UNICEF recommends that women breast feed during the first few months of their baby's life to improve the child's chances of survival. Health specialists say that's because of the important ingredients available in the milk, especially in the portion called colostrum. That message and others were emphasized at a forum held at the headquarters of the Development Communications Network in Lagos, Nigeria's commercial capital recently to mark annual breastfeeding week. Voice of America English to Africa Service's Jackie Ogoh reports that nutritionists say babies who are breastfed exclusively will grow up healthier than those fed by other methods.
In Zimbabwe, some men living in the rural area of Dzandura in Seke are being accused of stealing anti-retrovirals (ARVs) including nevirapine. The drugs are used to fight the HIV virus which can lead to the disease AIDS. The medications were given to their spouses, after the men declined to go for HIV tests and counseling. The allegations have been made by the Federation of African Media Women in Zimbabwe (FAMWZ), which runs an HIV/AIDS outreach program. Voice of America English to Africa Service reporter Irwin Chifera in Seke, Zimbabwe, tells us FAMWZ director Angela Makamure attributes the theft of anti-HIV items to local residents' lack of knowledge and existing misconceptions about the pandemic.
Authorities in South Africa have threatened to send police on door-to-door searches to force 23 patients with highly infectious tuberculosis to return to their hospital.
South Africa's ruling party has delayed choosing its new leader, as tensions run high between supporters of President Thabo Mbeki and party deputy Jacob Zuma. The 4,000 delegates to the African National Congress conference were expected to elect a party president and other top officials Monday. But by late in the afternoon there was no word on when the voting will start.
The chairman of the Zimbabwe National Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS on Thursday contested reports that the organization has undergone a split.
Many medical aid workers in countries facing nutritional emergencies extol the virtues of ready-to-eat foods. A nutrition specialist for Doctors Without Borders reported such therapeutic foods were used to prevent and treat malnutrition in children during a 2005 food crisis in Niger. Others say the relatively high price of ready-to-eat foods makes their use inefficient, endorsing instead the usual practice of distributing food rations that must be cooked or mixed with water. Cathy Majtenyi reports for VOA.
In 1987, AIDS was a relatively new disease. People around the world were frightened; they were still unsure of how AIDS was transmitted from one person to another. People who did contract the human immunodeficiency virus - or HIV - invariably died.
The World Health Organization says millions of children around the world die each year because appropriate medicine is not available. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from WHO headquarters in Geneva the U.N. agency is launching a campaign to get pharmaceutical companies to research and develop medicines that are better tailored to children's needs.
Nelson Mandela says the answer to ending the HIV/AIDS pandemic lies in the hands of the world's people. VOA's Delia Robertson reports South Africa's elder statesman was speaking at an AIDS concert in Johannesburg.
President Bush is calling on the US Congress to double the nation's investment in the fight against HIV/AIDS. His pleas come on the eve of World AIDS Day, Saturday, December 1. VOA's Alex Villarreal reports from Washington.
The number of HIV/AIDS cases in Europe pales in comparison to Africa, but the problem remains serious and the number of cases continues to rise despite prevention campaigns. As Lisa Bryant reports from Paris, Eastern Europe continues to suffer a much higher toll than the rest of the region.
In its recently released annual report on the global AIDS epidemic, the United Nations lowered its estimates of the numbers of people infected worldwide by 6.5 million. The U.N. says most of the decline reflects changes in the methodology for measuring the extent of the disease. But as Derek Kilner reports for VOA from Nairobi, Kenya stood out as one of the few cases where there has been a genuine easing of the epidemic.
A new survey of people in the seven Western industrialized nations shows a high percentage know little or nothing about HIV/AIDS. From VOA's New York Bureau, Barbara Schoetzau has the details.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies says eradicating stigma and gender inequality is essential to reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS. The agency says HIV/AIDS thrives in communities that continue to discriminate against victims of the disease. Lisa Schlein reports from Red Cross headquarters in Geneva.
The United Nations says the percentage of people living with the HIV virus that leads to AIDS has leveled off. Despite the trend, the U.N. warns there is no room for complacency. As the world marks World AIDS Day on December 1, Tendai Maphosa visited an AIDS support center in Luton, near London and spoke with HIV positive Africans on how conditions in Britain make it easier for them to live with their condition. They were reluctant to give their full names and countries of origin.
A new report released this week (11/26) by the Washington, D.C., government says that about one in fifty people in the nation's capital has AIDS, and as many as one in twenty may have HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The annual rate of new AIDS cases in Washington, D.C., is over ten times the national average, and probably the highest of any city in the United States. One local organization is teaching young people to fight HIV and AIDS - and empowering them to teach each other.
This Saturday, December 1st, is World AIDS Day. The idea of holding a special day to raise awareness of HIV and AIDS dates back to a summit of health ministers in 1988. Sub-Saharan Africa remains the region of the world most affected by AIDS, but all countries suffer from the pandemic. VOA's Carol Pearson has more.
Saturday, December 1, is the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day. According to the United Nations Program on HIV and AIDS, there were 33 point two million people living with AIDS in 2007, including two point five million children. Over 28 million of them are in Sub-Saharan Africa. The theme for this year's World AIDS Day is "leadership".
Just days before the international observance of World AIDS Day December 1, a new report by the government of Washington, D.C., offered some grim statistics. One in 50 people in the nation's capital has AIDS. One in 20 is infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The city has the highest HIV infection rate in the nation. City officials are calling it a "modern epidemic."
In Zambia, 4.080 teachers have died since 2003. Education Minister Geoffrey Lungwangwa told the Zambian Parliament recently that more than half of the four thousand dead teachers were male. He said 650 teachers have died so far this year. So what's killing Zambian teachers, especially male teachers?
Some HIV-positive Zimbabweans fending off AIDS with the help of antiretroviral drugs say they have started to receive pharmaceuticals whose expiration date has passed, and express concern that such drugs may undermine their struggle to survive.
A top African aid official says children should be the center of development efforts on the continent. Muluemebet Hunegnaw is the deputy Africa director of the Save the Children international humanitarian organization. She's currently a fellow at one of the world's most prestigious academic institutions, Yale University in the United States. She says she's using her time there to convince as many people as possible that large-scale progress in Africa is impossible without a sustained focus on the continent's children. Hunegnaw, an Ethiopian by birth, concentrates in particular on HIV/AIDS in Africa and helping the international community address the pandemic that's created millions of orphans all over the continent.
The U.N. Development Fund for Women has launched a new advocacy campaign to end violence against women. The fund has recruited Hollywood actress Nicole Kidman to help promote the campaign, which is an internet-based initiative that asks people to sign a "virtual book" that promotes women's rights.
A former United Nations Special Envoy for AIDS in Africa, Stephen Lewis warns that revised UNAIDS HIV statistics should not be seen as a signal that the fight against the pandemic can be relaxed. He says that while the actual figures could be even lower than those published earlier this month, it is only a statistical adjustment and more needs to be done to combat the disease. From London, Tendai Maphosa has more.
The United Nations has sharply reduced its estimate of the size of the world's AIDS epidemic in a new report published Monday. The revised figures particularly reflect new numbers for the virus in India - but also indicate strides in fighting the epidemic worldwide. For VOA, Lisa Bryant has more from Paris.
This week's rejection of two Zimbabwean grant proposals by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria caused frustration among many Zimbabweans who saw the decision as a setback in country's fight against the diseases.
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria said Tuesday it had rejected proposals from Zimbabwe’s for further grants to combat TB and malaria.
Experts on lung disease meeting in South Africa are warning the world could face a tuberculosis crisis if drug resistant strains of TB are not contained and if TB testing does not become a regular part of HIV treatment. VOA's Scott Bobb reports from our bureau in Johannesburg.
Ruth Messinger describes herself as a fast-talking, fast-walking and fast-thinking New Yorker. "I grew up in New York City in a middle class family that was very interested in politics and what was happening in the city."
People across the United States are gathering at scores of local events to highlight international efforts to tackle infectious diseases. The meetings are part of a celebration marking the 62nd anniversary of the United Nations. Organizers say attendance shows the depth of support for the U.N., despite polls showing many of Americans have an unfavorable view of the world body. Steve Mort reports for VOA from one of the events in Florida.
In 1992, three brothers Zac, Taylor, and Isaac formed a band with their family surname, Hanson. Five years later, they released an album called Middle Of Nowhere which contained "MMMBop", the song that would launch them into stardom. First discovered by Mercury Records at the 1994 Kansas State Fair, Hanson remain a popular attraction today. VOA's Larry London caught up with the brothers when their current tour came to Washington, D.C.
Director-General of the World Health Organization says people in poor countries should not be denied medicine they need to treat illnesses such as HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis because of the cost. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Geneva WHO chief Margaret Chan outlined the problems facing developing countries at the opening of a week-long conference set to tackle the problem of providing essential medicine to poor countries.
Cutting-edge technology is helping Rwanda's Ministry of Health improve care for many of the nation's 190,000 HIV and AIDS-affected patients. Physicians say electronic reporting systems have changed the landscape of medical care in Rwanda. Noel King has more in this report from Kigali.
A coalition of international public health officials says drug-resistant tuberculosis is a man-made epidemic caused by a lack of global response to TB. The officials say more resources are needed to fight what is an otherwise curable disease. VOA's Jessica Berman reports.
The Zimbabwean Health Ministry said Wednesday that the national HIV prevalence rate reflecting the number of adults infected with the virus that causes AIDS has fallen to 15.6 percent this year compared with 18.1percent in 2005 and 24.6 percent in 2003.
Scientists say it appears that Haiti served as the stepping stone for the AIDS virus that predominates in the US and countries outside of Africa. The team hopes that knowing the origin of HIV could help researchers develop an AIDS vaccine.
Jorge Sampaio, the former President of Portugal, currently serves in two important United Nations capacities. He is the Secretary General's Special Envoy to Stop Tuberculosis and is also the High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations.
President George W. Bush welcomes Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni to the White House today for talks on a wide variety of shared concerns. As a regional player, Uganda has been the only country contributing troops to an African Union peacekeeping effort to stabilize conditions in Somalia since its transitional government regained control of the capital Mogadishu in January. President Bush will also have an opportunity to weigh in on the conduct of Uganda's fight against HIV/AIDS, peace talks with the Lord's Resistance Army, and pacification of the country's northeastern Karamoja region. Elizabeth Evenson is a research fellow specializing in Ugandan affairs for the New York office of Human Rights Watch.
Human trials of a promising AIDS vaccine in South Africa have been halted prematurely after studies of sister trials in North America confirmed that the vaccine did not prevent HIV infection. Correspondent Scott Bobb reports from our bureau in Johannesburg that as a result the 800 volunteers who had already enrolled in the trial have been called in for more counseling.
Zimbabwe Health Minister David Parirenyatwa has called for a reduction in prices for antiretroviral drugs for people living with HIV/AIDS, saying they are too high.
The UN special envoy to stop TB visited Washington Wednesday to lobby US officials for more funding to fight the disease. Congress is currently debating whether to double funding for TB programs to $200 million.
South Africa has ratified the Millennium Development Goals aimed at reducing poverty, disease and suffering by 2015. The UNICEF official says the country is making progress in fighting poverty, enhancing education and creating gender equity. But he says South Africa is far behind in bringing down the rates of infant and maternal mortality.
The authors of a new study say more than one-third of patients in Africa receiving HIV medication discontinue their treatment within two years. As VOA's Jessica Berman reports, the findings could help improve patient retention.
There's been a major breakthrough in research on XDR-TB or extremely drug resistant tuberculosis. LifeLab, a biotechnology project funded by the South African government, says it has completed a genome for XDR-TB in just a few weeks. A genome is all the genetic material contained in an organism, including its genes, chromosomes and DNA.
American audiences have heaped praise upon Botswana's President, Festus Mogae, for his country's fight against HIV/AIDS. The southern African nation remains hard hit by the pandemic. But - unlike some African leaders - Mr. Mogae has never ignored it, choosing instead to confront HIV/AIDS with all the resources at his disposal. He's acknowledged that he's received a lot of help to treat and prevent the disease from the United States government, private sector and donors. But every year President Mogae spends a significant part of Botswana's national budget on anti-AIDS initiatives, even though the majority of its citizens live in extreme poverty.
The President of Botswana, Festus Mogae, recently completed a visit to the United States - a country with which the small southern African nation enjoys a very close relationship. America regards Botswana as a bastion of democracy in Africa - a continent that's all too often labeled hopeless as a result of poverty, conflict, corruption and lack of political freedom in some countries. In recent years, the US has rewarded Botswana for its progress. Washington has given Gaborone millions of dollars to combat its HIV/AIDS pandemic, established an international police training base in Botswana, and accorded the country membership of key trade initiatives, giving it access to great economic benefits.
An Indian drug company has opened a factory in Uganda that will produce generic HIV/AIDS drugs in what local officials are praising as a crucial step to fight the pandemic across East Africa. Nick Wadhams has the story for VOA from Nairobi.
The World Health Organization says more than three-quarters of a million people in 19 countries, most in Africa, will receive life-saving anti-tuberculosis drugs over the next year and a half. It says UNITAID, an international funding agency, will donate nearly $27 million to the initiative. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from WHO headquarters in Geneva.
Doctors in Rwanda are encouraged by test results in three African countries that show a high correlation between male heterosexual circumcision and a reduction in the transmission rate of HIV/AIDS. Consequently, Rwanda's health ministry says it will promote circumcision through a nationwide education campaign that will reinforce other methods of aids prevention, such as condom use and abstinence. Initially targeting the army, police and students of higher education, the project will receive financial assistance from US President George W. Bush's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, known as PEPFAR.
Rwanda's Ministry of Health has announced plans to endorse male circumcision as a measure to help stem the spread of HIV/AIDS in the country, a health official said on Tuesday. Noel King has more in this report from Kigali.
Donors are meeting in Berlin this week to determine how much money to give to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Fund officials say about 50 delegations from donor countries, the private sector, ngos, civil society and UN organizations are attending the meeting.
A new report says it will cost up to $51 billion dollars to achieve universal access to treatment for HIV/AIDS by the year 2010. The report from UNAIDS says despite progress in scaling-up treatment, current efforts are falling far short of helping all those in need.
VOA correspondent Paula Wolfson interviewed First Lady Laura Bush in New York on the topics of Burma and Afghanistan. Following is the full text of the interview:
A new study says pregnancy may help protect HIV-positive women from developing full-blown AIDS. The study appears in the October 1st issue of the Journal of Infectious Diseases.
Like every other necessity of life in Zimbabwe, life-saving antiretroviral drugs have soared in price, leading many who cannot afford them to turn to herbal treatments.
The chairman of an anti-AIDS group has accused the U.N. Security Council and the West in general for ignoring what he calls a litany of horror against women in eastern Congo. For VOA, Nick Wadhams has the story from Nariobi.
HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is a growing threat in Asia. The United Nations says nearly a million Asians contract the virus each year. It is spreading fast in Indonesia, where prostitution is a major cause. Trish Anderton visited one organization in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia, that is trying to slow the spread of HIV AIDS, and finds the work is slow and difficult.
Hepatitis B is caused by a virus that infects the liver, causing disease that can lead to a deadly cancer. The World Health Organization calls hepatitis B a serious global public health problem. Many people who have it, even in the United States, are completely unaware they are infected. VOA's Carol Pearson has more.
In 2006, the World Health Organization issued a report that a critical shortage of doctors and nurses has contributed to severe health problems in Africa and parts of Asia. The report said at least four million more medical personnel were needed in developing countries around the world. Has anything changed since that report? VOA's Melinda Smith looks at the situation.
An estimated 190,000 people in Rwanda, about three percent of the population, are infected with HIV and AIDS. But there is optimism at the highest levels of government that education can stem the spread of disease. Noel King reports from Kigali that officials also hope generic anti-retroviral drugs from Canada may drastically improve the lives of many affected by HIV/AIDS.
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the nonprofit organization, Family Health International (FHI), have joined forces to help women and children in five countries to combat AIDS. From VOA's New York Bureau, Mona Ghuneim reports.
Like many small, poor countries in Asia and Africa, Cambodia faces a challenge from HIV - the virus that causes AIDS. By all measures, Cambodia should be devastated by AIDS. Brothels are commonplace, illegal drugs are widely available and Cambodia's health-care system is so poor the government can only spend about two dollars a person a year. Yet despite these problems, the rate of new infections has dropped steadily. VOA's Rory Byrne has more from Phnom Penh.
Despite Zimbabwe's strides in recent years in achieving significant reductions in the country's HIV prevalance rate, some experts worry that such gains could be reversed if the emigration of health care professionals to other countries continues unabated.
The World Health Organization says that more than a half million women around the world die annually from pregnancy-related problems. Nigeria accounts for 10 % of the deaths, or about 52,000 women. Some organizations are working through campaigns to reduce the mortality rates. Voice of America reporter Isiyaku Ahmed in Kano tells us that northern Nigeria is the country's most vulnerable region for maternal mortality.
A study of population growth in Zimbabwe during the still-severe HIV/AIDS pandemic found that the disease reduced the country's rate of population growth less than many experts had feared, the Imperial College in London announced on Tuesday.
With the political landscape in the United States set to change after next year's election in the country, AIDS activists are hoping too for sweeping changes to America's AIDS plan, known as PEPFAR. Introduced by President George W. Bush in late 2003, the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief has saved the lives of many HIV-positive people, especially by providing them with essential medicines. But AIDS activists say PEPFAR's emphasis on encouraging people not to have sex and to be faithful to as few sexual partners as possible as the most important ways to prevent HIV infections are failing in Africa.
AIDS activists say the United States administration's plan to relieve HIV/AIDS is failing, because it's ignoring the reality of violence against women and girls, especially in Africa. The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief - PEPFAR - has since its introduction in late 2003 saved the lives of many HIV-positive people, particularly by providing them with essential medicines. But activists allege that PEPFAR is largely failing to prevent new infections, because it focuses on "unrealistically" instructing people to Abstain from sex and to Be Faithful to as few sexual partners as possible. It also stresses Condom use amongst groups it considers to be at risk of infection.
The United States administration's strategy to relieve the AIDS pandemic in Africa has saved the lives of many people infected with HIV, mainly through its provision of essential medicines. But the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief - PEPFAR - has also been roundly criticized by AIDS activists - chiefly for what they see as the Plan's "purposeful" and "dangerous" negation of the condom as a major means to prevent HIV infections. Although PEPFAR emphasizes abstaining from sex and being faithful to as few sexual partners as possible as key prevention methods, its officials insist that condoms are equally important in the battle against HIV/AIDS.
U.S. President George W. Bush's plan to relieve the AIDS pandemic in Africa has been praised for saving the lives of many people infected with HIV, mainly through its mass provision of drug therapy. But the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief – known as PEPFAR – has also been heavily criticized. AIDS activists have slammed it as "unrealistic" – mainly because of its reliance on abstinence and fidelity as primary methods to prevent the spread of HIV.
President Bush recently asked the United States Congress to extend the mandate of a strategy to relieve the global HIV/AIDS crisis, which is particularly prevalent in Africa. Since its introduction in late 2003, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has been credited with saving the lives of many people infected with HIV by providing them with essential medicines and implementing initiatives to curb the spread of AIDS. A few months ago, President Bush asked Congress to approve another $15 billion for PEPFAR, which would extend the plan to 2013. But, almost since its inception, PEPFAR has been extremely controversial.
Children in Zimbabwe comprise one of the most vulnerable groups among those living with HIV/AIDS - the United Nations Children's Fund estimates that one in four children has been orphaned by the pandemic, and many carry the virus themselves.
When it comes to the subject of AIDS, the world's attention often turns to sub-Saharan Africa. That area has the greatest number of AIDS deaths and people infected with the HIV virus. The Asia-Pacific region has the second highest number of infections. As VOA's Melinda Smith reports, some health care workers and activists at the International Conference on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific being held in Sri Lanka until August 24 say Asian governments must do more to prevent the disease.
United Nations experts and health care professionals are urging greater political commitment from Asian governments in the fight against HIV/AIDS, which afflicts more than eight and a half million people across the region. Anjana Pasricha reports that the call has come at an international conference being held in Sri Lanka.
Members of a Washington, D.C.-based soccer team had what they describe as a life-changing trip to South Africa. In addition to tours and a safari, the young players spent time with many poor African teenagers playing soccer and also talking about their lives, hopes and dreams. VOA's Andrew Payton has their story.
India was once thought to have the world's highest number of people with HIV -- the virus that causes AIDS. But the estimate was recently reduced by more than half -- down to 2.5 million from 5.7 million. The reduction, however, does not mean India is relaxing its fight against the epidemic. VOA's Steve Herman reports from New Delhi.
South Africa's health minister is in the midst of controversy again - only this time it's not about her proposed treatments for HIV/AIDS. A newspaper alleges misconduct, and possible alcohol abuse, by Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang during a stay at a Cape Town hospital.
Medical aid groups - fighting for access to cheap medicines for the poor - are applauding an Indian court's decision to throw out a Swiss drug company's legal challenge on patent issues. Anjana Pasricha tells us more from VOA's bureau in New Delhi.
South African President Thabo Mbeki has fired the outspoken Deputy Health Minister Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge following reports of an unauthorized visit to an AIDS conference in Spain. However, as VOA's Delia Robertson reports from our bureau in Johannesburg, the firing has prompted outrage amongst HIV/AIDS advocates.
Non-governmental organizations working in the health sector in developing countries have welcomed a decision by the High Court in Chennai, India, rejecting a challenge to Indian patent law by the Swiss firm Novartis. Novartis sought protections against the manufacture of generic medicines and incremental changes to existing drugs. VOA's Delia Robertson reports from our southern Africa bureau in Johannesburg.
There's some encouraging news about HIV/AIDS in South Africa. The health minister says the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate among pregnant women has fallen for the first time in eight years. It's down about one percent to 29 percent.
Several Indian states have suspended a sex education program designed for school students by a government body fighting to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS. The program has stirred an emotional dispute, between those who say it will reduce the spread of HIV by promoting safer sex, and those who say it will ruin Indian culture by corrupting young minds. Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi.
The World Health Organization and United Nations Children's Fund say breast-feeding babies immediately after birth can prevent many neonatal deaths in developing countries. The U.N. agencies are promoting the life-saving benefits of early breastfeeding as the theme for this year's World Breastfeeding Week, which gets under way Wednesday. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from WHO headquarters in Geneva.
Zimbabwe and another 120 countries worldwide on Wednesday will start to observe Breastfeeding Week, launched in 1991 by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding to underscore the importance of breast feeding to the health of children.
In Addis Ababa, a five-day conference is underway on female genital cutting. The UN Population Fund says worldwide, up to 140 million women and girls have been subjected to the practice, which is also known as female genital mutilation. The agency is calling on the international community to support its campaign for zero tolerance of the practice.
Seven years ago, at the International Aids Conference in Durban, South Africa, an 11-year-old boy captured the world's attention when he spoke about HIV/AIDS. Nkosi Johnson called for an end to stigma and discrimination. He said, "Care for us and accept us. We are all human beings." Nkosi died the following year, 2001.
Chinese authorities have banned activists and experts from holding a multinational conference in southern China on the legal rights of people infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. As Daniel Schearf reports from Beijing, although Chinese officials have become more supportive of AIDS prevention efforts, discrimination against people with HIV is common, and authorities are still suspicious of activists.
Five U.S. students have been honored for their efforts in fighting global poverty. Victoria Cavaliere reports from VOA's New York bureau that the students have taken on projects ranging from sanitizing drinking water to fighting the spread of the HIV/AIDS virus.
In the United States, people tend to think of measles as a rare childhood illness, easily preventable through routine vaccination. But in much of the world, large numbers of children still die from this highly contagious disease. In areas where many infants are born HIV-positive, the risk is even worse. But a new study suggests that repeated measles vaccinations may help.
Zimbabwean scientists met Wednesday in Harare to examine the controversial claims by researchers from the University of Zimbabwe promoting an herbal treatment called gundamiti that they say reduces HIV blood levels and boosts CD4 "helper" T-cells.
A Zimbabwe HIV/AIDS activist said in testimony Tuesday on Capital Hill in Washington that she is disheartened to see continued high infection rates for women and girls.
Australia is to spend an extra $350 million to fight HIV and AIDS in the Asia-Pacific region, where an estimated eight million people are infected. Papua New Guinea will be a particular focus, where infection rates are worse than they were in parts of southern Africa when HIV/AIDS began to take hold there more than a decade ago. From Sydney, Phil Mercer reports.
Following long negotiations, six foreign medics held in Libya on charges of infecting hundreds of children with the AIDS virus have been released, after the European Union agreed it would work on normalization of relations with the African country. Stefan Bos reports they received a warm welcome in Bulgaria.
The humanitarian group - Doctors Without Borders - has released a new report on prices of AIDS drugs. It says while there have been dramatic price reductions for some older medicines, newer, less toxic drugs may cost significantly more. The report was released Monday at the 4th International AIDS Society Conference in Sydney, Australia.
A report released this week on efforts in Africa to expand access to antiretroviral drugs to keep the HIV-positive from developing AIDS offered a mixed assessment of progress in 17 countries, warning that Zimbabwe was in danger of losing ground.
Global AIDS treatment will fall far short of a target to have five million people in Africa being treated in the next few years. A new report reveals that the continued lack of access to drugs by many of the world's impoverished people is the cause of the shortfall. Tendai Maphosa has more in this report for VOA from London.
The death sentence of five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor accused of infecting hundreds of Libyan children with the AIDS virus, HIV, has been commuted to life in prison. Sabina Castelfranco reports from Rome the Bulgarians' effort now is to get the nurses repatriated.
The head of the United Nations effort to fight AIDS says China is making progress against the disease, but warns there is much work to be done, especially in battling the stigma of AIDS. Sam Beattie reports from Beijing.
The U.N. Children's Fund says the children of Zimbabwe have entered a new phase of hardship. UNICEF says millions of children are missing out on their most basic needs because of a severe drought and the dramatic deterioration of Zimbabwe's economy. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Geneva.
The Washington Post reported Friday that the economic crisis in Zimbabwe is contributing to the decline in the HIV prevalence rate in the country as men who might be tempted to have extramarital relations lack the means to indulge themselves.
Libya's reaffirmation of the death sentences for five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor convicted of transmitting the aids virus to more than 400 Libyan children continues to pressure all sides to find a suitable outcome. The European Union (EU) has pledged to fund medical care for the infected children, and efforts continue to seek clemency for the accused. Dr. Arthur Caplan heads the Department of Medical Ethics at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. He says that carrying out this week's decision by Libya's supreme court does not serve the interests of the parties involved, especially given Libya's dramatic diplomatic rehabilitation.
The government of Zimbabwe on Wednesday took its offensive against rising prices to another level, setting markup levels for producers and wholesalers and revoking the licenses of all private slaughterhouses in a bid to control the market in scarce meat.
The Libyan Supreme Court has upheld the death sentences for six foreign medical workers imprisoned on disputed charges that they infected Libyan children with HIV. But there is still a chance they could be spared execution. The ruling has been greeted with dismay in Europe, where only a day earlier hopes had been raised that a deal was in the works to free them. VOA Correspondent Challiss McDonough reports from our Middle East bureau in Cairo.
The World Health Organization and its partners say up to half a million African infants die the day they are born. Health experts say nearly a million babies could be saved in sub-Saharan Africa with a few low-cost interventions. From Washington, VOA reporter William Eagle looks at a few solutions to the problem.
New estimates by the Indian government and international agencies show that the number of people living with HIV/AIDS in India is between two and three million - far less than previously estimated. However, as Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi, Indian officials say the country is committed to an aggressive campaign to control the epidemic.
The UN says more than a million children each year die from malnutrition. Poor nutrition is one of many factors that weaken a child's immune system, making it harder to recover from malaria, diarrhea and pneumonia. Every year, these three diseases kill up to five million children under five years of age around the world. But now health experts have a cheap and efficient tool to include in their arsenal against malnutrition - a paste that's tasty, easy to eat, and high in nutrients. From Washington, VOA reporter William Eagle has the story.
A week ago, VOA's Daybreak Africa program ran an interview with Africa analyst Emira Woods, co-director of Foreign Policy in Focus at the Washington-based Institute for Policy Studies. Woods described U.S. First Lady Laura Bush's most recent visit to Africa as lacking substance. She also described President Bush's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, known as PEPFAR as driven by the administration's political ideology.
A recent report by the NGO Save the Children paints a mixed picture of global efforts to protect the lives of mothers and children under five. And, while some African countries have made impressive gains in recent years, others ranked near the bottom of the 140-country survey. From Washington, VOA reporter William Eagle has the story.
Welfare organizations say there has been a dramatic increase in the number of abandoned babies in South Africa in the past year. VOA's Delia Robertson reports from our bureau in Johannesburg.
Leading AIDS activists from around the world are meeting in Nairobi this week, trying to come up with a common strategy to achieve universal access to care and treatment.
United States first lady Laura Bush is in Mozambique on the second leg of a four-nation African tour aimed at highlighting U.S. assistance to countries to fight HIV/AIDS and malaria. VOA's Delia Robertson has more from our southern Africa bureau in Johannesburg.
U.S. First Lady Laura Bush continues her four-nation Africa visit Wednesday in the Mozambican capital, Maputo. Among her activities, she will meet with President and Mrs. Guebuza of Mozambique and participate in a women's empowerment roundtable. Yesterday in Dakar, Senegal, the first lady pledged U.S. support in improving education and combating AIDS in Africa.
The Zimbabwean dollar cost of antiretroviral drugs has soared by more than 400% since April, experts in the field say, leaving many who had come to depend on the regimen to continue living with HIV/AIDS scrambling for alternatives.
U.S. First Lady Laura Bush has left for a five-day trip to Africa to promote the U.S. campaign against AIDS and malaria, and to highlight education projects.
Legislation providing $34 billion for State Department and foreign aid programs has sparked sharp debate over a range of issues in the House of Representatives. VOA's Dan Robinson reports, the Bush administration is opposing key portions of the 2008 foreign operations bill, which must also be approved by the Senate, as lawmakers argued over funding priorities.
The World Health Organization has launched a multi-billion dollar plan designed to prevent hundreds of thousands of cases of drug-resistant tuberculosis and save as many as 134,000 lives over the next two years. WHO is appealing for more than $2 billion to implement the plan. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Geneva.
A few years ago, Norma Nashed thought again about what to do with her life after having discovered she had cancer. She had modest retirement savings, which she decided to use in improving the lives of young people in developing countries. She targeted Africa and Asia as recipients of the project she calls Reaching Hearts for Kids.
The House of Representatives is considering a $34-billion measure for U.S. international assistance programs and other foreign affairs priorities. VOA's Dan Robinson reports from Capitol Hill.
Welcome to American Profiles, VOA's weekly spotlight on notable Americans who have made a difference in how we think, live and act. Today: Anthony Fauci, a medical researcher whose tireless energy and drive for excellence have been crucial to the fight against HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases.
New figures show HIV in Indonesia's remote Papua province is spreading at a rate of 15 times that of the national average and is now in the general population, not just in high risk groups. VOA's Nancy-Amelia Collins in Jakarta has more on a new report by Indonesia's National Aids Commission.
Rwanda has just hosted a four-day international conference in the capital Kigali on improving services for HIV/AIDS patients. More than two thousand delegates attended the meeting, which was organized by President Bush's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Other participants in Kigali AIDS activities included the agency UNAIDS, the World Bank, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization (WHO). Reporter Linord Moudou covered the meetings for Voice of America Television and has just returned from Kigali. She describes how much progress she has seen made against AIDS in Rwanda itself.
An international AIDS conference wrapped up in Rwanda's capital Tuesday with speakers urging participants to continue the fight against HIV/AIDS, provide employment opportunities to people living with the virus, and reach out to communities to give relevant care and treatment. Cathy Majtenyi reports for VOA from Kigali.
About 700,000 children worldwide are being infected with HIV every year, the majority of who live in developing countries. But there are many challenges in finding, testing, and treating these children, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Cathy Majtenyi is attending an international AIDS conference in the Rwandan capital of Kigali and files this report for VOA.
The World Food Program says the tiny South African country of Lesotho needs urgent international assistance to prevent a major food crisis this year. A report by WFP and the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization finds cereal prices in Lesotho have skyrocketed after this year's main cereal harvest was ravaged by one of the worst droughts in 30 years. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Geneva.
An international AIDS conference started in Rwanda's capital Saturday, with officials vowing to work together to stop the spread of the scourge. Cathy Majtenyi reports for VOA from Kigali.
The World Bank says the mobilization of grassroots communities, condoms and anti-retroviral drugs is "beginning to slow the pace of Africa's HIV/AIDS epidemic." The disease killed more than two million adults and children on the continent last year.
The United Nations Children's Fund says an AIDS-free generation can be a reality. The agency is preparing to co-host a meeting in Kigali, Rwanda to share ideas on programs that work in fighting the disease. Victoria Cavaliere reports from VOA's New York Bureau.
Leaders of the Group of Eight major industrialized nations gathered in Germany's Baltic resort of Heiligendamm for three days of talks on a number of topics, including climate change, economic issues and debt relief for Africa. VOA English to Africa Service reporter Kim Lewis covered the summit and spoke live from the International Media Center with VOA Africa News Tonight host Chinedu Offor. On Wednesday, Lewis said the summit would focus on three areas: the environment and climate change, integrating Africa into the global economy, and corporate trade.
In the middle of the last century, many medical scientists believed they had conquered tuberculosis. But as HIV emerged in the 1980's, TB made a comeback. Today, worldwide, the disease claims some 2 million lives a year and about 8 million people are newly diagnosed.
Leaders of the G8 group of wealthy industrial nations pledged $60 billion to fight AIDS and malaria in Africa. Aid activists welcome the help, but say it is not enough. VOA's Sonja Pace reports from near the summit site at Heiligendamm in Germany.
In South Africa, as in much of the world, millions of people suffer from depression and other mental disorders. For example, 10 percent of all teenage deaths in the country are due to suicide, while nearly half of those diagnosed with HIV/AIDS suffer from depression or other emotional illnesses. Health experts say it's especially tough in rural areas, where there's a stigma surrounding mental illness, and many suffer in silence. But one organization that's fighting to educate the public on mental health issues, the South Africa Depression and Anxiety Group, is using a simple technology to reach those who can not read: "talking books." From Washington, reporter William Eagle has the story.
The United States will provide an additional $18 million over the next three years to bring another 40,000 Zimbabweans onto the antiretroviral drug regimen that in many cases prevents HIV infection from leading to full-blown AIDS and eventual death.
A proposed U.N. policy to require medical professionals to recommend that high-risk patients be tested for HIV has met with disagreement in Asia. Rory Byrne reports from Phnom Penh.
Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses in the world. Among those vulnerable to it today are people with HIV/AIDS and even the social workers and families that care for them. From Washington, VOA reporter William Eagle takes a look at a group in South Africa that's working to alleviate the problem.
The National AIDS Conference being held in the southeastern city of Durban is being held several months after the South African government launched a new five-year plan setting aggressive goals in the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS.
Many health activists back male circumcision -- saying it could reduce the infection rate by almost two-thirds in Africa. But some say it provides a false sense of security, and does nothing to stem the behaviour that spreads the disease. Danstan Kaunda has more in this report from Lusaka, Zambia.
United States President, George Bush Wednesday asked Congress to provide an additional 30 billion dollars to be used to fight the worldwide HIV/AIDS epidemic for the next five years. The money is expected to extend the mandate of the President's Emergency Program for AIDS Relief, which is due to expire in September 2008. Mr. Bush also announced his intention to double the initial 15 billion dollar commitment, already considered the largest international health initiative dedicated to a specific disease.
The World Health Organization and UNAIDS, the United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, Wednesday issued new guidance on HIV testing, saying millions of people are infected with the deadly virus but are unaware they have it. As VOA's Jessica Berman reports, the international bodies say health providers should offer to test people instead of waiting for patients to request HIV tests.
Zimbabwean Health Minister David Parirenyatwa said this week that the number of Zimbabweans receiving antiretroviral drug therapy to keep their HIV-positive condition from progressing to AIDS could rise to 120,000 by year’s end, state media said.
U.S. health officials have quarantined an airline passenger who may have exposed others to a potentially dangerous form of tuberculosis. The unusual decision was made after the passenger took flights from the U.S. to Europe, then to Montreal, Canada before reentering the United States. The man has what's called 'Extremely Drug Resistant' tuberculosis. Passengers and crew from both flights have been urged to be tested for the infection. XDR-tb is an especially virulent form of the disease that is resistant to standard drug treatment. Earlier this year, VOA's David McAlary examined the state of TB worldwide and XDR in particular.
Recent statistics show that HIV/AIDS in Uganda is again on the rise. Some say the public has grown complacent, in part because of a false sense of security. Critics say that sense of security may be due in part to certain groups that say prayer cures AIDS and that blood tests for the disease show mistrust in God. From Kampala, VOA's Peterson Ssendi has this report.
In Zambia, government has introduced a law to protect people infected with HIV virus from obtaining drugs that could harm their health. The law will subject all anti-AIDS medications coming into the country for clinical testing before being sold on the local market. From Lusaka, Danstan Kaunda has the story.
Nearly 40 million people are living with HIV/AIDS worldwide. The vast majority reside in developing countries where medications to treat the virus are often either unavailable locally or unaffordable. An estimated 14,000 new cases of the disease occur every day. While a vaccine may be the best hope for conquering the epidemic, significant challenges remain ahead.
About a dozen people in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, will be packing aid supplies and heading back to Uganda this week (5/21-25/07) as part of a 100-person group called Grandmothers Beyond Borders. They're trying to help grandmothers in Africa, who are taking care of youngsters orphaned by the AIDS epidemic. Voice of America's Chuck Quirmbach reports from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
This is Global AIDS Week (5/20-26). It's an international effort to raise awareness about the pandemic and to call for greater resources to treat those who are infected with HIV, the AIDS virus.
Austin, the city in Texas that's known as the greatest live music venue in the world, recently played host to art of a different kind. Filmmakers from all over the world gathered there for the annual Austin Women's Film Festival. The spotlight was turned on a number of films that had either been produced by Africans or had Africa-related themes. One of the biggest hits at the event was a documentary called "My Dead Husband's Land." The film - a surprisingly positive twist on Africa's HIV-AIDS pandemic - focuses on a remote village in Kenya. Here, villagers have used HIV-AIDS to transform negative aspects of their culture.
In this week's New England Journal of Medicine Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, discusses prospects for an AIDS vaccine. He says while the ultimate goal is prevention, much like that for polio, smallpox and measles, combating the AIDS virus requires a non-traditional strategy in which a vaccine may not totally block infection, but could lower the level of virus and slow down transmission.
Friday, May 18th, is "World AIDS Vaccine Day." On this date, 10 years ago, former President Bill Clinton challenged the world to develop an AIDS vaccine within a decade. That hasn't happened yet.
Another African epidemic is taking the spotlight, cancer. Experts say aging and infectious diseases are increasing Africa's cancer burden. A new non-governmental group is trying to raise global awareness of the problem and held a meeting recently in London that brought together African health ministers and other interested participants. VOA's David McAlary reports from Washington.
For years, hundreds of thousands of Sudanese who fled fighting in Darfur have received shelter in refugee camps in neighboring Chad. But having survived the violence, they now face a new threat in the deadly AIDS virus. Most had never heard of HIV or AIDS before they sought refuge in eastern Chad. But they are learning quickly, and trying to tell others in their community. Phuong Tran visited a camp 60 kilometers from the Sudanese border, and has this report for VOA.
The United Nations says injected drug use is beginning to rival sexual activity as a vehicle for the transmission of the AIDS virus in Asia, and the world in general. UNAIDS officials say Asian governments have made encouraging commitments to fight the disease, but most have not yet followed through with concrete action. Barry Kalb reports from the VOA Asia News Center in Hong Kong.
The International Labor Organization is reporting some progress worldwide in fighting job discrimination based on gender and ethnic background. But a new report by the U.N. agency says discrimination is still undermining economic progress, and says new forms of bias are another problem. Ron Corben reports for VOA from Bangkok.
German conglomerate Siemens signed an agreement with a Catholic organization to lower the costs of lab tests for HIV patients in Africa. These tests aim to establish whether HIV patients are becoming resistant to drug therapies they are undergoing. For VOA, Sabina Castelfranco reports from Rome
Although Zimbabwe is not a direct participant in the antiretroviral drug pricing accord established with pharmaceutical companies by the Clinton Foundation this week, the country will indirectly benefit from price reductions on 16 ARV formulations.
Victims of tuberculosis in Liberia, as well as their doctors, are crying out for more help from their government and the international community. Funds Liberia was receiving from the Geneva-based Global Fund to fight tuberculosis and malaria have not been renewed. VOA's Nico Colombant has more from Dakar, with reporting by Prince Collins, at the tuberculosis treatment center in Monrovia.
Former President Bill Clinton has announced a new deal with drug companies that will significantly lower the cost of AIDS drugs in 66 developing countries. From New York City, Victoria Cavaliere reports for VOA that the deal includes a once-daily AIDS medicine now available for less than $1 per day.
At a hospital in Mali children who are HIV positive are being told about their status at a very young age. Doctors say the new approach helps them get better and protects others from the virus. The program began last December. VOA's Nico Colombant has more from our West Africa bureau in Dakar, with reporting by Julie Vandal at the Gabriel Toure hospital in Bamako.
While a great emphasis is appropriately placed on antiretroviral treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS, Zimbabwe activists and health professionals also stress the critical role of counseling in a well-rounded program of therapy.
The World Health Organization has unveiled a list of solutions aimed at improving patient safety around the globe and reducing the number of health care related accidents that it says affect millions each day. VOA's William Ide has more from Washington.
Starting Tuesday, Cameroon will offer free anti-retroviral drug treatment to all eligible HIV-positive people in the country. The program, funded by the government and various external groups, aims to reach as many as 50,000 people. Naomi Schwarz has more on the story from VOA's regional bureau in Dakar.
The government of South Africa has announced an ambitious plan to fight the AIDS virus. The new plan was drafted for the first time with AIDS activists who had been highly critical of the government's previous AIDS programs. VOA's Scott Bobb reports from Johannesburg.
The head of a Ugandan AIDS organization says PEPFAR - The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief - has brought a tenfold increase in funding to fight the pandemic in his country. Dr. Alex Coutinho is in the United States to tout the success of PEPFAR, but also to warn the battle against the disease is far from over. VOA's Joe De Capua reports.
A new study by the International Organization for Migration shows many internally displaced people in northern Uganda living with HIV/AIDS are not receiving treatment for their condition. The study was carried out in seven districts of northern Uganda: Gulu, Amuru, Kitgum, Pader, Lira, Oyam and Apac. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from IOM headquarters in Geneva.
India is lagging behind many countries in providing anti-retroviral drugs to people afflicted with the AIDS virus. As Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi, officials say efforts are being made to step up access to the drugs, in the country estimated to have the highest number of HIV victims in the world.
The government of South Africa recently announced a new plan to combat HIV/AIDS. The plan pledges to provide within five years life-prolonging antiretroviral treatment to 80 percent of the AIDS victims who need it. Currently only 20 percent receive the treatment. But this is not the only challenge facing South Africa's 5 million HIV sufferers, the second highest number in the world. Correspondent Scott Bobb reports on some of these challenges from the ART clinic at the Chris Hani Baragwanath hospital in Soweto.
Sudan's traditional society paired with a strict Islamic government means that HIV and AIDS are not often discussed in the public arena. Now, in an effort to stem the spread of the disease, the government is partnering with the United Nations to teach journalists how to accurately and honestly discuss the disease in the media. Noel King in Khartoum has more.
A new WHO/UNAIDS report shows access to HIV anti-retroviral therapy in poor countries grew significantly in 2006. The report says more than 2 million people living with HIV/AIDS are now receiving treatment. This is a 54 percent increase over the previous year. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from WHO and UNAIDS headquarters in Geneva.
Access to life-saving anti-retroviral drugs for people with advanced HIV infection is on the rise, but the world is still far away from ensuring universal access to the drugs. Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi that a new report by the World Health Organization, UNICEF and UNAIDS is calling for more ambitious national programs to improve the situation.
Zimbabweans involved in fighting HIV/AIDS say they would welcome a policy shift by the U.S. President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, so as to permit the shifting of funds to pragmatic means of infection prevention and drug treatment from programs promoting abstinence, to which a third of funds are now dedicated.
An international consortium of scientists has deciphered the genetic make up of the rhesus macaque, a monkey that shares a common primate ancestry with chimpanzees and humans. Researchers say the work will allow them to gain a better understanding of human biology and what drives human diseases, such as the virus that causes AIDS. VOA's Jessica Berman reports.
Zimbabwean health experts and HIV/AIDS activists are looking closely at the results of studies done in Kenya and Uganda which showed that male circumcision could be an effective means to reduce the spread of HIV and AIDS - though it remains to be seen whether the procedure will be widely sought by men in the country.
A study in Tanzania shows that pregnant women in developing countries have healthier babies if they are given a simple, cheap medical intervention - vitamin supplements. In a world where an estimated 20 million infants are born too small each year, the researchers recommend vitamin pills for all expectant mothers in poor countries. VOA's David McAlary reports.
Infectious diseases threaten people everywhere. The disease may be AIDS or flu; the cause may be a parasite or fungus. Science and medicine have been engaged in the battle for centuries. Now, one of Washington's newest museums unveils a new exhibit on the science behind infectious diseases and the fight to conquer them.
Stigma and discrimination are among the biggest obstacles to fighting the spread of HIV-AIDS in Zimbabwe, according to activists and experts combating the pandemic - but few HIV-positive individuals are aware of the protections at their disposal.
For the first time, the World Health Organization and UNAIDS are recommending that male circumcision be used as part of a comprehensive package of prevention of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Both agencies say strong evidence from trials in Kenya, Uganda and South Africa provide compelling evidence that male circumcision reduces the risk of heterosexually-acquired HIV infection in men by about 60 percent. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Geneva.
HIV/AIDS activists in Zimbabwe are expressing concern that the country may fall short of its goal of providing life-saving antiretroviral drug therapy to an additional 100,000 people this year, following recent comments by the minister of health.
Zimbabwe Health Minister David Parirenyatwa is reported to have acknowledged this week that it will be difficult for the country to attain its target of putting 110,000 more HIV-positive people on life-saving antiretroviral drug therapy this year.
On the face of it, Cambodia should be devastated by AIDS. Brothels are commonplace in the impoverished country, illegal drugs are widely available, and government spending on health care is only about two dollars a person each year. But the rate of new AIDS infections has dropped during the past decade. Rory Byrne reports for VOA from Phnom Penh on how Cambodia is turning the tide against AIDS.
A new report says the global tuberculosis epidemic has leveled off for the first time since the World Health Organization declared TB a public health emergency in 1993. WHO's Global Tuberculosis Control report finds the percentage of the world's population struck by TB peaked in 2004 and then held steady in 2005. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from WHO headquarters in Geneva.
Black Americans do not live as long as white Americans, but a new study shows that the gap in life expectancy is slowly closing. VOA's David McAlary says the findings explain some of the reasons why.
About two million people in the Western Pacific region develop tuberculosis each year. Poverty, an aging population and rising HIV infections are helping spread the respiratory disease. On World Tuberculosis Day, health experts in Asia stress the urgency of controlling a much bigger medical threat: drug resistant tuberculosis. VOA's Heda Bayron has more on the story from our Asia News Center in Hong Kong.
Saturday, March 24th, is World Tuberculosis Day and the 125th anniversary of the discovery of the bacterium that causes the lung disease. But many experts say humankind has not advanced much in combating the disease since that discovery, using containment tools that are centuries old. The most commonly used TB drug appeared more than 30 years ago, yet the emergence of hard-to-treat, drug resistant forms is outdating the medicines. Voice of America Science and Health Correspondent, David McAlary in Washington tells us that the face of tuberculosis is an old face. It is also a young face. It is an African face . . . an Asian face . . . a Middle Eastern face . . . the face of anyone, anywhere. But for all, it hurts to breathe.
Tuberculosis until a few years ago was off the informal list of priority diseases because it could be prevented and it could be cured. Now, as the world marks Tuberculosis Day, the disease is causing alarm because of the rising numbers of cases and the emergence of strains of TB that are resistant to almost all known drugs. Correspondent Scott Bobb in Johannesburg visited Sizwe Hospital, one of South Africa's largest facilities for people with drug-resistant TB, and has this report.
In some African countries when a woman's husband dies, it is common for her to marry one of his brothers. For many families, this ensures someone will take care of the widow and her children, and that she remains part of her husband's family. But some African widows are refusing orders to marry when their husbands die. Reporter Phuong Tran has more from Dakar on why some families are rethinking this tradition.
More women than ever before - some 17.7 million - are living with HIV, nearly half of all those infected with the virus. Activists say violence, particularly intimate partner violence, is a leading factor in this increasing "feminization" of the global AIDS pandemic. A newly formed international coalition of women's health groups is calling on agencies that fund HIV and AIDS programs to address the problem of gender-based violence in their planning.
International financier George Soros is giving $3 million to help public health experts fight a lethal, drug-resistant form of tuberculosis in sub-Saharan Africa. VOA's David McAlary in Washington reports that the money will be used to learn how to manage TB in communities hit hard by the AIDS virus.
In recent years, studies have shown that male circumcision can help prevent the spread of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. But new research shows that unless the procedure is done under hygienic conditions, it could actually spread infections. VOA's Joe De Capua reports the findings could help developing nations control the spread of the pandemic.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies fears that complacency is allowing HIV-AIDS to continue to spread in Asia. IFRC officials say fresh education campaigns are needed for the younger generation. Ron Corben reports from Bangkok, where the Red Cross has just wrapped up a meeting on AIDS.
Researchers in South Africa have launched trials of a promising vaccine they hope will help prevent the spread of the deadly HIV/AIDS virus. Three thousand volunteers are being injected with the vaccine over the next few years. VOA's Scott Bobb visited the site of one of the trials, in Soweto's Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital outside Johannesburg and has this report.
A prominent Zimbabwean organization involved in treating HIV-AIDS and caring for those struggling with the disease has urged journalists to increase coverage of the pandemic and to make their coverage more relevant and constructive.
Europe's biggest pharmaceutical company and a small Geneva-based non-profit group have teamed up to produce a malaria combination drug that they say is better, cheaper, and easier to use than other medication on the market. VOA's Sonja Pace reports from London the drug is expected to be available in a number of African countries by mid-April.
A recent survey by Zimbabwe's National AIDS Council found that 80% of the country's private companies lack strong HIV-AIDS policies, NAC officials told the parliamentary health committee, and most businesses do not see the pandemic as a priority.
Gambia has ordered the expulsion of the country's top United Nations official after she criticized claims from President Yahya Jammeh that he can cure AIDS using natural herbs.
An international team of researchers has discovered a way that may make it possible to slow the progression of HIV virus in women who also suffer from genital herpes. The investigators found that treating such women with an inexpensive drug for genital herpes reduced the amount of AIDS virus in their blood. VOA's Jessica Berman reports.
In Kenya, the Anglican Church has released its five-year plan to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria on the continent. Cathy Majtenyi reports for VOA from Nairobi.
In a continent suffering from the AIDS epidemic, Gambian President Yayah Jammeh's claims of a cure for the disease are alarming public health workers already struggling against faith-healers dispensing herbal remedies. The biggest concern is that he requires patients to cease anti-retroviral drugs. Kari Barber traveled to Banjul to see Mr. Jammeh perform his self-proclaimed AIDS treatment and has this report for VOA.
Over 35 million people in sub-Saharan Africa are estimated to be over 60 years old. Figures from international aid organizations say the number is expected to double by 2030 - despite soaring death rates caused by HIV / AIDS. The growing number of senior citizens is pressuring African governments and international agencies to come up with ideas to provide for this growing segment of the population.
AIDS patients in developing countries, where effective treatments were late in coming, may be more likely to avoid drug resistance than patients who have been treated for years with other medicines. VOA's Art Chimes reports from the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in San Francisco.
The Chinese government will allow a prominent and outspoken AIDS activist to travel to the U.S. to receive a rights award supported by Senator Hillary Clinton after detaining her at home for two weeks. The release comes after international pressure was brought to bear on Chinese officials, including a letter from Clinton to Chinese President Hu Jintao. Daniel Schearf reports from Beijing.
Anthony Fauci could be called the science face of the nation. He is the man you are most likely to see on U.S. television explaining the facts behind HIV/AIDS, bio-terrorism or pandemic flu.
The cannabis plant has been used as a medicine for thousands of years. In the United States, doctors could prescribe marijuana cigarettes to patients for a variety of conditions until the 1940s, when it was banned. Marijuana's status as an illegal drug has removed it from the official medical arsenal, but its therapeutic power is still attracting attention, especially its pain-killing properties.
In Zimbabwe, some men from the Tonga ethnic group say economic hardship and the growing HIV/AIDS pandemic have prompted them to re-think the benefits of polygamy. The practice is widespread in their community and supported by their culture. However, several younger men say they intend to continue with the practice. Local women, who're most effected, have little (if any) input in ongoing discussions.
South African health officials are looking at ways to change their HIV/AIDS policies and programs in the wake of the emergency of XDR-TB. Reports say the extremely drug resistant tuberculosis has killed more than 180 people in South Africa since September. And those infected with the AIDS virus, HIV, are more vulnerable to the disease. While AIDS can take years to kill, XDR-TB is much, much quicker.
Despite efforts by health officials to stop the HIV virus from being passed from a mother to her child, children in Africa are still at high risk of infection. HIV, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, causes AIDS. If infected, children face a greater risk of death from AIDS than adults. Phuong Tran reports from Dakar on the challenges of stopping the disease from being passed to the next generation.
Across Africa, HIV infection is significantly higher in some groups. In Senegal, homosexual men are 10 times more likely to be HIV positive than the rest of the population. Phuong Tran reports from Dakar on the challenges of preventing HIV in a mostly hidden community.
Throughout sub-Saharan Africa, women are more likely to be infected with HIV than men. Phuong Tran reports from Dakar on why some women are more vulnerable to HIV infection.
Zambia is one of many countries in Africa to be hard hit by the AIDS pandemic. It is estimated that 16 % of the population is living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The worst hit areas are the Copper Belt mining area and the tourist town of Livingston.
Even in African countries with overall low HIV infection rates, sex workers are many more times likely to carry the virus. In this second part of a five-part series on the most vulnerable groups to HIV infection in Africa, Phuong Tran reports from Dakar on one woman's search for a way to get out of sex work and the money that keeps her in it.
Hyperinflation in Zimbabwe is inflicting economic pain on millions, but for those battling AIDS it poses a deadly threat as prices of antiretroviral drugs soar out of reach.
The United Nations Children's Fund says since the end of apartheid South Africa has made progress in improving the quality of life for its children. But poverty, AIDS and violence continue to threaten the future of many of them. UNICEF made the assessment in its annual report on South Africa as we hear from Correspondent Scott Bobb in Johannesburg.
Africa's porous borders and location have made it an attractive destination for drug traffickers. Health and government officials worry how this trend affects the growing rate of HIV infection on the continent. In Senegal, drug users have emerged as one of the highest risk groups for HIV infection. In this first part of a five-part series on the most vulnerable groups to HIV infection in Africa, Phuong Tran reports from Dakar.
A global program to promote development through sports has been launched in Kenya, with a national youth sports tournament in the capital Nairobi Saturday and Sunday. Cathy Majtenyi attended the event, and files this report for VOA.
Researchers have shut down their human trials of the microbicide cellulose sulfate as a method to combat HIV transmission. Preliminary data found that use of the topical gel, which is applied to a woman's vagina, led to an increased risk of HIV infection.
South African President Thabo Mbeki has pledged to create more jobs, improve social services, fight crime and combat AIDS in a wide ranging State of the Nation address. Mr. Mbeki delivered the speech Friday in Capetown at the opening session of the South African parliament. Correspondent Scott Bobb reports from our bureau in Johannesburg.
The first large-scale trial of an AIDS vaccine is getting under way in South Africa, the home of two-thirds of the world's population of HIV-infected individuals. Researchers say the vaccine has shown promise in earlier studies, but in the Africa trial, they are most interested in learning whether the drug prevents spread of the disease in different parts of the world. VOA's Jessica Berman explains.
Friday, G7 finance ministers, representing the world's major industrialized nations, will meet in Essen, Germany. Among other things, they're expected to discuss trade, as well as good governance and fiscal policy in Africa.
Wednesday, February 7th,marks National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day in the United States. Many organizations, churches and private citizens are going to African American communities to help educate people about protecting themselves against the disease.
This week, President Bush presented his budget for fiscal year 2008. It includes a request for $5.4 billion for PEPFAR, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. PEPFAR is now three years old. It was originally proposed as a five-year, $15-billion program.
Friends and colleagues of a Kenya-based AIDS researcher, who was gunned down Sunday during a carjacking in the outskirts of Nairobi, say Africa has lost one of its most distinguished and accomplished scientists. VOA Correspondent Alisha Ryu in Nairobi reports.
Proceeds from benefit concerts by the cult rock group Dispatch are funding efforts by the New York-based Elias Fund to relieve AIDS orphans and others in need in the eastern Zimbabwean province of Masvingo.
Chinese officials have placed a prominent, veteran HIV/AIDS campaigner under house arrest, preventing her from traveling to the U.S. to accept a human rights award. Gao Yaojie, a retired doctor in her 80s, exposed government-supported blood-buying programs in Henan province that led to thousands being infected with HIV. Daniel Schearf reports from Beijing.
Australia's HIV infection rate has surged by 41 percent between 2000 and 2005, and the increase is being seen predominantly among gay men. The government, reacting to claims that it has been negligent in the area of disease prevention, is planning a multi-million dollar education campaign. From Sydney, Phil Mercer reports.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies says it is expanding its humanitarian operations in 2007 to meet the problems and challenges posed by climate change and HIV/AIDS. The agency is launching an appeal for $285 million to finance its expanded programs, particularly in Africa. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Red Cross headquarters in Geneva.
The son of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi says Libya will suspend the execution of five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor who were sentenced to death last month in an AIDS epidemic case.
The world's most deadly diseases are AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. Together, they account for 6 million deaths each year, most of them in the developing world.
The United States, China, and the United Nations' International Labor Organization have launched an education campaign on the prevention and handling of HIV-AIDS in the workplace. The campaign will focus on preventing the spread of HIV, and ways to stop discrimination against those who have it. Daniel Schearf reports from Beijing.
Health experts are warning that infectious diseases in Burma are growing beyond the government's ability to control them, and are spreading beyond the country's borders. Ron Corben reports for VOA from Bangkok, where an international conference on the matter has just concluded.
The first large-scale computer screening of herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine has revealed a wide variety of chemicals that may have potential for the development of new drugs.
Malaria continues as a major health threat, killing more than a million people a year, most of them African children under age five. In the battle against the disease, researchers are promoting a relatively new and more effective approach using a substance extracted from the root of a plant grown in China and Vietnam. It's called artemisinin and it's said to be much more effective than traditional drugs.
What could be a life-saving breakthrough in the fight against cystic fibrosis, cancer and AIDS has been achieved by a 17-year-old Indian-American student at the Mississippi Institute of Mathematics and Science. Madhavi Gavini is one of the quieter students at this prestigious boarding school. "She doesn't stand up and raise her hand and answer questions," science teacher Gil Katzenstein observes. "She actually likes to ask questions; questions about things she doesn't know. She's a student in the best sense: someone who's interested in learning and doing."
AIDS activists have hailed a pledge from the government of Zimbabwe to make life-saving antiretroviral drugs available to 160,000 people by year's end, but emphasize that Harare must simultaneously address a wider crisis in the health care system.
A Zimbabwean firm has committed Z$90 million, or about US$21,000 at the prevailing parallel market foreign exchange rate, to fund the activities of the Zimbabwe National Network for People Living with HIV-AIDS, which is also known as ZNNP+.
The World Food Program (WFP) warns it will be forced to slash food aid to hundreds of thousands of hungry Cambodians next month if it does not receive new donations soon. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Geneva WFP says those who will lose out include young children and HIV/AIDS and TB patients.
The United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF, says its strategy to prevent and support children affected by AIDS is showing signs of success despite tepid response for the international community. From VOA's New York Bureau, correspondent Barbara Schoetzau has the story.
HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is an extremely active virus. Scientists have learned that it copies itself in the body billions of times a day. And during that replication process, the virus undergoes subtle changes. In some patients, these mutations can cause many of the individual viruses to become resistant to the anti-retroviral medications used to prevent and treat AIDS.
A new report by the U.N. Children's Fund finds signs of progress in meeting the needs of children affected by HIV/AIDS more than a year after a global campaign was launched to focus attention on the plight of AIDS-affected children. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Geneva.
The number of new syphilis cases in China, according to the latest study, has risen dramatically after the sexually-transmitted disease had been virtually wiped out. The investigators say a number of factors could account for the steep rise in rates of syphilis, which often acts as a barometer of HIV infection rates. VOA's Jessica Berman reports.
An international team of scientists has cracked the genetic code of the parasite that causes one of the most prevalent sexually transmitted diseases in the world known as trichomoniasis. The research is expected to help people with the infection soon. VOA's Jessica Berman reports.
Zimbabwe's fight against Aids received a boost this week from the European Union and the United Nations Population Fund in the form of a 5.66 million euro grant for programs aimed at changing sexual behavior to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Zimbabweans are absorbing the latest surge in inflation to a 1,181% annual rate, but for some of those living with HIV-AIDS the rise in prices is particularly disturbing as the recent doubling in price of antiretroviral drugs has put them out of reach of many.
One of the main weapons to prevent mother-to-child transmission of the AIDS virus during birth is the drug nevirapine. But when nevirapine is used alone just once, HIV starts becoming resistant to it. Research in Botswana shows that the resistance is not long lasting and that this affordable drug does not have to be abandoned forever by infected mothers who have already taken it. VOA's David McAlary reports.
HIV-AIDS activists in Zimbabwe have applauded statements from government officials saying their objective in 2007 is to nearly triple the number of people on antiretroviral drug treatment. The state-run Herald newspaper last week quoted HIV-AIDS national coordinator Owen Mugurungi as saying the government hoped to have 160,000 people receiving ARV drug therapy, compared with about 50,000 today.
Zimbabwean AIDS activists said Tuesday that although they are pleased to hear that the government hopes this year to more than double the number of people receiving antiretroviral treatment for the deadly disease, much more needs to be done.
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