The most up-to-date WHO publication on the subject, the report attempts to help WHO Member States to ensure that genome technology is used to reduce rather than exacerbate global inequalities in health status.
Equity in Health
New UNAIDS report warns AIDS epidemic still in early phase
A new report released by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) warns that the AIDS epidemic is still in an early phase. HIV prevalence is climbing higher than previously believed possible in the worst-affected countries and is continuing to spread rapidly into new populations in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Eastern Europe.
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Malaria threat on heels of drought
The coming of the rains in Southern Africa in the next few months will end the region's drought but usher in a new threat - an upsurge in malaria, Africa's number one killer. "Our past experiences from the '92 drought and other droughts is that after the drought breaks and the first rains fall there is a natural biological response from the mosquitoes. They move in large numbers. We must prepare to keep malaria down when the rains come," said Shiva Marugasampillay, chairman of the World Health Organisation's (WHO) 2002 Southern Africa Malaria Control Conference.
Further details: /newsletter/id/29261
TANZANIA: Government stands by malaria policy
Following recent confusion over the potential side effects of a new malaria drug - Sulphadoxine-Pyrimethamine (SP)- the Tanzanian health ministry has reiterated its faith in the drug as the most effective method of treating the deadly disease.
Further details: /newsletter/id/29259
Testing the market for the female condom in Zambia
The female condom could reduce the spread of HIV by increasing the prevention options available to sexually active adults. Marketing of the female condom at subsidised prices began in Lusaka, Zambia, in 1997. How effective has this been? Do people know about female condoms and are they likely to use them?
Treatment Action Campaign Threatens Court Action
The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) on Monday threatened to challenge the Medicines Control Council (MCC) in court if it decided to ban the anti-Aids drug, nevirapine. "We haven't decided on an exact legal route yet but we will make sure that any reverse decision is heard. We're not going to quietly sit by if this is a serious threat," the TAC's Mark Heywood told reporters in Johannesburg. He was reacting to newspaper reports at the weekend that the MCC was reviewing its approval of nevirapine because it had concerns about its effectiveness and toxicity.
Week-Old Infant Raped in South Africa
Police are investigating the rape of a one-week-old South African baby girl, the youngest child ever to be raped in the country, Reuters/Toronto Star reports. The attack occurred on Sunday in the city of Kwaminya in KwaZulu-Natal province. The infant is seriously injured but is in stable condition, Police Superintendent Lawrence Zondi said. It is not known who committed the rape. The incident is the latest in a "spate of child rapes fueled by the myth that sex with a virgin" can cure HIV/AIDS.
WSSD: Briefing paper on HIV/AIDS
In a briefing paper for the World Summit on Sustainable Development, the devastating toll of the HIV/AIDS pandemic is examined. Its present and future impact on global sustainable development, especially for the poorest members of society and least developed countries, is discussed. Some of the suggested strategies for dealing with the most critical aspects of the disease are also reviewed.
Africa Launches Own AIDS Vaccine Initiative
Africa launches a campaign for a fairer share of funding into the development of an AIDS vaccine, saying it was unacceptable that the world's poorest continent received so little attention. Though more than 28 million Africans carry the virus that causes AIDS, less than 2% of world research funding goes towards fighting the unique strains of the disease in Africa. The AAVP (African Aids Vaccine Programme) is being coordinated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Geneva, with African scientists leading the search. The African vaccine initiative requires $233 million over the 7 years that AAVP participants have given themselves to test and produce a cheap, effective and safe vaccine for the HIV/AIDS strains common in Africa, she said.
Further details: /newsletter/id/29207
AFRICA: 28 million Africans now living with HIV/AIDS - UNAIDS
More than 28 million Africans are now living with HIV/AIDS and in some countries over 30 percent of the adult population is infected, a UNAIDS statement has warned. "The devastating impact of HIV/AIDS is rolling back decades of development progress in Africa," said Peter Piot, UNAIDS executive director. "Every element of African society - from teachers to soldiers to farmers - is under attack by AIDS," he added.