Estimated worldwide HIV infections: 49 922 230 at 10.30am on Thursday December 19 2002
Undeserving: A Swaziland government official says the government might stop providing medical support to HIV/Aids patients. Senator Walter Bennett, a senior adviser to King Mswati III, told a rally in the commercial capital of Manzini it was unfair to continue taking care of people with HIV/Aids because others were more deserving. ‘The government is wasting a lot of money, yet these people got this disease out of their evil habits and out of choice,” he said. About 33% of Swaziland’s population has HIV/Aids. Bennett said it was obvious that promiscuity was playing a big part in the spread of the disease and he urged the government to close down entertainment places. ‘Swaziland can do without these places and this could lower the HIV/Aids prevalence in Swaziland,” he said. His remarks were condemned by Hani Dlamini, chairperson of the Association of People Living with HIV/Aids, who said it was an irresponsible statement from a senior government official.
Dodgy protection: Questions have been raised about the commercial launch in Europe of a latex female condom made in India. Intellx of the United States is marketing the device, made by its Indian subsidiary. Studies are under way on the new condom, marketed as V-Amour, but there are reports of breakages, slippages and other indications that it may not be reliable and may need further design changes before it is fit for general sale or distribution.
Source: Sapa, www.aidsmap.com
Estimated worldwide HIV infections: 49 822 096 at 11.33am on Thursday, December 12
Marriage test: A village in the western Indian state of Maharashtra has made HIV/Aids tests compulsory for all prospective brides and grooms, according to a recent report.
The quick test for HIV has been made a precondition for marriages for the 1 200 people in Hiware Bazar village, the Indian Express reported.
‘I know it is a sensitive issue, so we are still in the process of finalising it. But people here know what Aids is and the problems it causes,” village headman Popatrao Pawar said.
The decision was taken collectively by the village, which has not reported any HIV/Aids cases so far.
Caught by surprise: Although research on HIV/Aids released last week revealed an encouraging trend among South Africans towards safer sexual practices, more than two-thirds of infected people tested were not aware of their status.
The leader of South Africa’s first nationally representative study on HIV/Aids, Dr Olive Shisana, said that up to 63% of those found to be infected did not perceive themselves to be at risk, but up to 62% said they knew where to get testing services if they needed them.
Shisana also said that of those who had not been tested, 60% said they would consider testing if confidentiality was assured and if the tests were made affordable.
About 18,9% of the respondents told researchers they had been tested, but cited insurance requirements and pregnancy as the main reasons, Shisana said.
Source: Sapa, www.redribbon.com
Estimated worldwide HIV infections: 49 721 002 at 11.03am on Thursday December 5
No follow-up: Traditional healers are battling to get patients to go for follow-up tests after they have tested HIV-positive.
Many patients fear the stigma associated with HIV/Aids and want as few people as possible to know their HIV status, so they refuse to have additional tests, according to the president of Progressive Primary Health Healers of Africa, Kaizer Gumede-Maebela.
Speaking at an Aids awareness event in Ohrigstad, near Lydenburg in Mpumalanga, this week, Gumede-Maebela said about 85% of black people prefer to consult traditional healers rather than doctors.
“When we [traditional healers] recognise HIV/Aids symptoms in our patients we give them counselling and ask them to go for an Aids test at a hospital or clinic,” said Gumede-Maebela.
Those who test HIV-positive usually return to traditional healers for help to alleviate the symptoms associated with the virus, but are then reluctant to do follow-up tests.
Traditional healers use herbal medicine to boost peoples’ immune systems and treat opportunistic diseases.
A problem arises when patients refuse to have follow-up tests to determine their T-cell count, which helps traditional healers and doctors to asses their immunity level and determine what treatment they can offer.
Sources: allAfrica.com