The Faces of AIDS project implemented by the Directorate for HIV/AIDS in the Department of Health was part of a national mass media strategy aimed at providing a face for the epidemic. It was expected that endorsement of HIV/AIDS information on prevention, de-stigmatitaion and acceptance of peaople with AIDS (PWA's) by credible role models and PWA's themselves would challenge attitudes people have about AIDS.
HIV is the main driving force behind South Africa's high child death rates and unless there is a concerted effort to put child survival strategies in place the country faces an "unstoppable wave of child mortality”,’ paediatricians have warned.
Speaking at the national AIDS conference in Durban, Professor Nigel Rollins head of the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, said South Africa was one of nine countries where child mortality was increasing.
Rollins had already warned earlier this year that "PMTCT fatigue” had set in and that multitudes of children were getting needlessly infected.
The Prevention of Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission - Costing the Service in Four Sites in South Africa
The maturity of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa has brought competing agendas for prevention and impact mitigation to the table. Given the countrys resource constraints it is imperative that any interventions are thoroughly assessed for their efficacy, costs and benefits.
This year's Review looks at issues related to transformation such as legislation and financing of health care, human resources, and support systems for health care delivery. Other key public health issues covered in the Review include HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infections, tuberculosis, malaria and nutrition. In addition the Review contains comprehensive information on key health and related indicators.
The Cape Town Metro TB progress report documents the progress made in the TB Control programme in the last 6 years, from 1997 to 2003. The focus of the report is on the TB programme performance indicators, but it also addresses issues of Monitoring and quality assurance, the cost of TB Treatment and TB and HIV/AIDS/STI integration.