Estimated worldwide HIV infections: Thursday October 25 at 13h50: 43 876 270
Defensive: Responding in Parliament to a multi-party challenge to the government’s HIV/Aids policy, President Thabo Mbeki expressed reservations about the use of anti-retroviral drugs to treat it.
Speaking for the poor: Namibian Philemon Moongo of the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance/United Democratic Front coalition told the country’s National Assembly that he would ask the minister of health and social service to stop charging fees to admit bodies to mortuaries. He said some families had lost up to five relatives in three months because of HIV/Aids.
Uplifting: The Community Chest and Cape Argus in the Cape have launched a community-building campaign to uplift the people of the Western Cape. The campaign will focus on HIV/Aids.
State of emergency: Cape Town Anglican Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane is consulting with the Southern African government, labour movements, churches and NGOs about declaring HIV/Aids a state of emergency. Ndungane was commissioned by fellow archbishops representing more than 70-million Anglicans.
Estimated worldwide HIV infections: Thursday October 18 2pm: 43 775 692
Free at last: The Medical Research Council (MRC) this week released its report on HIV/Aids and adult mortality in South Africa, which finds that Aids is the largest killer in South Africa. Professor Sam Mhlongo, a member of the Presidential Aids Advisory Council, said the report is “unacceptable” because it does not define what Aids is. Minister of Health Manto Tshabalala-Msimang said the report was a “work in progress”. MRC president Malegapuru Makgoba said his organisation stood by the report. For the full report, see www.mrc.ac.za/bod
Stop squabbling: The government should urgently channel resources into meeting the HIV/Aids challenge, and not become “side-tracked by statistical sniping”, a firm of actuaries and management consultants said. Wayne Myslik, a demographer at NMG-Levy, made the call as the MRC and Statistics SA disputed estimates of Aids’ impact on adult mortality. The latest MRC study indicates that up to seven million Aids-related deaths may occur in South Africa by 2010. The worst-case estimate from Statistics SA is two million. Myslik said his company’s model on adult mortality was “very close” to the MRC figures.
Estimated worldwide HIV infections: Thursday October 11 3.30pm 43 675 229
Passing it on: A Malawian court has sentenced a 60-year-old woman to seven years in jail for infecting an 11-year-old boy with HIV. Emmie Nkumbira forced the boy to have sex with her on August 24. The boy told his parents after developing genital sores. Police arrested the woman and took her to hospital where she was diagnosed as having syphilis and HIV.
The good news: The rate of HIV infection in the North West province has dropped by 0,2% from 23,1% to 22,9%. MEC for Health Molefi Sefularo says his department has embarked on several programmes in an attempt to stem the HIV/Aids tide. The department has increased its voluntary HIV/Aids counselling and testing sites from 11 to 55 and plans to open more in the near future.
Hijack warning: The Earth Summit to be held in September next year is in danger of being hijacked by HIV/Aids issues if the South African government fails to properly manage the Aids debate, the labour union, MWU Solidarity says.
“Just as the recent anti-racism conference in Durban was hijacked by the Palestinian and Israeli debate, the Aids question may do the same in respect of the coming Earth Summit.”
Estimated worldwide HIV infections: Thursday ,b>October 4 at 3.30pm: 43 574 981
Let them in: Excluding HIV-positive pupils from school is unlawful and unconstitutional, Minister of Education Kader Asmal said on Monday. “All learners have a right to education and are protected by the Schools Act and the Constitution of our country.” Asmal said some surveys indicate that most pupils enter the education system HIV-negative, but many leave it HIV-positive.
Nothing to report: Only a third of top South African companies reported to the public about their employment policy and incidence of fraud and HIV/Aids, a KPMG study has found. Associate director Wayne Visser said given the fact that Johannesburg will be hosting the World Summit on Sustainable Development, it is concerning that only a quarter of company reports mention Aids.
We?re not sure: The Gauteng Department of Health on Wednesday said until HIV/Aids was made a notifiable disease it would not be able to categorically say it was responsible for most of the deaths in the province. Department spokesperson Popo Maja said although there was a notable increase in natural deaths in Gauteng, no statistics were available to support the theory that these were caused by Aids.
Aids helpline number: 0800 012 322