The World Health Organisation (WHO) says the world's worst outbreak of Ebola that has killed nearly 1 000 people in West Africa represents an international health emergency and could continue spreading for months.
WHO director-general, Margaret Chan, warns that, "The outbreak is moving faster than we can control it."
The United Nations agency says all states where Ebola had passed from one person to another should declare a national emergency and also describe the outbreak as ‘particularly serious’. In addition, WHO says there should be no general ban on international travel or trade.
To read an article titled, “WHO declares Ebola an international health emergency,” click here.Source:SABC News
Advocacy groups believe that greater regional cooperation is needed to eliminate malaria as it remains a health threat to millions of people living in Southern Africa.
Roll Back Malaria, a partnership of organisations, says 200 000 people continue to die from the disease in Southern African each year, with the occurrence remaining unacceptably high in the region.
Roll Back Malaria’s, executive director, Kaka Mudambo, states that, "Low endemic countries have reached the stage of four per thousands, and in some zero cases of deaths; and those countries which are between zero and fifty and then we have the DRC [Democratic Republic of Congo] where you still get a lot of malaria maybe three hundred to four hundred per thousand.”
To read the article titled, “Malaria remains a threat in Southern Africa,” click here.Source:SABC News
Malawi’s Department of Nutrition and HIV/AIDS in the Office of the President and Cabinet’s principal secretary, Edith Mkawa, blames the mechanisms utilised to dispatch messages of HIV/AIDS in the early 1990s as a contributing factor to the increased transmission of the virus in that country.
Mkawa has been quoted as saying that attributes that people in the country do not fully understand the concepts of HIV and AIDS because of traditional norms which influenced the spread of the disease.
She states that: "People are resisting from adapting to change to protect themselves from contracting HIV, though they know HIV is deadly; however, this depends on how they understand the concept of HIV/AIDS in the first place."
To read the article titled, “Unsafe sex irks HIV/AIDS fighters,” click here.Source:All Africa
Director of UNAIDS regional support team for eastern and Southern Africa, Professor Sheila Tlou, says she is honoured to be awarded with the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by the University of Botswana.
Tlou, who received the Non Academic Services Champion award for her outstanding work, says her 28 years of experience has taught her to put other people before herself.
She adds that when she became Botswana's Health Minister in 2004, she saved many lives despite criticism from western countries.
To read the article titled, “UNAIDS director honoured for humanitarian work,” click here.Source:SABC News
The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) has criticised the African National Congress (ANC) for what it says is the party's non-commitment to making condoms available at schools.
In a press statement, the TAC argues that condoms should be made available at all schools in order to address South Africa's high HIV infection rate among teenagers.
However, its election survey of HIV shows that the ruling ANC is not committed to doing so.
To read the article titled, “TAC 'disappointed' by ANC's approach to condoms in schools,” click here.Source:Mail and Guardian
The Higher Education and Training HIV/AIDS Programme (HEAIDS) has welcomed the idea of giving colourful and flavoured condoms to tertiary institutions.
HEAIDS director, Ramneek Ahluwalia, points out that encouraging condom use among tertiary students is a good place to start, since many students join the higher education and training facilities from the age of 15.
The comments follow a report by the Human Sciences Research Council, which highlights that it is between the ages of 15 to 24 where the youth is most at risk of acquiring HIV.
To read the article titled, “Colourful, flavoured condoms on campus plan welcomed,” click here.Source:Times Live
The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) says the proportion of South Africans infected with HIV has increased from 10.6 percent in 2008 to 12.2 percent in 2012.
According to the HSRC’s National HIV Prevalence, Incidence and Behaviour Survey, the total number of infected South Africans now stands at 6.4 million; 1.2 million more than in 2008.
It says women aged between 30 and 34 and males aged 35 to 39 have the highest infection rates: 36 percent of females and 28.8 percent of males in these respective age groups contracted HIV.
To read the article titled, “SA has highest number of new HIV infections worldwide – survey,” click here.Source:Mail and Guardian
A new study by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has revealed that while KwaZulu-Natal remains the focal point of the HIV epidemic in South Africa, progress is being made on early diagnosis, intervention and treatment.
MSF is also commending government interventions on treatment in Eshowe and Mbongolwane in northern KwaZulu-Natal, saying that early diagnosis and administration of antiretroviral therapy are bearing fruit.
While it cannot be assumed that the findings of this study can merely be replicated in other parts of the province, what it does indicate is that efforts that are currently in place by health authorities are making inroads into curbing the spread of the disease.
To read the article titled, “Fight against HIV epidemic bearing fruits,” click here.Source:SABC News
The United States has launched a US$65 million grant to complement the Zimbabwean government's HIV and AIDS prevention strategies in the disease-stricken country.
The facility, which comes with 17 rough terrain vehicles, is launched through the United States President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and will be used over an already running five-year programme.
The programme will train 8 000 healthcare workers as well as provide mentorship in 1 500 sites designated for HIV prevention programmes.
To read the article titled, “U.S Provides US$65 million for HIV fight,” click here.Source:All Africa
Zambia rejects non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are calling for the distribution of condoms to inmates in prisons, saying the move will promote homosexuality and sodomy, which are against the country’s laws.
Some NGOs have been advocating for the distribution of condoms in prisons as a way of reducing sexually transmitted disease.
Home Affairs minister, Ngosa Simbyakula, states that government is not in support of the calls and asked what the condoms will be used for.
To read the article titled, “No to condoms in our jails, says Zambia,” click here.Source:News 24