For some time, many surgeons believed that people with HIV fared worse after surgery than un-infected patients. But Dr. Michael Horberg, who studies HIV patients for the Kaiser Permanente network of hospitals in California, didn't agree. He and his colleagues reviewed the records for 332 HIV-positive patients who'd had surgery between 1997 and 2002. That's the time period when anti-retroviral drug cocktails were beginning to gain wide use.
In South Africa where AIDS each year kills 350,000, mostly poor people, many South Africans remain uninformed about the disease and how it might affect their lives. But this year the AIDS death of her children's minder has transformed a young suburban mother into an outspoken treatment activist. Delia Robertson reports from Johannesburg.
In a year when Zimbabwe's economy continued to plummet and its death rate continued to soar, there was one piece of good news: the rate of infection of HIV/AIDS has dropped significantly. Peta Thornycroft reports that a new demographic survey, the first of its type to be done in Zimbabwe, has confirmed that Zimbabwe is the first southern African country to have reduced the numbers of people contracting HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
A recent study suggests that the number of people afflicted with HIV/AIDS in India could be far lower than current estimates. The United Nations says India has 5.7 million people living with the AIDS virus, the highest number in the world. But as Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi, the real number might be only half of that.
Zimbabwe is closer to receiving US$65 million from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, with the signing of a grant agreement on Wednesday.
Two long awaited studies from Africa show that a man's risk of getting the AIDS virus heterosexually is cut in half if he is circumcised. As we hear from VOA's David McAlary in Washington, public health experts say circumcision can be a new weapon in the anti-HIV arsenal.
In many parts of the world with high HIV infection rates, malaria is also endemic. For some time, scientists have suspected that each of the two diseases contributes to the other's spread. Now researchers from the University of Washington have added some statistical weight to this theory. Doctors Laith Abu-Raddad and James Kublin studied several hundred people with HIV who live in the Kenyan city of Kisumu. They found that when people with HIV get malaria, the count of human immunodeficiency viruses in their bloodstream increases seven-fold.
AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis are the world's most deadly diseases. Each year, they account for 6 million deaths, or one out of every 10 on the planet. And it's estimated that 80 percent of the victims live in the world's poorest countries, those least able to cope with this public health calamity.
It's an unusual kind of organization -- physicians coming together to advocate as well as treat. Ugandan doctors have formed the Action Group for Health, Human Rights and HIV/AIDS (AGHA), which they can use to pressure their government and others concerned to ensure that certain health care services get to those who need them most.
On a visit to strengthen efforts to provide HIV/AIDS treatment, former U.S. President Bill Clinton strolled the streets of the Vietnamese capital, met with young Vietnamese and discussed the work of the newly opened Hanoi office of The Clinton Foundation. But beyond the public relations effort, getting the details right in treating people living with AIDS will still take time, as Matt Steinglass reports for VOA from Hanoi.
AIDS activists say perhaps millions of people in Sub-Saharan Africa lack access to anti-retrovirals, in part because of the high cost of the drugs. Some say drug companies and their governments discourage developing countries from exercising their rights under World Trade Agreement rules to purchase or manufacture anti-retrovirals in case of a health emergency. These critics, including Oxfam, accuse governments of pressuring poor countries to honor the often-higher costs linked to intellectual property rights for the drugs in exchange for favorable free trade agreements.
New biological evidence casts more doubt on Libyan government charges against six imprisoned Bulgarian and Palestinian medical workers accused of deliberately infecting several-hundred Libyan children with the AIDS virus. The medics face the death penalty if convicted, but as VOA's David McAlary reports from Washington, laboratory tests support their claims of innocence.
President Robert Mugabe has committed Zimbabwe to achieving universal access to anti-retrovirals to treat HIV/AIDS by 2010. As Peta Thornycroft reports for VOA from Harare, Mr. Mugabe has also said that Zimbabwe is the only southern African country where the HIV/AIDS infection rate is going down, which he says is an indication of his government's commitment to fighting the disease.
Nineteen Chinese AIDS patients have been awarded more than $1 million in compensation in a victory hailed by rights campaigners. Benjamin Robertson in Beijing reports.
Acclaimed rapper Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges visited VOA on World AIDS Day December 1, 2006. He was in Washington D.C. to promote shoemaker Aldo's "Speak No Evil, Hear No Evil " AIDS awareness campaign. The rapper-actor, who just released a new CD, Release Therapy, and recently appeared on NBC television's Saturday Night Live program, says he has been talking to youth between 18 and 24 about AIDS and HIV because that age group is particularly impacted by the disease. He says he became interested in the issue after a trip to Africa where he met many HIV-infected youth.
The United Nations says it is making progress in combating HIV/AIDS in Sudan, but warned that infection rates may be on the rise in the war-torn Darfur region. The United Nations estimates that Sudan has the highest rate of HIV infection in north Africa and the Middle East.
In Ghana, religious leaders are agreeing to spread awareness about AIDS and to help end the stigma surrounding the disease. Religious leaders meeting in the Ghanaian capital said they are in a position to spread the word among their followers, regardless of their faith. Efam Dovi has more in this VOA report from Accra.
Zambia's First Lady, Maureen Mwanawasa, was honored in New York Friday for her efforts of behalf of HIV/AIDS victims, especially women and children in Africa. From VOA's New York Bureau, correspondent Barbara Schoetzau reports Mwanawasa said women and girls are disproportionately affected by the global scourge.
OXFAM calls it a failed promise. The international agency working to eradicate poverty, suffering and injustice recently issued a report blaming rich countries for what it calls the needless suffering and death of many who have been denied access to generic medications.
Friday, December 1st, was World AIDS Day, a United Nations-sponsored occasion for global reflection on the threat posed by the HIV-AIDS epidemic. The disease afflicts nearly 40 million people in the world today, most of them women and children who may receive little or no treatment. But government agencies and various private-sector and community organizations are continuing to make headway in fighting the disease, supported by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, the largest single non-political source of money in the battle against the disease.
How well have international and national institutions performed in fighting the AIDS epidemic? Have they kept their promises to provide increased funding and better programs? These are among the questions asked by AIDS activists participating in last week's World AIDS Day campaign, which had as its slogan, "Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise."
President Bush says the pandemic of HIV/AIDS can be defeated and the United States is committed to help stop the spread of the deadly disease. VOA correspondent Meredith Buel has details from Washington.
The slogan for this year's World AIDS Day was "Keep the Promise," an appeal for accountability by the major players in the effort to contain the spread of HIV/AIDS.
The slogan for World AIDS Day this year was "Stop AIDS: Keep The Promise" - a call for accountability by the institutions that have pledged money and effort to help end the spread of the illness around the world.
Zimbabwe, like many other African countries hit hard by HIV-AIDS, joined the rest of the world Friday in observing World Aids Day. Zimbabweans from all walks of life gathered in Bulawayo and pledged to redouble efforts to defeat the scourge.
The under-19 squad of Highlanders Football Club of Bulawayo defeated Railstars of Bulawayo 4-2 Friday in a soccer match organized to mark World Aids Day.
A young medical doctor from Uganda was recently recognized for her work treating AIDS patients. Twenty-six year old Dr. Julian Atim was in Boston, Massachusetts, for an award from Physicians for Human Rights (PHR).
On this World AIDS day, it is estimated that 40 million people around the world are now living with HIV and AIDS. Although new medications have dramatically increased the life expectancy of people living with the disease, each day is still a struggle to stay healthy and survive. Jeff Swicord reports on one organization in the Washington D.C. area that helps people with AIDS live healthier and fuller lives.
At the turn of the millennium six years ago, governments around the world committed to eight goals aimed at improving living standards in poor countries by 2015. These so-called Millennium Development Goals included such benchmarks as reducing poverty and hunger, achieving universal education and improving the health of women and children. But a new analysis indicates that the global epidemic of HIV-AIDS may keep many countries from achieving these goals.
In advance of World AIDS Day, the United Nations released some chilling statistics: nearly 40 million people now have HIV/AIDS; there were more than 4 million new infections this year, and where HIV prevention programs have not been sustained, the number of new infections has increased.
On World AIDS Day, the U.N. health agency warned that the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Asia could worsen if governments fail to step up efforts to stop the spread of the virus. VOA's Heda Bayron reports from our Asia News Center in Hong Kong U.N. officials say more than eight million people in Asia have HIV/AIDS and the number is rising.
December 1 is World AIDS Day and this year's theme is "Stop AIDS. Keep the promise." With about 39.5 million people living with the AIDS virus and about 25 million who've died, many say world leaders and others have failed to keep their promises to help stop the pandemic. The theme centers on the issue of accountability.
Friday is World AIDS Day. It was established in 1988 by the World Health Organization to focus global attention on the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The theme for this year's observance is "Stop AIDS, Keep the Promise." It is estimated that more than 60 percent of all people living with HIV/AIDS live in Sub-Saharan Africa. Michael Sidibe is head of country and regional support for the United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS.
A regional float aimed at promoting awareness of HIV/AIDS has just made a stop-over in Accra. The Love Life Caravan aims to educate transport workers along the Abidjan to Lagos transport corridor. The float, which began its journey from Cote d'Ivoire in late November will make a final stop in Lagos Nigeria on the 9th of December. It has been mounting educational campaigns on HIV/AIDS through music and other interactive activities.
World AIDS day was celebrated in early December under the global theme of accountability. The slogan was "Stop AIDS; Keep the promise." From Accra, Ghana reporter Joana Mantey has been talking with ordinary Ghanaians who have heard the anti-AIDS messages. She asked them whether they've been accountable to their loved ones by taking precautions against infection.
On the eve of World AIDS Day, Kenyan doctors and activists are calling on the Kenyan government to declare tuberculosis a national disaster and enact special legislation to deal with the highly contagious disease. Tuberculosis, known as the "poor man's disease," claims an estimated 300 Kenyans each day. Cathy Majtenyi files this report for VOA from Nairobi.
United Nations statistics say women are the most numerous victims of HIV/AIDS in Africa. In the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo, VOA's Nico Colombant went to the main hospital in the capital, Kinshasa, where there is an aisle for women who have the deadly virus. Some of them refuse to know their status.
As the December 1 World AIDS Day approaches, activists complain that the international community is falling short of providing treatment for HIV in developing countries. VOA's David McAlary reports that the main global AIDS program financing agency hopes donors will boost their contributions during next year's round of pledging.
As people around the world mark World AIDS Day, December 1, the government of South Africa is to announce an ambitious five-year plan to combat the disease, which is estimated to infect 11 percent of the population. The plan contains new strategies for the government, which has been widely criticized for its response to the disease. Correspondent Scott Bobb reports from Johannesburg.
Stronger promotion of condom use could help put the brakes on the global HIV-AIDS epidemic according to a new study published in the British medical journal, The Lancet.
Father Angelo D'Agostino, the American Jesuit priest who founded the Nyumbani homes and an outreach program for children living with HIV/AIDS in Kenya, was buried Monday. Cathy Majtenyi attended his funeral and files this report for VOA.
In Ghana, health authorities say they have taken a major step towards finding treatment for HIV/AIDS and other diseases by using local, traditional medicines. An estimated 4,000 of the country's 20 million people are infected with the disease. Efam Dovi filed this VOA report from the capital, Accra.
A man considered a leader in the fight against HIV/AIDS and a champion for AIDS orphans has died. Father Angelo D'Agostino, founder of the Nyumbani Orphanage in Nairobi, died Monday of a heart attack. He was 80.
Washington, D.C., November 22, 2006 - The Voice of America's (VOA) Portuguese-to-Africa service launches a new, youth-oriented, radio program on HIV/AIDS aimed at audiences in Mozambique on December 2, 2006.
Every day, thousands of infants in the developing world are infected with HIV. Many get the virus that causes AIDS through breastfeeding from their HIV-positive mothers. Now some researchers think they may be able to prevent some of that transmission by having mothers pasteurize their breast milk.
A new report finds the health of people in Africa is worse than in any other part of the world. But, the report by the World Health Organization also presents a number of success stories that show Africa can tackle its own health problems. This report, for the first time, focuses on the health of the 738 million people living in 46 countries in the African region.
The project, called Stepping Stones, was originally a series of workshops with men and women in separate groups discussing - among other things - HIV / AIDS and Safer Sex. However, Stepping Stones also addressed gender issues in relationships and has brought a reduction in violence against women.
A hospital in the Democratic Republic of Congo has a death row aisle for female victims of HIV/AIDS, but most do not even know they are close to death, or even that they are infected. The deadly disease remains a taboo in the war-torn country, even in the capital.
Baylor College of Medicine in Houston has signed an agreement with the United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF, to work together in fighting AIDS in children around the world. Baylor has taken a leading role in providing care for pediatric AIDS victims worldwide.
Zimbabwean officials and AIDS activists are expressing disappointment that the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in its latest round of grants rejected yet another of the country's proposals seeking funds to combat the deadly diseases.
The South African health ministry says more than 235,000 HIV infected people are now receiving free AIDS medication, up about 60,000 from the end of June.
Washington, D.C., November 13, 2006 - Journalists covering health stories in Africa should avoid preconceived notions, seek out doctors' advice for their stories and use available resources on the Internet, a group of experts said Thursday.
An expert on bird flu, Margaret Chan, has been nominated to head the World Health Organization (WHO). Dr. Chan's nomination as director-general is expected to be approved Thursday, during a special one-day session of the 193-member World Health Assembly in Geneva.
Five neighboring West African countries have agreed to shorten traveling time between their countries borders, in a move to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS infection among migrants and inhabitants along the route. The countries, which are members of the World Bank sponsored Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Project, include Cote D'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria.
Americans go to the polls tomorrow (Tuesday) to elect members of the House of Representatives and Senate. Currently, the Republican Party of President George Bush holds the majority in both houses. But pre-election polls are pointing to indications the Democratic Party may win enough seats to take control of the House of Representatives and possibly the Senate. So what would the outcome of the U.S. congressional election mean for Africa? VOA English to Africa reporter James Butty put that question to Ron Walters, professor of government and politics at the University of Maryland near Washington, D.C.
A new report shows African businesses are doing more to battle HIV/AIDS among their employees. The World Economic Forum study shows 27 sub-Saharan African countries are helping business coalitions battle HIV/AIDS among their employees.
The Red Cross says funds for its AIDS programs in southern Africa are due to run out in three months. Officials made the announcement in South Africa as they launched what they said was the single largest appeal for funds in Red Cross history.
South Africa's National AIDS Council is to be restructured as part of a new plan to strengthen the country's response to HIV/AIDS and will now include a deputy chairperson drawn from civil society. The panel is expected to finalize and announce an HIV/AIDS strategy for the next five years sometime next month.
In Paris, the worlds top health experts are meeting this week to decide what to do about extremely drug resistant tuberculosis - also known as XDR-TB. The 37th Union World Conference on Lung Health will also consider related issues, such as the shortage of health care workers and inadequate health care systems.
The humanitarian organization, Doctors Without Borders, says new drugs to combat extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis are urgently needed. The group is calling for the World Health Organization to take the lead in accelerating the development of new drugs to treat this potentially fatal disease.
Music is a global language that can reach across all races and religion. That's evident in northern Nigeria -- where hip-hop, a music form originally created by a non-Muslim African-Americans -- is appealing to Muslim Hausa-speaking youth.
The international medical community is raising a chorus of protest against a Libyan trial of six Bulgarian and Palestinian health workers. The six are accused of deliberately infecting hundreds of Libyan children with the AIDS virus. The defendants face the death penalty when their trial ends October 31, but health experts say the evidence against them is worthless.
The U.N. food agency says it is facing a massive funding shortfall for its feeding programs in seven southern African countries. The World Food Program (WFP) says the shortfall is affecting more than 4 million people in the region, where hunger has become a chronic and complex problem.
The Luo tribe living around Lake Victoria in Kenya has for hundreds of years observed the custom of widow inheritance. The younger brother of the dead man inherits the widow and provides her with security, financial support and parental care for her children. But some widows are now speaking out against the tradition.
Britain has donated 20 million pounds, or about US$38 million, to bolster Zimbabwe's battle against HIV-AIDS, which has shown some signs of retreating in large part due to the significantly increased use of condoms by women as well as men.
Health officials from southern Africa and the World Health Organization (WHO) met Tuesday and Wednesday in South Africa to discuss ways to deal with growing cases of drug-resistant tuberculosis. Because new drugs to fight the disease may be more than a decade away, experts say a global plan must be implemented to strengthen existing forms of detection and treatment.
Female members of parliament from Africa's 18 commonwealth countries are meeting in Ghana to discuss the impact of poverty on women's health, and how they can lead the fight against HIV/AIDS. Experts say African women are most vulnerable to the disease, which claims several lives every year.
Members of one of Zimbabwe's leading anti-AIDS activist groups are divided over how to express their frustration at chronic - and more recently, critical - shortages of anti-retroviral drugs, with a militant contingent proposing a "die-in" demonstration.
A top official of the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe said the union is ready to send its 123,000 members into the streets because of a deadlock with the National Aids Council over distribution of medical benefits from the national AIDS Levy.
Government and civil society leaders from Ghana, Kenya and Uganda have resolved to work together to protect a woman's right to property in Africa. Efam Dovi reports for the Voice of America that an advocacy organization is holding a seminar on this topic in Ghana's capital, Accra.
Three organizations fighting the spread of HIV and the ravages of AIDS unveiled an information package of instructions in the care of those living with HIV-AIDS.
The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is launching a new five-year program to fight HIV/AIDS in southern Africa. The federation estimates 11-million people in the region - including a half-million children - are living with HIV.
Many of the world leaders gathered in New York for the United Nations General Assembly debate are also participating in the Clinton Global Initiative launched last year by former President Bill Clinton.
Miss Universe, Zuleyka Rivera, was named the International Ambassador for the Latino Commission on AIDS in Miami Thursday. In her first message, she urged people to get tested for AIDS.
Unnamed Western countries are still intent on bringing about so-called regime change in Zimbabwe, President Robert Mugabe declared Thursday in a speech before the 61st United Nations General Assembly. But his address was less polemical than on other such occasions, and focused on increasing funding to poor nations.
Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev has dismissed the country's health minister and a regional governor after at least 55 children at a hospital were infected with the virus that can lead to AIDS.
Five young Americans spent two months traveling across the United States recently on a two-month bus journey. But this was not a romantic cross-country trip of self-discovery. These five youths were on a mission to raise money to combat AIDS in Africa. VOA's Suzanne Presto caught up with the five during their travels in Washington and has more.
The chairman of a commission assessing the impact of AIDS on the Asia-Pacific region says governments need to do more to reduce the social and economic effects of the disease. The commission aims to provide fresh policy ideas to help countries in the region combat the virus.
Controversy has flared in Zimbabwe as to whether modern medicine or traditional healers offer the best hope for those living with the virus or the disease - especially given the high cost and limited availability of anti-retroviral drug treatments.
A plan to battle HIV-AIDS put forth by Zimbabwe's National AIDS Council has come under attack by activists who say that while the strategy looks good on paper it may not be feasible in practice. The four-year plan aims to make existing programs more effective in delivering anti-retroviral drugs and supplementary nutrition.
Nigeria is hoping to vaccinate more than 10 million children against the crippling polio virus. Nigeria has seen an upsurge in the number of cases this year.
Leading health experts are calling for "dramatic improvements in tuberculosis control" to prevent a potentially untreatable form of TB. The call comes at a two-day meeting in Johannesburg over concern about the spread of a deadly new form of TB known as XDR-TB. Health officials say it could result in a setback in treatment programs for HIV/AIDS, since the two diseases are so closely linked.
A group of musicians has produced a CD intended to spread a message of HIV-AIDS prevention to young people. The CD is part of the AIDS Responsibility Project. Melinda Smith narrates.
The Libyan prosecutor in the retrail of six foreign medical professionals charged with infecting Libyan children with HIV has asked for the death penalty.
New research indicates that HIV/AIDS is undermining the democratic process in Namibia by reducing the number of voters, as well as the number of people who take part in other civic activities. The report comes from the Namibian Institute for Democracy (NID) in cooperation with the Institute for Democracy in South Africa. It says AIDS-related deaths and illnesses, as well as the need to care for the sick and orphaned, are hurting the country's electoral process. Justine Hunter, the project manager for the Public Dialog Center at NID, spoke with VOA English to Africa Service reporter Cole Mallard about the study.
Findings of a survey on adolescent reproductive health in four African countries suggest that sex education needs to be stepped up to protect the next generation of youth against HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.
Malawi has yet to find a way of distributing free anti-retroviral drugs to those infected with HIV/AIDS. While the country is providing free drugs to some infected citizens, many more are unable to access the necessary drugs. VOA English to Africa Service reporter Eldson Chagara spoke with Malawians about the health care situation.
The campaign to make cheap HIV/AIDS drugs available recently recorded a major breakthrough in Nigeria. Thanks to the international medical humanitarian organization, Doctors Without Borders (MSF), an improved variety of a drug for treating sufferers has arrived in the country. However, the breakthrough did not come about without a struggle. Paul Okolo spoke with people about the drug delivery system made possible by MSF.
Thai health officials say an American pharmaceutical firm has offered to sell an antiretroviral drug to Thais living with HIV/AIDS at drastically reduced prices.
South Africa's Treatment Action Campaign has staged protests nationwide and abroad at South African embassies and consulates in Canada and the United States. Activists also demonstrated yesterday at South Africa's Departments of Health and Correctional Services to demand immediate compliance with a court order to treat HIV-positive prisoners. Rukia Cornelius is the national campaign manager for the Treatment Action Campaign; she spoke with VOA English to Africa reporter Howard Lesser about the anti-AIDS advocacy group and its mission.
In South Africa, a group called the Treatment Action Campaign has launched a campaign of illegal protests to demand greater government commitment to halt the spread of HIV/AIDS and better treatment for people with AIDS. The group has also called for the dismissal of the country's health minister.
One of the main attractions at this week's International AIDS Conference in Toronto, Canada is the Global Village. It is more than 7,000 square meters of shops, activist booths and community programs from around the world. They all share a concern about the fight against HIV/AIDS and offer different kinds of solutions. Melinda Smith narrates this report.
Marches, demonstrations, tears and laughter, bold statements and cries for help were all a part of the 16th International AIDS Conference, which ended Friday in Toronto. VOA English to Africa Service reporter Joe De Capua was there.
The 16th International AIDS conference in Toronto, Canada has come to a close. The five day meeting drew attention to the plight and role of women in stemming the global HIV pandemic, and focused on proven prevention strategies. Organizers say the summit brought together the right mix of politics, social activism and scientific research.
Ghanaian teachers in primary and junior secondary schools have received special training to help fight the spread of HIV/AIDS in the country. Topics relating to the disease have been introduced into the school curriculum in a program spearheaded by the Ghana Education Service. From Accra, reporter Joana Mantey tells us more about the program.
At the 16th International AIDS conference in Toronto, advocates for using microbicide have laid out a plan to accelerate development of what's being hailed as an achievable and promising HIV prevention technology.
The World Health Organization says 60 percent of childhood deaths in developing countries are related to malnutrition. And the lack of proper food is also playing a role in the fight against AIDS. Experts in the field are discussing the correlation during this week's International AIDS Conference in Toronto, Canada. VOA's Melinda Smith narrates the report.
How does the 16th International AIDS Conference compare with similar meetings of the past? A Nigerian-born researcher analyzes the five-day meeting in Toronto. Dr. Vincent Idemyor says AIDS 2006 has done a good job of presenting scientific studies. Idemyor teaches and works in Chicago but is spending time as a visiting professor in Nigeria, most recently at the University of Port Harcourt. VOA English to Africa Service reporter Joe De Capua has details.
A new report says that "unless violence against women and children is addressed, the multi-billion dollar response to HIV/AIDS is bound to fail." The Global AIDS Alliance released the report Thursday at the 16th International AIDS Conference in Toronto. The report, entitled Zero Tolerance, says, "Comparatively little attention is being paid to the urgent need to scale up programs that address violence against women and children." VOA English to Africa Service reporter Joe De Capua has details.
At the 16th International AIDS Conference, experts warned that tuberculosis may undermine much of the progress that's been made with anti-retroviral drugs. They say urgent action is needed to prevent the deaths of 250,000 people living with HIV/AIDS every year. Anti-retroviral drugs now have a 10-year history of prolonging the lives of those living with HIV/AIDS. But while those drugs keep HIV at bay, patients may succumb rather quickly to TB infection. In fact, TB is being called the Achilles heal of HIV treatment. VOA English to Africa reporter Joe De Capua spoke with experts and people living with HIV/AIDS about treatments.
In Ghana an estimated 400,000 of the country's 20 million people are infected with HIV/AIDS. But, in a country where the majority of the people are classified as poor, getting the proper treatment to these people is a major problem.
In Uganda, markets are being used to bring HIV testing and treatment to both vendors and customers. The Market Vendors AIDS Project is one of the community-based programs on display at the 16th International AIDS Conference in Toronto. Angelina Wapakabulo is a Ugandan social worker, who helped organized the project. She spoke to VOA English to Africa Service reporter Joe De Capua.
An African women's organization says it takes more than food and shelter to care for AIDS orphans. The Society for Women and AIDS in Africa addressed the issue at the 16th International AIDS Conference in Toronto. Agnes Mkosa of Tanzania says in order for AIDS orphans to become productive members of society, they must first learn to cope with the tragedy in their lives. Mkosa, the international coordinator for the Society of Women and AIDS in Africa, says the effects of losing one or both parents to AIDS cannot be underestimated. VOA English to Africa Service reporter Joe De Capua was in attendance.
Former President Bill Clinton says fighting stigma and discrimination and empowering the poor are some of the best ways to fight HIV/AIDS. Mr. Clinton spoke Monday at the 16th International AIDS Conference in Toronto. VOA English to Africa Service reporter Joe De Capua was in attendance.
A WHO/UNAIDS panel has concluded that treating sexually transmitted diseases can reduce the spread of HIV, both biologically and by causing changes in risky sexual behavior.
At the 16th International AIDS conference in Toronto, AIDS vaccine supporters issued a comprehensive report outlining policy initiatives aimed at speeding the development of a vaccine. The measures include everything encouraging work with only the most promising vaccine candidates to calling on biotechnology companies to lend a hand in the search for a vaccine.
A new report says AIDS is leaving many children in sub-Saharan Africa orphaned or vulnerable, threatening their very survival. The report was released Monday at the 16th International AIDS Conference in Toronto. The report is a joint effort by UNICEF, UNAIDS and the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, PEPFAR. It says 12 million of sub-Saharan Africa's 48 million orphans have lost one or both parents to AIDS. VOA English to Africa Service reporter Joe De Capua attended the briefing on this growing concern.
The head of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria says progress is being made against AIDS, but much more money is needed. Richard Feachem spoke Monday at the 16th International AIDS Conference in Toronto. With about 40 million people living with HIV/AIDS and millions more infected each year, there is no shortage of requests for money from the Global Fund. Feachem says so far it has approved money for 386 programs in 132 countries. VOA English to Africa Service reporter Joe De Capua has more information about what is still needed in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Researchers attending the 16th International AIDS Conference in Toronto presented the results of a study on a rapid HIV test, which, they say, could help tackle the global AIDS pandemic.
Many people infected with HIV are living longer thanks to a drug treatment regimen that keeps the virus from developing into AIDS. International pressure forced drug companies to bring down the cost of the drugs to make them widely accessible. But now a new line of drugs has been developed and aid groups are asking drug companies to lower their costs as well.
AIDS experts have found that treating HIV patients with several medications at once can effectively manage most cases of the disease. Past research has shown that a three-drug combination is more effective than a two-drug regimen at managing the disease. So are four drugs even better? Not according to a new study.
A study conducted in Ivory Coast finds women are twice as likely to be infected with the deadly HIV virus than men. Franz Wild looks at why women are more at risk, and reports for VOA from Bouake, in northern Ivory Coast.
Organizers of the 16th annual international AIDS conference say it is time to move beyond crisis management and adopt strategies that will prevent the spread of the deadly virus.
Nearly 300 grandmothers from sub-Saharan Africa and Canada shared wisdom and tears Sunday at the 16th International AIDS Conference in Toronto. The three-day gathering of the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign culminated with a march and rally. And the African grannies celebrated with song and dance.
At the 16th International AIDS Conference, members of the African clergy are speaking out against stigma and discrimination. They're speaking from experience because these clergy are HIV positive. VOA's Joe De Capua reports from Toronto.
The West African Health Organization says local production of anti-retroviral drugs is critical to making the drugs readily available to people with HIV/AIDS.
The 16th International AIDS Conference gets underway Sunday in Toronto. It's called AIDS 2006, and an estimated 24,000 people are expected to attend, making it the biggest AIDS conference ever.
The 16th International AIDS conference - the world's largest gathering on the epidemic - gets underway Sunday (8/13) in Toronto, Canada. VOA's Joe De Capua has a preview.
The most effective treatment for HIV/AIDS is antiretroviral therapy, a regimen of several powerful drugs taken over a lifetime that can cause serious side effects, including liver damage. A clinical study reported [August 10] in the British journal The Lancet examines the risks and benefits of taking breaks in this anti-AIDS treatment.
This Sunday (8/13) the 16th International AIDS Conference gets underway in Toronto. While there will be literally thousands of scientific, social and community presentations, efforts are also being made to ensure the voices of those affected by the disease are heard.
Thousands of HIV/AIDS researchers and advocates are descending on Toronto, Canada for the 16th International AIDS conference, which opens Sunday. The theme of the conference, "Time to Deliver," reflects both the frustrations and the hope of the international AIDS community.
The world's largest AIDS conference begins next Sunday in Toronto, Canada. About 24,000 people are expected to attend. Among them are members of many women's groups from around the world who have united under the banner of the Athena Network.
The key to battling HIV/AIDS and poverty, say representatives from 18 African legislative bodies meeting in the Ghanaian capital of Accra, is working together to create stronger political and economic blocs within the continent. The legislators say cooperation would not only reduce conflicts in the region, but also create stronger trade relationships.
The Zimbabwe government dismisses a Human Rights Watch report accusing the government of policies that worsened the plight of those affected by HIV and AIDS as inaccurate.
More than 200 parliamentary delegates meeting in the Ghanaian capital, Accra, are discussing how African legislators could contribute to the global fight against HIV/AIDS and poverty on the continent.
One of the subjects that'll be addressed at the upcoming international AIDS conference in Toronto will be the link between malnutrition and HIV/AIDS. Experts say hunger and poverty can cause people to engage in risky sexual behavior to raise money to buy food.
Efforts are underway to establish a new UN agency for women. A position paper on the matter entitled - Gender Equality Now or Never - has been submitted to a UN panel for consideration. Currently, UNIFEM, the United Nations Fund for Women, supports programs for women. But many say the agency is under funded and receives little support.
A new report says millions of children are unable to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS. The international children's organization Plan says many young people cannot choose safe sexual behavior due to poverty, as well as social and cultural pressures. VOA's Joe De Capua has details.
The United Nations Children's Fund says a child in a developing country who is breast-fed is almost three times more likely to survive infancy than a child who is not breast-fed.
Health officials from six African countries meeting in Accra have resolved to work together to improve health screening during pregnancy to control and prevent the spread of malaria and transmission of HIV from mother to child.
The international advocacy group Human Rights Watch has warned that the progress Zimbabwe has made fighting HIV-AIDS could be undone if the government does not reform its health care and human rights policies to widen access to treatment.
With an August 3 deadline looming, Zimbabwean health officials and representatives of civil society are putting final touches on the country's latest application to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria for another round of funding. Sources close to the process said the country would request some $45 million. Some $64 million from an earlier funding round is expected to start flowing shortly.
The many Zimbabweans who are living and struggling with HIV-AIDS had some good news this week: the country is soon to receive $64 million from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, that was awarded in its fifth grant round.
A new U.N. report in India has warned that the country's booming economic growth could slow if HIV-AIDS continues to spread unchecked. The United Nations says 5.7 million people are infected with HIV in India - the largest number in any country in the world.
Youngsters -- and their parents -- in 130 countries watch and learn from versions of the children's television program Sesame Street. The show's trademark cast of cute, furry characters called "Muppets" playfully interacts with humans during clever lessons in reading and counting. But the shows sometimes tackle more serious topics. The South African show Takalani Sesame has taken on the sensitive issue of the continent's deadly HIV/AIDS pandemic.
Former US president Bill Clinton is expected to arrive in Liberia today for a meeting with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. President Clinton recently visited southern Africa with Microsoft founder Bill Gates to assess the HIV/AIDS situation. Cyrus Badio is spokesman for Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf; he told Voice of America English to Africa reporter James Butty about the purpose of former president Clinton’s visit to Liberia.
An unusual report in a medical journal published 25 years ago last month gave the first scientific description of the disease we now know as AIDS. Experts say that while great strides have been made in the diagnosis and treatment of this global malady, there is still widespread public ignorance about AIDS and how to prevent its spread.
It is being called the world's first once-a-day treatment for HIV and AIDS, and it promises to make life easier for AIDS patients who have had to take a multitude of pills in the past. Wednesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced approval of the medication.
Africa Trade Union leaders say they will work for policies to protect the rights of members living with HIV/AIDS. At a three day meeting in the Ghanaian capital Accra, the African chapter of Union Network International or UNI, an umbrella of national trade unions across the globe, said a workplace policy on HIV/AIDs would help reduce infection rates among the continent's labor force, which is said to be the most vulnerable group. The vast majority of people living with HIV/AIDS in Africa are in the prime of their working lives, according to recent statistics.
In the final part of the series on child protection, Voice of America explores family violence. Margie Demonchy is UNICEF's regional adviser for child protection for eastern and southern Africa. She spoke with Voice of America English to Africa reporter Angel Tabe about the most common forms of violence against children and how and why the children suffer, even within the family and community environment.
World Population Day this year is focusing on the millions of young people threatened by illiteracy, poverty, the risks of pregnancy and childbirth and HIV/AIDS. A growing number young people are demanding action to narrow the opportunity gap.
The UN Special Envoy for AIDS in Africa says the deplorable state of so many women around the world calls for a multi-lateral UN Agency, especially designed to address their needs. Stephen Lewis recently addressed a high-level panel on UN reform in Geneva, outlining what he calls the UN’s failed effort so far to effectively address women’s issues.
In Ghana an estimated 12,000 of the country's 20 million people are infected with tuberculosis annually, and for many of them access to treatment has not always been easy. So the Global Fund is sponsoring a new program to help those who cannot afford treatment. The plan seems to be working.
A court in Libya has resumed the re-trial of five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor charged with intentionally infecting Libyan children with the HIV virus that causes AIDS.
In Uganda, parliament is considering a bill that could impose the death penalty for people living with HIV/AIDS who knowingly infect those under the age of 18.
Millions of young people in Africa and elsewhere have grown up in the world of HIV/AIDS, never knowing what life was like before the pandemic. As a result, many youth activists are now lobbying for a greater voice in HIV/AIDS programs and policies.
In just over a month, the world's largest AIDS conference will be held in Toronto, Canada. About 20-thousand people are expected to attend the 16th International AIDS Conference, also known as AIDS 2006. Dr. Helene Gayle is co-chair of AIDS 2006 and president of the International Aids Society. From Toronto, she spoke to VOA English to Africa Service reporter Joe De Capua about some of the featured speakers at the event.
In Washington, 53 members of Congress have introduced legislation to amend PEPFAR, the President's Emergency Plan to Fight AIDS. The legislation would require all programs funded by PEPFAR to address violence against women and girls. It would also eliminate the requirement that 33 percent of HIV prevention funds be spent on programs that promote abstinence until marriage.
A new book on the AIDS epidemic in South Africa says the country will need thousands more doctors, nurses and social workers if it is to have a successful national anti-retroviral drug program. The book is called "Buckling: The Impact of AIDS in South Africa". It calls for greater assistance for domestic programs to help feed the poor and create jobs.
Twenty-five years ago, the United States released its first report on what is now known as HIV & AIDS. While people in the developed world are living longer with the disease thanks to the availability of medicine and treatment, it's a far different story on the African continent. VOA's Kane Farabaugh reports how the charity group World Vision is bringing the African AIDS experience into the heart of New York City.
In August, the world's largest AIDS conference will be held in Toronto, Canada. Some 20 thousand people are expected to attend, but Canada's prime minister will not be one of them. Media reports say Prime Minister Stephen Harper's office has notified the 16th International AIDS Conference he will not attend.
Thanks to the efforts of Rob Stephens, 19, young people in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, now have a greater understanding of the HIV/AIDS crisis in faraway Africa - and how it affects us all.
For the next few days, New Yorkers catching trains at Grand Central Terminal will also have the opportunity to take a virtual trip through an African village. It is a journey organizers hope will inspire people to join the fight against the global AIDS pandemic.
A new study says HIV/AIDS is creating potential risks to regional, national and global security. The study was done by analysts at the Center on Global Change and Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. They say the link between public health and national security has so far been missing.
Women's health in Africa is the topic of our feature series this week, and tonight we focus on women and AIDS. Agathe Lawson, originally from Togo, is the southern Africa regional director with the UN Population Fund (UNFPA). She told English to Africa reporter William Eagle, "It's clear that the physiological constitution of women makes them more vulnerable [and because] they are also victims of violence and a lot of things they cannot take control of, and if they are married they don't know what is happening outside their marriage," meaning women don't know if their husbands are being faithful.
Health officials with the UN Population Fund say African women may well be ahead of men in at least one area: the amount of suffering they experience because of health problems.
South Africans have been celebrating the role played by young people in the fight against apartheid, three decades after their protests spawned a movement against white minority rule, which was finally ended in 1994. More than 40,000 people gathered at Johannesburg's main soccer stadium Friday and Rowan Reid was there for VOA.
In South Africa, a march is planned for Thursday calling for more comprehensive sex education and condom distribution in schools. Organizers expect about 10,000 young people to take part in the march in King Wiilliamstown in the Eastern Cape.
The U.S. government has approved the first vaccine that could prevent a type of cancer in women. The drug could have a huge impact on women in the United States and abroad.
French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy unveiled details Wednesday of a new initiative designed to provide medication and treatment for poor countries to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. The plan will be funded by revenue from airline taxes.
Last year's G8 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland focused on Africa and resulted in a pledge to eventually provide aids drugs to all those in need. Next month, the G8 summit will be held in St. Petersburg, Russia. Russia has one of the fastest growing aids infection rates in the world. And like Africa, is also seeing the spread of drug resistant strains of tuberculosis.
Twenty-five years ago, in the June 5th issue of its weekly Morbidity and Mortality Report, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention first identified a disease that was killing gay men in the Los Angeles area. It soon became known as AIDS, and was killing people of every sexual orientation, age, gender and nationality, all across the globe. Scientists continue to learn more about HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, but -- with 25,000,000 deaths since 1981 -- activists say there is still a long way to go.
Immigrants from the 43 nations of Asia and the Pacific Islands are a growing segment of New York City's population and are confronting the same challenges facing their neighbors, including HIV/AIDS.
The International AIDS Society says last week's UN General Assembly declaration on HIV/AIDS fell short of what is needed to fight the pandemic. It says 25 years into the epidemic, politics are still blocking implementation of needed programs.
There are about 2.8 million children under the age of 15 living with HIV. Two million of them live in sub-Saharan Africa. The National Basketball Association and UNICEF together are trying to raise awareness about those numbers.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the HIV/AIDS Pandemic. While the disease is rising sharply in Russia, China and India, most of those who've been infected by the AIDS virus, HIV, are in Africa. What more can the continent do to stop the pandemic? The Africa correspondent for the Boston Globe newspaper has come up with some recommendations.
A high-level U.N conference on AIDS has exposed deep strategic differences between world leaders and rights groups representing victims of the epidemic. A final conference declaration breaks new ground in addressing what Secretary-General Kofi Annan calls "the greatest challenge of our generation".
Twenty-five years ago, U.S. public health officials reported the first known cases of a disease that would come to be called AIDS. Since then, AIDS has grown into a global pandemic that governments and donor agencies are spending billions of dollars to try to control. Medical science has delivered the tools to tame the virus, but its biological nature causes experts to fear it will not soon be eliminated.
A U.N. meeting on AIDS concludes Friday with adoption of a declaration setting out a blueprint for global action to battle the pandemic. U.S. First Lady Laura Bush will address the conference.
As delegates from more than 150 countries gathered at the United Nations Wednesday to assess progress in the global fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic, activists gathered outside to protest that promises made five years ago in a U.N. declaration to cut infection rates and expand AIDS treatment have not been kept.
Among those attending this week's UN meeting on AIDS is Richard Burzynski, head of ICASO, the International Council of AIDS Service Organizations. It represents many of the ngos that are on the frontline in the battle against HIV/AIDS.
A leading American AIDS researcher says the world already has the tools it needs to stop the spread of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. His comments come on the 25th anniversary of the first documented cases of human immunodeficiency virus.
U.N. officials are hailing a growing awareness among African leaders about the need for strong action to counter the global AIDS pandemic. At the same time, the largest contributor to AIDS prevention and treatement programs is devising a "smaller is better" strategy.
An HIV-infected South African woman, in an address to the U.N. General Assembly, has appealed to world leaders to make AIDS treatments available to all. The appeal came on the first day of a high-level conference aimed at renewing the global fight against HIV/AIDS.
Youth from around the world are taking part in this week's UN meeting on AIDS. They're lobbying delegates to take a strong stand on issues and policies affecting young people.
Uganda's program promoting abstinence, being faithful in marriage and condom use is often credited with arresting the spread of HIV-AIDS in that country. But Ugandan officials and activists say the ABC program, as it's called, isn't a cure-all. There are still huge challenges in controlling and preventing AIDS, such as providing antiretroviral drugs to all in need -- and preventing the rise of drug resistance, when microbes evolve defenses that render medicines powerless.
A new report by the United Nations AIDS agency says India has overtaken South Africa as the country with the highest number of people infected with HIV/AIDS. The UNAIDS report also says the epidemic has spread in some Asia-Pacific nations, such as Burma and Vietnam, but slowed slightly in others.
A high-level U.N. conference on AIDS opens Wednesday with a report showing progress in fighting the epidemic, tempered by statistics showing that the virus is spreading. Dozens of heads of state and government are gathering at U.N. headquarters for the three-day event.
- Wednesday, the UN General Assembly opens a three-day session on HIV/AIDS. The meeting is actually a five-year review to assess the progress made at a special session in 2001. At that time, the General Assembly adopted the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS.
The United Nations says the global epidemic of HIV/AIDS is increasing at a slower rate than in previous years. A U.N. report says AIDS claimed the lives of 2.8 million people and more than four million others were newly infected with the virus last year.
One of Uganda's leading AIDS activists is in Washington this week. Noerine Kaleeba is in town to promote a new documentary by the group Frontline, marking the 25th anniversary of the pandemic. It's called "The Age of AIDS."
A coalition of child advocacy organizations is appealing to the world to recognize that HIV-infected children have a right to treatment. VOA's Peter Heinlein reports from the United Nations children's issues will be high on the agenda next week when the world body convenes a special General Assembly session on AIDS.
A new study has found that the world is healthier today than it was ten years ago, except in sub-Saharan Africa which continues to be ravaged by HIV/ AIDS, and the former Soviet Union, where AIDS deaths are increasing.
Scientists have confirmed that the AIDS virus infecting more than 40 million people worldwide originated in wild chimpanzees in a remote central African forest. VOA's David McAlary in Washington tell us how the biological detectives finally tracked it down.
Every day, nearly 1,800 children under the age of 15 are newly infected with HIV worldwide. And each day, 1,400 die of AIDS-related illnesses. Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for more than 85 percent of the world's children living with HIV/AIDS. Raising HIV-positive children can be a daunting task, as they have special needs and conditions different from HIV-positive adults.
The World Health Assembly, the top decision-making body for the UN World Health Organization, begins its annual meeting on Monday. Delegations from more than 190 countries will meet in Geneva from May 22nd to the 27th.
There's a warning Wednesday that a lack of education among the world's poorest children could double their risk of contracting HIV, the AIDS virus. That warning comes from ActionAid International and the Imperial College London. They're sponsoring a conference on the issue prior to a UNAIDS meeting in London, which starts Thursday.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the deadly HIV/AIDS virus that initially took the lives of five homosexual men in Los Angeles in 1981. Since then, some 25 million people around the world have died, and 40 million more are infected.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) says results of Haiti's first census in more than two decades reveals troubling statistics about the country.
Many US-based AIDS groups that have programs overseas are praising a judge's decision affecting federal AIDS funding. Federal Judge Victor Marrero struck down a policy that required the groups to formally denounce prostitution before being eligible to receive US funds.
A federal judge has struck down a US policy that requires US-based AIDS groups to formally denounce prostitution in order to receiving federal funding. The groups that filed the legal challenge spend tens of millions of dollars in AIDS-related programs overseas.
In the aftermath of the "not guilty" verdict in the rape trial of former South African deputy president Jacob Zuma, Voice of America reporter Cole Mallard interviewed the director of "People Opposing Women Abuse," Delphine Sarumaga. She said she was "not 100% surprised by it," but she did voice concern about particular aspects of the case that the judge took into consideration, such as assuming that rape victims make false claims, and, as in this case, have mental problems.
When the HIV/AIDS pandemic hit South Africa with what seemed to be catastrophic force in the mid-1990s, the country's health care system was already under severe pressure. Following the end of apartheid in 1994, the health system was in the process of being transformed from one that focused on the needs of whites to one that met the needs of the entire population. AIDS made that transformation even more difficult. A decade on there are indications that South Africa is beginning to recover.
In 2001, Ethan Zohn, 32, won a million dollars when he outlasted his competition on the hit reality television show, Survivor. He chose to use his money in a pretty remarkable way.
Anti-microbial resistance -- germs becoming resistant to medicine -- is part of the natural history of infectious disease. No drug can kill every single harmful microbe. A few bugs inside a sick person always survive. Over time, these resistant microbes may come to predominate, rendering formerly effective medicines useless. In Uganda, as in other African countries, the fight against disease is a race against drug resistance.
Zimbabwe is running out of anti-retroviral drugs to treat about 20,000 people suffering from HIV/AIDS and there is no foreign currency left to import additional supplies. Zimbabwe's economic crisis is deepening and the health sector is among those hardest hit by the meltdown.
Six Londoners almost died recently during a human trial of a new drug. The British government reacted by announcing it will convene an international panel to consider stricter rules for drug trials. Those trials continue in the United States and other western nations in the search for a bird flu vaccine.
Women's groups in Kenya Thursday expressed outrage over comments made the day before in the country's legislature during debate on a bill that would boost penalties for rapists and other sex offenders, and would outlaw forced cultural practices such as female circumcision deemed harmful to women.
Unprecedented amounts of money are going to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS. But, as VOA's Carol Pearson reports, finding out which prevention programs work is often difficult.
In Cape Town, South Africa, thousands of scientists and researchers are meeting to discuss the latest developments in microbicides. Microbicides can come in many forms, such as gels, creams or suppositories. But their purpose is one and the same, to prevent infection with HIV, the AIDS virus. So far, however, none has been successful.
In South Africa, a court hearing is set for next month on whether the government should be required to provide anti-retroviral drugs to HIV-positive prison inmates.The case centers on some inmates at the Durban-Westville Correctional Center but has implications for inmates throughout the country.
In a turnaround, the South African government has invited a representative of the Treatment Action Campaign to be part of the official country delegation to the U.N. General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS in May.
The UN General Assembly is holding a special session on HIV/AIDS from May 31st to June 2nd and plans to review progress made in fighting the pandemic. Besides government and health officials, many NGOs have been invited to attend by their governments. But the Mbeki administration did not invite two of the most prominent and outspoken AIDS activist groups in South Africa, thus blocking them from attending.
Nigeria's international book fair is scheduled for next month and organizers say this year's themes will be HIV/AIDS and sustainable development. The 5th Nigeria International Book Fair will be held at the University of Lagos from May 8th through the 13th.
AIDS activists are sharply criticizing former South African deputy president Jacob Zuma's testimony at his rape trial about HIV/AIDS. Zuma is accused of raping a long time family friend.
HIV infection rates have fallen by one-third in the worst hit regions of India, according to a new study published this week in "The Lancet" medical journal. The report's authors say their research proves that prevention works on a large scale.
The World Health Organization and joint UNAIDS program say they failed to meet their target of providing anti-retroviral treatment to three million AIDS sufferers in poor countries by the end of 2005.
The World Health Organization and UNAIDS say global access to HIV/AIDS therapy has tripled in the past two years, but they warn significant challenges remain. A new report says while the increase in treatment was substantial, it was less than initially hoped.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says it is concerned that African leaders are failing to seriously invest in funding treatment for tuberculosis. The U.N. agency says the problem of TB is particularly severe in Africa because it is linked to HIV/AIDS.
The HIV/AIDS pandemic began in Africa and the continent is home to most of the people living with the disease. But Africa has been among the last regions to receive the medicines needed to fight it. What's more, the arsenal of available drugs is very limited. One medical NGO is trying dealing with the problem.
Today marks World Tuberculosis Day, a time to reflect on the infectious disease and the challenges faced in fighting it. The World Health Organization says the global number of cases is still rising by around one percent a year despite progress in many parts of the world. It attributes this to the grip the disease has on Africa, where people with immune systems weakened by HIV/AIDS are more likely to catch and fall sick with TB.
Asia's children are being left behind in the fight against HIV/AIDS a regional conference in Vietnam has heard. The three-day meeting is the first to focus on limiting the spread of AIDS among young people and helping children infected or orphaned by the disease.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says evidence is growing that investment in tuberculosis control works. It estimates three of the world's six regions, the Americas, South-East Asia and Western Pacific, should have reached targets for tuberculosis control by the end of 2005. The WHO has launched its annual Global Tuberculosis Control Report before World TB day on Friday.
The World Health Organization is launching a new stop tuberculosis strategy to fight the global TB epidemic. WHO says new tools and methods must be made available to fight a disease that kills two million people every year, most of them in Africa and Asia.
A new study says universal access to AIDS drugs in developing countries could increase HIV infection rates if they are not accompanied by prevention measures, such as patient education.
Somalia is now prepared to take a countrywide approach to battling HIV/AIDS. Fearing that the pandemic could derail the country's development, the Somali Transitional Federal Government Tuesday launched the South Central AIDS Commission.
At the White House Monday, First Lady Laura Bush announced a new public / private partnership to help children with HIV/AIDS. It's estimated there are 2.3 million children are living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
A new survey says most South African business owners believe HIV/AIDS will negatively affect their businesses over the next five years. The survey also shows that most owners are now willing to do something about it.
Population growth in most of Africa is expected to rise sharply over the next 50 years. But, in southern Africa, AIDS is cutting a deadly swath through two major segments of the population - the most productive group aged between 19 and 45, and society's youngest - those under five years of age.
Preparations are underway for the 16th International AIDS Conference, also known as AIDS 2006. It's being held in Toronto, Canada, in August, and organizers hope to have the biggest attendance ever. VOA's Joe De Capua reports.
The United Nations has declared Wednesday [March 8] International Women's Day. Women make up more than half of the world's population, so it is easy to understand why their challenges and triumphs should be everyone's everyday concerns. Still, Jill Sheffield of Family Care International, says that International Women's Day encourages people to focus on the hard realities. "It makes a time for the whole world to take a pause and say 'What is important here? How are we doing',” she says. "What do we need to do to really empower women to really live up to their potential?'"
Global Population in Transition: The world's population did not reach one billion until the year 1830. Today there are 6.5 billion people sharing our planet, but U.N. population experts are revising some of their doomsday scenarios of the past because of an unexpected drop in the fertility rates of many developing countries.
More than Humanitarianism: A Strategic Approach Toward Africa, a recently released report on Africa issued by the Council on Foreign Relations, identified four issues of increasing importance to U.S.-Africa relations: energy, competition from China, terrorism, and the growing impact of HIV/AIDS.
More than half of the people infected with HIV are under the age of 25. But many of the young Americans living with the disease are actively working to make sure their peers know how to avoid the virus. They also want to share their hopeful message: living with HIV/AIDS no longer has to be a death sentence.
HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, often referred to as the "Big Three" of the world's diseases account for 5.6 million deaths each year, largely in the developing world. In recent years, more global resources have been committed to fight these diseases, but some health experts argue that greater attention to so-called "neglected" tropical diseases could be a powerful aid in the fight against the "Big Three."
A meeting of United Nations AIDS officials, government representatives and activists in Thailand has urged Asian countries to reform laws to reduce the spread of the AIDS virus among marginalized groups such as sex workers and injecting drug users.
Medical researchers predict a decline in deaths from AIDS-related causes in Zimbabwe over the next decade because Zimbabweans have been changing their behavior faced with the devastating impact of the disease on the Southern African nation.
Officials at an international AIDS conference in London are warning that within the next four years 18 million children in sub-Saharan Africa will be orphaned by the AIDS pandemic. The conference has attracted more than 150 health experts and government officials from Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Europe.
The Bush administration is asking Congress for a 25 percent increase in funding for its emergency global HIV/AIDS program for 2007. The State Department says the number of people it is helping reached 42 million last year, although critics say not enough is being done.
Roughly 28 million new HIV infections could be averted over the next 10 years with stronger prevention measures, according to a new report by international AIDS experts. The authors say the prevention programs would cost more money, but not as much as treating the newly infected.
For the first time since the start of the AIDS epidemic, researchers are reporting a decline in the percentage of men and women infected with HIV in southern Africa. The findings are from a study conducted in eastern Zimbabwe, where researchers speculate the AIDS prevention message is starting to have an effect.
A global report from the good governance group Transparency International says there are many ways corruption occurs in health care systems, sometimes with fatal results. Kenya and other African countries are particularly vulnerable to corruption in the HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment field.
Rock star Bono along with the leaders of three fashion companies and American Express have announced a campaign to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa. The campaign was launched at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where more than 2,300 business, political and humanitarian leaders are holding a five-day meeting.
The World Health Organization estimates that less than 10 percent of Africans with HIV/AIDS know they are infected. This -- despite decades of public education campaigns. WHO officials say such is the case in Botswana, which is estimated to have a high rate of infection. In order save lives, AIDS treatment is free. But before people can be treated, they must be tested, and many are afraid to go for voluntary testing. The WHO says as a result, the number of people receiving treatment is less than expected. Three years ago this month the government came up with a new policy of routine testing in clinics.
At the World Economic Forum Thursday in Davos, Switzerland, a new project was announced to help fund HIV/AIDS programs for women and children in Africa. It’s called Product Red and aims to bring private sector money to the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
China says 70,000 more of its people were infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, last year, even though there are fewer cases overall than earlier thought.
The face of AIDS is changing. Of the 40 million people around the world living with AIDS, half are women. In the United States, AIDS is now the leading cause of death among African American women between the ages of 25 and 34. Although American women have greater access to care and treatment than women in other parts of the world, the rate of infection with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, continues to rise especially among minority groups.
The U.N. Children's Fund says the growing number of orphans from the HIV/AIDS pandemic and a declining economy are contributing to an increase in cases of children, particularly girls, suffering sexual abuse in Zimbabwe.
U.S. First Lady Laura Bush is in Nigeria where she has announced new assistance for efforts to help prevent the spread of AIDS and treat those already infected.
Nyasha Barkare first exposure to the United States was as a child. It was in 2001 when she came to Washington, DC to work in H-I-V research that she applied and was accepted to the University of Johns Hopkins to pursue a Masters in Public Health. Nyasha tells us about the program.
Around 12 million people are facing a severe food crisis in southern Africa. Experts say it's the result of a triple threat: the spread of HIV/AIDS, the lack of rains and the inability of governments to respond. A new report by the humanitarian agency CARE says the situation is bound to get worse in the long term unless new and urgent measures are put in place. Kenneth Walker is the Africa press officer for CARE International. From Johannesburg, he told English to Africa's Ruby Ofori what his organization thinks needs to be done - and why the next few months are likely to be worst for the drought-afflicted communities of southern Africa.
A leading human rights watchdog is calling on the Indian government to repeal an old law that bans homosexual sex. Criticism of India's homosexual laws has been triggered by the recent arrest of a group of gay men.
In South Africa, a faith-based medical aid group is applauding comments by the country's education minister condemning condom distribution at schools. The policy has been in effect since 1999. But this week Education Minister Naledi Pandor said she did not understand why 13-year-olds were engaged in sexual activity. She added, "For young people, the message is abstain, abstain, abstain."
Former President Bill Clinton has announced that his AIDS foundation has struck agreements with nine companies to lower the price of diagnostic kits and two anti-AIDS drugs. The deals are expected to benefit those who are infected with HIV/AIDS in 50 countries.
Zimbabwe is one of many countries that did not meet objectives set by the World Health Organization for providing antiretroviral drugs to a large portion of its people living with HIV or AIDS. The targets were set under the WHO's so-called Three by Five Initiative to provide ARVs to 3 million people in poorer countries by the end of 2005.
In the new capital of Southern Sudan, residents face the enormous task of turning a war-battered town into a city. Among the challenges is stemming the spread of HIV/AIDS. While trade with east Africa has benefited the city economically, it has also brought higher HIV infection rates, as traders import not just goods, but also disease.
In Thailand, the number of deaths due to the AIDS virus fell in 2005 to one-third its level the previous year because of growing access to special anti-AIDS drugs. Thai officials say the total number of new infections also declined but are concerned about new infections among teenagers and homosexuals.
As the HIV/AIDS pandemic continues to claim lives, it also continues to create AIDS orphans. Since most of the deaths from the pandemic have occurred in sub-Saharan Africa, most of the world's AIDS orphans are there, too. But as HIV/AIDS spreads, the problems faced by Africa are now appearing in Russia, India and China.
This information is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.