Estimated Aids-related deaths in South Africa: 1 708 589 at 1pm on Wednesday, February 8
From NY with love: New York’s health department is to release what may be the world’s first municipally branded condom.
The city, which distributes one million free condoms a month, wants to create its own packaging to help track and promote condom use.
‘We wanted to develop condom packaging that was noticeable so that we can later track the effectiveness of our distribution,†said Sandra Mullin, a spokesperson for the health and mental hygiene department.
The Free Condom Initiative, a Web-based programme to distribute condoms to social services organisations, was launched in June last year.
While some New Yorkers may welcome condoms bearing an image of the Statue of Liberty or the slogan ‘I NY”, others were not impressed.
‘That’s how you want people to think of New York City,†said Reverend Bill Banuchi, executive director of the state’s Christian Coalition.
Source: Guardian Newspapers 2006
Estimated Aids-related deaths in South Africa: 1 701 922 at noon, Wednesday, February 15 2006
Government backs free will
South Africa’s Ministry of Health has put its support behind people choosing to use traditional HIV/Aids treatments instead of scientifically proven anti-retroviral drugs.
Although the Democratic Alliance was concerned about the dangers untested herbal remedies might pose to HIV-positive people, the ministry was firm in its decision that people should be allowed to choose for themselves.
‘The Ministry of Health is determined to defend and promote indigenous knowledge systems, because we believe that traditional medicines and traditional health practitioners have an important role to play in the health system of the country,†said ministerial spokesperson Sibani Mngadi. Source: www.plusnews.org
Estimated Aids-related deaths in South Africa: 1 695 281 at noon on Wednesday, February 8
Dramatic fall in Zimbabwe HIV infections: Changes in sexual behaviour are believed to have triggered a striking decline in HIV in eastern Zimbabwe, according to a team of British scientists.
Blood tests show that HIV prevalence has dropped most steeply among the young, with 49% fewer women aged 15 to 24 testing positive and a 23% drop in infections among men of 17 to 29 years old.
The research team believes that high education levels mean many were able to understand health warnings about HIV.
The study found that among 17- to 19-year-old men, only 27% had had sex, compared with 45% in an earlier survey. For women aged 15 to 17, the percentage reporting sexual experience dropped from 21% to 9%.
Men and women both also reported a reduction in casual sex partners. The proportions of men and women who had had a recent casual sexual partner fell by 49% and 22% respectively. Source: Guardian Newspapers 2006