WORLD AIDS DAY-EL SALVADOR: More People Testing Positive

The rise in new HIV/AIDS cases in El Salvador shows either that the government strategy to combat the epidemic is failing, or that a larger proportion of the population is being tested, depending on the respective viewpoints of non-governmental organisations and local authorities.

WORLD AIDS DAY: Catholics Snub Vatican’s Condom Ban

As millions of people plan to show solidarity with the struggle against HIV/AIDS on Saturday, a new multi-nation poll released in Washington by the group Catholics for Choice shows that a majority of Catholics around the world believe that - contrary to the edicts coming from Rome - "good Catholics can use condoms".

WORLD AIDS DAY-INDIA: Sexing Up Safe Sex to Limit HIV Spread

Sex workers in this eastern metropolis are being encouraged to put pleasure back into their services as one way of limiting the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

HEALTH-THAILAND: &#39Deny Drug Addicts Anti-HIV Treatment, Feed Epidemic&#39

Thailand’s reputation as a world leader in combating the spread of HIV and AIDS is being challenged by a new study which accuses Bangkok of ignoring those most vulnerable to the virus - drug users.

WORLD AIDS DAY: Racism, Gov&#39t Apathy Fuel U.S. Epidemic

The United States has slashed the AIDS death rate among white and wealthy U.S. citizens, but the disease continues to ravage the black community at full force, leaders say.

WORLD AIDS DAY-CUBA: Volunteers on the Front Line of Prevention

While scientists devote their best efforts to developing an AIDS vaccine, prevention continues to be the most effective way of containing the pandemic which has already caused the deaths of 2.1 million people this year, and new infections in another 2.5 million people.

HEALTH: Drug Firms Lose by Shutting Out Poor, Oxfam Says

Drug firms are missing potentially valuable business opportunities by failing to meet the needs of consumers in developing countries, an international charity said Tuesday.

WORLD AIDS DAY: "The Search for a Vaccine Must Go On"

When one of the world's most promising large-scale HIV vaccine trials was shut down in September after it became clear that not only did the drug fail to block the virus, but may have even increased the vulnerability of some test volunteers to contracting HIV, it was a profoundly disappointing moment in the more than 20-year quest for a vaccine.

Q&A: "TB and XDR-TB Are Not an African Problem Only"

In a world where countless humanitarian causes clamour for action and funding, raising money to combat tuberculosis (TB) can prove a challenge.

HEALTH-AFRICA: TB and AIDS Campaigns Urged to Co-operate

Tuberculosis (TB) in Africa cannot be dealt with while TB and HIV/AIDS organisations refuse to set aside their differences, health experts said Friday during the 38th Union World Conference on Lung Health, underway in Cape Town, South Africa.

HEALTH-AFRICA: Prevalence of Extensive Drug-Resistant TB Unclear

What is known so far about the scope and prevalence of extensive drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) in sub-Saharan Africa may only be the tip of the iceberg, said TB experts Thursday during the 38th Union World Conference on Lung Health, in the South African coastal city of Cape Town.

HEALTH-AFRICA: HIV and TB – An Ever Deadlier Combination

The prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) amongst people living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa has reached crisis levels and will escalate further if decisive steps are not taken, says a new report by the Forum for Collaborative HIV Research - 'HIV-TB Co-Infection: Meeting the Challenge'.

Q&A: &#39Women Need Help to Deliver&#39

The Women Deliver conference held in London last week has reminded a lot of people in the world of healthcare how much more they need to deliver to make pregnancy and childbirth safer for women.

HEALTH-ASIA: Nutrition Is Key to AIDS Treatment Say Experts

People living with HIV and AIDS in two corners of Asia may benefit from a campaign that seeks to broaden public policy responses to the syndrome. Central to this new drive is to make nutrition programmes a part of treatment, say experts.

HEALTH-SWAZILAND: Septic Tanks Preferred to the Latest in Sewage Treatment

Located on the outskirts of Swaziland's commercial hub, the state of the art Manzini Waste Treatment Centre was built to end the city's sewage disposal problems. A World Bank loan was secured by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development to construct the 16 million dollar facility: a spotless, landscaped plant which has a lifespan of 25 years.

EUROPE: &#39Aid for Sexual Health Declining&#39

The European Union is "not delivering" on promises to increase aid for contraception and sex education in poor countries, family planning advocates have declared.

HEALTH-DRC: A Groundbreaking Television Series Tackles HIV/AIDS

It's a first for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): a Congolese filmmaker directing a television series in Lingala - the most widely spoken language in the country - about HIV/AIDS.

CUBA: Citizen Action Transforming the Barrio

Two women set out nine years ago to help the barrio of Balcón Arimao, on the outskirts of the Cuban capital, tackle its numerous problems through community participation.

HEALTH: Drug War Clashes With Fight Against HIV/AIDS

For more than two decades, the Vienna-based International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) has tried to discourage nations from developing harm reduction programmes and other HIV/AIDS prevention programmes.

HEALTH: Billions More Dollars Needed to Save Lives

A further 9.7 billion dollars agreed last week for a global fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria may still not be enough.

HEALTH: UNAIDS Head Puts the Spotlight on Children and Teens

The executive director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) is urging action as concerns the transmission of HIV to children through sexual abuse, incest and early teenage sex.