2005

TAJIKISTAN: Interview with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 29, 2005; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DUSHANBE, 29 Dec 2005 (IRIN) - The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria was created to finance a dramatic turnaround in the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. These diseases kill over 6 million people each year, and th
SIERRA LEONE: First post-war countrywide survey shows 1.5 percent HIV prevalence: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 20, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] FREETOWN, 20 December (PLUSNEWS) - The first countrywide HIV/AIDS survey carried out in Sierra Leone since the end of its 11-year war shows a relatively low prevalence rate of 1.5 percent, according to the head of the National AIDS Secretariat,
SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE: First HIV tests on remote Principe island: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 20, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 20 December (PLUSNEWS) - The 5,000 inhabitants of the West African island of Principe were given their first opportunity to take HIV tests on Thursday. According to the Kaiser Network news service, a team from the international med
Senegal: Bringing Condoms Out of the Closet: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 20, 2005; Dakar - Adriana Bertini is a woman with a mission. She intends to turn condoms, which she considers the best form of protection against AIDS, into an everyday object that both men and women use as naturally as a piece of clothing. At the hands of this Brazilian artist, thousands of condoms come together to form a sumpt
Namibia: Ovc Population to Double in 15 Years: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 19, 2005; Windhoek - The number of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in Namibia is expected to double over the next 15 years, a new UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) survey has warned. AIDS, food insecurity and a weak social support network pose a triple threat that is expected to push the number of OVC aged under 15 from 120,000
SOUTH AFRICA: Global Fund withdraws support for loveLife: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 19, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 19 December (PLUSNEWS) - The Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has pulled the plug on financing loveLife, a controversial South African youth-targeted HIV/AIDS campaign. In a statement the Global Fund board sa
AFRICA: TRIPS amendment draws reaction from AIDS groups: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 16, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 16 December (PLUSNEWS) - A decision by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to amend a Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement, drew criticism from AIDS activists on Friday. According to the Global Net
UGANDA: AIDS rate stagnates, but more work needed - Govt: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 16, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 16 December (PLUSNEWS) - Uganda s HIV/AIDS prevalence rate has stagnated at about 6.5 percent over the last three years, up from the usual 6 percent, according to the country s AIDS Indicator Survey for this year. Although the find
AFRICA: Children suffer despite growing humanitarian efforts - UNICEF: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 15, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 15 December (PLUSNEWS) - Most of the world s children are falling through the cracks in schooling and healthcare programmes, even as global efforts became more focused on improving their lives, the UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) said
ANGOLA: Swedish/UNICEF anti-AIDS agreement signed: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 15, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 15 December (PLUSNEWS) - Sweden and the UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) this week agreed on a US $4.3 million initiative aimed at boosting Angola s national strategy against HIV/AIDS. Speaking during the signing of the agreement in the
AFRICA: Greater AIDS action from MENA countries urged: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 15, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 15 December (PLUSNEWS) - Middle East and North African (MENA) countries have an unprecedented opportunity to help the international community in securing resources for efforts against HIV/AIDS, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said
AFRICA: New drugs urgently needed: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 14, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ABUJA, 14 December (PLUSNEWS) - The lack of newer AIDS drugs in Africa could jeopardise the lives of people already receiving the treatment, medical humanitarian organisation Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has warned. With many countries on the
MOZAMBIQUE: Joint anti-AIDS initiative targets police: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 14, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 14 December (PLUSNEWS) - Mozambique on Tuesday formalised a cooperation agreement with Population Services International (PSI) to address the impact of HIV/AIDS on its police force. According to the official news agency, AIM, about
AFRICA: UK critical of costly new AIDS drugs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 14, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 14 December (PLUSNEWS) - The UK has for the first time reacted to the high cost and poor availability of newer antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) in developing nations. British Minister for International Policy on HIV/AIDS, Gareth Thomas,
PAKISTAN: UNODC to launch HIV/AIDS prevention programme in prisons: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 13, 2005; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ISLAMABAD, 13 Dec 2005 (IRIN/PLUSNEWS) - The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is preparing to launch a drug abuse and HIV/AIDS prevention programme in Pakistani prisons by early 2006. Through this pilot project, UNODC intends to
KENYA: Support of children urged in AIDS fight: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 13, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 13 December (PLUSNEWS) - Kenyan First Lady Lucy Kibaki has called for the greater involvement of adults in protecting African children from the impact of HIV/AIDS and sexual violence. Speaking during the launch of the Kenya chapter
AFRICA: IDUs sidelined in AIDS treatment: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 13, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 13 December (PLUSNEWS) - Not enough injecting drug users (IDUs) are accessing antiretroviral drugs (ARVs), two international AIDS NGOs said on Monday. Releasing their Joint Position Paper on Injecting Drug Users and Access to HIV T
AFRICA: AIDS fight must target families - UNICEF: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 12, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 12 December (PLUSNEWS) - Africa s HIV/AIDS strategies should place more emphasis on the needs of families, a senior UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) official has said. Speaking at the recently ended conference on AIDS and sexually trans
AFRICA: AIDS spending on the rise - World Bank: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 12, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 12 December (PLUSNEWS) - Resources to tackle global HIV/AIDS have increased over recent years, from US $300 million in 1996 to $8 billion this year, according to a new World Bank report released during last week s international AID
AFRICA: Effective AIDS response needs more than abstinence: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 9, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ABUJA, 9 December (PLUSNEWS) - Globally the United States might be spending more money than ever before on HIV/AIDS, but their prevention policies are having a disastrous effect on existing efforts, activists warned at the International Conferen
ZIMBABWE: Prevention campaigns successful as HIV rate drops: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 8, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 8 December (PLUSNEWS) - Zimbabwe has become the first southern African country to register a decline in HIV prevalence, according to the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS ( UNAIDS ). A review of recent epidemiolog
AFRICA: Gays call on govts not to ignore them: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 8, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ABUJA, 8 December (PLUSNEWS) - Gay activists at an international conference on AIDS in Africa have called on governments to acknowledge the existence and specific needs of the gay community in the fight against HIV/AIDS. According to all the sur
AFRICA: AIDS strategies must be revisited - UNAIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 8, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 8 December (PLUSNEWS) - It is time to rethink the strategies used in the global fight against HIV/AIDS, a senior UNAIDS official said on Thursday. Speaking at the ongoing International Conference on AIDS in Africa, UNAIDS Regional
AFRICA: MSF highlights dangers of paid AIDS care: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 8, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 8 December (PLUSNEWS) - People who pay for anti-AIDS care are at increased risk of treatment failure, the international medical NGO, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), said at the International Conference on AIDS and Sexually transmit
LEBANON: Homosexuals still facing discrimination: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 7, 2005; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] BEIRUT, 7 Dec 2005 (IRIN) - With his hair band, groomed eyebrows and designer bag, Wisam nurtures a distinctively effeminate look. When the 30-year-old filmmaker crossed Sassine Square in East Beirut last April, four young men beat him up becau
NIGERIA: Funding agencies demand greater accountability: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 7, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ABUJA, 7 December (PLUSNEWS) - Amid fears of dwindling HIV/AIDS funding, donor agencies have called for increased accountability and transparency by African governments in the fight against the pandemic. The effective implementation of existing
SUDAN: Campaign to educate children on AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 7, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 7 December (PLUSNEWS) - The Sudanese National AIDS Control Programme (SNAP) and UN agencies have launched a campaign focusing on the impact of the disease on children. As many as 300,000 people aged under 25 are living with the HI
NIGERIA: Global Fund grant threatened: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 6, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ABUJA, 6 December (PLUSNEWS) - Anxiety is mounting in Nigeria s HIV/AIDS community amid reports that the Global Fund secretariat has recommended to its board not to extend funding of Nigeria s grant into phase II. Nigeria s Treatment Action Move
NIGERIA: MSF research highlights treatment threat: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 6, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ABUJA, 6 December (PLUSNEWS) - The lack of free AIDS treatment in Nigeria is increasing the risk of treatment failure, according to new research by the medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF). The research done in Nigeria s economic capi
SENEGAL: Students increasingly a target of HIV-prevention campaigns: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 6, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DAKAR, 6 December (PLUSNEWS) - Ibrahim Thioye was confident as he stood in line last week to be tested for HIV. No fear or apprehension whatsoever, the university law student said as he queued with scores of fellow scholars to get tested in resp
AFRICA: Private sector makes AIDS its business: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 6, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ABUJA, 6 December (PLUSNEWS) - After years of failing to mount an adequate response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, African businesses are finally getting their house in order. The Pan African Business Coalition (PABC) was launched on Monday during th
AFRICA: Interview with Dr Jim Yong Kim, WHO HIV/AIDS director: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 6, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ABUJA, 6 December (PLUSNEWS) - The World Health Organization (WHO) is going to fall short of its ambitious 3 by 5 target - three million people in the developing world on AIDS treatment by 2005. But rather than failure, WHO s HIV/AIDS director D
SWAZILAND: HIV positive Swazis take govt to task over ARV supply: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 6, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MBABANE, 6 December (PLUSNEWS) - A group of HIV positive Swazis is considering taking the government to court for an alleged erratic supply of antiretrovirals (ARVs), but officials insist that the lack of drugs is a matter of perception, rather
TANZANIA: Clinical trials on HIV/AIDS vaccine to start in March 2006: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 5, 2005; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DAR ES SALAAM, 5 Dec 2005 (IRIN/PLUSNEWS) - Tanzania will start clinical trials of an HIV/AIDS vaccine in March 2006, the head of a local university announced in Dar es Salaam on Saturday. This is taking place after successful trials were done
AFRICA: Kids forgotten in AIDS treatment: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 5, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ABUJA, 5 December (PLUSNEWS) - As countries roll out anti-AIDS drugs to a growing number of people living with HIV/AIDS, the percentage of HIV-positive children on treatment remains disturbingly low. In a satellite meeting on Sunday ahead of the
AFRICA: Anxiety as MSF plans treatment pullout: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 5, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ABUJA, 5 December (PLUSNEWS) - Five years ago, medical humanitarian agency Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) began providing people with anti-AIDS drugs when full-scale treatment in Africa was still a distant reality. But now, with over 45,000 peop
KENYA: Fish trade aiding the spread of HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 5, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] BONDO, 5 December (PLUSNEWS) - Isaya Onyango, a 47-year-old fisherman, lives in Liunda village near the shores of Lake Victoria in western Kenya . He spends most of his nights in a dugout canoe, fishing the lake. His wife and children, who he vi
KENYA: HIV/AIDS a major health issue in western province: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 5, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] NAIROBI, 5 December (PLUSNEWS) - HIV/AIDS remains a major health concern in Kenya despite the fact that a recent study showed a drop in the national prevalence rate. According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (
AFRICA: Concrete action needed from ICASA - Soyinka: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 5, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ABUJA, 5 December (PLUSNEWS) - The week-long International Conference on HIV/AIDS and STI s in Africa (ICASA), which began on Sunday in Abuja, Nigeria , must deliver concrete steps for curbing the spread of the virus, said conference president P
SENEGAL: First Lady launches new HIV-AIDS awareness campaign: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 5, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DAKAR, 5 December (PLUSNEWS) - With condom use losing favour among young people, Senegal s first lady Viviane Wade has launched a six-month HIV-AIDS awareness campaign targeted at the country s youth. Kicking off the six-month campaign on World
JORDAN: Teenagers given airtime to speak out on AIDS and violence: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 4, 2005; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] AMMAN, 4 Dec 2005 (IRIN/PLUSNEWS) - Jordanian adolescents have been given the chance to speak on local and satellite television channels about critical issues, related to World AIDS Day and ahead of International Children s Day of Broadcasting.
SOMALIA: Somalis urged to avert HIV/AIDS epidemic: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 2, 2005; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] NAIROBI, 2 Dec 2005 (IRIN/PLUSNEWS) - Somalia has an opportunity to become one of the few countries in sub-Saharan Africa to avert an HIV/AIDS epidemic of major proportions, UN agencies said. The latest prevalence survey for Somalia indicated a
UZBEKISTAN: Campaign to halt the rapid spread of HIV/AIDS begins: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 1, 2005; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] TASHKENT, 1 Dec 2005 (IRIN/PLUSNEWS) - When Dilnara tested HIV positive she was told by the doctor not to mix with normal people . With little access to information or counselling, she believed the doctor and stayed at home for a year, frighten
TANZANIA: Mkapa bows out with impassioned plea over HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 1, 2005; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DAR ES SALAAM, 1 Dec 2005 (IRIN/PLUSNEWS) - In a speech to Tanzanians broadcast live nationwide on radio and television on Wednesday, President Benjamin Mkapa bid the country farewell with a plea to all citizens to establish their HIV status, s
YEMEN: Stigma, ignorance hampering fight against HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 1, 2005; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] SANA, 1 Dec 2005 (IRIN/PLUSNEWS) - Ali (not his real name) is living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. He says that, from the day he was diagnosed, he has been an outcast, a pariah with whom few want to associate. Society in
GHANA: Tomorrow's football stars line up for today's AIDS fight: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 1, 2005; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] FETTEH, 1 Dec 2005 (IRIN/PLUSNEWS) - Ghana s soccer team have qualified for the World Cup for the very first time, and it is not only the fans that are cheering. So too are health campaigners, who hope that football fever might boost the fight
SOUTH AFRICA: Anglican Church joins HIV testing campaigns: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 1, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 1 December (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s Anglican Diocese of Johannesburg and New Start HIV counselling and testing centres have signed an agreement ahead of World AIDS Day on 1 December to provide voluntary counselling and testing s
AFRICA: Carryover tsunami funds could go to AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 1, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 1 December (PLUSNEWS) - Money left over from last year s tsunami disaster could be directed toward African health programmes that include HIV/AIDS, former US President Bill Clinton has said. However, Clinton noted that a great deal
AFRICA: AIDS hampers schooling for world's girls - UNICEF: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 1, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 1 December (PLUSNEWS) - Some 90 million girls - compared with 25 million boys worldwide - lack primary school education, due to factors including HIV/AIDS, early marriage and teen pregnancy, the UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) has said
AFRICA: Strengthened health systems needed for AIDS - AMREF: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 1, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 1 December (PLUSNEWS) - The international NGO Africa Medical and Relief Foundation (AMREF), this week called for strengthened health care systems, including more health workers, to improve HIV prevention, care and treatment in Afri
SOUTH AFRICA: National survey finds young women most at risk of HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 1, 2005; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Over one in 10 South Africans are living with HIV, with young African women in informal settlements being at highest risk of HIV infection, a new study has found. The survey was commissioned by the Nelson Mandela Foundation and conducted by South Africa s Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC)
COTE D IVOIRE: Ingenuity and cooperation keys to fighting AIDS in a conflict zone: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 30, 2005; ABIDJAN/BOUAKE (PLUSNEWS) - A little shrewdness and savoir-faire go a long way when waging a prevention campaign during a military conflict, according to those involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Cote d Ivoire . In order to flood the war zone with condoms, we have to work together, explained Moussa Keita who wor
ANGOLA: Racing against time to prevent HIV/AIDS rate from rising: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 30, 2005; LUANDA (PLUSNEWS) - Condoms are embarrassing to buy, they spoil sex, and if your partner insists on using one then they obviously don t trust you. It s a familiar refrain the world over, but in Angola , where hammering home the safer sex message is vital if the country is to avert a widespread HIV/AIDS pandemic, making
SOUTHERN AFRICA: A new look at tailoring prevention messages: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 30, 2005; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Conspicuous success has not accompanied the many southern African campaigns to prevent the spread of HIV. In Botswana and Swaziland the United Nations estimates that around 30 percent of adults are infected with HIV, while in four other countries - South Afric
BOTSWANA: Young women choose single motherhood: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 30, 2005; GABORONE (PLUSNEWS) - Last year, 27-year old Tshepiso Modikwa stopped using a condom with her boyfriend of eight months. I wanted a baby so badly, I didn t think right. I got a baby, and the virus - I messed up my life. The stylishly dressed receptionist noted that although she had tested negative for HIV before she st
WEST AFRICA: When religious leaders talk about AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 30, 2005; DAKAR (PLUSNEWS) - West Africa s religious leaders are becoming more willing to discuss HIV/AIDS with their followers. But what happens when such discussions threaten people s moral values? Many religious leaders have long associated AIDS with sin and divine retribution and have tended to shy away from the subject, but
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Condoms get a bad rap: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 30, 2005; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - As we enter the third decade of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, prevention efforts have yet to come to grips with a deep-seated antipathy to condoms, particularly in southern Africa, the region worst affected by the crisis. Much has been said and written about the myths and misconceptions inhibiting co
SOUTH AFRICA: Trust, Lust and Latex: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 30, 2005; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Sexual relationships are complicated enough as it is, and become even more so when a piece of latex is added to the equation, but when love appears things tend to become even more difficult. Just ask a group of 15 young professional women gathered at a party in a stylishly decorated lounge in
AFRICA: An expanding range of ways to outwit the virus: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 30, 2005; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - From diaphragms to vaccines, technologies old and new are being used against the HIV epidemic, in the hope that science will succeed where attempts to alter human behaviour have not done as well as anticipated. MALE CIRCUMCISION An old, if controversial, custom showing signs of effectiveness a
BURUNDI: AIDS groups have soldiers in their sights: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 30, 2005; ABIDJAN/BUJUMBURA (PLUSNEWS) - In the conflict and post-conflict zones of West and Central Africa, AIDS prevention campaigns are taking aim at soldiers, but hitting the bull s-eye can be a real challenge. We have to replace the dead! said Ivorian soldiers, who have been largely responsible for the explosion in the numb
NIGERIA: Sexual desire key to prevention campaigns: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 30, 2005; LAGOS (PLUSNEWS) - Is it possible to use a condom and still maintain sexual desire and pleasure? According to a prominent activist, as long as this question goes unanswered, Nigeria s prevention campaigns have little chance of slowing the spread of AIDS. Rolake Odetoyinbo, project director of Positive Action for Treatm
AFRICA: Lewis warns of new year AIDS escalation: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 29, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 29 November (PLUSNEWS) - Africa s HIV/AIDS pandemic could worsen in 2006 if developed nations do not deliver on their financial pledges, Stephen Lewis, the UN special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, warned on Monday. Speaking at the
LESOTHO: Govt to announce universal HIV testing plan: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 29, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 29 November (PLUSNEWS) - In what is considered a groundbreaking move for African healthcare, Lesotho is to become the first African country to offer HIV tests to its entire population, British newspaper, The Times, reported on Mond
AFRICA: WHO regrets missing 3 million ARV treatment plan: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 29, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 29 November (PLUSNEWS) - The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Monday apologised for failure to meet its 3 by 5 initiative, which aimed to have three million HIV-positive people in developing countries access antiretrovirals by th
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS activists take government to court again: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 29, 2005; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - South African AIDS lobby group Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) and local doctors are taking legal action to force Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang to close down the operations of vitamins entrepreneur Dr Matthias Rath. TAC said in a statement on Tuesday that it had filed court papers a
MALAWI: Project aims to put the brakes on spread of HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 29, 2005; LILONGWE, 29 November (PLUSNEWS) - In an effort to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS among truck drivers and sex workers, the World Food Programme (WFP) and TNT, a Netherlands based logistics company, have set up a counselling and treatment centre at Malawi s border with Mozambique . The Welln
Rwanda: Government Receives New Funding for HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 29, 2005; KIGALI - The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, an international health financing body, agreed on Monday to give Rwanda the first portion of a US $33-million grant to support programmes aimed at combating HIV/AIDS. The grant will support improved accessibility to health care and strengthened quality o
AFRICA: Beyond ABC - The challenge of prevention: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 28, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 28 November (PLUSNEWS) - OVERVIEW In theory, preventing HIV/AIDS seems simple enough: give people information on how the disease is spread, and the desire for self-preservation will, naturally, make them adopt safer sexual behaviou
MOZAMBIQUE: Govt urges anti-AIDS/food security action: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 28, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 28 November (PLUSNEWS) - A senior Mozambican official has called for intensified measures to tackle food insecurity, HIV/AIDS and poverty in southern Africa. Speaking at the closing session of a seminar on Food and Nutritional Secu
UGANDA: Paediatric AIDS numbers concern UNICEF: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 28, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 28 November (PLUSNEWS) - At least 40 children in Uganda are infected with HIV every day, while one child dies of an AIDS-related illness every hour, Martin Mogwanja, the Resident Representative of the UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) ha
SOUTH AFRICA: Virginity testing ban draws criticism: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 28, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 28 November (PLUSNEWS) - The Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (CONTRALESA) on Saturday slammed a recent attempt by government to ban virginity testing, claiming the practice could help tackle HIV/AIDS in the hard-hit
MALAWI: Business gears up against AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 28, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 28 November (PLUSNEWS) - Local and international businesses in Malawi are taking up the baton in the country s struggle against HIV/AIDS by providing free treatment to their employees and tackling stigma. A coalition of 15 comp
AFRICA: ICASA to highlight responsible AIDS spending: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 28, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 28 November (PLUSNEWS) - African leaders are to account for their management of anti-AIDS funds during the upcoming 14th International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA) in the Nigerian capital Abuja, conference organise
CENTRAL ASIA: Weekly news wrap: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 25, 2005; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ANKARA, 25 Nov 2005 (IRIN) - This week in Central Asia, five months after the Uzbek government ordered a US air base in the south of the country to close down, US troops left the military facility, which had been an important staging point for
NAMIBIA: Frank parent/child sex talk urged: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 25, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 25 November (PLUSNEWS) - Namibian Parliamentarians have called on parents to challenge tradition by engaging in frank sex talk with their children. During an informal meeting held earlier this week, Minister of Education Nangolo Mb
SOUTH AFRICA: Child AIDS activist receives posthumous award: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 25, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 25 November (PLUSNEWS) - South African child AIDS activist Nkosi Johnson, was on Thursday honoured with a posthumous international children s peace prize by the KidsRights Foundation, a children s rights advocacy group, in Rome,
AFRICA: Italy pledges more AIDS millions: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 25, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 25 November (PLUSNEWS) - Italy on Thursday earmarked a further US $153 million to help fight AIDS around the world, a key member of the country s Foreign Affairs Committee announced on Thursday. Addressing a conference discussi
SENEGAL: Villages vow to stop cutting girls: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 24, 2005; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] SEDO ABASS, 24 Nov 2005 (IRIN/PLUSNEWS) - It takes at least two people to circumcise a girl, one to hold her legs and the other her arms, said Ourey Sall, who for years performed the procedure. Afterwards, we apply a mixture of goat droppings a
AFRICA: Photos used to tell HIV/AIDS stories: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 24, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 24 November (PLUSNEWS) - The World Health Organisation (WHO), together with NGOs, the International HIV/AIDS Alliance and Christian Aid, have launched an online photo essay showing some of the real faces of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
AFRICA: AIDS/poverty tax plan gets no support: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 24, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 24 November (PLUSNEWS) - Travellers flying from France will pay a tax of up to US $52 from next July in a scheme to help the poorest nations tackle HIV/AIDS and poverty, French President Chirac decided on Tuesday. According to
SOUTH AFRICA: COSATU puts pressure on govt: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 24, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 24 November (PLUSNEWS) - The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), on Wednesday vowed to add its muscle to the fight against HIV/AIDS by joining AIDS lobby group the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC). The HIV epidemic has
TAJIKISTAN: Rate of HIV/AIDS infection up by 20 percent: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 23, 2005; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DUSHANBE, 23 Nov 2005 (IRIN/PLUSNEWS) - The number of people living with HIV/AIDS in Tajikistan rose by 20.5 percent over the nine months to September 2005 compared to the same period last year, the head of the Republican AIDS Centre, Azamjon M
ZAMBIA: High AIDS rates stable, need more work - UN official: Integrated Regional Information Networks News - November 23, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 23 November (PLUSNEWS) - Zambia s HIV/AIDS rates are high but stable, due to remedial measures put in place by the government, UNAIDS country coordinator, Catherine Sozi, said earlier this week. Addressing the media in the capi
AFRICA: Global ARV needs far short of targets - Feachem: Integrated Regional Information Networks News - November 23, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 23 November (PLUSNEWS) - The world s need for antiretroviral drug (ARV) access is far from met due to funding shortfalls, Richard Feachem, executive director of the Global Fund, has said following the release of a
SOUTH AFRICA: Sport personalities' AIDS efforts "impressive" - Govt: Integrated Regional Information Networks News - November 23, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 23 November (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s government has said it is impressed by the efforts of local sport personalities who have used their celebrity status to fight against HIV/AIDS. Launching the fourth annual Sports Heroes Walk
PAKISTAN: HIV/AIDS set to spread warns UNAIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks News - November 22, 2005; ISLAMABAD, 22 Nov 2005 (IRIN/PLUSNEWS) - Pakistan could see the rapid spread of HIV/AIDS among the general population due to a combination of high-risk behaviour and limited knowledge, warns the latest report from the UN joint programme on HIV/AIDS ( UNAIDS ). The UNAIDS policy position report entitled, Inten
WEST AFRICA: Even low HIV rate countries in need of attention: Integrated Regional Information Networks News - November 22, 2005; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DAKAR, 22 Nov 2005 (IRIN/PLUSNEWS) - As the UN launched its annual report on global AIDS statistics on Monday, activists warned that West African countries with low HIV/AIDS rates could not afford to be complacent. We must not wait for the AIDS
SOUTH AFRICA: Health Minister in possible AIDS treatment legal bind: Integrated Regional Information Networks News - November 22, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 22 November (PLUSNEWS) - South African Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang is in danger of placing herself in contempt of court for failing to provide HIV-positive pregnant women with anti-AIDS treatment, the opposition Democr
SOUTH AFRICA: Only 15 percent of HIV-positive receiving ARVs: Integrated Regional Information Networks News - November 22, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 22 November (PLUSNEWS) - A joint UNAIDS and World Health Organisation report revealed on Monday that South Africa s anti-AIDS drug rollout plan was not reaching its intended target. According to AIDS Epidemic Update 2005 , just 85
AFRICA: HIV prevention working in some countries but big picture bleak: Integrated Regional Information Networks News - November 21, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 21 November (PLUSNEWS) - Despite new evidence suggesting that prevention efforts are having a positive effect in a small but growing group of countries, the big picture remains bleak, a joint UNAIDS and World Health Organisatio
SWAZILAND: Relief for the elderly as pensions go up: Integrated Regional Information Networks News - November 21, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MBABANE, 21 November (PLUSNEWS) - Gogo ( Granny ) Mkwanaze, 72, knows what she is going to do with the extra money she will be getting when government revamps its pension system for the elderly. My grandchildren need shoes and new school uniform
SWAZILAND: Hospitals run out of ARVs: Integrated Regional Information Networks News - November 18, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MBABANE, 18 November (PLUSNEWS) - Swaziland is facing a serious breakdown in the supply of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs for patients with HIV, and some hospitals acknowledge that stocks ran out weeks ago. Sporadic ARV shortages have been repor
MOZAMBIQUE: New campaign brings hope of a better future to OVC: Integrated Regional Information Networks News - November 18, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MAPUTO, 18 November (PLUSNEWS) - Now that the hype surrounding this month s launch of a global campaign on HIV/AIDS and children by the UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) and UNAIDS has subsided, Mozambique has started impleme
GHANA: World Bank AIDS millions approved: Integrated Regional Information Networks News - November 18, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 18 November (PLUSNEWS) - Ghana has secured a US $20 million anti-AIDS loan from the International Development Association (IDA), a division of the World Bank that provides interest-free loans to impoverished countries. Bank off
AFRICA: Expert highlights bird flu/AIDS danger: Integrated Regional Information Networks News - November 18, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 18 November (PLUSNEWS) - A US-based flu expert has expressed concern that bird flu could become pandemic if it reached HIV-positive people, especially in Africa. Although the H5N1 avian flu virus could not pass easily between human
AFRICA: Malaria could fuels MTCT - study: Integrated Regional Information Networks News - November 18, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 18 November (PLUSNEWS) - Malaria plays a key role in the mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV during pregnancy, researchers said in Cameroon on Thursday. A study presented during the Pan-African Malaria Conference in the capi
NIGERIA: Poor money management could endanger AIDS grants: Integrated Regional Information Networks News - November 18, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 18 November (PLUSNEWS) - The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria says Nigeria may be risking the loss of millions of dollars in HIV/AIDS funding due to a lack of transparency and the failure of authorities to meet t
AFRICA: Unskilled staff recommended for AIDS fight: Integrated Regional Information Networks News - November 17, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 17 November (PLUSNEWS) - African countries facing medical staff shortages due to a brain drain of skilled workers to the West have been urged to consider alternatives in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Professor Michael Bennish, direct
UGANDA: Condom reluctance despite ABC strategy - study: Integrated Regional Information Networks News - November 17, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 17 November (PLUSNEWS) - Sexually active men in central Uganda are not using condoms, despite the government s anti-AIDS model of Abstinence, Be faithful and Condom-use (ABC). According to a joint survey in 2004 by the national AID
SOUTH AFRICA: North West ARV progress amid staff shortages: Integrated Regional Information Networks News - November 17, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 17 November (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s North West province has expressed satisfaction with its implementation of the Comprehensive Plan for the Management, Care and Treatment of HIV and AIDS, despite a shortage of doctors in rural
SOUTH AFRICA: Experts doubtful over Briton's AIDS claim: Integrated Regional Information Networks News - November 17, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 17 November (PLUSNEWS) - South African AIDS experts have expressed scepticism over a UK man s claim that he has been cured of HIV/AIDS. Andrew Stimpson, who tested positive for HIV in 2002, told the BBC that when he was tested agai
SOUTH AFRICA: Malaria warning issued for HIV-positive people: Integrated Regional Information Networks News - November 17, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 17 November (PLUSNEWS) - With the festive season approaching, HIV-positive South African travellers were this week alerted to the dangers of contracting malaria. Dr Andrew Jamieson of SAA-Netcare, the nation s leading travel advise
AFRICA: Rising AIDS rates in MENA brought to the fore: Integrated Regional Information Networks News - November 15, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 15 November (PLUSNEWS) - UNAIDS has highlighted the cause of rising HIV/AIDS infection rates in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. In a new report on the development of the pandemic in MENA countries, presented in Algi
ZIMBABWE: AIDS orphans and vulnerable children bear the brunt of collapsing economy: Integrated Regional Information Networks News - November 15, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] KWEKWE, 15 November (PLUSNEWS) - She s a sex worker, but not many passers-by would suspect that the slight figure standing in a narrow street opposite a nightclub in Zimbabwe s gold mining town of Kwekwe is also a university student. Tracy Bunjw
SWAZILAND: Country's first urban OVC care centre rising to the needs: Integrated Regional Information Networks News - November 15, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MANZINI, 15 November (PLUSNEWS) - Gigi s Place is an unlikely name for Swaziland s first urban community care centre for orphans and vulnerable children, but it has put down roots in the gritty community it serves and celebrated its second anniv
SOUTH AFRICA: IAVI announces vaccine safety trials: Integrated Regional Information Networks News - November 15, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 15 November (PLUSNEWS) - The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) has announced the start of a South African trial to test the safety of a vaccine for HIV subtype-C, which is most prevalent in southern and eastern Africa.
EGYPT: Rights of HIV-positive people under review: Integrated Regional Information Networks News - November 15, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 15 November (PLUSNEWS) - A UN-sponsored meeting in Egypt has brought together experts from 14 Arab countries to review laws affecting the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS. According to UN officials, although AIDS was a bigger
SOUTH AFRICA: Catholic Bishop calls for new AIDS theology: Integrated Regional Information Networks News - November 14, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 14 November (PLUSNEWS) - A South African Catholic cleric who supports the use of condoms against HIV/AIDS, contrary to the church s stance on the prophylactics, has called for a new theology for the pandemic. Bishop Kevin Dowling t
UGANDA: AIDS programme for insurgency victims in north: Integrated Regional Information Networks News - November 14, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 14 November (PLUSNEWS) - Some 200,000 youth are to benefit from a new initiative aimed at tackling HIV/AIDS and early pregnancy in conflict-scarred northern Uganda . The US $109,000 project, the result of a partnership between the
UGANDA: Global fund lifts ban on AIDS grants: Integrated Regional Information Networks News - November 11, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] KAMPALA, 11 November (PLUSNEWS) - Uganda on Friday welcomed the release of a grant package worth US $367 million from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which the organisation suspended last August amid allegations of misma
AFRICA: Looming AZT shortage could cut availability of anti-AIDS drugs: Integrated Regional Information Networks News - November 11, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 11 November (PLUSNEWS) - Despite a surge in demand for the anti-AIDS drug AZT , pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is not increasing production, according to the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF).
Namibia: UN Country Office Supports Bid for 'LDC-Like' Status: Integrated Regional Information Networks News - November 10, 2005; The UN office in Namibia has lent its weight to the country s plea for recognition as a Least Developed Country (LDC), in a bid to unlock additional foreign assistance. We are supporting the country s appeal to be given a LDC-like status, as the country s current annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita is more t
BOTSWANA: Baby steps in bringing down teen pregnancy: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 10, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] GABORONE, 10 November (PLUSNEWS) - In the last two weeks, Kebogo Kesenye, a social worker at a community clinic in Bontleng, a poor township in Gaborone, Botswana s capital, has seen and counselled three pregnant teenagers. All were pregnant by
KENYA: Doctors call for better monitoring of patients on ART: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 10, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 10 November (PLUSNEWS) - Health officials have called for anti-AIDS drugs to be properly prescribed, to avoid an increase in side effects and adverse reactions. Dr Surendra Patel of MP Shah Hospital in Nairobi says the benefits der
NAMIBIA: Government urged to decriminalise sex work: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 10, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 10 November (PLUSNEWS) - An appeal by a public interest law group has Namibia considering the decriminalisation of sex work. Dianne Hubbard, co-ordinator of the Gender Research and Advocacy Project, run by the Legal Assistance Cent
SWAZILAND: New law says death to child rapists in fight against AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 9, 2005; MBABANE - In response to growing alarm over Swaziland s HIV infection rate, a draft law proposing the death penalty for child rape and the intentional transmission of the virus was released this week. Any person who is convicted of rape under this bill is liable to the death penalty if the victim is below the age of 14
NIGERIA: UNICEF highlights impact of AIDS on kids: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 9, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG - Nigerian children are paying a high price for HIV/AIDS, the UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) warned on Tuesday during the launch of a global campaign aimed at addressing the issue. According to UNICEF officials, AIDS claimed the life o
NIGERIA: Plea not to pull plug on HIV/AIDS funding: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 9, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG - Nigerian HIV/AIDS stakeholders have petitioned the Global Fund to ensure funding continuity despite complaints about financial mismanagement by implementing organisations. Nigeria has the third largest burden of HIV after
SOUTH AFRICA: Sex survey results shocking but realistic: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 9, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG - Sixty-four percent of South Africans have had unprotected sex without knowing their partner s sexual history, according to a recent global sex survey by condoms manufacturer Durex. The survey also found that 19 percent are scared
ZIMBABWE: Sacred HIV/AIDS policy launched: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 8, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 8 November (PLUSNEWS) - Churches throughout Zimbabwe recently launched a comprehensive policy to address HIV/AIDS, based on Christian principles. Speaking at the launch, Bishop Trevor Manhanga, president of the Heads of Christian D
UGANDA: US funds anti-AIDS kits: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 8, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 8 November (PLUSNEWS) - The US government will provide care packages to help 200,000 HIV-positive people avoid opportunistic infections and live longer. The kits will be distributed by a Uganda-based care and support organisations
Zambia: Hungry Villagers Forced to Compete With Wild Animals for Food: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 8, 2005; Late into Zambia s long, dry season, the Victoria Falls are not at their most spectacular. Undeterred, bus loads of tourists still stop here daily to view the torrent. Most are unaware that a scarcity of water in the surrounding area has driven many rural communities to the brink of starvation. Poor rains early in the
AFRICA: Are oral HIV testing kits suitable for home use?: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 7, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 7 November (PLUSNEWS) - A move by medical diagnostics company OraSure to get an over-the-counter HIV test approved, has re-ignited the at-home HIV testing debate and raised concerns about how people might react to a positive result
ZIMBABWE: UNICEF to take over ARVs imports: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 7, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG - In a bid to alleviate Zimbabwe s current shortage of anti-AIDS drugs, the United Nations Children s Fund (UNICEF) will take over the importing of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) from the health ministry. National AIDS Council (NAC) ex
ZIMBABWE: Marriage no safety net for AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 4, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG - Marriage is not a safe-haven from HIV infection, with married couples, especially women, more prone to infection than single people, Zimbabwe s National AIDS Council (NAC) has said. According to NAC communications manager, Madelin
MOZAMBIQUE: Govt/NGO AIDS initiative to focus on OVCs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 4, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG - Mozambique has partnered with the Community Development Foundation, a social and economic development NGO, to address the impact of HIV/AIDS on orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs). According to Minister of Women s Affairs an
MOZAMBIQUE: AIDS deaths among miners underestimated - Govt: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 4, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG - Mozambique s Deputy Labour Minister Soares Nhaca says there is a disastrous progression of HIV/AIDS among Mozambican mineworkers in South Africa , with at least 2,500 miners having died from AIDS-related illnesses between 2000 and
MADAGASCAR: A mixed blessing, mine to bring development and HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 4, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG - Madagascar has opted out of screening immigrating South African mineworkers for HIV/AIDS, citing human rights issues as a motivation. Jean Chrysostome Rakotoary, director-general of the country s National Office of the Environment
RWANDA: Presidential promise to provide care for children: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 3, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 3 November (PLUSNEWS) - Rwandan president Paul Kagame hopes to provide antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) to 80 percent of Rwandan children living with HIV/AIDS within the next five years. Only five percent of the 20,000 HIV positive chil
KENYA: Global fund finance - you need but ask: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 3, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 3 November (PLUSNEWS) - Delays by the Kenyan government could jeopardise HIV/AIDS projects while millions in funds lie waiting at the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The Ministry of Finance is the principal recipien
SOUTH AFRICA: TAC considers legal action against Rath and Minister: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 3, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 3 November (PLUSNEWS) - The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) has threatened to take legal action against controversial vitamin entrepreneur Mathias Rath and Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang if the authorities do not act to h
AFRICA: Project moves closer to malaria vaccine for children: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 2, 2005; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 2 Nov 2005 (IRIN) - An injection of more than US $100 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation this week has helped a public-private partnership project move closer to developing a paediatric malaria vaccine. The $107.
AFRICA: Microbicide research gets a big boost: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 2, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 2 November (PLUSNEWS) - The long struggle to get women to protect themselves against the HI virus received a major boost this week, when two global pharmaceutical companies signed agreements enabling researchers to create a microbi
ETHIOPIA: AIDS battle demands "special" attention - Govt: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 2, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 2 November (PLUSNEWS) - Ethiopian Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Hassen Abdellah has called on the nation to pay special attention to the impact of HIV/AIDS. Speaking in an interview with the local Sarekel Magazine, Hassen w
AFRICA: Health staff shortages hamper kiddie AIDS care: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 2, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 2 November (PLUSNEWS) - The US-based Baylor International Paediatric AIDS Initiative (BIPAI) this week said the number one barrier to the treatment of HIV-positive children in Africa is the lack of suitably trained healthcare profe
ZAMBIA: UNFPA cash injection for AIDS programmes: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 2, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 2 November (PLUSNEWS) - The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) has expressed concern that only 38 percent of sexually active Zambians are making use of condoms in an effort to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. Addressing the media in the cap
SOUTH AFRICA: Record set straight on UN AIDS envoy rigmarole: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 2, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 2 November (PLUSNEWS) - South African Education Minister Naledi Pandor on Tuesday confirmed that UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, Stephen Lewis, had not been banned from visiting the country. Pandor was reacting to a questi
JORDAN: The fight against drug addiction reaches women: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 1, 2005; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] AMMAN, 1 Nov 2005 (IRIN) - Asma Badani (not her real name), 30, has been trying to overcome her heroin addiction since last year, but with little success. In a last bid for recovery, she recently checked in to the health ministry s National Cen
SOUTH AFRICA: Poor governance blamed for US $10 million unspent in HIV/AIDS budget: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 1, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 1 November (PLUSNEWS) - South African health minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang this week highlighted the need for improved management of existing state resources when she attributed the rollover of about US $10 million in HIV/AIDS
SOUTH AFRICA: Govt failing people on AIDS - survey: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 1, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 1 November (PLUSNEWS) - South African social insights company, Research Surveys (RS), says a large proportion of South Africans feel the government is failing them on HIV/AIDS. According to the latest RS survey, 86 percent of a tot
AFRICA: Anti-HIV agent found in breast milk: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 1, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 1 November (PLUSNEWS) - Dutch researchers say an agent found in breast milk, which prevent babies contracting HIV from their mothers, might also have the potential to prevent infection in adults. The scientists at Amsterdam s Acade
AFRICA: Rural eastern Cape AIDS treatment reports success: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 1, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 1 November (PLUSNEWS) - An anti-AIDS treatment initiative launched two years ago in South Africa s Eastern Cape province, could soon reach every HIV-positive person in need of antiretrovirals in the rural town of Lusikisiki. Acco
TANZANIA: Elderly sidelined in AIDS awareness campaigns: Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 1, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 1 November (PLUSNEWS) - Healthcare workers in Tanzania are concerned that elderly people are increasingly at risk of HIV infection due to a lack of awareness on how the disease is spread or prevented. Doctor Solomon Logilunore,
MOZAMBIQUE: AIDS activists develop successful strategies against stigma: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 31, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] PRETORIA, 31 October (PLUSNEWS) - When aid workers noticed that villagers in Manica province in central Mozambique were shunning the funerals of neighbours known or suspected of having AIDS, they met with the district administrators and chiefs t
UGANDA: Global Fund spending a "mistake" - President: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 31, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 31 October (PLUSNEWS) - Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has said it was a mistake for the Global Fund to earmark US $150 million for HIV/AIDS sensitisation instead of the procurement of life-prolonging antiretroviral drugs (ARVs)
SOUTH AFRICA: Big brother approach to AIDS in business: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 31, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 31 October (PLUSNEWS) - Big South African businesses with successful workplace HIV/AIDS testing and treatment facilities have teamed up with the World Economic Forum (WEF) in an attempt to offer similar services to smaller firms.
UGANDA: Govt AIDS policy missing the point - activist: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 31, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 31 October (PLUSNEWS) - The prominent Ugandan AIDS activist, Beatrice Were, has said her country s policy on the pandemic is misguided and moralistic. The Associated Press quoted Were as saying, Political leaders, religious people
SOUTH AFRICA: Govt defends underspent AIDS budget: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 31, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 31 October (PLUSNEWS) - The South African government has responded to a scathing attack by the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) party over the government s inability to spend 67 million rand (over US $10 million) in HIV/AIDS mon
NAMIBIA: Unchanged behaviour amid AIDS awareness: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 31, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 31 October (PLUSNEWS) - The Namibian Health Ministry has said sexual behaviours remain unchanged, despite increased awareness and knowledge about the dangers of HIV/AIDS. According to the ministry s technical adviser, Dr Anne Frisc
SOUTHERN AFRICA: AIDS-prevention policies promote stigma - expert: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 28, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] PRETORIA, 28 October (PLUSNEWS) - Father Michael Kelly is not one to shy away from controversy. In his opening address to a conference on HIV-related stigma and discrimination this week in Pretoria, South Africa , he asked: When was the last
SOUTH AFRICA: Unused AIDS budget to be diverted: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 28, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 28 October (PLUSNEWS) - Millions of unspent HIV/AIDS dollars might have to be diverted to international organisations, the South African Parliament heard this week. Finance Minister Trevor Manuel, in his Adjusted Estimates of Natio
SOUTH AFRICA: Lukewarm response to undertaker AIDS idea: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 28, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 28 October (PLUSNEWS) - A proposal by the United Funeral Association of South Africa (UFASA) that the HIV status of people be recorded on death certificates has met with a lukewarm reaction. UFASA founding member Johan Rousseau
UGANDA: HIV rapid test kits pledged: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 28, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 28 October (PLUSNEWS) - Chembio, a US-based diagnostics firm, pledged on Thursday to donate 10,000 HIV rapid-test kits to the Infectious Disease Institute (IDI) in Uganda . This follows Uganda s recent decision to opt for Chembio s
SOUTH AFRICA: Nation must reflect on AIDS - Health Minister: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 28, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 28 October (PLUSNEWS) - South African Minister of Health Manto Tshabalala-Msimang has urged people to reflect on the impact of HIV/AIDS on the life of the nation during World AIDS Day on 1 December. The health minister said being
LIBERIA: Youth not putting HIV prevention lessons into practice: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 27, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MONROVIA, 27 October (PLUSNEWS) - First the good news. Young Liberians know about AIDS, how they might contract the disease and what they can do to protect themselves. Now the bad news. They are not putting that knowledge into practice. A study
AFRICA: Rapid-test TB kits on their way: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 27, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 27 October (PLUSNEWS) - Medical Services International (MSI), a Canadian firm, has started shipping its VScan tuberculosis (TB) rapid-test kits to Africa, where the pulmonary disease is a leading cause of death among HIV-positive p
AFRICA: Annan kicks off international AIDS orphan initiative: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 27, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 27 October (PLUSNEWS) - UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has launched a global campaign to combat the rising threat of the pandemic against children, during which he lamented the lack of basic HIV/AIDS information. Annan told delega
AFRICA: Combined anti-AIDS and malaria drug possibility: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 27, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 27 October (PLUSNEWS) - A drug designed to prevent opportunistic infections in HIV-positive people might also help protect them against malaria, researchers have said. According to a report on the Science and Development Network we
AFRICA: UNICEF embarks on global AIDS ad campaign: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 27, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 27 October (PLUSNEWS) - The UN Children s Fund (UNICEF), in partnership with Clear Channel, the world s largest radio and outdoor advertising group, has embarked on a global anti-AIDS advertising campaign. Clear Channel spent more
AFRICA: US senate approves OVC bill: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 27, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 27 October (PLUSNEWS) - The US senate has approved a Bill that provides a comprehensive US response to the worldwide problem of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC). According to Congresswoman Barbara Lee, who introduced the Bill,
Kenya: Sexual And Domestic Violence Prevalent: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 27, 2005; Sexual violence is increasingly prevalent in Kenya and police statistics show that more than 2,800 cases of rape were reported in 2004 - an increase of close to 500 compared to the previous year. Domestic violence is also a serious problem in the East African nation. A demographic health survey carried out by the Minis
ZIMBABWE: Greater focus urged on protection of children from HIV: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 26, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] HARARE, 26 October (PLUSNEWS) - About 90 percent of pregnant Zimbabwean women have no access to treatment to prevent the transmission of HIV from mother to child, said Public Services, Labour and Social Welfare minister, Nicholas Goche. Goche wa
Kenya: Babies Suffer Lack of Paediatric HIV Test Kits: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 26, 2005; Kenyan health experts say AIDS-related illnesses claim the lives of many babies because of the lack of child-friendly HIV detection kits in the country. According to Dr James Kiarie of the Kenyatta National Hospital, 35 percent of HIV-positive babies in Nairobi, the capital, died by their second birthday, as there were
South Africa: Health Ministry Rejects Aids Fallout With UN: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 26, 2005; South Africa s health department has issued a statement countering claims of an extraordinary breach between the government and the UN s special envoy to Africa on AIDS. A recent New York Times article noted criticism of the South African government s bewildering policies and lackadaisical approach to providing anti-AI
South Africa: Aids Warrants Anti-Apartheid Vigour - Jesse Jackson: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 26, 2005; Visiting US Civil Rights leader Jesse Jackson suggested on Tuesday that South Africa s anti-AIDS movement needed to apply the level of energy used in the fight against apartheid. Speaking at the South African Council of Churches headquarters in Johannesburg, Jackson pledged to support the nation s fight against the pan
Kenya: Activists React to Draft Aids Bill: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 26, 2005; Kenyan AIDS lobbyists have voiced their opposition to a new HIV Bill by the Parliamentary Health Committee that will accommodate foreign research and water down provisions protecting the rights of HIV-positive people. The Kenya Treatment Access Movement (KETAM) charged that the Bill would pave the way for unethical res
Africa: Women Ready for Anti-Aids Gel Trials: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 26, 2005; South African and Ugandan women will be among the 10,000 respondents from Africa participating in a major British study into a gel that could help prevent the spread of HIV, experts said on Tuesday. Preliminary laboratory tests indicate that the PRO 2000 microbicide gel could be capable of blocking the entry of sexuall
ANGOLA: AIDS manual to benefit school kids: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 26, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG - A Danish NGO, People To People Development Aid (ADPP), working in partnership with the UN Development Programme, is to launch an HIV/AIDS awareness manual for Angola s primary school pupils. ADPP assistant director Evaristo Maya t
Tanzania: Unicef Drive to Benefit Millions of Children Affected By HIV/Aids: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 26, 2005; Millions of Tanzanian children affected by HIV/AIDS are due to benefit from a global campaign aimed at accelerating their access to treatment and social support, the UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) said on Wednesday. In a statement issued in Dar es Salaam, UNICEF Country Representative Rodney Phillips said an estimated two
SUDAN: AIDS could spread rapidly in the south, warns UNICEF: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 25, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] NAIROBI - HIV/AIDS prevalence rates could increase rapidly in southern Sudan unless immediate action is taken to address the problem, the UN Children�s Fund (UNICEF) warned on Tuesday. The warning followed the launch of a global campaign focusin
ETHIOPIA: Nearly half of the children orphaned by HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 25, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ADDIS ABABA - Ethiopia has one of the largest populations of orphans in the world with nearly half of the children having lost at least one of their parents. A government official said on Tuesday that HIV/AIDS, disease, hunger and poverty threat
GLOBAL: UN agencies launch pro-child HIV/AIDS drive: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 25, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] NAIROBI - The UN Children s Fund (UNICEF), UNAIDS and other partners launched on Monday a global campaign to spur action for the millions of children affected by HIV/AIDS. Millions of children are missing parents, siblings, schooling, health car
AFRICA: Prioritise HIV-positive children - UNICEF: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 25, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG - Children are the invisible face of HIV/AIDS, which means they are not receiving the same amount of help as adults, according to the UN Children s Fund (UNICEF). The agency s latest report noted that nearly 1,800 children worldwide
Africa: Fertility Could Be More Dangerous Than Aids: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 25, 2005; Africa s growing population could pose a greater threat to reducing poverty on the continent than HIV/AIDS, researchers said on Tuesday. According to John Cleland of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, in some countries, such as Botswana , Lesotho and So
SUDAN: Women tea sellers struggle against odds: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 25, 2005; KHARTOUM - On a quiet street in Emina el Bahri, a small town just 10 km from the Sudanese capital Khartoum, Sada Adam sits on the porch of a small shop and sells cups of tea to the locals. After a long working day, she will have made only US $4 with which she will attempt to feed her four children. This life is very di
NAMIBIA: Underage sex-workers have few other options to survive: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 24, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] WINDHOEK - It s 22:30 on a hot, humid Saturday night in the seedy suburb of Ausspannplatz, south of the central business district of Windhoek, the Namibian capital. The streets appear deserted, but this changes when a vehicle appears. Boys in th
ZIMBABWE: ARV price hikes a concern for people living with HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 24, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] BULAWAYO - Zimbabweans living with HIV/AIDS are grappling with a dramatic increase in the price of anti-AIDS drugs, which has quadrupled in the past three months. Mtungamili Tshabangu, 34, a widower who teaches at Luveve High school in the south
CAMEROON: Catholic cleric pushes for condoms: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 24, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG - A Catholic Cardinal has approved the use of condoms as a protective measure against HIV/AIDS, provided the couple using them is married. The 75-year-old Cardinal Christian Wiyghan Tumi told Deutsche Presse-Agentur on Saturday, If
UGANDA: Religious fanatics an obstacle to AIDS care: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 24, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG - The Kamwokya Christian Caring Community (KCCC), a Ugandan faith-based organisation, says local Churches are hampering HIV/AIDS treatment by promoting faith as an alternative to antiretroviral medication. KCCC director Francis Mbaz
SOUTH AFRICA: Reveal HIV status of dead - undertakers: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 24, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG - The United Funeral Association of South Africa (UFASA) says undertaking businesses are poised to call for the HIV status of people to be recorded on death certificates. According to UFASA founding member Johan Rousseau, at least 3
BURUNDI: Unicef in Drive to Reduce HIV/Aids Prevalence in Children: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 24, 2005; The UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) launched on Monday a campaign to support and protect tens of thousands of Burundian children living with or affected by HIV/AIDS. At the ceremony in the capital, Bujumbura, the UNICEF representative to Burundi, Catherine Mbegue, said children had been largely left out of most anti-HIV/AI
MOZAMBIQUE: Antiretroviral therapy brings hope: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 21, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 21 October (PLUSNEWS) - The introduction of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Mozambique has revived hope and helped mobilise society in the battle against HIV/AIDS, President Armando Guebuza said this week. He was addressing a t
AFRICA: US funding for herbal AIDS alternative meds: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 21, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 21 October (PLUSNEWS) - Just over $1 million has been allocated by the US government for a study to evaluate the effectiveness of African traditional medicines in the treatment of HIV/AIDS. The US Embassy in Sout
BOTSWANA: AIDS-free youth urged to donate blood: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 21, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 21 October (PLUSNEWS) - A new project in Botswana is educating young people on how to stay free of HIV in order to supply public hospitals with safe blood. According to Dr Mukendi Kaembe, a National Blood Transfusion Service pathol
AFRICA: Hundreds of millions needed for HIV vaccine: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 21, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 21 October (PLUSNEWS) - Some US $233 million is needed to accelerate Africa s quest for an HIV vaccine, a forum in Cameroon on the African AIDS Vaccine Programme heard this week. At least 200 AIDS experts were in the capital, Yaoun
SOUTH AFRICA: DA attacks Govt and AIDS dissidents: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 21, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 21 October (PLUSNEWS) - The impact of HIV/AIDS denialists on government policy is costing South Africa nearly 1,000 live each day, according to the country s main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA). Were it not for
NAMIBIA: Growing controversy over teen pregnancy: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 20, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] WINDHOEK, 20 October (PLUSNEWS) - Ndjianje Tjiraure, 16, always excelled as a student at Ashipena High School in Katutura, Namibia s oldest black suburb. But her hopes of becoming an engineer were dashed when she fell pregnant and gave birth to
SOUTH AFRICA: NAPWA partners with controversial Rath Foundation: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 20, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 20 October (PLUSNEWS) - German-born vitamin salesman Dr Matthias Rath s partnership with South Africa s National Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS (NAPWA) has raised concerns over the growing influence of the controversial
ZAMBIA: AIDS herbal remedies come under microscope: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 20, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 20 October (PLUSNEWS) - Zambia has officially launched a clinical trial to verify the efficacy of traditional medicines that claim to cure HIV/AIDS, the country s National AIDS Council (NAC) confirmed on Wednesday. Justin Mwiin
NIGERIA: Government releases $680,000 to combat HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 20, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 20 October (PLUSNEWS) - The Nigerian government has released Naira 90 million (US $680,000) ahead of the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa, to be held in the capital, Abuja, from 4 to 9 December. The funds were pa
NAMIBIA: Gender equality crucial in stemming HIV/AIDS pandemic: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 20, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 20 October (PLUSNEWS) - The Women s Leadership Centre (WLC) has called for full and urgent implementation of the National Gender Policy, as gender equality is an integral part of preventing and treating HIV/AIDS. WLC Director Eliza
SOUTH AFRICA: NAPWA helps promote Rath's vitamins: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 20, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 20 October (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s National Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS (NAPWA) has become the latest supporter of German-born vitamin entrepreneur, Matthias Rath. According to NAPWA s provincial co-ordinator, Ml
KENYA: GSK to boost HIV/AIDS healthcare rollout: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 20, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 20 October (PLUSNEWS) - Multinational drug manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has announced a multimillion-dollar programme to improve HIV/AIDS treatment at 60 facilities in Kenya . The firm s CEO, Jean Pierre Ga
ZIMBABWE: Cash injection for shaky ARV plan: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 20, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 20 October (PLUSNEWS) - Zimbabwe has allocated Zim $30 billion (US $1.9 million) to rolling out antiretroviral (ARV) therapy at public health facilities, the National AIDS Council (NAC) has said. However, NAC executive director
SOUTHERN AFRICA: $1m from World Bank and Japanese govt to boost food security: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 19, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 19 October (PLUSNEWS) - The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has welcomed a US $1 million boost from the World Bank and the Japanese government to help launch the SADC Agricultural Productivity Programme. At the signin
AFRICA: US passes bill to assist AIDS orphans in developing countries: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 19, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 19 October (PLUSNEWS) - The US House of Representatives has approved a bill responding to the global plight of children orphaned and made vulnerable as a result of HIV/AIDS throughout the developing world. The bill will create the
ZIMBABWE: Rapid HIV test gets sales clearance: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 19, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 19 October (PLUSNEWS) - A US-based diagnostic kit manufacturer, Calypte Biomedical Corporation, says Zimbabwe has cleared its HIV-1/2 BSP rapid blood test for commercial sale. The 20-minute test, which can detect HIV antibodies in
SUDAN: Govt/UNICEF AIDS awareness initiative kicks off: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 19, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 19 October (PLUSNEWS) - The government of Sudan and the UN Children s Fund have launched a national HIV/AIDS awareness campaign, as the pandemic is jeopardising the role of young adults in the country s future. Minister of Info
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Forum to highlight AIDS stigma: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 19, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 19 October (PLUSNEWS) - The Regional AIDS Initiative of Southern Africa (RAISA), a programme of the UK-based Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO), will bring together activists and experts from six southern African countries to discus
EGYPT: Lifting the veil of taboo on HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 19, 2005; CAIRO - Souad never suspected how much her life was about to change when she was summoned four years ago by the Ministry of Health and Population to test for HIV/AIDS. There she was told that her husband had been tested positive for the virus two years earlier. He never told me, she said. He continued to live with me a
NIGERIA: A lethal dose of shame: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 18, 2005; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] KADUNA, 18 Oct 2005 (IRIN/PLUSNEWS) - When it became clear that Awa was dying of an AIDS-related illness, her family left her on the side of the road where the 40-year-old s body was found three days later. Halima was a bit luckier. Her family
SOMALIA: Commission to coordinate anti-HIV/AIDS efforts in Puntland: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 18, 2005; HARGEYSA, 18 October (PLUSNEWS) - Authorities in Somalia s self-declared autonomous region of Puntland, northeastern Somalia, launched on Saturday a commission to coordinate efforts to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS. The Puntland AIDS Commission (PAC) was established under the office of the president as a multisectoral pa
AFRICA: Commission's final report on AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 18, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 18 October (PLUSNEWS) - The Commission on HIV/AIDS and Governance in Africa (CHGA) has put forward key suggestions for governments to curtail the spread of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, ahead of its final meeting in Washington on Thursday
CAMEROON: HIV vaccine development tops meeting agenda: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 18, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 18 October (PLUSNEWS) - Some 200 experts are reviewing the current status of HIV vaccine research and development at a gathering that kicked off on Monday in Yaounde, capital of Cameroon . According to the World Health Organisa
LIBYA: Bush gets vocal on HIV-accused nurses: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 18, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 18 October (PLUSNEWS) - US President George W. Bush has urged Libya to release five Bulgarian nurses jailed for allegedly infecting 420 children with HIV. Deutsche Presse-Agentur quoted Bush as saying, The position of the
AFRICA: US approves home HIV test despite fears: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 17, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 17 October (PLUSNEWS) - The US has approved over-the-counter sales of HIV home-testing kits after years of controversy over fears that people who find they are HIV-positive without prior counselling might be unable to handle the in
RWANDA: US backs initiative for greater AIDS care: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 17, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 17 October (PLUSNEWS) - The US government has selected a consortium of international organisations to implement the Community HIV/AIDS Mobilisation Programme (CHAMP) in Rwanda . The four-year $40 million programme, led by the Coope
AFRICA: Hunger claims more lives than AIDS - WFP: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 17, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 17 October (PLUSNEWS) - Hunger and related illness claim more lives than HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined, the World Food Programme (WFP) said in a statement to mark World Food Day on Monday. According to WFP director Ja
ZIMBABWE: Teachers urge free ARVs as AIDS thins their ranks: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 14, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] BULAWAYO, 14 October (PLUSNEWS) - Teachers in Zimbabwe have urged the government to provide free AIDS treatment after a survey revealed the profession was struggling with the highest infection rates in the country. According to a report by t
UGANDA: HIV-positive part of malaria prevention: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 14, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 14 October (PLUSNEWS) - Uganda is one of three African nations set to benefit from a US $1.3 billion Presidential Malaria Initiative (PMI) recently announced by US President George W Bush. PMI team head John Paul Clark told a st
ZIMBABWE: Forex crunch fuels ARV shortage: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 14, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 14 October (PLUSNEWS) - Stocks of locally produced antiretroviral (ARV) drugs are running low in Zimbabwe , the official daily newspaper reported on Thursday. According to the Herald, the country s sole manufacturer of generic ARVs
UGANDA: Pfizer helps carry AIDS treatment burden: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 14, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 14 October (PLUSNEWS) - Uganda s HIV testing boom has resulted in more patients than the country can handle, the head of Pfizer , the world s largest drug company, said on Friday. Pfizer CEO Hank McKinnell told Reuters, Four or
LEBANON: Keep quiet if you have AIDS or you will become an outcast: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 13, 2005; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] BEIRUT, 13 Oct 2005 (IRIN/PLUSNEWS) - People who know they are HIV positive in Lebanon keep very quiet about the matter to avoid becoming social outcasts. AIDS is taboo. Anyone suspected of having the disease risks total rejection by their
NIGERIA: HIV testing campaign draws poor response: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 13, 2005; LAGOS, 13 October (PLUSNEWS) - Motivating people in Lagos, Nigeria s economic capital, to be tested for HIV/AIDS has been an uphill battle, despite widespread campaigns. In Ifako-Ijaye, a heavily populated suburb, the local voluntary testing and counselling (VCT) centre has clients waiting for their tests, but the resp
UGANDA: US cash for AIDS and terminal illnesses: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 13, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 13 October (PLUSNEWS) - The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has pledged $3 million towards a three-year programme to assist Ugandans with terminal illnesses. Associated Press quoted the USAIDS country director, Marg
SOUTH AFRICA: Better handling of HIV-positive inmates urged: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 13, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 13 October (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s Inspecting Judge of Prisons, Johannes Fagan, has called for changes in the handling of terminally ill prisoners, including those living with HIV/AIDS. Fagan recently reported to Parliament tha
AFRICA: AIDS a big part of female health woes: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 13, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 13 October (PLUSNEWS) - The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) on Wednesday said HIV/AIDS contributed greatly to the health problems affecting women globally, often because developing countries had critical shortages of contraceptives and
SWAZILAND: New anti-AIDS campaign targets young people: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 12, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MBABANE, 12 October (PLUSNEWS) - Swazi health authorities on Wednesday launched an ambitious anti-AIDS campaign targeting people between the ages of 20 and 30 years - the group most affected by the virus. The R3 million (US $458,000) programme,
ZIMBABWE: AIDS decline should not warrant complacency - UNAIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 12, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 12 October (PLUSNEWS) - UNAIDS stressed on Tuesday that while the decline in Zimbabwe s HIV/AIDS prevalence and incidence is encouraging, role players need to ensure that the downward trend is sustained. According to a recent p
AFRICA: AIDS treatment does not prevent HIV: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 12, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 12 October (PLUSNEWS) - Antiretroviral therapy (ART) can drastically improve quality of life but it does not change behaviour or prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, experts warned at the third Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS Research Allian
AFRICA: Antiretroviral treatment off target: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 12, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 12 October (PLUSNEWS) - With HIV/AIDS still rising and only 11 percent of the people who need antiretroviral (ARV) treatment able to access it, sub-Saharan Africa seems way off the World Health Organisation s (WHO) 3 by 5 target.
AFGHANISTAN: Increase in people living with HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 11, 2005; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] KABUL, 11 Oct 2005 (IRIN/PLUSNEWS) - The rapid spread of HIV/AIDS in Afghanistan could cripple the desperately poor country unless urgent prevention and treatment measures are taken, the Afghan health ministry warned this week. Available da
ZIMBABWE: HIV rate falling, but girls still at risk: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 11, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 11 October (PLUSNEWS) - A recent UNAIDS-led epidemiological review found Zimbabwe s HIV rate declining, but the United Nations Children s Fund (UNICEF) has warned that the news was not necessarily good all round, particularly for g
AFRICA: Equal attention demanded for "neglected" diseases: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 11, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 11 October (PLUSNEWS) - Three leading medical specialists warned on Monday that HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria are diverting resources from other easily treated diseases that have a greater impact on healthcare and economi
ZAMBIA: Traditional leaders get tough HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 11, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 11 October (PLUSNEWS) - Traditional leaders in central Zambia on Monday banned cultural practices they said were fuelling the spread of HIV/AIDS in their chiefdoms. Sex-related rites such as early marriage, incest, sexual cleansing
AFRICA: Cheaper female condom will increase accessibility: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 11, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 11 October (PLUSNEWS) - Women in sub-Saharan Africa will soon benefit from a cheaper version of the female condom, enabling them to negotiate safer sex with their male partners. The prohibitive cost of the female condom has prevent
ZIMBABWE: HIV/AIDS drop - behavioural change or skewed statistics?: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 10, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 10 October (PLUSNEWS) - A recent national survey shows that Zimbabwe s HIV prevalence rate has dropped dramatically in the past two years, but the cause of this welcome change is not clear. According to the study - carried out by
AFRICA: HRW highlights impact of AIDS on schooling: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 10, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 10 October (PLUSNEWS) - The impact of HIV/AIDS on school-aged children in three African countries has been highlighted in a new report released by Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Monday. In Letting Them Fail: Government Neglect and the
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS workplace programmes vital - VW: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 10, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 10 October (PLUSNEWS) - The head of Volkswagen (VW) South Africa s health services, Alex Govender, has warned that it is absolutely essential for big businesses to become a leading force in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The local Mai
TANZANIA: Public-private partnership strengthens capacity to fight HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 7, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 7 October (PLUSNEWS) - The Tanzanian government has joined forces with the US-based Abbott Fund to enhance capacity in the health system and dramatically improve HIV/AIDS care with a state-of-the-art treatment centre and clinical l
SOUTH AFRICA: Rising AIDS deaths need burial support - expert: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 7, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 7 October (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa needs an indigent burial support programme to cope with the growing number of HIV/AIDS-related deaths, the Gauteng AIDS Council conference heard on Thursday. Shirley Ngwenya, a public health
NAMIBIA: HIV/AIDS takes sustenance as well as lives: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 7, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] WINDHOEK (PLUSNEWS) - HIV/AIDS is robbing subsistence farmers of the ability to grow enough food, according to a new survey conducted in northern Namibia . Out of 144 HIV-affected households in the Oshana, Oshikoto and Okavango Regions, 86 perce
ZIMBABWE: New Global Fund grant approval long overdue - NGOs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 7, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has approved around US $105 million to help boost Zimbabwe s ailing health sector. Lynde Francis of The Centre, an AIDS NGO based in the capital, Harare, described
ZIMBABWE: African musicians urged to act on AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 7, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - South African Afro-jazz artist Jabu Khanyile has appealed to musicians in Southern Africa to go further than merely composing songs to educate their fans about HIV/AIDS. During a recent visit to Zimba
SOUTH AFRICA: Expert warns of rising AIDS prevalence: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 7, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa is showing a steady increase in its HIV/AIDS prevalence rate, a professor from the University of KwaZulu-Natal has warned. In his address at opening of the Gauteng AIDS Council conference in Johannesburg on
NIGERIA: Children orphaned by AIDS slipping through the cracks: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 6, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] KADUNA (PLUSNEWS) - Five year-old Fati could barely hold back her tears. This little girl who loves going to school had just been sent home. Like the other three kids turned away at the gates on the first day of classes, Fati is HIV-positive and
PAKISTAN: Anti-TB programme launched: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 6, 2005; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ISLAMABAD, 6 Oct 2005 (IRIN) - International relief and development NGO Mercy Corps, in collaboration with Pakistan s National Tuberculosis Control Programme (NTCP), has launched an anti-tuberculosis (TB) drive in the two southern provinces of
ZIMBABWE: Access to treatment a concern for displaced living with AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 6, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] BULAWAYO, 6 October (PLUSNEWS) - The Zimbabwe government s recent controversial clean-up drive, Operation Restore Order , which left some 700,000 without homes or livelihoods, also denied people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) access to antiretrovi
TANZANIA: Referral hospital gets modern HIV/AIDS centre: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 6, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DAR ES SALAAM, 6 October (PLUSNEWS) - A US $35-million HIV/AIDS treatment centre opened on Thursday at Tanzania s main referral hospital, the Muhimbili National Hospital, with a capacity to process up to 1,000 tests in an hour. The centre, equip
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS impact on mining sector revealed: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 6, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 6 October (PLUSNEWS) - HIV/AIDS tops the list of challenges not properly addressed in the occupational health sector of the mining industry, the South African chief inspector of mines has confirmed. According to the local Engineeri
SOUTH AFRICA: Broadcasters agree on AIDS awareness declaration: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 6, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 6 October (PLUSNEWS) - Media leaders from 20 African countries signed an HIV/AIDS declaration on Wednesday in Johannesburg, South Africa , after a three-day summit to discuss their role in tackling the pandemic. According to th
LESOTHO: AIDS battle amid food shortages: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 6, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 6 October (PLUSNEWS) - Lesotho needs food aid for more than half a million people despite a bigger maize crop this year, while the loss of farming skills due to HIV/AIDS is mounting, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Thursday.
TAJIKISTAN: Poor conditions mean TB still rife in prisons: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 5, 2005; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DUSHANBE, 5 Oct 2005 (IRIN) - Tuberculosis (TB) remains widespread in Tajikistan s prisons, where crowded conditions and an acute lack of funding is making life harder for inmates with the disease. The situation in terms of tuberculosis in the
SENEGAL: Despite awareness campaigns, young people are reluctant to get HIV tested: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 5, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DAKAR, 5 October (PLUSNEWS) - Sitting in a classroom and wearing a shirt, tie and perfectly polished shoes, Lamine, a computer science student in Senegal s capital city, admits he has no idea whether or not he is HIV-positive. I ve never been te
SOUTH AFRICA: New project to ease impact of AIDS on teachers: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 5, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 5 October (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa , with help from the US, has launched a multimillion-dollar programme to help contain the spread of HIV/AIDS among the country s school teachers. The US $3.4 million project follows a recent stud
MALAWI: AIDS deaths fuelling orphan numbers: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 5, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 5 October (PLUSNEWS) - Malawi s annual HIV/AIDS death rate is fuelling the nation s orphan and vulnerable children situation, a senior government official has said. According to Health Minister Hetherwick Ntaba, 70,000 people were
ETHIOPIA: Free ARVs regardless of income status: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 5, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 5 October (PLUSNEWS) - Ethiopia announced on Tuesday that it is to provide free antiretrovirals (ARVs) to all people, regardless of their income status. A German news agency, Deutsche Presse-Agentur, quoted the country s Health Min
NAMIBIA: Action plan for local authorities: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 4, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] WINDHOEK, 4 October (PLUSNEWS) - Namibian municipalities are drafting action plans to strengthen community responses to tackling the HIV/AIDS pandemic. To assist the process, an assessment and strategic planning toolkit was launched by the Allia
AFRICA: Scientists fail to research HIV/AIDS in Africa: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 4, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG , 4 October (PLUSNEWS) - The latest issue of the British Medical Journal (BMJ) says the scientific community is largely ignoring the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa. This edition, which is devoted to Africa and the continent s health ch
TANZANIA: Survey indicates high HIV vulnerability among youth: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 4, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 4 October (PLUSNEWS) - A recent survey on HIV/AIDS, reproductive health and youth suggests that young people are increasingly vulnerable to HIV infection and unwanted pregnancy. The survey, jointly conducted by the
COTE D IVOIRE: Civil strife an obstacle to AIDS treatment - Govt: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 4, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 4 October (PLUSNEWS) - Ongoing conflict and a lack of funds are hampering efforts to roll out anti-AIDS treatment to HIV-positive people in parts of the Ivory Coast , government officials have said. According to Health Minister
KENYA: Caring for Nairobi's HIV-positive orphans: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 4, 2005; NAIROBI - The six young children sitting down to lunch at Nyumbani Children s Home in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, looked as healthy as any other children of their age. There were all, however, children who had been abandoned at birth by their parents because they were HIV-positive. The children are abandoned because o
COTE D IVOIRE: Truckers in volatile west are taking more HIV/AIDS precautions: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 3, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MAN, 3 October (PLUSNEWS) - Whether they re buying condoms by the roadside or abstaining from sex altogether, truckers in Cote d Ivoire s war ravaged Wild West are becoming more cautious about HIV/AIDS, according to the Ivorian Red Cross. S
NAMIBIA: Hard of hearing neglected by HIV/AIDS information campaigns: Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 3, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 3 October (PLUSNEWS) - The Namibian National Association for the Deaf (NNAD) has raised concerns over poor accessibility to HIV/AIDS information by Namibia s hearing impaired. Martin Tjivera, Executive Director of the NNAD, last we
SOUTH AFRICA: National Blood Service implements new model to determine risk: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 30, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 30 September (PLUSNEWS) - The South African National Blood Service (SANBS) has implemented a new model for blood donations that excludes race as a factor in rating HIV/AIDS risk. According to the Mail and Guardian online newspaper,
UGANDA: Pregnancy may heighten HIV/AIDS risk: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 30, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 30 September (PLUSNEWS) - Pregnant women in the Rakai district of Uganda were found to be twice as likely to become infected with HIV/AIDS than women who were not pregnant, according to a study published in the latest issue of the
ZAMBIA: IOM gives $800,000 to help combat HIV/AIDS among refugees: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 30, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 30 September (PLUSNEWS) - The International Organization for Migration (IOM) will spend $800,000 this year in continuing support to help Zambia fight HIV/AIDS among Angolan and Congolese refugees it is hosting. The IOM would he
AFRICA: US $1.5m for HIV/AIDS laboratory training and quality programmes: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 30, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 30 September (PLUSNEWS) - The American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) is to receive approximately US $1.5 million in US federal funds to provide HIV/AIDS-related laboratory training and quality programmes in Africa, the soci
AFRICA: De Beers commended for HIV/AIDS programme at US awards gala: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 30, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 30 September (PLUSNEWS) - The De Beers Group was recognised for its HIV/AIDS workplace efforts in Sub-Saharan Africa at the Global Business Coalition (GBC) HIV/AIDS Awards for Business Excellence Gala in Washington, in the US, on W
ZIMBABWE: Price of ARVs rockets in declining economy: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 30, 2005; JOHANNESBURG - HIV-positive Zimbabweans are reeling from a dramatic increase in the price of anti-AIDS drugs, which has quadrupled the cost of the life-prolonging medication in the past three months. In July, a month s supply of a fixed-dose combination of antiretrovirals (ARVs) went up from Zim $200,000 (US $7.70) to
NAMIBIA: Hope for AIDS orphans: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 28, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] WINDHOEK, 28 September (PLUSNEWS) - As the number of AIDS orphans in Namibia climbs steadily, caregivers are turning to each other for emotional support. Once a week a group of grandmothers and foster parents meet in the shade of a tree in Katut
AFRICA: Supply chains will make HIV/AIDS treatment more accessible: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 28, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 28 September (PLUSNEWS) - The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has awarded a multimillion-dollar contract to develop a global supply chain management system for streamlining the flow of antiretroviral drugs and other
SOUTH AFRICA: Climbing Kilimanjaro to conquer stigma: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 28, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 28 September (PLUSNEWS) - Paddy Nhlapo and Richard Yell conquered the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro on Tuesday, proving that living with HIV/AIDS need not limit your horizons or defeat your dreams . In their fight against preconcepti
AFRICA: International oil executives call for HIV/AIDS policy coordination: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 28, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 28 September (PLUSNEWS) - Oil industry executives meeting at the World Petroleum Congress (WPC) in Johannesburg this week have called for a coordinated effort in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Citing the lack of HIV/AIDS policy coordi
ZIMBABWE: Grandparents shoulder the burden of care: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 27, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] HARARE, 27 September (PLUSNEWS) - Ndanda Ncube wakes up every morning to do the household chores, gather some firewood and feed his six grandchildren. At 80, Ncube should be settling into retirement but the HIV/AIDS pandemic has brought a new bu
AFRICA: AIDS fund running dry, Mandela warns: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 27, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 27 September (PLUSNEWS) - Former South African president Nelson Mandela has criticised international donors for contributing only half the money required for 2006 and 2007 by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
UGANDA: Police force too weak to fight HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 27, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 27 September (PLUSNEWS) - Police officers in Uganda are particularly vulnerable to HIV/AIDS infection due to frequent job transfers, poor living conditions and risky sexual practices, according to a local newspaper, the Daily Monit
MALAWI: Hunger-related deaths signal deteriorating situation: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 27, 2005; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (IRIN) - Twenty-nine children in southern Malawi died of hunger-related illnesses between January and September, the World Food Programme (WFP) has confirmed. That these deaths occurred ahead of the traditional lean season betwee
LESOTHO: HIV/AIDS treatment target beyond reach: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 26, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 26 September (PLUSNEWS) - Lesotho will not meet its target of providing 28,000 HIV-positive people with antiretroviral treatment by the end of the year, says a UN official. The current 6,500 figure is a start, said
YEMEN: Religious leaders enlisted in fight against HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 26, 2005; SANA (IRIN) - Religious leaders from Djibouti , Somalia , Sudan and Yemen have agreed to create a network to combat HIV/AIDS in their countries and produce plans that aim to, among other things, train hundreds of their colleagues to get involved in fighting the pandemic.
SWAZILAND: Poverty-stricken AIDS widows pin hopes on new constitution: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 26, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MBABANE, 26 September (PLUSNEWS) - A new association of widows in Swaziland hopes to raise greater awareness of the plight of women who have lost their husbands to AIDS. We grow in numbers daily - the epidemic is creating a nation of widows, sa
SOUTH AFRICA: Trials test efficacy of diaphragms in preventing HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 26, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN, 26 September (PLUSNEWS) - Studies are being carried out in South Africa and Zimbabwe to determine whether diaphragms can help protect women against HIV/AIDS, as they bear the brunt of the pandemic. To prove the effectiveness of diaph
TANZANIA: 44,000 to receive ARVs by end of 2005: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 26, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DAR ES SALAAM, 26 September (PLUSNEWS) - The government of Tanzania plans to have at least 44,000 people infected with HIV/AIDS on antiretroviral treatment (ARVs) by the end of 2005, President Benjamin Mkapa said on Sunday. This figure, he s
SOUTH AFRICA: Leadership failure in fight against HIV/AIDS - COSATU: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 26, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 26 September (PLUSNEWS) - The leader of South Africa s trade union movement has accused President Thabo Mbeki and Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang of failure of leadership and betrayal of our people and our struggle in ste
THAILAND: Battling AIDS in the military: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 23, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 23 September (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa has teamed up with the United States to investigate how best to manage HIV/AIDS in a military setting, as the disease is increasingly impacting on the ability of African armies to field peacek
SOUTH AFRICA: Churchmen move towards disclosing their HIV-positive status: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 23, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN, 23 September (PLUSNEWS) - Religious leaders in South Africa are slowly beginning to address HIV/AIDS in their communities, but many are still struggling to come to terms with their own HIV-positive status. In a country where an estim
NAMIBIA: HIV/AIDS considered "natural disaster": Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 22, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 22 September (PLUSNEWS) - Namibia s Deputy Prime Minister, Dr Libertina Amathila, has urged delegates at a disaster management meeting of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to consider HIV/AIDS a natural disaster .
GABON: Government cuts condom prices by 40 percent to help AIDS fight: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 21, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] LIBREVILLE, 21 September (PLUSNEWS) - Gabon is slashing the price of male condoms in government-approved health centres by 40 percent in a bid to help prevent new HIV infections, health officials in the Central African country said. Gabriel
UGANDA: Displaced youngsters to benefit from AIDS programme: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 21, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 21 September (PLUSNEWS) - The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has launched a pilot programme to support displaced children affected by HIV/AIDS in conflict- ravaged northern Uganda . According to an IOM press
SOUTH AFRICA: HIV/AIDS statistics call for education sector reform, UNESCO warns: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 21, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 21 September (PLUSNEWS) - The impact of HIV/AIDS in South Africa s schools should force a rethink on how education is provided, according to a senior UN official. With about 100,000 pupils, 20 percent of teachers and 15 percent of
NIGERIA: Government to scale up HIV/AIDS treatment as funding increases: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 20, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 20 September (PLUSNEWS) - Nigeria has promised to open 100 new treatment centres, drastically increasing access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) for the rising number of people living with HIV/AIDS. Minister of Health Professor
BOTSWANA: Business community calls for greater participation in eradicating HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 20, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 20 September (PLUSNEWS) - The Botswana Business Coalition on AIDS (BBCA) has urged the business community to play a more active role in the fight against HIV/AIDS. According to a local newspaper, The Reporter, chairman Kabelo Ebine
AFRICA: African First Ladies launch new campaign in UN General Assembly to fight AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 20, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 20 September (PLUSNEWS) - The Organisation of African First Ladies Against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA) have unveiled a new campaign in New York, aimed at preventing HIV/AIDS among young people. With the protection of orphans and children as a
WEST AFRICA: Global Fund financing gets greater oversight: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 19, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ABUJA, 19 September (PLUSNEWS) - Two challenges confront the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria: to raise enough donor financing to cover needs on the ground, and to ensure that the available money is properly spent. More than 6
AFRICA: Clinton Global Initiative raises US $1.25 billion in pledges: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 19, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 19 September (PLUSNEWS) - International donors pledged US $1.25 billion to worldwide HIV/AIDS and development programmes at a three-day meeting launched by ex-US president Bill Clinton. According to the Kaisernetwork news service,
SOUTH AFRICA: New effort to ease community's HIV/AIDS woes: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 16, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 16 September (PLUSNEWS) - A community grappling with HIV/AIDS on the outskirts of South Africa s east-coast city of Durban might soon find relief in an unlikely place. Religious and community leaders are converting The Blue Roofs ,
SOUTH AFRICA: Rural health facilities struggle to provide healthcare: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 15, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN, 15 September (PLUSNEWS) - Pregnant HIV-positive women in South Africa can now get nevirapine , an anti-AIDS drug that helps prevent the transmission of the virus to their babies, at every hospital and almost all health centres and c
UGANDA: Inquiry starts into mismanagement of AIDS funds: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 14, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] KAMPALA, 14 September (PLUSNEWS) - A six-man commission has opened its inquiry into allegations of mismanagement of Uganda s anti-AIDS programme and will hold public hearings, officials said on Tuesday. The head of the probe, High Court Judge Ja
ZAMBIA: Community benefits from free ARVs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 13, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] LUSAKA, 13 September (PLUSNEWS) - The sleepy railway town of Kapiri Mposhi, north of Zambian capital, Lusaka, comes alive every Thursday evening when the Tanzania-Zambia Railways Authority (TAZARA) passenger train pulls in to disgorge its weekly
SOUTH AFRICA: Live theatre shows both positive and negative side of HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 13, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 13 September (PLUSNEWS) - The Gay And Lesbian Archives (GALA), a South African NGO, is using live theatre to illustrate the difficulty of moving back into society after being diagnosed with HIV. In Coming Out Again , seven young ho
SOUTH AFRICA: Capacity shortfalls undermine roll-out: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 12, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN, 12 September (PLUSNEWS) - Scaling up the national HIV/AIDS treatment programme will cost the South African government US $1 billion in 2009 compared to the US $52 million currently being spent, according to a new report. The annual healt
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS treatment gains amid poor resources: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 12, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 12 September (PLUSNEWS) - An estimated 61,000 HIV-positive people are accessing anti-AIDS drugs through South Africa s public health system, according to a government official. However, health director-general Thami Mseleku express
SOUTH AFRICA: US film company funds AIDS NGOs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 12, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 12 September (PLUSNEWS) - An independent US-backed movie being shot in and around South Africa s mother city, Cape Town, is set to benefit local HIV/AIDS organisations. Sunrise Productions, which is using an overseas cast and crew,
ETHIOPIA: UNICEF gets grant for AIDS orphans: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 12, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 12 September (PLUSNEWS) - The Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) and the UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) have signed a US $4.9 million grant agreement to assist Ethiopia s AIDS orphans. UNICEF was hoping to raise $11 milli
ETHIOPIA: UNICEF receives Sweden's donation for AIDS orphans: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 12, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] NAIROBI, 12 September (PLUSNEWS) - Sweden has donated nearly US $5 million to the UN children s agency (UNICEF) to strengthen the organisation s capacity to deal with the growing number of AIDS orphans in Ethio
AFRICA: FDA tentatively approves child-friendly AIDS drug: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 10, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 10 September (PLUSNEWS) - The US Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) has tentatively approved the first generic oral anti-AIDS medication for children. Retrovir is the latest in a string of approvals for use in the US presidential
UGANDA: Workplace AIDS strategy launched by UMA: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 10, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 10 September (PLUSNEWS) - The Uganda Manufacturers Association (UMA) has launched an HIV/AIDS education programme for employees of its member firms. UMA training officer Joseph Kyalimpa told the local New Vision newspaper: Our rol
AFRICA: Canada comes through for AIDS research: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 10, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 10 September (PLUSNEWS) - The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) is to launch a strategy for research into HIV/AIDS and other communicable diseases in developing countries. According to a CIDA statement, International
AFRICA: Donation drought at Global Fund replenishment conference: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 9, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 9 September (PLUSNEWS) - As the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria ended its first replenishment conference this week, the uncertainty under which the Fund operates has once again become a cause for concern among a
Namibia: UN Signs $44.7 Million Development Assistance Framework: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 9, 2005; Windhoek - The UN signed a second development assistance framework (UNDAF) of US $44.7 million with Namibia this week to intensify support for the fight against HIV/AIDS, food insecurity and improving social service delivery over the next five years. We have identified these three areas as triple threats together wit
KAZAKHSTAN: Joining Clinton foundation opens way for cheap AIDS drugs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 8, 2005; ANKARA - A decision to join the Bill Clinton Foundation s initiative in fighting HIV/AIDS may give people in Kazakhstan living with the virus access to affordable anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs). This was a Memorandum of Understanding [MOU] and there is a commitment in this memorandum on behalf of the [Kazakh] government
South Africa: Virginity Testing - Absence of a Small Tissue Becomes Big Issue: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 8, 2005; This weekend, thousands of Zulu maidens will make their way to Nongoma in northern KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Province, to participate in Umhlanga , the annual reed dance ceremony celebrating virginity. The traditional gathering takes place in the wake of controversy surrounding the soon-to-be-outlawed testing of virgins: the
SWAZILAND: HIV-positive children more vulnerable to chickenpox: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 8, 2005; MBABANE - An upsurge in chickenpox among Swazi children and adults is being blamed on a rise in HIV/AIDS in a country with one of the world s highest HIV infection rates. Chickenpox is a relatively mild childhood disease, but once contracted it will remain with the child for the rest of his or her life. If the child is
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS to rob farmers of their market - experts: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 8, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 8 September (PLUSNEWS) - South African commercial farmers could lose a huge portion of their consumer market to HIV/AIDS, the Transvaal Agricultural Union of South Africa (TAU SA) heard this week. Dr Jan du Plessis, a geostrategic
UGANDA: AIDS group baying for UN envoy's blood: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 8, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 8 September (PLUSNEWS) - The director of the Global Centre for Uganda s ABC (Abstinence, Be Faithful and use Condoms) Strategy has urged the UN to dismiss Stephen Lewis, the special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, Canada s LifeSiteNe
AFRICA: Lack of transparency in UK AIDS spending - activists: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 8, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 8 September (PLUSNEWS) - A recent report by the UK charity, ActionAid, claims that British spending on global HIV/AIDS initiatives lacks transparency. In its document Real Aid - an Agenda for Making Aid Work , the charity said the
SOUTH AFRICA: Govt adds to Global Fund kitty: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 8, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 8 September (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa is among 29 countries and organisations that have pledged financial assistance to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang announced the
RWANDA: Ambitious ARV rollout plan announced: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 8, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 8 September (PLUSNEWS) - US pharmaceutical company Merck, Sharp and Dohme (MSD) is to help Rwanda increase the number of HIV-positive people receiving anti-AIDS treatment. MSD resident representative Dr Dominique Gacukuzi said a co
ZIMBABWE: The "art" of HIV/AIDS education: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 7, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 7 September (PLUSNEWS) - Zimbabwe s National AIDS Council (NAC) is collaborating with performance artists to increase HIV/AIDS awareness in Bulawayo, the country s second city. Together with the WOZA Africa Performing Arts and Amaz
AFRICA: Poor funding hampers AIDS vaccine research - Lewis: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 7, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 7 September (PLUSNEWS) - The global pursuit of a vaccine against HIV/AIDS is failing due to a lack of funds and commitment, a delegation of researchers heard on Tuesday. Addressing the 2005 AIDS Vaccine International Conference in
AFRICA: Disappointing Global Fund contribution from US - activists: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 7, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 7 September (PLUSNEWS) - An international civil society organisation has expressed disappointment over the United States final cash pledge to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. According to the Global AIDS All
UGANDA: Emergency supply of condoms underway: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 7, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 7 September (PLUSNEWS) - Uganda says it is to rollout millions of condoms, following a sharp rise in national demand for the prophylactics. Minister of State for Health, Mike Mukula, told the local New Vision newspaper that his min
MOZAMBIQUE: Study attributes AIDS to food insecurity: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 7, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 7 September (PLUSNEWS) - Mozambique s Food and Nutritional Security Technical Secretariat (SETSAN) says the country could face severe food insecurity as a result of HIV/AIDS. In a report release on Monday in the capital Maputo, at
SOUTHERN AFRICA: HIV/AIDS eroding region's development, says UN report: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 7, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 7 September (PLUSNEWS) - HIV/AIDS has accounted for huge reversals in human development in Southern Africa, which could impact on the region meeting some of the UN s poverty-slashing Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), according t
SUDAN: Trying to stem the spread of HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 6, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] KHARTOUM, 6 September (PLUSNEWS) - Asha Ebrahim, a mother of eight living in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, vividly remembers the day she first learned she was HIV-positive seven years ago. When the doctor told me that I had the disease, I fell
LIBYA: EU strengthens anti-AIDS support in Benghazi: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 6, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 6 September (PLUSNEWS) - The European Union (EU) has begun providing Libya with advice and technical assistance on how to deal with HIV/AIDS, after releasing US $1.2 million to Libya in July. EU and Libyan experts met for the f
UGANDA: Media challenged on accurate AIDS reporting: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 6, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 6 September (PLUSNEWS) - The Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC) has urged local media to report accurately and comprehensibly on the disease. John Rwomushana, UAC s director of research and policy development, said journalists should tra
MALAWI: UN peacekeeping troops warned on AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 6, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 6 September (PLUSNEWS) - Malawi s President Bingu wa Mutharika has warned troops preparing to join a UN peacekeeping mission in Congo against the dangers of HIV infection. According to the Associated Press, a contingent of 110 Mala
ZIMBABWE: Villagers respond to AIDS orphans crisis: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 5, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] BEITBRIDGE, 5 September (PLUSNEWS) - Five years ago, the residents of Majini village, about 90 km from the southern border town of Beitbridge, Zimbabwe , were reluctant to talk about HIV/AIDS - now they are planning a vegetable garden to support
ZAMBIA: Agencies step in to address HIV/AIDS in prisons: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 5, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] LUSAKA, 5 September (PLUSNEWS) - Prison walls have not insulated inmates from the effects of Zambia s HIV/AIDS pandemic, aid workers warn. Prisoners are rendered vulnerable due to overcrowding, poor nutrition, limited access to healthcare, injec
MOZAMBIQUE: AIDS undermines police efforts: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 5, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 5 September (PLUSNEWS) - The impact of HIV/AIDS on Mozambique s police force is undermining national efforts to tackle crime, according to a senior government official. Interior Minister Jose Pacheco said AIDS claimed the lives of
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS hits one in five Jo'burg homes: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 5, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 5 September (PLUSNEWS) - South African public health specialist Dr Clive Evian says one in every five households in Johannesburg suburbs could have an HIV-positive person. He put the prevalence of HIV in households with domestic wo
AFRICA: Anti-AIDS drug price-cut announced: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 2, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 2 September (PLUSNEWS) - Developing countries will be paying less for two anti-AIDS drugs produced by multinational pharmaceutical company, Gilead Sciences . In a statement Gilead said it had dropped the cost of
AFRICA: Traditional doctors crucial in AIDS fight - WHO: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 2, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 2 September (PLUSNEWS) - The World Health Organisation (WHO) has urged African governments to expand the role of traditional healers in the continent s anti-AIDS efforts. According to the UN health agency, the practitioners were re
SOUTH AFRICA: VWSA makes AIDS education child's play: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 2, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 2 September (PLUSNEWS) - A South African subsidiary of German carmaker Volkswagen (VWSA) is using a new board game to educate its workers and local children about HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and sexual assault. Children aged 11 to
UGANDA: New PMU to help with AIDS cash: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 2, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 2 September (PLUSNEWS) - Uganda is to bring in international auditing firm Ernst and Young to provide temporary management of the money pledged by the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The Fund recently a
TANZANIA: Some local healers help relieve AIDS; others are charlatans: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 1, 2005; DAR ES SALAAM - Government health officials in Tanzania acknowledged on Wednesday that services provided by many of the 75,000 registered local healers were beneficial to people living with HIV/AIDS, but the officials also warned that some healers were making false claims that they could cure the condition. We und
SOUTH AFRICA: Durban women feel AIDS impact: Integrated Regional Information Networks - September 1, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 1 September (PLUSNEWS) - New figures from the South African Medical Research Council (MRC) say five out of every 10 women tested in the east-coast city of Durban are HIV-positive. According to Dr Gita Ramjee, director of the MRC s
NIGERIA: Activists press govt to provide free ARVs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 31, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] LAGOS, 31 August (PLUSNEWS) - Activist pressure is mounting on the Nigerian government to provide free HIV/AIDS treatment and care. The government offers subsidised antiretroviral (ARV) medication for 1,000 Naira (US $7), but HIV-positive patien
GHANA: Government ploughs ahead with plans to produce AIDS drugs locally: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 31, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ACCRA, 31 August (PLUSNEWS) - A new plant has begun production of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs as part of government plans to expand distribution of the life prolonging treatment for its HIV-positive citizens. Pharmaceutical company DanAdams - a j
MOZAMBIQUE: UNICEF ambassador moved by AIDS orphans: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 31, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 31 August (PLUSNEWS) - Liam Neeson, Irish actor and UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) ambassador, pledged this week to draw attention to children orphaned by HIV/AIDS in Mozambique . Neeson recently returned from his first field visit as
UGANDA: Condom shortage claims rejected: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 31, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 31 August (PLUSNEWS) - The Ugandan government has rejected claims by US health activists that the country has been facing a condom shortage for the past 10 months. According to the US-based Centre for Health and Gender Equity, the
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS wellness takes to the road: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 31, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 31 August (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s 10th Road Wellness Centre, an initiative that educates truck-drivers and sex-workers about HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted illnesses, was launched in North West province this week.
ZIMBABWE: Community-based counsellors are making a difference: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 30, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] HARARE, 30 August (PLUSNEWS) - In an attempt to reduce the psychosocial impact of the AIDS epidemic, Zimbabwean communities have started an innovative community-based counselling initiative across the country. Until recently it was inconceivable
SOUTH AFRICA: Durban AIDS vaccine trial site to close down: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 30, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN, 30 August (PLUSNEWS) - A donor decision not to renew funding has led to the closure of an AIDS vaccine trial site in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, the South African province hardest hit by the epidemic. Although some researchers have attributed
UGANDA: Disease and war killing scores of people - survey: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 29, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 29 August (PLUSNEWS) - An official survey has highlighted the impact of disease and conflict on more than 1.1 million displaced people in Uganda s war-torn northern districts of Gulu, Kitgum and Pader in the Acholi region, accordin
RWANDA: Unexpected interest shown in HIV testing: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 29, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 29 August (PLUSNEWS) - Voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) for HIV in Rwanda s Byumba province yielded a surprising turnout over the weekend. According to Dr Charles Juru at the Byumba Hospital, a total of 6,000 residents and e
AFRICA: Chirac sets up airline levy to fund anti-AIDS measures: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 29, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 29 August (PLUSNEWS) - French President Jacques Chirac on Monday instructed his government to set up mechanisms for taxing airline tickets to raise money for African development. Reuters quoted Chirac as saying, I have asked [my] g
UGANDA: AIDS efforts not hampered by Global Fund grant suspension: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 29, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 29 August (PLUSNEWS) - Uganda s health ministry says its rollout of anti-AIDS drugs and condoms will not be hampered by the Global AIDS Fund s recent decision to halt pledges to the east African country. The Fund announced its susp
UGANDA: 1,000 displaced die every week in war-torn north - report: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 29, 2005; KAMPALA - An estimated 1,000 people displaced by the 19-year-old war in northern Uganda die every week from violence or disease, the Ugandan Ministry of Health and its partners said in a report. The report, based on a survey of the health and mortality of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the northern Acholi subre
SOUTH AFRICA: Anti-AIDS drugs business booming - Aspen: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 26, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG - South African generic drug firm Aspen Pharmacare says anti-AIDS drugs are now a bigger part of the company s production. Aspen CEO Stephen Saad told the local Business Day newspaper that about half their local antiretroviral (ARV)
UGANDA: Government to probe use of anti-AIDS grants: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 25, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] KAMPALA - Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Thursday called for an investigation after the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria suspended all its grants to Uganda due to evidence of serious mismanagement of the funds. I am go
AFRICA: Tuberculosis emergency declared by WHO: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 25, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG - The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared tuberculosis (TB) an emergency in Africa, according to a senior WHO official. The declaration was made in a resolution adopted by African health ministers at the WHO 55th Regional C
AFRICA: WHO renews fight against disease and brain drain: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 25, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG - The World Heath Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday reinforced its commitment to Africa in the areas of capacity building, strengthened health systems and the fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. WHO Director-General Lee
AFRICA: Global Fund gains anti-AIDS momentum, despite malaria delays: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 25, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG - The Global Fund says it made huge strides in anti-AIDS and tuberculosis (TB) treatment in the first six months of this year. Some 90,000 HIV-positive people received antiretrovirals between January and July, bringing the total tre
UGANDA: Global fund suspends anti-AIDS grants: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 24, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] KAMPALA, 24 August (PLUSNEWS) - The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria announced on Wednesday a suspension of all its grants to Uganda due to evidence of serious mismanagement of the funds. Ugandan health minister Jim Muhwez
AFRICA: WHO raises budget for AIDS and malaria: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 24, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 24 August (PLUSNEWS) - The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Tuesday said it will focus on malaria and HIV/AIDS in Africa by increasing the budget by 30 percent over the next two years, bringing the agency s total contribution for
SOUTH AFRICA: Aspen eyes African AIDS drug market: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 24, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 24 August (PLUSNEWS) - South African generic drug maker Aspen Pharmacare says it is eyeing Africa s anti-AIDS drugs market, which has huge potential demand. Aspen CEO Stephen Saad said only 8 percent of the approximately 4 million
SWAZILAND: Sex ban met with mixed reaction: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 24, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 24 August (PLUSNEWS) - A traditional chastity vow by young Swazi women reintroduced by King Mswati III in 2001 to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, officially ended this week amid mixed feelings. Known as umcwasho , after the tassell
UGANDA: Global Fund holds back AIDS money: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 24, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 24 August (PLUSNEWS) - The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has temporarily suspended all grants to Uganda after an investigation by PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC), a business services firm. In a statement issu
KAZAKHSTAN: Fight against HIV/AIDS continues: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 23, 2005; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ANKARA, 23 Aug 2005 (IRIN) - Efforts to mitigate the spread of HIV/AIDS in Kazakhstan are proceeding well, despite an increase in rates of sexual transmission. Central Asia s largest state enjoys a relatively low prevalence of the disease.
SWAZILAND: Traditional chastity vow may have lowered teenage HIV rates: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 23, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MBABANE, 23 August (PLUSNEWS) - As a generation of young Swazi women end a five-year vow of chastity in a traditional ceremony this week, health officials are debating the impact of the custom on reducing the risk of HIV infection. We have loads
ZIMBABWE: Anti-AIDS treatment goes rural: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 23, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 23 August (PLUSNEWS) - Zimbabwe is intensifying its fight against HIV/AIDS in rural areas by providing three districts in Matabeleland North Province with free antiretrovirals, a gathering of local doctors has heard. Provincial
AFRICA: MDGs on AIDS and child mortality won't be met: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 23, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 23 August (PLUSNEWS) - A World Health Organisation (WHO) report warned on Monday that most developing nations will not meet the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on HIV/AIDS, child mortality and maternal health. The report, H
NAMIBIA: US $30.7 million Global Fund grant to benefit recipients: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 22, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] WINDHOEK, 22 August (PLUSNEWS) - HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria initiatives in Namibia are set to finally benefit from the US $30.7 million granted to the country nearly 10 months ago by the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis a
KENYA: Companies failing to address AIDS impact - survey: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 22, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 22 August (PLUSNEWS) - Kenya s 2005 Human Resources Survey blames the top management of local companies for failing to champion HIV/AIDS policies in their workplace, a local newspaper, The Nation, has reported. The survey found tha
KENYA: Plans to produce HIV test kits announced: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 22, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 22 August (PLUSNEWS) - After more than 10 years of research the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) says it is to produce a rapid HIV testing kit for local and regional markets. According to KEMRI director Davy Koech, the inst
AFRICA: WHO re-lists Indian AIDS drugs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 22, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 22 August (PLUSNEWS) - Seven Indian generic drugs have been reinstated on the World Health Organisation (WHO) list of approved HIV/AIDS medicines for use in developing countries. The UN health agency removed three of the drugs from
LESOTHO: AIDS battle harmed by brain drain: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 22, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 22 August (PLUSNEWS) - The brain drain of Africa s nurses to the West is hurting Lesotho s fight against HIV/AIDS, said Stephen Lewis, the UN special envoy for AIDS in Africa. However, despite its efforts being hobbled by the loss
SOUTH AFRICA: Erratic infant formula supply puts PMTCT at risk: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 19, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 19 August (PLUSNEWS) - International food and beverage company Nestl� is to provide a full report to the South African government on how it is addressing the erratic supply of infant formula to public health facilities. The health
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: The plight of rape victims endures: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 19, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] BANGUI, 19 August (PLUSNEWS) - Nearly five years after Congolese rebels introduced rape as a psychological weapon in the Central African Republic (CAR), individual victims and the nation as a whole are still dealing with the fallout. Despite
SOUTHERN AFRICA: SADC NGO council wants AIDS prioritised: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 19, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 19 August (PLUSNEWS) - A Southern African Development Community (SADC) civil society organ says heads of state and government should make HIV/AIDS a priority issue in the region. In a communiqu� issued on Tuesday, the Council of No
MALAWI: Police force "ignorant" about AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 19, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 19 August (PLUSNEWS) - The first survey of its kind conducted in Malawi has revealed that the national police force has limited knowledge about HIV prevention and transmission. The Behavioural Surveillance Survey (BSS) 2004 indica
SOUTH AFRICA: Nestl� to jack-up infant formula supply: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 19, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 19 August (PLUSNEWS) - International food and beverage company Nestl� is to provide a full report to the South African government on how it is addressing challenges in supplying infant formula used in the fight against HIV/AIDS to
SOUTH AFRICA: Poverty and gender inequality negating anti-HIV/AIDS efforts: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 18, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN (PLUSNEWS) - Poverty and gender inequality are hampering South Africa s response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, researchers have found. World-renowned paediatrician Hoosen Coovadia, Professor of HIV/AIDS Research at the Nelson Mandela Medical
KENYA: Prison officials lament disease and congestion: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 18, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Communicable diseases and overcrowding could pose a huge challenge to Kenya s prison system, officials said. At the opening of the Remand and Allocation Comprehensive Care Clinic and TB Unit in the capital, Nairobi, Pri
AFRICA: Economic development as an AIDS antidote: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 18, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Economic development might be Africa s best weapon against HIV/AIDS says an expert from the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research (AEI), a leading US think-tank. According to James Glassman, a residen
SOUTHERN AFRICA: AIDS adding to food insecurity - WFP: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 18, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The World Food Programme (WFP) is seeking US $212 million for Southern Africa, where HIV/AIDS is hampering agricultural production and economic development. Large numbers of farmers have been dying from AIDS-related ill
GHANA: AIDS treatment on rise, but stigma still around: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 17, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ACCRA, 17 August (PLUSNEWS) - With anti-AIDS drugs becoming widely available in Ghana , thousands of HIV-positive people are living longer, healthier lives but health workers say they continue to hide their status, frightened of rejection by fri
SOUTH AFRICA: Camp Sizani: opening the door to life skills: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 17, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MAGALIESBURG, 17 August (PLUSNEWS) - Under a clear blue sky, a snake of young boys holding each other by the waist winds its way around an empty swimming pool, dancing and stamping their feet in unison to the drums. The boys, ranging in age from
NIGERIA: AIDS treatment makes strides despite past hurdles: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 17, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 17 August (PLUSNEWS) - Nigeria said on Tuesday that the number of HIV-positive people receiving free anti-AIDS drugs has risen five-fold over the past three years to 50,000. According to Babatunde Osotimehin, chairman of the Nation
MOZAMBIQUE: Police force feel weight of AIDS-related deaths: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 17, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 17 August (PLUSNEWS) - Mozambican Deputy Interior Minister Jose Mandra says HIV/AIDS is aggravating staff shortages in the ranks of the police, killing just over 1,000 officers every year. The local news agency, AIM, quoted Mandra
ZAMBIA: AIDS exacerbating food insecurity - FAO: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 17, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 17 August (PLUSNEWS) - The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) warned on Tuesday that HIV/AIDS is exacerbating food insecurity in Zambia . According to FAO Resident Representative Dong Qingsong, the adverse impact of the pan
UGANDA: Cultural practice exposing women to AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 17, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 17 August (PLUSNEWS) - Cultural practices among tribes in Uganda s central and western regions are exposing young women to HIV/AIDS, according to the local AIDS Commission and Makerere University. These customs included a rite of p
SOMALIA: UN warns of ensuing AIDS disaster: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 17, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 17 August (PLUSNEWS) - The UN warned on Tuesday that Somalia is on the verge of an AIDS disaster unless steps are taken to quickly curb the spread of HIV by reducing high-risk elements. In its monthly inter-agency report on the hu
LESOTHO: Senior UN officials to visit on AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 16, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 16 August (PLUSNEWS) - Two senior UN officials will arrive in Lesotho s capital, Maseru, on Wednesday to assess the country s progress in providing treatment for HIV/AIDS. Stephen Lewis, the UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa,
ZAMBIA: Free anti-AIDS drugs for Christmas: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 16, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 16 August (PLUSNEWS) - The Zambian Ministry of Health says it has procured enough anti-AIDS drugs to treat 100,000 HIV-positive people by December. Health ministry spokesman Victor Mukonka told the Zambian News Agency that plans we
UGANDA: Indian drug company confirms interest in investing: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 16, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 16 August (PLUSNEWS) - Indian generic drug firm Cipla has confirmed its willingness to invest in Uganda following an invitation by the Ugandan Vice-President, Gilbert Bukenya. Bukenya recently returned from a week-long visit to
MOZAMBIQUE: Local AIDS drug manufacture to feature at WHO meeting: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 16, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 16 August (PLUSNEWS) - The local production of anti-AIDS drugs will be high on the agenda at the Africa Regional meeting of the World Health Organisation (WHO) between 22 and 26 August in Mozambique s capital, Maputo. Mozambican Mi
SOUTHERN AFRICA: US aid arrives ahead of critical lean season: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 16, 2005; JOHANNESBURG - A United States aid package worth more than US $50 million is going to help Southern Africa through a very tough period , says the World Food Programme (WFP). Recent food and crop assessments by the UN, NGOs, and governments in the region revealed that at least 10.7 million people would need food aid dur
UZBEKISTAN: New support for those living with HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 16, 2005; TASHKENT - When a police officer barged into Natalya s home in the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, screaming at her that she had AIDS she nearly died of shame. She had not even told her parents about the disease which she contracted by sharing a hypodermic needle. I had problems with the police earlier as I was an injecting d
SOUTH AFRICA: Nestl� not abreast of infant formula shortage: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 15, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 15 August (PLUSNEWS) - The South African Department of Health has requested an urgent meeting on Tuesday with Nestl�, the world s largest food and beverage company, to discuss a shortfall in the company s supply of infant formula.
ZIMBABWE: US envoy pledges food aid to HIV-positive: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 15, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 15 August (PLUSNEWS) - The US ambassador to the World Food Programme and Food and Agriculture Organisation, Tony Hall, has pledged continued food for people living with HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe . After meeting victims of President
MALAWI: Frank talk on sex urged between parents and children: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 15, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 15 August (PLUSNEWS) - AIDS experts are encouraging frank discussions on sex between Malawian parents and children in an effort address the spread of HIV. Peter Busse, a South Africa-based AIDS educator and facilitator, said ignora
UGANDA: Strengthened AIDS action planned for north: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 15, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 15 August (PLUSNEWS) - Government officials are drafting a special strategic plan to better address the spread of HIV/AIDS in Uganda s war-torn northern districts, where HIV prevalence is thought to be between 16 percent and 18 per
SENEGAL: Even when companies commit to HIV care, getting message across can be difficult: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 12, 2005; RICHARD TOLL - The Senegalese Sugar Company (CSS) provides free condoms for its 7,000 workers but there are few takers, with many male employees seeing accepting condoms as an admission of promiscuity or having a sexually-transmitted infection. The workers can t bring themselves to take the condoms that are at their di
KENYA: HIV/AIDS fund-monitoring system implemented: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 12, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Kenya s National AIDS Control Council (NACC) has launched the National Monitoring and Evaluation Network to curb the theft of HIV/AIDS funds. The new measure will enable the government to track funds disbursed to commun
SOUTH AFRICA: Local businesses get serious about HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 12, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Large South African businesses, such as Eskom, De Beers and Anglo American have been hailed by the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS (GBC) as trend-setters for their efforts in tackling the pandemic in the workplace
MOZAMBIQUE: AIDS rates climb more than two points: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 12, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Mozambique s Ministry of Health has revised its official HIV/AIDS prevalence rate upwards from about 14 percent in 2002 to an estimated 16.2 percent of the adult population at present. The new figures, collected nationa
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Farm workers neglected in HIV/AIDS prevention efforts: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 11, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Constantly moving, keeping an ear open for fresh opportunities, migrant farmworkers in Southern Africa are often a forgotten population, for whom little is done to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS in an already high-risk
ZAMBIA: AIDS efforts must address gender issues - NGO: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 11, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - A women s rights group is urging the Zambian government to address gender gaps in its draft national HIV/AIDS policy, according to the Zambia News Agency. Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF) charged that the
AFRICA: NIAID agrees to share information on microbicide research: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 11, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has announced plans to share information and expertise with the International Partnership for Microbicides. NIAID director Anthony Fauci said the new
RWANDA: AIDS and poverty considered major problem - survey: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 11, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - A recent national survey commissioned by a Rwandan newspaper, the New Times, has found that a majority of respondents considered HIV/AIDS and poverty as the main problems facing the country. The study, conducted among 2
SYRIA: Religious leaders take active role in raising HIV/AIDS awareness: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 10, 2005; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DAMASCUS - More than 80 Christian and Muslim religious leaders from the Arab region attended a workshop on Tuesday in the Syrian capital, Damascus, on raising HIV/AIDS awareness. Religion plays a major role in making changes in society here, an
CAMEROON: FHI ends clinical trial of ARV drug Tenofovir: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 10, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DAKAR, 10 August (PLUSNEWS) - A US-based research organisation has announced that it will end the controversial testing of the anti-AIDS drug, Tenofovir , on sex workers in Cameroon . In a statement Family Heal
SOUTHERN AFRICA: AIDS to be highlighted at upcoming SADC summit: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 10, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 10 August (PLUSNEWS) - The regional impact of HIV/AIDS is to feature on the agenda of the upcoming 25th Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Summit from 12 to 17 August in Botswana s capital, Gaborone. A local newspaper, Th
ZIMBABWE: Education sector not spared by HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 10, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 10 August (PLUSNEWS) - A new report by a state-appointed education assessment team suggests that Zimbabwean teachers are no more knowledgeable about HIV prevention than the general population. Teachers were also at high risk of bec
NAMIBIA: Govt addresses issue of deteriorating healthcare: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 10, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 10 August (PLUSNEWS) - Namibia s Ministry of Health has expressed concern over the deteriorating level of patient care in public hospitals and clinics. Health Minister Richard Kamwi attributed the lowered standards of care to insuf
UGANDA: Medical cooperation discussed with India: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 9, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 9 August (PLUSNEWS) - Uganda is hoping to exchange medical knowledge with India in the fields of anti-AIDS and malarial treatment. Ugandan Vice-President Gilbert Bukenya is currently meeting with officials of India s
AFRICA: New Zealand to test immigrants for HIV: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 9, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 9 August (PLUSNEWS) - Immigrants planning to stay in New Zealand for more than a year will soon be tested for HIV, the country s Department of Labour has announced. Previously only immigrants staying for two years or more were test
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Neighbours to join forces on health: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 9, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 9 August (PLUSNEWS) - Mozambique and South Africa are to sign a health cooperation agreement, allowing the exchange of knowledge on diseases such as HIV/AIDS. Mozambican Health Minister Ivo Garrido and his South African counter
SOUTH AFRICA: HIV/AIDS to take heavy toll of health workers: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 9, 2005; DURBAN - The cost of health services in South Africa will increase sharply in the next few years as a result of HIV/AIDS, researchers have found. By 2007, large numbers of HIV-positive South Africans would start falling ill from AIDS-related diseases, placing a heavy burden on the country s public healthcare sector, ac
SOUTH AFRICA: Govt to consider routine testing: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 8, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN, 8 August (PLUSNEWS) - The South African government is considering whether to make HIV tests routinely available at public health facilities. Individuals wishing to know their HIV status currently undergo voluntary counselling and testing
AFRICA: HIV prevention strategy for deployed UK troops: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 8, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 8 August (PLUSNEWS) - British soldiers deployed on training exercises in Africa are being issued with free condoms amid mounting fears of rising HIV/AIDS rates among the troops. The latest prevention measure was instituted after hu
UGANDA: TB rise in north linked to AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 8, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 8 August (PLUSNEWS) - Ugandan health authorities have attributed the rising incidence of tuberculosis (TB) in the northern district of Gulu to HIV/AIDS. According to the area s TB and leprosy supervisor, John Opwonya, a total of 1,
ZIMBABWE: NGOs to discuss restrictions with govt: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 4, 2005; JOHANNESBURG - Nongovernmental organisations in Zimbabwe are expected to meet with senior government officials at the end of August to focus on the immense challenges facing civil rights groups. The meeting is being coordinated by the National Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (NANGO), an umbrella body whos
SOUTH AFRICA: The quiet after the storm: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 4, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] QUEENSTOWN (PLUSNEWS) - Calm has returned to the Frontier hospital in Queenstown, in South Africa s Eastern Cape province, after at least 40 people were injured when police opened fire with rubber bullets and teargas during protests against the
AFRICA: Former US president to launch new world AIDS campaign: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 4, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Former US President Bill Clinton is to launch a new initiative next month to tackle international problems, such as HIV/AIDS and poverty. The annual Clinton Global Initiative will engage world leaders, politicians, busi
NAMIBIA: AIDS tolerance and awareness is orange: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 4, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - In an effort to increase HIV/AIDS awareness and counter stigma against the disease, Namibians are being urged to wear orange coloured armbands after being tested for HIV. Jon Allen of the Social Marketing Association (S
ZAMBIA: Security sector not spared by AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 4, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - HIV/AIDS has not spared Zambia s defence and security sector, according to Peter Mumba, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs. Figures presented to the national security and foreign affairs committee b
SOUTH AFRICA: Grave shortage of burial places: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 4, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - South African officials are concerned that HIV/AIDS and the rapid urbanisation of local cities are overcrowding graveyards. The authorities are being forced to find and set aside new land for cemeteries, and are encoura
ERITREA: World Banks boosts fight against HIV/AIDS, communicable diseases: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 4, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The World Bank this week reinforced its promise to help boost Eritrea s fight against communicable diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Eritrea s Minister of National Development and World Bank officials
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Experts concerned over looming impact of AIDS on IT sector: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 3, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Experts have expressed concern over the possible effects of HIV/AIDS on Southern Africa s information technology (IT) industry, according to ITWEB, a South African-based technology news service. Prof Alan Whiteside of t
UGANDA: Cold reception for HIV beauty contest: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 3, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - A beauty pageant aimed at increasing HIV/AIDS awareness and countering stigma in Uganda has received a cold reception from the government. The Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC) halted the Miss HIV contest, set to take plac
MALAWI: Lands ministry mobilizes against AIDS impact: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 3, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Malawi has launched its first ever campaign to tackle the impact of HIV/AIDS on staff in the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Surveys. According to Lands Minister Bazuka Mhango, the strategy was developed as a result of
MOZAMBIQUE: Private sector anti-AIDS programme launched: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 3, 2005; [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 launched the Avante programme to address the impact of HIV/AIDS on the country s private sector. According to CNCS, the US $2 million initiative is aim
Malawi: Urgent Action Needed to Halt Maternal Mortality: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 2, 2005; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] Although greater efforts have been made to curb malaria and HIV/AIDS in Malawi , not enough is being done to tackle the country s alarming maternal death rate, says a coalition of local NGOs. Maternal mortality stood at 1,800 per 100,000 live b
NAMIBIA: Consultations on national HIV/AIDS policy begin: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 2, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] WINDHOEK (PLUSNEWS) - The Namibian government is drafting its first national policy on HIV/AIDS and hopes to complete it by World AIDS Day on 1 December. At the behest of the government a draft policy was compiled by the AIDS law unit of the Leg
CONGO: Government agrees to allocate more money to fight HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 1, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] BRAZZAVILLE (PLUSNEWS) - The Ministry for Health and Population of the Republic of Congo (ROC) signed an agreement on Saturday allocating 803.62 million francs CFA (US $1.48 million) to support the fight against HIV/AIDS. The money will go to th
AFRICA: Anti-AIDS medication still too expensive - MSF report: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 1, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN (PLUSNEWS) - As the prices of first-line anti-AIDS medication continue to fall, newer antiretrovirals (ARVs) can cost up to 12 times more in sub-Saharan Africa, according to a report by Medecines Sans Frontieres (MSF). Paediatric formulat
AFRICA: MSF reaching HIV-positive kids, despite treatment hurdles: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 1, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The international relief agency, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), is successfully treating an increasing number of HIV-positive children, despite huge gaps in paediatric diagnostic tools and drug formulas. According to D
ZAMBIA: Govt confidence expressed over AIDS MDGs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 1, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Zambian health officials say they are capable of meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) against HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Tuberculosis (TB). The MDGs, set by the UN and adopted by governments in 2000, cover eight majo
SOUTH AFRICA: Condom popularity attributed to rising AIDS awareness: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 1, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The Society for Family Health (SFH), an international NGO, says soaring condom sales in South Africa are the result of heightened HIV/AIDS awareness. SFH has recorded a significant leap in the demand and distribution of
AFRICA: EC adds to Global Fund kitty: Integrated Regional Information Networks - August 1, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The European Commission (EC) on Monday made an additional US $70.3 million donation to the Global Fund to accelerate the fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in developing countries. Louis Michel, the Europe
AFRICA: Continent's AIDS woes sideline other cultural realities: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 29, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 29 July (PLUSNEWS) - The impact of HIV/AIDS in Africa has forced researchers to ignore realities in other regions, including Latin America, activists said at the end of the 3rd International AIDS Conference in Brazi
AFRICA: Britain to double Global Fund annual pledge: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 29, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 29 July (PLUSNEWS) - The UK is to double its annual pledge to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, British international development secretary Hilary Benn said on Friday. Britain already accounts for 20 percent
SOUTHERN AFRICA: ADF finances epidemics control project: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 29, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 29 July (PLUSNEWS) - The African Development Fund (ADF), a concessional window of the African Development Bank, on Thursday approved a US $29 million project to tackle communicable diseases in Southern Africa. It will focus on atta
BOTSWANA: HIV/AIDS prevention accord signed with Brazil: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 29, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 29 July (PLUSNEWS) - During his recent visit to Brazil , Botswana President Festus Mogae signed an agreement with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to combine forces against HIV/AIDS. The two countries have been working toget
MOZAMBIQUE: Economic security is a challenge for ARV patients: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 28, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MAPUTO, 28 July (PLUSNEWS) - Although anti-AIDS drugs have helped thousands of people in Mozambique , hundreds of thousands more still desperately need the life-saving medication but lack the money to continue treatment. When his wife died o
ZIMBABWE: HIV-positive people dispersed in 'cleanup' operation: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 28, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] BULAWAYO, 28 July (PLUSNEWS) - Near a dumpsite on the outskirts of Gwanda, some 130 km south of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe s second city, Mtshumayeli Ndebele, 45, helps his visibly ailing spouse, Sithandekile, draw closer to a smouldering fire. The coup
AFRICA: Outside help encouraged on local science and technology: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 28, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 28 July (PLUSNEWS) - Africa s capacity to harness science and technology needs greater support if it is to successfully address issues such as increased food security and HIV/AIDS, according to John Mugabe, an advisor on science an
AFRICA: Clinton Foundation and China join forces against AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 28, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 28 July (PLUSNEWS) - Former US President Bill Clinton and a Chinese drug firm have signed an agreement that will increase the availability of low-cost anti-AIDS treatments in developing countries. The Clinton Foundation, in coopera
NAMIBIA: Govt reacts on AIDS disability grant reports: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 27, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 27 July (PLUSNEWS) - Namibia has denied allegations that it had scrapped disability grants to people living with HIV/AIDS. Earlier this week a local newspaper, The Namibian, reported that Dr Columbia Shingle, permanent secretary of
AFRICA: UN urges "long-term" perspective on AIDS battle: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 27, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 27 July (PLUSNEWS) - Long-term planning is needed if the global fight against HIV/AIDS is to be successful, UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot has said. Piot was addressing the 3rd International AIDS Conference in
AFRICA: IAS hears of circumcision and AIDS prevention link: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 27, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 27 July (PLUSNEWS) - Circumcision could help protect men against HIV infection, the International AIDS Society (IAS) conference in Brazil has heard. According to Bertrand Auvert of France s National Agency for AIDS Research, a stud
TOGO: Battling men's reticence to have pregnant women tested for HIV: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 26, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] LOME, 26 July (PLUSNEWS) - More than 18 months into a programme to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Togo , half the pregnant women approached are still refusing to be tested for the virus during prenatal consultations, often becaus
ZAMBIA: Govt to complement anti-AIDS drugs rollout with nutrition: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 26, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 26 July (PLUSNEWS) - Zambia says nutrition is to become a part of its free rollout of anti-AIDS treatment. According to Health Minister Brian Chituwo, some 5,000 people on antiretroviral treatment could soon benefit from the suppor
AFRICA: Science alone will not defeat AIDS - IAS officials: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 26, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 26 July (PLUSNEWS) - More than 5,000 doctors and researchers are discussing state-of-the-art advances in HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment at the 3rd International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference on HIV Pathogenesis and Treatment in
SOUTH AFRICA: Men falling through the cracks: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 25, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 25 July (PLUSNEWS) - Most women can testify to the old adage that a good man is hard to find. But finding men who are willing to undergo voluntary HIV counselling and testing (VCT), and support their HIV-positive pregnant partners
NAMIBIA: Health ministry declares social grants to HIV-positive people illegal: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 25, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 25 July (PLUSNEWS) - The Namibian government has made a shock announcement disallowing social or disability grants to HIV-positive people. A local newspaper, The Namibian, reported that the permanent secretary of the health ministr
KENYA: Clinton Foundation gives ARVs to 1,000 more kids: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 25, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG , 25 July (PLUSNEWS) - Former US President Bill Clinton has launched an initiative to double the number of HIV-positive children receiving anti-AIDS drugs in Kenya . An estimated 100,000 children are living with HIV/AIDS, but only 1
RWANDA: Clinton lauds nation's care of people with HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 25, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] KIGALI, 25 July (PLUSNEWS) - Former US President Bill Clinton said on Saturday Rwanda could become a model for how other countries in the world should combat the spread of AIDS in rural areas. We want Rwanda to be a model for the world on how to
SOUTH AFRICA: Prisons in KwaZulu-Natal province to get ARVs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 22, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG , 22 July (PLUSNEWS) - Anti-AIDS medication will soon be made available to prisoners in South Africa s KwaZulu-Natal province after they threatened the government with legal action and hunger strikes. According to the South African
AFRICA: Grave tendency to underestimate impact of HIV/AIDS - new report: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 22, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 22 July (PLUSNEWS) - The HIV/AIDS pandemic is affecting the security of countries by weakening their economies, government structures, military and police forces and other social structures, according to a new report. HIV and Natio
TANZANIA: Clinton asks Zanzibaris to be more open about HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 22, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ZANZIBAR, 22 July (PLUSNEWS) - Former US President Bill Clinton was in Tanzania s island of Zanzibar on Thursday asking people there to break the silence on HIV/AIDS issues. My message to the people of Zanzibar is that they should accept to unde
LIBERIA: Not enough HIV-testing kits to meet demand, government: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 21, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MONROVIA, 21 July (PLUSNEWS) - With health centres reopening across Liberia after 14 years of fighting and AIDS awareness on the rise, Liberia is running out of HIV-testing kits to meet rising demand, according to the government-run National AID
TANZANIA: New anti-AIDS programme unveiled: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 21, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DAR ES SALAAM, 21 July (PLUSNEWS) - Former US President Bill Clinton and the Tanzanian president, Benjamin Mkapa, unveiled a new programme on Wednesday to train local medical workers to administer antiretroviral (ARVs) to people living with HIV/
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Regional research to improve AIDS orphan care: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 21, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 21 July (PLUSNEWS) - A cross-disciplinary research team is developing intervention strategies to care for children and orphans affected by or living with HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa. According to Dr Donald Skinner from South Africa
TANZANIA: Clinton assists with AIDS treatment expansion and training: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 21, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 21 July (PLUSNEWS) - Former US President Bill Clinton on Wednesday launched a health worker training programme in Tanzania to expand anti-AIDS treatment to rural areas. The Benjamin William Mkapa HIV/AIDS Fellows Programme , named
AFRICA: Cheap anti-AIDS drugs up, medical personnel down - Clinton: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 21, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 21 July (PLUSNEWS) - HIV-positive Africans are receiving cheaper anti-AIDS drugs, but countries lack the medical personnel to administer the medication and manage the treatment, former US President Bill Clinton said on Wednesday.
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Researchers urge shift in addressing AIDS-related stigma: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 21, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 21 July (PLUSNEWS) - A new report on AIDS-related stigma in Southern Africa has called for laws that define and protect the rights of HIV-positive people. The recent publication by the Southern African Human Sciences Research Counc
UGANDA: ARV targets achieved ahead of schedule: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 20, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] KAMPALA, 20 July (PLUSNEWS) - Uganda has achieved its targets for the number of HIV-positive people accessing anti-retroviral (ARV) therapy six months earlier than anticipated, officials said on Wednesday. We were supposed to have 60,000 pe
SOUTH AFRICA: Ban on virginity testing raises ire of Zulus: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 20, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 20 July (PLUSNEWS) - Plans by the South African government to outlaw virginity testing for girls and young women have provoked outrage by South Africa s Zulu monarch, King Goodwill Zwelithini. But Teboho Maitse, a member of South A
SOUTH AFRICA: Local manufacture of Efavirenz to start soon: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 20, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 20 July (PLUSNEWS) - South African generic drugmaker Aspen Pharmacare has been awarded a voluntary licence for the manufacture of anti-AIDS drug, Efavirenz . Efavirenz, the generic equivalent of Stocrin by Merck Sharp & Dohme (
LESOTHO: ARV treatment for children slowly becomes available: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 19, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 19 July (PLUSNEWS) - As Lesotho rolls out anti-AIDS drugs to a growing number of people living with HIV/AIDS, the percentage of HIV-positive children on treatment remains disturbingly low. Former US President Bill Clinton was i
UGANDA: High HIV/AIDS levels among fishing communities: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 19, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] KAMPALA, 19 July (PLUSNEWS) - Alarmingly high HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in Ugandan fishing communities are threatening the lucrative fishing industry, which brought some US $105 million into the country in 2004, a new government survey has found
AFRICA: UN peacekeepers need more HIV/AIDS prevention training - new report: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 19, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 19 July (PLUSNEWS) - United Nations peacekeepers still do not have sufficient knowledge or the means to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS, UNAIDS said in a new report. Although more soldiers and UN peacekeepers had been trained in p
SWAZILAND: New monitoring strategy to get to grips with HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 18, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MBABANE, 18 July (PLUSNEWS) - Swaziland has introduced a strategy for monitoring the work of multilateral anti-AIDS organisations and strengthening their response to the pandemic as more HIV/AIDS funds begin flowing to developing countries and p
ZAMBIA: President renews commitment to combat AIDS in second term: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 18, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 18 July (PLUSNEWS) - Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa renewed his commitment to the fight against HIV/AIDS and corruption on Sunday, saying halting new HIV infections would be at the top of his agenda if he were re-elected as Presi
UGANDA: Gays and lesbians sidelined in AIDS campaigns: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 18, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 18 July (PLUSNEWS) - Discrimination against HIV-positive gay men and women is contributing to the spread of HIV/AIDS in Uganda , according to local AIDS activists. Rubaramira Ruranga from the National Guidance and Empowerment Netwo
LESOTHO: Clinton inaugurates AIDS clinic for kids: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 18, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 18 July (PLUSNEWS) - Former US President Bill Clinton dedicated a new paediatric HIV/AIDS clinic at Queen Elizabeth II Hospital in Lesotho s capital, Maseru, on Monday. He is visiting the tiny mountain kingdom as part of a week-lon
SOUTH AFRICA: UNAIDS slams police assault on AIDS activists: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 15, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 15 July (PLUSNEWS) - UNAIDS has said the South African police s use of rubber bullets and teargas against peaceful anti-AIDS demonstrators in the Eastern Cape town of Queenstown earlier this week was unacceptable . At least 40
AFRICA: WHO lauds G8 health boost: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 15, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 15 July (PLUSNEWS) - The World Health Organisation (WHO) has commended the Group of Eight (G8) industrialised nations for their commitment to health in Africa. At the end of their recent annual meeting, G8 leaders agreed on aid for
LIBYA: European financial support for AIDS care and training: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 15, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 15 July (PLUSNEWS) - The European Commission (EC) released US $1.2 million this week to help tackle HIV/AIDS in the Libyan port of Benghazi. The pledge follows talks earlier this year between EC Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner
SOUTH AFRICA: Rural faith-based organisations could play crucial role in countering HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 14, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN, 14 July (PLUSNEWS) - While faith-based organisations (FBOs) and churches in urban areas usually have greater access to financial resources and information on HIV/AIDS, those in South Africa s rural districts often find themselves isolate
AFRICA: Tentative US approval of Glaxo AIDS drug: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 14, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 14 July (PLUSNEWS) - The US Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) on Wednesday announced the tentative approval of a generic version of pharceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline s anti-AIDS drug, Retrovir. Known chemically as zidovudin
TANZANIA: Mrs Bush funds church AIDS initiative: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 14, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 14 July (PLUSNEWS) - US first lady Laura Bush pledged US $500,000 to a Roman Catholic Church programme assisting HIV-positive people and their families in Tanzania on Wednesday. Mrs Bush made the donation to the Pastoral Activities
ZAMBIA: Youth AIDS group calls for NGO probe: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 14, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 14 July (PLUSNEWS) - The Young Christian Network Against HIV/AIDS Association of Zambia (YCNAHAZ) says there is a lack of transparency in the workings of local NGOs. According to the network, organisations running various projects,
AFRICA: Interpol helps combat fake AIDS drugs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 14, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 14 July (PLUSNEWS) - The world police body, Interpol, began a three-day workshop in Ghana s capital, Accra, aimed at deepening cooperation with its counterparts in Africa to fight crime, including the counterfeiting of drugs for ma
SOUTH AFRICA: Govt action urged on AIDS demonstration shooting: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 14, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 14 July (PLUSNEWS) - The international NGO, Human Rights Watch (HRW), has expressed concern over the South African police s use of rubber bullets and teargas against peaceful anti-AIDS demonstrators in the Eastern Cape this week.
SOUTH AFRICA: Mandela calls on youth to safeguard against HIV infection: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 14, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 14 July (PLUSNEWS) - Former South African President Nelson Mandela has urged young people to avoid HIV infection by delaying the onset of sexual activity. Mandela told a gathering at his Johannesburg-based foundation, where he intr
MADAGASCAR: World Bank releases $239 million for development projects: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 13, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 13 July (PLUSNEWS) - The World Bank Board has approved US $239 million in soft loans to help Madagascar reach its development goals, fight HIV/AIDS and stimulate economic growth. Jocelyn Rafidinarivo, the World Bank spokesman in Ma
SOUTH AFRICA: Police fire on protesters demanding treatment for HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 13, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 13 July (PLUSNEWS) - Six months of talks between South African AIDS activists and the Eastern Cape health department over the province s frustratingly slow rollout of anti-AIDS drugs culminated in violence on Tuesday, when 40 membe
AFRICA: Clinton to "reinvigorate" AIDS political will: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 13, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 13 July (PLUSNEWS) - Former US President Bill Clinton is to embark on a week-long, six-nation African tour aimed at boosting the work of his foundation in tackling HIV/AIDS on the continent. According to Ira Magaziner, head of the
SOUTH AFRICA: US first lady discusses AIDS and women: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 13, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 13 July (PLUSNEWS) - During her visit to South Africa this week, US First Lady Laura Bush highlighted the impact of HIV/AIDS on women and young girls. With the latest figures showing that nearly 40 percent of South African women ag
ZAMBIA: Brazilian AIDS drugs ready for shipment: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 13, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 13 July (PLUSNEWS) - Brazil has said it is ready to supply cheap anti-AIDS drugs to African countries, including Zambia . Brazilian Ambassador designate to Zambia, George Neyde Souza Fernandez, told a gathering in Zambia s capital,
MALAWI: Local manufacture of anti-AIDS drugs considered: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 13, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 13 July (PLUSNEWS) - Malawi says it is considering the local production of generic antiretrovirals to ensure an affordable and sustainable supply. According to Malawian Health Minister Hetherwick Ntaba, the stricter patent laws rec
SOUTH AFRICA: Nurses to fill the gaps: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 12, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN, 12 July (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa continues to lose skilled healthcare professionals as it rolls out the national treatment programme, leaving severe shortages in an already overstretched public health system. To alleviate the situat
SOUTH AFRICA: Confusion over new HIV/AIDS stats: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 12, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 12 July (PLUSNEWS) - Alarming new HIV/AIDS figures released by the South African Department of Health are likely to cause confusion over the accuracy of earlier official statistics, experts have said. In its HIV and Syphilis Antena
SOUTH AFRICA: Alarming new AIDS figures: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 12, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 12 July (PLUSNEWS) - Alarming new HIV/AIDS figures released by the South African Department of Health are likely to cause confusion over the accuracy of earlier official statistics, actuaries have said. In its HIV and Syphilis Ante
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS group demands jobs from Northern Cape government: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 12, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 12 July (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s National Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS (NAPWA) are demanding that the Northern Cape government employ HIV-positive people in public hospitals and clinics. We feel government must be
SOUTH AFRICA: Silence over AIDS impact on civil service: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 11, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 11 July (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s Public Servants Association (PSA) says HIV/AIDS is having a negative impact on public service delivery levels, despite government silence around the issue. PSA s deputy general manager, Manie de
AFRICA: HIV/AIDS part of new G8 agreement: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 11, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 11 July (PLUSNEWS) - The Group of Eight (G8) industrialised nations have decided on an immediate doubling of aid to Africa to allow the continent to tackle poverty and disease. At the end of their annual meeting on Friday, G8 leade
SOUTH AFRICA: Kinsey-like sex survey planned: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 11, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 11 July (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s leading AIDS management firm, Calibre Clinical Consultants, is to conduct the largest sexual behaviour survey ever undertaken in the country. The company hopes the research will equal the famous
UGANDA: AIDS wipe-out predicted for fishing villages: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 8, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 8 July (PLUSNEWS) - Uganda s Ministry of Agriculture says HIV/AIDS is threatening total annihilation of the country s fishing industry. The local New Vision newspaper quoted the Commissioner of Fisheries, Dick Nyeko, as saying: Th
AFRICA: US gives AIDS NGOs ultimatum on funding: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 8, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 8 July (PLUSNEWS) - A new US directive requires NGOs receiving government funding for HIV/AIDS programmes in developing countries to pledge their opposition to sex trafficking and commercial sex work. However, critics say the US st
AFRICA: HIV testing urged to tackle AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 8, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 8 July (PLUSNEWS) - Global Business Coalition chief, Richard Holbrooke, says the best way to tackle HIV/AIDS is for people to know their HIV status. The South African Press Association quoted Holbrooke as saying: It is frightening
SOUTH AFRICA: Slow monitoring and testing procedures hamper ARV access: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 8, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN, 8 July (PLUSNEWS) - Access to antiretroviral (ARV) treatment in South Africa s KwaZulu-Natal province is being hampered by long delays in tests required for HIV/AIDS monitoring. Some of the province s hospitals and clinics wait up to six
SOUTH AFRICA: Ritual circumcision likely contributing to HIV spread: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 7, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 7 July (PLUSNEWS) - South African medical experts are concerned that the repeated use of unsterilised blades in the ritual circumcision of adolescent boys might be spreading HIV. The practice, which is performed without anaesthesia
ZIMBABWE: Forced evictions could aggravate disease - health experts: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 6, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 6 July (PLUSNEWS) - The Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR) is concerned that an ongoing government crackdown on informal settlements and markets is likely to aggravate disease. Of particular concern to ZAD
AFRICA: AIDS still a top US priority - Bush: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 6, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 6 July (PLUSNEWS) - In a message coinciding with the opening of the annual G8 summit this week, US President George W. Bush stressed HIV/AIDS in Africa remained a top priority of the United States . In a Voice of America ra
AFRICA: Italian AIDS vaccine trials to include Africa: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 6, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 6 July (PLUSNEWS) - Italy says it plans to expand its second round of AIDS vaccine research to parts of Africa, after a successful first round conducted between November 2003 and 2004. Researchers at Italy s National Health Institu
CONGO: HIV-positive couple marry, making history: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 5, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] BRAZZAVILLE, 5 July (PLUSNEWS) - For the first time in the history of Congo, a two people who admit openly that they are living with HIV-AIDS have married. They tied the knot at a sumptuous ceremony last weekend aimed at celebrating their union
BURKINA FASO: Government aims to put 30,000 on ARVs by 2010: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 5, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] OUAGADOUGOU, 5 July (PLUSNEWS) - The government of Burkina Faso has announced plans to double the number of people living with AIDS on subsidised antiretroviral (ARV) treatment to 10,000 by the end of this year and increase the number of people
BOTSWANA: The ABC of Masturbation: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 5, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] GABORONE, 5 July (PLUSNEWS) - A youth NGO in Botswana has launched a campaign offering young Batswana another option in preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS: masturbation. The Youth Health Organisation (YOHO) in the capital, Gaborone, and the secon
ZAMBIA: Paediatric AIDS treatment numbers still low: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 5, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 5 July (PLUSNEWS) - The UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) expressed concern this week over the poor availability of anti-AIDS medication for HIV-positive children in Zambia . According to UNICEF Resident Representative Dr Stella Goings,
SOUTH AFRICA: Male virginity testing urged in AIDS battle: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 5, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 5 July (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s Zulu monarch King Goodwill Zwelithini is pushing for the virginity testing of males in an effort to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, according to a local newspaper, the Daily News. However, the kin
SOUTH AFRICA: New action plan to assist OVC underway: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 4, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN, 4 July (PLUSNEWS) - As a growing number of children orphaned by HIV/AIDS seek assistance from the state, South Africa s social development department has begun drawing up a plan to address their needs. An estimated one million children h
AFRICA: Australia ups its Global Fund contributions: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 4, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 4 July (PLUSNEWS) - Australia announced a further contribution of US $5 million this week to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The pledge was made by Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alexander Downer,
AFRICA: G8 urged to focus on world's children: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 4, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 4 July (PLUSNEWS) - G8 nations must seize the unprecedented opportunity of their upcoming summit this week to also consider the needs of the world s children, the UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) has said in a statement. UNICEF Executiv
RWANDA: Specific care and treatment urged for orphans: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 4, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 4 July (PLUSNEWS) - The UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) says HIV/AIDS has contributed to a large proportion of Rwanda s orphans. Keith Bintou, the UNICEF Resident Representative, urged a recent workshop in the capital, Kigali, to roll
AFRICA: UN elects Thailand to assist in combating AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 4, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 4 July (PLUSNEWS) - The UN Development Programme launched an initiative at a recent meeting in Nairobi, Kenya , to foster partnerships between Thailand and Africa in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Thailand is one of the first coun
SOUTHERN AFRICA: HIV/AIDS, hunger a security threat, WFP warns: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 1, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 1 July (PLUSNEWS) - World Food Programme (WFP) executive director James T. Morris has warned that the triple threat of chronic hunger, the impact of HIV/AIDS and weakened government capacity could lead to instability in Africa, but
AFRICA: UNAIDS suggests new mechanisms for making AIDS money work: Integrated Regional Information Networks - July 1, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 1 July (PLUSNEWS) - The UNAIDS governing board issued recommendations on Thursday to streamline the work of multilateral anti-AIDS organisations and strengthen the public health response of national bodies in developing countries.
SOUTH AFRICA: Slowly closing the treatment gap: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 30, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN, 30 June (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa is falling short of the AIDS treatment targets set by the World Health Organisation (WHO) 3 by 5 campaign, according to a new report. The report, which covered progress on the initiative to place three m
AFRICA: MSF urges UN and G8 AIDS drug action: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 30, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 30 June (PLUSNEWS) - The international medical NGO, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), is urging G8 nations and the UN to push for speedy delivery of the cheapest and latest anti-AIDS drugs to developing countries. MSF stressed that t
AFRICA: Japan pledges additional funds for global infectious diseases: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 30, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 30 June (PLUSNEWS) - Japan s Prime Minister, Junichiro Koizumi, said on Thursday his country would pledge an additional US $500 million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Koizumi s announcement was made ahe
AFRICA: Stephen Lewis reacts to WHO AIDS treatment progress update: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 30, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 30 June (PLUSNEWS) - The UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, Stephen Lewis, on Thursday defended the World Health Organisation (WHO) after a recent progress report revealed that only 1 million people were currently receiving a
AFRICA: World Bank warns of AIDS threat to continent's progress: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 30, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 30 June (PLUSNEWS) - The World Bank has urged greater attention to Africa s needs as HIV/AIDS threatens the economic progress made in recent years. According to the international lending institution, sub-Saharan Africa s estimated
AFRICA: Global Fund continues rapid expansion of treatment: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 30, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 30 June (PLUSNEWS) - Programmes financed by the Global Fund are rapidly expanding treatment and services for HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB) and malaria. The South African government news agency, BuaNews, quoted the Fund as saying, Th
AFRICA: Slow progress in ARV rollout says new WHO, UNAIDS report: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 29, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 29 June (PLUSNEWS) - With just six months to go before the end of the year, it seems unlikely that the World Health Organisation s (WHO) campaign to put three million people in the developing world on anti-AIDS drugs by the end of
AFRICA: AIDS threatens to "overwhelm" Muslim nations - study: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 29, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 29 June (PLUSNEWS) - A new report by the National Bureau of Asian Research, a think-tank based in Seattle in the US, suggests that HIV/AIDS is threatening to overwhelm many predominantly Muslim nations while their leaders remain i
AFRICA: Gates boosts health research for developing countries: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 29, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 29 June (PLUSNEWS) - The Bill Gates Foundation has awarded 43 grants totalling US $430 million to research projects covering the development of vaccines for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in developing countries. In a statement
AFRICA: US meets global AIDS targets but urges more action: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 29, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 29 June (PLUSNEWS) - The US says it has met its AIDS treatment goal in Africa, but urges nations to do more to help the World Health Organisation (WHO) realise its own treatment targets. WHO plans to have three million people in th
SOUTH AFRICA: HIV-positive patient information system planned: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 29, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 29 June (PLUSNEWS) - The South African government has announced plans to develop an information system for keeping records of the people enrolled in its anti-AIDS treatment programme. Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang told r
AFRICA: Anti-AIDS drugs effective against malaria: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 28, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 28 June (PLUSNEWS) - Researchers at the University of Queensland in Australia have discovered that protease inhibitors , a class of anti-AIDS drugs, are also effective against the parasite that causes malaria.
MALAWI: US considers extending its AIDS relief: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 28, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 28 June (PLUSNEWS) - Malawi is one of five additional countries to be considered for funding next year by the US President s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a $15 billion anti-AIDS programme launched by President George W
SOUTH AFRICA: Ambush theatre - a new weapon in the fight against HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 27, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 27 June (PLUSNEWS) - As hundreds of rush hour commuters surge over the bridge towards the minibus-taxi rank at Oakmoor railway station in the Johannesburg township of Tembisa, the sound of raised voices and signs of an impending sc
AFRICA: UK NGO to expand AIDS initiative: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 27, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 27 June (PLUSNEWS) - Comic Relief, a UK-based NGO, is to use more than US $1.8 million to expand a Ugandan anti-AIDS programme to other parts of Africa. In the Ugandan capital, Kampala, Comic Relief s director of international gran
ZIMBABWE: "Operation Restore Order" threatens anti-AIDS efforts - UNICEF: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 27, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 27 June (PLUSNEWS) - The United Nations Children s Fund (UNICEF) has warned that the forced eviction of informal settlers in Zimbabwe is likely to undermine anti-AIDS efforts. A government crackdown on informal settlements and mark
AFRICA: Drug giant to establish paediatric AIDS corps: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 27, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 27 June (PLUSNEWS) - A new programme by drug giant Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) and the Baylor College of Medicine in the US will provide medical care to African children living with HIV/AIDS. The collaboration, announced on Monday,
SOUTH AFRICA: Youth AIDS activists march to township: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 27, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 27 June (PLUSNEWS) - The youth section of the South African AIDS lobby group, Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), took its HIV awareness campaign to the streets of Khayelitsha township in the Western Cape province on Saturday. TAC s
LESOTHO: New bill gives children comprehensive protection: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 24, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 24 June (PLUSNEWS) - Parliamentarians in Lesotho are deliberating on a new bill that will protect orphans and vulnerable children (OVC). According to the UN Children s Fund (UNICEF), more than 70 people die from AIDS-related illnes
UGANDA: South African produced AIDS drugs rejected: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 24, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 24 June (PLUSNEWS) - Uganda has barred the import of South African-made generic antiretroviral drugs, despite their approval by US regulators. The east African country says it will not accept the drugs until they are tested and app
AFRICA: AIDS pioneer addresses African business summit: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 24, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 24 June (PLUSNEWS) - Drugs alone will not help Africa beat AIDS, Professor Robert Gallo, the co-discoverer of the HI virus told the African Business Summit in Baltimore, US, on Thursday. Gallo pointed out that merely providing drug
UGANDA: Role of circumcision in HIV prevention under microscope: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 24, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 24 June (PLUSNEWS) - US researchers are studying thousands of Ugandan men to investigate whether male circumcision could help protect the respondents against contracting HIV. According to BBC World Service, about 3,000 HIV-negative
AFRICA: Billions of AIDS dollars needed - UNAIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 23, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 23 June (PLUSNEWS) - UNAIDS estimates that more than US $20 billion will be required to tackle HIV/AIDS in developing nations over the next three years. The executive director, Peter Piot, said although the agency had succeeded in
AFRICA: HIV-positive religious leaders tackle stigma: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 23, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 23 June (PLUSNEWS) - HIV-positive African religious leaders this week mooted public disclosure of their condition as an effective means of tackling AIDS-related stigma. Anglican vicar Jape Heath told at a gathering of clergymen fro
AFRICA: AIDS to feature in US first lady's visit: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 23, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 23 June (PLUSNEWS) - US First Lady Laura Bush is expected to highlight the impact of HIV/AIDS on Africa during her visit to the continent next month, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said this week. Agence France-Presse quoted
LIBERIA: HIV help at back of queue in war-battered north-east: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 22, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ZWEDRU, 22 June (PLUSNEWS) - When doctors testing blood in this remote town in north-eastern Liberia discover that a donor is HIV-positive, they keep the information to themselves. There is nothing else they can do. Probably about two out o
LESOTHO: Numbers of people in need increasing, WFP/FAO: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 22, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 22 June (PLUSNEWS) - Declining agricultural production and incomes have combined with HIV/AIDS to undermine the ability of Lesotho s poor to cope with external shocks such as drought, said a joint World Food Programme and Food and
AFRICA: Drug giant joins search for AIDS vaccine: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 22, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 22 June (PLUSNEWS) - Multinational drug manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has joined the search for an HIV vaccine, with a promise to make an effective product affordable to developing nations. The company announced on Tuesday
SOUTH AFRICA: Call to end polygamy angers traditional leaders: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 22, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 22 June (PLUSNEWS) - Traditional leaders in South Africa s Eastern Cape province are set on preserving polygamy, despite growing evidence that the practice helps fuel the spread of HIV. The provincial chairman of the Congress of Na
SOUTH AFRICA: Diamond giant gives AIDS assistance to villagers: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 22, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 22 June (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s diamond mining giant, De Beers, intends to provide nutritional support and HIV prevention information to villages in the northern province of Limpopo, as part of its ongoing AIDS workplace progra
AFRICA: Poor AIDS action "sad and unfortunate" - ILO: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 22, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 22 June (PLUSNEWS) - The International Labour Organisation (ILO) says not enough is being done to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS on Africa s workforce. At the recent ILO International Labour Conference in Geneva, director-general
MALAWI: New child welfare plan gives stakeholders common platform: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 21, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] LILONGWE, 21 June (PLUSNEWS) - Malawi has launched a comprehensive welfare plan to mitigate the impact of poverty and HIV/AIDS on its estimated one million orphans. The National Plan of Action (NPA) for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC), lau
SOUTH AFRICA: Challenging stigma by living positively with HIV: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 21, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 21 June (PLUSNEWS) - In the face of widespread stigma around HIV/AIDS, few people have the courage to go public about their status, but one such person is Mampho Leoma, 28, a mother of two from Mapetla, in the Johannesburg township
UGANDA: AIDS and conflict fuels Kasese orphan numbers: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 21, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 21 June (PLUSNEWS) - Officials in northern Uganda s Kasese district have attributed the high number of orphans in the area to HIV/AIDS and conflict. According to the District Probation and Welfare Officer, Thembo Mbauta, more than
AFRICA: Japan AIDS pledge planned for G8 summit: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 21, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 21 June (PLUSNEWS) - Japan says it will commit US $5 billion to help Africa tackle infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and malaria over the next five years. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi recently said that although European cou
RWANDA: AIDS campaign launched in schools and universities: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 21, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 21 June (PLUSNEWS) - Rwanda s ministry of education has launched a new six-month campaign to tackle HIV/AIDS in schools and universities. Education minister Romain Murenzi said the initiative aimed to develop new ways of raising HI
ZAMBIA: Debt relief to fuel AIDS battle: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 21, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 21 June (PLUSNEWS) - Debt relief by the Group of Eight (G8) industrialised nations will allow Zambia to use millions of dollars to provide free anti-AIDS drugs to HIV-positive people by the end of the year. The government recen
SOUTHERN AFRICA: New approach to aid required, says report: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 20, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 20 June (PLUSNEWS) - Development gains made during the 1980s and 1990s in Southern Africa are being rapidly reversed by the triple threat of HIV/AIDS, erratic weather and weakened government capacity, requiring a new approach to hu
SOUTH AFRICA: Disability grant cutoff threatens livelihoods: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 20, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN, 20 June (PLUSNEWS) - As the number of South Africans accessing antiretroviral (ARV) treatment steadily increases, AIDS researchers and activists are concerned that the government s drug rollout programme could have some unexpected social
SOUTH AFRICA: Health minister criticised on anti-AIDS concoction: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 20, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 20 June (PLUSNEWS) - South African Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang s claim that a mixture of olive oil, lemon, beetroot and garlic can treat HIV/AIDS has come under fire by former president Mandela s family physician.
AFRICA: Pope maintains Church's stance on abstinence: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 20, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 20 June (PLUSNEWS) - Pope Benedict XVI told African bishops during a recent meeting in Rome that abstinence is the only fail-safe way to prevent the spread of HIV. The pontiff reiterated the Church s teachings by urging fidelity in
AFRICA: Anti-AIDS strategies must continue during vaccine search - expert: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 20, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 20 June (PLUSNEWS) - Pioneering AIDS researcher Prof Robert Gallo says the search for an HIV vaccine should not detract from existing anti-AIDS strategies. He was hopeful that an effective vaccine would be available within a decade
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Young people at greater risk of HIV infection: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 17, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN, 17 June (PLUSNEWS) - An increasing number of NGOs in South Africa are finding it difficult to formulate appropriate HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns specifically targeting the youth, who account for more than half the new infection each year
TANZANIA: Free ARVs for 100,000 by 2006, prime minister says: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 17, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DAR ES SALAAM, 17 June (PLUSNEWS) - At least 100,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in Tanzania will receive antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) free of charge by the end of 2006, Prime Minister Frederick Sumaye announced on Thursday. The target is to
AFRICA: France to increase Global AIDS Fund pledge: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 17, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 17 June (PLUSNEWS) - The Global AIDS Fund on Thursday welcomed France s plans to significantly boost its contributions over the next two years. French President Jacques Chirac announced a pledge to the Fund of just over US $360 mil
AFRICA: Annual cost of AIDS orphans revealed: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 17, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 17 June (PLUSNEWS) - Some US $1 billion is needed annually to address the needs of AIDS orphans in Africa, UN and African Union (AU) officials said on Thursday, the Day of the African Child . According to the UN Children s Fund (UN
MOZAMBIQUE: Canada backs UN AIDS orphan support programme: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 17, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 17 June (PLUSNEWS) - The Canadian government is to grant the UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) US $1 million to assist AIDS orphans and vulnerable children in Mozambique . UNICEF Resident Representative Leila Pakkala told the local news
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Red Cross launches AIDS orphan campaign: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 16, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 16 June (PLUSNEWS) - The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) launched a campaign on Wednesday to support orphans and children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS in southern Africa. IFRC spokeswoman Jenn
AFRICA: US on track with global AIDS treatment: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 16, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 16 June (PLUSNEWS) - The US President s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is exceeding its treatment target of providing free anti-AIDS treatment to two million people in developing countries over five years. PEPFAR is a $15
ZAMBIA: Free US child AIDS treatment on the cards: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 16, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 16 June (PLUSNEWS) - HIV-positive Zambian children are to benefit from former US President Bill Clinton s one-year plan to treat over 10,000 African toddlers with free anti-AIDS drugs. A team of experts from the Clinton Foundation
NIGERIA: Notable rise in AIDS orphans - UNICEF: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 16, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 16 June (PLUSNEWS) - HIV/AIDS is set to fuel a notable increase in Nigeria s orphan numbers, the UN Children Fund (UNICEF) warned on Thursday in a statement to mark the Day of the African Child . According to an assessment of orpha
SOUTH AFRICA: Military makes headway against HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 16, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN, 16 June (PLUSNEWS) - Members of the South African military have to undergo mandatory HIV-testing to qualify for deployment on international peace missions, and if found to be infected with the HI virus are denied deployment. HIV-tests ar
MOZAMBIQUE: HIV/AIDS-affected children need more assistance: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 16, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MAPUTO, 16 June (PLUSNEWS) - Non-governmental organisations in Mozambique are concerned that not enough is being done to assist the escalating number of children infected and affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. More than one million Mozambica
ANGOLA: Plight of children still desperate, UNICEF head: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 15, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 15 June (PLUSNEWS) - Angola still has one of the highest rates of child mortality in the world, says UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) Country Representative, Mario Ferrari, and challenges relating to children remain huge. Three year
COTE D IVOIRE: MSF launches AIDS treatment programme in conflict hotspots: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 15, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ABIDJAN, 15 June (PLUSNEWS) - Medecins Sans Frontieres(MSF) has announced plans to start a treatment programme for people living with AIDS on both sides of the frontline in the volatile west of Cote d Ivoire . Martin Sloot, the head of MS
SWAZILAND: Changing face of home-based hospice care: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 15, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MBABANE, 15 June (PLUSNEWS) - AIDS has accelerated the death rate in Swaziland , causing home-based hospice care to expand into an entire support system for affected families. People now come to us as a resource to go for help when they have a t
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Community-based groups need more support to help OVC: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 15, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 15 June (PLUSNEWS) - Community initiatives to support orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in Southern Africa need more funds and technical support, according to new research. The study conducted by the British NGO, Save the Child
UGANDA: Back condom use, Museveni urges Catholic leaders: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 15, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] KAMPALA, 15 June (PLUSNEWS) - Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has called on the Catholic Church to drop its opposition to the use of condoms as they are one of the primary ways of fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS. If the church is really intere
AFRICA: Senior UN official revisits impact of AIDS on women: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 15, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 15 June (PLUSNEWS) - The UN Special Envoy for AIDS in Africa, Stephen Lewis, has warned that married women in sub-Saharan Africa are more susceptible to HIV infection than sexually active single women. Lewis recently told students
ZIMBABWE: Drop in AIDS numbers: [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 15 June (PLUSNEWS) - The findings of a new government survey show that Zimbabwe s HIV prevalence rate is lower than was previously thought. Research conducted over 18 months by the country s health ministry, UNAID
AFRICA: Safe blood access still a major concern - WHO: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 15, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 15 June (PLUSNEWS) - The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Tuesday that eight out of 10 people across the globe had limited access to safe blood, but the chances of receiving a safe blood transfusion - or any blood transfusio
MOZAMBIQUE: UNICEF urges greater AIDS action: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 15, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 15 June (PLUSNEWS) - The UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) has expressed concern over the impact of HIV/AIDS on the Mozambican youth, ahead of celebrations to mark the Day of the African Child on 16 June. UNICEF Resident Representative L
BENIN: Experts throw doubt over HIV prevalence figures that show 50 percent drop: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 14, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] COTONOU, 14 June (PLUSNEWS) - A newly published official survey of AIDS in Benin has revealed an HIV prevalance rate of 2.0 percent, less than half the infection rate of 4.1 percent which had previously been reported. However experts warned
SOUTH AFRICA: Nevirapine still most readily available method of PMTCT: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 14, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 14 June (PLUSNEWS) - Since the implementation of prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programmes in South Africa , the chances of bearing a healthy child have improved greatly for most HIV-positive mothers. Only 1
SOUTH AFRICA: Fear of stigma still prevents disclosure: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 13, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 13 June (PLUSNEWS) - [All names have been changed] Zeni s baby arrived prematurely while she was visiting her mother in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa and was rushed to the nearby Edendale Hospital. She had been sch
NIGERIA: Patient fees preventing access to AIDS drugs, activists: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 13, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] LAGOS, 13 June (PLUSNEWS) - Patient fees are deterring poverty-stricken Nigerians from participating in a government-subsidised scheme to provide HIV/AIDS medication, according to a coalition campaigning for free access to the life prolonging dr
ANGOLA-LESOTHO: Food aid cuts loom due to lack of funds: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 13, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 13 June (PLUSNEWS) - Much-needed food aid distributions in Angola and Lesotho have had to be cut back due to a lack of funds, according to the World Food Programme (WFP). Manuel Cristovao, WFP s spokesman in Angola, told PlusNe
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS conference fails to live up to its theme of 'Unity and Accountability': Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 10, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN, 10 June (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s second national AIDS conference ended with a televised speech by former South African president Nelson Mandela, in which he reminded delegates of the great strides the country has made since the last n
SOUTH AFRICA: Children lack access to HIV testing and treatment: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 10, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN, 10 June (PLUSNEWS) - Just five percent of South Africa s HIV-positive children - around 3,000 of the 60,000 in need of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs - are currently receiving them; the rest are still waiting to access the free treatment.
SOUTH AFRICA: Inadequate counselling stymies PMTCT: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 10, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN, 10 June (PLUSNEWS) - The poor counselling offered to HIV-positive pregnant women is limiting the effectiveness of the government s programme to reduce mother-to-child transmission of the HI-virus. Counsellors failed to communicate all th
SOUTH AFRICA: Low marks for government AIDS drug rollout: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 10, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN, 10 June (PLUSNEWS) - The South African AIDS lobby group, Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), has urged the government to treat at least 200,000 adults and children by 2006. During the 2nd national AIDS conference in Durban this week, the TA
SOUTH AFRICA: Impact of HIV/AIDS on women raised at national conference: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 9, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN, 9 June (PLUSNEWS) - South African Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang this week urged the public to focus on diseases other than HIV/AIDS, and reiterated her view that antiretroviral drugs were not the only answer to tackling the AI
SOUTH AFRICA: Business response to HIV/AIDS draws mixed reaction: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 9, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN, 9 June (PLUSNEWS) - Delegates at the South African AIDS conference in the port city of Durban heard mixed views from experts on Wednesday as to where business was heading in terms of addressing HIV/AIDS in the workplace. During the Afric
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS conference warned to scale up efforts: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 8, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN, 8 June (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic still leaves much to be desired, delegates heard on Wednesday at the 2nd South African AIDS Conference in Durban. Speaking during a plenary session, chairman of the Ang
MALAWI: Drought, HIV/AIDS weak economy undermine food security: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 8, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] BLANTYRE, 8 June (PLUSNEWS) - The impacts of drought, HIV/AIDS and a weak economy have combined to undermine already vulnerable households in Malawi s rural areas. James Morris, the UN Secretary-General s Special Envoy for Humanitarian Needs in
SOUTH AFRICA: Provision of ARVs in prisons "a challenge": Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 8, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN, 8 June (PLUSNEWS) - The South African department of correctional services and the health department are discussing the provision of antiretroviral (ARV) treatment in the prison system. At present HIV-positive prisoners needing ARVs are d
SOUTH AFRICA: Majority of AIDS deaths misclassified: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 8, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN, 8 June (PLUSNEWS) - Only twelve percent of all HIV/AIDS deaths were reported as such in South Africa , announced Dr Pam Groenewald, a senior scientist at the Medical Research Council (MRC), during the 2nd South African AIDS Conference in
AFRICA: Most foreign aid not in line with global AIDS fight: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 8, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG , 8 June (PLUSNEWS) - The UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, Stephen Lewis, has called the fact that funding from Western countries was not keeping up with the AIDS crisis in Africa shameful . At a recent meeting of the Public
SOUTH AFRICA: Developmental gains reduced by HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 8, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN, 8 June (PLUSNEWS) - The South African Department of Social Development has announced that the HIV/AIDS pandemic holds serious social development implications for the country. Dr. Connie Kganakga, the department s chief director of HIV/AI
SOUTH AFRICA: Health Minister recommends "holistic" approach to AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 8, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN, 8 June (PLUSNEWS) - South African health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang has accused critics of failing to understand the strategies used by government to address the country s HIV/AIDS pandemic. On Tuesday, the opening day of the four
SOUTH AFRICA: Racial profiling of donor blood to be eliminated: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 8, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 8 June (PLUSNEWS) - The South African National Blood Service (SANBS) has procured equipment which excludes racial profiling from its blood testing methods and now tests for HIV, and Hepatitis B and C. When it was revealed late last
SOUTH AFRICA: National AIDS conference opens: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 7, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN, 7 June (PLUSNEWS) - Delegates attending South Africa s second AIDS conference are expected to confront the challenges facing the country as it pushes ahead with its treatment programme. More than 4,000 AIDS researchers, activists and pol
SOUTH AFRICA: PEPFAR under the spotlight at national AIDS conference: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 7, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN, 7 June (PLUSNEWS) - The United States government made their presence felt at South Africa s second AIDS conference on Tuesday with a delegation led by US Ambassador to South Africa Jendayi Frazer presenting an overview of the local US re
SOUTH AFRICA: HIV-positive men come to terms with their status: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 7, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 7 June (PLUSNEWS) - [Names of people in this article have been changed] In the sprawling township of Soweto, adjoining South Africa s economic hub, Johannesburg, HIV-positive men are being forced to confront male stereotypes and de
UGANDA: Anti-AIDS programmes running out of funds: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 7, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 7 June (PLUSNEWS) - The Ugandan Health Minister, Jim Muhwezi, has urged his government to allocate more money to programmes tackling HIV/AIDS. Referring to the available funds as a drop in the ocean , the minister warned that most
SOUTH AFRICA: HIV-positive children reach out to their peers in a new book: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 6, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN, 6 June (PLUSNEWS) - South African children will soon be able to learn about HIV/AIDS from a book written by their HIV-positive peers. Two NGOs in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province are working on an as yet untitled publication, in which childr
ZIMBABWE: New plan to coordinate OVC programmes: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 6, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] HARARE, 6 June (PLUSNEWS) - More than a million Zimbabwean orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) are set to benefit from an ambitious National Plan of Action (NPA) endorsed by the government. Vulnerable children are defined by the NPA as girls a
AFRICA: First ladies to work together against HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 6, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] KIGALI, 6 June (PLUSNEWS) - First ladies from the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) met in a roundtable on Friday and agreed to pool their efforts in the fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the region. [We,] the first lad
ZAMBIA: Italy pledges more anti-AIDS support: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 6, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 6 June (PLUSNEWS) - Italy has confirmed its continued support of Zambia s battle against HIV/AIDS. The Italian ambassador to Zambia, Tullio Guma, named the country as one of the beneficiaries of more than US $7 million his governme
MALI: Defining a national care plan for kids at risk: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 3, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] BAMAKO, 3 June (PLUSNEWS) - Noumousso Mariko found the little girl outside her door one morning in 2000 when she was leaving for the office. The child was seven years old, orphaned, and HIV-positive, and her aunt had decided to abandon her there
ZAMBIA: HIV/AIDS affecting quality of education: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 2, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 2 June (PLUSNEWS) - HIV/AIDS is having an impact on teacher absenteeism in Zambia , which in turn is affecting the quality of education, according to a new World Bank study. Teacher Shocks and Student Learning: Evidence from Zambia
GLOBAL: Concrete action by governments needed to contain HIV/AIDS - UN: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 2, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 2 June (PLUSNEWS) - Despite encouraging signs that HIV/AIDS is beginning to be contained in a small but growing number of countries, the epidemic continues to expand worldwide, according to a report released by UN Secretary-General
AFRICA: Generic ARV gets tentative approval from FDA: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 2, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 2 June (PLUSNEWS) - Indian pharmaceutical company Ranbaxy has received tentative approval from the US Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) for its generic version of an antiretroviral (ARV) drug.
AFRICA: HIV/AIDS is devastating the world's youth: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 2, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 2 June (PLUSNEWS) - HIV/AIDS is devastating the world s youth, with some 5,000 people aged 15 to 24 infected each day, a United Nations (UN) report has found. Written by young people and launched on Thursday in New York, the report
SOUTHERN AFRICA: New research questions link between food crisis and AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 1, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 1 June (PLUSNEWS) - The link between HIV/AIDS and hunger in rural communities has received a great deal of attention in Southern Africa, where HIV/AIDS seems to have added a new dimension to the region s four-year-long food crisis.
ZAMBIA: Call for more attention to be paid to HIV/AIDS in prisons: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 1, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 1 June (PLUSNEWS) - Zambia s government can no longer afford to ignore the growing problem of HIV/AIDS in prisons, a visiting Canadian activist has warned. During a workshop on HIV/AIDS in Prisons , held in Lusaka this week, Ralph
SOUTH AFRICA: Indian caseload overtakes South Africa's - new report: Integrated Regional Information Networks - June 1, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 1 June (PLUSNEWS) - New figures from South Africa s official statistics agency show an estimated 4.5 million people are living with HIV/AIDS, making India the country with the highest HIV/AIDS caseload. Statistics South Africa
AFRICA: AIDS vaccine handbook released for general public: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 31, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 31 May (PLUSNEWS) - The AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition (AVAC), a US-based NGO, has released a new publication to help the general public understand why an effective vaccine for the disease has been elusive. AVAC says its recently
MOZAMBIQUE: African leaders meet with experts on AIDS gel: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 31, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 31 May (PLUSNEWS) - African leaders and international health experts met in the Mozambican capital, Maputo, this week to discuss ongoing efforts to develop a gel that protects women against HIV infection. Former Mozambican first la
AFRICA: AIDS group urges protection of women during conflict: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 31, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 31 May (PLUSNEWS) - The Society for Women Against AIDS in Africa (SWAA) says the UN and governments must do more to ensure that the rights of women and girls in conflict situations are safeguarded. To mark the recent International
SOUTH AFRICA: HIV-positive people more suicidal - study: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 31, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 31 May (PLUSNEWS) - South Africans living with HIV/AIDS are 36 times more likely to commit suicide than the general population, according to a researcher from the Nelson Mandela School of Medicine. The Star newspaper quoted Profess
ZAMBIA: Community group project funds ARVs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 30, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] LUSAKA, 30 May (PLUSNEWS) - A group of HIV positive people in Solwezi, the administrative capital of Zambia s Northwestern province, is helping its members access antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) with the proceeds from its income-generating activitie
TANZANIA: Local firm to produce ARVs starting next year: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 30, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DAR ES SALAAM, 30 May (PLUSNEWS) - A local Tanzania pharmaceutical company will begin producing generic antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) in mid-2006 from a factory in the northern town of Arusha, an official with the firm announced on Monday. We
TOGO: UN agencies working to locate HIV patients displaced by post election violence: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 30, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] LOME, 30 May (PLUSNEWS) - Post-election violence has forced tens of thousands of Togolese to flee their homes, some of whom are living with AIDS and no longer have access to life prolonging anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment, the UN children s agen
TOGO: UN works to locate displaced HIV-positive people: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 30, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 30 May (PLUSNEWS) - The UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) has expressed concern over the HIV-positive people among the tens of thousands fleeing their homes as a result of post-election violence in Togo . The agency fears that the
ZAMBIA: Company educates public on HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 30, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 30 May (PLUSNEWS) - A Zambian firm, Asset Holding Company-Municipal Mining Services (AHC-MMS), is educating thousands of local people on how to deal with the impact of HIV/AIDS. AHC-MMS public relations officer Grace Mikunga said t
MALAWI: Concern over AIDS treatment delays: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 30, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 30 May (PLUSNEWS) - Malawians needing anti-AIDS treatment have been placed on waiting lists due to the government s drug rollout plan being plagued by delays. Although the national treatment programme was implemented more than 10 y
SOUTH AFRICA: HIV/AIDS to feature in Mbeki's US visit: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 30, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 30 May (PLUSNEWS) - HIV/AIDS is among the issues that will feature prominently in a meeting later this week between South African President Thabo Mbeki and US President George W Bush. Bush invited Mbeki for talks at the White House
UGANDA: Thousands to benefit from AIDS drug procurement: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 30, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 30 May (PLUSNEWS) - Tens of thousands of HIV-positive people are to benefit from Uganda s recent procurement of US $7.2 million worth of anti-AIDS drugs. Dr Tiberius Muhebwa, the resident director of the Global AIDS Fund, said the
MALAWI: Top UN officials see for themselves: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 27, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MALEMIA, 27 May (PLUSNEWS) - The remote village of Malemia, in drought-stricken southern Malawi , had never seen anything quite like it as a convoy of vehicles, accompanied by a police escort with sirens wailing, arrived in a cloud of dust.
SOUTH AFRICA: Deputy president defends anti-AIDS drugs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 27, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 27 May (PLUSNEWS) - South African Deputy President Jacob Zuma spoke out this week against nutrition as a substitute for appropriate anti-AIDS treatment. Zuma told parliament on Thursday that the national action plan did not rely on
ANGOLA: Global Fund millions to tackle AIDS, TB and malaria: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 27, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 27 May (PLUSNEWS) - The Global AIDS Fund has announced plans to release US $59 million to assist Angola in its fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria. Local Fund manager Jorge Romero told the Angola Press Agency that
AFRICA: US flexibility urged on generic AIDS drugs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 27, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 27 May (PLUSNEWS) - Former President Bill Clinton has urged the US government to be more accommodating in allowing money pledged for anti-AIDS programmes to be used for generic drugs. During his current visit to New Delhi,
ZAMBIA: Provinces left behind in ARV rollout: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 26, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ZAMBEZI, 26 May (PLUSNEWS) - In the remote district of Zambezi, near the Zambian border with Angola , getting hold of anti-AIDS drugs is a major struggle for those living with the virus. HIV-positive Zambians in need of treatment have to travel
BOTSWANA: Red tape stymies media spreading anti-AIDS message: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 26, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] GABORONE, 26 May (PLUSNEWS) - Journalists in Botswana say the government s lack of cooperation with the media is threatening to undermine ongoing efforts to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS. The diamond-rich country has one of the highest HIV preva
SOUTHERN AFRICA: UNICEF urges greater anti-AIDS action for children: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 26, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 26 May (PLUSNEWS) - The new head of the UN Children s Fund (UNICEF), Ann Veneman, has urged greater efforts by wealthy nations to protect African children against HIV/AIDS. During her tour of Southern Africa, Veneman also urged loc
AFRICA: Conflict and AIDS fuelling global hunger: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 26, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 26 May (PLUSNEWS) - Armed conflict is not only a major cause of global hunger, but also a catalyst for the spread of HIV/AIDS, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said in a new report this week. In its Assessment of the
TINUSIA: Arab delegates attend HIV/AIDS conference: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 26, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 26 May (PLUSNEWS) - Delegates from 12 Arab nations have gathered in Tunis, the capital city of Tunisia , to discuss ways of preventing the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV/AIDS. The four-day confe
SOUTH AFRICA: UNAIDS lambastes vitamin "charlatans": Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 26, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 26 May (PLUSNEWS) - Anyone who claims vitamins can cure or treat HIV/AIDS is a charlatan , UNAIDS executive director Peter Piot told a press conference in Johannesburg, South Africa , on Wednesday. Reacting to
SOUTH AFRICA: Government accused of failing HIV-positive people: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 26, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 26 May (PLUSNEWS) - Global rights group Amnesty International (AI) said people living with HIV/AIDS in South Africa are being failed by their government, the Cape Times newspaper reported on Wednesday. Local Amnesty chairman Sa
SOUTHERN AFRICA: UN leaders call for urgent action: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 25, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 25 May (PLUSNEWS) - Three United Nations leaders issued a call in Johannesburg today for the world to refocus its attention on Southern Africa, as the region faces the triple threat of HIV/AIDS, food insecurity and weakened state c
SWAZILAND: AIDS orphans also stigmatised by poverty at school: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 25, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MBABANE, 25 May (PLUSNEWS) - Twelve-year-old Mfanfikile looked forward to going back to school after nearly a year and a half of absence following the death of his mother. He wanted to look his best, and had found an old beige jacket in a wardro
SWAZILAND: New UNICEF head sees extent of orphans crisis: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 25, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MBABANE, 25 May (PLUSNEWS) - The new executive director of the United Nations Children s Fund (UNICEF), Ann Veneman, wrapped up her first official visit to Swaziland on Tuesday, having seen at first hand the scope of the tiny country s poverty a
ZAMBIA: Strategy for ARV supply essential - AIDS Council: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 25, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 25 May (PLUSNEWS) - A senior official of Zambia s National AIDS Council (NAC) has urged the government to have a strategy in place to ensure the regular supply of anti-AIDS medication. According to the local Zambian Post newspaper,
AFRICA: World Bank And IMF hampering AIDS funding - The Lancet: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 25, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 25 May (PLUSNEWS) - Multilateral financial organisations are preventing foreign aid from reaching HIV/AIDS programmes in developing countries, according to an article in the Lancet journal. In the latest issue of the journal, Ted S
AFRICA: Researchers and activists still at loggerheads over tenofovir trials: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 25, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 25 May (PLUSNEWS) - Anti-AIDS drugs researchers and AIDS activists have still not resolved their differences over the controversial trials of the antiretroviral (ARV) drug, tenofovir . The Wall Street Journal reported th
MALAWI: ARV delays could derail national rollout plan: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 24, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 24 May (PLUSNEWS) - A year after the Malawian government launched its HIV/AIDS treatment programme, the numbers of people awaiting treatment are stretching hospitals to their limits. In May 2004 the government began providing free
ETHIOPIA: Expanded health coverage plan launched: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 24, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ADDIS ABABA, 24 May (PLUSNEWS) - Prime Minister Meles Zenawi on Tuesday announced a massive expansion of health coverage for the 35 million Ethiopians who do not have access to hospitals and clinics. Meles said the government was dramatically in
SOUTHERN AFRICA: AIDS crisis meeting announced by UN: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 24, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 24 May (PLUSNEWS) - The impact of HIV/AIDS on southern Africa will take centre stage this week at a special UN meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa . James Morris, the UN Special Envoy for southern Africa, arrived in
UGANDA: Senior US official urges global AIDS partnership: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 24, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 24 May (PLUSNEWS) - The US Global HIV/AIDS Coordinator, Randall Tobias, ended his recent visit to Uganda with a call for a global partnership in the fight against the pandemic. At a meeting with senior government officials in the c
ZAMBIA: African first ladies vow to get bolder on HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 24, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 24 May (PLUSNEWS) - The Organisation of African First Ladies Against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA) vowed this week to intensify their fight against the disease on the continent. Kicking off the OAFLA steering committee meeting in the Zambian ca
SOUTH AFRICA: Home HIV test kits cause a stir: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 24, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 24 May (PLUSNEWS) - The South African Medical Association (SAMA) has lashed out against over-the-counter sales of HIV home-testing kits at a local supermarket franchise. SAMA expressed concern that self-testing without proper couns
SOUTH AFRICA: Board game makes AIDS education child's play: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 24, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 24 May (PLUSNEWS) - A new board game developed by a South African playwright is set to revolutionise the way teachers and parents educate children about HIV/AIDS. The game, dubbed Asiphile (Let us Live), was created in 2000 by Oupa
KENYA: AIDS and TB drugs made freely available to prisoners: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 23, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 23 May (PLUSNEWS) - Prison authorities at western Kenya s Kodiaga Prison have teamed up with the US Centres for Disease Control (CDC) to make anti-AIDS and tuberculosis treatments freely available to inmates. Kenya s East African S
UGANDA: Senior local and US officials launch HIV testing campaign: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 23, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 23 May (PLUSNEWS) - US global AIDS coordinator Randall Tobias was publicly tested for HIV on a recent visit to Uganda , to encourage more people to follow suit. The local New Vision newspaper quoted Tobias as saying: HIV counselli
AFRICA: Drug giant to clamp down on diverting of ARVs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 23, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 23 May (PLUSNEWS) - International drug giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) says it is close to implementing measures to stem the illegal diversion of anti-AIDS drugs from developing countries to wealthy nations. According to London s F
SOUTH AFRICA: Vitamins guru makes laughing stock of health ministry: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 23, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 23 May (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), says vitamins guru Matthias Rath is turning Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang into the laughing stock of the world . Tshabalala-Msimang has r
SOUTH AFRICA: New ways of combating HIV/AIDS bear fruit: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 20, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN, 20 May (PLUSNEWS) - As young people continue to bear the brunt of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, a pilot project in South Africa s province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) is working with families to teach children how to reduce risky behaviour before th
ANGOLA: World Bank grant accord signed for AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 20, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 20 May (PLUSNEWS) - Angola and the World Bank this week signed a US $125 million agreement covering a number of programmes, including projects for HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis (TB). The country s Minister of Planning, Ana Dias L
ZIMBABWE: Women push for HIV status disclosure law: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 20, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 20 May (PLUSNEWS) - Zimbabwean women have called for legislation that compels spouses to reveal their HIV status to their partners. Delegates at a meeting on gender violence and human rights this week in the capital, Harare, expres
SOUTH AFRICA: Back-up support on AIDS funding urged: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 20, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 20 May (PLUSNEWS) - A report by the Institute for Democracy in South Africa (IDASA), a political think-tank, has recommended that donors set aside extra funds to help their local recipients use cash pledged for anti-AIDS efforts.
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS impact on miners revealed: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 20, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 20 May (PLUSNEWS) - An estimated 30 percent of South Africa s mine workers are living with HIV/AIDS, Minerals and Energy Minister Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka told parliament on Thursday. Although the findings of recent HIV prevalence su
UGANDA: Youths vow sexual abstinence: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 20, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 20 May (PLUSNEWS) - A new anti-AIDS campaign, launched this week in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, has inspired hundreds of young people to commit themselves to sexual abstinence, according to the Pan African Press Agency. In line w
SOUTH AFRICA: Limpopo AIDS activists express healthcare concerns: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 20, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 20 May (PLUSNEWS) - The South African AIDS lobby group, Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), this week converged on the legislature of Limpopo province to demand better healthcare. Hundreds of TAC activists, members of the Congress of
GHANA: Single battle-plan to hit both TB and HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 19, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ACCRA, 19 May (PLUSNEWS) - With tuberculosis (TB) sharply on the rise in Ghana , the local health authorities believe joint programmes to stamp out HIV/AIDS and TB may be the answer. TB infections have been on the increase over the past decade a
LIBERIA: Religious group launches door-to-door AIDS initiative: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 19, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 19 May (PLUSNEWS) - The Universal Evangelistic Ministries (UEM) in Liberia has launched a door-to-door HIV/AIDS awareness campaign to help curb the spread of the pandemic. During the launch of the campaign in Gbangbah Town, outside
EAST AFRICA: Drug import tax wavered: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 19, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 19 May (PLUSNEWS) - Global drug firms have welcomed a decision this week by the East African Community to temporarily suspend its 10 percent tax on drugs imported into the region. The tax, which was imposed in January, has drawn co
AFRICA: UN and Gates Foundation team up against disease: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 19, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 19 May (PLUSNEWS) - The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Bill Gates Foundation have agreed to jointly tackle HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria by improving medical information systems in developing nations. WHO has hailed t
SWAZILAND: Art for development sake: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 18, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MBABANE, 18 May (PLUSNEWS) - Swazi theatre groups are increasingly finding themselves cast in a new role - promoting advocacy rather than art. Theatrical troupes are regularly commissioned to write and perform dramas pushing developmental messag
AFRICA: World AIDS Vaccine Day - still major challenges in search for a vaccine: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 18, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 18 May (PLUSNEWS) - The search for an HIV/AIDS vaccine has been much more difficult than anyone expected , the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) admitted on Thursday, World AIDS Vaccine Day. Despite recent progress, maj
AFRICA: Retiring World Bank chief admits AIDS sluggishness: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 18, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 18 May (PLUSNEWS) - Outgoing World Bank chief James Wolfensohn this week admitted to being late in focusing on the dangerous potential of HIV/AIDS while he was president of the bank. Despite an abundance of compliments during a spe
SOUTH AFRICA: Government declines to comment on new AIDS report: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 18, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 18 May (PLUSNEWS) - The South African health department has declined to comment on a startling new HIV/AIDS report, arguing that the document has not yet been officially released. According to the Medical Research Council report on
NAMIBIA: Programmes on AIDS and sex education scarce in rural areas: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 18, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 18 May (PLUSNEWS) - A senior Namibian government official has expressed concern over the scarcity of programmes on HIV/AIDS prevention and sex education in rural areas, and the resulting negative impact on young people. Pohamba Shi
AFRICA: UN tardy about approving cheap AIDS drugs - MSF: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 18, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 18 May (PLUSNEWS) - The international medical NGO, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), has accused the World Health Organisation (WHO) of being tardy in its approval of cheap drugs to combat HIV/AIDS in developing countries. MSF said m
COTE D IVOIRE: Muslims seek to break down prejudice by speaking out on HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 17, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ABIDJAN, 17 May (PLUSNEWS) - In a town hall meeting room in the Ivorian capital earlier this month, women assembled on one side and men on the other, joined together in a prayer to Allah to remove AIDS from humanity . The crowd of around 100 Mus
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS named as leading cause of death: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 17, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 17 May (PLUSNEWS) - HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of death in South Africa , according to a new Medical Research Council (MRC) report on cause-specific death rates for each of the country s nine provinces. Findings from the rep
AFRICA: Funding shortfall crippling AIDS efforts: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 17, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 17 May (PLUSNEWS) - As the General Assembly readies itself for a high-level meeting on HIV/AIDS early next month, senior UN officials are warning that a funding shortfall could derail the global battle against the pandemic. Accord
AFRICA: MENA countries speeding up on AIDS numbers: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 17, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 17 May (PLUSNEWS) - The UN has warned that the number of people living with HIV/AIDS in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is on the rise, according to the Morocco Times newspaper. A statement issued by th
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS the number one national killer - report: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 17, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 17 May (PLUSNEWS) - New research from the South African Medical Research Council (MRC) on cause-specific death rates for each of the country s nine provinces has named HIV/AIDS as the leading killer. Entitled Estimates of Provincia
ZAMBIA: Community project mitigates impact of HIV/AIDS, job losses: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 16, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] KABWE, 16 May (PLUSNEWS) - A community-based project is mitigating the combined impact of widespread job losses and the HIV/AIDS epidemic on a former mining community in the central town of Kabwe, about 150 km north of the capital, Lusaka. Th
SOUTH AFRICA: Deputy president urges all round HIV testing: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 16, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 16 May (PLUSNEWS) - South African deputy president Jacob Zuma has called on the public to know their HIV status, in order to maintain good health and access freely available anti-AIDS treatment. Addressing the International Candlel
TANZANIA: Global Fund to boost anti-AIDS efforts: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 16, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 16 May (PLUSNEWS) - The Global AIDS Fund over the wekend agreed to donate US $157 million towards Tanzania s fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria. This brought to $563 million the amount issued to the east African
ZAMBIA: Capital to host First Ladies' AIDS conference: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 16, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 16 May (PLUSNEWS) - The Organisation of African First Ladies Against AIDS (OAFLA) will gather in Lusaka, the Zambian capital, this week to discuss better ways of tackling the pandemic. OAFLA, established in 2002, aims to encourage
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS candlelight vigil remembers police officers: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 16, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 16 May (PLUSNEWS) - A candlelight vigil at the weekend remembered South African police officers who died from AIDS-related illnesses. During the annual memorial service, held west of the capital, Pretoria, National Deputy Police Co
SOUTH AFRICA: Controversial claims for vitamins undermine ARV rollout: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 13, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 13 May (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s AIDS lobby group, the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), took controversial vitamin salesman Dr Matthias Rath to court on Friday, to stop him from claiming that TAC is bankrolled by the pharmaceutic
SOUTH AFRICA: Blockbuster film benefits AIDS orphans: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 13, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 13 May (PLUSNEWS) - South African AIDS orphans are to benefit from the charity premiere of Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith held on Thursday in Los Angeles, US. Almost $1 million raised from the preview has been awarded t
UGANDA: Awards for abstaining virgins: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 13, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 13 May (PLUSNEWS) - In an effort to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, Solomon Iguru, monarch of Uganda s mid-western Bunyoro-Kitara kingdom, has announced plans for rewarding virgins. According to the monarch s private secretary, Yor
SOUTH AFRICA: Mandela and Bush to discuss AIDS and development: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 13, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 13 May (PLUSNEWS) - Former South African president Nelson Mandela is to visit the US next week to discuss HIV/AIDS and social development with President George W. Bush. US presidential spokesman Scott McClellan said the meeting wou
NIGERIA: Blood bank launched to combat spread of HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 12, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 12 May (PLUSNEWS) - Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo launched the first of seven national blood transfusion centres on Thursday in the capital, Abuja, as an additional measure to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. The centre was s
AFRICA: Rath's AIDS genocide ad campaign blasted by UN: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 12, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 12 May (PLUSNEWS) - UN agencies on Wednesday condemned vitamin proponent Matthias Rath for his attack on life-prolonging anti-AIDS drugs. Earlier this week, just days before he will face a court challenge in Sout
NIGERIA: Multi-million dollar HIV test kit contract awarded: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 12, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 12 May (PLUSNEWS) - Nigeria has awarded a US $25 million tender to Medical Services International (MSI), a Canadian firm, for the supply of its rapid VScan HIV test kits. The procurement contract is backed by a grant of $120 millio
ZAMBIA: Frank AIDS talk urged for youth: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 11, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 11 May (PLUSNEWS) - A UN official has advised Zambia to aim anti-AIDS messages at its youth, as young people present the best hope for the country in tackling the pandemic. Addresses should be targeted at youths before they become
ZAMBIA: Lack of health facility prevents AIDS drug access: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 11, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 11 May (PLUSNEWS) - The lack of a hospital in Zambia s Samfya district is hindering access to antiretrovirals and fuelling the spread of HIV/AIDS in the area, officials have charged. According to acting district commissioner Bruce
AFRICA: Skills drain hindering AIDS efforts - UK: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 11, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 11 May (PLUSNEWS) - Britain s Medical Association (BMA) said on Wednesday that a growing brain drain in developing countries is undermining efforts to tackle diseases, including HIV/AIDS. The association warned that lives were bein
SWAZILAND: New role for men in HIV/AIDS fight: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 11, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MBABANE, 11 May (PLUSNEWS) - Health officials called it the largest gathering of males to ever attend an antenatal lecture in Swaziland , and a sign of the increasing participation of men in programmes aimed at mitigating the impact of HIV/AIDS.
SOUTH AFRICA: Reaching church leaders and congregations: [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN, 11 May (PLUSNEWS) - When Millicent Phewa discovered that her local church in Umlazi, a township near Durban in South Africa s east-coast province of KwaZulu-Natal, did not have an HIV/AIDS community support programme, she decided to take
MAURITANIA: AIDS "caravan of hope" travels river valley to break taboos: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 11, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] TIGUENT, 11 May (PLUSNEWS) - This is a road show with a difference - a West African caravan of hope raising awareness about HIV/AIDS through evenings of entertainment that are wowing the crowds in Mauritania . The mobile state-of-the-art
COTE D IVOIRE: The positive results of disclosure: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 10, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ABIDJAN, 10 May (PLUSNEWS) - Thirty-five year old Ivorian Lydie Akesse, who found out she was HIV-positive seven years ago, has become known for her frank and outspoken attempts to give HIV/AIDS a human face . Although her family has accepted he
AFRICA: UN farming school initiative brings relief to HIV/AIDS orphans: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 10, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 10 May (PLUSNEWS) - A UN project is helping to sustain farming know-how and other life skills among African children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. Many of the region s children are unable to farm because their parents die before they can p
TANZANIA: New phase of HIV/AIDS awareness campaign launched: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 10, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DAR ES SALAAM, 10 May (PLUSNEWS) - The African Medical Research Foundation (AMREF), an international medical NGO, launched on Tuesday the third phase of a media campaign aimed at promoting voluntary HIV testing and counselling in
SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE: Oil and tourism threaten to treble rate of HIV infection in five years: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 10, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] SAO TOME, 10 May (PLUSNEWS) - The HIV prevalence rate in Sao Tome and Principe could treble over the next five years as tourism and the development of offshore oil bring thousands of people flooding into the remote island state in the Gulf of Gu
SOUTH AFRICA: Rath feels the wrath of US AIDS researchers: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 10, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 10 May (PLUSNEWS) - Two US AIDS experts have accused antiretroviral (ARV) critic Matthias Rath of deliberately misinterpreting their findings to bolster his campaign against the life-prolonging drugs. Rath, who is currently under i
ZIMBABWE: AIDS efforts hindered by effects of drought: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 10, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 10 May (PLUSNEWS) - The impact of drought, erratic rainfall and poverty on Zimbabwe s food security is hampering anti-AIDS efforts, according to experts. After a recent meeting in Mazowe district, about 30 km north of the capital,
SOUTH AFRICA: Work-related HIV infection payouts underway: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 10, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 10 May (PLUSNEWS) - Medical professionals and business representatives met this week in South Africa s port city of Durban to discuss guidelines for employers and employees in the event of work-related HIV infection. Doctor Mmuso R
ZIMBABWE: Apostolic Faith churches act to prevent spread of HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 9, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The leadership of Zimbabwe s Apostolic Faith (AF) movement, one of the most conservative churches in the country, have embraced a new creed - that of AIDS prevention. AIDS activists have long complained that despite cli
SOUTH AFRICA: Doctors ask govt to boost ARV access for HIV-positive kids: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 9, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN (PLUSNEWS) - As South Africa rolls out anti-AIDS drugs to a growing number of people living with the disease, the number of HIV-positive children on treatment remains disturbingly low. Now a group of South African paediatricians have begu
ZIMBABWE: Taking the anti-AIDS message to the men: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 9, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] BULAWAYO (PLUSNEWS) - Bumbanani Mlotshwa is a regular in the crowded township pubs of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe s second city. Neither a boozer nor a hawker, he s on an altogether different mission. Moving from table to table, Mlotshwa spreads the word
MOZAMBIQUE: Flemish Government and UN Launch Women and AIDS Programme: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 9, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The Flemish Government and the United Nations have announced a four-year programme to combat the growing feminisation of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Mozambique . According to figures from the Mozambique Government, an esti
AFRICA: WHO's '3 by 5' target unlikely to be met: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 9, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The World Health Organisation s (WHO) target of getting 3 million people in developing countries on anti-AIDS drugs by the end of this year is unlikely to be met, according to The Lancet, a British medical journal.
ZIMBABWE: Unions slam lack of assistance for HIV-positive workers: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 6, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Zimbabwe s trade unions have attributed the rising incidence of HIV infection among workers to a lack of effective workplace management programmes targeting the labour force. Nathan Banda, who heads the health and safet
SOUTH AFRICA: Failure to dispense ARVs could derail global '3 x 5' target: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 6, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s health minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang says the country will not be forced into meeting the World Health Organisation (WHO) goal of getting 3 million people in developing countries on anti-AIDS drugs by
SWAZILAND: Drought, hunger and AIDS, but still coping: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 5, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] BHUNYA, 5 May (PLUSNEWS) - Naomi Gule blames AIDS for the 45 parentless children she looks after at the neighbourhood care centre, an hour s drive south of the Swazi capital, but she blames the weather for frustrating her efforts to feed her cha
UGANDA: Adult HIV infections rise to seven percent: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 5, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] KAMPALA, 5 May (PLUSNEWS) - An estimated seven percent of Uganda s adult population is living with HIV/AIDS, up from previous estimates of 6.2 percent, the ministry of health said on Tuesday. In a report of preliminary findings of a national sur
BURKINA FASO: AIDS efforts get World Bank support: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 5, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 5 May (PLUSNEWS) - The World Bank has approved a US $5 million grant for anti-AIDS programmes in Burkina Faso , where the estimated HIV prevalence rate is 2.7 percent. In a statement, the bank said the funds would be used to reduce
AFRICA: Low-cost AIDS drugs resold in European markets: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 5, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 5 May (PLUSNEWS) - A British pharmaceutical company is under investigation after allegations that it illegally obtained anti-AIDS drugs intended for HIV-positive people in Africa. According to a BBC report, this was one of several
KENYA: Activists want AIDS council disbanded: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 4, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 4 May (PLUSNEWS) - Kenyan AIDS activists are pushing for the existing National AIDS Control Council (NACC) to be scrapped, and for top officials to pay back monies they illegally acquired from the council. The Network of People Liv
SOUTH AFRICA: Former president takes AIDS battle to Arctic: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 4, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 4 May (PLUSNEWS) - Former South African President Nelson Mandela is set to take the international HIV/AIDS battle to the Arctic Circle. Mandela will take part in a special AIDS benefit concert in June, dubbed 46664 Arctic , aimed a
AFRICA: Former UNICEF boss urges greater protection of children: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 4, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 4 May (PLUSNEWS) - Former UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) chief Carol Bellamy says much more needs to be done to protect children from HIV/AIDS and other hardships. Bellamy, who stepped down at the weekend after 10 years as UNICEF exec
SOUTHERN AFRICA: AIDS drug stumbling block to upcoming trade talks: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 4, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 4 May (PLUSNEWS) - Intellectual property rights to urgently needed AIDS drugs remain a stumbling block as the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) prepares to revive free trade talks with the US in the next two weeks, analysts hav
SOUTH AFRICA: Project empowers rural communities to shape own HIV/AIDS programmes: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 3, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN, 3 May (PLUSNEWS) - A new project by South African NGO, the Centre for HIV/AIDS Networking (HIVAN), will enable rural communities across the country to develop their own programmes to deal with the impact of HIV/AIDS. Since July 2003, the
MOZAMBIQUE: Workers in the forefront of fight against HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 2, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MAPUTO, 2 May (PLUSNEWS) - The role workers can play in the fight against HIV/AIDS came into sharp focus during May Day celebrations in Mozambique . The Organisation of Mozambican Workers (OTM), the country s main trade union, used the tradition
SOUTH AFRICA: Clinic tackles urgent need for AIDS/TB treatment: Integrated Regional Information Networks - May 2, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN, 2 May (PLUSNEWS) - Tuberculosis (TB) is the most frequent opportunistic infection and the leading cause of death for HIV-positive people. The scale of the problem is staggering, with some 12 million people co-infected with HIV and TB, tw
AFRICA: Low-profile diseases sidelined by HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 29, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 29 April (PLUSNEWS) - Experts are concerned that the global attention received by HIV/AIDS is leaving other deadly diseases out of the spotlight and underfunded. Robert Black of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in the US s
AFRICA: New World Bank boss to prioritise AIDS and poverty: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 29, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 29 April (PLUSNEWS) - Incoming World Bank chief Paul Wolfowitz says he plans on making African issues, including HIV/AIDS, a top priority of his term, which starts at the beginning of June. Wolfowitz said the organisation had a un
AFRICA: EU ups its support of AIDS, TB and malaria: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 29, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 29 April (PLUSNEWS) - The European Commission this week adopted a programme of action to strengthen its support of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria in African and Asian countries. The Programme for Action: Accelerated Action
AFRICA: UN urges fewer words and more results on HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 28, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] NAIROBI, 28 April (PLUSNEWS) - UNAIDS has called for more action and less rhetoric from both government and civil society organisations if Africa is to succeed in its battle against the pandemic. The agency s monitoring and evaluation advisor fo
KENYA: Health centre to treat HIV/AIDS patients inaugurated: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 28, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] NAIROBI, 28 April (PLUSNEWS) - Kenya s health ministry and the medical charity, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), on Thursday inaugurated a new facility designed to provide comprehensive health care to people living with HIV/AIDS in the capital, N
SOUTH AFRICA: MCC does not want to confuse HIV-positive people: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 28, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 28 April (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s Medicines Council Control (MCC) says it does not want to raise confusion over the efficacy of AIDS drugs or vitamins, as both are useful in promoting health among HIV-positive people. The local
KENYA: HIV testing of civil servants deemed criminal: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 28, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 28 April (PLUSNEWS) - A new AIDS policy released in Kenya this week protects the rights of HIV-positive civil service employees, as well as those who join the service in future. Borrowing heavily from the UN s International Labour
SOUTH AFRICA: Smaller businesses ignoring AIDS - survey: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 28, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 28 April (PLUSNEWS) - Most mid-sized South African companies are turning a blind eye to HIV/AIDS, despite forecasts that the epidemic is set to ravage the country s workforce, a new report by a leading global accounting and financi
ZAMBIA: Govt not doing enough for OVC, says official report: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 27, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 27 April (PLUSNEWS) - An official report has found that the Zambian government was not giving sufficient priority to orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) and has called for universal access to antiretroviral (ARV) drugs. The stud
SWAZILAND: Business coalition launches HIV/AIDS mitigation plan: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 27, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MBABANE, 27 April (PLUSNEWS) - Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have the potential to lift living standards and build a new generation of entrepreneurs, but in Swaziland that strategy is being challenged by AIDS. I am HIV negative, but m
SOUTHERN AFRICA: New solutions needed to lessen HIV/AIDS impact on farming: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 26, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN, 26 April (PLUSNEWS) - Two years after Southern Africa s humanitarian crisis exposed the destructive relationship between hunger and HIV/AIDS, still not enough is known about the actual impact of the epidemic on rural households. Now, new
SOUTH AFRICA: New anti-AIDS drug deal could short-change consumers: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 26, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 26 April (PLUSNEWS) - The local pharmaceutical company, Aspen Pharmacare, will soon manufacture generic versions of two more patented anti-AIDS drugs and sell them in 95 developing countries. According to the local Business Day new
SOUTH AFRICA: US funds new defence force anti-AIDS initiative: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 26, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 26 April (PLUSNEWS) - The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) HIV/AIDS treatment project this week received a US $50 million boost from the United States government to conduct research into the impact of anti-AIDS drugs on
SOUTH AFRICA: BMW joins private sector battle against AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 22, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 22 April (PLUSNEWS) - South African employees of the German car manufacturer, BMW, as well as the general public, will benefit from an HIV/AIDS clinic opened by the company on Thursday in the capital, Pretoria. The facility has the
SOUTH AFRICA: Stigma hampers Anglo AIDS drug uptake: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 22, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 22 April (PLUSNEWS) - South African mining giant AngloGold Ashanti has blamed stigma and fear of retrenchment for the slow uptake by employees of its free anti-AIDS programme. The head of Anglo s HIV/AIDS programme, Dr James Steele
AFRICA: Global health corps proposed for HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 21, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 21 April (PLUSNEWS) - A panel of experts has recommended that the US create a body of full-time medical professionals for deployment to countries targeted by President George W Bush s $15 billion global anti-AIDS initiative. Unde
AFRICA: UN seeks to protect healthcare workers against AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 21, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 21 April (PLUSNEWS) - Two UN agencies are meeting in Geneva, Switzerland , to develop new guidelines for the safety of health care workers busy with the global fight against HIV/AIDS. The joint International Labour Organisation (
AFRICA: G8 AIDS and poverty deadlock costing lives: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 21, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 21 April (PLUSNEWS) - Experts fear close to 750,000 Africans will die from AIDS and malaria before July, when the Group of Eight (G8) most industrialised nations will try to break a deadlock over debt relief and funds to fight dise
SWAZILAND: Child rights advocates highlight plight of under-fives: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 20, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MBABANE, 20 April (PLUSNEWS) - Child rights advocates have banded together in a bid to cope with ongoing concerns about the welfare of Southern Africa s children. At a recent meeting organised by the UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) in
SOUTH AFRICA: Catholic leader urged to review condom stance: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 20, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 20 April (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu has urged the newly elected Catholic pontiff to reconsider the Church s stance on condoms in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Tutu admitted he had been hoping against
SOUTH AFRICA: MCC reacts to legal threats by AIDS activists: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 20, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 20 April (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s Medicines Control Council (MCC) is investigating claims by vitamin proponent Matthias Rath that his products can treat HIV better than anti-AIDS drugs. Earlier this week the AIDS lobby group, Tr
SOUTH AFRICA: Gauteng launches HIV/AIDS housing policy: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 20, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 20 April (PLUSNEWS) - HIV-positive people in South Africa s Gauteng province are to benefit from a new housing policy in the capital Pretoria on Tuesday. According to Godfrey Tsotetsi, chairman of the provincial legislature s stand
AFRICA: Action urged on AIDS and poverty: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 20, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 20 April (PLUSNEWS) - The World Bank president, James Wolfensohn, has urged strengthened efforts to help Africa meet its targets to slash HIV/AIDS and poverty by 2015. Addressing delegates during the annual spring meeting of the Ba
NAMIBIA: Fishing industry acknowledge HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 20, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 20 April (PLUSNEWS) - Namibian fishing companies are exchanging ideas on how to adapt existing policies to address the impact of HIV/AIDS on the workplace. Around 20 industry representatives gathered recently in Walvis Bay, the cou
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS activists go after vitamins proponent: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 20, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 20 April (PLUSNEWS) - The South African AIDS lobby group, Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), is up in arms over claims by vitamin supplier Matthias Rath that his products can treat HIV/AIDS better than antiretrovirals. The group says
MALAWI: Impact of hunger hastens spread of HIV/AIDS - new study: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 19, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN, 19 April (PLUSNEWS) - Southern Africa s recent humanitarian crisis highlighted how the HIV/AIDS epidemic increased people s vulnerability to acute food shortages, leaving them unable to cope. But research presented at last week s interna
LIBERIA: No money to finance AIDS survey, no treatment outside Monrovia: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 18, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MONROVIA, 18 April (PLUSNEWS) - Health officials know that AIDS is a serious problem in Liberia , but the government has no money to conduct a proper HIV prevalence survey and specialist treatment for the disease is only available in the capital
SOUTHERN AFRICA: HIV/AIDS, poverty keeping children from schools, says UNICEF: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 18, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 18 April (PLUSNEWS) - HIV/AIDS and poverty are the stumbling blocks to achieving the target of gender parity in most Southern African classrooms by 2015, according to the UN Children s Fund (UNICEF). The latest UNICEF report, relea
ZAMBIA: Poverty adds another dimension to stigma: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 18, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN, 18 April (PLUSNEWS) - The pressures of caring for terminally ill family members, while trying to make ends meet in a country staggering under the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and food shortages, has forced many poor Zambian households
AFRICA: New thinking needed to counter AIDS in rural communities: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 15, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN, 15 April (PLUSNEWS) - The link between HIV/AIDS and hunger in rural communities has received a great deal of attention over the past few years - particularly in Southern Africa, where HIV/AIDS has added a new dimension to the recent food
ETHIOPIA: Serious challenges facing HIV/AIDS fight - US report: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 15, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ADDIS ABABA, 15 April (PLUSNEWS) - Ethiopia is facing serious challenges in overcoming its HIV/AIDS epidemic, according to a report released by the US President s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in the capital, Addis Ababa, on Wednesday.
GHANA: HIV-AIDS on decline for first time in 5 years, survey shows: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 15, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ACCRA, 15 April (PLUSNEWS) - Ghana s HIV/AIDS infection rate has dropped for the first time in five years, and is now down countrywide to 3.1 percent from 3.6 percent in 2003, according to a new sentinel survey released this week. But officials
AFRICA: UN says anti-AIDS gel for women not far off: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 15, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 15 April (PLUSNEWS) - A vaginal gel that protects women from contracting HIV could be ready in as little three to four years, a senior UN official predicted on Thursday. Noting that the successful development of an HIV vaccine was
ETHIOPIA: AIDS to claim over one million in three years: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 15, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 15 April (PLUSNEWS) - HIV/AIDS could claim the lives of close to two million Ethiopians by 2008 if the virus continues to spread unchecked, an official document warned this week. According to the country s HIV/AIDS Emergency Plan
MALAWI: AIDS viewed as a sign of masculinity - study: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 15, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 15 April (PLUSNEWS) - Rural men in southern Malawi are convinced that being HIV-positive reflects well on their masculinity and sexual prowess, a new study has found. According to Canada s University of Alberta sociologist, Amy Kal
SOUTH AFRICA: Race back on blood testing debate table: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 14, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 14 April (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s National Blood Service (SANBS) is once again under attack for its racial profiling of blood donors as a means of preventing the spread of infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS. In a recent interview
UGANDA: Relief NGO tackling AIDS in north: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 14, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 14 April (PLUSNEWS) - More than 3,000 women and children affected by or living with HIV/AIDS in northern Uganda s Gulu district are receiving assistance from the Area Development Programme (ADP) of the international NGO, World Visi
SOUTH AFRICA: Government backs vitamin proponent's AIDS views: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 14, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 14 April (PLUSNEWS) - South African Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang this week defended the views of controversial vitamin proponent Dr Matthias Rath on HIV/AIDS and nutrition. Rath s US-based foundation claimed in recent n
AFRICA: WHO conference focuses on nutrition and HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 13, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 13 April (PLUSNEWS) - As the global drive to provide anti-AIDS drugs to Africa s HIV-positive citizens gains momentum, antiretrovirals (ARVs) are now taking centre stage, overshadowing all other treatment efforts. It has long been
AFRICA: Rights violations speeding AIDS along: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 13, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 13 April (PLUSNEWS) - Human rights violations suffered by HIV-positive people are worsening the global AIDS pandemic, a senior UN official has said. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour said while research highlighte
KENYA: Catholic church condones condoms for couples: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 13, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 13 April (PLUSNEWS) - The new Catholic Archbishop of Kenya s coastal city of Mombabsa has condoned the use of condoms among HIV-positive married couples. Boniface Lele said although the Church advocated behaviour change as a first
UGANDA: Violent men restricting AIDS care to wives: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 13, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 13 April (PLUSNEWS) - Marital abuse is preventing Ugandan women and girls from accessing HIV/AIDS testing and treatment services, the international rights group, Human Rights Watch (HRW), has found. According to a recent report, co
UGANDA: AIDS treatment extended to civil servants: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 13, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 13 April (PLUSNEWS) - Uganda is for the first time including its civil servants and their immediate family members in the country s anti-AIDS treatment programme. According to the Minister for Economic Monitoring, Omwony Ojwok, a p
AFRICA: AIDS care big in UK's G8 reign: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 13, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 13 April (PLUSNEWS) - African poverty alleviation and global HIV/AIDS care are to feature prominently during the UK s presidency this year of the Group of Eight (G8) most industrialised nations. According to a timetable launched on
LESOTHO: First ever national PWA network finally gets off the ground: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 12, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 12 April (PLUSNEWS) - Over the past few weeks, people living with HIV/AIDS (PWA) in Lesotho have been preparing for the launch of their long-anticipated national network - the first in the tiny mountain kingdom. Although the ne
AFRICA: Clinton brings AIDS drugs to kids: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 12, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 12 April (PLUSNEWS) - Thousands of HIV-positive children are to benefit from a new AIDS drug initiative announced by former US President Bill Clinton on Monday. According to a Clinton Foundation statement, the project will provide
KENYA: Economic growth threatened by AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 12, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 12 April (PLUSNEWS) - In a report to its top donors on Monday, Kenya said HIV/AIDS, if left unchecked, would reduce per capita income by 14 percent and economic growth by 10 percent over the next five years. Although it has red
UGANDA: US validates anti-AIDS drug study: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 12, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 12 April (PLUSNEWS) - The US Institute of Medicine (IOM) has approved a Ugandan study showing that the anti-AIDS drug, nevirapine , effectively prevents mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV. Controversy surrounding the d
SOUTH AFRICA: Voices of mothers on preventing HIV transmission: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 11, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 11 April (PLUSNEWS) - It s been three years since the courts ordered the South African government to provide nevirapine to HIV-positive pregnant women in public health facilities, but very little is known about the experiences of t
TANZANIA: HIV infections rate declines, official says: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 11, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DAR ES SALAAM, 11 April (PLUSNEWS) - A Tanzanian official announced on Friday that the rate of HIV infections in the country had declined from 10 percent in 2002 to 7 percent in 2003-2004, with more infections in urban areas than in the countrys
SOUTH AFRICA: Challenges despite increased spending on AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 11, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 11 April (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa will spend a total of more than US $488 million on the procurement of anti-AIDS drugs over the next three years, Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang said during her recent parliamentary budge
SOUTH AFRICA: Nurses' AIDS preparedness initiative to be launched: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 11, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 11 April (PLUSNEWS) - The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) is to launch a new five-year US $815,000 initiative that will equip nurses to better care for HIV-positive patients. According to DENOSA spokesm
SOUTH AFRICA: A Pope for a time of AIDS - activists: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 11, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 11 April (PLUSNEWS) - South African AIDS activists are hoping that the successor to Pope John Paul II will change the Vatican s position on reproductive choice and the use of condoms. John Paul II, who died last week, drew criticis
AFRICA: UN highlights nutrition woes of HIV-positive people: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 11, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 11 April (PLUSNEWS) - World Health Organisation (WHO) chief Lee Jong-wook on Monday appealed for greater attention to the nutrition of people living with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. Addressing health experts from 20 African cou
SWAZILAND: Some optimism despite gloomy new HIV figures: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 8, 2005; MBABANE, 8 April (PLUSNEWS) - Reactions to news this week that Swaziland s HIV-prevalence rate - already the world s highest - continued to climb, have swung between deep pessimism and renewed determination by AIDS activists and government officials. Data taken from pregnant women visiting prenatal clinics last year as
CAMEROON: HIV-positive inmates get German assistance: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 8, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 8 April (PLUSNEWS) - Germany s Agency for Technical Co-operation (GTZ), this week launched the first ever anti-AIDS programme for inmates at Cameroon s New Bell prison in the port city of Douala. The aim of the yearlong project is
SOUTH AFRICA: Supreme court judge launches book on AIDS experience: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 8, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 8 April (PLUSNEWS) - Supreme court judge Edwin Cameron, the only South African public office bearer to declare his HIV status, has released a book on his experience of the disease. In his book, Edwin Cameron - Witness to AIDS , the
KENYA: TB rising in Nyanza province due to AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 8, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 8 April (PLUSNEWS) - HIV/AIDS is fuelling the rise of tuberculosis (TB) in southwestern Kenya s Nyanza province, the area s health department has said. With an estimated 19,000 TB cases, up from 17,000 in 2003, Nyanza had the secon
AFRICA: UN envoy predicts "apocalypse" of AIDS orphans: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 8, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 8 April (PLUSNEWS) - An apocalypse of orphans will become sub-Saharan Africa s next challenge in the fight against HIV/AIDS, a senior UN official has said. The UN Special Envoy for AIDS in Africa, Stephen Lewis, noted that the worl
AFRICA: UK pumps millions into anti-HIV gel trials: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 8, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 8 April (PLUSNEWS) - The UK Government this week pledged almost US $45 million towards the African trials of a microbicidal gel to prevent HIV infection in women. British International Development Secretary Hilary Benn said field t
SOUTH AFRICA: Initiative to alleviate effect of AIDS on education: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 7, 2005; JOHANNESBURG, 7 April (PLUSNEWS) - A group of eight South African and international NGOs are collaborating on a new programme to tackle the impact of HIV/AIDS on the education sector, after recent research showed that the pandemic was claiming the lives of 11 teachers daily. The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) s
SWAZILAND: Health workers score with TB campaign: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 7, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MBABANE, 7 April (PLUSNEWS) - A tuberculosis (TB) treatment programme recently introduced in Swaziland is credited with lowering the number of TB patients, at a time when other African nations face a rising number of cases. Dumsile Nxumalo,
UGANDA: Free ARVs for HIV-positive civil servants: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 7, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] NAIROBI, 7 April (PLUSNEWS) - Some 10,000 Ugandan government workers living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, will receive free antiretroviral (ARV) drugs, the minister for economic monitoring, Omwony Ojwok, told PlusNews on Thursday. The
GHANA: Local employers start to care for their HIV-positive staff: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 7, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ACCRA, 7 April (PLUSNEWS) - The world fell apart for Ghanaian primary school teacher Haruna Ibn Hassan three years ago when his wife died of AIDS and he found that he too had contracted the disease. But at least Hassan kept his job and his sympa
LESOTHO: The need for treatment could jeopardise the quality of care: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 6, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MASERU, 6 April (PLUSNEWS) - A storm is quietly brewing in Lesotho after international media reports raised concerns that private doctors were dispensing anti-AIDS drugs without specialised training - putting the lives of many HIV-positive peopl
ZIMBABWE: Govt plans to replace DOTS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 6, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 6 April (PLUSNEWS) - Zimbabwe plans to introduce a new combination of drugs to treat tuberculosis (TB) early next year, an official in the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare told IRIN. Owen Mugurungi, a senior officer with the
SWAZILAND: Call for regional women's organisation to combat HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 6, 2005; MBABANE, 6 April (PLUSNEWS) - Former South African first lady Graca Machel has called on women in southern Africa to tackle traditional practices that may contribute to the spread of HIV/AIDS. Addressing delegates from the region at a gender equality conference in Ezulwini, just outside Swaziland s capital, Mbabane, Ma
SOUTH AFRICA: Shared breastfeeding and poor medical hygiene fuels HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 6, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 6 April (PLUSNEWS) - New research by South Africa s Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) suggests that negligent breastfeeding at public hospitals in the Free State province is placing infants at risk of HIV infection. Besides th
CONGO: Government regulates ARV supply: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 6, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] BRAZZAVILLE, 6 April (PLUSNEWS) - The Republic of Congo (ROC) has conducted an audit of all pharmaceutical laboratories in the country in a bid to resolve a shortage of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) for HIV-positive patients, the government has an
SOUTH AFRICA: Country lags behind AIDS treatment target: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 6, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 6 April (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa is one of three countries lagging behind as the World Health Organisation (WHO) tries to treat 3 million HIV-positive people by 2005. Yves Souteyrand, the WHO HIV/AIDS director, at the current Seve
AFRICA: NHS an obstacle in Africa's AIDS fight: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 6, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 6 April (PLUSNEWS) - The UK s National Heath Service is hampering Africa s HIV/AIDS battle by recruiting the continent s medics, British MPs charged on Tuesday. According to the country s Sun newspaper, the Public Accounts Committe
SWAZILAND: HIV prevalence rate among pregnant women rises: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 5, 2005; JOHANNESBURG, 5 April (PLUSNEWS) - Swaziland s government said it would act urgently to reverse the rising HIV prevalence rate among pregnant women, currently at 42.6 percent according to the latest sentinel survey. The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare highlighted the prevalence rate among pregnant women, up from
NAMIBIA: Sex education to be broadened in schools: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 5, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 5 April (PLUSNEWS) - The authorities in Namibia are seeking ways of strengthening sexual health education in schools to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS on youth. According to the local 2001 Population and Housing Census, young peop
ZIMBABWE: Trucker urged to use spouses against AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 5, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 5 April (PLUSNEWS) - A Zimbabwean Christian anti-AIDS organisation has recommended that truck drivers travel with their spouses in order to minimise the risk of HIV infection. According to Family AIDS Caring Trust (FACT), drivers o
KENYA: Spate of prison illness attributed to AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 5, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 5 April (PLUSNEWS) - Tuberculosis and skin infections suffered by hundreds of inmates at Kenya s King ong o Prison on the outskirts of Nyeri town could be a result of HIV/AIDS and overcrowding, a health NGO has said. The Independen
SENEGAL: AIDS takes hold in pilgrim town of Touba: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 4, 2005; TOUBA, 4 April (PLUSNEWS) - Senegal has one of the lowest HIV infection rates in Africa, but the central town of Touba, a Muslim shrine where over one million people gathered last week, is a hotspot where prevalence rates have shot well above the national average. We don t know exactly what the HIV prevalence rate is i
LESOTHO: Abused child domestic workers even more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 4, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MASERU, 4 April (PLUSNEWS) - The exploitation of children employed as domestic workers in the tiny kingdom of Lesotho has, until now, been shrouded in secrecy. But as the kingdom grapples with high HIV/AIDS figures and growing levels of poverty,
ZIMBABWE: Global Fund grant to come through, finally: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 4, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 4 April (PLUSNEWS) - After a three-year delay, a US $10.3 million grant to Zimbabwe by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is very close to signing , an official told PlusNews on Monday. The grant had been
AFRICA: Wealthy nations under fire at AIDS award ceremony: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 4, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 4 April (PLUSNEWS) - Former United States president Bill Clinton has said it was unconscionable how little wealthy countries were doing to assist Africa and other regions with rampant HIV/AIDS, the Washington Post reported. Cli
RWANDA: Police force sensitised to HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 4, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 4 April (PLUSNEWS) - Rwanda is launching a new anti-AIDS campaign to raise HIV awareness and prevention levels among its police force. Chief inspector Jean Baptist Ntaganda, the provincial police commander, told the local New Times
KENYA: Slow business action on HIV/AIDS - survey: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 4, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 4 April (PLUSNEWS) - Kenyan businesses are doing little to tackle HIV/AIDS, despite being aware of the impact of the pandemic on their bottom line, according to international auditors PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC). Although some com
AFRICA: Late Pope's anti-condom stance slammed: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 4, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 4 April (PLUSNEWS) - The papacy of John Paul II, who died at the weekend, has received little praise from international HIV/AIDS campaigners. Activists said on Monday that by stigmatising homosexuality, condemning condoms and hampe
MAURITANIA: Fight against AIDS slow to take root in port city of Nouadhibou: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 1, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] NOUADHIBOU, 1 April (PLUSNEWS) - Nouadhibou, a busy port in the desert north of Mauritania , is a crossroads for fishermen, mine workers and clandestine migrants heading towards Europe, but efforts to combat AIDS in this melting pot of humanity
TANZANIA: Lack of AIDS drugs killing teachers: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 1, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 1 April (PLUSNEWS) - Tanzania s Ministry of Education says a lack of specialised HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention is costing it thousands of schoolteachers every year. According to Education Minister Joseph Mungai, most of the cou
ZAMBIA: Japan bolsters AIDS/TB support: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 1, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 1 April (PLUSNEWS) - Japan this week pledged its continued backing of Zambia s efforts against HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis (TB), a local newspaper, The Times of Zambia, reported. At a gathering on Wednesday in capital, Lusaka, JICA a
SOUTH AFRICA: HIV/AIDS rife in education sector: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 1, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 1 April (PLUSNEWS) - Every day 11 teachers in South Africa die from AIDS-related illnesses, a study commissioned by the Education Labour Relations Council has found. The survey, carried out by the Human Sciences Research Council (H
UGANDA: UN assistance sought on Indian AIDS drug move: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 1, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 1 April (PLUSNEWS) - The rising cost of anti-AIDS drugs in Uganda has prompted the government to seek UN intervention to avert a looming crisis . According to the Health Ministry, the antiretroviral price hike comes a week after th
KENYA: Inmates urge access to free AIDS drugs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 1, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 1 April (PLUSNEWS) - HIV-positive inmates at Western Kenya s Kibos Prison have urged the government to include them in its free anti-AIDS drug programme. Prison officials say the facility has no specialised treatment available to m
ZIMBABWE: Woman writer speaks out against AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 1, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 1 April (PLUSNEWS) - First-time Zimbabwean author Lutanga Shaba is tackling the factors underpinning women s vulnerability to HIV/AIDS in her country with the release of a timely novel. In her book, Secrets of a Woman s Soul , Shab
AFRICA: Ambitious AIDS treatment efforts announced: Integrated Regional Information Networks - April 1, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 1 April (PLUSNEWS) - Benin is to provide free antiretrovirals to 6,000 people living with HIV/AIDS by the end of the year. The government has joined former US President Bill Clinton s HIV/AIDS Initiative Procurement Consortium in
SOUTH AFRICA: Interview with Dr Nomonde Xundu, head of govt's HIV/AIDS unit: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 30, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 30 March (PLUSNEWS) - In November 2003 the South African government launched its much-anticipated HIV/AIDS treatment programme, committing itself to providing free antiretroviral (ARV) drugs to 53,000 HIV-positive people by March 2
BOTSWANA: Tenofovir trials to start soon - despite controversy: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 30, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] GABORONE, 30 March (PLUSNEWS) - Botswana will soon be embarking on the clinical trials of the anti-AIDS drug, tenofovir , despite concerns over how the tests were conducted in Cameroon ,
UGANDA: Rights group criticises emphasis on abstinence: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 30, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] KAMPALA, 30 March (PLUSNEWS) - The policy shift towards abstinence-only programmes to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS could reverse significant gains made by Uganda in the fight against the pandemic, Human Rights Watch (HRW), warned on Wednesday.
UGANDA: President warned on US anti-AIDS policy: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 30, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 30 March (PLUSNEWS) - Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni s support of US HIV/AIDS policies could jeopardise strides made by his country against the pandemic, an international rights group has warned. In a study focused on Uganda, Hu
ZAMBIA: Government looks to SA for cheap AIDS drugs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 30, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 30 March (PLUSNEWS) - Zambian Health Minister Brian Chituwo this week lamented India s decision to stop manufacturing cheap anti-AIDS drugs, noting that the medicines were his country s lifeline against the HI virus. However, in an
AFRICA: Tragic AIDS impact, despite international efforts: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 30, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 30 March (PLUSNEWS) - HIV/AIDS continues to have a tragic impact on developing countries and young adults, regardless of international efforts, according to a senior US official. During a recent speech in Washington to highlight th
UGANDA: Government HIV/AIDS toolkit to be launched: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 30, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 30 March (PLUSNEWS) - A parliamentary HIV communication toolkit, aimed at enhancing AIDS awareness among government officials, is to be launched in Uganda on Thursday. The toolkit is intended to strengthen the capacity of MPs to ad
ZIMBABWE: Insufficient provision for elderly and infirm voters: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 29, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] HARARE, 29 March (PLUSNEWS) - NGOs have lamented the lack of special arrangements for elderly and infirm voters ahead of Zimbabwe s legislative elections on 31 March. Mary Madya, 25, a widow from Mufakose suburb in the capital, Harare, is one of
NIGERIA: Trial of tenofovir as a prophylactic against HIV suspended: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 29, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DAKAR, 29 March (PLUSNEWS) - Nigeria has become the third country to halt clinical trials of the antiretroviral (ARV) drug tenofovir as a prophylactic against HIV after the US-based supervisor of the trials found that proper standards were not b
SOUTH AFRICA: Positive Muslims 'buddies' offer emotional support: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 29, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN, 29 March (PLUSNEWS) - When Fatima Sayed (not her real name), an HIV-positive mother, is feeling down she knows she can pick up the phone and call her buddy , Amina Nordien, who signed up as a volunteer friend and mentor to Muslims living
AFRICA: Bangladesh wants slice of AIDS drug pie: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 29, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 29 March (PLUSNEWS) - Bangladeshi pharmaceutical companies are eager to fill a gap in the manufacture of generic antiretroviral (ARVs) should India ban local production. Although playing a crucial part in supplying generic ARVs to
KENYA: Moneylenders tackle AIDS head on: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 29, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 29 March (PLUSNEWS) - The threat of AIDS to small business in Kenya has prompted microlenders to seek practical ways of tackling the pandemic, including taking out insurance for HIV-positive clients. Beatrice Sabana, chief exec
ZIMBABWE: AIDS becomes an election issue: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 29, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 29 March (PLUSNEWS) - Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai promised better treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS at a weekend rally in Bulawayo, the provincial capital of Matabeleland. Addressing an audience, Tsvangir
KENYA: Shortage of funds and HIV complexity hamper vaccine research: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 29, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 29 March (PLUSNEWS) - Effective vaccines against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria will not be developed for another 15 years, scientists said at the close of a landmark conference on Thursday in Nairobi, Kenya .
AFRICA: US backs expansion of TB/AIDS treatment: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 29, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 29 March (PLUSNEWS) - The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced $3 million boost for the expansion of tuberculosis (TB) and HIV/AIDS treatment programmes in four African countries. In a statement USAID said
SWAZILAND: Construction workers' hostel not wanted in upmarket suburb: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 28, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MBABANE, 28 March (PLUSNEWS) - A Swazi construction firm and real estate developer have bowed to popular fears over the spread of HIV/AIDS by ending the use of on-site single sex workers hostels in a new upmarket development on the outskirts of
SOUTH AFRICA: Caring for abandoned HIV-positive babies: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 25, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN, 25 March (PLUSNEWS) - Mavis Samuels is part of the uMephi project (Zulu for To take shame away ), a national programme that searches for adoptive or foster parents for abandoned babies, many of whom are HIV-positive and have been orphane
GUINEA: Government study shows HIV infections rising: [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DAKAR, 24 March (PLUSNEWS) - A new sentinel survey of pregnant women who underwent voluntary AIDS testing in maternity clincs, indicates that 4.3 percent of Guinea s adult population is infected with HIV. That represents a big jump from the figu
SOUTH AFRICA: Cash injection for anti-AIDS programme: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 24, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 24 March (PLUSNEWS) - The Africa Centre for Health and Population Studies, an AIDS treatment programme in South Africa s KwaZulu-Natal province, has received a financial boost from the US President s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief
MOZAMBIQUE: World leaders urge stronger support of AIDS response: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 24, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 24 March (PLUSNEWS) - UNAIDS together with leaders from Norway , the UK and Sweden , ended a visit to Mozambique this week with calls for increased donor support of the countr
AFRICA: HIV/AIDS adds new dimension to TB threat: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 24, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 24 Mar 2005 (IRIN) - HIV/AIDS has changed the face of Africa s tuberculosis (TB) epidemic, which is now reaching alarming proportions, a new World Health Organisation (WHO) report, released on World TB Day, has found. While most ar
AFRICA: US global AIDS activities make headway: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 24, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 24 March (PLUSNEWS) - The US President s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) achieved unprecedented success during 2004, according to the government s first annual progress report. Proposed by President George W Bush in January
ZAMBIA: Possible HIV-positive baby explosion predicted: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 24, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 24 March (PLUSNEWS) - As many as 40,000 Zambian children will be born with HIV each year without proper AIDS interventions, a senior government official has warned. According to a local newspaper, The Times Of Zambia, Health Minist
ZAMBIA: Scale-up sought in AIDS efforts for prisons: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 23, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 23 March (PLUSNEWS) - The number of AIDS-related deaths in Zambian prisons in 2004 has forced officials to seek ways of strengthening HIV prevention efforts among staff and inmates. Noting that 114 officers and 449 prisoners had di
AFRICA: HIV complicates fight against TB: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 23, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNEBURG, 23 March (PLUSNEWS) - Walter (not his real name) has spent four months of his young life confined to the children s ward at Sizwe Hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa . His growth has been stunted by a version of tuberculosis (TB)
UGANDA: President urges strengthened AIDS efforts: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 23, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 23 March (PLUSNEWS) - Although Uganda has featured as a model in the global fight against HIV/AIDS, President Yoweri Museveni says there is need for a concerted effort to combat the disease, a local newspaper, New Vision, reported.
AFRICA: Continent "overwhelmed" by AIDS-related TB: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 23, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 23 March (PLUSNEWS) - A rise in HIV/AIDS-related tuberculosis (TB) in Africa is frustrating efforts to control the pulmonary disease, a global advocacy group said in a statement on Wednesday. The Massive Effort Campaign (MEC), says
KENYA: AIDS takes centre stage at landmark conference: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 23, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 23 March (PLUSNEWS) - More than 100 international experts are gathered in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, to discuss ways of managing diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in Africa. But with AIDS taking centre stage at
AFRICA: New Indian patent law could threaten ARV access: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 22, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 22 March (PLUSNEWS) - A piece of legislation currently under consideration in India s parliament has unleashed a flurry of protest all over the African continent. For the past month a worldwide storm has been brewing among AIDS act
UGANDA: India's AIDS drug law fuels demonstrations: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 22, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 22 March (PLUSNEWS) - HIV-positive Ugandans at the weekend joined global demonstrations against India s proposed legislation to halt its production of cheap anti-AIDS drugs. Led by the National Community for People Living with HIV/
RWANDA: HIV/AIDS relief on the cards for youth: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 22, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 22 March (PLUSNEWS) - Health authorities in Rwanda s Butare province are encouraging young people to undergo voluntary counselling and testing in an effort to tackle HIV/AIDS among the youth. Joseph Sayinzoga, health director of th
SWAZILAND: UNAIDS praises community efforts to combat HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 21, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MBABANE, 21 March (PLUSNEWS) - Swaziland s efforts to tackle AIDS at the community level have won the praise of the executive director of the UN Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS ( UNAIDS ), Peter Piot. I have seen how communities are standing up to f
AFRICA: Youth adopt HIV/AIDS strategic plan: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 21, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] KIGALI, 21 March (PLUSNEWS) - The Pan-African Youth Organisation Against HIV/AIDS (PAYA) adopted on Friday a five-year strategic plan to help stop the spread of HIV on the continent. Representatives from all 20 countries who attended the five-da
KENYA: Activists up in arms over Indian patent law: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 21, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 21 March (PLUSNEWS) - Kenyans living with HIV/AIDS are calling for India to reconsider implementing new legislation that will prevent the production of cheaper, generic anti-AIDS drugs. Despite being banned from marching through th
SOUTH AFRICA: SACP calls on financial sector to end discrimination: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 21, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG , 21 March (PLUSNEWS) - The South African Communist Party (SACP) has called on the country s major financial institutions to stop discriminating against HIV-positive workers. The SACP has launched a campaign to lobby banks, insuranc
SOUTH AFRICA: 46664 concert highlights plight of Africa's women: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 21, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 21 March (PLUSNEWS) - Former South African president Nelson Mandela held his second AIDS benefit concert this weekend, this time highlighting the plight of African women. Speaking to an audience of about 20,000 in the southern reso
CENTRAL & EASTERN AFRICA: World Bank grants region $20 million to fight HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 18, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] KAMPALA, 18 March (PLUSNEWS) - The World Bank has announced a US $20-million grant to boost the fight against HIV/AIDS in six countries in Africa s Great Lakes region, which are home to an estimated six million people living with the condition.
ZIMBABWE: UNICEF makes AIDS appeal for affected children: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 18, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 18 March (PLUSNEWS) - The UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) has urged international donors to open their purses to Zimbabwean children affected by the impact of HIV/AIDS. Although suffering the world s fourth-highest HIV infection rate -
AFRICA: US senate generous with UN-administered body: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 18, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 18 March (PLUSNEWS) - The US Senate this week almost tripled President George W Bush s recent request for funding to the Global AIDS Fund, which aims to boost the worldwide fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. If appro
TANZANIA: India urged to continue AIDS drug supply: [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 18 March (PLUSNEWS) - HIV-positive Tanzanians will hold a peaceful march at the weekend in the capital, Dar es Salaam, urging India to continue manufacturing cheap AIDS drugs and supplying them to developing countries. India ha
GHANA: Legalised prostitution urged to combat AIDS: [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 18 March (PLUSNEWS) - The Ghana AIDS Commission has called for the legalisation of prostitution as a means of tackling the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Professor Sekyi Awuku Amoa, the commission s director-general, said the change in current
UGANDA: NGO assists children affected by AIDS and war: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 18, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 18 March (PLUSNEWS) - The prevalence of HIV/AIDS and malaria, as well as high levels of unemployment in the war-affected areas of northern Uganda , were impacting on children, according to the international NGO, Save The Children.
TANZANIA: Increased AIDS treatment on the cards: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 18, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 18 March (PLUSNEWS) - Tanzania plans to increase the number of people on anti-AIDS treatment from 4,000 to 44,000 by the end of this year, with the help of international donors. According to Health Minister Anna Abdallah, the gover
ZIMBABWE: UNICEF appeals to donors to look beyond politics: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 17, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 17 March (PLUSNEWS) - The UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) has called on the global community to differentiate between the politics and the people of Zimbabwe . Every day children in Zimbabwe are dying of HIV/AIDS; every day children ar
ZAMBIA: Govt scales up TB programme: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 17, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] LUSAKA, 17 March (PLUSNEWS) - The Zambian government aims to scale up the country s tuberculosis (TB) control programme to achieve a cure rate of 80 percent. We have exceeded the 70 percent WHO [World Health Organisation cure rate] target. We ar
SWAZILAND: Elderly bear burden of orphan crisis: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 17, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MBABANE, 17 March (PLUSNEWS) - Ninety percent blind in both eyes, Babe (Father in SiSwati) Simelane, who estimates he is 72 years old, could make out only the roughest outline of his son s face when he died from an AIDS related illness last year
TOGO: Fighting to keep ARV drugs within population's grasp: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 17, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] LOME, 17 March (PLUSNEWS) - Augustin Dokla has been at the forefront of the fight against HIV/AIDS ever since he was diagnosed as HIV-positive 10 years ago. Now he is setting his sights on keeping the supply of cheap antiretroviral drugs (ARV) i
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Huge order placed for female condoms: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 17, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 17 March (PLUSNEWS) - The Female Health Company, a global market leader in female condoms (FCs), says South Africa and Botswana have ordered a combined total of over three million FCs for use in their HIV/AIDS prevention programmes
MOZAMBIQUE: Police bear brunt of HIV/AIDS impact: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 16, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 16 March (PLUSNEWS) - At least 150 officers in Mozambique s police force die from AIDS-related illnesses every year, a senior official has revealed. According to general commander Miguel dos Santos, the ability of officers to meet
AFRICA: AIDS drug giant clamps down on medicine smuggling: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 16, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 16 March (PLUSNEWS) - Multinational drug giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has launched a major security initiative aimed at curbing the re-routing of anti-AIDS drugs from Africa back to Europe. GSK investigators recently uncovered a syn
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS treatment initiative supports farm workers: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 16, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 16 March (PLUSNEWS) - Between 30 percent and 45 percent of South African farm workers are estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS, the National African Farmers Union Summit heard earlier this week. The Dutch agricultural attach�, Gret
AFRICA: Children let down in AIDS drug availability - MSF: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 16, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 16 March (PLUSNEWS) - HIV-positive children in developing countries are dying needlessly because of a scarcity of suitable anti-AIDS drugs, the international medical NGO, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has said. According to MSF, l
AFRICA: Multi-million dollar boost for Great Lakes HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 16, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 16 March (PLUSNEWS) - A new World Bank grant of US $20 million will boost the HIV/AIDS efforts of six countries in the Great Lakes region. The funds, approved on Tuesday, are expected to benefit Burundi , the Democratic Re
SOUTHERN AFRICA: New thinking needed on impact of HIV/AIDS on agriculture: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 15, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 15 March (PLUSNEWS) - The impact of HIV/AIDS on agriculture in Southern Africa is now well recognised. But a new report is calling for a rethink of current views on the effects of the epidemic and more concrete and specific regiona
AFRICA: Youth meet to discuss ways of fighting HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 15, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] KIGALI, 15 March (PLUSNEWS) - An Africa-wide youth organisation is holding a five-day conference in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, to draw up a plan of action for the continent s youth to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS. Our mission is to initiate,
COTE D IVOIRE: Doctor concerned by high HIV prevalence rate in forgotten northeast: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 15, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] BONDOUKOU, 15 March (PLUSNEWS) - Olivier Oura is the only trained doctor available for Ivorians living with HIV/AIDS around Bondoukou, and he s worried that poor security and communication in this northeastern corner of Cote d I
SOUTH AFRICA: Slow AIDS care blamed on short staff: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 15, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 15 March (PLUSNEWS) - A shortage of doctors and other healthcare workers is causing South Africa s HIV/AIDS treatment plan to lag behind, says the Ministry of Health. Although the programme has been described by President Thabo Mbe
UGANDA: AIDS treatment could fuel pandemic - authorities: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 15, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 15 March (PLUSNEWS) - Ugandan health officials are concerned that increased access to anti-AIDS drugs is encouraging risky sexual behaviour among HIV-positive people. The commissioner for planning in the Ministry of Health, Dr Fran
AFRICA: Global Fund to meet on AIDS, TB and malaria: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 15, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 15 March (PLUSNEWS) - The Global AIDS Fund will meet in Sweden this week to review its role in financial efforts to curb HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria worldwide. According to Global Fund executive director Richard Feachem
SOUTH AFRICA: Challenges remain despite progress on TB and STIs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 15, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 15 March (PLUSNEWS) - The health minister of South Africa s Gauteng province, Gwen Ramokgopa, says gaps remain despite progress in curbing tuberculosis (TB) and sexually transmitted illnesses (STIs) in the Randfontein district.
ETHIOPIA: Nationwide HIV/AIDS hotline launched: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 14, 2005; ADDIS ABABA, 14 March (PLUSNEWS) - A new HIV/AIDS hotline was launched in Ethiopia on Thursday, to provide accurate information, counselling and free referrals to callers across the country. We are now receiving 1,800 calls on average every day since the hotline became available nationwide on 10 March, Gashaw Mengistu
WEST AFRICA: Working to reduce the HIV/AIDS risk for migrant women: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 11, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DAKAR, 11 March (PLUSNEWS) - Women migrants, who are generally more vulnerable than men, run a high risk of HIV/AIDS infection, but campaigners say it is difficult to raise their awareness about the disease. According to the International Organi
SOUTH AFRICA: Sensitising programme delivers positive results: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 11, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DURBAN, 11 March (PLUSNEWS) - A groundbreaking programme aimed at preparing children to cope with the impact of HIV/AIDS will soon be implemented in four of South Africa s nine provinces. The Valley Trust, an NGO running a number of HIV/AIDS and
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS as widely discussed as crime - IDASA: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 11, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 11 March (PLUSNEWS) - The Institute for Democracy in South Africa (IDASA) says the number of people claiming to have lost family members or friends to HIV/AIDS has doubled, leading to greater concern about the disease in the countr
MOZAMBIQUE: Brazil reinforces AIDS drug manufacturing promise: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 11, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 11 March (PLUSNEWS) - A visiting Brazilian foreign minister this week reiterated his government s 2003 promise to build an AIDS drug manufacturing plant in Mozambique . At a meeting with Mozambican President Armando Guebuza on Wedn
SOUTH AFRICA: Treatment available at more sites in Mpumalanga: [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 11 March (PLUSNEWS) - The authorities in South Africa s Mpumalanga province have announced plans to increase the number of free anti-AIDS treatment sites from eight to 12. According to the MEC for provincial health and social servi
BOTSWANA: Anti-AIDS drugs for armed forces: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 10, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] GABORONE, 10 March (PLUSNEWS) - Botswana has started providing antiretroviral drugs to soldiers in an effort to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS on its armed forces. The Botswana Defence Force (BDF) medical corps, which is coordinating the ARV pr
MALAWI: International organisations bring relief to HIV-positive children: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 10, 2005; JOHANNESBURG, 10 March (PLUSNEWS) - The Abbott Fund, an extension of multinational drug firm Abbott Laboratory, and the US-based Baylor College of Medicine, have announced plans to assist children living with HIV and AIDS in Malawi through the establishment of a paediatric clinic on the Kamuzu Central Hospital campus,
AFRICA: High-level HIV/AIDS meeting seeks solutions: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 10, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 10 March (PLUSNEWS) - A conference held in London this week under the banner, Making the Money Work , focused on improving the channelling of HIV/AIDS funding to countries most in need. The meeting, co-hosted by
MOZAMBIQUE: Partnerships by women urged against HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 10, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 10 March (PLUSNEWS) - The Mozambican Minister for Women s Affairs, Virgilia Matabele, has urged women to work together in the fight against HIV and AIDS. At the recent launch of Kuyakana , a network of organisations representing HI
NIGERIA: Government pushes on with ambitious AIDS plan: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 10, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 10 March (PLUSNEWS) - Nigeria s subsidised anti-AIDS drug programme will benefit some 150,000 HIV-positive people by the end of this year, according to the country s National Action Committee on AIDS (NACA). In a recent interview w
AFRICA: Increased debt relief and AIDS efforts urged: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 10, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 10 March (PLUSNEWS) - British Prime Minister Tony Blair s Commission for Africa is expected to release a report calling for increased aid, debt relief and strengthened HIV/AIDS efforts on the continent. The commission, established
LIBERIA: With peace in place, the battle against HIV/AIDS gains momentum: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 9, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MONROVIA, 9 March (PLUSNEWS) - Now that peace has returned to Liberia , people living with HIV/AIDS are setting their sights on a new fight - the battle to contain the pandemic. Campaigners say the first priority is to break down the barriers of
BOTSWANA: US $ 35 million boost for anti-AIDS efforts: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 9, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] GABORONE, 9 March (PLUSNEWS) - Botswana s anti-AIDS efforts are to receive an injection of US $35 million from the US President s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The funds, to be channelled through the Botswana and USA partnership (BOTU
SENEGAL: Female AIDS campaigner wants to spread her wings but husband in the way: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 9, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DAKAR, 9 March (PLUSNEWS) - She is still hesitant about saying it but Fatou seems to have made up her mind. She will leave her husband if he carries on stopping her from speaking openly about being HIV-positive and helping her sisters. Fatou is
COTE D IVOIRE: Children's book tackles AIDS, death and rejection for under-11s: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 8, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ABIDJAN, 8 March (PLUSNEWS) - AIDS is probably the last subject that comes to mind when choosing a theme for a children s book. But for Fatou Keita, whose latest book A Tree for Lollie features a young girl infected with the virus, there is noth
AFRICA: Interview with Peter Piot, UNAIDS Executive Director: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 8, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ADDIS ABABA, 8 March (PLUSNEWS) - AIDS threatens the lives of 80 million Africans by 2025, according to three scenarios spelt out in a new report by UNAIDS . A further 90 million could be infected by that time. In an interview in the Ethiopian c
UGANDA: UN highlights children's poor access to AIDS drugs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 8, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNEBURG, 8 March (PLUSNEWS) - The UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) has expressed concern over the low availability of anti-AIDS treatments for children in Uganda . At the recent Eastern and Southern African Region Education Conference in the capi
ZAMBIA: Anti-AIDS treatment programme caters for the blind: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 8, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNEBURG, 8 March (PLUSNEWS) - Visually impaired HIV-positive Zambians are accessing free anti-AIDS and tuberculosis treatment via a project managed by the Japanese International Co-operation Agency (JICA). JICA s resident representative, Eij
SOUTH AFRICA: KZN residents slow on HIV testing: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 8, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNEBURG, 8 March (PLUSNEWS) - South Africans living in KwaZulu-Natal province s port city of Durban are less likely to get tested for HIV than the inhabitants of Cape Town or Johannesburg a new survey has found. The survey of 892 households,
CHAD: HIV free certificates on sale to woo girls and get loans: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 7, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] NDJAMENA, 7 March (PLUSNEWS) - Chadian men wanting to chat up the girls or boost their credit rating are turning to fake certificates to prove they are not HIV-positive, to improve their chances with potential partners and private moneylenders.
Chad: Speaking Out for the Voiceless: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 7, 2005; It took Denis Baba Tatola a year to tell his wife and neighbours that he was HIV-positive. Today he is a committed campaigner against the pandemic, working to convince people living with HIV/AIDS in Chad to join the fight. Tatola did not always work as he does now as a counsellor at an HIV testing centre in N djamena.
ZAMBIA: Expert highlights importance AIDS drug monitoring: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 7, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Zambia s University Teaching Hospital (UTH) has stressed the importance of CD4 tests for people using anti-AIDS drugs. The test not only determines the efficacy of antiretroviral therapy in patients, but doctors can als
SOUTH AFRICA: Free AIDS treatment for W-Cape township dwellers: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 7, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The British fundraising NGO, Cruisaid, together with the Western Cape provincial government, recently launched a free HIV/AIDS treatment centre in the township of Gugulethu, near Cape Town, South Africa .
AFRICA: Coffee industry feels HIV/AIDS impact: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 7, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Zambia s President Levy Mwanawasa has expressed concern over the impact of HIV/AIDS on coffee production in Africa. Addressing the recent International Coffee Conference in Livingstone, south of the Zambian capital Lusa
DRC: ARV distribution hindered by the war: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 4, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] KINSHASA, 4 March (PLUSNEWS) - With less than one percent of HIV-positive people in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on anti-AIDS drugs, the country - which has been torn apart by six years of conflict - is slowly trying to launch its trea
AFRICA: AIDS death toll could reach 80 million by 2025, says new report: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 4, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ADDIS ABABA, 4 March (PLUSNEWS) - More than 80 million people living in Africa could die from AIDS by 2025 unless concerted actions are taken that could save some of these lives, a new report by UNAIDS said on Friday. Entitled, AIDS in Afri
MOZAMBIQUE: US announces increased HIV/AIDS funding: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 4, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 4 March (PLUSNEWS) - The United States has announced plans to increase HIV/AIDS funding to Mozambique this year, the Associated Press reported. According to the US Undersecretary of State for African Affairs, Constance Newman, fund
AFRICA: Bleak HIV/AIDS future foreseen by UN: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 4, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 4 March (PLUSNEWS) - Africa could see 89 million new cases of HIV/AIDS in the next 20 years if efforts to tackle the pandemic are not strengthened, the UN has warned. In its latest report, AIDS in Africa: Three scenarios to 2025 ,
ZIMBABWE: Government calls for proof of AIDS fund disbursement: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 4, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 4 March (PLUSNEWS) - Zimbabwe s National AIDS Council has been urged to display greater transparency in its disbursement of funds accumulated from the monthly national HIV/AIDS Trust Fund. A local newspaper quoted Health Minister D
SOUTH AFRICA: Government AIDS drug tender cautiously welcomed: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 4, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 4 March (PLUSNEWS) - The South African government this week awarded its long-awaited antiretroviral drug tender to seven pharmaceutical companies, including Abbot Laboratories and generic manufacturer, Aspen Pharmacare. Although th
SOUTH AFRICA: Capacity shortfalls undermine roll-out: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 3, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] PRETORIA, 3 March (PLUSNEWS) - A lack of capacity in South Africa s healthcare system is a serious challenge to the government s plan to roll-out a free treatment programme for its HIV-positive citizens, a European Union (EU) official told PlusN
SOUTH AFRICA: Government and media to blame for AIDS deaths - Church: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 3, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - South African Cardinal Wilfrid Napier has blamed the country s high rate of AIDS-related deaths on the government and the media s lax attitude towards the pandemic. Currently in
AFRICA: Over the counter HIV tests to ease stigma: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 3, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - MedMira, a Canadian global market leader in rapid diagnostic technology, hopes to alleviate AIDS-related stigma with a new over-the-counter HIV testing kit. Supplying most of the US, Canada ,
AFRICA: Speedy US approval of cheap AIDS drugs expected: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 3, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - A call by the US administration for the speedy clearance of more generic drugs could see a lot more antiretrovirals (ARVs) included in President Bush s $15 billion global anti-AIDS programme. We have put a lot of effort
SOUTH AFRICA: Men encouraged to tackle AIDS head on: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 3, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - A US-backed programme is attempting to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS in Soweto, South Africa s largest township, with workshops aimed at altering men s views on relationships, sex and domestic violence. Established by the
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS efforts "redoubled" in KwaZulu-Natal province: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 2, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s KwaZulu-Natal province has announced plans to increase the number of people on anti-AIDS treatment from 5,000 to 30,000 by March 2006. In his State of the Province Address earlier this week, Premier Sbu N
UGANDA: Lack of free condoms could fuel HIV - official: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 2, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - An acute shortage of free condoms at landing sites for fishermen in Uganda s Kalangala district on Lake Victoria could escalate the prevalence of HIV/AIDS, a senior government official has warned. A local newspaper, New
AFRICA: G8 encouraged to do more for AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 2, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Although encouraging developments have been made in Africa over the past few years, British Prime Minister Tony Blair says the problem of HIV/AIDS still remains. This was the reason why the UK had made Africa - along wi
NIGERIA: Authorities predict 250,000 people on ARVs by mid-2006: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 1, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DAKAR (PLUSNEWS) - The Nigerian government has said it aims to quadruple the number of people on antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) by mid-2006, enabling up to 250,000 HIV-positive people receive the medication. With grants from the Global Fund, the US
KENYA: US announces AIDS funding increase: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 1, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Kenya can expect an increase of over 50 percent in HIV/AIDS funding from the United States in 2005, a senior US official has announced. Leslie Rowe, the deputy US ambassador to Kenya, said compared to her government s p
ANGOLA: Envoy urges speedy action on AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 1, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Angola must make HIV/AIDS a priority or suffer a fate potentially more damaging than its 27-year civil war, a senior UN official has warned. Experts believe the civil conflict, which ended in April 2002, kept the virus
AFRICA: Canada doubles commitment to Global AIDS Fund: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 1, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The Global AIDS Fund has welcomed an announcement by Canada this week that it would more than double its annual pledge from US $50 million to $140 million. Global Fund executive director Richard Feachem said the additio
SOUTH AFRICA: Concern over sketchy HIV/AIDS budget: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 1, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The Institute for Democracy in South Africa (IDASA) is not entirely satisfied with reports that the country s HIV/AIDS budget has grown from just over US $206 billion in 2004/05 to more than $257 billion in 2005/06.
AFRICA: HIV/AIDS slows population growth - UN: Integrated Regional Information Networks - March 1, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - HIV/AIDS is increasing the global rate of mortality and slowing population growth, especially in hard-hit parts of sub-Saharan Africa, the UN has said. Highlighting Southern Africa in its recent report, World Population
SWAZILAND: Humanitarian crisis worsening, warn relief agencies: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 28, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MBABANE (PLUSNEWS) - Relief agencies have warned that the humanitarian crisis in Swaziland , brought on by drought and aggravated by AIDS, is worsening. The food insecurity situation is going to continue for the next 12 months - people are not p
BOTSWANA: Miss Stigma Free 2005 crowned: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 28, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] GABORONE (PLUSNEWS) - An elated 22-year-old AIDS activist, Cynthia Leshomo, was crowned Miss Stigma Free 2005 at a glittering event on Saturday at Botswana s Gaborone International Convention Centre. About 500 people attended the gala evening wi
ANGOLA: Govt must act now on AIDS, warns UN envoy: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 28, 2005; LUANDA (PLUSNEWS) - Angola will have to make an epic effort in both preventing and treating HIV/AIDS related illnesses if it is to escape the dismal fate of many of its neighbours, a senior UN official told PlusNews. Stephen Lewis, Kofi Annan s special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, spoke to PlusNews after spending a we
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS deaths a source of wealth for some: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 28, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Business is booming for undertakers as increased mortality from HIV/AIDS becomes a major source of wealth for the industry. An extensive survey by a local news team from the City Press newspaper found that funeral parlo
NAMIBIA: HIV-positive public servants costly - government: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 28, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Namibia says it is feeling the pinch of providing treatment to civil servants living with HIV and AIDS. Finance Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said the annual cost of the Public Service Employees Medical Aid Schem
SOUTH AFRICA: Fake AIDS cures doing the rounds: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 28, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - South Africans were warned at the weekend against remedies supposedly capable of curing people living with HIV and AIDS. Pamphlets promoting a bogus AIDS cure at a cost of just US $95 have been circulating in eastern Jo
AFRICA: UN highlights importance of MDGs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 28, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The UN has warned that the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) adopted by governments to curb poverty and promote gender equality by 2015 could fail unless developing countries make HIV/AIDS a priority. A new report, H
SOUTH AFRICA: Revived AIDS council to bring relief in KZN province: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 25, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The government of South Africa s KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province has announced plans to resuscitate the Provincial AIDS Council. After being inactive for some time, the council could add impetus to the battle against HIV/A
AFRICA: World at HIV/AIDS stalemate - expert: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 25, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - A top researcher said this week that the global battle against HIV/AIDS would not be won without strengthened efforts on all fronts. Doctor Robert Gallo, who co-discovered that HIV causes AIDS, warned that the pandemic
KENYA: Japan replenishes HIV test kit shortage: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 25, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Kenya s anti-AIDS efforts were boosted this week by a Japanese pledge of HIV testing kits. Health minister Charity Ngilu said the donation was a result of her government s recent emergency appeal to alleviate an acute n
AFRICA: Safer mother-to-child AIDS drugs on cards: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 25, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - AIDS experts have found a safer, but slightly more expensive means, of reducing the mother-to-child transmission of HIV (MTCT) in developing countries. According to findings presented at the 12th Annual Retrovirus Confe
UGANDA: Condoms outshine abstinence in AIDS battle - researchers: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 24, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - A lengthy study on HIV/AIDS prevention in Uganda suggests that the country s much-lauded success in tackling the pandemic has little to do with abstinence. Findings presented at the 12th Annual Retrovirus Conference, un
TANZANIA: Government plans to extend HIV testing services: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 24, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Tanzanian health officials have announced plans to screen some 25 million people for HIV by 2008. According to the Deputy Health Minister, Hussein Mwinyi, the new plan was a prerequisite for the government to achieve it
NIGERIA: Greater funding needed for ambitious AIDS plan: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 24, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Plans to increase the number of HIV-positive Nigerians on anti-AIDS treatment over the next two years could fall far short as a result of poor resources, Agence France-Presse reported. The government is in the process o
SOUTH AFRICA: National AIDS trust loses sight of purpose: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 24, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - A state-sponsored HIV/AIDS trust, meant to advise South African Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang on treatment policy and implementation, has not met since its inception in 2002. It has also come to light that th
SOUTH AFRICA: Monitoring ARV patients like 'working in the dark': Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 23, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The South African government has just a month to reach its target of providing treatment to 53,000 HIV-positive people by the end of March, but only an estimated 30,000 are currently on anti-AIDS medication. Activists h
SOUTH AFRICA: Experts recommend HIV/AIDS prevention in treatment expansion: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 23, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Although South Africa has been widely criticised for its slow rollout of anti-AIDS drugs, experts believe this presents a unique opportunity for government and organisations to implement HIV prevention strategies. I
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS awareness taken to major nature reserve: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 23, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - An HIV/AIDS awareness roadshow for the benefit of South Africa s Kruger National Park (KNP) employees kicked off this week in Limpopo province. The campaign is part of the park s overall anti-AIDS initiative, which has
SOUTH AFRICA: Government in denial about TB and AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 23, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The AIDS lobby group, Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), has slammed the South African health department for denying that a rise in tuberculosis (TB) deaths could be attributed to HIV/AIDS. Thami Mseleku, the director gen
SOUTH AFRICA: President blames doctors for poor AIDS drug uptake: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 23, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - South African President Thabo Mbeki says the country s doctors are doing little to encourage people to make use of the government s free anti-AIDS treatment programme. He said HIV-positive people were not voluntarily se
SOUTH AFRICA: Gauteng province to increase AIDS treatment sites: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 22, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The number of sites providing free anti-AIDS drugs in South Africa s Gauteng province is set to increase by the end of next month. In his opening address to the provincial legislature on Monday, Gauteng Premiere Mbhazim
SOUTH AFRICA: HIV/AIDS "indirectly" responsible for increased mortality - report: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 21, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa experienced a 57 percent jump in reported deaths between 1997 and 2003, revealing a startling - if indirect - picture of the impact of HIV/AIDS, according to Statistics SA (Stats SA). However, officials
SOUTH AFRICA: Government ready to issue AIDS drug tenders: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 21, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa has completed negotiations with drug companies for supplying anti-AIDS drugs to public health facilities, Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang has announced. The government short-listed eight drug com
KENYA: Academics and students thrown AIDS lifeline: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 21, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Kenya s Moi University could soon offer free anti-AIDS drugs to students and employees who test HIV-positive. The tertiary institution s chief medical officer, Dr Akwabi Mumia, said the decision had been made after a ca
TANZANIA: Swedes boost AIDS treatment plan: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 21, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Tanzania s plan to have 400,000 HIV-positive people on treatment by 2008 has received a US $22 million shot in the arm from Sweden . Announcing the new funds at the weekend, permanent secretary for the Ministry of Healt
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS "indirectly" blamed for jump in deaths: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 21, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - HIV/AIDS emerged as one of the main killers in South Africa s 15 to 49 age bracket, Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) said at the weekend. According to figures released from a national mortality study, deaths recorded
AFRICA: UN praise for US global AIDS efforts: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 21, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The global battle against HIV and AIDS owes a great deal to funding by US President George W Bush, a senior UN official has said. Reuters quoted UNAIDS executive director Peter Piot as saying: You know, they don t like
GHANA: HIV-care initiative ESTHER comes to town: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 18, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ACCRA (PLUSNEWS) - ESTHER, a French government initiative which helps people living with HIV/AIDS gain access to healthcare, will shortly start operating in Ghana , ESTHER chairman Bernard Kouchner said. ESTHER (the French acronym for Working
SOUTH AFRICA: Health minister backs HIV/AIDS policy: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 18, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - In reaction to wide-ranging criticism of government s handling of HIV/AIDS earlier this week, South African Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang maintained that the country s policy is among the world s best. Ver
SOUTH AFRICA: Anglo's free AIDS drugs plan gets poor response: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 18, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Employees of South Africa s largest mining company, Anglo American, have been slow to take up the company s offer of free anti-AIDS drugs. Anglo s chief medical officer, Dr Brian Brink, said only about a quarter of thos
SOUTH AFRICA: Presidential aid admits personal HIV/AIDS loss: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 18, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s head of communications in the presidency, Murphy Morobe, earlier this week said he had lost six family members to HIV/AIDS over the past three years. Morobe s remarks are in contrast to President Thabo Mb
UGANDA: Treatment guide for HIV-positive people launched: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 18, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Uganda this week launched an HIV/AIDS treatment handbook for the benefit of all HIV-positive people in the Great Lakes region. The manual was produced by the Community Health and Information Network (CHAIN), a local NGO
AFRICA: Tertiary-level AIDS education urged: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 18, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - South African Deputy President Jacob Zuma has urged all tertiary institutions to integrate HIV/AIDS education in their curricula. Zuma told the audience attending the launch of the African Centre for HIV and AIDS Manage
SWAZILAND: Targeting HIV/AIDS in the workplace: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 17, 2005; MBABANE (PLUSNEWS) - In a country where employers still discriminate against HIV-positive employees, Gladys Ndlangamandla a tall, soft-spoken woman of 33, is one of the lucky few. When she revealed her HIV status, instead of being summarily dismissed, she was given a flexible workload for times when she would be unwell
SIERRA LEONE: New survey expected to show much higher HIV prevalence rate: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 17, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] FREETOWN (PLUSNEWS) - Sierra Leone has announced plans to launch a nationwide HIV/AIDS survey in the next two months following widespread indications that the real rate of HIV prevalence is four or five times greater than the official government
SOUTH AFRICA: Government asleep on HIV/AIDS - activists: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 17, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - More than 5,000 South African AIDS activists converged on parliament this week, demanding that 200,000 HIV-positive people gain access to free anti-AIDS drugs by the start of 2006. The AIDS lobby group, Treatment Action
AFRICA: HIV/AIDS threatening to destroy governance - UN: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 17, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - HIV/AIDS is undercutting improvements in governance made by Africa, according to the head of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). KY Amoako, the ECA Executive Secretary, told a gathering at UN Headquarters in Ne
AFRICA: International trials on HIV prevention gel begin: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 17, 2005; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - South African and US volunteers enrolled this week in trials to determine the safety and efficacy of two candidate microbicides for preventing HIV in women. This is the first trial of this magnitude to be conducted by the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), solely
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS activists demand expansion of national treatment: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 16, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s AIDS activists once again marched to parliament on Wednesday, launching a campaign to put more HIV-positive people on the national treatment programme. The AIDS lobby group, Treatment Action Campaign (TAC
UGANDA: Free AIDS drugs for HIV-positive children: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 16, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - HIV-positive children in Uganda s Kasese district will start receiving free antiretroviral therapy at Kagando Hospital on Friday. Zebedee Masereka, a retired Episcopal bishop, made the announcement during his recent add
SOUTH AFRICA: Safe blood no longer a race issue: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 16, 2005; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has welcomed the country s new model to determine whether donated blood is safe from diseases such as HIV/AIDS, without using race as a factor. The system was developed after it became known that blood donations from black people were categorised
AFRICA: Microsoft boss backs infectious diseases conference: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 16, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged almost US $337,000 towards an upcoming international conference on combating HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in Africa. Announcing the pledge, Wilmot James, director
GABON: New factory produces AIDS and anti-malarial drugs for the region: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 15, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] LIBREVILLE (PLUSNEWS) - The government of Gabon has opened a factory in Libreville that will manufacture drugs to treat HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis (TB) for 30 million people living in six states in Central Africa. A battle has been
ZAMBIA: UN lauds free anti-AIDS treatment expansion: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 15, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Zambia s recently announced plan to make free anti-AIDS treatment available to all its HIV-positive citizens has received praise from the UN. According to Stephan Lewis, the UN Special Envoy on HIV/AIDS in Africa, the t
ZIMBABWE: France throws Mugabe HIV/AIDS life-line: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 15, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - France this week announced its continued support to Zimbabwe for fighting HIV/AIDS, despite the country s soured relations with western nations, particularly the US and the UK. The controversial land reform programm
AFRICA: Testing essential for US global AIDS campaign success: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 15, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - HIV testing is essential if the US President s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is to meet its goals in providing AIDS treatment in developing countries, the Office of the US Global AIDS Coordinator has said.
SWAZILAND: HIV-positive women's group creates agricultural cooperative: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 14, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MBABANE (PLUSNEWS) - Swazis for Positive Living (SWAPOL), launched by a group of middle-aged HIV-positive Swazi women, is breaking new ground by developing self-sustaining agricultural projects in an effort to be less dependent on donor organisa
COTE D IVOIRE: Roadmap against AIDS needs re-think due to war, poverty: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 14, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ABIDJAN (PLUSNEWS) - The strategy against HIV/AIDS in Cote d Ivoire needs to be re-thought because of the effects of the country s civil war and the poverty it brings, UNAIDS country coordinator Mamoudou Diallo told PlusNews.
SOUTH AFRICA: High AIDS treatment hurdles for refugees: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 14, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa s substantial population of refugees and illegal immigrants are being sidelined by HIV/AIDS treatment programmes as the country struggles to provide drugs to its own citizens. Inter Press Service quoted a U
AFRICA: Australia ups ante on AIDS and poverty: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 14, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Australia has upped its poverty and HIV/AIDS assistance to Africa by US $50 million over the next five years. According to the Australian Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Bruce Billson, the funds a
SOUTH AFRICA: President an HIV/AIDS "denialist" - IFP: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 14, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - South African opposition group, the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), has criticised President Thabo Mbeki s approach to HIV/AIDS during his recent state of the nation address. IFP health spokeswoman Ruth Rabinowitz said the
COTE D IVOIRE: HIV/AIDS time-bomb ticking away in rebel north: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 11, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] BOUAKE (PLUSNEWS) - As the only girl in a family of five orphaned by HIV/AIDS, Awa Keita spends the day cooking and cleaning for her brothers and her own baby boy. Four months ago, life took a dour twist for the family marooned in the war-hit no
AFRICA: World Bank and business groups launch guidelines: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 11, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The World Bank and the South African Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS (SABCOHA) launched Guidelines for Building Better Coalitions Against HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa on Thursday. Participants from 15 countries represe
SOUTH AFRICA: Rural kids lose education over AIDS - report: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 11, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The impact of HIV/AIDS and poverty is causing many rural South African children to miss school, the Human Sciences Research Council and Nelson Mandela Foundation said in a new report. Titled Emerging Voices , the report
MOZAMBIQUE: AIDS efforts useless without nutrition - experts: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 11, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The poor diet of most people on anti-AIDS treatment in Mozambique is cause for serious concern, an association of AIDS physicians warned on Thursday. At a meeting with World Bank officials in the capital, Maputo, the Mo
SOUTH AFRICA: Poor AIDS treatment plan among world's best - President: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 11, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - During his annual state of the nation address on Friday, South African President Thabo Mbeki said the government was stepping up its fight against HIV and AIDS. Agence France-Presse quoted Mbeki as saying: With regard t
NAMIBIA: Policy aims to assist OVC: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 10, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] WINDHOEK (PLUSNEWS) - Namibia has launched a national policy to address the needs of the country s 150,000 orphans and vulnerable children (OVC), developed with the support of the UN Children s Fund (UNICEF). At the opening of the third conf
KENYA: New tax jeopardises treatment access: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 10, 2005; JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - A new regional tax is making it even more difficult for HIV-positive East Africans to access anti-AIDS drugs, and jeopardising the region s plans for meeting its targets under the World Health Organisation s 3 by 5 initiative, activists told PlusNews. The East Africa Customs Union has imposed
UGANDA: Poverty affecting ART use among mothers: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 10, 2005; KAMPALA (PLUSNEWS) - Poverty is preventing many Ugandan mothers from using drugs that prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV, and this has put more children at risk, health researchers said. It is frustrating when these mothers come for a single dose of Nevirapine to protect their unborn babies, but when they are
BOTSWANA: Shock visual tactics prove successful in AIDS education: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 9, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - An HIV/AIDS education project introduced to Botswana about 15 years ago, labelled at the time as radical and insensitive by the Ministry of Health, is now an invaluable tool in combating the disease. The project dar
BOTSWANA: Lack of capacity closes NGO's doors: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 9, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] GABORONE (PLUSNEWS) - As more HIV/AIDS resources begin flowing into developing countries, a lack of capacity in some smaller AIDS organisations is making it difficult for them to manage donor funding. Botswana s Coping Centre for People Living w
ZIMBABWE: Free HIV testing for couples on Valentines' Day: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 9, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The international NGO, Population Services International (PSI), is to run a free week-long HIV voluntary counselling and testing service for Zimbabwean couples from 14 February, Valentine s Day. Ziyambi Ziyambi, PSI s l
AFRICA: WHO predicts AIDS vaccine in ten years: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 9, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - A successful HIV vaccine would only be available in about 10 years from now, a senior UN official has said. According to Marie-Paule Kieny, director of the World Health Organisation s (WHO) Initiative for Vaccine Resear
KENYA: Costly drugs and tests block AIDS treatment: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 9, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The high cost of laboratory tests and medicines are preventing more than a million HIV-positive people from accessing treatment, Kenya s National AIDS Control Council (NACC) has said. According to NACC director, Patrick
COTE D IVOIRE: Tackling the 'Illness of Unknown Origin' with 'pockets of rubber': Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 8, 2005; OBODROUPA (PLUSNEWS) - HIV/AIDS is a serious subject, and is not usually much fun. But this time it was. In this remote spot of southern Cote d Ivoire , it was as if the circus had come to town. Music boomed through the loudspeakers as local chiefs took their seats under awnings which offered shade from the relentless
SOUTH AFRICA: Anti-AIDS drug tender yet to be awarded: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 8, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Almost a year after the South African government invited tenders for anti-AIDS drugs from potential suppliers, the contract to supply the national treatment programme has yet to be awarded. The delays in the procurement
AFRICA: UN seeking kiddie AIDS drugs solutions: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 8, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Two UN agencies are exploring ways to resolve the lack of anti-AIDS medication for children in Africa, a senior UN official said on Monday. The UN special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, Stephen Lewis, told delegates at a
ZAMBIA: UN backs country on herbal AIDS remedies: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 7, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Zambia is to receive help from the World Health Organisation (WHO) in testing the efficacy of traditional medicines for use against HIV and AIDS. According to WHO country representative Stella Anyangwe, the UN agency at
SOUTH AFRICA: New campaign brings greater condom availability: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 7, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Health officials in South Africa s Gauteng province are set to increase the annual distribution of free condoms in the ongoing fight against HIV/AIDS. Making condoms more widely available is one of the objectives of a n
UGANDA: Free medical care for HIV-positive children: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 7, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Healthcare professionals from the United States are voluntarily treating the dental problems of HIV-positive children in Uganda . A team of 30 dentists are working at the Mildmay Centre in the capital, Kampala, and Toro
CAMEROON: AIDS drug trial on sex workers suspended: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 7, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Trials testing the efficacy of the anti-AIDS drug, Viread , have been suspended in Cameroon , amid concerns that the participating sex workers were encouraged to have unprotected sex.
BURKINA FASO: Returning migrants struggle to pay for AIDS treatment: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 4, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] BOBO DIOULASSO (PLUSNEWS) - Two years ago Moumoumi Guira fled ethnic attacks and civil war in Cote d Ivoire . He got back safely to his native Burkina Faso , only to discover he was HIV positive. Now, having left everything behind in the rus
CAMEROON: Government suspends trial of AIDS drug: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 4, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] YAOUNDE (PLUSNEWS) - Clinical trials of an anti-AIDS drug being tested on sex workers by US pharmaceutical company Gilead have been suspended, the Cameroonian government said on Friday after controversy over how the trials are being conducted.
SWAZILAND: Top officials of trade unions publicly tested for HIV: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 4, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MBABANE (PLUSNEWS) - In a move considered to be a breakthrough in the conservative kingdom of Swaziland , the secretary general of each of the two trade union federations publicly took an HIV test on Friday. Jan Sithole of the Swaziland Fede
AFRICA: African potato hinders AIDS treatment - study: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 4, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Herbal remedies such as the African potato may significantly weaken the power of anti-AIDS drugs, suggests a new study in AIDS , a leading medical journal. A series of tests on the effects of African potato capsules, ta
KENYA: Import tax hurting AIDS drug access - US: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 4, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The US ambassador to Kenya , William Bellamy, has urged the East African Community to lift the import duty on antiretroviral medication. A new 10 percent tax levied by the region s customs union is impairing the availab
SOUTH AFRICA: Race-free blood testing system sought: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 4, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The South African National Blood Service (SANBS) is looking at new ways of determining whether donated blood is safe from diseases such as HIV/AIDS, without using race as a factor. In a system used by the SANBS, regular
AFRICA: UN envoy hopeful of strengthened AIDS relief: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 3, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - This year could see the international community truly committed to helping those dying from HIV/AIDS in developing countries, a senior UN official said on Wednesday. Addressing hundreds of people at London s Metropolita
ZIMBABWE: HIV/AIDS blamed for prison deaths: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 3, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Zimbabwean Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa has attributed most of the 127 deaths at one of the countries prisons last year to HIV and AIDS. However, the Law Society of Zimbabwe (LSZ), which is currently conducting a
KENYA: AIDS funding hindered by corruption - US: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 3, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Graft is threatening the disbursement of millions of dollars in foreign aid to tackle HIV/AIDS in Kenya , the US charged this week. According to Agence France-Presse, the United States ambass
SOUTH AFRICA: Health minister to meet church on AIDS and condoms: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 3, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - South African Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang is to meet with religious leaders later this month to discuss various issues, including HIV/AIDS and the Church s opposition to condoms. The Southern African Cathol
AFRICA: Customs levy could hurt AIDS drug access - NGO: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 3, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The East African Treatment Access Movement (EATAM), an HIV/AIDS advocacy group, is concerned that a new 10 percent tax levied on imported goods by the region s customs union could impair the availability of anti-AIDS dr
SOUTH AFRICA: HIV/AIDS takes positive turn in the media: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 2, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Reporting on HIV/AIDS has taken a positive turn in South African newspapers, a recent panel discussion at the Nelson Mandela-foundation concluded. According to PANOS, a London-based advocacy NGO, HIV/AIDS media coverage
MALAWI: Government struggling with HIV/AIDS pace: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 2, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Malawi is increasingly finding itself outpaced by HIV/AIDS, despite last year s launch of a US $196 million plan to distribute free anti-AIDS drugs over five years. According to the Health Minister, Heatherwick Ntaba, A
AFRICA: Church's stance on condoms and AIDS contradicted: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 2, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - A senior Vatican official is supporting the use of condoms in preventing HIV/AIDS in Africa, contradicting the Catholic church s position on contraception. Official Roman Catholic teaching bans condoms because they are
UGANDA: Majority of companies lack AIDS policies: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 2, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Although Uganda has been hailed as a torch bearer in the fight against HIV/AIDS, most businesses still lack relevant policies. According to a new report, jointly published by the Global Health Initiative of the World Ec
MOZAMBIQUE: Financial incentive to attract home-based HIV/AIDS caregivers: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 2, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MAPUTO, 2 February (PLUSNEWS) - Mozambican health authorities are hoping a financial incentive will encourage more people to become involved in home-based care (HBC) programmes for those living with HIV/AIDS. The ministry of health recently reco
BURUNDI: NGO Launches Centre for Vulnerable Children: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 1, 2005; [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations ] Bujumbura - A non-governmental organisation (NGO) launched in the Burundian capital on Monday a centre for orphaned and other vulnerable children. It is crucial that the children be assisted in their environment, Maggy Barankitse, the director
BURKINA FASO: Returning migrants struggle to pay for AIDS treatment: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 1, 2005; BOBO DIOULASSO, 1 Feb 2005 (IRIN) - Two years ago Moumoumi Guira fled ethnic attacks and civil war in Cote d Ivoire . He got back safely to his native Burkina Faso , only to discover he was HIV positive. Now, having left everything behind in the rush to escape, he must find a way to pay for the antiretroviral treatment
NIGERIA: US to boost AIDS treatment and prevention programmes: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 1, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 1 February (PLUSNEWS) - The US is expected to allocate $61 million to Nigeria s HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention programmes in 2005, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced. Dawn Liberi, Nigeria mission d
MALAWI: Possible criminalisation of wilful HIV infection: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 1, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 1 February (PLUSNEWS) - Malawi is in the process of outlawing the deliberate spread of HIV/AIDS, according to Dr Mary Shawa, the principal secretary for nutrition and HIV/AIDS in the Ministry of Health. She said an upcoming rev
KENYA: Government to reduce AIDS drugs price: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 1, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 1 February (PLUSNEWS) - Kenya has announced plans to raise the number of people on anti-AIDS treatment at public health facilities from 28,000 to 95,000 by the end of 2005. According to Minister of Health Charity Ngilu, the governm
AFRICA: US against French president's AIDS tax plan: Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 1, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 1 February (PLUSNEWS) - A recent call by French President Jacques Chirac for an experimental international tax to help tackle HIV/AIDS has not been well-received by the US. In his address to the World Economic Forum Chirac said the
GHANA: Universities to train teachers and youth leaders in AIDS awareness: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 31, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ACCRA (PLUSNEWS) - Thousands of trainee teachers and youth leaders in Ghana are to receive HIV/AIDS awareness and sensitisation training as part of a Canadian-backed initiative to tackle stigma surrounding the disease, the director of the projec
SOUTH AFRICA: MRC actuarial model finds rocketing AIDS death toll: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 31, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Official government statistics underestimated AIDS deaths by as much as two-thirds, researchers have found. A study by South Africa s Medical Research Council (MRC) revealed that the total number of deaths rose dramatic
AFRICA: Generic drug maker seeks WHO and FDA approval: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 31, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - An Indian generic drug manufacturer has applied to have its anti-AIDS drugs approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO) after they were removed from the WHO list of approved HIV medicines last year.
ZAMBIA: University students to get free ARVs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 31, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - HIV-positive staff and students at the University of Zambia (UNZA) will now be able to receive free antiretroviral drugs on campus. The treatment programme was launched in Lusaka, the capital, last week by UNZA vice-cha
AFRICA: MSF slams slow implementation of '3 by 5': Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 28, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Treatment activists have slammed the World Health Organisation s (WHO) progress report on the 3 by 5 initiative for its self-satisfied and congratulatory tone . Instead of congratulating itself, the WHO should be ringin
SOUTH AFRICA: FDA approves local manufacture of generics for export to Africa: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 28, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Manufacture of a generic antiretroviral drug combination that was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) could begin as early as April, local pharmaceutical company Aspen Pharmacare said this w
CAMEROON: Clinical trial of anti-HIV drug on sex workers in question: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 27, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] YAOUNDE (PLUSNEWS) - The government of Cameroon has said it may stop the clinical trial of an anti-AIDS drug being tested on 400 sex workers in the port city of Douala following allegations that the women are receiving inadequate counselling and
SWAZILAND: Tempers flare as govt pays orphans' school fees: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 27, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MBABANE (PLUSNEWS) - A near riot at a Swazi primary school this week, when parents tried to register their children as orphans to qualify for government support, has underlined the resentment created by efforts to help the growing numbers of vul
AFRICA: Older people neglected by HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 27, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The HIV/AIDS epidemic has changed African family structure. At a time in their lives when older people might traditionally have expected to be supported by their adult children, they are instead forced to care for their
ETHIOPIA: Alarming AIDS figure as government launches drug plan: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 27, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Ethiopia s Ministry of Health said earlier this week that HIV/AIDS had claimed the lives of an estimated 90,000 adults and 25,000 children in 2004. The figures were released during the government s launch of its new thr
AFRICA: Upscale in UN AIDS plan but no celebrations: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 27, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The World Health Organisation s (WHO) plan to get three million people on anti-AIDS drugs by the end of 2005 is on target to meet its goal, but much more still needs to be done, the organisation said on Wednesday. Un
AFRICA: French president urges global tax in AIDS fight: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 27, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - French President Jacques Chirac called for an experimental international tax to help tackle HIV/AIDS during his address to the World Economic Forum this week. He said the levy, which would be raised on international fin
AFRICA: Acceleration on AIDS prevention and treatment urged: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 27, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The UN has urged African nations to push forward on HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment campaigns in order to curb the spread of the HI virus. Although Africa has the world s largest number of HIV-positive people, it was
ZAMBIA: UN highlights importance of HIV/AIDS policy: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 27, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, Stephen Lewis, has bemoaned Zambia s lack of legislative policy on HIV/AIDS, The Times of Zambia, a local newspaper, reported on Tuesday. At a meeting with the Foreign Affair
RWANDA: HIV/AIDS relief for some genocide victims: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 27, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Witnesses for the prosecution in Rwanda s genocide trials, many of whom were raped and infected with HIV, are receiving medical support from the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). The ITCR was establishe
AFRICA: WHO's '3 by 5' plan gains momentum: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 26, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The second half of 2004 was a busy time for African governments as they cranked up the roll out of anti-AIDS drugs to their HIV-positive citizens. In sub-Saharan Africa the number of people on antiretroviral (ARV) treat
BOTSWANA: Raising youth AIDS awareness like 'trying to fight a dead animal': Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 25, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] GABORONE (PLUSNEWS) - It s a well-known fact among young Batswana that their country has one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the world; they know what HIV/AIDS is, what causes it, and ways to prevent it. But when you live in townships lik
SOUTH AFRICA: Generic AIDS drug maker gets US approval: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 25, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - South African generic AIDS drug manufacturer, Aspen Pharmacare, has become the first African firm to win approval from the US Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) for its production plant. The FDA conducted a pre-op
SOUTH AFRICA: Technology makes strict medicine regimens "SIMpill": Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 25, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - A device developed in South Africa could bring relief to people living with diseases like HIV/AIDS, and who are bound to strict medicine regimens. The SIMpill, created by Dr David Green, is a pill bottle that uses mobil
UGANDA: AIDS drug demand outnumbers resources: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 25, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Uganda has expressed concern over the rising demand for anti-AIDS drugs, which is outstripping available resources. According to Ministry of Health officials, the number of HIV-positive people reporting daily to the Inf
ETHIOPIA: New HIV/AIDS plan to treat tens of thousands: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 25, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - Ethiopia s new three-year HIV/AIDS plan will include the provision of free drugs to 320,000 HIV-positive people. Twenty hospitals have been selected and 30,000 people are going to get antiretroviral therapy this year, a
SOUTH AFRICA: HIV risk to initiates of illegal circumcision: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 25, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - South African authorities are considering the introduction of new courts in an effort to stamp out the practice of illegal ritual circumcisions that can leave young men dead, mutilated or at risk of HIV infection. Re
ETHIOPIA: New strategy launched to combat HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 24, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] ADDIS ABABA (PLUSNEWS) - Ethiopia is beginning to turn the tide in the war against HIV/AIDS, but the virus is still devastating the country, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said on Monday. Speaking at the launch of the government s new three-year an
NIGERIA: MSF to expand HIV/AIDS treatment scheme: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 24, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] LAGOS (PLUSNEWS) - Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said on Friday it planned to sharply increase the number of people living with HIV/AIDS who receive comprehensive treatment and counselling for free in Lagos, Nigeria s largest city. Tobias Luppe
SOUTH AFRICA: Catholic church maintains anti-condom stance: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 24, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - The Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) has criticised South Africa for promoting condoms in its fight against HIV/AIDS. According to SACBC president Cardinal Wilfred Napier, only drastic change in sexu
SENEGAL: Gay community plays it quietly in face of social taboos: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 21, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] DAKAR (PLUSNEWS) - The meeting-place was at a noisy down-market street cafe where the waiter as well the clients were gay, but where everyone was staunchly pretending not to be. Senegal s homosexual men are peeping out from behind the mask, but
MOZAMBIQUE: Starting to save HIV-positive children: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 21, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] MAPUTO (PLUSNEWS) - Albertina, a 34-year-old mother of three children, has just learnt she is HIV positive. She appears to take it calmly and manages to remain focused on her youngest son, Pedro, who is waiting to see the doctor at the Paediatri
SIERRA LEONE: 300 people to receive free antiretroviral drugs: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 20, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] FREETOWN (PLUSNEWS) - The government of Sierra Leone has launched a programme to provide free antiretrovial (ARV) drugs to 300 people living with AIDS, Professor Sidi Alghali, director of the National AIDS Secretariat (NAS) said. He told a w
UGANDA: Public transport to be used to combat HIV/AIDS: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 20, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] KAMPALA (PLUSNEWS) - Uganda s public transport system is set to become the latest vehicle to promote behaviour change in the country s continued fight against HIV/AIDS, according to the ministry of health. We have developed a strategy, and we th
ZAMBIA: US millions kick-start new AIDS project: Integrated Regional Information Networks - January 20, 2005; [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG (PLUSNEWS) - A new Zambian AIDS relief programme, focusing on vulnerable children, received a much needed cash boost from the US this week. The United States ambassador to Zam