2010

Pakistan: When Men Fear Telling Their Wives About HIV: Inter Press Service - December 30, 2010; Zofeen Ebrahim; KARACHI, Pakistan , Dec 30 (IPS) - As a peer educator at a local HIV/AIDS organisation, Ahmad (not his real name) has taken care to teach his own wife anything and everything he knows about the disease. But there is something that Ahmad is hesitating to tell her, and it is a fact that is crucial for her to know: three
Cambodia: Aid Dependence May Hurt Successes in HIV, AIDS: Inter Press Service - December 28, 2010; Marwaan Macan-Markar; BANGKOK, Dec 28 (IPS) - Thanks to a healthy cocktail of foreign aid and a pragmatic condom policy, one of South-east Asia s poorest countries is well on course to meeting an international target aimed at reversing the spread of HIV and AIDS. But even as Cambodia s basks in praises for its achievement - completing one o
Mobile Phones to the Rescue for Pregnant Women: Inter Press Service - December 22, 2010; Mary Itumbi; NAIROBI, Kenya , Dec 22 (IPS) - Pumwani Maternity Hospital, in the impoverished Nairobi neighbourhood of Eastlands, is the site of a trial project using mobile phones to help HIV-positive mothers avoid passing the virus on to their children. Juliet Wangari Njuguna is a research nurse with Kenya AIDS Control Project. Sh
Cambodia: EU, India Trade Deal Could Hurt Access to Anti-Retrovirals: Inter Press Service - December 15, 2010; Irwin Loy; PHNOM PENH, Cambodia , Dec 15 (IPS) - Every day, twice a day for the last seven years, Men Thol has swallowed a set of pills that gives him the strength to lead a normal life. The 39-year-old tested positive for HIV in the mid-1990s. At first, he relied on traditional medicines - usually ground up tree roots mixed with
Swaziland/HIV: Community caregivers administer MDR-TB injections in Swaziland: Inter Press Service - December 15, 2010; Mantoe Phakathi; Swaziland , Dec 15 (IPS) - Hoseya, Swaziland, Dec 15 (IPS)- Ntombikayise Mabelesa (36) is a recovering multi-drug-resistant (MDR) TB patient from Hoseya in the southern part of Swaziland. Every day she had to travel more than 30 kilometres to the Mhlosheni Clinic to get an injection. The round-trip cost her the equiv
Q&A: "Child Marriage Is a Form of Violence Against Women": Inter Press Service - December 15, 2010; Cleo Fatoorehchi interviews JENNIFER REDNER of the International Women's Health Coalition; UNITED NATIONS, Dec 15 (IPS) - At the start of this month, the U.S. Senate unanimously adopted the International Protecting Girls by Preventing Child Marriage Act . Women s rights groups are now urging the Congress s lower chamber to pass it before adjourning at the end of the year. Jennifer Redner, a consultant to the
Chile: Flood of Criticism for "Retrograde" AIDS Campaign: Inter Press Service - December 8, 2010; Daniela Estrada; SANTIAGO, Dec 8, 2010 (IPS) - It s much more fun to die of old age than to die of AIDS. And if you die with your lifelong partner, so much the better. Avoid AIDS: be faithful is one of the controversial TV spots in this year s edition of the annual anti-AIDS campaign by Chile s Health Ministry. The ad shows an older co
For HIV Care, Cross Over to Pakistan: Inter Press Service - December 8, 2010; Ashfaq Yusufzai; PESHAWAR, Pakistan , Dec 8, 2010 (IPS) - After testing positive for HIV, which caused him to be deported from the United Arab Emirates , Nazarullah probably found little reason to feel fortunate. But the 28-year-old calls lucky the day he learned that Pakistan s 13 Antiretroviral Treatme
Uganda: 'Why Waste ARVs on Sex Workers?': Inter Press Service - December 3, 2010; Evelyn Matsamura Kiapi; KAMPALA, Dec 3 (IPS) - Sex workers, among the populations most at risk of HIV infection in Uganda , say they are yet to realise their right to health. Sex workers say they have been left out of national HIV prevention programmes and have difficulty accessing life-prolonging drugs. Its not that these [HIV/AIDS] ser
Cuba: Drag Queens and Volunteers Promote Safe Sex: Inter Press Service - December 2, 2010; Dalia Acosta; HAVANA, Dec 2 (IPS) - Margot Parapar gets plenty of laughs from the audience with this joke: Now the human body is divided into five parts: head, trunk, upper and lower limbs, and condom. Using his female stage name, Cuban drag queen, comedian and health promoter Oliver Alarcon includes HIV/AIDS prevention messages in
Zambia: Pack of Drugs Helps Mothers Protect Babies: Inter Press Service - November 30, 2010; Brian Moonga; LUSAKA, Nov 30 (IPS) - Close to 400,000 African children are infected with HIV every year - nearly one in five of these infected during birth or shortly thereafter because their mothers lack access to antiretroviral drugs. The situation points back to the high HIV prevalence amongst women of reproductive age, especiall
Zambia Must Fulfill Promises to Children Living With AIDS: Inter Press Service - November 29, 2010; Brian Moonga; LUSAKA, Nov 29 (IPS) - Less than one in four Zambian children who should be on life-saving anti-retroviral drugs is receiving them. The country planned to increase the number of children on ARVs from the present 20,000 to 120,000, but inadequate facilities pose a major stumbling block. There are an estimated 85,000 HIV
Cuba: Lesbians Demand Fair Treatment from Health Providers: Inter Press Service - November 25, 2010; Dalia Acosta; HAVANA, Nov 25 (IPS) - Lesbian and bisexual women s groups in Cuba , which welcome anyone who wishes to participate with solidarity and in a respectful, friendly and healthy manner, point to the need to sensitise health personnel to the issue of female sexual diversity. We want to be treated as women, and we want to be
Latin America: Violence Against Women Linked to HIV Risk: Inter Press Service - November 24, 2010; Marcela Valente; BUENOS AIRES, Nov 24 (IPS) - My mother used to beat me. She would lock me away, and then she started chaining me to the table, says Elizabeth. Teresa recounts how she was seven months pregnant when her husband grabbed her by the hair, threw her to the ground and kicked her. These testimonies from women living with HIV/
Taiwan: Debate Far from Over On Decriminalisation of Sex Trade: Inter Press Service - November 22, 2010; Dennis Engbarth; TAIPEI, Nov 22 (IPS) - The Taiwanese government s plans to partially decriminalise the sex trade has revived deep divisions within society, including between advocacy groups who stress the need for equal treatment and autonomy for sex workers and those worried about the impact of such a move on human trafficking and ch
No Sex Education Please, We're Arab: Inter Press Service - November 22, 2010; Cam McGrath; CAIRO, Nov 22 (IPS) - Civil society has warned of adverse social and health consequences after the Egyptian government ordered the removal of content related to male and female anatomy, reproductive health and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) from the school curriculum. We know most of this material wasn t being ta
El Salvador: Political Tug-of-War Over Medicines: Inter Press Service - November 18, 2010; Edgardo Ayala; SAN SALVADOR, Nov 18 (IPS) - Two initiatives of the administration of President Mauricio Funes in El Salvador , aimed at increasing competition in the pharmaceutical industry in order to bring down the cost of medicines, are being fought by the opposition in Congress. Lawmakers from the rightwing Nationalist Republican
Funding Cuts on Horizon for Global Health, AIDS: Inter Press Service - November 17, 2010; Matthew O. Berger; WASHINGTON, Nov 17 (IPS) - Over the past several years, the number of people needing treatment for HIV/AIDS has risen, but so has the amount of funding for the treatment and prevention of the disease. The United States has been at the forefront of that funding, but with the new emphasis in Washington on reducing govern
Uganda: Sexual Crimes Go Unpunished: Inter Press Service - November 17, 2010; Rosebell Kagumire; KAMPALA, Nov 17 (IPS) - Anna Grace Nakasi, recently chosen to contest next February s local council elections for Tubur subcounty, in Soroti district in North Eastern Uganda , contracted HIV when she was raped during the war. Nakasi was gang raped on three different occasions -- first in 1987, then 1988 and 1990 -- by
Malawi Struggling to Address Paediatric HIV: Inter Press Service - November 15, 2010; Dingaan Mithi; LILONGWE, Nov 15 (IPS) - There are 91,000 children living with HIV in Malawi . A shortage of resources means that many do not receive proper treatment and care. The most recent AIDS Epidemic Update, published by UNAIDS and the World Health Organization , estimated that there were 2.
Africa: New Drugs To Speed TB Treatment: Inter Press Service - November 15, 2010; Tinus de Jager; JOHANNESBURG*, Nov 15 (IPS) - Researchers are testing a new combination of tuberculosis drugs on patients in South Africa which they are hoping will shorten the treatment term of the disease to six months. I think I have lost my job, you know, says commuter taxi driver Paul Kyazze We are not like those office people,
Rwanda: Stronger Support for Children Affected by HIV: Inter Press Service - November 8, 2010; Aimable Twahirwa; KIGALI, Nov 8 (IPS) - At Kigali s Kibagabaga Hospital, 30 young people aged between 12 and 18 years old wait in a crowded holding room, waiting for their turn to see the doctor in charge of prescribing antiretroviral drugs (ARVs). They are among 220,000 children affected by AIDS who are benefiting from social and medic
Bangladesh: Dose of Vigilance Helps Manage HIV, AIDS: Inter Press Service - November 3, 2010; Naimul Haq; DHAKA, Nov 3 (IPS) - It is one of the poorest countries in the world, has a low literacy rate, and is next door to at least two countries that have a considerable portion of their respective populations with HIV and AIDS. Yet even having a large migrant population has not made Bangladesh a hot spot for HIV and AIDS
Caribbean: Progress Stalls on HIV/AIDS: Inter Press Service - November 3, 2010; Peter Richards; PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten, Nov 3 (IPS) - Despite the gains associated with antiretroviral treatments (ART) over the last decade, HIV/AIDS remains the leading cause of death among young and middle-aged adults in the Caribbean, warns a new U.N. report. Haiti and the
Cambodia: Access to Drugs A Life Saver for People with HIV: Inter Press Service - November 1, 2010; Irwin Loy; KAMPONG CHAM, Cambodia , Nov 1 (IPS) - The monsoon rains soaked the ground beneath Mon Hol s home until it turned to ankle-deep mud. The aged thatched-leaf roof of his hut, badly in need of replacement, provided little protection. But despite these conditions at home, he and his wife were healthy; his three children ha
African Govts Urged to Invest in Social Protection: Inter Press Service - October 23, 2010; Busani Bafana; WINDHOEK, Oct 23 (IPS) - Allocating just one percent of GDP to social protection could make a massive difference to the lives of the continent s poorest children. According to Jonathan Bradshaw, a professor of social policy at the University of York in the United Kingdom , African countries should invest in social prot
Chile: Women Sterilised Over HIV Status: Inter Press Service - October 22, 2010; Aprille Muscara and Daniela Estrada*; NEW YORK/SANTIAGO, Oct 22 (IPS) - When Francisca arrived at the historic Curico Hospital - a staple in the Chilean central valley for nearly one and a half centuries - for the birth of her first child, she didn t know it would be her only one. I was in the recovery room at the hospital of Curico when [the nurse] entere
Thai Touch in HIV Care Attracts Doctors from Asia, Africa: Inter Press Service - October 21, 2010; Marwaan Macan-Markar; BANGKOK, Oct 21 (IPS) - Northern Thailand s Chiang Rai province has many charms to draw foreign visitors, from hilltribe communities dressed in colourful ethnic clothes, trips to gentle hills close to the Burmese and Lao borders, excursions to once infamous opium trails and a journey along the Mekong River. But foreign
Namibia: Increase Needed in Social Grants for Foster Children: Inter Press Service - October 20, 2010; Busani Bafana and Chris Stein; WINDHOEK, Oct 20 (IPS) - Seventeen-year-old Jason* wants to be a pilot and his 14-year-old foster sister, Gracie*, wants to be a lawyer. In the impoverished district of Rehoboth, south of Windhoek, dreams such as these do not always come true. But thanks to foster care grants from both government and a private charity,
Kenya: More Men Preventing HIV Transmission to their Unborn Children: Inter Press Service - October 18, 2010; Isaiah Esipisu; VIHIGA, Western Kenya , Oct 18 (IPS) - Pastor Joseph Muhembeli and his wife, Beatrice, queue at the Vihiga health centre with their six-month-old daughter for their prevention of mother-to-child treatment (PMTCT). But before long, as per the clinic s policy, the couple are whisked to the front of the line - all because
Zimbabwe: Debt Crowds Out Essential Spending on Health: Inter Press Service - October 18, 2010; Stanley Kwenda; HARARE, Oct 18 (IPS) - Zimbabwe s debt burden of about 8,3 billion dollars, owed to internal and external institutions, is crowding out essential national budget items such as health and basic services, with detrimental effects for particularly women. Indications are that many Zimbabwean women opt to give birth at home
Cuba: Ten Years Fighting HIV/AIDS and Reaching Out to Gays: Inter Press Service - October 12, 2010; Dalia Acosta; HAVANA, Oct 12 (IPS) - Ra�l Regueiro remembers every detail about the creation, 10 years ago in Cuba , of the project for the prevention of HIV/AIDS among men who have sex with men, and the way the initiative crossed the boundaries of purely health-related concerns to address the question of social inclusion. Alth
Welfare of Poverty-Stricken Families Depends on New Policy: Inter Press Service - October 11, 2010; Dingaan Mithi; LILONGWE, Oct 11 (IPS) - For HIV-positive Tereza Chatsilizika, the monthly cash grant of 10 dollars she receives means that she can educate her disabled daughters and put food on the table. Chatsilizika lost her husband in 2000 to an HIV-related illness, only to be diagnosed with HIV a few years later. Since then she h
Malnourished Children Swell Ranks of World's Hungry: Inter Press Service - October 11, 2010; Peter Boaz; WASHINGTON, Oct 11 (IPS) - With the number of hungry people growing to more than a billion last year, the world is nowhere near reaching the objectives outlined in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), according to the latest Global Hunger Index (GHI) released Monday. The first MDG - to halve the proportion of hungr
Kenya: Room to Improve on Governance: Inter Press Service - October 9, 2010; Isaiah Esipisu; NAIROBI, Oct 9 (IPS) - Kimani Wanyama*, a homosexual man living in Nairobi, knows what human rights violations are all about. His attempts over three years to receive treatment for reoccurring rectal gonorrhoea had resulted in verbal abuse and intense stigmatisation from the very people who were meant to help him. In
Hope for Expanded Protection Against TB: Inter Press Service - October 8, 2010; Aimable Twahirwa interviews ANTHONY HAWKRIDGE, tuberculosis researcher; KIGALI, Oct 8 (IPS) - Despite the availability of a vaccine, 1.3 million people worldwide died from tuberculosis (TB) in 2008, according to the World Health Organisation. Most of them lived in Africa and Southeast Asia. Administered to infants throughout the developing world and in certain countries in the developed wo
Funding Falls Short for Global Fight Against AIDS: Inter Press Service - October 6, 2010; Aprille Muscara; UNITED NATIONS, Oct 6 (IPS) - The 11.7 billion dollars pledged Tuesday to replenish the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria for the coming three years falls significantly short of the 20 billion dollars hoped for, threatening to undo the progress made in the fight against these diseases - the three
Free Trade Threatens Affordable HIV Treatment: Inter Press Service - October 5, 2010; Ranjit Devraj; NEW DELHI, Oct 5 (IPS) - With India s role as pharmacy to the developing world seriously threatened by a free trade agreement to be signed with the European Union in December, the fate of cheap or free antiretroviral treatment for people living with HIV and AIDS hangs in balance. At the next EU-India free trade agreeme
Development: Fate of Millions Hangs on Global Fund Pledges: Inter Press Service - October 4, 2010; Mantoe Phakathi; MBABANE, Oct 4 (IPS) - Sibongile Mavimbela has been living with HIV for the past 12 years; she has been on antiretrovirals for the past seven. But the mother of two fears the supply of free ARVs could dry up in the near future if contributions to the Global Fund on HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria fall short of the $20 billion
Washington Debates PEPFAR Funding Ahead of Global Fund Meet: Inter Press Service - October 2, 2010; Peter Boaz; WASHINGTON, Oct 2 (IPS) - Global health advocates are strongly urging the Barack Obama administration to remain financially supportive of the fight against HIV/AIDS, amidst fears that economic prudence from the U.S. will reverse encouraging gains. On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Aff
Philippines: Call Centre Boom Breeds New Culture - and Risky Behaviour: Inter Press Service - October 1, 2010; Diana G Mendoza; MANILA, Oct 1 (IPS) - Anthony, a 22-year-old call centre agent, goes to work at 6 p.m. and finishes at around 2 a.m. But instead of going home, he heads to a bar to meet another male agent over beer, and if the late night looks promising, they spend more time together until daytime. The rest of the day is a struggle to
Zimbabwe: Neonatal Circumcision Yet to Gain Ground: Inter Press Service - September 30, 2010; Ignatius Banda; BULAWAYO , Sep 30 (IPS) - Judith Sikhosana recently gave birth to a healthy baby boy. And while she has strictly followed the advice of health workers about the post-natal care for her child, there is one thing she is yet to understand: why nurses want her baby to be circumcised. I have been advised about the benefits
Progress in Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV: Inter Press Service - September 28, 2010; Susan Anyangu-Amu; NAIROBI, Sep 28 (IPS) - The number of pregnant women being tested for HIV and accessing treatment in Sub-Saharan Africa has shown significant progress - indicating that virtual elimination of mother-to-child transmission of the virus by 2015 is possible. According to a new report Towards Universal Access, the proportio
Tighter Budgets Threaten HIV/AIDS Gains: Inter Press Service - September 28, 2010; Matthew O. Berger and Peter Boaz; WASHINGTON, Sep 28 (IPS) - Although the world will miss the 2010 deadline for universal access to HIV treatment, some countries, notably in sub-Saharan Africa, have made real strides forward, three United Nations agencies reported Tuesday. The goal was set in 2006, but, as the joint report lays out, only some countries
Surfing the Web without Being Swept Away: Inter Press Service - September 22, 2010; Megan Iacobini de Fazio; NEW YORK, Sep 22 (IPS) - City life and access to information technologies can open up a whole new arena of possibilities for young girls: better education, access to healthcare, new skills and a plethora of new ideas. At the same time, a report by the aid organisation Plan International released Wednesday finds that bo
Gender-Based Violence Wrecks Malawi Refugee Camp: Inter Press Service - September 21, 2010; Kristin Palitza; BLANTYRE, Sep 21 (IPS) - At the age of 13, Chantal Kifungo* is mother to a ten-month-old baby girl. It wasn t her choice. Almost two years ago, she was raped by her stepfather - and fell pregnant with his child. My mother was in hospital because she had complications with her own pregnancy. I was left alone with my ste
A Fat Cat Tax for Lean Times: Inter Press Service - September 20, 2010; Aprille Muscara; UNITED NATIONS, Sep 20 (IPS) - As world leaders convened Monday for the first day of a summit dedicated to resuscitate efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the question of how to finance countries acceleration efforts looms large. We all know too well that the recent financial and economic crisis
Bridging the Chasm Between Rhetoric and Reality: Inter Press Service - September 18, 2010; Aprille Muscara; UNITED NATIONS, Sep 18 (IPS) - On the eve of Monday s highly-anticipated U.N. Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Summit in which world leaders will gather here to reaffirm their commitment to the eight goals, civil society remains deeply sceptical. The summit demonstrates an overwhelming gap between rhetoric and reali
Southern Africa: Social Protection, a Human Right?: Inter Press Service - September 17, 2010; Busani Bafana; TSHWANE, South Africa , Sep 17 (IPS) - Without contributions from well wishers and government grants of between 68 and 104 dollars per month per child, the House of Mother and Child in Ennerdale, south of Johannesburg, would barely be able to provide for the 18 vulnerable children who call the place home. The safe
Caribbean: Still Fighting HIV Stigma After 30 Years: Inter Press Service - September 16, 2010; Peter Richards; PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad , Sep 16 (IPS) - An inescapable fact of living in societies that are as small and highly personalised as those in the Caribbean is that information travels very quickly and not always very accurately. The result usually is that privacy is, more often than not, a luxury and once a stigma of whate
Southern Africa: Small Amounts of Cash Make a Big Difference: Inter Press Service - September 16, 2010; Busani Bafana; TSHWANE, South Africa , Sep 16 (IPS) - After being diagnosed HIV-positive Margaret Bikyele could not even manage the simplest of household chores, let alone being able work to generate an income for her and her two sons. Since her diagnosis in 2005 and in the years that followed, the Bikyele family s prospects in life
WHO - Maternal Deaths Fall: Inter Press Service - September 16, 2010; Susan Anyangu-Amu; NAIROBI, Sep 16 (IPS) - The number of women dying from pregnancy related causes around the world is falling. Sub-Saharan Africa remains one of the most dangerous place for pregnant women, despite recording a 26 percent reduction in maternal mortality rates. The statistics in the Trends in Maternal Mortality report rele
Michelle Bachelet's Appointment to Head UN Women Widely Applauded: Inter Press Service - September 14, 2010; Daniela Estrada*; SANTIAGO, Sep 14 (IPS) - A level of enthusiasm seldom expressed at United Nations appointments welcomed the naming of former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet as the first head of UN Women, the new agency created to raise the profile of gender and women s issues. Bachelet (2006-2010), a 59-year-old socialist pediatri
Financing Public Health in Africa: Inter Press Service - September 14, 2010; Susan Anyangu-Amu*; NAIROBI, Sep 14 (IPS) - Campaigners for increased health financing welcome the commitment by African Union member states to direct more resources to health. But as the September MDG review of progress towards health and other development goals approaches, the needs of the continent seem to dwarf available budgets. Camp
Kenya: TB Patients Held in Prison: Inter Press Service - September 13, 2010; Susan Anyangu-Amu; NAIROBI, Sep 13 (IPS) - When a doctor instructs a patient to take one tablet three times a day, she often has no way to ensure the instructions are followed. Many stop taking their medication once they feel they have regained their strength - especially when the course of treatment lasts for months. When the medicine i
Africa: Governments Failing to Take the Threat of HIV Seriously: Inter Press Service - September 10, 2010; Chris Stein; JOHANNESBURG, Sep 10 (IPS) - Experts worry that African governments are failing to take the threat of HIV seriously enough by not dedicating enough of their resources to prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) efforts. For Graca Machel, Chair of the Campaign to End Pediatric AIDS (CEPA) Council, the struggle
Bahrain: No Change Seen in Ban on Entry of People with HIV: Inter Press Service - September 6, 2010; Suad Hamada; MANAMA, Sep 6 (IPS) - Bahrain may be dependent on expatriate labour, but that has not stopped it from deporting migrant workers who are found to be HIV-positive. The bigger surprise, though, is that this tiny island nation is only one among the 31 or so countries that have such a policy. In fact, the
Kenya: Monitoring Antiretroviral Intake Among Children: Inter Press Service - September 3, 2010; David Njagi; NAIROBI, Sep 3 (IPS) - When 11-year-old Ronald Gathece was placed on antiretrovirals (ARVs) after being diagnosed HIV-positive, medical staff did not monitor his reaction to the treatment. But the side effects had been so bad that the young boy had contemplated suicide. I would vomit and itch over my whole body after t
Uganda: Unfriendly Nurses and Culture Hinder Male Involvement in HIV Prevention: Inter Press Service - September 2, 2010; Wambi Michael; Sep 2 (IPS) - Irene Wangolo was advised to take an HIV test during her antenatal visit and to return to the clinic with her husband so they could be counselled on preventing HIV transmission to their unborn baby. But her husband refused to accompany her saying it was not his business and Wangolo never returned to the c
Botswana: HIV-positive Mothers Not Convinced to Exclusively Breastfeed: Inter Press Service - September 1, 2010; Alma Balopi; GABORONE, Sep 1, 2010 (IPS) - An HIV-positive woman must never be encouraged to breastfeed because regardless of what the doctors or researchers say - it is too dangerous for the baby, says Koziba Kelatlhe an HIV-positive mother who was advised by health workers not to breastfeed her child. It has been over a year sinc
Uganda: Problems with Anti-Counterfeit Bill Persist: Inter Press Service - August 26, 2010; Evelyn Matsamura Kiapi; KAMPALA, Aug 26 (IPS) - Health rights activists still insist that, despite some improvements to Uganda s controversial Anti-Counterfeiting Bill, it will affect the availability of generic medicine if enacted in present form. The bill has been improved with regard to the functions of different enforcement agencies. In t
Mobile HIV Test Unit a Hit in Congo: Inter Press Service - August 26, 2010; Ars�ne S�verin; BRAZZAVILLE, Aug 26 (IPS) - I came here out of curiosity, but I ended up taking an AIDS test. I have the results, Gerard, 30 years old, told IPS. He adds, right before leaving: The results are negative. My brother and I knew that the van was coming here and we came as volunteers, says Judith, one of the few women in th
Agriculture-South Africa: 'There Is No Dignity': Inter Press Service - August 25, 2010; Kristin Palitza interviews labour and gender expert GRISCHELDA HARTMAN; CAPE TOWN, Aug 25 (IPS) - South African farm workers - especially female labourers - continue to be exploited, despite the existence of national labour laws and regulations designed to protect them. But in the absence of information and education about their rights, workers have a hard time claiming them. Grischelda Ha
Zimbabwe: Children Crossing Borders in Search of HIV Treatment: Inter Press Service - August 24, 2010; Ignatius Banda; PLUMTREE, Zimbabwe , Aug 24 (IPS) - A new type of migration is taking place in Zimbabwe. While in the past people crossed the borders into South Africa and Botswana seeking work and fleeing from their repressive circumstances, now a silent migration of HIV-positive children seeking antiretroviral treat
Kenya: Attempts to Modernise Traditional Circumcision Rites: Inter Press Service - August 24, 2010; Susan Anyangu-Amu; NAIROBI, Aug 24 (IPS) - During every year that ends in an even number, the month of August is a special occasion for young men in Kenya s Western Province. During this month thousands of boys aged between 10 and 18 undergo male circumcision � something that is seen as an important rite of passage into manhood among the
Uganda: Breastfeeding Dilemma for HIV-positive Mothers: Inter Press Service - August 21, 2010; Evelyn Matsamura Kiapi; KAMPALA, Aug 21 (IPS) - The new World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendation that HIV-positive mothers on antiretroviral therapy (ARVs) can exclusively breastfeed their babies for up to twelve months without infecting them has created confusion among HIV-positive mothers in Uganda as information about the new guidel
Swaziland: Finding Ways to Care for HIV Orphans: Inter Press Service - August 17, 2010; Mantoe Phakathi; KANGCAMPHALALA, Swaziland , Aug 17 (IPS) - In the poor, drought-stricken community of Kangcamphalala, AIDS orphan Nomvula Dladla* is in tears. The 17-year-old has been told that her aunt, the only surviving relative she could live with, passed away a few hours ago of an HIV-related illness. And if she had been living a
Malawi: Vaccination Foiled by Divine Intervention: Inter Press Service - August 6, 2010; Claire Ngozo; LILONGWE, Aug 6 (IPS) - Dowa, central Malawi : medical staff struggle to vaccinate frightened children clinging to their parents, as an armed policeman stands guard. Police earlier rounded up the families from Chitanje village and marched them to the Chankhungu clinic a few kilometres away. The parents refuse to help t
Ukraine: Punished for Fighting AIDS: Inter Press Service - August 4, 2010; Pavol Stracansky; KIEV, Aug 4 (IPS) - Drug users and doctors legally prescribing substitution drugs to addicts -- a key tool in the battle with the country s growing HIV epidemic -- are facing illegal police intimidation and imprisonment, HIV/AIDS activists in the Ukraine say. Fears are rising that the country s approach to the disease
HIV-positive Kenyans Need Tribunal to Address Rights Violations: Inter Press Service - August 3, 2010; David Njagi; NAIROBI, Aug 3 (IPS) - Nancy Njeri s life changed when she contracted HIV through a gang rape. Not only did the infection traumatise her, she was ostracised by close friends and neighbours whom she had known for almost a decade. She was fired from her job and when she attempted to sell vegetables, people boycotted her
Zimbabwe: Rural Children with HIV a 'Lost Cause': Inter Press Service - July 27, 2010; Fidelis Zvomuya; GURUVE, Zimbabwe , Jul 27 (IPS) - Eleven-year-old Irene Thembo* lies curled like a foetus on a white wooden bench for outpatients at a clinic in rural Zimbabwe. The orphan, whose parents died of HIV-related illnesses, is terribly sick. Weighing around 16 kilograms, her hair is thin and patchy, her eyes dull. Since the
Kenya: Jury Still Out on Traditional Birth Attendants: Inter Press Service - July 26, 2010; Susan Anyangu-Amu; NAIROBI, Jul 26 (IPS) - A group of women huddled together sitting on stones in front of traditional birth attendant Elizabeth Sibuor s home in Nairobi s Mathare slum. One of them, 21-year-old Eunice Okoth, is heavily pregnant, her face anxious. She rises as quickly as she can and follows Sibuor into her one-roomed hous
Lack of Funds Hampers Global Fight Against AIDS: Inter Press Service - July 26, 2010; Mehru Jaffer; VIENNA, Jul 26 (IPS) - The global conference on AIDS in Vienna last week will be remembered for Broken Promises Kill , a slogan echoed by a coalition of activists who had gathered from around the world. Throughout the week-long conference, demonstrators clamoured for attention to the funding crisis severely impacting t
Worse Than HIV, the Stigma: Inter Press Service - July 23, 2010; Mehru Jaffer; VIENNA, Jul 23 (IPS) - Kiren Kaur, 37, has come to terms with HIV she contracted from her husband in 1997. The HIV positive status, per se, is not difficult to deal with. But dealing with the stigma that comes with it is an excruciating experience. My HIV status does not bother me any more, she told IPS at the global c
Zimbabwe: Pregnant Teens Shun HIV Treatment for Fear of Stigmatisation: Inter Press Service - July 22, 2010; Ignatius Banda; BULAWAYO, Jul 22, 2010 (IPS) - At a local maternity clinic in one of Bulawayo s high density suburbs, midwives are at pains to explain to a pregnant 15-year-old girl why she must be tested for HIV before she gives birth. But the teenager, who lightly beats her chest in an effort to pacify what seems like a painful coug
Latin America: Prevention Is Weakest Link in AIDS Fight: Inter Press Service - July 22, 2010; Daniela Estrada*; SANTIAGO, Jul 22 (IPS) - Many Latin American countries have made strides in legislation and policies that promote sex education and health services for young people, which are essential for fighting AIDS. But implementation has been slow and often faces opposition, warn experts. With the XVIII International AIDS Confer
Africa: Antiretroviral Gel Lowers HIV Infection and Offers Hope to Women: Inter Press Service - July 21, 2010; Zahira Kharsany; JOHANNESBURG, Jul 21 (IPS) - When women from the predominantly rural Vulindela district in KwaZulu-Natal first began participating in an HIV-prevention trail many were unable to negotiate the use of condoms or even discuss safe sex with their partners. But as they used the discreet antiretroviral (ARV) microbicide gel,
Swaziland: HIV - Long Distances Place Expectant Mothers at Risk: Inter Press Service - July 21, 2010; Mantoe Phakathi; MBABANE, Jul 21 (IPS) - Affectionately known as Gogo Zondo by the community of Ndvwabangeni in northern Swaziland , Margaret Zondo is a traditional health practitioner who helps treat the sick and delivers babies. I also give expecting mothers traditional medicine so their labour doesn t take too long, she told IPS.
Intellectual Property Rights Remain A Barrier to Drugs: Inter Press Services - July 20, 2010; Isolda Agazzi; GENEVA, Jul 20, 2010 (IPS) - Intellectual property (IP) rights are a key reason for high medicine prices, rendering such medicines unaffordable and therefore out of reach for poor people. While mechanisms exist to circumvent IP, poor countries have been browbeaten into adopting stringent IP laws. Of all the issues disc
Kenya: HIV Strain Among Gays Same as Strain in Heterosexuals: Inter Press Service - July 20, 2010; Isaiah Esipisu; NAIROBI, Jul 20 (IPS) - Because of societal pressure and the criminality associated with men who have sex with men (MSM) in Kenya , Omondi Maina* married a woman. This is despite being involved in homosexual relationship for the last 10 years. And Maina is not the only gay man in Kenya having sexual intercourse with bo
Women Vital in Global Fight Against AIDS: Inter Press Service - July 20, 2010; Mehru Jaffer; VIENNA, Jul 20 (IPS) - Empowering women could more effectively help in curbing the spread of HIV, Bill Gates, Microsoft chairman and philanthropist said at the AIDS conference here Monday. Speaking to reporters at the 18th International AIDS conference, he cited the example of Avahan, a national HIV prevention programm
Cambodia: Informal Sex Trade Threatens to Undercut Gains in HIV: Inter Press Service - July 20, 2010; Irwin Loy; PHNOM PENH, Jul 20 (IPS) - On a muggy evening, a handful of men in suits were quickly getting drunk in a beer garden here in the Cambodian capital. One man rested his hand on the thigh of a slender woman sitting uncomfortably in a short skirt. A sign above the table read: Be responsible. Use a condom. The customers pla
East African Laws Confuse Fake and Generic Drugs - WHO: Inter Press Service - July 19, 2010; Isolda Agazzi; GENEVA, Jul 19 (IPS) - The World Health Organisation (WHO) agrees that the anti-counterfeit legislation that has been adopted or that is under consideration in East Africa threatens the accessibility of affordable generic medicines. National legislation on counterfeit medicines has to be very carefully drafted. If the
More Information to be Shared on AIDS Vaccine: Inter Press Service - July 18, 2010; Mehru Jaffer; VIENNA, Jul 18 (IPS) - Scientists participating in the 18th International AIDS conference that opens in Vienna Sunday promise to share more information on vaccine research. Dr. Alan Bernstein, Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise executive director, told journalists on the eve of the conference that the search for safe and ef
To Fight AIDS, Fight Gender Inequality: Inter Press Service - July 16, 2010; Marcela Valente; BUENOS AIRES, Jul 16 (IPS) - Under the banner that gender inequality is one of the main drivers of the spread of AIDS, women from around the world are uniting to demand a stop to the epidemic among all females -- whether adults or girls. There is too much written, too many declarations and laws. We need to move from wo
South Africa: Trauma of Children Caring for HIV-Positive Parents: Inter Press Service - July 16, 2010; Laure Pichegru; JOHANNESBURG, Jul 16 (IPS) - Nine-year-old Nomasonto* had no choice but to switch roles with her mother and care for the HIV-positive woman who gave birth to her. Instead of worrying about homework and going out to play with her friends, Nomasonto s daily concerns were now a matter of life and death. Suddenly the child
Zimbabwe: Veggies Dried and Tasted: Inter Press Service - July 15, 2010; Ignatius Banda; BULAWAYO, Jul 15 (IPS) - A resurgence of interest in dried traditional vegetables has opened up a market opportunity for women entrepreneurs in Zimbabwe s second city, Bulawayo. Urban consumers, who previously shunned dried vegetables as a culinary preference of unsophisticated rural people now view them as an affordab
Former Presidents Denounce Drug War Ahead of AIDS Meet: Inter Press Service - July 14, 2010; Stephen Leahy; BERLIN, Jul 14 (IPS) - The failed war on drugs has not only badly damaged countries where it is waged, it is responsible for driving up HIV infection rates in some countries, says an official declaration endorsed Wednesday by three former Latin American presidents in advance of the XVIII International AIDS Conference t
Malawi: Concerns over Cost of New HIV/AIDS Treatment Regime: Inter Press Service - July 10, 2010; Claire Ngozo; LILIONGWE, Jul 10 (IPS) - As government implements a new HIV/AIDS treatment regimen according to latest world standards, a major grouping of non-governmental organisations are concerned that the high cost of the new medication will mean government will no longer be able provide free treatment to as many people as befor
Zambia: Parent's Fears Slowing Uptake of Paediatric AIDS Treatment: Inter Press Service - July 6, 2010; Nerbert Mulenga; LUSAKA, Jul 6 (IPS) - Diana Banda* is quickly running out of excuses to give her six-year-old son about why he has to take a schedule of drugs every day. Her son David* is HIV-positive and has been on anti-retroviral treatment (ART) for two years. But he may not learn the truth about his HIV status anytime soon as his
Uganda: HIV-positive Teens Infecting Other Teens: Inter Press Service - July 1, 2010; Joshua Kyalimpa; KAMPALA, Jul 1 (IPS) - HIV-positive Phiona* (19) had unprotected sex with her best friend and she prays that she did not infect him with the virus. She knew she should not have let it happen but Phiona was too scared to tell him her status, and the teenagers did not have access to condoms. He kept pestering me. I knew
U.N. Clears Final Hurdle to Create New Gender Entity: Inter Press Service - July 1, 2010; Thalif Deen; UNITED NATIONS, Jul 1 (IPS) - After several rounds of intense eleventh-hour negotiations last week over the structure and composition of a proposed new gender entity and its executive board, the United Nations has cleared the last of the remaining political hurdles towards the creation of a separate and distinct U.N. a
Kenya: Agency Unaware of Anti-Counterfeit Law Suspension: Inter Press Service - July 1, 2010; Suleiman Mbatiah; NAIROBI, Jul 1 (IPS) - The agency tasked with implementing the Anti-Counterfeit Act of 2008 in Kenya is unaware of the Constitutional Court s suspension of the law s application to medicines. Moreover, a large multinational pharmaceutical company has offered to assist the agency in implementing the law with regards to
Mexico: Laws Criminalising HIV Transmission Are Discriminatory: Inter Press Service - June 29, 2010; Emilio Godoy; MEXICO CITY, Jun 29 (IPS) - In 30 of Mexico s 32 states there are laws penalising transmission of HIV, the AIDS virus, which are regarded by experts as discriminatory and ineffective in curbing the epidemic. Under the Federal Criminal Code, passing on a sexually transmitted infection (STI) or incurable disease is a cri
Uganda: Too Young to Know, Yet Too Young to Die: Inter Press Service - June 28, 2010; Evelyn Matsamura Kiapi; KAMPALA, Jun 28 (IPS) - Thirteen-year-old Jacinta Okello and her fellow primary school classmates call it doing bad manners . But when you ask her what she knows about sex, she breaks into a shy smile, looks to her feet and giggles. At 13, Okello should actually be in secondary school but she, just like thousands of ot
WORLD: "Anti-Counterfeit Deal Threatens Accessibility of Drugs": Inter Press Service - June 28, 2010; Adam Robert Green; LONDON, Jun 28 (IPS) - A proposed anti-counterfeit trade deal between 10 countries and the European Union (EU) could create a new set of barriers to the export of generic medicines to low income countries . This warning comes from Rohit Malpani, senior advisor at Oxfam America, who spoke to IPS on the eve of the ninth
Connecting the Dots from Detroit to Dakar: Inter Press Service - June 25, 2010; Bankole Thompson; DETROIT, Jun 25 (IPS) - Africa s continued struggle for political and economic independence in many ways mirrors the very own struggles of communities in the U.S. that are now being tabled at the 2010 U.S. Social Forum in Detroit. Africa advocates and progressive foreign policy observers were pitching that message Thur
Kenya: Rural Parents Prevent HIV Transmission to their Children: Inter Press Service - June 23, 2010; Isaiah Esipisu; NAIROBI and KIENI, Kenya , Jun 23 (IPS) - When Samuel Mwangi s one-year-old HIV-positive son died five years ago, he thought the death of his child also meant the death of his family s legacy. I wept. And to the bottom of my heart, I knew that that was the end of my generation, said HIV-positive Mwangi. The baby s
Kenya: PMTCT Means Rural Families Survive Another Generation: Inter Press Service - June 23, 2010; Isaiah Esipisu; NAIROBI and KIENI, Kenya , Jun 23 (IPS) - When Samuel Mwangi s one-year-old HIV-positive son died five years ago, he thought the death of his child also meant the death of his family s legacy. I wept. And to the bottom of my heart, I knew that that was the end of my generation, said HIV-positive Mwangi. The baby s
U.N. Report Optimistic on Anti-Poverty Strides: Inter Press Service - June 23, 2010; Beatrice Paez; UNITED NATIONS, Jun 23 (IPS) - Despite the ongoing financial crisis, global poverty rates are expected to fall by half in the next five years compared to 1990, according to the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Report 2010 launched on Wednesday by Secretary-General Ban Ki- Moon. This could mean lifting up 920 million
Inviting Africans to G8 Meeting Is Just "Window-Dressing": Inter Press Service - June 23, 2010; Stephanie Nieuwoudt; CAPE TOWN, Jun 23 (IPS) - Questions are being asked about whether the Group of Eight invitation to seven African states to attend its summit in Ontario, Canada , reflects its concern about the litany of unmet promises dating from its 2005 Gleneagles meeting -- or whether it merely amounts to another bout of window-dres
Nepal: Multiple Problems Mar Fight Against HIV/AIDS: Inter Press Service - June 21, 2010; Bhuwan Sharma; KATHMANDU, June 21 (IPS) - To women who have lost their husbands to the killer AIDS disease, learning a skill to earn a living could be a matter of life and death. Thus when a training opportunity on making traditional necklaces came up recently in this Nepalese capital, 14 women from seven districts of Nepal s mid wes
Swaziland: Focus on Infants in HIV Prevention: Inter Press Service - June 19, 2010; Mantoe Phakathi; MANZINI, Swaziland , Jun 19 (IPS) - A proud mother, Nonhlanhla Mabuza cuddles her one-day-old baby boy, at the circumcision clinic of Raleigh Fitkin Memorial (RFM) Hospital. A day after delivering her second son, Thabiso Dlamini, the 20-year-old mother is not only beaming because she has just successfully delivered her
Asia: New Infectious Diseases a Challenge to MDG Success: Inter Press Service - June 11, 2010; Neena Bhandari; SYDNEY, June 11 (IPS) - While successful immunisation programmes worldwide have saved millions of lives, the threat of new infectious diseases and drug-resistant strains of existing diseases is posing a major challenge to governments, especially in developing regions like Asia, in meeting their commitment to the Millen
Zimbabwe: Learning to Survive the Mean Streets: Inter Press Service - June 9, 2010; Ignatius Banda; BULAWAYO, Jun 9 (IPS) - Twelve-year-old Tapuwa Bakare* darts through the traffic as irate motorists hoot at him and the tyres of speeding vehicles screech to a halt to avoid hitting him. Miraculously, the box filled with sweets and chewing gum that he carries does not fall from his grasp. Bakare has things on his mind
Africa: Less Funds will Cause Unnecessary AIDS Deaths: Inter Press Service - June 5, 2010; Nastasya Tay; JOHANNESBURG , Jun 5 (IPS) - Backtracking by international donors in funding the fight against HIV/AIDS risks widening the treatment gap in Africa, undermining years of positive achievements in the field, warns a new Medecins Sans Frontieres report. And many more unnecessary HIV-related deaths will be caused by these s
Southern Africa: Community Mobilisation Key to Fight TB: Inter Press Service - June 4, 2010; Kristin Palitza; DURBAN, Jun 4 (IPS) - African medical experts have realised they need to make a much bigger effort to educate rural communities if they want to effectively contain the continent s tuberculosis (TB) epidemic. In sub-Saharan Africa, 1.7 million people are infected with TB each year, which is almost a quarter of all globa
South Africa: Tuberculosis in Children Neglected: Inter Press Service - June 3, 2010; Kristin Palitza; DURBAN, South Africa , Jun 3 (IPS) - Even though tuberculosis (TB) is a major cause for illness and mortality in children, South Africa lacks the political will to tackle the disease, health experts say. And the country s health system is not up to scratch to diagnose and treat children who have contracted the bacteria
Burma: HIV Infection on the Rise Among Men Who Have Sex with Men: Inter Press Service - June 3, 2010; Mon Mon Myat; RANGOON, June 3 (IPS) - The only son in his family, Maung Maung Oo was forced to marry when he was 24 years old. By then he had been carrying on a sexual relationship with a man for four years - which he continued even after his marriage. For the next 14 years, Oo led a double life. But in 2005, he finally decided to b
Are Namibian Women Being Forcibly Sterilised?: Inter Press Service - June 1, 2010; Servaas van den Bosch; REHOBOTH, Namibia , Jun 1 (IPS) - A landmark court case, alleging that HIV-positive women were forcibly sterilised in Namibian state hospitals begins in Windhoek s High Court on Jun. 1. Human rights groups claim the practice has continued long after the authorities were notified. The Windhoek-based Legal Assistance C
South Africa: Lack of Quality Health Care Causes Rise in Orphans: Inter Press Service - May 28, 2010; Kristin Palitza; CAPE TOWN , May 28 (IPS) - Two small boys play quietly on a jungle gym, some distance away from other children. The six-year-old twins, who live at the Masigcine children s centre in Mfuleni township, 35 kilometres out of Cape Town, are severely traumatised from being orphaned at the age of one and have difficulty rela
Malawi: "Commotion About Anti-Counterfeit Bill Is Unnecessary": Inter Press Service - May 19, 2010; Claire Ngozo; LILONGWE, May 19 (IPS) - The Malawian government intends to pass a new bill against counterfeit goods by October which will also cover medicines. This step is being taken despite fears that such a law may cause more stock-outs in a country that is already riddled with drug shortages in medical facilities. Currently man
Haitian Group Honoured for AIDS Work, Earthquake Aid: Inter Press Service - May 18, 2010; Ann Shen; NEW YORK, May 18 (IPS) - A non-profit group founded in Haiti nearly three decades ago to fight what was then a mysterious killer disease later identified as AIDS has been awarded the prestigious 2010 Gates Award for Global Health. GHESKIO, which stands for Groupe Ha�tien d �tude du Sarcome de Kaposi et des Infectieuses
African Grandmothers Support in Role as Caregivers: Inter Press Service - May 13, 2010; Mantoe Phakathi; MANZINI, Swaziland , May 13 (IPS) - Africa cannot survive without us, is the message from grandmothers representing all corners of the continent. More than 3,000 grandmothers marched in the streets of Swaziland s commercial hub, Manzini, demanding financial independence to provide nutritious food, decent housing, acces
Pope's Visit Finds Catholicism on the Decline in Portugal: Inter Press Service - May 11, 2010; Mario de Queiroz; LISBON, May 11 (IPS) - Pope Benedict XVI began a four-day visit to Portugal Tuesday in an uncomfortable scenario for himself and his followers, amidst accusations that the Catholic Church leadership protected pedophile priests, and the free distribution of condoms by hundreds of protesters here.
Latin America: No HIV, Syphilis in Newborns in Five Years: Inter Press Service - May 11, 2010; Marcela Valente; BUENOS AIRES, May 11 (IPS) - With the right treatment, mother-to-child transmission of congenital syphilis and HIV, the AIDS virus, can be prevented. But every year, thousands of babies are still being born with these diseases in Latin America and the Caribbean. In spite of the high level (94 percent) of women receivin
S. AFRICA: Public Sector Struggling with Shortages of 80 Drugs: Inter Press Service - May 11, 2010; Stephanie Nieuwoudt; CAPE TOWN, May 11 (IPS) - South Africa is experiencing a shortage of over 80 different drugs in its public health sector, including flu vaccinations and medication for tuberculosis and high blood pressure. The severity of shortages varies from province to province and hospital to hospital, depending on the leadership a
South Africa: Teenagers' Health at Tremendous Risk: Inter Press Service - May 5, 2010; Kristin Palitza; CAPE TOWN, May 5 (IPS) - I sometimes drink alcohol because it makes things funny, said 15-year-old Senelo* giggles shyly. I go to unlicensed taverns. They sell alcohol without asking questions. The petite, pretty teenager from Mfuleni township 35 kilometres outside of Cape Town is far from being an exception. Thirty-fi
Rights: Zambia Pushes Anti-Counterfeit Bill Despite Health Danger: Inter Press Service - April 30, 2010; Ruth Langa; LUSAKA, Apr 30 (IPS) - Zambia is pushing forward with formulating an anti-counterfeit draft law which will include medicines, despite the controversy that has surrounded similar laws in East Africa and despite having existing legislation which has been used to successfully prosecute counterfeiters of medicines. Ken
"Drug War" Policies Need a Stint in Rehab: Inter Press Service - April 29, 2010; Stephen Leahy; UXBRIDGE, Canada , Apr 29 (IPS) - The war on drugs is a complete failure everywhere, according a comprehensive review of 20 years of scientific literature released at the Harm Reduction 2010 conference in Liverpool, England that wraps up Thursday. The war on drugs does not work, period, said Dr. Julio Montaner, presid
China: Stigma Stays Despite Lifting of Ban on HIV/AIDS Carriers: Inter Press Service - April 29, 2010; Kit Gillet; BEIJING, Apr 29 (IPS) - China s lifting of its longstanding ban on foreign visitors with HIV removes a restriction that many Chinese doctors and activists find discriminatory, but removing the stigma attached with the virus remains one of the biggest challenges ahead in facing the disease. The lifting of the ban was an
Injecting Drug Use Spreads HIV in Eastern Europe: Inter Press Service - April 29, 2010; Stephen Leahy; LIVERPOOL, Apr 29 (IPS) - Poor intervention in Injecting drug use (IDU) is driving the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Eastern Europe and is also largely responsible for the tuberculosis epidemic in parts of Russia , says a new study. Shockingly, a mere three US cents a day per injecting drug user are being invested to prevent th
EU-India Deal Could Kill a Health Lifeline: Inter Press Service - April 27, 2010; David Cronin; BRUSSELS, Apr 27 (IPS) - Life-saving medicines could become too costly for the world s poor after a new trade agreement between the European Union and India comes into effect, public health activists have warned. Brussels officials are seeking that robust rules on intellectual property be approved by India when talks a
Q&A: The State of HIV Prevention Vaccines: Inter Press Service - April 26, 2010; Safeeyah Kharsany interviews Dr ALAN BERNSTEIN, executive director, Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise; JOHANNESBURG, Apr 26 (IPS) - An HIV vaccine is possible if the world works together as a global community with the objective of finding one, but it will take some years to develop. This is according to Dr Alan Bernstein of the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise. The 2009 results of an HIV vaccine trial in
Kenya: Court Victory Against "Anti-Counterfeit" Agenda: Inter Press Service - April 23, 2010; Suleiman Mbatiah; NAIROBI, Apr 23 (IPS) - The Constitutional Court in Kenya has barred the government from implementing the Anti-Counterfeit Act of 2008 as it applies to generic medicines until a verdict is delivered in a case filed by three people living with HIV. Three petitioners in July 2009 filed a suit challenging sections two, 32
Maternal Deaths Drop, but Progress Still "Slow": Inter Press Service - April 15, 2010; Marguerite A. Suozzi; UNITED NATIONS, Apr 15 (IPS) - One day closer to an ever-approaching deadline to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced a Joint Action Plan to improve reproductive, maternal and newborn health on Wednesday, flanked by international leaders and development experts.
FIJI: Law Enforcement Approach to Sex Work Falls Short: Inter Press Service - April 2, 2010; Shailendra Singh; SUVA, Apr 2 (IPS) - Two months after a new anti-prostitution law took effect, taxi driver Shiu Kumar says he sees fewer sex workers along Victoria Parade, the centre of Suva s nightlife. But while this has had a negative effect on his nighttime fares, he is nevertheless happy about the law. This is a good law, he says,
Kenya: Funding Threatens AIDS Prevention: Inter Press Service - April 1, 2010; Susan Anyangu-Amu; NAIROBI, Apr 1, 2010 (IPS) - Pregnant mothers who are HIV-positive could soon find it challenging to access life-saving HIV drugs because Kenya was denied 270 million dollars in funding from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The Global Fund cited the existence of two ministries of health and the
Kenya: PMTCT Projects at Stake: Inter Press Service - April 1, 2010; Susan Anyangu-Amu; NAIROBI, Apr 1 (IPS) - Pregnant mothers who are HIV-positive could soon find it challenging to access life-saving HIV drugs because Kenya was denied 270 million dollars in funding from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The Global Fund cited the existence of two ministries of health and the jostli
Africa: Anti-Counterfeit Laws Threaten Universal Access to ARVs: Inter Press Service - April 1, 2010; Wambi Michael; ARUSHA, Tanzania , Apr 1 (IPS) - East African countries risk not attaining the millennium development goal (MDG) on universal treatment of people living with HIV and AIDS, malaria and other diseases if the region s parliament adopts the anti-counterfeits policy and bill currently under consideration. Civil society
Uganda: Bearing the Pains of Double Discrimination: Inter Press Service - March 25, 2010; Evelyn Matsamura Kiapi; KAMPALA, Mar 25 (IPS) - Women living with disabilities in Uganda face more than being discriminated against because of their disabilities, they are also discriminated against when it comes to their reproductive health. They often face stigma, discrimination, violence and absolute poverty, but their greatest challenge i
Zambia: Government's SMS System for HIV Test Results: Inter Press Service - March 24, 2010; Violet Nakamba Mengo; LUSAKA, Mar 24 (IPS) - HIV-positive Bupe Mwamba, 22, lies next to her newborn baby girl at the rural clinic she just gave birth in and wonders if her baby is HIV-positive too. She has been for counselling throughout her antenatal check-ups and knows there is a chance her baby girl may be HIV-negative. But it still does
Kenya: State Insists Counterfeit Law's No Threat to Right to Life: Inter Press Service - March 19, 2010; Suleiman Mbatiah; NAIROBI, Mar 19 (IPS) - Kenya s Constitutional Court heard yesterday from counsel representing the government that the Anti-Counterfeit Act of 2008 does not threaten the importation or manufacturing of cheap generic medicines and therefore does not deny Kenyans their constitutional right to life. Three people living wi
Namibia: "If You Kiss for Five Minutes You Get It": Inter Press Service - March 16, 2010; Servaas van den Bosch; WINDHOEK, Mar 16 (IPS) - At home we have a bar, says grade seven learner David Bravo* (14). When my mother puts on the music I cannot concentrate on (my) schoolwork anymore. Sometimes, in the middle of the night, I just sit there and watch the people. Bravo is one the learners who attends the Aids Care Trust s (ACT) af
Africa: Corruption Carries High Cost, World Bank Says: Inter Press Service - March 16, 2010; Mohammed A. Salih; WASHINGTON, Mar 16 (IPS) - Poverty is on the rise in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and various forms of corruption threaten to undermine the impact of investments made to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the continent, said the World Bank in a report released Monday on Africa s development. The report says th
Malawi: Rural Communities Jointly Care for Orphans: Inter Press Service - March 15, 2010; Claire Ngozo; LILONGWE, Mar 15 (IPS) - At the age of 66, village headman Kamwala of Dedza district in central Malawi is starting to feel the effects of ageing. He gets tired easily and needs frequent naps but says he cannot afford this luxury. He and his wife are caregivers to a one-year-old orphan. Despite having ten children o
Uganda: EU Supports Law Threatening Access to Medicines: Inter Press Service - March 15, 2010; Wambi Michael; KAMPALA, Mar 15 (IPS) - The European Union (EU) is funding the drafting of Uganda s controversial Counterfeit Goods Bill, a proposed law that has caused an outcry as it threatens access to life-saving generic medicines in this low income East African country. Some 90 percent of medicines used in Uganda s health-care sy
Malawi: Country Not Safe for Homosexuals: Inter Press Service - March 13, 2010; Claire Ngozo; LILONGWE, Mar. 13 (IPS) - Malawi is quickly becoming unsafe for homosexuals as the country s police service recently launched a campaign to hunt down and arrest prominent people who are suspected of being gay. The police service claim to be investigating issues related to homosexual tendencies as homosexuality is agai
U.S. AIDS Fund Flat-Lining, Groups Complain: Inter Press Service - March 12, 2010; Sananda Sahoo; WASHINGTON, Mar 12 (IPS) - The debate between those who favour investment in AIDS treatment and those who favour investment in its prevention came to the forefront Thursday at a U.S House of Representatives hearing on U.S. investments in HIV/AIDS in Africa. International health organisations working to help check the s
South Africa: More Funds Needed for HIV Prevention and Treatment: Inter Press Service - March 8, 2010; Kristin Palitza; CAPE TOWN, Mar 8 (IPS) - Decreasing or levelling HIV funding will destabilise developing countries health systems, a group of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) warned. They demand that governments worldwide own up to their promise of achieving universal access to HIV treatment. The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC),
South Africa: Five Years to Children Born Free of HIV: Inter Press Service - March 8, 2010; Marshall Patsanza; JOHANNESBURG, Mar 8 (IPS) - A world where all children are born free of HIV infection is possible in only five years if donors continue to fund global efforts to combat the virus. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria says in addition TB transmission will be halved by 2015 and malaria will be eliminat
Neoliberalism not Liberal Enough for AIDS Investments: Inter Press Service - March 2, 2010; Matthew Berger; WASHINGTON, Mar 2 (IPS) - Neoliberal economic ideas have grown increasingly dominant over the last 30 years. During that same time, the spread of HIV/AIDS has reached an epidemic crescendo. This is more than a coincidence, argues Rick Rowden, author of the new book The Deadly Ideas of Neoliberalism: How the IMF has Und
Burma: For Sex Workers, A Life of Risks: Inter Press Service - February 25, 2010; Mon Mon Myat; RANGOON, Feb 25 (IPS) - When Aye Aye (not her real name) leaves her youngest son at home each night, she tells him that she has to work selling snacks. But what Aye actually sells is sex so that her 12-year-old son, a Grade 7 student, can finish his education. Every night I work with the intention of giving my son some
Swaziland: Long-distance Learning Certificate for Caregivers: Inter Press Service - February 24, 2010; Mantoe Phakathi; MBABANE, Feb 24 (IPS) - Every Tuesday you will find 70-year-old Precious Dlamini under a tree, weighing children and babies from her local community as she monitors their health and nutrition. Though she may not have any official qualifications to do so, Dlamini is a retired teacher, she devotes much of her time to car
Thailand: Temple Grounds A Venue for Curbing Domestic Violence: Inter Press Service - February 23, 2010; Marwaan Macan-Markar; TRAT, Thailand , Feb 23 (IPS) - When the conversation here shifts to domestic violence, even the way a woman got pregnant becomes an issue of concern, particularly if the price for bearing a child means getting infected with HIV. That is what happened to 34-year-old Nowares Khlangkamnerd, who only discovered she had go
Africa: "Women's Decade": Greater Attention to Implementation: Inter Press Service - February 22, 2010; Omer Redi; ADDIS ABABA, Feb 22 (IPS) - Fears that the impact of the global economic meltdown would affect funding to various development areas have been rife. Already, several governments have cut their budgets for HIV and AIDS and bilateral and multilateral funding partners have done likewise. Tanzania was the first to a
Development: Grassroots Aid Groups Struggle to Stay Afloat: Inter Press Service - February 20, 2010; Daniel Stahl; UNITED NATIONS, Feb 20 (IPS) - The Holy Child Integrated Agricultural Centre, an organic farm near Abeokuta in southwestern Nigeria , was looking forward to having running water. An industrial borehole had already been already installed, and a pump and piping to various buildings were in place. But water still rema
Thailand: Women with HIV Break Silence, Confront Stigma: Inter Press Service - February 20, 2010; Marwaan Macan-Markar*; TRAT, Thailand , Feb 20 (IPS) - Veena Panudej makes a living in the night like so many other women and men in this quiet eastern corner of Thailand. They work under the light of the stars in rubber estates spread beyond this city close to the Cambodian border. By sunrise, Veena takes stock of what she has finished in h
Philippines: Rice and Condom on the Election Agenda: Inter Press Service - February 19, 2010; Diana G. Mendoza; MANILA, Feb 19 (IPS) - Rice and condoms do not usually land on the same list of household basics in the predominantly Catholic Philippines , but extremely poor couples here with huge families would choose rice if given the two options. This is what Fe Nicodemus, head of KAKAMPI, a Philippine non-government organisation
India: Education as Empowerment Tool for Children of Sex Workers: Inter Press Service - February 17, 2010; Manipadma Jena; KOLKATA, India , Feb 17 (IPS) - May I come in, Miss? asks seven-year-old Ajmiri Khatun, her face beaming with a radiant smile and eagre eyes. Her teacher, Pujo Roy, gladly welcomes her into the eight-square-foot educational facility designed for Indian children like her. Thank you, Miss, says Ajmiri, as she enters the
Nigeria: HIV-positive Youth Still Stigmatised: Inter Press Service - February 16, 2010; Salma Ahmad Kano; KANO, northern Nigeria , Feb 16 (IPS) - I will never have anything to do with women since I have been diagnosed to have a killer disease. It is not clear how Muhammad Jungudo (17) contracted HIV, but he suspects it happened at a local barber shop where the implements used for shaving are rarely sterilised. And know
Rwanda: Efforts to Contain HIV/AIDS Among Teens Slackens: Inter Press Service - February 13, 2010; Aimable Twahirwa; KIGALI, Feb 13 (IPS) - Eighteen-year-old David Kimenyi* is sure he infected his girlfriend with HIV. They had unprotected sex many times, even after he discovered he was HIV-positive. I am afraid that I would have infected my girlfriend with HIV/AIDS, he said. We used to enjoy a good time together and we trusting each
Swaziland: Dating in a Time of HIV: Inter Press Service - February 10, 2010; Mantoe Phakathi; MBABANE, Feb 10 (IPS) - Jabulile Dlamini* is sweet sixteen and has never been kissed. And she is not expecting to be kissed any time soon or to even receive any gifts this Valentine s Day. While most of the girls in her class are excited about receiving presents from their boyfriends on February 14, Dlamini - who is HI
India: Lay-offs from Recession-hit Gulf Lead to New Lives at Home: Inter Press Service - February 9, 2010; K S Harikrishnan; THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India , Feb 9 (IPS) - Domestic worker Beena Joy, 35, came back empty-handed after losing her job in recession-hit United Arab Emirates , but soon found that getting laid-off has given her a happier life back home here in this southern Indian city.
Uganda: Early Diagnosis of HIV Still Elusive: Inter Press Service - February 4, 2010; Evelyn Matsamura Kiapi; KAMPALA , Feb 4 (IPS) - HIV-positive Justine Kirumira* is a mother torn between doing what is right for her daughters and her own fear of HIV/AIDS. She suspects that her eight- and 12-year-old daughters may also have the virus. But she may never know the truth of their status because she refuses have them tested. Kirum
Uganda: Fugitives in Their Own Country: Inter Press Service - January 29, 2010; Evelyn Matsamura Kiapi; KAMPALA, Jan 29 (IPS) - Every morning Pepe Julian Onziema wakes up not knowing if she will live to see another rising sun. Onziema is transgender and she lives in fear for her life because of a national campaign criminalising gay people. Although she has done nothing wrong, Onziema lives like a fugitive - always on the
Zimbabwe: Training Teachers to Cope with HIV-positive Students: Inter Press Service - January 15, 2010; Vusumuzi Sifile; HARARE, Jan 15 (IPS) - Eleven-year-old Memory s grandmother wanted her to drop out of school because she is not going to live long enough to complete her studies. And the ridicule and stigma Memory endures at school because of her HIV status does not make her education seem worthwhile. Especially since this ridicule co
Argentina: Prison Policy - 'Dump and Exterminate', Say Activists: Inter Press Service - January 14, 2010; Sebastian Lacunza; BUENOS AIRES, Jan 14 (IPS) - The violent deaths of four inmates in Argentine prisons in recent weeks confirmed the systematic violation of human rights in the country s penitentiaries, according to human rights activists. The Coordinating Committee against Police and Institutional Repression (CORREPI), an organisation
South Africa: HIV Stigma Persists: Inter Press Service - January 6, 2010; Kristin Palitza; LOUWVILLE, South Africa , Jan 6 (IPS) - HIV-related stigma and discrimination remain a key concern in South Africa, despite the multitude of HIV awareness campaigns that have been launched by government and civil society organisations throughout the years, health experts say. Stigma continues to be a seriously neglect

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