HARARE, 17 February (PLUSNEWS) - Government hospitals in Zimbabwe's two major urban centres, Harare and Bulawayo, will start providing free antiretroviral (ARV) drugs next month, in partnership with UNAIDS, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the local health ministry. Full report

BUJUMBURA, 17 February (PLUSNEWS) - Germany and Burundi have signed a cooperation agreement under which Germany will provide €7.5 million (US $9.5 million) for a water supply project, the rehabilitation of refugees and internally displaced people as well as HIV/AIDS control. Full report

KIGALI, 17 February (PLUSNEWS) - Five African first ladies and representatives from four other countries have vowed to redouble their efforts to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS on the continent and, in particular, to prevent mother-to-child infections. Full report

JOHANNESBURG, 16 February (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa's health minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang vehemently defended the pace of the government's rollout of HIV/AIDS drugs at a weekend rally marking the start of national Sexually Transmitted Infection and Condom Week. Full report

NAIROBI, 16 February (PLUSNEWS) - Mary Waweru, a kindergarten teacher in Nairobi's sprawling Kawangware slums, has noticed that some of her pupils are increasingly absent from school due to ill health. Some of the young children have already been orphaned, being supported by charity organisations. Full report

JOHANNESBURG, 13 February (PLUSNEWS) - NEWS: SOUTH AFRICA: Community-based approach developed for orphan...Full report

JOHANNESBURG, 13 February (PLUSNEWS) - An innovative pilot project by SOS Children's Villages Association of South Africa to provide community-based care for children orphaned by AIDS is underway in the rural community of QwaQwa, in Free State province. Full report

KIGALI, 13 February (PLUSNEWS) - A two-day HIV/AIDS conference, convened by the Organisation of African First Ladies Against HIV/AIDS, began on Friday in the Rwandan capital, Kigali. Full report

MASERU, 12 February (PLUSNEWS) - Two new laws, one currently going through the legislative pipeline and another enacted last year, are key to addressing the confluence of social problems that are contributing to Lesotho's humanitarian crisis. Full report

ACCRA, 11 February (PLUSNEWS) - Ghanaian health experts began reviewing measures to control HIV/AIDS at a first ever National Research Conference on Wednesday following a new survey which showed that HIV prevalance rates were rising in the country's main cities. Full report