[Cutting edge] Cervical cancer month - 1 Sep 2008
[Bridget Farham] September is cervical cancer awareness month. This is a cancer that affects millions of South African women - and which is made worse by co-infection with HIV. read more

[Cutting edge] Where are our priorities? - 25 Aug 2008
[Bridget Farham] One of the articles in today's newsletter highlights a protest by people living with HIV and AIDS in Swaziland. They were protesting about several of King Mswati's wives flying overseas on a shopping trip. read more

[Cutting edge] Peddling snake oil - 18 Aug 2008
[Bridget Farham] There is out there, making enormous amounts of money, a truck driver, called Zeblon Gwala, who claims to have a cure for HIV and AIDS. The 'cure' came to him in a dream, is called Ubhejane and is selling well to desparate people, clutching at straws. Anso Tom, writing eloquently in today's Cape Times, accuses our Minister of Health of being soft on 'natural remedies', while cracking the whip at every opportunity over any perceived failure in conventional medicine. read more

[Cutting edge] Morbidity and mortality - 11 Aug 2008
[Bridget Farham] Most of the stories in today's newsletter are about infectious diseases. Now in South Africa, along with most other low to middle income countries, the top two causes of death are actually cardiovascular disease and stroke. read more

[Cutting edge] A global burden - 4 Aug 2008
[Bridget Farham] Mexico City is host this week to the 17th International AIDS Conference and also saw the release of the latest figures on HIV and AIDS around the world from UNAIDS. There has been a small, very small, decline in the numbers of people infected - from 33,2 million to 33 million - a drop in the ocean in terms of human suffering. Sub-Saharan Africa still bears the brunt of the epidemic, and, interestingly, Germany and Britain are seeing a resurgence in new HIV infections - as are India and China. The UNAIDS report cited in this Monday's newsletter speaks of the efficacy of treatment and prevention programmes in reducing new infections and in prolonging the lives of those already infected. read more

[Cutting edge] Medicine's backbone - 28 Jul 2008
[Bridget Farham] When I was growing up, both in Zambia and in the UK, the only doctor I ever saw (apart from when I had my tonsils out) was a GP. However, I can virtually guarantee that most of you reading this newsletter now go to a specialist rather than a GP, for most of your medical care. read more

[Cutting edge] Not caring enough - 21 Jul 2008
[Bridget Farham] On Friday I was the moderator at a session of the HealthCare Expansion Congress that dealt with Africa's pandemic and pandemic preparedness. All three speakers highlighted one simple fact - our healthcare infrastructure is totally inadequate and will not stand up to a major onslaught. read more

[Cutting edge] World Population Day - 14 Jul 2008
[Bridget Farham] 11 July was World Population Day. In the past couple of decades talking about reducing the world's population has become increasingly politically incorrect. read more

[Cutting edge] When medicine sells out - 7 Jul 2008
[Bridget Farham] There are two items in today's newsletter that particular caught my eye. The first is a call for an end to selling organs for transplant and to the transplant tourism industry that has built up around this practice. read more

[Cutting edge] Selling snake oil - 30 Jun 2008
[Bridget Farham] Some years ago I wrote an editorial in the journal CME calling for Mathius Rath to be expelled from the country. That was at the start of his campaign of spreading misinformation and peddling snake oil as cures for HIV among the population of several South African townships. read more

[Know your drugs] Know your drugs - 23 Jun 2008
[Bridget Farham] The period 24 to 30 June is National Drug Awareness week - all too pertinent with the growing problem of addiction in South African society. Time was that we were relatively shielded from the horrors of drugs such as heroin and cocaine - ironically enough one of the few good effects of international isolation. read more

17 Jun 2008
[Bridget Farham] Global warming may be a long way from most of our minds in the depths of winter, wherever you are in the country. But the reality of climate change is clear - winter rain in Joburg - long periods of drought in the Cape - and, as for Australia (where so many are rushing to go to) - climate change is such an important issue there that it forced a change of government. But climate change has other, more subtle, effects. read more

9 Jun 2008
[Bridget Farham] Opening a newspaper in the mornings these days is a pretty depressing business. Rising fuel prices are stimulating higher prices generally and the use of agriculural land for biofuels is contributing to hunger around the world, as more and more people can simply no longer afford to put food on the table. read more

2 Jun 2008
[Bridget Farham] The Department of Health are trying to push a new bill that will set up a central bargaining chamber for negotiations in private sector health industry pricing. As medical aids are now forced to cover certain prescribed minimum benefits (PMBs) there is concern that schemes may be exploited by service providers who know that these conditions have to be covered. Over the past few years private health care in South Africa has become concentrated among three major players - who account for about 80% of the market. read more

26 May 2008
[Bridget Farham] I spent part of this morning at the refugee centre that has been set up at Soetwater recreation area, near Kommetjie - a pretty little village - near Cape Town. The refugee centre was set up to house Somalis who live in Masiphumelele, close by, and also people from DRC, Rwanda, Mozambique, Congo and Somalia who have been driven out of their homes in other areas of the city. There are new born babies in the centre, people who have TB and HIV who require treatment, people suffering from trauma - physical and mental - and because of the sheer numbers - the day to day medical problems that crop up in any population. read more