Estimated worldwide HIV infections: Thursday November 29 11.39pm: 44 379 909
Mounting toll: The United Nations joint programme on HIV/Aids produced its 2001 update on the epidemic. It estimates that five million people became infected with HIV this year and that worldwide 40-million people are living with the virus. Three million people are expected to die as a result of the virus by the end of this year; the vast majority live in sub-Saharan Africa. More than 20-million people are thought to have died in the two decades since the epidemic was identified. Worldwide, 1,2% of adults aged 15 to 49 years are living with HIV/Aids but this conceals huge regional variations, from 8,4% in sub-Saharan Africa to a mere 0,1% in Australia, New Zealand, East Asia and the Pacific. The report estimates that by the end of last year 12,1-million children had been orphaned by Aids, and that this would double over the next decade.
Holistic combat: The Department of Health said this week that 20 000 women had received counselling, testing and medication at the 18 pilot sites testing a programme to cut vertical transmission of HIV to their unborn babies. As part of the prevention campaign, more than 198-million condoms had been distributed during 1999, up from just six million in 1994.
Estimated worldwide HIV infections: Thursday November 22 1.10pm: 44 279 180
Under Attack: President Thabo Mbeki was criticised by Human Rights Watch in New York for his neglect in tackling the Aids epidemic sweeping through South Africa.The organisation accused the president of not handling the Aids crisis aggressively.
Participation: All South Africans are invited to become involved in local World Aids Day events on December 1 by lighting a candle at 7pm as a symbolic gesture that they care. In line with this year’s international theme, the South African slogan is I care enough to act – do you?. The government has organised various activities in all the provinces where a “flame of life” will be lit to bring people together in a diverse programme of events.
Policy: A call for access to anti-retroviral treatment for HIV and Aids patients in the public health care sector was made by a range of organisations led by the Treatment Action Campaign in a “consensus statement” that declared that treatment for HIV and Aids should no longer be withheld as a result of government policy. It warned that a delay in standardising anti-retroviral use could lead to “anti-retroviral drug anarchy” as prices came down, and untrained doctors prescribed medicines.
Estimated worldwide HIV infections: 1.39pm Thursday November 15: 44 178 522
Badge of honour: Badges costing R5 will be sold at Absa branches to raise money for children affected by HIV/Aids. The proceeds from the badges will go to the Nelson Mandela Children?s Fund.
Anti-retrovirals: A parliamentary committee on women has supported the use of anti-retroviral drugs to treat HIV/Aids, despite their toxicity and side effects. The committee said the government should develop its programme to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV, as well as create protocols for anti-retroviral treatment of rape survivors in an attempt to protect them from the virus.
Economic impact: The Absa group economic research unit estimates that the economically active population will be almost 24% smaller by 2015 as a result of HIV/Aids. The epidemic may dampen investor sentiment toward South Africa, put pressure on the balance of payments and lead to higher labour costs because of greater absenteeism and training costs. Economic growth will be curtailed, while government and household health-related expenditure is likely to rise.
Estimated worldwide HIV infections: Thursday November 8 11.08am: 44 076 222
Flying High 1: The Treatment Action Campaign is this year’s recipient of the MTV Free Your Mind award. The award is given to organisations that oppose intolerance and prejudice. Previous winners include Amnesty international.
Flying High 2: Basketball star Magic Johnson, 10 years after revealing he is HIV-positive, says he’s having the time of his life.
Lost learning: The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union said that 1 011 teachers died in the year to May at an average age of 39. This compared to 701 during the same period in the previous year. The report also found that more women than men were dying in five provinces.
Punishment: In the United States the sentence of an HIV-positive paedophile had been extended although he had not had sex with his intended victim. The court decided that he intended to expose a child to HIV, risking permanent bodily injury or death. In South Africa the United Democratic Movement has called for HIV-positive rapists to be treated as murderers. In Zambia the government has proposed automatic imprisonment for anyone knowingly infecting another person with HIV.
Estimated worldwide HIV infections: Thursday November 1 2.20pm: 43 977 355
New drug: The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new anti-retroviral drug for treating people with HIV. Viread (tenofovir) is the first nucleotide analogue approved by the FDA.
Going up: The first nine months of this year saw more recorded HIV infections in China than in the whole of last year. An estimated 28 133 people are known to have the virus; 5 616 were identified this year. About 600 000 people in China are thought to be HIV-positive.
Going down: New surveys have led the Mozambican government to revise downward the percentage of its people infected with HIV from 15% to 13%.
Safeguards: Public health workers are now entitled to state-sponsored tests and preventative medication if they are exposed to HIV through a needlestick injury at work.
Helping children: The Hope for African Children Initiative has been launched with the help of a $10-million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The initiative will work with community programmes to care for children affected by HIV/Aids.
Aids helpline number: 0800 012 322