Estimated worldwide HIV infections: 44 481 282 on Thursday December 6 2001
Test trial: The Medical Research Council said South Africa’s first HIV/Aids vaccine trials may start as early as February next year involving 96 volunteers from KwaZulu-Natal, Soweto and the United States. If the first phase proves successful, the final phase of testing could begin in 2007. The vaccine trials are the first in South Africa, with about 30 trials currently in progress worldwide.
Death transmissions: Proposed legislation to provide for the death sentence for men who rape knowing they are infected with Aids has been published in Maseru following recommendations by the Lesotho Law Reform Commission. The death sentence is to be provided for because an Aids- infected rapist knew that his victim would be infected and ultimately die.
Donating: The Road Freight Association this week pledged R3-million towards the fight against Aids. According to the association, money would be used to implement Aids policies and programmes in the long-distance trucking industry. According to officials, the industry had been identified by the Department of Health as a “high transmission area”.