSK will allow local manufacturer Feza Pharmaceutica
AFRICA: More women and youth needed in vaccine trials: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 31, 2004; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Greater participation of women and adolescents is needed in HIV vaccine clinical trials, a group of international experts said on Tuesday. According to a statement released after a World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNAIDS meeting on vaccines, women and youth are two of the worst-affected pop
ZIMBABWE: US gives $500,000 to roll out ARVs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 31, 2004; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The United States government has donated antiretroviral (ARV) drugs worth over US $500,000 to Zimbabwe s health ministry, to the benefit of at least 500 HIV-positive people at five hospitals across the country. Launching the ARV programme, US Ambassador to Zimbabwe Joseph Sullivan said Washing
TANZANIA: Free drugs for HIV/AIDS patients: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 31, 2004; DAR ES SALAAM (PLUSNEWS) - Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa announced on Tuesday that the government would start distributing antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) free to HIV/AIDS patients from October. There is no cure for AIDS yet, these drugs can only prolong lives, Mkapa said in the commercial capital, Dar es Salaam, duri
Zambia: Emergency Procurement of ARVs to Prevent Shortages: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 30, 2004; Zambia s health ministry has spent US $253,000 to urgently purchase anti-AIDS drugs in response to shortages facing the national treatment plan. In an interview with Zambia s local newspaper, The Post, health spokesman Dr Victor Mukonka said the ministry was still on target to provide 100,000 people with antiretroviral
South Africa: Impact of Aids On Women Showcased in New Movie: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 30, 2004; In a move considered to be a breakthrough in confronting the stigma against HIV/AIDS, a South African film featuring an HIV-positive Zulu woman will be released in the country this week. Yesterday , written and directed by South African filmmaker Daryl James Roodt, is about a poor, young HIV-positive mother struggling
Mozambique: Parliament to Act Against HIV/Aids: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 30, 2004; The Mozambican parliament has created a special body to monitor the government s progress on HIV/AIDS. A subcommittee to the assembly s Social Affairs Commission has been set up to create a means for the parliament to better define its role in the fight against HIV/AIDS , local news agency AIM quoted a parliamentary of
South Africa: Traditionalists Call for Virginity Testing in HIV/Aids Campaign: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 30, 2004; An NGO in South Africa s KwaZulu-Natal province has called for revival of the cultural practice of virginity testing to promote abstinence. According to Nomagugu Ngobese, founder of the Nomkhubulwane Culture and Youth Development Organisation, which is conducting virginity tests throughout the province, the only way to
SOUTH AFRICA: Support and strength from The Tree: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 30, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ILLOVO, 30 August (PLUSNEWS) - About 300 women and their children gather every Wednesday beneath a large tree just outside Illovo on South Africa s KwaZulu-Natal south coast to support and encourage one another in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
ANGOLA: HIV/AIDS plan moving "too slowly": Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 30, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] LUANDA, 30 August (PLUSNEWS) - Eight months after its launch, people living with HIV/AIDS say Angola s programme to fight the epidemic is inadequate and moving too slowly. The US $160 million national strategic plan, a five-year collaboration be
COTE D IVOIRE: Nurses run checkpoint gauntlet to get medicines for north: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 30, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ODIENNE, 30 August (PLUSNEWS) - Battling your way past rebel and government soldiers to buy medical supplies does not fall under a nurse s usual job description. But for Sister Rosalia, trying to treat the sick in the northern half of
Zambia: People Urged to Use Free Aids Drugs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 27, 2004; Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa has urged people living with HIV/AIDS to make use of anti-AIDS drugs, which are freely available at healthcare sites throughout the country. Mwanawasa was quoted by a local newspaper, The Times of Zambia, as saying: The answer does not lie in sitting back with your disease but in presen
Kenya: Aids Plan to Benefit Thousands More: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 27, 2004; Kenya plans to provide anti-AIDS treatment to more than 180,000 HIV-positive people by 2005 through its new social health scheme. According to a local newspaper, The East African Standard, Health Minister Charity Ngilu was hopeful that the forthcoming National Health Social Insurance Scheme would cater for all people
Benin: Aids Tackling Efforts Receive Cash Boost: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 27, 2004; Efforts to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS in the Republic of Benin have received a major boost from the African Development Fund, a concessional window of the African Development Bank (ADB). The grant agreement for US $3.9 million was signed earlier this week between ADB and Benin s Minister of Finance and Economy, Gregoi
South Africa: Government Admits Lags in Aids Drug Plan: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 27, 2004; South Africa s Ministry of Health has announced that it is unlikely to reach its goal of having 53,000 HIV-positive people on antiretroviral treatment by March 2005. Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang blamed the slow take-up of antiretroviral drugs on stigma and the lack of skilled healthcare workers. A local new
Swaziland: New Survey Shows Much Lower HIV Infection Among Youth: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 27, 2004; A dramatically lower number of Swazi teenage girls are being infected by HIV than was previously estimated, suggesting a turning point in the battle against HIV/AIDS in a country with the world s highest HIV infection rates. The findings in the report, A Baseline Study on HIV Risk Factors , commissioned by the UN Child
Kenya: Government to Expand HIV/Aids Treatment: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 27, 2004; The Kenyan government plans to provide antiretroviral (ARV) treatment to 181,000 HIV-positive people by the year 2005, a government statement said. The number of beneficiaries would rise to 250,000 by 2010, it added. Health Minister Charity Ngilu said the strategy would be achieved through the implementation of a Natio
Tanzania: Cash Released for Free Anti-Aids Treatment: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 26, 2004; People living with HIV/AIDS in Tanzania will soon have access to free antiretroviral drugs under the government s four-year treatment programme. More than US $1.8 million was recently released by the Treasury Department for the Ministry of Health to purchase anti-AIDS drugs, a local newspaper, The Guardian, reported.
Kenya: Male Circumcision Highlighted in Aids Prevention: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 26, 2004; Research conducted in Kenya has reinforced earlier global studies reporting higher HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in communities not practicing male circumcision. The 2003 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey, released this week, suggested that male circumcision reduced the risk of HIV infection, with only three out of 100 c
South Africa: Concern Over Impact of TB On HIV-Positive People: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 26, 2004; South African Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang has expressed concern over treatment adherence and the impact of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) on people living with HIV/AIDS. The minister noted that the cost to government for treating MDR-TB was just over US $3,000 a year per person, but if infected
Zimbabwe: Reduction in Aids Drugs Prices Urged: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 26, 2004; Health professionals at the recent Zimbabwe Medical Association (ZIMA) annual congress have urged that the cost of anti-AIDS drugs be reduced to give more people access to treatment. ZIMA secretary-general Dr Paul Chimedza noted that there was also need for foreign currency to be provided at a cheaper rate by the Reser
Southern Africa: HIV/Aids Changing the Face of Agriculture: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 26, 2004; HIV/AIDS has not only forced farming communities to opt for less labour-intensive cropping patterns, it has also led to the loss of local knowledge of agro-ecology and farming practices in Southern Africa, a senior Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) official told IRIN on Thursday. With the death of parents, the tr
Nigeria: US Backing for Military Anti-Aids Treatment: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 25, 2004; Nigeria has received an offer of assistance from the US to extend the reach of its HIV/AIDS treatment programme to its military. US Senator Chuck Hagel made the pledge earlier this week in the capital, Abuja, at a joint press briefing with the Minister of State for Defence, Roland Oritsejafor. According to a loca
Central African Republic: Cost-Sharing Aids Drug Programme Launched: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 25, 2004; The Central African Republic (CAR) is providing low cost anti-AIDS drugs over the next five years in an effort to improve the life expectancy of HIV-positive people and encourage voluntary HIV screening as a preventive strategy. Health Minister Nestor-Mamadou Nali said during the launch of the treatment programme earli
South Africa: PMTCT Continues Despite Nevirapine Controversy: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 25, 2004; A programme for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) will continue in South Africa s Gauteng province, provincial health minister Gwen Ramokgopa has announced. Use of the anti-AIDS drug Nevirapine as a single dose in PMTCT programmes is currently under further research following claims by the M
Zimbabwe: With ARVs Beyond Reach, Rural Folk Resort to Herbs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 25, 2004; Moketsi Nleya, a subsistence farmer in rural Madlambuzi, western Zimbabwe , painfully retrieves a bunch of thin brown roots from under his pillow, which he breaks into tiny fragments and chews, followed by a cupful of an analgesic herbal concoction that also acts as a sedative. Nleya, 55, is among a growing number of
ZIMBABWE: Innovative bush camps help AIDS orphans: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 25, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 25 August (PLUSNEWS) - NGOs dealing with children orphaned by HIV/AIDS have tended to concentrate on material support, neglecting their emotional and psychosocial needs. But a developmental organisation in the southern region of
Central African Republic: US $25 Million to Treat HIV/Aids: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 24, 2004; HIV/AIDS patients in the Central African Republic (CAR) are to receive anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment at affordable prices for the next five years thanks to a US $25 million grant from the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis. The majority of poor HIV/AIDS patients will receive ARVs free-of-charge; low
Mozambique: HIV/Aids Threatening Subsistence Agriculture: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 24, 2004; HIV/AIDS is threatening subsistence agriculture in Mozambique , with ominous implications for the country s food supply, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) warned on Tuesday. By 2020 the country will have lost over 20 percent of its agricultural labour force to HIV/AIDS, according to FAO. Mozambique and
Africa: US Extends Global Aids Fund Contribution Deadline: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 24, 2004; The Global Fund will need US $3.5 billion in 2005 The United States announcement last week that it would give developed countries until the end of September to fulfil their pledges to the Global AIDS Fund, before deciding to limit its own contribution, has been seen by analysts as a flexible move . But the survival of
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS drug giant tackled over high prices: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 24, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 24 August (PLUSNEWS) - The US-based NGO, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), has lodged a complaint with South Africa s Competition Tribunal against leading anti-AIDS drug producer, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), saying Glaxo s high drug p
AFRICA: Farming and food supply threatened by AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 24, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 24 August (PLUSNEWS) - Subsistence agriculture across southern and eastern Africa faces long-term decline due to HIV/AIDS, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has warned. After a major new agriculture study in
AFRICA: Kids benefit from UNESCO AIDS resource kit: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 24, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 24 August (PLUSNEWS) - School age children in Uganda , South Africa and Gambia are benefiting from an HIV/AIDS resource kit launched by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
SWAZILAND: New rapid HIV test makes determining status easier: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 23, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MBABANE, 23 August (PLUSNEWS) - The University of Swaziland last week became the first site of a new rapid HIV testing procedure which allows a greater number of people to be tested. The approach of Negative Determination is designed to make i
NAMIBIA: Greater openness urged in AIDS battle: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 23, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 23 August (PLUSNEWS) - In an effort to tackle the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS, Namibian Prime Minister Theo-Ben Gurirab has urged people to undergo voluntary counselling and testing. Speaking at the launch of the sixth New Star
SOUTH AFRICA: Third phase of AIDS drug roll out set to begin: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 23, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 23 August (PLUSNEWS) - The Health Department of South Africa s Gauteng province says it is ready to begin the third leg of its antiretroviral (ARV) rollout, scheduled for early September. The rollout forms part of government s nati
MALAWI: WHO support to encourage HIV testing: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 23, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 23 August (PLUSNEWS) - The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced plans to establish 55 Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) centres in Malawi to encourage more people to undergo HIV/AIDS testing. The outgoing residen
NIGERIA: Government plans ambitious expansion of antiretroviral therapy: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 20, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ABUJA, 20 August (PLUSNEWS) - Nigeria is appealing for US $248 million to help it provide subsidised antiretroviral (ARV) drugs for 200,000 people living with HIV/AIDS by the end of 2005, Health Minister Eyitayo Lambo said. Lambo told journa
AFRICA: Safety syringe contract awarded for AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 20, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 20 August (PLUSNEWS) - A US company has been awarded a contract to supply safety syringes to five African countries, as part of the President s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), President George W Bush s global HIV/AIDS init
AFRICA: Contribute to AIDS or lose out - US: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 20, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 20 August (PLUSNEWS) - US global AIDS Coordinator Randall Tobias earlier this week gave developed countries a September extension to contribute US $243 million to fulfil their pledges to the Global AIDS Fund. Donor countries were e
AFRICA: High population growth in 2050 despite AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 20, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 20 August (PLUSNEWS) - The US-based Population Reference Bureau (PRB) has predicted that the bulk of the world s population growth will occur in developing nations by 2050, despite higher rates of HIV/AIDS and infant mortality.
SOUTH AFRICA: Thousands set to benefit from US AIDS initiative: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 19, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 19 August (PLUSNEWS) - The US embassy has revealed that more than US $72 million was spent on HIV/AIDS programmes in South Africa over the past five months. According to embassy spokeswoman Judy Moon, the funding was part of George
MOZAMBIQUE: No withdrawal of AIDS drug plant: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 19, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 19 August (PLUSNEWS) - Brazil has dismissed claims that it plans to withdraw an offer to build an AIDS drug manufacturing plant in Mozambique , signed during the visit of Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva last November.
NIGERIA: Appeal launched for AIDS assistance: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 19, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 19 August (PLUSNEWS) - Nigeria has launched an appeal for foreign assistance in its battle against HIV/AIDS. Agence France-Presse quoted Health Minister Eyitayo Lambo as saying, Right now, we are treating 14,000 people, by the end
UGANDA: Half of prison TB deaths AIDS-related: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 18, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 18 August (PLUSNEWS) - A study conducted earlier this year by the Uganda Prisons Service has revealed that 40 percent of deaths in prisons are due to Tuberculosis (TB), a local newspaper, New Vision, reported. However, at a wor
SWAZILAND: HIV/AIDS reversing hunger and poverty alleviation: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 18, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 18 August (PLUSNEWS) - The HIV/AIDS pandemic in Swaziland is reversing poverty alleviation efforts by the government and international humanitarian groups. There is a ghastly synergy at work with HIV/AIDS in Swaziland, the princip
SIERRA LEONE: Lack of AIDS surveys create confusion: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 18, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 18 August (PLUSNEWS) - The lack of nation-wide surveys to ascertain the extent of HIV/AIDS in Sierra Leone has created confusion over numbers, experts have said. As a result of poverty and poor medical facilities, the only availabl
SOUTH AFRICA: HIV-positive women speak out: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 17, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] KWAZULU-NATAL, 17 August (PLUSNEWS) - As part of the Women s Month celebrations in South Africa , a Day of Hope was held at Pinetown in KwaZulu-Natal province to tell the stories of three HIV-positive women who are living proof that there is a
ZIMBABWE: Tackling the impact of customs on AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 17, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] HARARE, 17 August (PLUSNEWS) - Traditional practices of polygamy, virginity testing and kugara nhaka (wife inheritance), inhibit women s control over their bodies and increase vulnerability to HIV infection, but activists are split on the best w
AFRICA: Millions more AIDS orphans by 2010 - UNICEF: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 17, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 17 August (PLUSNEWS) - Sub-Saharan Africa will have 20 million HIV/AIDS orphans by 2010, a senior UN official has warned. Per Engebak, the UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) regional director for eastern and southern Africa, said there wo
BURKINA FASO: AIDS $1.5 million project administered by UN: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 17, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 17 August (PLUSNEWS) - The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is to help Burkina Faso tackle HIV/AIDS by administering an African Development Fund (ADF) loan of US $1.5 million. The UNDP acting resident representative, A
ZAMBIA: Government announces local AIDS drug production: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 17, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 17 August (PLUSNEWS) - Local manufacture of anti-AIDS drugs has started in Zambia with assistance from Cuba , Health Minister Brian Chituwo has announced. A local newspaper, The Post, quoted Chituwo as saying: We have started t
SOUTH AFRICA: HIV vaccine to be tested on teenagers: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 17, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 17 August (PLUSNEWS) - The frequent changes in hormone levels normally associated with teenagers have prompted the South African AIDS Vaccine Initiative (SAAVI) to consider including youths in preventative HIV vaccine trials. Ag
MOZAMBIQUE: AIDS drug plant withdrawal not official: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 17, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 17 August (PLUSNEWS) - Reports that Brazil plans to withdrawn its offer to build an AIDS drug manufacturing plant in Mozambique have been met with surprise. Mozambican Health Minister Francisco Songane told radio Mozambique he
SOUTHERN AFRICA: MPs among AIDS fatalities - Malawian President: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 17, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 17 August (PLUSNEWS) - Malawian President Bingu wa Mutharika has told the Southern African Development Community (SADC) that HIV/AIDS must be treated as a political, social and economic crisis. Addressing the annual SADC summit in
UGANDA: A new hope for orphans: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 16, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] KAMPALA, 16 August (PLUSNEWS) - Paul Esonu, 20, was only seven when he ran away from his abusive parents. That was the worst time in my life, he said of the seven years he lived on the streets of Kampala and Jinja in Uganda . E
NAMIBIA: HIV/AIDS eroding economic growth: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 16, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 16 August (PLUSNEWS) - Namibia s existing human capital is being worn away by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. An estimated 20 percent of Namibia s adult population who are living with HIV and AIDS are rapidly eroding the chances of economic
UGANDA: Huge pledge for condom promotion: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 16, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 16 August (PLUSNEWS) - Germany has granted Uganda more than US $4.6 million for the promotion of condoms, behavioural change and for the treatment of sexually transmitted infections like HIV/AIDS. The grant agreement was signed
SOUTH AFRICA: Limpopo joins national AIDS drug rollout: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 16, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 16 August (PLUSNEWS) - A long-awaited antiretroviral treatment programme has finally been launched in South Africa s Limpopo province. AIDS organisations expressed disappointment early in August over the delay in the rollout of ant
ZAMBIA: AIDS drug shortage creates concern: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 13, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 13 August (PLUSNEWS) - AIDS activists are concerned that Zambia s antiretroviral (ARV) treatment programme could be derailed by a lack of adequate planning. Health Minister Brian Chituwo recently announced in parliament that suppli
SOUTH AFRICA: Nevirapine resistance needs more research: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 13, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 13 August (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s Ministry of Health has announced that further research was needed to validate resistance claims on an anti-AIDS drug used to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV. The Medicines Control C
SOUTH AFRICA: Sexual Offences bill raises many concerns: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 13, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 13 August (PLUSNEWS) - As a week-long campaign to create awareness around the Sexual Offences bill draws to an end, South African NGOs involved in gender violence issues are calling for the proposed legislation to provide free anti
ZIMBABWE: AIDS awareness programmes exclude disabled people: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 13, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 13 August (PLUSNEWS) - Zimbabwean NGOs have called for the needs of disabled people to be urgently addressed in HIV/AIDS awareness programmes. Farai Gasa Mukuta, president of the National Association of Societies for the Care of th
ZAMBIA: Activists concerned over drug shortages in ARV roll-out: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 12, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 12 August (PLUSNEWS) - Shortages of a critical generic antiretroviral (ARV) drug used in Zambia s AIDS treatment programme have revealed a lack of adequate planning by the government that could derail the ARV rollout, activists tol
ZIMBABWE: Disabled highly vulnerable to HIV: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 12, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] Zimbabweans living with disabilities do not have access to HIV/AIDS information HARARE, 12 August (PLUSNEWS) - The special needs of disabled people need to be urgently addressed in AIDS awareness programmes if the worrying rate of infection is t
SOUTH AFRICA: HIV/AIDS directory for blind launched: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 12, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 12 August (PLUSNEWS) - An HIV/AIDS directory for visually impaired and blind students has been made available in South Africa . The University of South Africa (UNISA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health developed the brail
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS drug recalled following safety concerns: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 12, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 12 August (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s Medicines Control Council (MCC) on Thursday used its powers to enforce a recall of all stocks of the generic anti-AIDS drug, Duovir. The medication is manufactured by India s Cipla-Medpro, and
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS drug resistance under discussion: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 12, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 12 August (PLUSNEWS) - South African Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang is meeting with AIDS experts after a recent warning by the Medicines Control Council (MCC) about Nevirapine resistance in HIV-positive mothers. Ministry
AFRICA: Blood transfusion kits detect HIV: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 12, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 12 August (PLUSNEWS) - A cheap new blood testing kit launched recently in Nigeria is fast becoming a valuable tool in tackling the spread of HIV/AIDS throughout sub-Saharan Africa. The US-based Safe Blood for Africa Foundation has
SWAZILAND: New radio drama spreads AIDS awareness: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 11, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MBABANE, 11 August (PLUSNEWS) - A new radio drama aimed at transforming Swazis knowledge of AIDS into a change in personal behaviour began broadcasting this week. The show s purpose is to give information, but I think it is fundamentally differe
AFRICA: Olympic athletes team up against HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 11, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 11 August (PLUSNEWS) - The International Olympics Committee (IOC) and UNAIDS have teamed up against HIV/AIDS by encouraging some 11,000 athletes participating in the upcoming Games in Athens,
ZAMBIA: Partly subsidised AIDS drugs increase treatment: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 11, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 11 August (PLUSNEWS) - Zambia has partly subsidised anti-AIDS drugs to the benefit of more than 12,000 people living with HIV and AIDS, Agence France-Presse reported. Health Minister Brian Chituwo recently told parliament that the
AFRICA: HIV spread curbed by early treatment: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 11, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 11 August (PLUSNEWS) - HIV/AIDS research from Taiwan has provided another reason why anti-AIDS drugs should be introduced into developing countries as soon as possible. The study, led by scientists at the National Taiwan Univer
ZAMBIA: AIDS treatment forgets women: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 11, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 11 August (PLUSNEWS) - There has been no systematic attempt to inform Zambian women about HIV/AIDS or even encourage them to go for testing and access anti-AIDS treatment, a former government official has said. Although Health Mini
AFRICA: WHO's AIDS drug delisting praised: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 10, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 10 August (PLUSNEWS) - The USA s largest AIDS organisation, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), has praised the World Health Organisation (WHO) for delisting three generic anti-AIDS drugs by Indian manufacturer Ranbaxy. AHF, which al
SOUTH AFRICA: Health minister hampers AIDS programme - TAC: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 10, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 10 August (PLUSNEWS) - South African AIDS lobby group Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) has accused Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang of obstructing the government s anti-AIDS programme. Speaking recently at Johannesburg s Wit
UGANDA: Children forgotten in AIDS treatment: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 10, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 10 August (PLUSNEWS) - Children in Uganda have been marginalised in the provision of HIV/AIDS treatment and many lives may be lost unless urgent efforts are made to address the issue, paediatricians have warned. Research shows
ZIMBABWE: Action against gender inequality needed to defeat AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 6, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] HARARE, 6 August (PLUSNEWS) - Urgent action against gender inequality is required to tackle the high rate of HIV-infection among women and girls in Zimbabwe , a report prepared by a regional task force has warned. Nearly 80 percent of all HI
SOUTH AFRICA: Campaign to create awareness on sexual offences law: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 6, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 6 August (PLUSNEWS) - South African NGOs involved in gender violence issues are to launch a week-long campaign in Johannesburg on Monday to create public awareness around the Sexual Offences Bill, currently before parliament. S
AFRICA: Removal of generic drugs from WHO list a wake-up call: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 6, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 6 August (PLUSNEWS) - The removal of Indian-manufactured generic antiretroviral (ARV) drugs from the World Health Organisation s (WHO) list of approved HIV medicine this week should be a wake-up call for developing countries with s
TOGO: Battling third highest HIV-rate in West Africa: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 6, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] LOME, 6 August (PLUSNEWS) - Togo lies smack bang in the middle of West Africa s main trade and transport corridor and health experts say the tide of people passing through this narrow strip of territory have helped to land it with the third-high
RWANDA: End of year sees more AIDS drugs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 6, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 6 August (PLUSNEWS) - The number of people on anti-AIDS treatment in Rwanda could increase 20-fold by the end of the year. Rwanda plans use international aid to the tune of US $85 million from the World Bank and the Global AIDS Fun
ETHIOPIA: Free AIDS drugs for many HIV-positive: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 6, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 6 August (PLUSNEWS) - Some 150,000 Ethiopians living with HIV/AIDS will receive antiretroviral drugs by 2005, Dr Endalemaw Abera, the World Health organisation s (WHO) AIDS programme head has announced. The free or low-cost drug di
NAMIBIA: Official AIDS guidelines launched: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 6, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 6 August (PLUSNEWS) - A set of guidelines governing the conduct of research and clinical trials on human subjects, including HIV-positive subjects, has been released by Namibia s Ministry of Health. Published at the same time was a
SOUTH AFRICA: Negative AIDS impact predicted for business: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 6, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 6 August (PLUSNEWS) - At least 80 percent of South Africans still do not know their HIV status, the University of South Africa s (UNISA) Bureau of Market Research has suggested. Speaking at a recent Chamber of Commerce and Industry
GHANA: Global Fund urges wider use of impregnated mosquito nets: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 5, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ACCRA, 5 August (PLUSNEWS) - Ghana lags behind most of Africa when it comes to using insecticide-treated malaria nets and the government needs to go on an offensive to promote them, the head of the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Mal
UGANDA: Tax incentives on AIDS drugs purchase: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 5, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 5 August (PLUSNEWS) - African countries can now purchase antiretroviral drugs duty-free from pharmacies in Canada , a senior UN official has announced. Stephen Lewis, the UN special envoy for AIDS in Africa, said during a meeting e
MOZAMBIQUE: HIV/AIDS treatment no longer a DREAM: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 5, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 5 August (PLUSNEWS) - Mozambique largest treatment programme is changing the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS. The Drug Resource Enhancement against AIDS and Malnutrition (DREAM), funded by the Italian NGO, the Sant Egidio Comm
SOUTH AFRICA: NGOs worried over AIDS treatment delay: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 5, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 5 August (PLUSNEWS) - AIDS organisations have expressed disappointment over the delay in the rollout of anti-AIDS drugs in South Africa s Limpopo province. NGOs claimed their requests for speedy drug delivery seemed to have fallen
SOUTH AFRICA: HIV infection low in blood transfusion: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 5, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 5 August (PLUSNEWS) - There is a greater risk of receiving the wrong blood type than being accidentally infected with HIV during a blood transfusion, South Africa s largest blood transfusion service has said. In its latest haemovig
AFRICA: Three AIDS drugs scrapped by WHO: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 5, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 5 August (PLUSNEWS) - Three generic versions of anti-AIDS drugs produced by India s Ranbaxy Laboratories have been removed from the World Health Organisation s (WHO) list of approved antiretrovirals. The UN health agency said i
UGANDA: Anti-AIDS website for youth: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 4, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 4 August (PLUSNEWS) - A programme being implemented in Zambia , Uganda , Kenya and Tanzania is using the Internet to disseminate HIV/AIDS prevention messages.
KENYA: Prison warders dying despite AIDS awareness: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 4, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 4 August (PLUSNEWS) - The number of HIV/AIDS deaths among prison warders in the Kenyan port town of Homa Bay is alarming, according to prison commanding officer Rashid Powon. Since the beginning of the year AIDS-related illnesses h
UGANDA: Possible suspension of sale of AIDS drugs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 4, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 4 August (PLUSNEWS) - Uganda s National Drug Authority (NDA) has been ordered to suspend the sale of antiretroviral drugs on the open market. The director general of health services, Peter Mugyenyi, made the recommendation after re
SWAZILAND: Rural health "motivators" could ease professional shortage: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 3, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 3 August (PLUSNEWS) - A critical shortage of health professionals in Swaziland is undermining the public health system s capacity to expand its national antiretroviral (ARV) programme, health officials have warned. A recent sit
NAMIBIA: Govt responds to increasing AIDS rate in Caprivi: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 3, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 3 August (PLUSNEWS) - The escalating HIV/AIDS rate in Namibia s northeastern Caprivi region has forced the government to step up its antiretroviral drug programme in the region. A 2002 Ministry of Health and Social Services report
NAMIBIA: Increasing AIDS rates commands strengthened efforts: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 3, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 3 August (PLUSNEWS) - The escalating HIV/AIDS rate in Namibia s northeastern Caprivi Strip has forced the government to step up its antiretroviral drug programme in the region. A 2002 Ministry of Health and Social Services report r
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS drug tender short list revealed: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 3, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 3 August (PLUSNEWS) - Pharmaceutical firms short-listed for South Africa s lucrative anti-AIDS drug tender have until the end of the week to submit their quotes. According to a local newspaper, Business Day, independent pharmaceuti
SOUTH AFRICA: Army AIDS crisis claims dismissed: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 3, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 3 August (PLUSNEWS) - Reports of a crisis in the combat-readiness of South Africa s National Defence Force (SANDF) due to HIV/AIDS were dismissed by the Minister of Defence, Mosiuoa Lekota. His response followed claims by experts a
UGANDA: Christmas 2005 sees AIDS drugs for all: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 3, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 3 August (PLUSNEWS) - Uganda will by December 2005 offer free anti-AIDS drugs to all HIV-positive people in need of treatment, the Director General of Health Services, Prof Francis Omaswa has announced. This follows a recent ca
ZAMBIA: Drug regulation bill imperative for AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 2, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 2 August (PLUSNEWS) - The delay in a proposed bill to regulate drug use in Zambia was cause for concern for the country as it battles against HIV and AIDS, Health Permanent Secretary Simon Miti has warned. He was reacting to ca
UGANDA: UN AIDS chief urges more treatment: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 2, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 2 August (PLUSNEWS) - A senior UN official has urged Uganda to increase its target of placing 60,000 people on anti-AIDS treatment by 2005 to at least 100,000. Stephen Lewis, the UN special envoy for AIDS in Africa who is visiting
UGANDA: Envoy laments the burden of conflict, AIDS, orphans in the north: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 2, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] KAMPALA, 2 August (PLUSNEWS) - A United Nations envoy has deplored the plight of the people in northern Uganda , whom he said had continued to suffer greatly from the effects of an ongoing insurgency, high HIV/AIDS infection rates and large numb
NIGERIA: New plant making ARV drugs opens in Lagos: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 30, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] LAGOS, 30 July (PLUSNEWS) - A new plant to manufacture anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs for people living with AIDS has opened in Nigeria , thanks to an iniative by Nigerian health professionals working in the United Stat
SWAZILAND: Rising HIV/AIDS among truckers will impact on costs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 30, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MBABANE, 30 July (PLUSNEWS) - The impact of HIV/AIDS on Swaziland s trucking sector is set to increase the price of food and all other goods transported by road, officials warned this week. The [transport] industry must note that by 2005 there w
KENYA: Continued UK AIDS assistance: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 30, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 30 July (PLUSNEWS) - Britain s high commissioner, Edward Clay, has announced continued support by the UK for HIV/AIDS projects in Kenya . Clay, who recently accused Kenya s government of abetting corruption, told a local newspaper,
BURUNDI: New initiative to curb AIDS spread: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 30, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 30 July (PLUSNEWS) - Government ministers from six countries in the Great Lakes region have signed a convention for the establishment of the Great Lakes Initiative on AIDS to stem the spread of the HI virus. Research shows that the
UGANDA: Life in camps deplorable - UN AIDS boss: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 30, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 30 July (PLUSNEWS) - A quick solution to northern Uganda s 17-year-old conflict has been urged by the UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, Stephen Lewis. He was on a two-day visit to internally displaced people s camps in the G
DJIBOUTI: Global Fund millions bring more AIDS drugs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 30, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 30 July (PLUSNEWS) - People living with HIV/AIDS in Djibouti could soon have wider access to anti-AIDS drugs as a result of a Global AIDS Fund allocation of US $12 million. Omar Ali Ismael, the head of Djibouti s inter-sectoral tec
ZIMBABWE: Global Fund turns down application on technical grounds: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 29, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 29 July (PLUSNEWS) - The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has dismissed claims that politics were behind a decision to reject Zimbabwe s US $218 million application, forcing the country to shelve its plans to sca
GREAT LAKES: New intergovernmental effort to combat AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 29, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] BUJUMBURA, 29 July (PLUSNEWS) - In an effort to stem the spread of HIV/AIDS in the Great Lakes region, government ministers from six countries signed a convention on Tuesday establishing a new regional organisation called the Great Lakes Initiat
DJIBOUTI: More free antiretroviral drugs to become available: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 29, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DJIBOUTI, 29 July (PLUSNEWS) - The Djiboutian government is to expand the provision of free antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) to people infected with the HIV virus using an allocation of US $12 million from the Global Fund Global Fund to fight HIV/AID
ZIMBABWE: Global AIDS Fund rejection not political: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 29, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 29 July (PLUSNEWS) - Claims that the Global AIDS Fund had rejected Zimbabwe s application for US $218 million for political reasons were dismissed on Thursday. The Fund said the proposal was turned down for technical reasons and s
NIGERIA: Local AIDS drug production close: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 29, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 29 July (PLUSNEWS) - Nigeria will soon be manufacturing anti-AIDS locally after President Olusegun Obasanjo appealed to expatriates for investment. Prince Chijioke Ofomata, the managing director of the company, Archy Pharmaceutical
SOUTH AFRICA: Cash for AIDS, TB and malaria research: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 29, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 29 July (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s Medical Research Council (MRC) will receive close to US $672 million from the European Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership to help combat HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria. The donor body s e
UGANDA: Condoms above abstinence - UN envoy: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 29, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 29 July (PLUSNEWS) - Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni at the recent AIDS conference in Bangkok said condoms were not the only answer to AIDS prevention and urged abstinence and faithfulness. However, a senior UN official currently
GUINEA-BISSAU: Cash boost for first AIDS offence: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 29, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 29 July (PLUSNEWS) - A combined grant of US $19 million from the World Bank and the Global AIDS Fund will help Guinea-Bissau launch its first move against HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. Health Minister Odete Costa Semedo t
CAPE VERDE: Free AIDS drugs by December: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 29, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 29 July (PLUSNEWS) - People living with HIV/AIDS in the Republic of Cape Verde will receive free anti-AIDS drugs by the end of the year, the government has announced. There are currently no antiretroviral drugs available in the Atl
AFRICA: Call for better strategies to fight AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 28, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] GABORONE, 28 July (PLUSNEWS) - UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has been urged by delegates attending a conference on scaling-up the response to HIV/AIDS in Africa to act as a global champion for countries looking to develop generic anti-AIDS dru
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Female-headed households most vulnerable to food insecurity: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 28, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 28 July (PLUSNEWS) - Female-headed households continue to bear the brunt of poverty and ongoing food shortages in Zimbabwe , Zambia and Malawi , according to recent surveys.
AFRICA: Interview with WHO Assistant Director General for Family and Community Health: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 28, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] GABORONE, 28 July (PLUSNEWS) - Joy Phumaphi, the World Health Organisation s (WHO) Assistant Director General for Family and Community Health, highlighted the need to prioritise women and girl children in the fight against HIV/AIDS during an int
GUINEA-BISSAU: Government launches first big push against AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 27, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] BISSAU, 27 July (PLUSNEWS) - The government of Guinea-Bissau is launching its first big push against HIV/AIDS with the help of a US $19 million aid package from the World Bank and the Global Fund against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Health Mi
MOZAMBIQUE: HIV/AIDS deaths on the rise - report: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 27, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 27 July (PLUSNEWS) - Recent HIV/AIDS figures for Mozambique show that prevalence rates among the adult population have increased by more than 1 percent to nearly 15 percent. According to the Portuguese news agency, Lusa, a recent r
UGANDA: Much-awaited AIDS survey ready to go: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 27, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 27 July (PLUSNEWS) - Uganda s assistant commissioner for national disease control, Dr Alex Opio, has announced that a long-awaited national HIV sero-behavioural survey will start in three weeks time. The study will cost an estimate
GUINEA: Little action as refugees fuel AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 27, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 27 July (PLUSNEWS) - Aid workers and medical staff are concerned that a massive influx of refugees from neighbouring Liberia is fuelling the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Guinea s remote southeast. The country has just two HIV testing c
GUINEA: Refugee influx adds fuel to AIDS crisis in southeast Guinea: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 26, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] NZEREKORE, 26 July (PLUSNEWS) - There are only two AIDS testing centres in the whole of Guinea and only one pilot project supplying anti-retroviral drugs to a group of 50 people. Aid workers and medical staff say the disease is spreading out of
SWAZILAND: OVC tell their stories at a unique conference: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 26, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MBABANE, 26 July (PLUSNEWS) - Faced with a growing population of orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC), Swaziland s policymakers have turned to the children themselves to assess their needs at a conference outside the central commercial town of
UGANDA: Low infection rate attracts UN AIDS boss: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 26, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 26 July (PLUSNEWS) - The UN Special Envoy for AIDS in Africa, Stephen Lewis, is visiting Uganda until 31 July to appraise the country s anti-AIDS progress. The East African country boasts success in reducing its HIV infection rate
ZIMBABWE: Global AIDS fund exclusion questioned: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 26, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 26 July (PLUSNEWS) - A decision by the Global AIDS Fund to turn down Zimbabwe s application for US $218 million and exclude the country from its list of recipient countries, has raised a number of ethical questions. Campaigners hav
ALGERIA: Low AIDS rates still cause for concern: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 23, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 23 July (PLUSNEWS) - Algeria is experiencing just 40 new HIV/AIDS cases per year, mainly in the capital, Algiers, physicians specialising in infectious diseases told a recent AIDS seminar held there.
SOUTH AFRICA: Cut or uncut for AIDS prevention?: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 23, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 23 July (PLUSNEWS) - Insufficient clinical evidence exists to widely promote circumcision as an HIV/AIDS prevention method in males, an expert has warned. Researchers have long believed that male circumcision helped protect men fro
Africa: Expanded Access to Treatment Provides Prevention Opportunities: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 23, 2004; JOHANNESBURG - Long-term success against AIDS requires the simultaneous expansion of both antiretroviral therapy (ART) and prevention, says a recently released report by The Global HIV Prevention Work Group. In an era of increased access to HIV treatment there was an urgent need to integrate prevention into health care
Lesotho: Empower Women to Slow Aids - UN: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 23, 2004; JOHANNESBURG - A senior UN official has warned that parts of Africa could be depopulated of women in 20 years as a result of HIV/AIDS. Stephen Lewis, the UN special envoy on AIDS in Africa, said: Only a revolution in women s status can slow the epidemic there. Research shows that cultural and economic conditions encour
South Africa: Cabinet Seeks Solution On Nevirapine: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 23, 2004; JOHANNESBURG - South African Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang is currently discussing the efficacy of the anti-AIDS drug, Nevirapine, with drug manufacturers, provincial health ministers and other stakeholders. The minister told the recent AIDS conference in Bangkok that the single-dose drug, used nationwide to
AFRICA: UK renews global HIV/AIDS pledge: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 22, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 22 Jul 2004 (PLUSNEWS) - A new US $2.8 billion three-year strategy to tackle HIV/AIDS globally was announced by the UK earlier this week. British Prime Minister Tony Blair said the plan would include about $278 million for HIV/AIDS orphans and a doubling to $278 million of the country s contribution to th
MOZAMBIQUE: Extending AIDS treatment raises concerns: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 22, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 22 Jul 2004 (PLUSNEWS) - The Mozambican Ministry of Health is hoping to have some 8,000 HIV-positive people on anti-AIDS treatment by the end of 2004. An estimated 3,300 people are currently on treatment, but deputy national director of health, Avertino Barreto, noted that treatment could not be started w
AFRICA: Anti-AIDS vaginal gel promising: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 22, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 22 Jul 2004 (PLUSNEWS) - With hope of an effective HIV/AIDS vaccine a decade away, the International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM) says a new class of drugs that can protect women from infection during sex looks promising. Presented as vaginal gels, creams or foams, microbicides can offer a new line
NIGERIA: HIV contaminated polio vaccine fears allayed: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 22, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 22 Jul 2004 (PLUSNEWS) - Officials in Nigeria s northern state of Kano earlier this week ended an eight-month boycott of polio vaccinations after tests showed that the vaccines were not contaminated with HIV. A polio immunisation campaign by the World Health Organisation was stopped amid rumours that the
AFRICA: AIDS fuelled by "systematic rape": Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 21, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 21 Jul 2004 (PLUSNEWS) - The systematic rape of women and girls is fuelling the spread of HIV/AIDS in Africa s war zones, a US-based women s group has warned in a report. Tens of thousands of women and girls in the war zones of Sudan , Congo, and northern Uganda have been ra
AFRICA: Efforts to prevent unsafe abortions fall short: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 21, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 21 Jul 2004 (PLUSNEWS) - Despite efforts to improve sexual and reproductive health across Africa, a new study has shown that over four million women undergo unsafe abortions each year and 34,000 of them die as a result. In a recently released report, Ipas, an international women s health NGO, noted that 1
MALAWI: Media involved in AIDS information dissemination: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 21, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 21 Jul 2004 (PLUSNEWS) - Malawi s National AIDS Commission (NAC) and local media houses are currently discussing how journalists can help implement the country s national HIV/AIDS policy. Launched earlier this year by former President Bakili Muluzi, the policy aims to engage key institutions, like the med
AFRICA: Global AIDS Fund faces cash shortfall: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 21, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 21 Jul 2004 (PLUSNEWS) - Money woes have forced the Global AIDS Fund to delay the timeframe for accepting new funding applications by six months. The proposal round, originally expected in June this year, will now only occur in November because of uncertainty about the money that will turn out to be avail
SOUTH AFRICA: Lacklustre AIDS response by government - UN envoy: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 20, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 20 Jul 2004 (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa is dragging its feet on treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS, a senior UN official has said. Stephen Lewis, the UN special envoy on HIV/AIDS in Africa, said it was ironic that the country, with all its resources, was not leading the way for its African neighbour
DJIBOUTI: AIDS training programme targets young women: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 20, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 20 Jul 2004 (PLUSNEWS) - An HIV/AIDS training programme for female peer-educators is being conducted by the Djibouti Ministry of Women Promotion. Recent studies have highlighted that young women were most vulnerable to infection and had become the main target of HIV/AIDS. The ministry s AIDS programme
AFRICA: AIDS treatment delays costing lives: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 20, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 20 Jul 2004 (PLUSNEWS) - Delegates at the recently ended 15th International AIDS Conference in Bangkok have called for a dramatic scale-up of access to anti-AIDS treatment in developing nations. Participants argued that the debate on the use of generic versus brand-name drugs should not be used as an excu
AFRICA: Human rights violations fuel AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 20, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 20 Jul 2004 (PLUSNEWS) - Amnesty International has warned that human rights violations and inequalities were fuelling the HIV/AIDS pandemic globally. The secretary-general of the London-based group, Irene Khan, told the closing plenary session of the 15th International AIDS Conference in Bangkok that prot
SOUTH AFRICA: Taxing to be HIV-positive and employed: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 20, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 20 Jul 2004 (PLUSNEWS) - The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has identified the provision of AIDS treatment by employers to HIV-positive workers as a fringe benefit . According to SARS, because it is seen as a benefit, the amount contributed to anti-AIDS treatment is taxable. The income tax system me
DJIBOUTI: Female peer educators trained on HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 19, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DJIBOUTI, 19 July (PLUSNEWS) - The Djiboutian ministry for the promotion of women is conducting training programmes on HIV/AIDS for female peer-educators, saying it is mainly targeting young women who are most vulnerable to infection. Amina Abdi
AFRICA: Mandela calls for increased AIDS funding: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 19, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 19 July (PLUSNEWS) - Friday s closing ceremony of the 15th International AIDS Conference in Bangkok saw former South African President Nelson Mandela calling for individual commitment, increased funding and political leadership in
AFRICA: Cash injection for Global AIDS Fund: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 19, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 19 July (PLUSNEWS) - The Global AIDS Fund has received pledges for new grants totalling US $102 million from the European Commission and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The $52 million from the European Union is part of a $5
SOUTH AFRICA: Mother-to-child AIDS drug stays: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 19, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 19 July (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s Ministry of Health will continue providing the anti-AIDS drug Nevirapine as a monotherapy to mothers and babies until new treatment regimens become available. This follows an earlier statement by
AFRICA: Keep orphans in school, urges UN envoy: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 16, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 16 July (PLUSNEWS) - In communities grappling with the devastating effects of AIDS, women are quietly bearing the brunt, absorbing orphans into their existing families, caring for the ill and running their households. It really amo
AFRICA: Tackle AIDS and TB together - Mandela: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 16, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 16 July (PLUSNEWS) - Efforts to combat tuberculosis (TB) should be included in the global fight against HIV/AIDS, former South African President Nelson Mandela told the 15th International AIDS Conference in Bangkok,
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS drug licence granted: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 16, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 16 July (PLUSNEWS) - South African drug company Thembalami Pharmaceuticals has been granted a licence to produce and sell a generic version of the anti-AIDS drug Efavirenz , made by pharmaceutical giant Merck and Company and sol
AFRICA: AIDS drug manufacturers forget children: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 16, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 16 July (PLUSNEWS) - The failure to adapt diagnostic HIV/AIDS tests and drugs to the needs of children is hampering treatment of HIV-positive youngsters in developing countries, an international health NGO has said. Medecins Sans F
AFRICA: Life expectancy plunge due to AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 16, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 16 July (PLUSNEWS) - Life expectancy in some African countries has been reduced to just 33 years due to HIV/AIDS, a UN agency announced earlier this week during the 15th International AIDS Conference in Bangkok. Thirteen sub-Sahara
AFRICA: WHO issues guidelines on Nevirapine: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 15, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 15 July (PLUSNEWS) - Amid concerns that South Africa would phase out an anti-AIDS drug preventing the transmission of HIV from seropositive mothers to their children, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has released new guidelines
AFRICA: New strategies needed for HIV prevention in youth: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 15, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] BANGKOK, 15 July (PLUSNEWS) - Prevention of HIV infection that targets the youth is seen as key to the fight against AIDS. But, analysts say, there is no clear consensus on the content of the message, how it should be transmitted, and the profil
AFRICA: MSF calls for greater focus on paediatric ARVs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 15, 2004; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] BANGKOK, 15 July (PLUSNEWS) - Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) called on the international pharmaceutical industry this week to develop AIDS drugs suitable for children. Children are not just small adults, Dr David Wilson, MSF coordinator in
AFRICA: Focus on funding at global AIDS conference: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 14, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] BANGKOK, 14 July (PLUSNEWS) - United States government officials in general, and Ambassador Randal Tobias in particular, have acted as a magnet for placard-waving activists this week at the 15th International AIDS Conference in Bangkok,
SOUTH AFRICA: Medicines Control Council phases out Nevirapine monotherapy: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 14, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 14 July (PLUSNEWS) - South African activists are up in arms after an announcement by the Medicines Control Council (MCC) that the only drug used to prevent transmission of HIV from mother to child be phased out or used only in con
UGANDA: UN Agency calls for better access to services for war-affected children: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 14, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] KAMPALA, 14 July (PLUSNEWS) - The United Nations Children s Fund (UNICEF) on Wednesday called for universal access to basic services for children affected by HIV/AIDS in war-torn northern and eastern Uganda . It said this would help them exe
AFRICA: Global workforce could be devastated by AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 14, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 14 July (PLUSNEWS) - HIV/AIDS is holding back economic growth and putting a massive strain on workers in some of the world s poorest nations, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has said. The first global analysis of the i
AFRICA: US $12 billion AIDS cost by 2005 - UNAIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 14, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 14 July (PLUSNEWS) - The cost of providing anti-AIDS treatment, care for orphans and prevention services in developing countries is expected to reach US $12 billion by 2005 and $20 billion by 2007, UNAIDS has said. In
AFRICA: AIDS battle slowed by "brain drain" - report: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 14, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 14 July (PLUSNEWS) - A brain drain of health care workers in Africa is hampering efforts to provide treatment to thousands of people living with HIV/AIDS, the health and rights group, Physicians for Human Rights (PHR), has said.
SOUTH AFRICA: Mother-to-child AIDS drug withdrawn: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 14, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 14 July (PLUSNEWS) - Nevirapine, the sole anti-AIDS drug for preventing the transmission of HIV from mother to child has been phased out by South Africa s Medicines Control Council (MCC). The Council said it had withdrawn registra
AFRICA: Plight of AIDS orphans overlooked - UN: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 14, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 14 July (PLUSNEWS) - Between 2001 and 2003 some three million children worldwide lost one or both parents to AIDS-related illnesses, but UN and US officials say the plight of these orphans is being overlooked. A focus on treatment
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Households burdened by an increasing number of AIDS orphans: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 13, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 13 July (PLUSNEWS) - By 2010 more than one in five children in Botswana , Lesotho , Swaziland and Zimbabwe will be orphaned by AIDS, a joint UN and US report warned on Tu
AFRICA: Simplified, high-quality public health initiatives needed: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 13, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] BANGKOK, 13 July (PLUSNEWS) - Innovative community-based public health initiatives are needed to enable the rapid rollout of HIV/AIDS treatment in Africa, the World Health Organisation (WHO) director of HIV/AIDS, Jim Yong Kim, told PlusNews on
ZAMBIA: Global Fund millions pledged despite shortfall: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 13, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 13 July (PLUSNEWS) - Two new grants of US $254 million for Zambia s fight against HIV/AIDS and $43 million for combating malaria have been approved by the Global AIDS Fund over the next five years. The Fund s executive director, R
AFRICA: Few world leaders as AIDS conferences starts: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 13, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 13 July (PLUSNEWS) - Only one of nine heads of state invited to a closed-door summit planned for the start of the International AIDS Conference underway in Bangkok accepted. The invitation was extended to Botswan
THAILAND: Spending bottlenecks hamper anti-AIDS initiatives: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 12, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] BANGKOK, 12 July (PLUSNEWS) - The limited capacity of African countries to implement large-scale HIV/AIDS programmes should not be an excuse for donors to put the brakes on funding, activists said on Monday at the 15th International AIDS Confer
SWAZILAND: Bishops find lack of governance and human rights: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 12, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MBABANE, 12 July (PLUSNEWS) - A high-powered delegation of Anglican bishops from five nations completed a two-day fact finding tour of Swaziland at the weekend, examining issues such as constitutional reform and the high HIV/AIDS rate. The
AFRICA: 3 by five unrealistic - AIDS expert: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 12, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 12 July (PLUSNEWS) - The goal of placing 3 million people in the developing world on anti-AIDS treatment by the end of 2005 will not be reached, a leading expert has warned. The 3 by 5 initiative is part of the effort by
ETHIOPIA: AIDS decline "success story" - UNAIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 12, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 12 July (PLUSNEWS) - HIV/AIDS prevalence in Ethiopia s capital, Addis Ababa, has fallen by more than half from its peak of 24 percent in 1995 to 11 percent in 2003, according to UNAIDS . Michel Sidibe, UNAIDS country and regional
UGANDA: Self-medication of AIDS dangerous - Ministry of Health: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 12, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 12 July (PLUSNEWS) - People living with HIV/AIDS in Uganda have been warned against self-medication by the Ministry of Health. Sam Zaramba, the acting director-general of health services, stressed that antiretroviral drugs taken w
AFRICA: Not enough done for AIDS - UN chief: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 12, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 12 July (PLUSNEWS) - UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has warned that global efforts to reduce the scale and impact of HIV/AIDS by 2005 are not following projections made three years ago. At the General Assembly Special Session on
SOUTH AFRICA: Sex workers to participate in HIV research project: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 9, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN, 9 July (PLUSNEWS) - AIDS activists in South Africa hope that the inclusion of sex workers in an HIV research project will draw attention to the need for outreach programmes targeting this often marginalised group. About 600 female s
AFRICA: Mrs Annan speaks on AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 9, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 9 July (PLUSNEWS) - Poverty and gender inequality were fuelling the spread of HIV/AIDS in Africa, Nane Annan, the wife of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has said. Speaking during a visit to the Kenya Network for Women Wi
SOUTH AFRICA: Mandela to address address AIDS conference: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 9, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 9 July (PLUSNEWS) - Former South African President Nelson Mandela will address some 15,000 delegates on 15 July at the International AIDS Conference in Bangkok, Thailand . Mandela is expected to focus on what the participants can
ANGOLA: Post-war conditions fuel AIDS increase: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 9, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 9 July (PLUSNEWS) - HIV/AIDS experts have expressed concern that post-war conditions in Angola could bring about an inevitable increase in prevalence rates. The large-scale return of refugees coupled with a lack of HIV/AIDS knowle
AFRICA: Rise in global HIV/AIDS donations - UNAIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 8, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 8 July (PLUSNEWS) - International funding to tackle the global HIV/AIDS pandemic is increasing, according to a new study released by the UN on Thursday. Titled Analysis of aid in support of HIV/AIDS control, 2000-2002, it presents
NIGERIA: AIDS drug shortage despite local production: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 8, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 8 July (PLUSNEWS) - Thousands of HIV-positive Nigerians are caught in the country s rapidly accelerating AIDS spiral, with little or no access to affordable treatment, Agence France Press reports. This was despite an Indian fi
SOUTH AFRICA: Increased AIDS deaths by 2014: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 8, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 8 July (PLUSNEWS) - A new report from the Actuarial Association of South Africa suggests that HIV/AIDS is still the single biggest cause of death in the country. Researchers from the institute estimate that some 900 South Africans
AFRICA: Establishment of HIV/AIDS corps urged: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 8, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 8 July (PLUSNEWS) - The mobilisation of a Peace Corps-like HIV/AIDS corps of technical specialists has been urged by a US-based health advisory panel to tackle HIV/AIDS in developing nations. In its new report, the Institute of Me
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Responding to the challenge of "feminisation" of AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 7, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 7 July (PLUSNEWS) - The laws guaranteeing equality are in place, the anti-AIDS information is out there, the girls are going to school in ever greater numbers, and yet young women in Southern Africa are becoming infected with HIV
AFRICA: British millions pledged for AIDS battle: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 7, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 7 July (PLUSNEWS) - Britain s international development secretary Hilary Benn has announced funding of close to US $214 million over the next four years to tackle HIV/AIDS around the world. The new funding will also aim to improve
SOUTH AFRICA: Additional US millions for AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 7, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 7 July (PLUSNEWS) - The fight against HIV/AIDS in South Africa is expected to be strengthened through new funding from the US President s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). According to a US embassy statement, South Africa h
UGANDA: High AIDS rates threaten camp's children: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 7, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 7 July (PLUSNEWS) - The high HIV/AIDS infection rate in northern and north eastern Uganda s displaced person s camps is threatening a new generation of children. It is estimated that the infection rate within the camps had doubled
AFRICA: New class of AIDS drugs promising: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 7, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 7 July (PLUSNEWS) - Twenty years into the global HIV/AIDS pandemic, researchers are hopeful about new classes of medicine that block the HI virus before it can enter human cells. Joep Lange, president of the International AIDS Soc
AFRICA: Continued 'feminisation' of HIV/AIDS - UNAIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 6, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 6 July (PLUSNEWS) - Women face a greater risk of HIV/AIDS infection and in Africa carry the burden of the epidemic, UNAIDS said in its annual global AIDS report released on Tuesday. Nowhere is the epidemic s feminisation more ap
ZAMBIA: Clinics roll out free AIDS drugs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 6, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 6 July (PLUSNEWS) - Free anti-AIDS drugs are being dispensed at four clinics in Zambia s capital, Lusaka, as part of continued government efforts to scale up treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS. While welcoming the recent de
AFRICA: AIDS epidemic continues to outstrip response: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 6, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 6 July (PLUSNEWS) - New global estimates of the AIDS epidemic are slightly lower than previously thought, but HIV continues to spread and outpace the response, said the UNAIDS 2004 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic launched on T
AFRICA: Generic AIDS drugs to expand treatment: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 6, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 6 July (PLUSNEWS) - A clinical trial has shown that combination generic AIDS drugs are as effective as brand-name drugs and could provide hope for cheaper medicines in developing countries, British medical weekly, The Lancet, repo
SOUTH AFRICA: Government slow on AIDS treatment - TAC: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 6, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 6 July (PLUSNEWS) - South African AIDS activist group, the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), has accused the government of dragging its feet over the roll-out of an effective national treatment plan. The TAC People s Health Summit
AFRICA: Multivitamins help keep AIDS at bay: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 5, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 5 July (PLUSNEWS) - The recently released findings of a study in Tanzania have revealed that daily doses of multivitamins may slow the HI virus. The study, which began in 1995, analysed women that were given multivitamins or a dum
UGANDA: Pregnant women to get better access to ARVs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 5, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 5 July (PLUSNEWS) - By the end of this year, every district across Uganda will have a centre for prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission, reports Ugandan newspaper, The New Vision. According to the programme coordinator
SOUTH AFRICA: Lack of qualified staff hampers ARV rollout: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 5, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 5 July (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) and the AIDS Law Project (ALP) have recommended the emergency recruitment of key staff to help cut the growing waiting lists for antiretroviral (ARV) treatment, Th
AFRICA: ILO calls for change in work practices: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 2, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 2 July (PLUSNEWS) - The International Labour Organisation (ILO) is calling on governments, employers and trade unions to recognise their responsibility as leaders to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS by changing attitudes and practices
NIGERIA: Journalism student says expelled for having HIV: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 2, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] LAGOS, 2 July (PLUSNEWS) - A Nigerian student said on Friday he had been booted out of a Lagos journalism school after he told the director he was infected with the virus that causes AIDS and would need to miss classes one day a month to get tr
TANZANIA: Multivitamins retard HIV progression, study finds: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 2, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] NAIROBI, 2 July (PLUSNEWS) - A daily intake of multivitamins can significantly delay the progress of the HIV/AIDS virus, according to the results of a study of HIV-infected women in Tanzania , the Harvard School of Public Health reported on Wed
SWAZILAND: Order needed in chaotic ARV programme: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 1, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MBABANE, 1 July (PLUSNEWS) - Citing deaths they claim are due to the improper introduction of antiretrovirals (ARVs) in Swaziland , AIDS activists have called for an urgent public education campaign and proper testing facilities to monitor pati
SOUTH AFRICA: Thembalami licensed to supply antiretrovirals: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 1, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 1 July (PLUSNEWS) - After being granted a voluntary licence, pharmaceutical company Thembalami will now make and sell cheap generic AIDS drugs. The licence, issued by pharmaceutical giants GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and
AFRICA: Sex education an antidote to HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 1, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 1 July (PLUSNEWS) - Sex education in schools delays the onset of sexual activity and helps young people defend themselves against HIV/AIDS, noted a World Health Organisation study conducted in 68 countries. Research by the United
GLOBAL: On course for three million treatment goal - WHO: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 1, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 1 July (PLUSNEWS) - The World Health Organisation (WHO) announced on Wednesday that it would achieve its goal of getting three million HIV-positive people on antiretroviral drugs (ARV) by 2005 through a UN-led Global fund. Alex R
GLOBAL: Protests against high costs of AIDS conference: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 30, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 30 June (PLUSNEWS) - HIV/AIDS activists have protested against the high registration fee for the upcoming XV International AIDS Conference to be held in Bangkok next month. The registration fee, initially US $900 not including mea
UGANDA: Psychotherapy groups helping AIDS depression: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 30, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 30 June (PLUSNEWS) - The Relief organisation, World Vision, is providing interpersonal psychotherapy to people affected by AIDS in Uganda s rural communities. Research, conducted together with the Johns Hopkins University in Ameri
ZIMBABWE: AIDS haunting transport sector: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 30, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 30 June (PLUSNEWS) - The International Labour Organisation (ILO) says officials in Zimbabwe s transport sector are not responding to the high prevalence of HIV/AIDS. The ILO has recommended that transport enterprises develop polic
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Focus on sex education - an antidote to HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 29, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 29 June (PLUSNEWS) - What most parents would not wish to know is that the age of their children s first sexual encounter is getting younger, and with it the risk of HIV infection. In Swaziland , nearly one-third of young people
UGANDA: US to provide US $51 million for HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 29, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] KAMPALA, 29 June (PLUSNEWS) - The United States has granted Uganda another US $51 million towards its fight against HIV/AIDS and the provision of antiretrovirals (ARVs) for 60,000 people under US President George Bush s emergency plan for AIDS
UGANDA: US pours in more aid to fight AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 29, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 29 June (PLUSNEWS) - Uganda has received US $51 million from President George Bush s US $15 billion emergency plan for AIDS relief. The funds are in addition to US $96 million recently provided by the same plan, and will be used t
AFRICA: UNAIDS/UNHCR to combat AIDS among refugees: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 29, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 29 June (PLUSNEWS) - The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has become the 10th co-sponsor of UNAIDS . It is envisaged that collaboration between the two organisations will have greater impact in combating HIV/A
SOUTH AFRICA: "AIDS fatigue" a myth: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 29, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 29 June (PLUSNEWS) - The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has said that South African audiences are not bored with AIDS reporting, as is popularly believed by most journalists. A month of research on the impact of HIV
SOUTH AFRICA: Nevirapine continues to be dispensed: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 29, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 29 June (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s department of health will continue to dispense Nevirapine until further research into the reliability of the drug in preventing HIV transmission from mother to child is conducted. Concerns about
UGANDA: HIV testing centres for armed forces: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 28, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 28 June (PLUSNEWS) - The Kampala City Council (KCC) is to set up HIV/AIDS counselling and testing centers in police and army quarters in an effort to combat the epidemic in the armed forces. The prevalence in Kampala is 13.3 perce
NIGERIA: Belgian firm to manufacture condoms: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 28, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 28 June (PLUSNEWS) - A new condom brand, Zazoo Essential, will hit Nigerian markets in September 2004. The Belgium-based organisation, Personal Comfort Services (PCS), in partnership with Nigerian company Globle Intertrade Limited
KENYA: AIDS compromising ability to deliver education: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 28, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 28 June (PLUSNEWS) - The education sector in Kenya is being threatened by the AIDS pandemic, according to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC). Speaking at a local school, the assistant Minister of Education, Peter Odoyo, said th
AFRICA: Continent lacking HIV/AIDS resources: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 25, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 25 June (PLUSNEWS) - Africa does not have the resources to fight HIV/AIDS and eradicate poverty, former Zambian president, Kenneth Kaunda said at at an International Conference held earlier this week in Kenya s capital, Nairobi.
ETHIOPIA: Government to supply free anti-AIDS drugs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 25, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 25 June (PLUSNEWS) - Nearly 200,000 HIV positive Ethiopians will receive free antiretroviral treatment over the next five years, Health Minister Kebede Tadesse has said. The treatment programme is funded by a US $50 million grant
CAMEROON: AIDS partnership with former US president: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 25, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 25 June (PLUSNEWS) - Former US president Bill Clinton s HIV/AIDS Foundation and the government of Cameroon have signed a partnership agreement to tackle the pandemic. The objective of the agreement is to support treatment of HIV/A
SWAZILAND: Debate over male circumcision: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 25, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MBABANE, 25 June (PLUSNEWS) - Male circumcision as a method to the reduce risk of HIV infection is being hotly debated this week after a prominent politician announced that his four sons had been circumcised, contrary to Swazi tradition. All
KENYA: World Bank reaffirms AIDS funding commitment: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 24, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 24 June (PLUSNEWS) - Commitment to funding Kenya s HIV/AIDS programme was on Thursday reaffirmed by the World Bank. However, the Bank said it was concerned that a state agency had not accounted for AIDS funding over the last six m
SOUTH AFRICA: Condom distribution in schools considered: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 24, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 24 June (PLUSNEWS) - The department of education in South Africa s Western Cape province is considering making condoms more accessible to sexually active school pupils. This follows concern expressed by education MEC Cameron Dugmo
SOUTH AFRICA: Anti-AIDS treatment plan on track: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 24, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 24 June (PLUSNEWS) - The health department of South Africa s North West province has announced that a comprehensive plan to roll out HIV/AIDS treatment was already in progress. Speaking during the department s recent 2004/05 budge
SOUTH AFRICA: Local AIDS activists join international protests: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 24, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 24 June (PLUSNEWS) - South African AIDS activist group, the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), was on Thursday part of a global protest demanding US President George W Bush to do more for the global HIV/AIDS pandemic. Some 500 angry
ZAMBIA: Expert advises against forced HIV testing: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 23, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 23 June (PLUSNEWS) - Zambia s Integrated Health Programme (ZHIP) has said mandatory HIV testing could do little to broaden access to treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS. The country s National AIDS Council (NAC) recently ann
KENYA: Withheld funds cripples AIDS planning: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 23, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 23 June (PLUSNEWS) - Kenya s National AIDS Control Council (NACC) has suffered a major setback in its planned HIV/AIDS programming following the World Bank s decision to withhold crucial funding. The Bank refused to release more t
COTE D IVOIRE: Loan suspension disrupts planned AIDS projects: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 22, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 22 June (PLUSNEWS) - Planned HIV/AIDS and disarmament programmes have been disrupted in Cote d ivoire following the World Bank s suspension of more than US $150 million in loans. Abdoul-Bakary Sanogo, the Bank s spokesman, said th
UGANDA: Children's organisation pledges AIDS millions: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 22, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 22 June (PLUSNEWS) - An international children s aid organisation, the Christian Children s Fund (CCF), has pledged more than US $22 million over four years to tackle HIV/AIDS in Uganda . CCF president John Schultz, currently on
SOUTH AFRICA: Youth see anal sex as safe alternative - report: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 22, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 22 June (PLUSNEWS) - Young South Africans are interpreting oral and anal sex as safe because they are not mentioned in HIV/AIDS prevention messages, an expert has said. A survey conducted by professor Quarraisha Abdool Karim has r
LIBERIA: AIDS survey expected within the year: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 22, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 22 June (PLUSNEWS) - A survey to assess Liberia s HIV/AIDS prevalence rate could take place within six to 12 months, the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) has announced. HIV/AIDS data collection in the West African nation has
NAMIBIA: UN urges step-up in AIDS efforts: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 22, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 22 June (PLUSNEWS) - The UN special envoy for humanitarian needs in southern Africa, James Morris, has urged Namibia to step up efforts in tackling HIV/AIDS. Speaking on Monday in the capital, Windhoek, Morris said: AIDS in south
WEST AFRICA: World Bank approves million-dollar fund for AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 22, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 22 June (PLUSNEWS) - The World Bank has provided US $60 million to fund the first-ever project that focuses primarily on AIDS in Africa, providing improved access to HIV treatment in Burkina Faso ,
ZIMBABWE: Conference sidelines AIDS activists: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 21, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 21 June (PLUSNEWS) - Zimbabwean AIDS activists have complained that they were sidelined from the country s first national HIV/AIDS conference. In a statement circulated at the three-day conference, people living with HIV/AIDS said
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS drug tenders expected by August: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 21, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 21 June (PLUSNEWS) - South African Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang has said the tendering process for awarding supply contracts to AIDS drug manufacturers will be completed by the end of August. According to a local newsp
ETHIOPIA: Peace needed to tackle AIDS - former president: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 21, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 21 June (PLUSNEWS) - Former Ethiopian President Negaso Gidada has said that peace was essential in the struggle against HIV/AIDS. Speaking recently at the Headquarters of the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (U
NIGERIA: HIV/AIDS eradicating military - study: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 21, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 21 June (PLUSNEWS) - HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of death in Nigeria s military and police forces, a study carried out among 500 naval officers has suggested. The study, which was published recently in the Biomedcentral Public H
SOUTH AFRICA: University AIDS programmes under discussion: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 21, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 21 June (PLUSNEWS) - The results of an audit on HIV/AIDS programmes at South African tertiary institutions will highlight weaknesses in some of the poorer universities, a local newspaper, Business Day, reports. Conducted by the Hi
SWAZILAND: Pregnant school girls no longer face expulsion: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 21, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MBABANE, 21 June (PLUSNEWS) - High school girls who fall pregnant will no longer be expelled from their schools, the Swaziland Schools Headteachers Association resolved last week. The policy change overturns what has been standard practice sinc
ZIMBABWE: Action plan set to help orphans: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 18, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] HARARE, 18 June (PLUSNEWS) - In an effort to respond to the ballooning orphan crisis, the Zimbabwean government is set to launch a national plan of action for orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs), officials told a national conference on HIV a
AFRICA: AIDS, poverty and conflict threaten family structures: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 18, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 18 June (PLUSNEWS) - The African family structures is threatened by HIV/AIDS, poverty and conflict, the UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) has warned. UNICEF executive director, Carol Bellamy said the extended family was Africa s greates
ZIMBABWE: AIDS activists complain conference ignored them: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 18, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] HARARE, 18 June (PLUSNEWS) - Zimbabwe s first national AIDS conference ended in acrimony on Friday, with AIDS activists complaining that they had been sidelined from the high-profile event. In a statement circulated among delegates at the three
MALAWI: Impact of AIDS and food insecurity reviewed: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 18, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 18 June (PLUSNEWS) - The director of the World Food Programme (WFP) is visiting Malawi to review how the UN and the international community can assist in tackling the effects of HIV/AIDS-related food insecurity on families and chi
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Morris calls for increased effort in AIDS fight: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 18, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 18 June (PLUSNEWS) - After visits to Mozambique and Malawi , James Morris, the UN Special Envoy for Humanitarian Needs in Southern Africa, has highlighted the impact of HIV/AIDS on food security in the region.
ZIMBABWE: Unite in AIDS battle - Kaunda: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 18, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 18 June (PLUSNEWS) - Former Zambian president Kenneth Kaunda on Thursday urged Zimbabweans to put aside their political differences in order to tackle HIV/AIDS. He stressed that AIDS knew no politics or religion and called on atte
ZIMBABWE: Limited response to PMTC programme: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 17, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] HARARE, 17 June (PLUSNEWS) - Zimbabwe s efforts to prevent the transmission of HIV from mothers to their children is being undermined by a limited response to the initiative, the head of the programme, Dr Agnes Mahomva, told a national AIDS con
MOZAMBIQUE: New hope for HIV-infected children: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 17, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MAPUTO, 17 June (PLUSNEWS) - In a large sunny room decorated with big bright paintings, young children play with toys while others sit on their mothers laps or on new wooden chairs made especially for them. The paintings are the creative work o
ZIMBABWE: AIDS battle hampered by poverty - experts: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 17, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 17 June (PLUSNEWS) - Zimbabwe s battle against HIV/AIDS is being hampered by poverty, some 700 delegates attending the country s first national AIDS conference heard earlier this week. According to Agence France-Presse, a group of
SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape ups AIDS drug sites: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 17, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 17 June (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s Western Cape province will offer anti-AIDS treatment at 36 sites by March 2005, according to Dr Fareed Abdullah, the head of the province s HIV/AIDS programme. The increase from the current 19 o
AFRICA: WHO scraps two generic AIDS drugs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 17, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 17 June (PLUSNEWS) - Two generic versions of anti-AIDS drugs commonly used in developing countries have been removed from the World Health Organisation s (WHO) list of approved antiretrovirals. The UN health agency said it was unc
ZIMBABWE: President personally affected by HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 17, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 17 June (PLUSNEWS) - Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has revealed for the first time that members of his extended family were living with HIV/AIDS, the BBC reported. Mugabe has become the latest African leader to break the wall
ZIMBABWE: Mugabe calls for cheaper AIDS drugs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 16, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] HARARE, 16 June (PLUSNEWS) - About US $280 million (Zim $15 billion) has been made available for the purchase of antiretroviral drugs in public hospitals, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe said on Wednesday at the official opening of the first
UGANDA: New AIDS survey to launch in June: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 15, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 15 June (PLUSNEWS) - Uganda will spend US $2.7 million on its upcoming national HIV sero-behavioural survey, the project director in the Ministry of Health, Dr Alex Opio, has said. The new survey is expected to deliver information
LESOTHO: Impact of AIDS on women and children reviewed: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 15, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 15 June (PLUSNEWS) - The UN special envoy on HIV/AIDS in Africa, Stephen Lewis, is in Lesotho to examine the impact of the disease on women and vulnerable children. Lewis is expected to meet with prime minister Pakalitha Mosisili,
SOUTH AFRICA: New condom launched in AIDS prevention campaign: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 15, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 15 June (PLUSNEWS) - As part of its national campaign to tackle HIV/AIDS, the South African government on Monday launched a new sexy and fun free condom. The new condom, called Choice , replaces the former brand after studies show
LIBERIA: Cash injection for AIDS, TB and malaria: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 15, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 15 June (PLUSNEWS) - Under an agreement signed between the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and Liberia s Ministry of Health, the country is set to receive US $24.3 million to assist its fight against HIV/AIDS and other infectious
ZIMBABWE: First national HIV/AIDS conference underway: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 15, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 15 June (PLUSNEWS) - Zimbabwe on Tuesday opened its first national HIV/AIDS conference to establish more effective ways of tackling the pandemic, a local newspaper, the Zim Observer, reported. Zimbabwe s first national HIV an
UGANDA: New AIDS survey to launch in June: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 15, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 15 June (PLUSNEWS) - Uganda will spend US $2.7 million on its upcoming national HIV sero-behavioural survey, the project director in the Ministry of Health, Dr Alex Opio, has said. The new survey is expected to deliver information
MALI: Excision practiced where pre-Islamic traditions strongest: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 15, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] SELINGUE, 15 June (PLUSNEWS) - The overwhelming majority of women in Mali still undergo female circumcision in their youth, but attitudes are changing, and now a US $2 million public awareness campaign by Plan International is set to change the
TANZANIA: Free anti-AIDS drugs before December: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 14, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 14 June (PLUSNEWS) - Tanzania hopes to start distributing free antiretroviral drugs to people living with HIV/AIDS by October, the Ministry of Health has said. Special priority would be given to expectant mothers, as around 70,000
AFRICA: UN welcomes G8 endorsement of HIV vaccine initiative: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 14, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 14 June (PLUSNEWS) - Two UN agencies on Monday welcomed a decision by the Group of Eight (G8) most industrialised countries to form a global consortium for the development of an effective HIV/AIDS vaccine. The initiative, the Glob
SOUTH AFRICA: Civil society assists AIDS drug rollout: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 14, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 14 June (PLUSNEWS) - In the first structured civil society response of its kind in South Africa , a network of 90 NGOs in KwaZulu-Natal province, on the country s eastern seaboard, is helping the government to roll out anti-AIDS d
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: NGO in HIV/AIDS sensitisation efforts: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 14, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] BANGUI, 14 June (PLUSNEWS) - An American NGO operating in the Central African Republic (CAR) has donated HIV/AIDS testing materials to six Roman Catholic dioceses in the country, state-owned Radio Centrafrique reported. The donation, from t
UGANDA: Free AIDS drugs reach thousands more: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 14, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 14 June (PLUSNEWS) - Uganda has launched a programme to distribute free antiretroviral drugs through 26 of its health centres. Health Minister Jim Muhwezi told the UN news service, Plusnews, that the programme would target mainly
UGANDA: Distribution of free anti-AIDS drugs begins: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 14, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] KAMPALA, 14 June (PLUSNEWS) - The health ministry has launched a programme to distribute free anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) to people living with AIDS through 26 centres in district and regional referral hospitals across the country. Health Mini
AFRICA: Church leaders to get more involved in fighting HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 14, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] NAIROBI, 14 June (PLUSNEWS) - African church leaders said on Friday that they would make available in church-supported health facilities, drugs used to lessen the severity of HIV/AIDS infection and become more involved in fighting the stigmatis
AFRICA: First ladies fund to tackle HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 11, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 11 June (PLUSNEWS) - A regional fund, to be set up by first ladies from the 19-nation Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), aims to reduce the vulnerability of rural women to HIV/AIDS and poverty. At the close of
GABON: HIV/AIDS testing and drug prices reduced: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 11, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 11 June (PLUSNEWS) - Gabon has announced a further reduction in the price of anti-AIDS treatment and HIV testing following a Global AIDS Fund pledge of US $3 million to tackle the pandemic. Some 1,600 people currently receive
SOUTH AFRICA: Networking of municipalities critical for tackling HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 11, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 11 June (PLUSNEWS) - A new study commissioned by the South African Cities Network (SACN) urges local municipalities to develop a multi-sectoral strategy to tackle the effects of HIV/AIDS on their communities. The report, titled S
BOTSWANA: Expectant mothers take up routine HIV testing: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 11, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 11 June (PLUSNEWS) - Scores of pregnant women in Botswana s second largest commercial centre, Francistown, are embracing routine HIV testing, a study has revealed. Conducted by the Botswana-USA (BOTUSA) Project, the research shows
SOUTH AFRICA: Civil society network ready to help ARV rollout: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 11, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN, 11 June (PLUSNEWS) - About 90 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in South Africa s KwaZulu-Natal province have teamed up to work with the government in rolling out antiretroviral (ARV) drugs, in the first structured civil society res
AFRICA: Anti-AIDS treatment effective during infancy - study: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 10, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 10 June (PLUSNEWS) - A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Thursday suggests that combinations of anti-AIDS drugs given to HIV-positive adults can also be effective in newborn babies. The findings are expected to help guide HIV treatment in children, especially in the developing worl
SOUTH AFRICA: Cremation the only option as cemetries fill: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 10, 2004; DURBAN, 10 June (PLUSNEWS) - Due to the increasing numbers of AIDS-related deaths, burial space in municipal cemeteries in the South African port city of Durban has become hard to find. Only two of the 53 cemeteries in Durban & District, which have to cover a population of 3.5 million, have space for fresh graves,
AFRICA: HIV vaccine consortium endorsed at G8 summit: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 10, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 10 June (PLUSNEWS) - Delegates attending the current Group of Eight (G8) summit in Georgia, US, have agreed to form a global consortium to develop an HIV/AIDS vaccine, UK newspaper, The Guardian, reports. Founding member of the consortium, the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), lauded the creat
AFRICA: G8 leaders challenged to keep promise on global HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 10, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 10 June (PLUSNEWS) - A network of international NGOs has urged governments at the current Group of Eight (G8) summit in Georgia, US, to honour commitments made during the signing of the UN global AIDS compact three years ago. In a call to action, to be presented at the gathering, the World AIDS Campaign (
UGANDA: Condom-use low among youth: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 10, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 10 June (PLUSNEWS) - A Ugandan AIDS organisation has urged school-going youth to guard against HIV infection by living responsibly. The results of a recent survey by the Community Awareness and Response on AIDS (CARA) revealed that only 48 percent of sexually active youth in Central Uganda s Kayunga distr
SOUTH AFRICA: Religious leaders failing on HIV/AIDS crisis: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 9, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 9 June (PLUSNEWS) - A top South African Anglican cleric has accused religious leaders of failing to confront the global HIV/AIDS crisis. Cape Town Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane, said too many churches continued to regard AIDS as God s retribution and were contributing to the stigma surrounding the disea
AFRICA: Roche cuts AIDS drugs costs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 9, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 9 June (PLUSNEWS) - Drug manufacturing giant, Roche Pharmaceuticals on Tuesday announced further reductions in prices of its HIV protease inhibitors , Invirase and Viracept , for people living with HIV/AIDS in low and middle income countries.
ZIMBABWE: Manufacture of cheap AIDS drugs starts: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 9, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 9 June (PLUSNEWS) - Scores of people living with HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe are set to benefit from the local manufacture of generic anti-AIDS drugs, Agence France-Presse reported. Zimbabwean pharmaceutical company, Varichem Pharmaceuticals, on Tuesday announced it had started production and was manufacturing n
ZIMBABWE: Local production of AIDS drugs begins: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 9, 2004; BULAWAYO, 9 June (PLUSNEWS) - Access to anti-AIDS drugs is improving in Zimbabwe , due to recent initiatives to roll-out antiretroviral (ARV) therapy and to manufacture the medicines locally. A Zimbabwean pharmaceutical company has started manufacturing generic antiretroviral (ARV) drugs in a bid to significantly reduc
AFRICA: First ladies launch organisation to fight HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 9, 2004; KAMPALA, 9 June (PLUSNEWS) - The wives of eight African heads of state have formed a body to be known as the Organisation of African First Ladies Against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA), which, they said, would coordinate their efforts to combat the spread of the disease. The organisation, which was launched in the Ugandan capital, K
AFRICA: Refugees show positive response to AIDS education: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 8, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 8 June (PLUSNEWS) - Refugees generally have a significantly lower HIV infection rate than their host communities, according to experts from the UN refugee agency, UNHCR. A study conducted among pregnant women in more than 20 African refugee camps indicated that in five of the seven countries surveyed, ref
NIGERIA: US pledges $58 million to combat HIV/AIDS this year: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 7, 2004; ABUJA, 7 June (PLUSNEWS) - Nigeria will receive US $58 million of US aid this year for programmes aimed at treating HIV/AIDS and curbing the spread of the pandemic, half of which will be channelled through faith-based organisations, a senior US official has revealed. Randall Tobias, Global Coordinator of the US Emergen
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Twenty-four HIV/AIDS projects awarded financing: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 4, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 4 June (PLUSNEWS) - Twenty four innovative HIV/AIDS projects from across Southern Africa were presented with start-up funds this week by the World Bank Development Marketplace. The World Bank and its development partners awarded nearly $400,000 to highly innovative HIV/AIDS-related projects that bring peo
SOUTH AFRICA: Linking traditional and formal HIV/AIDS treatment: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 4, 2004; WATERFALL, 4 June (PLUSNEWS) - With an estimated 80 percent of rural South Africans in KwaZulu-Natal province seeking treatment from traditional healers, cooperation between Western and traditional medicine is essential in tackling HIV/AIDS, say analysts. Sangomas (traditional healers) enjoy a tremendous amount of resp
COTE D IVOIRE: Government slashes price of ARV treatment for AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 3, 2004; ABIDJAN, 3 June (PLUSNEWS) - The government of Cote d Ivoire has announced plans to slash the price of antiretroviral (ARV) treatment for thousands of people living with AIDS with the help of a US $14 million grant from the United States . Announcing the move on Wednesday, Health Minister ALbert Mabri Toikeuse said the
ZAMBIA: Home-based care projects flourishing: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 3, 2004; LUSAKA, 3 June (PLUSNEWS) - As Zambia struggles to provide adequate treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS, a long-standing community project has proven a valuable resource in efforts to mitigate the impact of the disease. One such project in Chazanga township, north of the capital, Lusaka, is called Bwafwano, meani
SOUTH AFRICA: The Global Fund clarifies its position on relations with South Africa: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 3, 2004; JOHNNESBURG, 3 June (PLUSNEWS) - The Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Professor Richard Feachem, clarified the Fund s position on the current status of its grants to South Africa in a statement released on Thursday. Clarification became necessary after a media interview
NIGER: Health workers report increased willingness to take HIV tests: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 2, 2004; NIAMEY, 2 June (PLUSNEWS) - More people in the landlocked desert state of Niger are volunteering to undergo testing for HIV/AIDS as acceptance and understanding of the disease improves, according to health workers in the capital, Niamey. The image of AIDS has changed. People no longer associate it with death, weight lo
DJIBOUTI: Media to take more active role in fighting HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 2, 2004; DJIBOUTI, 2 June (PLUSNEWS) - The Djiboutian communication and culture ministry has said it plans to involve journalists more actively in fighting HIV/AIDS despite a relatively low prevalence of the virus in the country. Speaking at a seminar for journalists in the capital, Djibouti, Minister for Communication and Cult
SOUTH AFRICA: Government says paediatric ARVs to continue: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 1, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 1 June (PLUSNEWS) - The South African health ministry on Tuesday retracted an earlier statement that it would instruct provincial health departments not to put any additional children on antiretroviral (ARV) treatment. Instead of suspending the enrollment of children, the ministry would warn participating
SWAZILAND: Rising number of HIV-positive truckers alarms authorities: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 31, 2004; MBABANE, 31 May (PLUSNEWS) - Swazi authorities and health workers have expressed concern over the rising rate of HIV infection among the country s truck drivers. The landlocked southern African country is heavily dependent on road transport and there are fears that the spread of the virus could have a serious impact on
BOTSWANA: Peace Corps gets chiefs to undergo HIV tests: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 26, 2004; MOLEPOLOLE, 26 May (PLUSNEWS) - In Molepolole, a village 50 kilometres outside Gaborone, the capital of Botswana , Chief Sechele enthusiastically accepted when a group of United States Peace Corp volunteers broke with tradition last week and asked the Bakwena Paramount Chief, Kgosi Kgari Sechele III, to publicly take a
BOTSWANA: Botswana Ministry of Health to reach more with HIV training: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 25, 2004; GABORONE, 25 May (PLUSNEWS) - Botswana s ministry of health this week announced its intention to expand its existing HIV/AIDS training programme to reach more health care professionals. Building on the existing KITSO AIDS training programme, the plan will ensure a comprehensive, standardised and coordinated HIV/AIDS tr
SWAZILAND: Innovative project cares for AIDS orphans: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 25, 2004; MBABANE, 25 May (PLUSNEWS) - Neighbourhood Care Points (NCP) that provide a host of services to Swaziland s growing population of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) will be expanded by 150 percent by the end of 2005 in the drought stricken southern Shiselweni and eastern Lubombo regions, according to a recent report
MOZAMBIQUE: First hospital for HIV-positive children: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 25, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 25 May (PLUSNEWS) - Mozambique s first hospital for HIV-positive children opened this week in the capital, Maputo, amid estimates that more than 30,000 children are born HIV-positive each year. The Paediatric Day Hospital will facilitate much more integrated support to children living with HIV/AIDS than u
ZAMBIA: More than half children under five are stunted: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 24, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 24 May (PLUSNEWS) - More than half of Zambia s children aged under five are stunted - one of the highest levels in Africa, according to UN Children s Fund (UNICEF). The levels of child malnutrition in Zambia had showed improvement throughout the 1990s, but since 1999 have deteriorated quite significantly,
SOUTHERN AFRICA: IFRC initiative puts people back on their feet: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 21, 2004; HARARE, 21 May (PLUSNEWS) - A home-based care programme for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWAs) initiated in 10 Southern African countries by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has put some of the bed-ridden recipients of food aid back on their feet. We are naturally delighted b
AFRICA: Guidelines for HIV/Aids Interventions in Emergency Settings: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 20, 2004; With conflict and natural disaster fuelling the spread of HIV/AIDS in the developing world, the UN Inter Agency Standing Committee Task Force on HIV/AIDS in Emergency Settings (IASC-TF) has released a practical handbook on effective interventions in the field. While earlier guidelines were developed by the UN s refugee
SOUTH AFRICA: New challenge in achieving adherence: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 20, 2004; DURBAN, 20 May (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s rollout of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs for people living with HIV/AIDS has presented the government with a new set of challenges. Health authorities now face the formidable task of educating beneficiaries about the need to adhere strictly to the drug regime. If ARVs are not tak
ZAMBIA: Traditional healers called in to treat HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 19, 2004; LUSAKA, 19 May (PLUSNEWS) - With less than two percent of HIV-infected Zambians able to access antiretrovirals, plans were announced on Tuesday to begin testing traditional medicines as an alternative treatment for the pandemic. Dr Patrick Chikusu, head of the department of pharmacy at the University of Zambia (UNZA),
MOZAMBIQUE: Favourable IMF report on PRSP, MDG progress: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 19, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 19 May (PLUSNEWS) - An International Monetary Fund (IMF) review of Mozambique s Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) and economic and social plan for 2003 says the country is well placed to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The MDGs are a set of objectives for human development, to be me
SWAZILAND: Life expectancy to drop to 40 yrs by 2010 - report: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 19, 2004; MBABANE, 19 May (PLUSNEWS) - The Swaziland Vulnerability Assessment Committee (VAC) predicts that the high HIV/AIDS prevalence rate will lower life expectancy to just 40 years by 2010. The first large-scale survey of Swazi homes to determine the impact of HIV/AIDS found a reversal of the decade-long trend of lower mort
AFRICA: Fast-track system for combination anti-AIDS drug use welcomed: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 19, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 19 May (PLUSNEWS) - The Global AIDS Fund on Monday welcomed a move by the US Health and Human Services department to facilitate the wider use of fixed-dose combination anti-AIDS drugs in developing countries. A major scaling up of HIV/AIDS treatment is currently being financed by the Fund in over 100 deve
ZIMBABWE: Youth provide leadership for AIDS effort: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 18, 2004; HARARE, 18 May (PLUSNEWS) - With young people in Zimbabwe most at risk from HIV/AIDS, a new project is seeking to empower youth representatives to make a difference among their peers. The District Response Initiative (DRI), which works to reduce the effects of HIV/AIDS on rural youth in seven of the country s most impo
SOUTH AFRICA: World Bank competition for implementable, innovative projects: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 18, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 18 May (PLUSNEWS) - The World Bank (WB) will host a Development Marketplace in Johannesburg early in June to award about US $400,000 to proposals that can be turned into action to help combat HIV/AIDS in the region. The initiative will provide a platform for organisations to present new, creative ideas ar
ZIMBABWE: Men break with tradition to become AIDS caregivers: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 17, 2004; HARARE, 17 May (PLUSNEWS) - Zimbabwean men have become increasingly involved in caring for AIDS patients, challenging the stereotype that caring for the terminally ill is women s work. For 48-year-old Luckson Murungweni, until recently it would have been inconceivable that he would one day be actively involved in carin
ZIMBABWE: HIV/AIDS conference to assess progress: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 14, 2004; HARARE, 14 May (PLUSNEWS) - As HIV/AIDS continues to take its toll on Zimbabwe , the government is organising the first national conference to assess what progress has been made in mitigating the effects of the disease. The forum, to be held between 15 and 18 June, is expected to draw about 500 participants locally and
ZIMBABWE: Calls for decentralisation of ARV programmes: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 13, 2004; HARARE, 13 May (PLUSNEWS) - A government decision to distribute anti-AIDS drugs at two of Zimbabwe s largest urban hospitals has been criticised because the majority of people in need of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs live in rural areas. As Zimbabwe moves towards its third decade of the AIDS pandemic, more people are fall
SOUTH AFRICA: Study of HIV risk in children sounds alarm bells: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 13, 2004; CAPE TOWN, 13 May (PLUSNEWS) - The first national study of HIV risk in South African children aged between two and 18 has revealed an overall prevalence rate of 5.4 percent. The National Household HIV Prevalence and Risk Survey of South African Children by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) showed that 6.2 perc
ZIMBABWE: Fishermen neglected target for new AIDS awareness: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 12, 2004; HARARE, 12 May (PLUSNEWS) - As HIV prevalence rates in Zimbabwe continue to rise, AIDS activists have begun tackling areas of the country where awareness and information about the disease remain limited. The National AIDS Council has identified fishing camps across the country as potentially high HIV transmission areas
AFRICA: Social scientists leave conference armed with fresh ideas: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 12, 2004; CAPE TOWN, 12 May (PLUSNEWS) - The Second African Conference on Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS Research (SAHARA) held in Cape Town, South Africa , drew to a close on Wednesday, leaving delegates armed with fresh learning and new networks. The establishment of a network that focuses on the social aspects around HIV/AIDS is
AFRICA: The challenge of stigma: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 12, 2004; CAPE TOWN, 12 May (PLUSNEWS) - Stigma associated with AIDS is exceptionally complex, with far-reaching consequences, social scientists said at a conference on the social aspects of HIV/AIDS research in South Africa this week. Socially stigmatising beliefs about AIDS impede HIV prevention, diagnosis, and care, research
ZAMBIA: New approach to HIV/AIDS treatment needed: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 11, 2004; CAPE TOWN, 11 May (PLUSNEWS) - Although antiretroviral therapy (ART) has been available in Zambia since 2002, few Zambians have joined the national treatment programme says research presented at a conference on the social aspects of HIV/AIDS care and treatment. While antiretrovirals (ARVs) are relatively cheap, they ar
ZIMBABWE: MPs test for HIV lauded: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 11, 2004; HARARE, 11 May (PLUSNEWS) - A decision by nine Zimbabwean MPs to publicly have themselves tested for HIV would encourage others to know their status and reduce the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS, say NGOs. The nine MPs were tested at the New Start counselling and testing centre in Harare last week under the Public Per
LESOTHO: First health centre to distribute ART opened: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 10, 2004; MASERU, 10 May (PLUSNEWS) - Lesotho s first health centre to provide antiretroviral therapy (ART) was officially opened by Lesotho Prime Minister Dr Pakalitha Mosisili on Friday. The Senkatana Centre is a pilot project in the planned national rollout of antiretroviral drugs and strengthening of the NGO sector to provid
SOUTH AFRICA: SAHARA conference opens: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 10, 2004; CAPE TOWN, 10 May (PLUSNEWS) - Over 350 social researchers, doctors, representatives of national and international organisations, NGOs and donor agencies are attending the Second African Conference on Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS Research (SAHARA) in Cape Town, South Africa . The four-day conference, themed Promoting an
SOUTH AFRICA: Feature - Problems implementing HIV/AIDS caregiver grant: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 7, 2004; DURBAN, 7 May (PLUSNEWS) - As the number of South Africans infected with HIV/AIDS rises, home-based care programmes need to be persistently expanded, but most such projects are run by NGOs using volunteers due to a lack of funding, and without an income the unpaid caregivers have trouble supporting themselves and their
SOUTH AFRICA: Gender-based violence increases spread of HIV: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 6, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 6 May (PLUSNEWS) - Women who suffer violence at the hands of their male partners are more likely to become infected with the HI virus, a new South African study confirms. Women who are beaten or dominated by their partners are nearly 50 percent more likely to become infected with HIV, compared with women
Namibia: WFP, Unicef Reissue Appeal After Getting No Response: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 5, 2004; Almost 120,000 children have lost their parents to HIV/AIDS Two United Nations agencies in Namibia on Wednesday reissued an urgent appeal to the international community for funds to assist some 600,000 orphans, vulnerable children (OVC) and women suffering from the combined effects of drought, chronic poverty and the
Nigeria: Cheap Aids Treatment Scheme Still Has Big Problems: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 5, 2004; A Nigerian government pilot programme to provide subsidised antiretroviral (ARV) treatment for people living with AIDS is inadequate and under threat from delayed funding and poor organisation, AIDS activists said on Wednesday. The programme aims to provide cheap ARV treatment for 10,000 adults and 5,000 children livin
NAMIBIA: Orphan crisis a disaster greater than floods/drought: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 4, 2004; CAPRIVI, 4 May (PLUSNEWS) - Namibia s orphan crisis is set to worsen as HIV/AIDS continues to rob youngsters of their parents and a normal childhood. When the Zambezi burst its banks and devastated huge areas of Namibia s Caprivi region over the past few weeks it was a repetition on a miniature scale of the vivid human
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Church leaders trained on HIV/AIDS awareness: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 30, 2004; BANGUI, 30 April (PLUSNEWS) - Some 44 church leaders in the Central African Republic (CAR) completed on Thursday a four-day training course on HIV/AIDS awareness, organised by the Ecumenical Initiative on HIV in Africa and a local NGO. A member of the Ecumenical Initiative, Rosalie Koudougueret-Malogba, told PlusNews o
SOUTH AFRICA: Challenges remain for MSF's ART programme: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 30, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 30 April (PLUSNEWS) - Three years after its inception, the first project to provide free AIDS drugs to South Africans put the 1,000th patient on antiretroviral treatment (ART) this week. In May 2001 the Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF) and Western Cape Health Department project started providing people at a
NAMIBIA: Lack of funds deepens the plight of orphans: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 29, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 29 April (PLUSNEWS) - The plight of orphans in Namibia is set to worsen after an announcement this week that the authorities would be unable to disburse a monthly social grant due to insufficient funds. Minister of Women Affairs and Child Welfare Netumbo Ndaitwah told IRIN on Thursday that there were too
SWAZILAND: Swazi orphans face education crisis: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 29, 2004; MBABANE, 29 April (PLUSNEWS) - Government and social welfare NGOs are seeking ways to offset a pending education crisis for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) after school heads resolved this week to bar those unable to pay fees. Education Minister Constance Simelane ordered school principals to admit OVC in January
DRC: Help victims of sexual violence among expelled Congolese, OCHA says: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 28, 2004; NAIROBI, 28 April (PLUSNEWS) - Tens of thousands of Congolese expelled from Angola may be in need of psychological support and health care following reports of systematic sexual violence they underwent upon their expulsion, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported on Tuesday. OCHA
AFRICA: Education could save millions of youth from HIV/AIDS - report: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 28, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 28 April (PLUSNEWS) - Efforts by the World Bank to support education could prove critical in preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS , said global relief organisation, Oxfam International. The World Bank s Global Campaign for Education was designed to encourage wealthy nations to finance primary education proje
SWAZILAND: Accelerating response to AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 28, 2004; MBABANE, 28 April (PLUSNEWS) - Accelerating its response to the AIDS challenge, the Swazi government announced on Wednesday it had selected preferred suppliers of antiretroviral drugs, while the national AIDS funding agency said it had applied for a US $48.5 million grant from the Global Fund. The nearly $50 million we
ETHIOPIA: US grants $18 million for HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 27, 2004; ADDIS ABABA, 27 April (PLUSNEWS) - The United States has granted Ethiopia US $18 million towards combating the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the US embassy in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, announced on Monday. The funding is part of the global $15 billion anti-AIDS initiative announced by US President George W.
BURUNDI: HIV-positive people demand protective laws: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 27, 2004; BUJUMBURA, 27 April (PLUSNEWS) - An association for HIV positive people in Burundi , the Reseau Burundais des personnes vivant avec le VIH, wants the government to enact a law protecting affected people against discrimination and stigmatisation. We demand that the government should promulgate the law protecting HIV pos
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Global fund approves HIV/AIDS project: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 27, 2004; BANGUI, 27 April (PLUSNEWS) - The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has approved a project proposed by the Central African Republic (CAR) government on the reinforcement of care to HIV positive people, state-owned Radio Centrafrique on Monday. At the same time, the Fund allocated money to fight AIDS t
SOUTH AFRICA: Precedent-setting agreement on AIDS coordination: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 27, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 27 April (PLUSNEWS) - A landmark agreement to coordinate global efforts to fight HIV/AIDS and increase support was reached by the international community in partnership with UNAIDS early this week. Concern had been expressed that AIDS programmes were being developed in isolation by well-intending donors a
ETHIOPIA: New project launched to help HIV/AIDS-affected families: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 23, 2004; ADDIS ABABA, 23 April (PLUSNEWS) - A US $6.3 million community care campaign for families affected by HIV/AIDS has been launched in Ethiopia . The UN World Food Programme (WFP) and the government s HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Office (HAPCO) jointly set up the project to support HIV/AIDS affected households, women a
SOUTH AFRICA: Risking HIV to access grant: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 23, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 23 April (PLUSNEWS) - The South African government expressed concern this week after a news report highlighted the story of a young woman who admitted she was thinking of contracting the HI virus to access a disability grant. The young woman, Thato, said she had ten boyfriends with whom she slept for mone
SOUTH AFRICA: ARV rollout set to begin in Eastern Cape: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 22, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 22 April (PLUSNEWS) - The rollout of antiretroviral (ARV) treatment is set to begin early next month in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa . According to Sizwe Kupelo, media liaison officer for the Eastern Cape department of health, seven hospitals across the province will be able to administer ARV
ZAMBIA: Pregnant adolescent refugees go back to school: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 22, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 22 April (PLUSNEWS) - Thirty pregnant teenage girls in a Zambian refugee camp were given an opportunity to go back to school last July in a pilot project initiated by the Office for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). As the project nears completion, UN agencies are likely to extend
NAMIBIA: Namibia rolls out third National AIDS plan: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 19, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 19 April (PLUSNEWS) - Namibia plans to reduce its current HIV/AIDS prevalence rate of 22 percent by more than half over the next five years. The ministry of health is hoping to achieve this national goal through the recently launched Third Medium Term Plan (MTP III), a multisectoral response to the epidem
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Food security through the lens of HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 16, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 16 April (PLUSNEWS) - It is vital that aid agencies continue to refine their approaches to food aid distribution, given the impact of HIV/AIDS in the region, says the Consortium for Southern Africa Food Security Emergency (C-SAFE). As a result, C-SAFE is running its own training course, HIV and AIDS: Oppo
ZIMBABWE: EC aid to help prevent "looming crisis": Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 15, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 15 April (PLUSNEWS) - Aid efforts in Zimbabwe this week received a financial boost from the European Commission (EC) to the tune of �15 million (US $17.8 million). The EC funds are expected to support emergency food aid, bolster agricultural recovery and improve delivery of social services. The money will
RWANDA: Aid plea for genocide rape survivors: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 15, 2004; KIGALI, 15 April (PLUSNEWS) - African Rights, a human rights organisation, has appealed to the international community to provide medical aid for women who were raped, widowed and infected with HIV/AIDS during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda . Providing effective and appropriate support systems for these survivors is an es
DRC: Government, University of North Carolina sign technical agreement: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 14, 2004; KINSHASA, 14 April (PLUSNEWS) - The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has authorised the University of North Carolina to set up an office at the Kinshasa Referral Hospital to improve public health care in the country. Clearance for the measure came with the signing of an agreement on Monday between the
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Five NGOs to receive USAID grants for HIV/AIDS programmes: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 14, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 14 April (PLUSNEWS) - Five NGOs running HIV/AIDS-related programmes in Southern Africa are to receive a portion of US $350 million grant from the United States Agency for the International Development (USAID) under the President s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The recipients, World Relief, C
SENEGAL: Row over re-export of anti-retrovirals becomes political: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 13, 2004; DAKAR, 13 April (PLUSNEWS) - A minor Senegalese politician who has confessed to re-exporting to Europe subsidised anti-retroviral drugs meant for poor Africans is gaining the support of Islamic and human rights organisations who say he is being persecuted by the government. Abdou Latif Gueye, the former president of th
Angola: Youth Centres to Highlight HIV/Aids Awareness: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 12, 2004; Angolans will have an extra reason to celebrate national youth day on 14 April, when young people can start using the first of three new youth centres. The UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) and its partners, which include provincial governors and the Catholic church, will open its first centre in the eastern Moxico province
BOTSWANA: Need to make men more sexually responsible: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 12, 2004; GABORONE, 12 April (PLUSNEWS) - Botswana s efforts to curb the AIDS epidemic will be shaped by attempts to make men more sexually responsible. This emerged from a four-day national workshop on male involvement in sexual and reproductive health, organised last week in Gaborone by United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) a
SOUTH AFRICA: Special report on a decade of democracy - HIV/AIDS: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 9, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 9 April (PLUSNEWS) - In May 1994, a month after being sworn in as the ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC) drew up a National Health Plan, with technical assistance from the World Health Organisation and the United Nations Children s Fund. The plan dealt at length with HIV/AIDS, pointing out
SOUTH AFRICA: HIV/AIDS threatens to undermine democracy: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 9, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 9 April (PLUSNEWS) - HIV/AIDS may pose a serious threat to South Africa s young democracy in elections to come, according to a study just released by the Governance and AIDS Programme (GAP) of the Institute for Democracy in South Africa (IDASA). The ongoing study began a year ago, with the objective of pr
ZIMBABWE: Resurgence of TB causes concern: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks (PLUSNEWS) - April 9, 2004; BULAWAYO - Malnutrition due to the ongoing food crisis, the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and overcrowded urban areas are all contributing to a rise in tuberculosis (TB) infections in Zimbabwe . Nicholas Siziba, the national coordinator of the Ministry of Health s special TB programme, sounded the alarm last week while visiting M
BOTSWANA: New voluntary testing centre opens: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 7, 2004; GABORONE, 7 April (PLUSNEWS) - Parents the world over usually find it difficult to talk to their children about sex, even if they are growing up in a country like Botswana , with one of the highest HIV rates on the planet. Embarrassment over discussing matters related to sex and the stigma surrounding those that are HI
SOUTH AFRICA: A "House of Life" cares for the dying: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 7, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] KWANYUSWA, 7 April (PLUSNEWS) - A TV music channel blares as a passing nurse swings her hips to pop rhythms, cheered on by patients in rickety hospital beds. At first glance Ikhaya Lobomi ( House of Life ) seems to do its name justice but, on c
RWANDA: HIV/AIDS project registers high acceptance rate - UNICEF: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 7, 2004; NAIROBI, 7 April (PLUSNEWS) - A pilot project in Rwanda on the prevention of mother-to-child HIV infection has registered a high rate of acceptance and has helped improve the chances of HIV positive mothers giving birth to HIV negative children, the UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) reported on Tuesday. Rwanda is one of
AFRICA: Combined initiative announced for drop in anti-AIDS treatment costs: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 6, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 6 April (PLUSNEWS) - The Global AIDS Fund, the World Bank, the UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) and the Clinton Foundation announced on Tuesday that they would join forces to enable developing countries to purchase high-quality anti-AIDS medicines and equipment for HIV/AIDS tests at the lowest prices. UNICEF e
AFRICA: More pressing concerns than HIV/AIDS - survey: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 5, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 5 April (PLUSNEWS) - Unemployment and poverty are more pressing concerns for Africans, ahead of the threat of HIV/AIDS, a survey by the Institute for Democracy in South Africa (IDASA) has found. Although interviews with 23,000 adults from 15 African countries showed that many people, especially in east an
BOTSWANA: Caregivers manual launched: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 5, 2004; GABORONE, 5 April (PLUSNEWS) - A new manual designed to help health care workers deal with the impact of HIV/AIDS has been launched in Botswana . The effect on nurses of seeing so many patients die is devastating, said health minister Lesego Motsumi. If psychological needs and the learning needs of the caregivers are n
AFRICA: Interview with Michel Sidibe of UNAIDS: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 2, 2004; MAPUTO, 2 April (PLUSNEWS) - Michel Sidibe is the director of the Department of Country and Regional Support at UNAIDS . He is also a member of the Commission on HIV/AIDS and Governance in Africa, established by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to offer analysis and recommendations on the pandemic to political leaders.
SWAZILAND: Innovative approaches to HIV/AIDS: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 2, 2004; MBABANE, 2 April (PLUSNEWS) - Swaziland s AIDS prevention and mitigation efforts will be given significant backing this year, now that the National Emergency Committee on HIV/AIDS (NERCHA), which distributes government, private sector and Global Fund monies to health care groups, is fully set up and funded. The process
SOUTH AFRICA: Chronology of HIV/AIDS treatment plan, August 2003 to April 2004: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 1, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 1 April (PLUSNEWS) - The South African cabinet on 8 August 2003 finally approved the provision of anti-AIDS drugs for HIV-positive people through the public health system and instructed the health ministry to act with urgency . The announcement came after months of acrimony between AIDS activists and the
ETHIOPIA: National HIV/AIDS forum launched: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 1, 2004; NAIROBI, 1 April (PLUSNEWS) - Ethiopia has launched a National Partnership Forum Against HIV/AIDS to coordinate a multi-sectoral response to the disease, highlight the government s commitment and bring together a wide range of partners to avoid duplication of efforts, the government said. A statement from the forei
AFRICA: Fact Box - How to take antiretrovirals: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 1, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 1 April (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s Gauteng province on Thursday began the distribution of free antiretroviral (ARV) drugs to HIV-positive patients qualifying for treatment. Gauteng, South Africa s economic heartland, has the country s second worst HIV prevalence rate at 14.7 percent. Nationally, 4.5 mill
SOUTH AFRICA: Slow start of ARV rollout: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 1, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 1 April (PLUSNEWS) - Dr Blackburn was one of eight doctors, a team of pharmacists, nurses, and dieticians on duty at the new antiretroviral treatment (ART) clinic at Johannesburg Hospital on Thursday, awaiting the expected flood o
MOZAMBIQUE: Humanitarian agencies battle drought, poverty and AIDS: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 1, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MAPUTO, 1 April (PLUSNEWS) - Lying on a mat outside her crumbling mud hut, 20-year-old Eva Matos gasps for breath, her skeletal chest heaving under a grimy sheet. Her niece, 12-year-old Silvia, looks on helplessly as she cuddles her young cousi
SWAZILAND: Campaign to help AIDS-hit education system: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 31, 2004; MBABANE, 31 March (PLUSNEWS) - Swaziland is establishing a local branch of the UN-supported Global Campaign for Education in an effort to improve the kingdom s schools and curriculum. Our goal is to provide free and quality education to all Swazis - to all children, of course - but also to Swazi women, to correct an hi
AFRICA: Report questions value of past AIDS lessons: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 31, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 31 March (PLUSNEWS) - A new think tank report has stressed the importance of local leadership in tackling the global HIV/AIDS pandemic and questioned whether past lessons had actually been learned, the multimedia broadcasting service, Voice of America, reported. The London-based Panos Institute report sai
AFRICA: Interview with AIDS activist Milly Katana: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 31, 2004; MAPUTO, 31 March (PLUSNEWS) - Milly Katana is a members of the Commission on HIV/AIDS and Governance in Africa, which was established last year by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. A long-standing AIDS activist and founder of the Pan African Treatment Access Movement, she spoke to PlusNews on the need for accelerated tr
AFRICA: Generics challenge brand-name anti-AIDS drugs at conference: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 30, 2004; GABORONE, 30 March (PLUSNEWS) - US officials attending a major conference on anti-AIDS drugs in Botswana this week have dismissed allegations that they want to use the meeting to question the quality and safety of more affordable generic fixed-dose combinations (FDCs) of antiretrovirals. We want to see use of inte
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Treatment programmes skewed in favour of urban males: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 30, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 30 March (PLUSNEWS) - The shortfall in extending antiretroviral therapy (ART) to HIV positive people in Southern Africa is enormous , with mostly educated, urban males benefiting from existing programmes, says a new report. The report was compiled by the Regional Network for Equity in Health in Southern A
BURUNDI: Medical personnel trained on prevention of mother-to-child HIV infection: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 30, 2004; BUJUMBURA, 30 March (PLUSNEWS) - African Synergy, an initiative of African first ladies on HIV/AIDS, begun on Monday a five-day training programme for 73 medical doctors, nurses and social workers on the prevention of mother-to-child HIV infection. The training falls under activities of the local chapter of African Syn
AFRICA: ARVs - too little, too late: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 29, 2004; MAPUTO, 29 March (PLUSNEWS) - The long-awaited rollout of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs through public health systems is at last becoming a reality in a growing number of African countries. But the initial excitement greeting the announcement of each new AIDS treatment programme is often tempered by a closer examination o
AFRICA: Interview with Professor Alan Whiteside, AIDS economist: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 29, 2004; MAPUTO, 29 March (PLUSNEWS) - Professor Alan Whiteside is a leading AIDS economist, based at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa . In 2003 he was appointed by Secretary-General Kofi Annan as one of 20 commissioners on the Commission for HIV/AIDS and Governance in Africa. He talked to PlusNews about the treatm
AFRICA: Rights groups protest possible US threat to AIDS drug access: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 26, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 26 March (PLUSNEWS) - International rights groups and AIDS activists have expressed concern that the US could obstruct access to generic HIV/AIDS drugs in developing countries. Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a statement on Thursday that the US was convening a conference in Botswana next wee
AFRICA: Interview with Hilda Tadria, regional gender advisor: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 26, 2004; MAPUTO, 26 March (PLUSNEWS) - Hilda Tadria is a senior regional advisor on the economic empowerment of women at the Economic Commission for Africa. She spoke to PlusNews about Africa s hidden orphan crisis, where children are being increasingly exploited and girls sexually abused in extended families that are stretched
SWAZILAND: Seven-point plan to fight HIV/AIDS: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 25, 2004; MBABANE, 25 March (PLUSNEWS) - Swaziland s ailing health care system is expected to undergo major changes this year as the government prepares to tackle increasing rates of HIV/AIDS infection. A seven-point programme of action, focused on addressing HIV/AIDS, is said to be in the pipeline. Principal Secretary of the He
SWAZILAND: AIDS stats must be seen in context, say authorities: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 25, 2004; MBABANE, 25 March (PLUSNEWS) - Statistics showing that Swaziland has the highest HIV infection rate in world need to be put into context, officials told Plusnews. It is good for Botswana that it has managed to lower its HIV infection rate, but this does not mean Swaziland s has risen. The rate is the same, though it is
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Interview with researcher Paul Harvey on humanitarian aid and HIV: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 24, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 24 March (PLUSNEWS) - Paul Harvey is a researcher with the Humanitarian Policy Group (HPG) of the UK-based Overseas Development Institute. He talked to Plusnews about some of the issues raised in his study for the HPG, HIV/AIDS and Humanitarian Action , and the implications for humanitarian relief in Sout
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: UN Volunteers funds NGO programme to sensitise Pygmies on HIV/AIDS: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 23, 2004; BANGUI, 23 March (PLUSNEWS) - The United Nations Volunteers programme (UNV) has financed a training programme, undertaken by an NGO in the Central African Republic (CAR), to sensitise the Batwa, or pygmies, on protection against HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. The UNV programme officer in the CAR,
BOTSWANA: Few women accessing PMTCT services: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 23, 2004; GABORONE, 23 March (PLUSNEWS) - Few pregnant mothers in Botswana are accessing free HIV/AIDS related services, including free antiretrovirals being provided by the state, says a recent study. The survey of 504 women at ante-natal clinics and in post-natal wards countrywide, revealed that although 95 percent were access
SWAZILAND: World's highest rate of HIV infection: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 19, 2004; MBABANE, 19 March (PLUSNEWS) - A senior UN official on Friday confirmed that Swaziland now has the world s highest rate of HIV infection, at 38.6 percent. Botswana has made a very strong claim that they have lowered their infection rate from 38.8 percent to 37.5 percent. That leaves Swaziland with the world s highe
SOUTH AFRICA: Cautious optimism over AIDS drug rollout: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 18, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 18 March (PLUSNEWS) - Health workers in South Africa were cautiously optimistic on Wednesday about the imminent rollout of free anti-AIDS drugs to people living with HIV/AIDS. The Gauteng health department announced earlier this week that the treatment programme would kick off at five hospitals in the pro
BURUNDI: First lady launches HIV/AIDS initiative: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 17, 2004; BUJUMBURA, 17 March (PLUSNEWS) - Burundian first lady Aude Ndayizeye launched on Wednesday the country s chapter of the African Synergy against HIV/AIDS and Suffering, an initiative of the first ladies of African countries, with an headquarters in Yaounde, Cameroon . Under the initiative, activities focusing on the pre
DRC: US official in pledge for more aid to combat HIV/AIDS: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 16, 2004; KIGALI, 16 March (PLUSNEWS) - The US government will accelerate aid to Africa s efforts to combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic, US Treasury Undersecretary John Taylor said on Monday in the Rwandan capital, Kigali. HIV/AIDS is a problem which has to be addressed now, he said at a news conference. We would like the World Bank t
ZAMBIA: Study shows urgent need for information campaigns: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 15, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 15 March (PLUSNEWS) - A study of young Zambian males indicates that misconceptions, folk beliefs and denial are affecting their personal risk assessment of HIV infection. Thirty interviews, conducted in May and June 2001 with out-of-school males in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, revealed that accurate inf
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Capacity building initiative to counteract impact of HIV/AIDS: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 15, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 15 Mar 2004 (IRIN) - Faced with the prospect of a reduced civil service - mainly because of HIV/AIDS - southern African governments have been urged to formulate alternative ways of bolstering social service delivery. At the launch of the Southern African Capacity Initiative (SACI) in Bot
NIGERIA: AIDS treatment resumes as depleted drug stocks replaced: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 12, 2004; LAGOS, 12 Mar 2004 (IRIN) - Nigeria s programme of subsidised antiretroviral treatment, interrupted since September last year by drug shortages, has resumed with the arrival of emergency supplies ordered by the government, health officials said on Friday. Ayo Osinlu, spokesman for the Minister of Health Eyitayo Lambo,
BOTSWANA: Gaps remain in AIDS knowledge: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 11, 2004; GABORONE, 11 March (PLUSNEWS) - A survey of listeners to Botswana s popular HIV/AIDS radio drama, Makgabaneng , has revealed a lack of specific knowledge about the virus in a country with the world s highest level of HIV infection. Only 55 percent of respondents rejected the myths that mosquitoes can spread HIV, sex wi
DJIBOUTI: Free ARVs distributed for the first time: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 11, 2004; DJIBOUTI, 11 March (PLUSNEWS) - Some 40 HIV-positive people on Tuesday began to receive free antiretrovirals (ARVs) after Health Minister Muhammad Ali Kamil launched Djibouti s first distribution of ARV medication at Peltier Hospital, the country s main medical centre. Medical staff at the hospital told PlusNews that t
BOTSWANA: Interview with Dr Ndwapi Ndwapi, director of Princess Marina Hospital's ARV programme: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 11, 2004; HARARE, 11 March (PLUSNEWS) - Dr Ndwapi Ndwapi is the director of the Infectious Disease Care Clinic Antiretroviral (ARV) Programme at the Princess Marina Hospital in Gaborone, Botswana . He discusses the challenges facing the government s ARV rollout, the role of technology transfer in the procurement of drugs, and th
Child-headed households struggle in Rwanda: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 10, 2004; Janine Umuhoza was seven years old in April 1994 when her parents were killed during the Rwandan genocide in which hundreds of thousands of Tutsis and politically moderate Hutus died. On that fateful day, she bade the usual farewell to her parents before setting off to school. Later, Hutu militiamen marched into their
NAMIBIA: UN agencies launch emergency appeal: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 10, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 10 March (PLUSNEWS) - The United Nations will need US $5.8 million to help over 600,000 Namibian orphans, vulnerable children and women suffering the combined effects of erratic weather, severe poverty and a worsening HIV/AIDS epidemic. On Wednesday the World Food Programme (WFP) and UN s Children s Fund
ZIMBABWE: Ambitious plans to roll out ARVs: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 10, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 10 March (PLUSNEWS) - Zimbabwe plans to roll out antiretroviral (ARV) treatment this month at five pilot centres across the country, and expects to have 260,000 of an estimated 520,000 HIV-positive people on the programme by the end of next year. Given the country s current health crisis the task appears
LESOTHO: Anti-AIDS programme working with the youth: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 10, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 10 March (PLUSNEWS) - Mamokete Lemphane is used to being driven out of homes, insulted and abused - all in the cause of fighting HIV/AIDS in the northeastern Mokhotlong district of Lesotho . When I used to visit houses in the villages and start talking about HIV/AIDS, people often pushed me out of their h
ZIMBABWE: Fresh TV show gives youth voice and advise: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 10, 2004; HARARE, 10 March (PLUSNEWS) - Who s Next? is the provocative title of an award-winning TV talk show aimed at promoting safer sex and sexual health among Zimbabwe s urban youth. It stands out from the field of anaemic talk shows as a bold and refreshing approach to get young people discussing the issues. Who s Next? ba
RWANDA: 45 to take part in HIV/AIDS vaccine trials: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 10, 2004; KIGALI, 10 March (PLUSNEWS) - Some 45 Rwandan volunteers are to take part in tests for a new HIV/AIDS vaccine, the minister of state for HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases in the Ministry of Health, Innocent Nyaruhirira, said on Wednesday. The 10-month long trials, conducted by a US-based San Francisco project in c
ETHIOPIA: Focus on local manufacture of anti-retroviral drugs: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 10, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ADDIS ABABA, 10 March (PLUSNEWS) - Pharmacist Sudhir Sathe stands by an idle production line. By now, he says, desperately needed antiretrovirals (ARVs) for 70,000 AIDS patients a month could be rolling off the gleaming conveyor belt. Bethlehem
LESOTHO: HIV/AIDS testing facilities still to be set up: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 9, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 9 March (PLUSNEWS) - Lesotho launched universal HIV/AIDS testing for its citizens at the weekend, but the first three dedicated testing centres will only be operational by the end of April Motloheloa Phooko, the minister of health and social welfare, told PlusNews that in the meantime eight Prevention of
MOZAMBIQUE: Schools provide safe space to talk about sex: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 8, 2004; MAPUTO, 8 March (PLUSNEWS) - Twenty-six-year-old Lucia stands confidently in front of a class of about 30 children aged between 12 and 18, asking them a series of direct questions about sexual practices, sexual transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS. Lucia (not her real name) belongs to Kindlimuka (meaning wake up in Ronga,
LESOTHO: Govt moves to tackle AIDS pandemic: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 8, 2004; MASERU (PLUSNEWS) - Lesotho s Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili at the weekend became one of the first heads of state to publicly test for the HI virus as he kicked off a free national HIV testing programme. Mosisili, joined by other members of his cabinet, said that with his test he hoped to stem the stigma surroundin
DRC: Focus on rampant rape, despite end of war: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 8, 2004; KINSHASA (PLUSNEWS) - Widespread rape of women and children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has continued to increase despite the inauguration of a transitional national government and related institutions, organizations in the fight against sexual violence have said. While there are no precise figure
GLOBAL: International Women�s Day - Sexual Violence and HIV/AIDS vulnerability: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 8, 2004; NAIROBI (PLUSNEWS) - Major organisations worldwide are using International Women�s Day 2004 to expose the proliferation of sexual violence against women, and the increasing numbers of women infected by HIV/AIDS, both trends directly aggravated by continuing gender inequality. The Charter of the United Nations, signed i
ZAMBIA: The ultimate sacrifice: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 5, 2004; LUNDAZI, 5 March (PLUSNEWS) - The Zambian government s antiretroviral (ARV) drug programme has managed to provide cheap, life-prolonging AIDS treatment, but many HIV-positive Zambian women, denied access by a tradition of subservience and sacrifice, are not benefiting. Last year the government made available over US $2
AFRICA: PlusNews Web Special - Gender and HIV/AIDS: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 5, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 5 March (PLUSNEWS) - PlusNews, IRIN s HIV/AIDS news service, has launched a new Web Special to mark International Women s Day on 8 March 2004. A series of features from Angola , Swaziland and Zambia examines the connection between gender and HIV/AIDS.
AFRICA: Global Fund calls for bold proposals: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 5, 2004; HARARE, 5 March (PLUSNEWS) - The Geneva-based Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has called on governments and NGOs to put forward bold project proposals that stress HIV treatment in the new funding round. Round 4 funding is going on right now. The call for proposals went out on 10 January 2004. We cur
SWAZILAND: Unregulated ARVs cause health havoc: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 5, 2004; MBABANE, 5 March (PLUSNEWS) - After years of resisting the introduction of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) in Swaziland , the government bowed to pressure from international donor organisations last year and permitted their distribution. However, what followed has been a confusing and dangerous free-for-all which has reach
SWAZILAND: All about hope: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 5, 2004; MBABANE, 5 March (PLUSNEWS) - Swaziland s most innovative and motivated HIV/AIDS mitigation programme has sprung from five traumatised, middle-aged HIV-positive women, and their efforts offer a blueprint for coping with the epidemic. We call our group Swaziland Positive Living [SWAPOL], and it was forged from the suffe
SOUTHERN AFRICA: AIDS conference underway in Zimbabwe: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 4, 2004; HARARE, 4 March (PLUSNEWS) - A conference on the scaling up of antiretroviral (ARV) therapy in Southern Africa opened this week in Harare, Zimbabwe . The first of its kind in the country, the event is being hosted by the Pan-African Treatment Access Movement (PATAM), the Treatment Action Campaign, Zimbabwe Activists on
SOUTH AFRICA: Mobile clinic provide sex workers with health care: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 4, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 4 March (PLUSNEWS) - Mobile clinics for sex workers in Johannesburg s inner-city suburb of Hillbrow have had a positive impact on encouraging women to seek health care, according to research just released in South Africa . Between 5,000 and 10,000 sex workers operate out of rundown Hillbrow, one of the mo
ETHIOPIA: Calls for greater youth involvement in anti-AIDS fight: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 4, 2004; ADDIS ABABA, 4 March (PLUSNEWS) - Ethiopia �s youth were on Wednesday urged to join the fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic devastating the country. Bjorn Ljungvist, the head of the UN Children Fund (UNICEF) in Ethiopia, said young people constituted the greatest hope in combating the virus. His rallying call was v
SOUTH AFRICA: Anti-HIV programme fails rape victims: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 4, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 4 March (PLUSNEWS) - Human rights activists said mixed messages and government inaction are undermining South Africa s pledge to provide victims of sexual assault with drugs to help reduce their chances of HIV infection. In a new report, Deadly Delay: South Africa s Efforts to Prevent HIV in Survivors of
CAMEROON: Unsafe sex for youths despite HIV/AIDS: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 3, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 3 March (PLUSNEWS) - A study by the German technical assistance agency (GTZ), says two-thirds of teenagers in Cameroon are sexually active by age 16, and more than half of them shun condoms despite the risk of HIV infection. Albert Mbanfu, assistant coordinator of the survey, was quoted by Reuters as sayi
ETHIOPIA: Botswana and Ethiopia to cooperate in fighting HIV/AIDS: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 2, 2004; ADDIS ABABA, 2 March (PLUSNEWS) - The leaders of two African countries severely hit by HIV/AIDS have agreed to cooperate in combating the pandemic. Botswanan President Festus Mogae, who on Monday started an official four-day visit to Ethiopia to boost bilateral relations and Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said their two c
SOUTH AFRICA: Paramedics protest "condom" memo: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 27, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 27 February (PLUSNEWS) - Paramedics in South Africa s KwaZulu-Natal province voiced their outrage this week after receiving an internal memorandum urging female staff members on night duty to wear condoms. The memorandum, issued by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health, followed a spate of ambulance hija
SOUTH AFRICA: ARV drug rollout urgently needed, says lobby group: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 25, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 25 February (PLUSNEWS) - The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), South Africa s vocal AIDS lobby group, on Tuesday offered to work with the government to ensure the urgent rollout of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs to people living with HIV. We want to work with the government at every level to save lives, to mak
BURKINA FASO: Government urges traditional healers to help tackle HIV/AIDS: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 25, 2004; OUAGADOUGOU, 25 February (PLUSNEWS) - The government of Burkina Faso has urged traditional healers in West Africa to collaborate with scientific researchers in the fight against HIV/AIDS by using herbal treatments to address AIDS-related illnesses such as tuberculosis and diarrhoea. Jean Gabriel Wango, the secretar
TANZANIA: Youth airing their concerns in Tanzania: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 23, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DAR ES SALAAM, 23 February (PLUSNEWS) - In the brightly lit television studio in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania , producers issued last minute instructions to cameramen, make-up artists applied final touches to the guests and the presenter scribbled a
AFRICA: Soldiers among most vulnerable to HIV: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 20, 2004; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Tough, gun-toting soldiers remain one of the groups most vulnerable to HIV/AIDS in Africa. According to US National Intelligence Council and UN estimates, between 10 and 60 percent of military personnel are HIV positive. African militaries, trained to defend their borders against foreign enemi
Swaziland: State of Emergency Declared: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 19, 2004; Swaziland has declared a state of national emergency, formally recognising the humanitarian crisis gripping the country and opening the door to further donor assistance. On behalf of His Majesty s government, I appeal to the international community to assist and make whatever resources available, in order to respond
SOUTH AFRICA: Budget boost for AIDS spending: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 18, 2004; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - South African Finance Minister Trevor Manuel announced on Wednesday that a further R2.1 billion (US $305 million) will be allocated to fighting HIV/AIDS over the next three years. Manuel said in his 2004 budget speech to parliament that this amount included provision for provincially administe
AFRICA: First ladies vow to fight mother-to-child HIV/AIDS infection: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 17, 2004; KIGALI, 17 February (PLUSNEWS) - Five African first ladies and representatives from four other countries have vowed to redouble their efforts to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS on the continent and, in particular, to prevent mother-to-child infections. The first ladies emphasised the need for urgent action in scaling up
Gabon: Youth is More Afraid of Unemployment Than Aids: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 17, 2004; In Gabon , where government spending is falling and unemployment is growing as the oil starts to run out, young people are more worried about getting a job than catching AIDS. That doesn t help efforts to fight the disease in this relatively affluent country of 1.2 million people where 6.0 percent of the population is
Zimbabwe: Network of Support Set Up for Ovc: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 17, 2004; A community-based support network is hoping to provide material and emotional support to more than 40,000 orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in Zimbabwe . The network was initiated in November last year by the UN Children s Fund (UNICEF), in partnership with the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society, Family AIDS Caring Trust M
Burundi: Germany Gives -7.5 Million for Water, Refugees, HIV/Aids Control: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 17, 2004; Germany and Burundi have signed a cooperation agreement under which Germany will provide -7.5 million (US $9.5 million) for a water supply project, the rehabilitation of refugees and internally displaced people as well as HIV/AIDS control. Burundian Foreign Minister Terence Sinunguruza and the German ambassador to Bu
ZIMBABWE: Free ARVs available from next month: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 17, 2004; HARARE (PLUSNEWS) - Government hospitals in Zimbabwe s two major urban centres, Harare and Bulawayo, will start providing free antiretroviral (ARV) drugs next month, in partnership with UNAIDS , the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the local health ministry. The programme, unveiled last week, is part of WHO s Three
SOUTH AFRICA: Health system "shambles" delaying ARV rollout: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 16, 2004; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s health minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang vehemently defended the pace of the government s rollout of HIV/AIDS drugs at a weekend rally marking the start of national Sexually Transmitted Infection and Condom Week. Speaking at Humansdorp in the Eastern Cape province, Tshabalala-Ms
KENYA: Focus on primary schools coping with HIV-positive pupils: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 16, 2004; NAIROBI (PLUSNEWS) - Mary Waweru, a kindergarten teacher in Nairobi s sprawling Kawangware slums, has noticed that some of her pupils are increasingly absent from school due to ill health. Some of the young children have already been orphaned, being supported by charity organisations. Waweru has begun to suspect that t
Lesotho: New Laws to Strengthen HIV/Aids Action: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 13, 2004; Two new laws, one currently going through the legislative pipeline and another enacted last year, are key to addressing the confluence of social problems that are contributing to Lesotho s humanitarian crisis. Because HIV/AIDS is undermining our social institutions and economy, it is crucial that the Sexual Offences Ac
Africa: Kigali Hosts African First Ladies' Conference On HIV/Aids: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 13, 2004; A two-day HIV/AIDS conference, convened by the Organisation of African First Ladies Against HIV/AIDS, began on Friday in the Rwandan capital, Kigali. The first ladies will be discussing an issue that threatens to destroy the social, economic and development gains that the continent is striving to achieve, Jeannete Kaga
South Africa: Community-Based Approach Developed for Orphan Care: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 13, 2004; An innovative pilot project by SOS Children s Villages Association of South Africa to provide community-based care for children orphaned by AIDS is underway in the rural community of QwaQwa, in Free State province. This pilot project represents a departure from our traditional, residential childcare model - an SOS Vill
Burundi: Focus On Availability of Arvs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 12, 2004; A few years ago, across Africa, an HIV/AIDS test that turned out positive was the equivalent of a death sentence for most people. It meant discrimination, stigmatisation and even ostracism in some extreme cases. For Adrienne Munene, a Burundian who learnt of her HIV positive status 17 years ago, it was literally the en
South Africa: TAC Calls for Stronger Political Leadership: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 11, 2004; South Africa s Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) expressed its concern on Wednesday over the delay in the government s rollout of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) - the core of the Operational Plan for Comprehensive HIV and AIDS Care released by the cabinet in November last year. Estimates suggest that over 500,000 people are
Ghana: HIV Infection Rates Rising in Cities, Survey Shows: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 11, 2004; Ghanaian health experts began reviewing measures to control HIV/AIDS at a first ever National Research Conference on Wednesday following a new survey which showed that HIV prevalance rates were rising in the country s main cities. Ghana s National AIDS Control Programme (NACP), which conducts Ghana s HIV/AIDS Sentinel
LESOTHO: Mountain kingdom faces humanitarian calamity: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 11, 2004; MASERU, 11 February (PLUSNEWS) - The tiny mountain kingdom of Lesotho is suffering a calamity. Quietly, away from the glare of the international media, it is struggling to cope with a series of deep, interlinked crises that are testing the capacity of the government and the humanitarian community. The most obvious
SOUTH AFRICA: TAC calls for stronger political leadership: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 11, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 11 February (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) expressed its concern on Wednesday over the delay in the government s rollout of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) - the core of the Operational Plan for Comprehensive HIV and AIDS Care released by the cabinet in November last year. Estimat
LESOTHO: Testing times for rural households: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 11, 2004; MASERU, 11 February (PLUSNEWS) - The people of Lesotho are used to hardship, but yet another poor agricultural season as a result of drought is testing their resilience. Some rains came in late December and early January. Some people planted, but no one has seen anything come of it, Chief Simon Mokorooane of Hachabeli
East Africa: Firms Ignoring Threat of HIV/Aids On Employees, Says Study: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 11, 2004; Although HIV/AIDS is considered the most serious health and development issue in East Africa, the scourge is yet to become a major issue for leading business firms in the region. Only a few firms in the region have a formal HIV/AIDS policy, and just over half have HIV prevention programmes for their employees, a new su
Sudan: First HIV/Aids Voluntary Testing And Counselling Centre Opens in Juba: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 11, 2004; Sudan s first free voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) centre for HIV/AIDS is being established in Juba, a southern garrison town. The centre would be fully up and running by the end of March, with possible testing available before that, Simona Seravesi, the HIV/AIDS inter-agency focal point in Juba, told IRIN. Mea
Ghana: Ecowas Governments Tackle HIV/Aids in Their Armed Forces: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 9, 2004; Top military commanders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) met in Ghana on Monday to draw up a detailed two-year action plan to tackle HIV/AIDS within their armed forces. Data on the absolute prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the armed forces is not very good right now for West Africa, Professor William
ETHIOPIA: IRIN interview with anti-FGM activist Berhane Ras-Work: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 9, 2004; ADDIS ABABA, 9 February (PLUSNEWS) - Berhane Ras-Work, the president of the Inter-African Committee (IAC), has waged a 20-year war against harmful traditional practices like female genital mutilation (FGM), to which millions of African women are being subjected. Here, in an interview with PlusNews, held in the Ethiopia
AFRICA: Conference delegates in Ethiopia call for end to FGM: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 6, 2004; ADDIS ABABA, 6 February (PLUSNEWS) - African governments faced renewed demands on Friday to introduce and enforce tough laws to stamp out female genital mutilation (FGM) and protect the women of their countries. Leading health and human rights experts on the continent called for legislation to end the practice to which
LESOTHO: Need to improve local anti-AIDS capacity: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 4, 2004; MASERU, 4 February (PLUSNEWS) - A World Bank mission delving into Lesotho s humanitarian crisis was launched on Wednesday, with emphasis placed on building the capacity of local institutions to handle AIDS and help manage the country s drought-induced food shortages. There are a number of groups who want to work on HIV
AFRICA: Focus on efforts to eradicate female genital mutilation: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 4, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ADDIS ABABA, 4 February (PLUSNEWS) - Africa is aiming to eradicate harmful traditional practices like female genital mutilation (FGM) by 2010, campaigners said on the eve on the International day on Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation,
Swaziland: Govt to Fine-Tune Plan On Free Education for Orphans: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 3, 2004; Swazi orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs) will have to wait for the introduction of free education promised by the government. Minister of Education Constance Simelane has admitted that some finer points still needed to be sorted out in implementing the policy. Simelane announced last week that the government was to
NIGERIA: Over 14,000 on subsidised AIDS drugs run out of medication: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 3, 2004; LAGOS, 3 February (PLUSNEWS) - More than 14,000 living with AIDS in Nigeria who had been receiving antiretroviral (ARV) drugs subsidised by the government are running out of supplies, an HIV/AIDS activist group said on Tuesday. Nsikak Ekpe, president of AIDS Alliance Nigeria (AAN), an organisation which represents peop
SWAZILAND: Army to introduce compulsory HIV testing: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 3, 2004; MBABANE, 3 February (PLUSNEWS) - Swaziland s small national army, the Umbutfo Swaziland Defence Force (USDF), has confirmed plans to introduce a programme of compulsory HIV testing for its personnel. This is an information gathering exercise, and not an exclusionary policy. No one will be fired because he or she is HIV
ANGOLA: Churches urged to join fight against HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 30, 2004; LUANDA, 30 January (PLUSNEWS) - The development agency, Christian Aid, is stepping up a campaign to get church and faith leaders to join the fight against the rising incidence of HIV/AIDS in Angola . The UK-based group plans to integrate HIV/AIDS awareness into its current post-conflict food security activities, and be
ETHIOPIA: First free treatment programme for AIDS patients launched: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 29, 2004; NAIROBI, 29 January (PLUSNEWS) - The international medical relief organisation Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) and the Tigray Regional Health Bureau this week launched the first programme of free anti-retrovirals (ARVs) for the treatment of HIV/AIDS patients in Ethiopia , according to a press statement issued by MSF on
MOZAMBIQUE: Feature - Stigma remains obstacle to HIV treatment: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 28, 2004; MAPUTO, 28 January (PLUSNEWS) - Julia, 24, has three children and is one month pregnant with her fourth baby, but is adamant that she does not want to continue with the pregnancy. I ve got three children already, I m unemployed, and I am HIV-positive, she told IRIN. Although she and her husband, who is also HIV-positiv
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: HIV/AIDS awareness team set up for prisoners: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 28, 2004; BANGUI, 28 January (PLUSNEWS) - The national anti-HIV/AIDS body in the Central African Republic (CAR) has set up a unit to conduct awareness campaigns among prisoners in police jails in the capital, Bangui, state-owned Radio Centrafrique reported on Tuesday. Prisoners often have sexual behaviour with high risks that fa
ZAMBIA: MSF says rural poor lack access to AIDS drugs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 28, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, 28 January (PLUSNEWS) - The international medical NGO, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) on Wednesday began supplying free antiretroviral drug treatment to HIV-positive people in Zambia s northeastern Nchelenge district. MSF said a massive scaling up of treatment programmes was imperative in rural areas, whe
COTE D IVOIRE: More than half the patients tested in rebel hospital HIV positive: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 27, 2004; ABIDJAN, 27 January (PLUSNEWS) - There is no reliable data on the extent to which AIDS has increased in the rebel-held north of Cote d Ivoire since civil war broke out 16 months ago, but recent informal studies by one haematologist working at the main hospital in the northern town of Korhogo showed alarming results.
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: UNICEF assists Bangui children's centre: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 27, 2004; BANGUI - The UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) has donated a bus, computers and office stationery worth 12 million francs CFA (US $24,000) to a children s centre in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic (CAR), state-owned Radio Centrafrique reported on Friday. Presenting the donation to Social Affairs Minis
Zambia: Feature On Fear Over HIV Drug Resistance: Integrated Regional Information Networks (Chipata) January 27, 2004; Zambian health officials have warned of the emergence of strains of the HI virus that are resistant to current antiretroviral (ARV) drug treatment. Dr Ben Chirwa, director general of the Central Board of Health, said a recent laboratory study conducted at the University Teaching Hospital in the capital, Lusaka, had con
Southern Africa: Interview With Chris Kaye, Head of OCHA Regional Office: Integrated Regional Information Networks (Johannesburg) January 26, 2004; Southern Africa is facing another difficult year of food insecurity, brought on by the late onset of rains, and the on-going impact of HIV/AIDS and problems of governance. Donors have so far provided US $168 million of a US $533 million humanitarian appeal covering six countries in the region. IRIN spoke to Chris Kaye,
ZIMBABWE: EU aid for health services: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 26, 2004; HARARE, 26 January (PLUSNEWS) - The European Union is this year expected to spend close to US $30 million to help improve Zimbabwe s underfunded health delivery system. The head of the European Commission (EC) delegation to Zimbabwe, Francesca Mosca, said in a statement last week the money would be taken from a US $69
ZIMBABWE: Opportunity knocks on desperate doors: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 23, 2004; HARARE, 23 January (PLUSNEWS) - With about 3,500 people reportedly dying of AIDS-related illnesses each week, coffin manufacturers in Zimbabwe have seen a sharp rise in sales. A sign in Matapi coffin market in the capital, Harare, reads: COFFINS AVAILABLE 24 HOURS . Givemore Tadiwa started operating here about six year
Seminar to Draw Up Draft Bill on Rights, Obligations of HIV/AIDS Patients: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 22, 2004; A three-day seminar opened on Wednesday in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic , to debate the adoption of a draft bill of law on the rights and obligations of HIV-positive people. The seminar aims at drafting an instrument that can protect both HIV-positive people and the society they live in, Eugenie
ZIMBABWE: Concern over STI infections among street kids: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 20, 2004; HARARE - Each month as many as 150 children sleeping rough in the capital, Harare, are being treated for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), underlining their extreme vulnerability, according to a local NGO. Streets Ahead, an organisation trying to improve the welfare of Harare s 5,000 street children, said they di
NIGERIA: Stock of subsidised drugs for AIDS runs out: Integrated Regional Information Networks (Kampala) - January 15, 2004; ABUJA, (PLUSNEWS) - A Nigerian government programme to provide antiretroviral treatment at subsidised prices for people living with HIV/AIDS is under threat because the initial stock of drugs is running out and has not been replenished, officials said. The programme was launched in January 2002 by President Olusegun Ob
ETHIOPIA: Interview with director of HIV/AIDS film Hidden Tears: Integrated Regional Information Networks (Kampala) - January 15, 2004; ADDIS ABABA, (PLUSNEWS) - Ethiopia s fledgling film industry is turning its attention to fighting the HIV/AIDS virus. Here, the documentary film-maker, Kidane Yilak, tells PlusNews why he felt compelled to make the country s first-ever film addressing the stigma and discrimination prompted by the virus, and the threat
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Are countries spending enough on HIV/AIDS?: Integrated Regional Information Networks (Kampala) - January 14, 2004; JOHANNESBURG , (PLUSNEWS) - The impact of HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa is now well recognised, but the critical question is whether enough funding has been allocated to deal with the epidemic, a report by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) said. In April 2001 in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, African leaders commi
KENYA: Bridging the reproductive health gap for girls in Nairobi slums: Integrated Regional Information Networks (Kampala) - January 14, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] NAIROBI, 14 January (PLUSNEWS) - For many young women in Nairobi s crowded Kibera slum, life is fraught with danger in addition to the hardship they share with other residents of one of Africa s poorest neighbourhoods. They live in constant fea
Kenya: Confusion Over HIV Prevalence Rates: Integrated Regional Information Networks (Kampala) - January 13, 2004; Findings from a government survey released last week showed that Kenya may have a lower HIV prevalence rate than was previously thought, but activists warned the situation on the ground had not changed. The preliminary report of the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey found there were fewer people living with HIV/AIDS
Ethiopia: Traditional Burial Societies to Help People Living With HIV/Aids: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 13, 2004; Ethiopia s traditional community-based burial societies - idirs - are now turning their attention to helping people living with HIV, officials said on Tuesday. This change of mandate is very fundamental, Dr Eyob Kamil, head of Addis Ababa s Health Bureau, told IRIN at the launch of a training programme for idirs. It s
SWAZILAND: AIDS and economic decline hamper school enrolments: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 12, 2004; MBABANE - With schools reopening nationwide this week, teachers in Swaziland are concerned that a weakening economy and HIV/AIDS will affect the number of children enrolling for the 2004 academic year. The problem is school fees - and it s not a new one. Parents scramble to come up with money for tuition, school unifor
Zimbabwe: High Costs Hamper Access to Arvs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 9, 2004; Almost two years after Zimbabwe s government declared a state of emergency over HIV/AIDS to allow the importation and manufacture of generic anti-AIDS drugs, accessing antiretrovirals (ARVs) remains a pipe dream for almost a million people living with HIV/AIDS in the country. With an estimated HIV prevalence rate of 27
Southern Africa: Yearender - Arv Rollouts in 2003 Bring Rising Hope: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 8, 2004; The year 2003 saw several African governments rolling out national anti-AIDS drug treatment programmes, suggesting a significant shift towards improving access to antiretroviral (ARV) drugs. In a dramatic finish to the year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) unveiled its much anticipated 3 by 5 plan to treat three mi
Ethiopia: New Film Depicts the Suffering of Women Living With HIV: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 6, 2004; Ethiopia s first-ever film depicting the real-life tragedy being brought about by HIV/AIDS was broadcast across the country on Monday. The documentary is a powerful portrayal of the lives of women in Ethiopia who have become victims of discrimination and stigma because they are infected with the virus. It is a very dep
Namibia: UN Aid Will Target Orphans And Vulnerable Children: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 5, 2004; The plight of orphans and vulnerable children in Namibia would have to be addressed through targeted interventions, the UN coordinator in the country told IRIN on Monday. Namibia is in the grip of a humanitarian crisis fuelled by HIV/AIDS and consecutive droughts, which have combined to erode household coping abilities
ZIMBABWE: Action needed to aid mentally ill: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 5, 2004; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] BULAWAYO (PLUSNEWS) - The knot of morning commuters in Bulawayo s working class suburb of Pumula North scattered as a frail-looking woman in ragged clothes, wielding a grass broom in one hand and a stick in the other, bore down on them shouting
Cote D Ivoire-Senegal: Activists Warn Against Complacency Over HIV/Aids: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 1, 2004; Dakar - West Africa s HIV-AIDS pandemic has often been overshadowed by the higher infection rates in southern Africa. But the World Health Organisation s (WHO) latest global HIV-AIDS update warns strongly against complacency. WHO points out that while infection rates have remained broadly stable in Sahelian countries l

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