A molecular condom to protect women against HIV is being developed by US scientists. The liquid formulated by a University of Utah team turns into a gel-like coating when inserted into the vagina. Then, when exposed to semen, it returns to liquid form and releases an anti-viral drug to attack HIV. However, the technolo
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has rejected calls for the release of six foreign medics sentenced to death for infecting children with HIV/Aids. Those who committed crimes must accept the consequences, he said. Libya has been under increasing pressure because of international doubts over the fairness of the trial. F
The first home test which says it can reassure patients they are free of HIV has been launched in the UK. The public can send in a saliva sample to a laboratory, and, if negative for HIV, receive results via e-mail. Home tests were banned because counselling was not on hand, but the Dr Thom kit offers phone support if
HIV rates in Britain are on the rise, but doctors are becoming increasingly worried at the lack of accurate figures for the Asian community. The official rates of infection are low, but the lack of testing and the heavy stigma means they could be masking a hidden emergency. The problem is those who have HIV often don t
A Libyan court has sentenced five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor to death after convicting them of knowingly infecting some 400 children with the HIV virus. Q: What do the charges relate to? The medical workers were arrested as long ago as 1999 and accused of deliberately spreading HIV among children at a ho
The government of India s Andhra Pradesh state says a new law will soon make it compulsory for couples to take an HIV test before marriage. Those who want their marriage to be registered should get the HIV/Aids test done, said health minister K Rosaiah. He was speaking as state assembly members underwent public HIV tes
A Libyan court has sentenced five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor to death for knowingly infecting hundreds of Libyan children with HIV. The medics have been in detention since 1999, during which time 52 of the 426 infected children have died of Aids. The nurses and doctor were sentenced to death in 2004, but
A Libyan court has sentenced five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor to death for deliberately infecting hundreds of Libyan children with the HIV virus that causes Aids. Western countries and medical experts, as well as family and friends of the accused, have criticised the trial as unfair and politically motiva
Five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor have been sentenced to death in Libya on charges of deliberately infecting about 400 children with HIV/Aids. They have been in custody for more than six years in a complicated legal and political saga. Here BBC News looks at key dates in the case. FEBRUARY 1999 Nin
Libya says that it will not bow to international pressure over death sentences passed on five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor. The group were sentenced by a court in Tripoli for knowingly infecting hundreds of Libyan children with HIV. The sentences have drawn international criticism, while academic bodies
The reduction in intravenous drug users contracting HIV in the capital is one of Edinburgh s success stories, the leader of Edinburgh Council has said. However, Ewan Aitken warned of the emergence of crack cocaine in his monthly report to the authority. He also said evidence that young people were again sharing needles
New DUP peer Baroness Paisley of St George s has used her maiden speech in the House of Lords to warn of the frightening spread of HIV/Aids. The wife of party leader Ian Paisley said the scourge of HIV/Aids is invading the world at breakneck speed . Lady Paisley said that in the UK the number of cases reported up to th
Methods used to estimate the number of people infected by HIV/Aids in India are flawed and the actual number of cases may be far lower, a study says. The UN estimates that India has the highest number of HIV infections, with 5.7 million people carrying the virus. The survey of blood samples reported by British jour
Circumcision can cut the rate of HIV infection in heterosexual men by 50%, results from two African trials show. The findings are so striking, the US National Institutes of Health decided it would be unethical to continue and stopped the trials early. It supports a previous South African study which reported similar re
A four-year-old boy has been thrown out of nursery school in India because he has been found to be HIV-positive. The government-run school in Alwal, near the southern city of Hyderabad, sent the child home after parents of other children protested. It is the latest in a series of similar cases in India, which has t
There may be a link between malaria and the spread of the Aids virus across Africa, research by scientists working in Kenya suggests. The study, published in the journal Science, says the way the two diseases interact can help them spread faster. When people with Aids contract malaria, it causes a surge of HIV virus in
A former member of the General Dental Council has likened the handling of the case of a dentist from Gwynedd infected with hepatitis C to a witch hunt . The health authorities wrote to 5,000 patients offering them various tests after the man was diagnosed with the disease, which over 1,000 accepted. Brian Lux, presiden
Scientists have cast doubt on charges that five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor deliberately infected Libyan children with HIV. The medics could face the death penalty if found guilty by a court in Tripoli later this month. An international team analysed samples taken from the infected patients. Writing in Na
An HIV testing service which provides results within an hour has been opened in Cardiff. The Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) charity has linked up with Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust to provide the free service at its offices in Canton. The six month pilot for Fastest is being funded by the Welsh Assembly Government and aims
A group of Chinese people with Aids are to receive more than 20m yuan ($2.5m; 1.3m pounds) in compensation in a landmark case, state media report. The 19 people contracted HIV after receiving blood transfusions from illegal blood-sellers operating within a hospital in north-east China in 2004. They developed Aids and a
The head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales says money used to send condoms to Africa should be spent on drugs for Aids treatment. Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O Connor said it would be much better if the cash was spent on antiretroviral drugs. He said African bishops had spoken of dioceses being flooded with condo
South Africa has announced a five-year plan to try to combat HIV/Aids, with a promise to cut infection rates by half. More than 1,000 South Africans die of Aids-related illnesses every day, but many more are still being infected. Reversing its previous advice of a diet of garlic and beetroot as a treatment, the gover
The lead singer of pop band Erasure has helped to mark World Aids Day by opening an art exhibition by some of the UK s leading gay artists. Andy Bell, who is a frequent visitor to East Sussex, opened Think Pink at The Arts Forum in St Leonards on Friday. The week-long exhibition is billed as a bid to turn Hastings into
The rates of people in Wales diagnosed with the HIV infection continues to rise, say the Health Protection Agency. According to statistics, 26 out of every 100,000 people were being treated for HIV or Aids in Wales in 2005 - a total of 760 sufferers in the nation. This rose from 674 patients in 2004, which is equal to
More than 400 people in Scotland contracted HIV last year, World Aids Day organisers have revealed. New cases were up 11% on the previous year - the biggest rise ever seen north of the border, they claimed. The figures also suggested 3,400 people are now living with disease, which can lead to Aids. Organisers said more
Rising numbers of people with HIV are living in extreme poverty in the UK, according to a report by the National Aids Trust and Crusaid charities. It found evidence of hate crime and discrimination against people with HIV, which was driving some into poverty and isolation. The study, launched to mark World Aids Day on
The actor, Richard E Grant, has helped Newsnight blow the whistle on a $100 million (51 million pound) scheme to sell goat serum as a cure for Aids . The promoters say that it is totally reliable in the cure of Aids and they convinced the Swazi royal family to become involved. But when they approached Swazi-born Richar
Former United States President Bill Clinton says India is now the epicentre of the global HIV/Aids epidemic. Mr Clinton described the challenge to control the spread of HIV in India as a breathtaking but said there was still time to limit the impact of the virus.
The cost of drugs to tackle the effects of Aids is again soaring, five years after trade negotiators made what was thought to be a breakthrough at talks in Doha to allow greater access to drugs for those living in developing countries. Since the Doha deal, the price of HIV treatments in developing countries - where the
HIV/Aids is having a crippling effect on the workforce of many countries, a report by the International Labour Organization for World Aids Day says. The ILO said HIV/Aids killed almost 3.5 million people of working age in 2005. South Africa , among the worst-affected nations, has announced a plan aiming to halve the in
Not enough resources are being allocated to deal with the rise in sexually transmitted infections (STIs), a specialist in the field has said. It follows the release of figures on STIs in Northern Ireland , coinciding with World Aids Day. Dr Raymond Maw, a consultant in the Genito-Urinary clinic at Belfast s Royal Victo
The first UN special envoy on Aids in Africa is stepping down in December. Daniel Cook spoke to the outspoken Canadian about the highs and lows of his five years in office. Despite working with a tiny - $200,000 (106,000 pound) - UN budget, Stephen Lewis has done much to open the world s eyes to one of history s worst
A foundation headed by Bill Clinton has negotiated a deal to make HIV/Aids treatment cheaper for children, the former US president has announced. Mr Clinton outlined the deal in a speech at a children s hospital in the Indian capital, Delhi. Under the deal, two Indian companies will supply 19 antiretroviral drugs and t
A prominent Chinese Aids campaigner who was organising a forum on the illness has been released after being held by police for three days, colleagues say. Wan Yanhai had told workers to cancel plans for Sunday s symposium by his Beijing advocacy group, as he was detained on Friday. No reason was given for the detention
Campaigners are concerned that islanders have become too complacent and know less about HIV and Aids than they did five years ago. There are now about 60 people living with HIV in Jersey. Rosemary Ruddy, from local Aids charity Acet, said people are becoming less aware about the illness. She is concerned islanders have
A prominent Chinese Aids campaigner, Wan Yanhai, has gone missing after being questioned by police in the capital, Beijing, his office has said. Mr Wan has not been heard from since Friday, his advocacy group Aizhi, said in a statement. Mr Wan is one of China s best-known Aids campaigners and has criticised the governm
A South African doctor should face a charge of unprofessional conduct for naming Aids on a death certificate against family wishes, officials say. A complaint was filed with the national health watchdog against Dr Leon Wagner after the woman died in April 2005. Dr Wagner has not yet entered a plea, saying it is unclear
The Catholic Church is due to discuss the use of condoms to fight Aids at a conference on infectious diseases opening at the Vatican. The Catholic Church formally opposes any use of condoms, advising fidelity within marriage or sexual abstinence. A senior Vatican cardinal has even publicly questioned the efficacy of co
Traditional healers in South Africa have demonstrated in favour of Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang. Several hundred of them marched through Johannesburg, praising the minister and criticising the main anti-Aids lobby, the Treatment Action Campaign. Aids campaign groups have criticised the minister for promotin
A total of 485 people in Yorkshire and the Humber region were newly diagnosed with HIV last year, a leading sexual health charity has reported. It was yet another significant increase in the number of people living with HIV, particularly among gay men and African people , the charity said. The Terrence Higgins Trust sa
China has announced a big jump in reported cases of HIV/Aids, officials and the state media have said. More than 180,000 people are now confirmed to have the infection, a rise of nearly 40,000 cases in a year. Authorities say the increase is partly due to better testing and reporting of cases, as the government has m
An increasing pool of people in the UK are living with HIV and Aids, official statistics show. The Health Protection Agency says around 63,500 UK adults were living with HIV in 2005 - with as many as a third unaware of their infection. Most new HIV cases in 2005 were infected abroad, but more cases are being contracted
The North West has the highest number of newly diagnosed cases of HIV and AIDS outside London, according to a new report by the Health Protection Agency. In 2005 a total of 4,195 people were in care or treatment for HIV in the region s clinics - including 613 cases newly diagnosed that year. The figures are a four-fold
Sub-Saharan Africa is still bearing the brunt of the HIV/Aids epidemic, a UNAids report has revealed. Almost three-quarters of deaths from Aids in 2006 occurred there and two-thirds of those living with HIV are in that area. UNAids says there are an estimated 39.5 million people now living with HIV. The number living w
Migrants make up about 70% of TB, HIV and malaria cases in England, Wales and Northern Ireland , a report has found. The Health Protection Agency said this was a disproportionate burden , but stressed it reflected a small fraction of people not born in the UK. In its first report on migrant health, it also found th
Almost 1,100 patients have called a helpline after a healthcare worker was diagnosed with hepatitis B and HIV. They were contacted by Birmingham s Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, the Alexandra in Redditch, Kidderminster General and Evesham Community Hospital. People in the Midlands and Southampton were told that the worker
A man has gone on trial accused of putting his former girlfriend s life in danger by infecting her with HIV. Giovanni Mola, 38, pleaded not guilty to a charge of culpable and reckless conduct from September 2003 to February 2004. Advocate depute Graeme Jessop, prosecuting, told judge Lord Hodge at the High Court in Edi
Prime Minister Tony Blair has not forgotten about Africa, his wife Cherie told a group of delegates in Edinburgh. Speaking in the capital, Mrs Blair was unveiling plans for the Four Nations HIV/Aids Conference in Malawi . The launch, which was held at the British Council Scotland offices on Wednesday, started the fund-
Hundreds of patients treated by a health care worker diagnosed with HIV and hepatitis B are being recalled. Letters have been sent to 1,185 people treated in the West Midlands and Southampton over the last six years. A NHS spokeswoman said it was highly unusual to have a health worker contract both infections. No p
Preliminary tests suggest HIV infection can be treated using a disabled version of the virus itself. University of Pennsylvania researchers treated five patients, who had not responded to drugs, with disabled HIV. It carried added genetic material that blocks HIV reproduction and as a result HIV levels in the patients
A Libyan court will deliver its verdict on 19 December on five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor accused of infecting Libyan children with HIV. Judge Mahmoud Haouissa made the announcement at the Tripoli court hearing the retrial that began in May. An initial trial condemned the medics to death in 2004, but the
An Indian man is suing West Bengal s state government for negligence over the alleged mis-selling of kits used to test for HIV/Aids and hepatitis. Tapas Sengupta fears his son, who has thalassaemia, could be among thousands to have received contaminated blood. Earlier this week police said hundreds of thousands of fake
The United Nations children s agency (Unicef) has launched the first computer game in Kiswahili, aimed at halting the spread of HIV and Aids. The game called What would you do? (Ungefanyaje?) takes players through various scenarios to explain the importance of prevention and testing. The UN estimates that around 80% of
The South African government and civil society groups have pledged to work more closely together in the fight against HIV/Aids. In the past, the government has been heavily criticised for sending out a confused message on the best way to combat the pandemic. But the deputy president, who chairs the National Aids Counci
Two men have appeared in court in West Bengal over the alleged mis-selling of kits which were used to test people for HIV/Aids and hepatitis. Police say Monozyme India sold hundreds of thousands of the kits, originally designed to test for pregnancy or other conditions, under false pretences. Doctors say this led t
Tony Blair is thought to have taken ownership of his first mobile phone. The prime minister reportedly made first use of his handset during a trip to his Sedgefield constituency on Friday, according to the Sun newspaper. Five per cent from all the calls and texts he makes from his Motorola phone will to go towards the
A prestigious British science journal has spoken out about a trial in Libya involving six foreign medical workers. Five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor are accused of deliberately injecting more than 400 children with HIV-infected blood in 1998. Two years ago they were found guilty and sentenced to death, but
Children with HIV and Aids in the developing world are half as likely as adults to get life-saving drugs. This means fewer than one in 10 of over two million children infected get anti-retroviral treatment (ARVs). The BBC s Angus Crawford met three children living with the illness in Swaziland , which has the h
Zimbabwe s most prominent organisation fighting child sexual abuse is confronting traditional healers to take action over the myth that having sex with a virgin can cure Aids - one reason behind the rape of young girls. In a rural area some 200km east of Harare, a play is being acted out. An HIV-positive man visits a t
An MP has criticised plans to close sexual health clinics in East Yorkshire as figures show a sharp rise in the number of HIV infections in the area. The number of adults diagnosed with HIV in the East Riding of Yorkshire has jumped from 10 in 1997 to 31 in 2005, Health Protection Agency figures show. In September, two
In a three-storey house in a quiet neighbourhood in southern Taipei, toddlers play with toys while the adults chat, rest or watch TV. They have lived in the house for more than a year, but from the start the local community has made it clear that their presence is unwelcome. The reason? Those living in the home either
Mobile phone technology is being developed to help manage the spread of diseases such as HIV and bird flu. The software is designed to allow field workers using handsets to send and receive data on disease outbreaks along with patient and drug information. The project is a collaboration between technology firm Voxiva a
Britain has awarded 20 million pounds to a programme aimed at fighting Zimbabwe s HIV and Aids epidemic. The cash will be used to provide testing and counselling services and encourage safe sex, the Department for International Development said. The scheme will distribute more than 250 million condoms, including female
Pop star Madonna is in the African country of Malawi on a mission to try to help orphaned children living with HIV and Aids. The singer plans to launch six projects to help underprivileged children. According to a government official there, Madonna is also hoping to adopt a local child. Benston Kilimbe from the Soc
A unique match-making event in the western Indian state of Gujarat for HIV positive men and women has ended with three couples deciding to marry. Held in the city of Surat, the event was attended by 45 men and 15 women. The organisers of the event said it was an attempt to end the isolation of those infected by the HIV
Papua New Guinea and its population of just under six million is in the grip of an HIV/Aids epidemic. The Health Minister Peter Barter shocked a recent meeting of world health officials by saying that infection rates had reached double digits in some remote parts of the country. With nearly 2% of the population now
Poverty campaigner Bob Geldof has urged Gordon Brown to stump up 400m pounds in new money to help developing countries. Appearing alongside the chancellor at the Labour conference, the ex-Boomtown Rats star said nations were falling behind on their aid pledges. He suggested the UK might need to fill the gap left when c
DJ Norman Cook, aka Fatboy Slim, has spent a week in West Africa helping to raise awareness of HIV and Aids among children through football coaching. The dance music star, who has now returned to Hove, Sussex, said: If we ve saved one life, it s worth it. Cook, famous for his love of Brighton and Hove Albion FC, was th
The merits of measuring HIV particles in the blood as a way to predict a patient s ability to fight off the disease have been challenged. A study involving 2,800 people suggests measuring viral load is a much less reliable way to predict loss of key CD4 immune cells than previously thought. The finding may lead to a re
Several Kazakh officials have been charged with criminal negligence over a blood bank scandal that has seen four children die of HIV-related diseases. At least 61 children have tested positive for HIV after receiving blood transfusions at a paediatric clinic near Shymkent in the country s south. A further 12,000 childr
The search for a man on the run after being convicted of recklessly passing on HIV to his male partner has been widened after reports he was in France . Mark James, 47, from Burgess Hill in West Sussex, was sentenced to three years and four months in jail when he failed to appear in court in August. Police have bee
Smokers may be at a greater risk of HIV infection, research suggests. The UK researchers, writing in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infection, said tobacco smoke may increase people s vulnerability to infections. However, they also found smoking tobacco did not appear to speed the progression of HIV to Aids. The
New diagnoses of HIV have doubled over the last decade in Jersey, with six new cases being found a year. About 60 people are living with HIV in Jersey, Jersey s Medical Officer of Health has revealed. Ten years ago, 62% of HIV carriers were homosexual men, and 8% were heterosexual. But now 70% of HIV is now spread thro
Two lawyers who have defended men accused of recklessly transmitting HIV share their views and experience regarding HIV prosecutions. Kharrim Arif, a solicitor in London, was the defending lawyer for the first British man acquitted of recklessly transmitting HIV to his gay lover. Donald Findlay QC defended a Scottish m
There have been a number of high profile cases recently where people have been prosecuted for passing on HIV, with sentences ranging from a small fine to imprisonment. In August 2006, a gay man being accused of recklessly passing on the virus to his partner became the first person in Britain to be acquitted of such a c
Fifty-five small children in hospital in Kazakhstan have been infected with HIV because of plain negligence , the country s health minister said. The children were infected while being treated at a hospital in the southern city of Shymkent, Erbolat Dosayev was quoted as saying. Officials are seeking 17 people, susp
Sussex-based DJ Norman Cook - aka Fatboy Slim - is heading to West Africa to help raise awareness of Aids and the HIV virus through football coaching. The dance music star, famous for his love of Brighton and Hove Albion FC, is patron of the Coaching for Hope project run by International Service. He will spend time in
The UK is withholding 50m pounds it had pledged to the World Bank in protest at conditions it attaches to aid. International Development Secretary Hilary Benn voiced concerns that the Bank is telling poorer nations how to run their affairs. He is concerned that the Bank has been demanding too strict conditions before g
US billionaire George Soros is to give $50m (26.7m pounds) to help tackle poverty and Aids in Africa. Mr Soros pledged to hand the cash to the United Nations (UN) Millennium Villages Project over five years. The $100m-scheme involves targeted investment in health, education and farming to help lift African villages out
South Africa s controversial health minister has denied reports that she has been sidelined from the fight against HIV/Aids. Manto Tshabalala-Msimang told the state broadcaster, SABC, that she welcomed a new inter-ministerial committee on Aids, led by the deputy president. Ms Tshabalala-Msimang has been condemned for s
Chinese police have detained a prominent human rights activist and Aids campaigner who has fought several high-profile cases. More than 20 plain clothed policemen took Hu Jia from his home in Beijing, according to his wife, Zeng Jinyan. Mr Hu, 33, was said to be collecting data on the detention of activists and has bee
A virtually untreatable form of TB has emerged, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Extreme drug resistant TB (XDR TB) has been seen worldwide, including in the US, Eastern Europe and Africa, although Western Europe has had no cases. Dr Paul Nunn, from the WHO, said a failure to correctly implement treatm
More than 60 international experts on HIV/Aids have called for the resignation of the South African health minister because of her stance on Aids. Manto Tshabalala-Msimang tells those with HIV to eat garlic and beetroot. In a letter sent to President Thabo Mbeki, the academics called the government s health policy dis
The number of new cases of HIV and AIDS in the North West rose by 14% in 2005, according to research at Liverpool John Moores University. The university s Centre For Public Health said there were 928 new cases compared with 814 the previous year. Its 10th annual report added that 4,195 individuals in the region are rec
Botswana is using football and its world stars as a means for fighting the HIV/Aids pandemic. Players such as Paul Gascoigne have been invited to visit the south African nation to help educate the population about sexual health. Like in most of Africa, the beautiful game is a religion in Botswana and its stars are re
South Africa says it is investigating reports that 137 women among its delegation to an Aids conference in Canada are applying for refugee status. A total of 151 delegates - including El Salvadorans, Eritreans, Zimbabweans and Ugandans - have applied, a Canadian newspaper reported. An immigration lawyer said the
US Senator Barack Obama was received in his father s rural village of Nyangoma Kogalo, in western Kenya near the shores of Lake Victoria, like a long-lost king who has returned home to claim his crown. As the Illinois Democratic senator entered his family s compound - surrounded by both Kenyan and US security - his gra
A nationwide search has been launched for a gay man from Sussex who has gone on the run after being convicted of recklessly giving HIV to his partner. Mark James, 47, was sentenced to more than three years in jail when he failed to appear in court in August. Det Insp Mike Sunman said: As long as James is at large, the
US Senator Barack Obama has visited one of Africa s largest slums in the Kenyan capital on the fourth day of his trip to his late father s homeland. You are all my brothers and sisters, Mr Obama told crowds of excited residents who craned their necks to catch a glimpse of the senator. Earlier Mr Obama visited Wajir, a
A commonly used HIV drug could be used to prevent cervical cancer, UK researchers believe. Early lab tests show the antiviral drug lopinavir attacks the virus that causes cervical cancer - HPV - as well as HIV. The University of Manchester team envisage that the oral drug could be made into a simple cream or pessary to
South Africa s government says it needs to find new strategies for communicating its message on HIV/Aids. The announcement comes as activists called for a day of action to try to get the health minister to resign. The government has been criticised for recommending natural cures as well as anti-retroviral drugs to Aids
Conservative leader David Cameron has met Nelson Mandela in South Africa to discuss the continent s challenges. The two men talked about international development, global poverty and HIV/Aids during a meeting at the former president s Johannesburg offices. Mr Cameron said Mr Mandela was the most remarkable statesman o
US scientists say they have discovered how HIV evades the body s natural defences against viral infections. HIV disarms the T cells sent by the body to fight it by flicking a molecular switch on the cells. In the laboratory, the researchers were able to block this switch and restore T cell function, Nature reports.
Manchester United started their new Premiership season with a show of support for Unicef on Sunday. The club, which has been a partner of the global charity since 1999, hosted several activities at Old Trafford prior to and during the Fulham match. A giant Unicef flag was unfurled before kick off and will be on display
The United Nations special envoy for Aids in Africa has closed a major conference on the disease with a sharp critique of South Africa s government. Speaking at the end of the week-long gathering in Toronto, Canada , Stephen Lewis said South Africa promoted a lunatic fringe attitude to HIV/Aids. Mr Lewis described
HIV-positive Nigerian seamstress Maryam Tamakloe tells BBC Network Africa about the stigma of being a woman with Aids and what she wants from this week s International Aids Conference in Toronto. I m a mother of two living with HIV and Aids. I got to know my HIV status three years ago when I was four months pregnant.
A charity which raises awareness about HIV and Aids in Jersey ended 2005 with a deficit of almost 20,000 pounds, its annual report has revealed. Acet said it was facing an ever-increasing amount of work and needed help from existing financial supporters and new sources of funding. The States also recently withdrew its
A keynote speaker from South Africa at the International Aids Conference in Toronto, Canada , has called on South Africa s health minister to resign. Mark Heywood, head of the Aids Law Project in South Africa, said Manto Tshabalala-Msimang had minimised the role of anti-retroviral drugs. The governing ANC party sai
Police had to put a face mask on a woman to stop her spitting on them after she claimed she had Aids, the High Court in Belfast has heard. Yvonne Morrison, 24, from Scotland, was arrested in Belfast city centre after she allegedly threw a bottle at an ambulance and injured a paramedic. Ms Morrison, who was living with
An HIV positive South African prisoner, one of a group who won a court case over drug access, died after drugs were provided too late, Aids activists say. The Treatment Action Campaign says the government was slow to comply with a court order, and plans to protest. In June, the Durban High Court ruled that the prisons
Jane Dreaper, BBC News health correspondent, Toronto
Former US President Bill Clinton has said Aids is a problem affecting many people indirectly because of migration and interdependence among countries. There s still a lot of problems out there and we still need much more prevention work, Mr Clinton told BBC News at the Toronto Aids conference. He spoke of how he recent
US policy is undermining the efforts of African countries to fight the HIV epidemic, a leading UN figure has said. Stephen Lewis, UN Special Envoy on Aids, said President George Bush s $15bn Emergency Plan for HIV/Aids was too focused on promoting abstinence. He said Washington was practising incipient neo-colonialism
More than one million HIV-positive people are receiving anti-retroviral therapy in sub-Saharan Africa, a UN agency says. The World Health Organization says there has been ten-fold increase in treatment since December 2003. The UN s goal is to provide universal access to HIV prevention programmes, treatment, care and su
Slashing its sharpened machetes together and letting out a deafening screech, the bark-clad beast known as a konkoran races through the market scattering women and children as they go about their morning shopping. Turning off down a residential side street in the southern Senegalese town of Ziguinchor, the frightening
Experts are calling for a massive increase in routine testing for HIV to try to combat the spread of the virus. Figures show that over 90% of people carrying HIV do not know they have it. Dr Kevin De Cock, of the World Health Organization , said empowering doctors to test patients could have a significant effect. H
Lemons and garlic are displayed next to condoms and anti-retroviral drugs on the South African stand at Toronto s international Aids conference. Apples, nectarines and other tastier fruit were apparently included earlier, but were soon eaten, an official said. South Africa s health minister has long promoted a diet inc
Some 24,000 people are gathering in Toronto, as the International Aids Conference gets under way. Sunday s opening concert featured Alicia Keys and the Barenaked Ladies. The burst of upbeat music sums up one of the key themes - how HIV affects young people. This problem doesn t just belong to developing countries - the
Trust representative Genevieve Clarke said youngsters were not being taught about condoms, causing the worst sexual health in western Europe . She said efforts to educate people should be sustainable as it was a long-term fight against disease. Her comments come as a major HIV and AIDS conference opens in
Women are the key to Aids prevention, said Gates The American philanthropist Bill Gates has said the key to stopping the Aids pandemic lies in giving women the power to protect themselves. He was speaking at the opening of the 16th international conference on HIV and Aids, being held in Toronto. The Gates Foundation ha
Two community projects in Dundee have received £475,000 funding so they can move to bigger premises. Dundee Drug and Aids Project (DDAP) has been given £300,000 towards its move to the Old Baptist Church in Rattray Street. The Futurebuilders Scotland fund has also awarded £175,000 to Bharatiya Ashram, which helps black
At the end of tiring day, a bar hostess - or bar maid as she is known in Kenya - will smile at you and serve you a cold or warm drink at your request. She will be by your table at the snap of a finger even when no one bothers to even find out her name. Yet with all the service and kindness she offers, her clients somet
A significant rise in the number of people being diagnosed with the HIV virus has been highlighted by a Lincolnshire charity. Statistics from Positive Health Lincolnshire show that 15 people have been diagnosed with HIV since April. The figure is only four short of the total number of patients diagnosed between April 2
An eight-year-old boy from Cheltenham is awaiting the results of an HIV test after he was stabbed with what police believe was a hypodermic needle. Simon Davies was walking with his brother and a friend along Arle Avenue, Cheltenham, on Saturday when they were chased by two youths and pushed over. One attacker pinned t
India has launched a major offensive against HIV-Aids involving hundreds of village leaders. The focus on the rural areas comes as nearly 60% of HIV positive people live in the country s villages. India how has some 5.7 million people infected with the HIV virus. Only South Africa
Rob Dawson is a man on a mission - to make his life count. Two-years ago Rob was diagnosed with HIV and he says that, since then, his life has changed. I have a different outlook on things. I feel better for knowing my status and I m making so much more of my life than I was before. Future I think about where I ll be i
The Christian aid agency Tearfund is calling for more recognition and more international funding for Africa s churches in the fight against HIV/Aids. Its new report, called Faith Untapped, highlights the positive work done by church congregations to support people affected by HIV/Aids. But it also calls on the churches
Mark James, 47, from Burgess Hill, West Sussex, who admitted causing grievous bodily harm, failed to attend Friday s hearing at Isleworth Crown Court. Judge Jonathan Lowen issued a warrant for his arrest last month but police have been unable to track him down. The court heard the victim had believed the relationship w
More African health staff are being lost to Aids than are being enticed to work abroad, a study says. The death rate in Zambia s Lusaka and Kasama districts is double the number who applied to work in the UK - the so-called brain-drain, the Lancet said. Researchers from Boston University in the US found that the averag
Nigeria has sacked three senior hospital officials in Lagos, after a baby was infected with HIV from a contaminated blood transfusion. Health minister Eyitayo Lambo said the chief medical director at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) was among those dismissed. The minister said the government had found m
Governments and aid agencies should do more to help children protect themselves against HIV, the children s organisation Plan International said. Millions of children in the world s poorest countries are vulnerable to HIV infection because of exploitation and discrimination, its report warns. An estimated 1,800 childre
HIV is able to survive drug attack by hiding out in the gut lining, US scientists have discovered. Even when blood tests suggested antiretroviral treatment was working, the virus continued to replicate in the gut, suppressing immune function. Writing in the Journal of Virology, the authors recommend earlier, aggressive
Australia is being urged to upgrade health services in the Torres Strait amid fears that HIV and Aids could spread from neighbouring Papua New Guinea . Community leaders have urged Canberra to introduce more stringent border controls. It is only a short boat ride between southern parts of
A human rights group says the abusive policies of the Zimbabwean government are fuelling the HIV/Aids epidemic. Human Rights Watch says despite a recent drop in infection rates, 20% of the population had HIV with thousands dying each week. They say current policies, including forced evictions and expensive health care,
A judge has issued a warrant for the arrest of a gay man due to be sentenced for passing the HIV virus to a partner. Mark James, 47, of Burgess Hill, West Sussex, failed to attend London s Isleworth Crown Court on Wednesday. He had previously admitted causing grievous bodily harm, before trying to change his plea based
A dating service for HIV-positive people in Zimbabwe has made a successful start with its first couples having been matched up. The agency, called Hapana, was launched two months ago and is challenging attitudes that society holds towards those living with the virus. About one in five Zimbabweans is infected, the Unite
An Aids charity is working to promote safer sex among Africans in Bristol. The Terence Higgins Trust claims the number of HIV/Aids cases among Africans in the UK is second only to that among gay men. The Trust s Beyond Condoms campaign aims to remove the stigma surrounding the condition by encouraging Africans to talk
India s economy could suffer if the country fails to check the spread of HIV and Aids, a new report says. Economic growth currently at 8% could fall by nearly 1% if the disease is not contained, it says. But the head of India s main anti-Aids agency said the government s prevention drive could help reverse this. Mo
The National Aids Control Organisation (Naco) said that infected people were being driven underground and efforts to curb the virus were being hampered. Naco supported a court motion filed by an Aids charity on Wednesday seeking to end a law criminalising homosexuality. Many homosexuals say they hide their orientation
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged $287m (155m pounds) in a bid to speed up the development of a vaccine for the HIV/Aids virus. The money is being split into 16 grants for science teams across the world - with the aim that they work more collaboratively on new approaches. All the recipients have had to
A test for HIV, which can give results in as little as 15 minutes, is being offered on Teesside for the first time. Charity Teesside Positive Action is piloting the scheme, with the consultation and testing aimed to be provided within an hour. It is in response to issues including reducing anxiety and offering the test
A once-a-day HIV treatment combining three drugs in one pill, has been licensed for the first time by the US Food and Drug Administration. Atripla, made by Bristol-Myers-Squibb and Gilead Sciences , contains efavirenz , tenofovir and emtricitab
Male circumcision could significantly reduce the burden of HIV in Africa, a study suggests. It concluded that the operation could avert about six million HIV infections and three million deaths in sub-Saharan Africa over the next 20 years. The findings build on research, published in 2005, that suggested circumcision r
An experimental drug is being harvested in Kent which could eventually save millions of lives, researchers say. Genetically-modified tobacco plants grown at East Malling Research are designed to provide a cheap and effective treatment for HIV and Aids. After harvesting, the aim is to turn extracts from the plant into a
The re-trial of five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor accused of infecting Libyan children with HIV has resumed in the Libyan capital, Tripoli. The proceedings were adjourned two weeks ago when a defence lawyer asked for more time to call witnesses. Three parents appeared Tuesday with their infected children a
A South African medical professor has been suspended from research duties after an article linked him to a tonic that was touted as an Aids treatment. The University of Cape Town said it saw the allegations in a serious light . University officials are to investigate whether Professor Girish Kotwal had endorsed the unt
A 15-year-old Indian boy whose parents had HIV was driven to suicide by the stigma associated with the virus, police say. Santosh Baniya died of burn injuries after setting himself on fire in the western city of Ahmedabad last week. Both his parents were diagnosed with HIV two years ago. They are among more than five m
Some 100,000 Indians with HIV will be provided free anti-retroviral drugs by early 2007, Indian officials say. The drugs are being made available under a programme which began in 2004 and has already treated 35,000 people. By August the drug will be made available to another 50,000 affected people and a further 15,000
Health authorities in Washington DC are launching a pioneering scheme to promote HIV testing. The authorities hope the scheme will lead to tests becoming routine across all health services in the District of Columbia from schools to hospitals. It will target everyone aged between 14 and 84 and is thought to be the US s
Kofi Annan, Bob Geldof and Nigeria s President Obasanjo are to sit on a panel set up to track aid promises made to Africa, Tony Blair is to announce. The UN secretary general will chair the panel, being set up a year after G8 pledges and a popular campaign pushed Africa up the international agenda. Backed by Bill Gates
David Loyn, Developing World Correspondent, BBC News
The Gleneagles summit was unusual in requiring leaders to sign up to a series of specific measures. UK Prime Minister Tony Blair wanted to put the seal on his year for Africa , not with vague offers of goodwill, but concrete measures. When he launched his Commission for Africa report earlier that year he said that the
--BBC News has been to Zambia as part of a special series looking at how Africa is faring one year on after the promises of increased aid made at the G8 summit in Gleneagles. Jon Cronin reports from Kabwe, where a husband and wife both infected with HIV are taking on prejudices surrounding the virus. In a run-down
A group of South African prisoners with HIV has won a court action obliging the government to give them free anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs). The Durban High Court ruled that the prisons department must immediately remove restrictions on access to ARV treatment in Durban s Westville Prison. The case was brought on behalf
Vietnam s National Assembly is due to pass a new law allowing illegal drug users to receive clean needles to tackle the growing HIV/Aids problem. Until now, needle exchanges have been illegal in Vietnam. The measure is part of a comprehensive package intended to halt the spread of the virus, which is estimated to infec
A woman who recklessly infected her lover with HIV has been jailed for more than two-and-a-half years. Sarah Jane Porter, 43, of Seaton Close, Kennington, south-east London, was sentenced to 32 months after admitting inflicting GBH recklessly. The court heard that, knowing she had the virus, she had unprotected sex wit
--In the third article of a special series from inside Burma , the BBC s Kate McGeown looks at the military government s record of caring for the health and education of its citizens. Burma s hospitals and schools are secretive places. Much of what goes on inside these tightly controlled buildings remains a mystery to
Condoms should be made available in Isle of Man secondary schools, a member of the House of Keys is urging the island s Education Minister. Onchan MHK Peter Karran asked, on Tuesday, if Education Minister David Anderson intends to continue his opposition to the idea. Mr Anderson has said previously he is not in fav
Africa is stepping up efforts to manufacture its own life-saving medicines, so that it does not have to rely on supplies from Western pharmaceutical companies. A Ugandan drugs importer, Quality Chemicals, plans to begin manufacturing drugs to treat people living with HIV/Aids at a plant in the capital, Kampala, from Ju
Scientists are developing a new way of tackling HIV, using a drug which blocks the assembly of the virus. US researchers, working with Panacos Pharmaceuticals which makes the drug, found it was effective in a small-scale human trial, New Scientist reports. PA-457 will now be given in combination with other HIV drugs to
On 5 June 1981, the first case study detailing an unusual cluster of pneumonia cases among gay men alerted the world to Aids. Here are some of the key dates in the history of the illness since then. 1982 - Aids, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, is first used as a term. The condition had earlier been known as Grid -
On 5 June 1981 a medical journal in the US published reports about five gay men who made up an unusual cluster of pneumonia cases in Los Angeles. It was the first time the world was alerted to what would later become known as Aids - Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, caused by HIV. The research was published in Morbi
Twenty-five years ago, a group of doctors in California filed a report about a mysterious problem affecting gay men. It was the first time that the fatal disease of the immune system - or Aids, as it came to be known - was brought to the attention of the medical community. The initial medical report amounted to just tw
A refugee who knew he was HIV positive when he raped a teenager without using a condom has been jailed indefinitely. Zimbabwean Gabriel Vengesai, 45, also had consensual unprotected sex with a 14-year-old girl who bore him a child, Winchester Crown Court heard. He was on bail for this offence when he raped the 17-year-
Kenya s president has announced that fees will be removed for anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs), which combat the effects of Aids. Correspondents say the fees are one reason why only 60,000 of the 200,000 eligible Kenyans are taking ARVs. The UN has said Kenya is one of the few countries to reduce HIV prevalence, from 14% i
Delegates at the UN summit on Aids have been hammering out the finer details of a declaration to combat HIV/Aids. Meanwhile, 40 million people worldwide are living with the disease. In countries like Kenya , the prospect of getting anti-retroviral drugs is improving - there has been a six-fold increase in the numbers g
A UN conference on Aids has agreed a declaration designed to be a global blueprint for tackling the disease. The draft - due to be adopted by the General Assembly later - commits countries to work towards universal access to Aids care by 2010. However, aid agencies condemned what they said was a weak document, with few
An HIV positive woman has asked world leaders to make medicines available to people with HIV and not to neglect the needs of women and children. South African Khensani Mavasa made her plea to the UN general assembly - the first time that a person with HIV has addressed the international body. South Africa s health depa
More than 5,000 patients of a Gwynedd health care worker are to be screened for HIV as well as hepatitis B and C. It follows the member of staff, believed to be at a dental surgery, being diagnosed with hepatitis C. The National Public Health Service (NPHS) for Wales said it was also offering screening for HIV and hepa
Sub-Saharan Africa continues to bear the brunt of the Aids pandemic but Kenya stands out as one country that appears to be turning the tide. The proportion of the population infected with HIV/Aids has fallen from 14% in 1997 to around 4% now. That is good news, but there are huge challenges that lie ahead to ensure tho
United Nations General Secretary Kofi Annan has criticised the lack of progress in combating HIV. He said the vast majority of countries had fallen distressingly short of meeting their targets. The general secretary was speaking at the opening of UN special conference in New York on how best to tackle the global HIV pa
A factory worker in Zimbabwe , who asked for his name to be withheld, tells the BBC News website how the HIV pandemic has affected his sexual behaviour. A UNAids report says the country is one of the few in Africa where the rate of HIV infection is on the decline, as people delay becoming sexually active and increase t
The Caribbean has achieved mixed results in fighting HIV/Aids, says the UN s annual report on Aids. The region has the second highest rate of HIV infection, and the virus is the leading cause of death among young adults, hitting men and women equally. The causes of the emergency are both cultural and economic, with Aid
India now has more people living with HIV than any other country, a UNAIDS report has revealed. The report shows that India now accounts for two-thirds of HIV cases in the whole of Asia. An estimated 5.7 million Indians were infected by the end of 2005, overtaking the 5.
There is evidence of an increase in unsafe sexual practices by men who have sex with other men in the US, according to the annual UN Aids report. The report s section on the US also focuses on the growing number of black women becoming infected with HIV. The number of people living with HIV in the US has reached its hi
The rate at which people are infected with HIV may have peaked in the late 1990s, according to a UNAIDS report. It found the incidence of new HIV infections appears to have stabilised for the first time in 25 years. UNAIDS said improved funding and access to drugs appears to be producing results - but said HIV remains
Almost 30 people stabbed by a teenager at Berlin s new railway station are receiving protective treatment after it emerged one victim was HIV positive. The drunken youth carried out the stabbings at random as people left the opening ceremony at the station - Europe s largest - on Friday. Only four of the injured remain
Sharon Stone, Sofia Coppola and Samuel L Jackson were among the guests at an Aids charity ball in Cannes. The annual event, which coincides with Cannes Film Festival, aims to raise money for the American Federation for Aids Research (Amfar). There are now 14 million people with the illness. We can t stop until we have
Only one HIV-positive child in 20 in developing countries receives the treatment they need, a report by children s campaigners has found. Coming together as the Global Movement for Children, they said the international community must urgently address the problem. Group chairman Dean Hirsch, said the lack of treatment a
The origin of HIV has been found in wild chimpanzees living in southern Cameroon , researchers report. A virus called SIVcpz (Simian Immunodeficiency Virus from chimps) was thought to be the source, but had only been found in a few captive animals. Now, an international team of scientists has identified a natural reser
Madonna has defended a controversial mock crucifixion in her stage show, saying it is part of an appeal to the audience to donate to Aids charities. I don t think Jesus would be mad at me and the message I m trying to send, she told the New York Daily News. UK and US church groups condemned the stunt after the singer b
A new report has highlighted increasing concern over the rise in drug abuse in north-eastern India . The prevalence of intravenous drug-taking has had a serious impact on the spread of HIV and Aids in the region, the report says. It is also concerned by weak border controls with Burma
More than 450 people have called a helpline set up after several people in a Cornish town tested positive for HIV, health officials say. The confidential line was set up by the local health authority after a sudden rise of up to 10 cases in St Ives. A new local number has now been set up to handle calls because officia
When Dr Lee Jong-wook took over the reins of the World Health Organisation he made HIV his number one target. Soon after his appointment in January 2003, he launched the Three by Five programme. The plan was to get 3m people in the poorest parts of the world on to HIV drugs by the end of 2005. The exact figure currentl
Last year, the BBC News website published pictures of the village of Njoho in Malawi , highlighting its battle against the HIV epidemic. Patricia Lucas from the World Food Programme returned to see what had changed. Despite an HIV prevalence rate that remains close to 50%, it is possible to find signs of hope for the v
HIV/Aids activists in Kenya have been shocked by the first lady s comments that young people had no business using condoms. Lucy Kibaki called on students at a school prize-giving to abstain from sex in order to avoid infection with HIV. Her statement contradicts government policy that promotes condom use. The BBC
Rock star Bono has a more personal stake in Lesotho than in any other African country. In the remote mountain town of Butha-Buthe his wife Ali Hewson is sourcing t-shirts for a new fair trade line being sold in the US. The order has meant that the only major employer in the town, a textile factory, has been saved from
Zimbabwe is in economic meltdown, with the world s highest rate of inflation of 1,000% and chronic unemployment. Here Mary, 41, an HIV-positive widow, whose home was demolished by the authorities last year, reflects on her life. My husband passed away in 2000. He was a soldier, he was HIV-positive. My baby was born a
Rock star Bono has begun an initiative in the southern African country of Lesotho in a bid to improve textile workers access to Aids treatment. A day after the U2 frontman edited the Independent newspaper to highlight the issue of Aids in Africa, he has begun a six-nation African tour. Textile manufacturers are the
Schools are not tackling homophobia or providing sexual health information, leaving young gay men more vulnerable to HIV, a campaign group says. The National Aids Trust, marking international day against homophobia, said homophobic bullying in schools was common and often unchallenged by staff. It said sex and relation
Rock star Bono was in the editor s chair at the Independent on Tuesday and he used the occasion to promote his Red campaign fighting Aids in Africa. The front page boldly declares No news today but below says Just 6,500 Africans died today as a result of a preventable, treatable disease . The campaign involves brands s
Health leaders in Cornwall are being accused of generating panic after revealing a number of HIV cases in seaside resort St Ives. The West Cornwall Primary Care Trust (PCT) warned on 5 May of a up to new 10 cases in the area. The National Aids Trust (NAT) accused the PCT of encouraging rumour, unfounded speculation, an
Jacob Zuma has taken the first step on the road to political rehabilitation, with the national executive of the ANC voting to reinstate him in his party duties following his acquittal on rape charges. It will admittedly be a long and difficult road, but the former South African deputy president is already looking stron
Hundreds of activists, officials and health workers are attending the first European and Central Asian Aids conference in Moscow. It was called to formulate a response to one of the fastest growing rates of HIV infection in the world. Across Eastern Europe and Central Asia, the number of people living with HIV had reac
King Kong star and Oscar nominee Naomi Watts is to be a special representative of the United Nations in its efforts to raise awareness of Aids and HIV. The 37-year-old, born in the UK and raised in Australia , will use her celebrity status to talk about the condition and help sufferers. An estimated 40 million peop
A new public health campaign in Switzerland is raising eyebrows. The campaign, from the Federal Health Office s Aids prevention section, features fencers and ice hockey players enthusiastically pursuing their sport. But there is one unexpected difference - all the players are stark naked. The contrast of healthy fl
Libya s criminal court in Tripoli has begun a retrial of five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor accused of knowingly infecting Libyan children with HIV. Their retrial follows a ruling by Libya s Supreme Court in December which quashed an earlier guilty verdict and death sentences on the accused. The BBC s South
Libya s criminal court has opened the first session in the retrial of six foreign medics accused of knowingly infecting children with HIV. Five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor had their guilty verdicts overturned last Christmas by the country s Supreme Court. The medics say they were tortured into giving fals
Scientists have learned more details of the process which turns human cells into factories for viruses such as HIV. It is known that viruses are able to hijack the genetic machinery of cells for their own ends. Teams from Cambridge and Oxford Universities have witnessed the process in action, and have identified the cr
More than 200 people have contacted a telephone helpline set up in the wake of an HIV scare in St Ives. The confidential line (0845 850 9850) was set up last week by the local health authority after a sudden rise of up to 10 cases. Officials want anyone who has had unprotected sex over the last eight years to get check
A man from Sussex who was infected with HIV and Hepatitis C while being treated for a blood disorder is taking part in a protest in front of Bill Clinton. The man, a haemophiliac, was treated with infected clotting agents in the 1970s when many of the blood products used came from the United States . The former
Former Deputy President Jacob Zuma has apologised to South Africans for not using a condom during sex. This detail emerged during his trial on a rape charge, of which he was cleared on Monday. It caused shock in a country where 5m people are infected with HIV. Mr Zuma also said media coverage of his trial was unfair, a
Former South African Deputy President Jacob Zuma has been acquitted of raping a 31-year-old family friend. There were jubilant scenes in central Johannesburg as Mr Zuma addressed the crowd, and accused the media of finding him guilty before the trial started. Mr Zuma was once seen as a future president and remains popu
The judge in the rape trial of South Africa s former Deputy President Jacob Zuma has begun delivering his verdict. Mr Zuma denies raping a 31-year-old family friend, who is HIV positive, at his home last November. Because of public interest in the case, Judge Willem van der Merwe s ruling is going out live on televisio
Too many young people in the UK remain unaware of the risks of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, a healthcare charity has said. A National Aids Trust survey found 25% of 15-24 year-olds stop using condoms if they or a partner go on the Pill. At the start of National Condom Week, the NAT has called for urg
Public health officials in Cornwall are concerned about an increase of detected cases of HIV. The West of Cornwall Primary Care Trust (PCT) held a press conference on Friday to alert people to a number of cases of the virus in St Ives. Dr David Miles, the director of public health, said the people affected were heteros
U2 frontman Bono is to edit The Independent newspaper for a day to highlight the issue of Aids in Africa. The singer is already offering ideas and commissioning articles for many sections of his edition of the daily UK paper, to be published on 16 May. The Independent editor in chief Simon Kelner said the paper would b
Zimbabwe is running out of drugs to treat Aids, the state-run Herald newspaper reports. The country has less than one month s supply of anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs for the 20,000 people who receive them. The National Pharmaceutical Company blamed the shortage on a foreign currency crisis. Interrupting a course of ARV
Well-known Indian sand artist Sudarshan Patnaik has been invited to take part in the World Championships of Sand Sculpture to be held in Vancouver. He is one of only 14 sand artists who have been invited to the event which will feature former international championship winners. I have chosen the theme of HIV/Aids for t
Prince Harry is launching a charity in Lesotho to support children orphaned by Aids, in memory of his mother Diana. In a tribute to the late Princess of Wales, killed in a Paris car crash nine years ago, Harry, 21, will call it Sentebale, which means forget me not . He has vowed to continue Diana s work in the fight ag
The Johannesburg High Court is hearing closing arguments in the rape trial of former South African Deputy President Jacob Zuma. On Wednesday, Judge Willem van der Merwe granted permission for the judgement - on a still unknown date - to be televised. Mr Zuma is accused of raping a 31-year-old family friend, who is HIV
The Vatican is preparing to publish a statement on the use of condoms by people who have Aids, a senior Roman Catholic official has said. Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan told La Repubblica newspaper that Pope Benedict XVI asked the Vatican s council for health care to study the issue. The Vatican says abstinence is the
An international conference opening on Sunday in South Africa aims to develop a revolutionary technology to curb the spread of HIV and Aids. More than 1,000 scientists will gather in Cape Town over the next four days to study a product known as microbicides. The product, which can take the form of a gel or cream, relea
Five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor accused of infecting hundreds of Libyan children with HIV will face a new trial next month, officials say. The Bulgarian foreign ministry said the trial in Libya would begin on 11 May. In December, Libya s Supreme Court overturned death sentences and ordered a retrial for
HIV/Aids is progressing dangerously in Russia , with more than 30,000 new infections registered in the past year, medical officials have reported. The head of the anti-Aids programme, Vadim Pokrovsky, warned that a new wave of sexually-transmitted infections was adding to earlier drug-abuse cases. He said a number
One of the Roman Catholic Church s most distinguished cardinals has publicly backed the use of condoms among married couples to prevent Aids transmission. Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini said that in couples where one had HIV/Aids, which could pass to the partner, the use of condoms was a lesser evil . The Vatican says co
Hundreds of people have marched through the Kenyan capital to protest at the brutal killing of an HIV-positive boy. Isaiah Gakuyo was allegedly stabbed to death with a pitch-fork because of his status. Police are hunting his uncle, who was supposedly looking after him. Mr Gakuyo s mother and grandmother had both report
A group of South African prisoners with HIV have launched a court action to force the government to give them free anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs). The prisons ministry said the move was opportunistic and the government was working to provide them treatment. The inmates at the Durban-Westville prison last month staged a h
Hundreds of victims of one of the worst medical disasters in the history of the NHS are taking their fight for a public inquiry to the House of Lords. Many who contracted HIV and Hepatitis C through contaminated blood transfusions in the 80s are struggling financially. Andrew Evans, from Birmingham, was born with haemo
TRADITIONALLY HIV viral load was considered the most important in determining how fast a person living with HIV dies. Now research in Uganda has revealed that it has more to do with the subtype of HIV a person has. The type of HIV a person has determines how quickly they will die from Aids, a study has suggested. US re
A sale of haute couture clothes belonging to Sir Elton John has raised more than $700,000 (395,000 pounds) for the singer s Aids charity. Approximately 10,000 pieces were put forward for the five-day sale in New York, which ended on Friday. Among them was a polka-dot suit designed by Richard James, which the singer wor
The type of HIV a person has predicts how quickly they will die from Aids, a study has suggested. US researchers studied people in Uganda , and found HIV was more likely to progress rapidly in people with subtype D than in those with subtype A. Most people in the UK and other western countries have type B. Experts
Sir Elton John is clearing out his wardrobe as he sells off more than 10,000 items of his and partner David Furnish s clothing for charity. The collection is on sale for five days at a New York shop, Elton s Closet. Prices start from $15 (£8.50) for a T-shirt to $5,000 (£2,900) for a full-length cashmere coat. The
People are more ignorant of how HIV is transmitted than they were five years ago, a poll says. Despite rising infection levels in the UK, 12% fewer people know the virus can be passed on through unprotected sex, the survey of 2,048 people revealed. And the National Aids Trust study found some people still believed it c
Four million health workers are needed to combat the chronic shortage around the world, a report from the World Health Organization has warned. Fifty-seven countries have a serious shortage of health workers, affecting children s jabs, pregnancy care and access to treatment, it said. Thirty-six of these countries a
South African ex-Deputy President Jacob Zuma said he showered after sex with an HIV-positive woman, thinking this would reduce his risk of being infected. This emerged as he was cross-questioned during his trial for rape. He denies rape but admits to consensual sex, and said he was ready to marry his accuser. Remarks a
The Ugandan military has barred soldiers who are HIV positive from some training programmes. Military officials say the decision was taken on humanitarian grounds so that HIV/Aids sufferers did not have to undergo strenuous military training. But the move has been strongly criticised by Aids campaigners, who say it sho
Ex-South African Deputy President Jacob Zuma has denied undermining the fight against Aids by having unprotected sex, as his rape trial continues. The former head of the National Aids Council said the risk of contracting the virus was small for a healthy man. Aids activists condemn his statement. He denies raping a fam
The revelation that former South African Deputy President Jacob Zuma had sex without a condom has prompted outrage from Aids educators and activists. Mr Zuma, 63, is on trial for rape. He denies the charge, but admits having had sex with the woman accusing him. The complainant in the case may not be identified, but is
South African HIV campaign group Treatment Action Campaign says the health minister has excluded it from a United Nations discussion on HIV/Aids. The UN s envoy on Aids in Africa has expressed support for the TAC. South Africa is thought to have between 5m and 6m of people living with HIV - the highest in the world - r
Medical experts in Leicester say treatment using silver could help to prevent MRSA, cystic fibrosis and Aids. Researchers at the University of Leicester are developing pills dubbed silver bullets for potential use by patients. Silver is already used in some household products because it is highly toxic to a wide range
HIV infection rates have fallen by a third in the worst hit regions of south India , research suggests. The joint Indian and Canadian team say the figures show safe sex awareness campaigns can have a dramatic impact. The Lancet study tracked HIV infection rates among young women attending pregnancy clinics, and young m
About 1,800 babies are born with HIV each day because their mothers do not get the drugs they need, the World Health Organization has warned. Under 10% of pregnant women with HIV in developing countries received antiretroviral drugs between 2003 and 2005, a report by the WHO said. It also revealed a total of 1.3 mil
Inmates at a prison in South Africa have begun a mass hunger strike to demand free HIV treatment. Some 242 inmates at Durban s Westville prison began refusing food after months of negotiations with the government. A spokesman for the prisoners, Xolani Ncemu, said the strike was scheduled to last three days but could be
Roman Catholic Church leaders in Burundi have told priests not to conduct wedding ceremonies for people who are HIV positive. Couples in the central African state will have to give an HIV test certificate to the priest. Aids activists said this was discriminatory. Guidelines in a booklet issued by the church authoritie
Ugandan health minister Jim Muhwezi has denied involvement in the misuse of funds allocated to treat HIV and Aids. After two days of testimony before a commission of inquiry, he said he had done nothing wrong and would not take any responsibility for the scandal. He also rejected a call from the judge heading the enqui
Scientists have discovered a previously unknown mechanism that cells use to fight off HIV. Two proteins that normally help repair cellular DNA were found also to destroy DNA made by HIV after it enters a human cell which it requires to survive. It is hoped the breakthrough could lead to treatments to which the virus mi
Millions of children whose mothers live with HIV/Aids are not receiving enough long-term care and support, says a new UK charity report. Up to nine million children in Africa have lost their mothers to HIV/Aids, Save the Children found. The charity called for new efforts to improve care and support for children who los
The number of HIV-positive drug users who inject has reached its highest level for more than a decade. Official data from 2005 shows that one in 62 injecting drug users (1.6%) in England and Wales are HIV-positive. This compares with one in 110 in 2002. Last year the number of HIV diagnoses among injecting drug users r
An employee of South Africa s blood service has been suspended after wrongly telling a student she was HIV positive to see how she would react. She was on her way to class and had her mother s mobile phone, when the man phoned her up. I was utterly shocked and burst into tears, said the student, 19. It was a very cruel
Kenya s Anglican Church has issued a public apology for previously shunning those with HIV/Aids. Our earlier approach in fighting Aids was misplaced, since we likened it to a disease for sinners and a curse from God, said Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi. He was speaking to a group of HIV positive Christian and Muslim clergy
A small group of traditional healers in South Africa are being trained on how to persuade people in the early stages of HIV/Aids to get tested and to take anti-retroviral drugs, in an effort to combat stigma surrounding the virus. Four in five South Africans rely on traditional healers who act as both counsellors and s
A South African court has ordered a German doctor to stop publishing statements critical of the country s leading Aids campaign group. Dr Mattias Rath accused the Treatment Action Campaign of being funded by international drugs firms to help sell their products in South Africa. The Cape Town high court rejected Dr Rath
United Nations chief Kofi Annan has shown his support for French plans for a new tax on airline tickets to boost aid for the world s poor. At the start of a conference in Paris, Mr Annan urged other countries to follow France s example. The tax, due to come into force in France in July, would range from one to 40 euros
American scientists have discovered how a molecule controls HIV s ability to hijack the genetic machinery of human cells. The finding gives experts a new target for blocking the virus, according to the journal Nature Medicine. The molecule, called LEDGF, is a cellular protein that dictates where HIV can integrate into
Dame Elizabeth Taylor is celebrating her 74th birthday with a donation of a mobile Aids medical unit to the people of hurricane-hit New Orleans. The centre is being given to the New Orleans Aids Task Force. The actress has raised millions for Aids charities. The 40-feet vehicle has two exam rooms and X-ray facilities.
Sir Elton John is selling one of his pianos on internet auction site eBay to raise funds for his Aids charity. All proceeds from the sale of the grand piano, which he played during recent live shows and TV appearances, will go to the Elton John Aids Foundation. Sir Elton will also autograph the instrument, which he cal
A man taking legal action over access to HIV treatment has told the BBC he wants to prevent others enduring the hell he has gone through. The man, who wishes to remain anonymous, is seeking a judicial review of government policy on a therapy known as post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). If given soon after exposure to HIV,
Russia has one of the fastest growing Aids epidemics in the world, with 100 new infections every day. Increasingly, women and their infants are being affected. Latest figures show 22,000 babies have been born to HIV-positive women. And many are being abandoned by their mothers into the care of the state. The four
A couple from Worcestershire fear their two-year-old son could have contracted the HIV virus after a used needle was pushed through their letterbox. Pearl and Wayne Reeve, from Elgar Avenue, Malvern, said they have been targeted by drug users for two years. Mrs Reeve is now facing an agonising wait before their son Con
Africa s largest drug company has secured a deal to produce a generic version of a leading HIV treatment for sufferers in developing countries. South Africa s Aspen Pharmacare has reached agreement with US firm Bristol Myers-Squibb to produce and distribute Atazanavir to about 70 countries. The deal will
Sir Elton John has accepted undisclosed libel damages from the Sunday Times over a claim in the newspaper regarding the star s behaviour at a charity ball. The allegations caused him distress and embarrassment , his lawyer said. The paper erroneously repeated an entirely false rumour that he acted in a rude, self-impor
Bollywood and the Roman Catholic Church in India have jointly produced a commercial film highlighting the problem of Aids. The film Aisa Kyon Hota Hai (Why Does This Happen?) with the Bollywood staple of music and dance, is releasing across India on Friday. Father Dominic Emmanuel, who wrote the screenplay, says th
China has announced new rules to control and prevent the spread of Aids. The law, which comes into force on 1 March, will also ban discrimination against Aids sufferers. Local authorities will be responsible for providing free testing, as well as free medication for poor patients and pregnant women who have the disea
Bollywood stars have teamed up with the BBC to spread awareness about HIV-Aids in India . Shilpa Shetty and Viveik Oberoi are among the actors participating in a television show on the disease produced by BBC World Service Trust. India s National Aids Control Organisation and state-run Doordarshan TV are BBC s partners
A chemical has been identified which could halt the progress of HIV, US scientists say. Lab tests of the chemical - CSA-54 - at Vanderbilt University show it disables the virus s ability to infect cells. It was shown to attack HIV in a new way - targeting the membrane of the virus to stop it locking on to cells. UK
No effort has been made to trace thousands of patients who may have contracted hepatitis C or HIV from infected blood, MSPs have heard. Members of Holyrood s health committee were questioning Health Minister Andy Kerr over calls for a public inquiry. Hundreds of Scots received contaminated blood during the 1980s and ea
HIV/Aids is now the biggest cause of death among young black women in America - but too little is being done to combat it, a leading research organisation has said. In states like Alabama and others in the country s Deep South, non-white women make up 13% of the population - but make up nearly 70% of Aids infections.
The rate of new diagnoses of HIV in the UK continued to rise in 2005, early figures suggest. The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has recorded 5,560 new diagnoses for 2005 so far, but expects the figure evenutally to exceed 7,750. The HPA said the rise was mainly due to an increase in new diagnoses among men who have sex
The rock star Bono has launched a new global brand, Product Red, with a share of profits to go to the fight against Aids in Africa. Launch partners American Express, Gap, Converse and Giorgio Armani announced a range of red branded products. These will include T-shirts, footwear, sunglasses and a credit card. The h
The number of people being diagnosed with HIV in Scotland rose to another record high last year. Figures showed that there were 406 new cases recorded during 2005, with more than half of those acquiring their infection within Scotland. It is thought the increase could be partly due to routine HIV testing at sexual heal
China has lowered its estimate of the number of HIV/Aids cases in the country, but health agencies continue to warn of a serious national problem. China now believes it has about 650,000 people living with HIV, according to a joint statement by the health ministry, World Health Organization and UNA
The 3D structure of the virus which causes Aids has been revealed for the first time, scientists say. The variable size and shape of HIV has made it hard to map, the team said in the journal Structure. So the UK-German team took hundreds of images of viruses, that are 60 times smaller than red blood cells, and used a c
A major international study of a new way of treating HIV has been stopped because researchers found it was doubling the risk of illness or death. More than 5,000 people in 33 countries were given anti-retroviral drugs only when their immune systems weakened. But they were twice as likely to die or suffer illness as pat
A choir made up of children orphaned by Aids in Uganda arrives in Sheffield on Sunday as part of a world tour. The Watoto Children s Choir from Kampala are among the 880,000 children in Uganda who have lost one or both of their parents to Aids. They will perform a blend of native African rhythms, contemporary gospel mu
Sex workers who perform internal vaginal washing are three times more likely to get HIV than those who do not, a 10-year study in Kenya suggests. And those who used detergents were at four times the risk, the University of Washington team reported. The report, published in the Aids journal, suggested vigorous internal
The UK Government has admitted that nearly all its files on the infection of patients through NHS blood products have been destroyed. Hundreds of haemophiliacs and other patients were infected with hepatitis C or HIV in the 1980s and early 1990s. The government denied campaigners claims of a cover-up and said it was a
A foundation run by former US President Bill Clinton has negotiated a deal that will cut the cost of HIV tests and Aids treatment in developing countries. Mr Clinton said hundreds of thousands of lives could be saved as a result of the agreement with several drugs firms, which he said was only a first step . Under the
Bird flu may be the new potential threat to world commerce but another illness has long been attempting to erode economic and human health. An increasing number of business leaders now believe HIV/Aids will have a growing impact on their operations over the next five years. A new report by global thinktank, the World E
India s laws on homosexuality threaten human rights and encourage the spread of HIV, a leading rights watchdog has told the prime minister in a letter. Human Rights Watch wrote to Manmohan Singh after police in the northern city of Lucknow allegedly carried out a sting operation on gay men. It accused the police of sh
A Zambian woman with HIV, who features in a new photography book and exhibition on the pandemic in Africa, tells the BBC News website about her struggle to teach others about the disease. When Elizabeth Chama Senkwe went public with her HIV diagnosis, she and her husband became front page news. The headline in the Zamb
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