SFH offers a holistic approach to HIV prevention

The Society for Family Health (SFH) is a South African HIV prevention organisation committed to increasing the health and wellness of South Africans by reducing the spread of HIV and AIDS through a long-term holistic approach which combines education, training and counselling and testing. Read more >>

Journey Back, Journey Forward project launched

Journey Back, Journey Forward, is a project spearheaded by the Robinson family after losing two family members in one a year, both from breast cancer. The project will see a group of individuals embarking on a motorbike journey from Johannesburg, South Africa to Uganda in August 2011. Read more >>

Groote Schuur Hospital launches Baha program

On 23 February this year, ear surgeon Dr Estie Meyer, head of the new Baha team at Groote Schuur Hospital, implanted Bone Anchored Hearing Aids (Baha) into two patients. On 19 May, these two patients who suffered a hearing loss for years will be fitted with external sound processors that transfer sound to their cochlea's via the implants in their skulls. The fittings will connect them to proper sound for the first time in their lives. Read more >>

Gates urges African leaders to make vaccines a priority

DAKAR: Microsoft founder Bill Gates has called on African countries to work harder to get life-saving vaccines to children, as their slugishness could derail efforts to save millions of lives and stamp out deadly diseases. Read more >>

KENYA: Marginal profits hamper malaria drug subsidy

[Isaiah Esipisu] NAIROBI: On the streets of Nairobi, James Odhiambo goes from one pharmacy to the next in search of anti-malarial drugs marked with the Global Fund's logo of a green leaf. He is looking for this specific brand because he understands that it is more than ten times cheaper than the same drug produced by different manufacturers. Read more >>

Heartbroken? Use a plaster

A sticking plaster to heal damaged hearts has been created by scientists. Read more >>

Doctors urge McDonald's to retire pitchman Ronald

CHICAGO: Hundreds of doctors backed a campaign to get McDonald's to stop marketing junk food to kids and retire its corporate symbol Ronald McDonald, in an open letter published in major US newspapers Wednesday, 18 May 2011. Read more >>

Preventing prostate cancer cells from 'bodybuilding' provides new treatment hope

Cancer Research UK scientists have discovered that stopping prostate cancer cells from 'bulking up' with nutrients reduces the spread of the disease and tumour size, according to research published recently in EMBO Journal. Read more >>

New findings could lead to blood test for lung cancer

Researchers have identified characteristic patterns of molecules called microRNA (miRNA) in the blood of people with lung cancer that might reveal both the presence and aggressiveness of the disease, and perhaps who is at risk of developing it. These patterns may be detectable up to two years before the tumour is found by computed tomography (CT) scans. Read more >>

AID POLICY: Blame game influences charitable giving

BANGKOK, 19 May 2011 (IRIN) - Why has Save the Children's US$40 million global appeal for conflict-affected Côte d'Ivoire only brought in $225,000, when its campaign for those affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan raised $25 million, exceeding the $20 million target? It could be that individual donors are placing blame, new research says. Read more >>

UN special rapporteur to assess health rights in Ghana

ACCRA: Special rapporteur Anand Grover will visit Ghana from 23-30 May 2011 to assess the country's endeavours to implement the right to health, as well as the measures taken for its successful realisation and the obstacles encountered both at the national and international levels. Read more >>

Big tobacco threatens to slash prices in Australia

SYDNEY: The tobacco industry on Tuesday (17 May 2011) threatened to slash the price of cigarettes if Australia goes ahead with plans to introduce plain packaging, saying more people will end up smoking. Read more >>

Do you think liposuction will get rid of that fat forever?

Liposuction has become one of the most popular plastic surgeries in the US and for many it has been the solution to what they reckon to have been excess fat - and they have thought that once the fat was gone, it stayed gone. Well... Read more >>