With 87% of the world’s population or approximately 5.9 billion people using safe drinking-water sources, the world is on track to meet or even exceed the drinking-water target of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), according to the new WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) report titled: "Progress on Sanitation and Drinking-Water –2010 Update Report," released today.
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As of 15 March 2010, a total of 21 human laboratory confirmed cases of River Valley Fever (RVF) have been confirmed – all acquired in Free State – with two deaths. This brings a total to 22 human cases of RVF – with one in Northern Cape.
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South Africa is sitting on a malnutrition time bomb – which has seen people either being severely over- or underweight, top nutrition expert Professor Demetre Labadarios has warned.
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Cancer activist and one of history’s greatest cyclists Lance Armstrong has called on the 38 000 Argus participants to paint the race yellow on Sunday when they line up for the world’s biggest organised cycle race.
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They sat in little excited huddles of four around tables in the long, narrow hospital room. Some old, some younger, some still children. Many of them had bald heads, despite their young age, while others covered their hair loss with scarves.
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Mother-to-child HIV transmission in the developing world could be eliminated by 2015 and so could malaria if rich countries and industry do not reduce or discontinue their funding, according to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
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Cabinet has approved the implementation plan to scale up the HIV and AIDS prevention and treatment programme which will include ministers and other leaders taking HIV tests.
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South Africa’s health system has to make a 180 degree turn, away from the dominant curative health system, which is unsustainable and unaffordable, to a health system where prevention is the cornerstone, believes health minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi.
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