/CORRECTED REPEAT*/G8 SUMMIT: New Hope in Fighting AIDS

Leading civil society groups are seeing new hope in the fight against AIDS following decisions taken at the G8 summit earlier this month.

RIGHTS: HIV Is Treatable, It’s the Stigma That’s Fatal

When thousands of delegates from around the world gather in Toronto next month for the Sixteenth International AIDS Conference, a leading human rights group has urged them to consider the following cases.

HEALTH-ASIA: ‘Interest in Combating HIV/AIDS Flagging’

An independent commission launched in New Delhi aims to get leaders of Asia-Pacific countries to stand up and take note of the daunting challenge posed by the spread of HIV/AIDS -including increased poverty and development setbacks.

HEALTH-THAILAND: Denied New HIV/AIDS Drugs by MNC

For Thais living with HIV, the country's heat and humidity have been one more enemy because the life-extending drugs they need are temperature sensitive and need to be stored in refrigerators.

HEALTH-SOUTH AFRICA: Youth Helping Youth

When it comes to fighting the spread of HIV among South Africa's young people, one of the best weapons appears to be the youth itself. Just ask Zamani Cele, one of 348 students who have been trained by the University of KwaZulu-Natal's AIDS programme during the past two years.

WORLD POPULATION DAY: Crowded Planet Feels the Heat

Consider the following statistics: at the beginning of the 20th century, the world population was less than two billion, but at the dawn of the 21st century, there were more than six billion people on earth.

DEVELOPMENT: Buffett Donation Makes Gates Even Bigger Player

With the decision by mega-investor Warren Buffett to contribute some 31 billion dollars of his personal fortune, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, already a major player on the global health scene, is set to become even more powerful.

POLITICS: U.N. Drug Report Claims Crackdown Is Paying Off

Global opium production, particularly in Southeast Asia, fell during 2005, while cocaine production was broadly unchanged compared to 2004, according to the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which released its "2006 World Drug Report" here Monday.

HEALTH-GUATEMALA: AIDS Patients Suffer Epidemic of Discrimination

Discrimination by society and employers against Guatemalans living with HIV/AIDS is deeply entrenched, say local and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs), which note that they are often deprived of their basic rights to work, education and health.

SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS Gathering Highlights Tensions Between Government, NGOs

The recent United Nations General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS (UNGASS) has tested relations between government and civil society in South Africa.

HEALTH: Haiti and Cuba, a Stark Contrast in AIDS Fight

Although some real progress has been made to reverse the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Latin America and the Caribbean, experts say huge gaps persist in the actions taken by governments in the region.

HEALTH-KENYA: Using ARVs to Fill Empty Stomachs

"ARVs can change things, but they do not change my socio-economic status. Yes, I get the ARVs; but I cannot afford to put a simple meal on the table," says a man who insists on being identified only as wa Kimani.

HEALTH: AIDS Summit Averts Gaze From Those Most at Risk

The United Nations concluded a three-day meeting of world political leaders Friday by adopting an eight-page declaration calling for "strong national targets and comprehensive HIV prevention strategies" to fight the deadly disease AIDS.

HEALTH: U.S. Lacks National Action Plan on AIDS

Even as the U.S. tries to water down new global HIV/AIDS targets at a high-level United Nations meeting on the pandemic, it has also fallen short on commitments made five years ago to address HIV/AIDS at home, experts and civil society groups are charging.

HEALTH-KENYA: Changing Tradition Through Talk

It is a part of Kenya where prevalence rates for female genital mutilation (FGM) are at their highest, and communities deeply resistant to cultural change. However, Kajiado district is also an area where simple conversations hold out the promise of helping to end FGM.

HEALTH-SOUTH AFRICA: A Burden That Will Only Become Heavier

Researchers say they are bracing for a sharp rise in the cost of public health services in South Africa within the next few years, due to HIV/AIDS. And, they warn that the country's health department might not be able to cope with its ever-growing responsibilities if government fails to increase the department's budget substantially.

HEALTH: Seeking Answers in the Failed Response to AIDS

The AIDS epidemic, described by the United Nations as the "most destructive in human history" and accounting for more than 25 million deaths so far, is still a growing threat to global progress and stability.

UGANDA: Abstinence Clashes With Reality When Women Are Powerless

Tens of thousands of Ugandan schoolchildren have enrolled in 'True Love Waits' clubs that promote sexual abstinence as the way to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS.

HEALTH-SOUTH AFRICA: The Mystery of Discordance

Silas Masindi* was not entirely surprised by his HIV test results. The dapper garment trader, who discovered earlier this year that he was infected with the AIDS virus, admits to using condoms somewhat erratically before he remarried three years ago.

RIGHTS-SOUTH AFRICA: Zuma Acquitted – but “The Struggle Continues”

As the rape trial of former South African deputy president Jacob Zuma wrapped up Monday with an acquittal for the defendant, calls were sounded for the verdict not to be seen as undermining the fight to curtail rape.

DEVELOPMENT-ZIMBABWE: To Farm, or Not to Farm?

Recent moves by the Zimbabwean government to allow white farmers whose land was confiscated to resume farming, have drawn a variety of responses.