Africa

Uneven progress in global TB fight

NAIROBI, 17 October 2012 (PlusNews) - The UN Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target of halting and reversing the tuberculosis (TB) epidemic by 2015 has been achieved, and the world is on track to meet the target of reducing global TB prevalence by 50 percent by 2015. But the progress has been irregular, with Africa and Europe lagging behind the rest of the world, according to the new Global Tuberculosis report by the UN World Health Organization (WHO). full report

AFRICA: Need for better research dissemination

ADDIS ABABA, 10 October 2012 (PlusNews) - African research to improve patient care and treatment is growing, but the dissemination of evidence-based approaches to healthcare lags behind, experts say. full report

HEALTH: A timeline of Global Fund reforms

JOHANNESBURG, 27 September 2012 (PlusNews) - Change is afoot at the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. In 2010, after allegations of fraud among fund recipients in Mali, Mauritania and Zambia, the Global Fund put together an independent, high-level panel to review its financial controls and assess how grant money is spent. The Fund is now implementing the panel's recommendations. full report

HEALTH: The Global Fund adopts new funding model

JOHANNESBURG, 25 September 2012 (PlusNews) - The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has released initial details on its new funding model, which will change the way countries apply for money. But as the Fund works to finalize the model before next year, civil society is criticizing the process for being untransparent and rushed. full report

HIV/AIDS: Religion not a barrier to HIV treatment

NAIROBI, 22 August 2012 (PlusNews) - Preachers who promise divine healing have often been blamed for turning desperate HIV-positive people against their life-prolonging antiretroviral (ARV) medication and risking their health, but recent research suggests that religious beliefs may not be a barrier to treatment after all. full report

HEALTH: Major price cut for rapid TB test

NAIROBI, 7 August 2012 (PlusNews) - The cost of a highly accurate, rapid diagnostic test for tuberculosis (TB) has been reduced by 40 percent under a new agreement between the US government, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the health financing mechanism, UNITAID. full report

HIV/AIDS: Growing old with HIV

WASHINGTON DC, 26 July 2012 (PlusNews) - It's hard enough dealing with the aches and pains that usually come with getting older, but when you're HIV-positive, ageing brings more chronic illnesses and even more medication; many health systems are not ready to cope with this relatively new phenomenon. full report

HIV/AIDS: New ways to fund the fight

WASHINGTON DC, 25 July 2012 (PlusNews) - While global HIV funding has stayed flat in recent years, poorer countries have quietly been putting more of their own money into financing the HIV response. "Something very interesting has been happening" in Africa, Bernhard Schwartländer, director of strategy at UNAIDS told a plenary session at the 19th International AIDS Conference in Washington DC. full report

HIV/AIDS: New investment in point-of-care evaluation

WASHINGTON DC, 25 July 2012 (PlusNews) - International medicines financing mechanism UNITAID will invest more than US$140 million to evaluate point-of-care HIV diagnostic and monitoring technology in seven African countries. full report

HIV/AIDS: Straight Talk with Mark Eldon-Edington, Global Fund director of country programmes

WASHINGTON DC, 24 July 2012 (PlusNews) - The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria is changing the way it does business, and the way it disburses money. In 2010, after allegations of fraud among fund recipients in Mali, Mauritania and Zambia, the Global Fund put together an independent, high-level panel to review its financial controls and how grant money is spent. The Fund is now implementing the panel's recommendations. full report
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