The good doctor: Mark Blaylock on finding meaning back at Manguzi

Posted in: Healthcare system, KwaZulu-Natal, Latest, Provinces

In December 2008, Dr Mark Blaylock left South Africa after a high-profile spat with then-Health MEC of KwaZulu-Natal Peggy Nkonyeni. The affair was sparked by Blaylock’s colleague Colin Pfaff being charged with misconduct for sourcing funding for antiretroviral drugs for pregnant women living with HIV. Four years later, Blaylock was back at Manguzi District Hospital in KwaZulu-Natal. Sue Segar chatted to Blaylock about his years outside of South Africa, returning to Manguzi, and how healthcare in KwaZulu-Natal has changed over the years.

The good doctor: Mark Blaylock on finding meaning back at Manguzi

Almost 40 years with HIV – from ‘dead man walking’ to HIV awareness champion

Posted in: Healthcare system, HIV, Latest

On December 12, Ntimbwe Munongo Mpamba will celebrate his fortieth birthday with chocolate cake in Northgate, Johannesburg. He was born with HIV but only became aware of his HIV status many years later. Biénne Huisman spoke to him about living with HIV, his early years when his mother fed him medicine disguised as sweets, and now, living openly as an HIV awareness champion.

Almost 40 years with HIV – from ‘dead man walking’ to HIV awareness champion

ANALYSIS: Reflections on TAC’s future as new leadership elected

Posted in: Healthcare system, HIV, Latest

The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) elected new leadership at its recently held seventh national congress. Thabo Molelekwa attended the congress and asked TAC leaders about the organisation’s focus in 2022 and beyond.

ANALYSIS: Reflections on TAC’s future as new leadership elected

From the frontlines: 20 years of fighting HIV in Khayelitsha

Posted in: Edition 12: SA’s AIDS & TB response, Edition 6: HIV & teens, Edition 8: NSP in general, Edition 9: State of HIV, HIV, Latest

Two decades since Doctors without Borders (MSF) started its HIV programme in Khayelitsha, the organisation will start wrapping up its operations. Siyabonga Kamnqa spoke to some people living with HIV who benefitted from this programme and who now work as activists about developments over the last 20 years.

From the frontlines: 20 years of fighting HIV in Khayelitsha

New medicines should make life easier for kids living with HIV

Posted in: HIV, Latest

HIV medicines for children often taste bitter, pills are large, and for many children there is a lot of medication to take. This makes it hard to take treatment as prescribed. Tiyese Jeranji looks at the challenges with currently available HIV medicines for children, what innovations are in the pipeline, and how HIV treatment is being tailored to suit the needs of children.

New medicines should make life easier for kids living with HIV

U=U: We should put people living with HIV at the centre of HIV prevention efforts

Posted in: Edition 9: State of HIV, Latest

The U=U campaign is based on a simple message – an undetectable viral load in people living with HIV equals an untransmissible virus. The U=U campaign, argues Mandisa Dukashe, has the power to motivate people living with HIV to adhere to ARVs, achieve viral suppression, and subsequently lead long and healthy lives while preventing HIV transmission to sexual partners and their babies.

U=U: We should put people living with HIV at the centre of HIV prevention efforts

Nuances in SA’s HIV Epidemic: Seven graphs that tell the story

Posted in: Edition 9: State of HIV, HIV, Latest

Over the last decade there have been significant decreases in the rates of new HIV infections, HIV-related deaths, and mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) in South Africa. Yet, there are still staggering gaps between different subsets of the population.

Nuances in SA’s HIV Epidemic: Seven graphs that tell the story

SA’s children surviving but not thriving, conference hears

Posted in: Healthcare system, Latest

Health practitioners, caregivers and academics recently attended the 10th Child Health Priorities Conference at the University of North West (NWU) under the theme – “survive, thrive and transform – championing change for children”. Some experts argued that South Africa’s children is surviving, but not thriving. Madala Thepa reports.

SA’s children surviving but not thriving, conference hears

How HIV shaped us

Posted in: HIV, Latest, Opinions, Perspectives, Spotlight

HIV changed our society at a time when South Africa needed no distraction as it battled to rebuild a nation post-apartheid., write Professor Glenda Gray and Professor James A. McIntyre.