2005

TAJIKISTAN: Interview with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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?: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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 directo
ZIMBABWE: Teachers urge free ARVs as AIDS thins their ranks: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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 frie
NIGERIA: HIV testing campaign draws poor response: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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?: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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
SENEGAL: Despite awareness campaigns, young people are reluctant to get HIV tested: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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: UN 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
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