LIBREVILLE, 21 October (PLUSNEWS) - A sharp cut in the price of female condoms should promote their use in Gabon, one of the Central African countries most affected by HIV/AIDS, medical workers said. Full report

JOHANNESBURG, 21 October (PLUSNEWS) - The World Food Programme on Thursday launched an appeal for US $404 million to support a monthly average of 1.5 million people in five southern African countries affected by food shortages, high HIV/AIDS rates and weakened capacity for governance. Full report

JOHANNESBURG, 21 October (PLUSNEWS) - Residents of Kibera, a slum in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, are set to benefit from the launch on Thursday of a new health centre that will provide treatment for HIV/AIDS and other illnesses. Full report

NAIROBI, 21 October (PLUSNEWS) - The HIV prevalence in Eritrea has shown a slight decline over the past few years and appears to have stabilised, with survey results showing that the unweighted national prevalence rate has fallen from 2.8 percent in 2001 to 2.4 percent last year, a government official told IRIN on Tuesday. Full report

KAMPALA, 21 October (PLUSNEWS) - One of the largest HIV/AIDS training centres in Africa has been opened in the Ugandan capital, Kampala. The institute is designed to treat people suffering from AIDS and train more than 250 health professionals annually on how best to care for those infected with HIV. Full report

HARARE, 20 October (PLUSNEWS) - Few rural Zimbabweans are using the Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) centres, according to the latest Zimbabwe Human Development Report. Full report

JOHANNESBURG, 21 October (PLUSNEWS) - A new health centre started providing basic healthcare and HIV/AIDS treatment to residents of Kibera, a slum in Kenya's capital, Nairobi on Thursday. Full report

JOHANNESBURG, 21 October (PLUSNEWS) - One of East Africa's biggest medical and training facilities for HIV/AIDS has opened in Uganda's capital, Kampala. Full report

JOHANNESBURG, 21 October (PLUSNEWS) - Health ministers from seven European countries this week called for increased coordination of global HIV/AIDS vaccine research. Full report

JOHANNESBURG, 20 October (PLUSNEWS) - The World Bank has expressed concern that terrorism and the war in Iraq are diverting attention from efforts to tackle poverty and HIV/AIDS in developing countries. Full report

JOHANNESBURG, 20 October (PLUSNEWS) - Uganda's National Drug Authority (NDA) has issued a statement on behalf of the Ministry of Health saying its free condom brand, Engabu, were found to be unsatisfactory, according to a local newspaper, The Monitor. Full report

JOHANNESBURG, 20 October (PLUSNEWS) - South African Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang will release a full report to cabinet on her comprehensive HIV/AIDS plan on Thursday. Full report