More money for HIV/Aids treatment

The SA government will be stepping up the fight against HIV and AIDS with the announcement of a further R3 billion towards its national prevention and treatment programme. Read more >>

AP examines male circumcision efforts in Africa, including adult circumcision devices

The Associated Press examines efforts to prevent the spread of HIV by circumcising "about 50 million men across Africa - where 70% of the world's HIV-infected population lives." The procedure has been shown to lower a man's risk of HIV infection through heterosexual sex, prompting "countries with high HIV rates, including Botswana, Kenya, Rwanda, Namibia and Zambia," to include male circumcision in their HIV prevention plans, the news service writes. Read more >>

H1N1 flu has hit kids with neuromuscular disorders especially hard

Despite his cerebral palsy, Derek Collette never lagged very far behind... He rode the school bus with other special-needs children, hustled to class on crutches and got decent grades for a child with a learning disability, if not on par with those of an average 13-year-old. Read more >>

Effectiveness of influenza vaccines in older people: No clear conclusions

Evidence for the safety and efficacy of influenza vaccines in the over 65s is poor, despite the fact that vaccination has been recommended for the prevention of influenza in older people for the past 40 years. These are the conclusions of a new Cochrane Systematic Review. Read more >>

Swine flu outbreak threatens at World Cup

South Africa faces a possible health crisis if a swine flu outbreak strikes during the soccer World Cup this year, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi told parliament on Monday. Read more >>

New finding holds promise for rehabilitating patients after neurological damage

Harnessing brain signals to control keyboards, robots or prosthetic devices is an active area of medical research. Now a rare peek at a human brain hooked up to a computer shows that the two can adapt to each other quickly and possibly to the brain's benefit. Read more >>

'Egg timer' that reads women's bio clock

Experts have come up with a simple, quick and inexpensive test that can measure a woman's egg reserve. Read more >>

Researchers discover new strategy to overcome drug resistance in breast cancer

Combining tamoxifen, the world's most prescribed breast cancer agent, with a compound found in the flowering plant feverfew may prevent initial or future resistance to the drug, say researchers at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Centre. Read more >>

40% of all cancers preventable

World Cancer Day 2010 (Thursday, 4th February 2010), led by UICC, its members and with the support of the World Health Organisation (WHO), aims to raise awareness of the importance of actively reducing cancer risk through the 2010 Cancer Can Be Prevented Too campaign. Read more >>

Braille packaging for medication

Lipogen, a generic cholesterol lowering medication, is reputedly the first product to be launched in South Africa embossed with Braille for easy identification by the blind. For many years, the inability of the blind and partially sighted to read the labels and packaging of their medication has represented a serious health-risk to those individuals. Read more >>

Circumcision: Risky business

When it is carried out by untrained providers with inappropriate equipment, that is; in South Africa many initiates die every year as a result of botched circumcisions. Read more >>

Egypt: End of free health care hits poor hardest

Hesham Gohary says he has been coming to the Health Ministry in central Cairo for weeks in the hope of getting free kidney dialysis treatment, but always leaves empty-handed. Read more >>

Zambia: Cervical cancer screening saves lives

Cervical cancer is a leading killer among women living with HIV, but a low-cost screening programme developed in Zambia is proving that simple techniques can go a long way in saving lives. Read more >>

Sponsorships get healthy living on the road

Two sponsorship deals announced this week will see South Africans getting healthier, as they take to the road or the hills with Lance Armstrong and the Adventure Boot Camp for Women. Read more >>