The family has done everything they can do to save their little girl’s life. Right now they have left for Boston, USA to get help from surgical doctors who will perform further surgeries.

She has had emergency surgery to lighten the pressure of the tumor on her windpipe but traveling abroad for further surgery that includes reconstruction of her spine has thrown her family into a financial crisis.

“At Massachusetts General Hospital Natalie will undergo pre-operative Proton Beam Therapy (PBT) – a specialised form of radiation. Surgery will follow some time in April, and once Natalie is rested and has recovered from the operation, she will have further PBT.”

The surgery and PBT treatment is very costly and their hospital insurance only covers essential expenses in South Africa.

Both surgery and the treatment will cost approximately R 2-3m and the family cannot afford such amount “So any support, however big or small, is deeply appreciated.”

Let’s open our hearts and offer a gift of life to our little friend.
To support Natalie go to: http://www.nataliescircleoflove.org/make-a-donation

Everyone has a responsibility to support people living with HIV and AIDS. Photo: Development Works via Flickr

Currently there are more than 33 million people in the world living with HIV and AIDS, according to avert.org. This website also reports that 605,480 people died of HIV and AIDS related causes in South Africa in 2006 (although this is sometimes difficult to calculate). Many people have relatives, friends, and partners who have died of HIV and AIDS.

In the past few years a lot has been done by governments, health organisations and researchers to develop medication and preventative measures for this incurable disease. But this is also a disease that requires personal responsibility from those affected by it.

Recently it was revealed at the International Aids Conference in Vienna that researchers had developed a vaginal gel that decreases the probability of women acquiring HIV/AIDS by 39 percent and genital herpes by 51 percent if applied before and after sex, the Wall Street Journal reports.  It is estimated that the gel, in the next 10 years, could prevent half a million infections in South Africa alone.

But, as with other preventative measures like the use of condoms and treatment measures such as the use of anti-retroviral medication, responsibility lies with the individual to actually make use thereof and, especially in the case of ARVs, to keep on using it.

The use of microbicides in a vaginal gel has proven effective in the fight against HIV. Photo: Development Works via Flickr

We all have a role to play in supporting those living with HIV and AIDS, as the stigmatisation of the disease is causing real damage. Stigma keeps people from getting tested for HIV and collecting their ARVs. They fear that people will reject them if they know they are HIV positive. Stigma even keeps some people from using a condom as they are scared that their partner will think they are using it because they have HIV.

It is also really disheartening to hear that people are now stealing and smoking ARVs and marijuana as a mixture called whoonga. Some people are too afraid to collect their ARVs from clinics as they might be mugged on their way home.

Luckily there are also many individuals that are supporting people living with HIV and AIDS. Especially women often act as care givers to these people. They should truly be commended for the incredible work they are doing.

Recognition is also necessary for the South Africans that are protecting themselves when they have intimate relationships with their partners and for those who are affected, but taking treatment appropriately. We are proud of you! This shows that if South Africans work together, we can conquer!

Speakers take part in the Health Summit held in Khayelitsha. Photo: Nondumiso Ntsengentsu

Khayelitsha residents came in great numbers to the two-day Health Summit that was held at Isiphiwo Primary School in Harare on Saturday and Sunday, 20-21 November. This was their chance to voice their concerns regarding health care service delivery. 

SANGOCO Western Cape, People’s Health Movement South Africa, DKT International, City of Cape Town, and other role players in public health met with the members of the community discuss these issues.

Funders and sponsors like Capitec Bank gave messages of support at the Summit and the current status of health in Khayelitsha was discussed by Dr Virginia Azevedo of the City Health Department.

In her presentation, Dr Azevedo showed that there is a high mortality rate for children under the age of 5 with Gastro-Aids. The high number of people who are suffering from womb cancer shows the poor access to antenatal care in Khayelitsha, compared to other areas like Michell’s plain.

Professor Nomafrench Mbombo, a deputy director at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) School of Nursing said antenatal care during pregnancy is of great importance, so that problems with the health of the mother or the baby can be diagnosed at an early stage. “No woman should die unnecessary,” she said.

Health issues that are of concern to the community of Khayelitsha was discussed at the Health Summit. Photo: Nondumiso Ntsengentsu

According to Mbombo there is a high demand for community participation in issues regarding primary health care.

At the Summit, the community was given a chance to raise the issues they have regarding health in their areas. The fact that there are people who have to take treatment on an empty stomach, is one issue that is of great concern to the community.

Mama Mangconde from Makhaza initiated a project in December 2006 to give food to patients while they are waiting for the doctors. But they had to cancel the project due to financial problems. This has made the situation worse, as there is now no hope for the patients of getting food on their way back home. Mangconde said they need more help from the government and funders, so that they can give back to the needy.

Organisations like DKT International did surveys in Khayelitsha and found that males refused to go to a clinic, as they do not want to be examined by a woman. They also discovered that people refused to test for HIV when they went to the clinic regarding a sexually transmitted infection (STI’s ).There is still a stigma surrounding HIV and AIDS in these areas, which makes it hard for people to get tested. They are scared of what other people might think if they went into the testing room.

NGO’s, NPO’s, CBO’s, government and funders were asked to take hands to make Khayelitsha a better, healthier place.

Minister Naledi Pandor says more should be spent on research. Photo: World Economic Forum via Flickr

Not enough money is being spent on research and development in South Africa.

This is what Minister of Science and Technology Naledi Pandor said when she presented the department’s National Survey of Research and Experimental Development report for 2008/2009 yesterday.

BuaNews reports that even though R2.4 billion more was spent on research and development than last year, the government’s target of spending 1% of GDP on this field has not been met.

This year R21 billion has been spent on research and development. According to Pandor, President Jacob Zuma wants spending on this field to increase to 1.5% of GDP by 2014.

Spending on research is also divided between many different sectors. The division is as follows:

• Engineering Sciences = 24.4% of total research spending
• Natural Sciences = 20,6%
• Medical and Health Sciences = 14.6%
• Information and Communication Technologies = 13.1%
• Applied Sciences and Technology = 9.1%
• Agricultural Sciences = 5.5%
• Social Sciences and Humanities = 12.5%

It is estimated that there are 1.4 researchers for every 1000 employees in South Africa, which comes to about 19 384 researchers. There used to be 1.5 researchers for every 1000, so this trend is quite worrying to Pandor. In Argentina the rate is 2.9, in China 1.9 and in Russia 6.4.

To increase this number, Naledi said that there would have to be a focus on producing more post-graduate research students.

These sentiments were echoed yesterday by Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande when, according to The Times he said at the National Skills Summit that there is a need for: “high level skills in engineering, animal and health sciences, physical and life sciences and teaching; and research, development and innovation in human capital”.

With eight years of experience in social science research, Creative Consulting & Development Works is conscious of the importance of research in the South African context, to determine needs for development and to evaluate the impact of current social development projects. It is definitely a field that deserves attention, especially in developing countries.

Scientists at UWC are researching a male contraceptive. Photo: NIOSH via Flickr

Teenage pregnancy is one of the major problems faced by today’s youth. Girls fall pregnant at a very young age and are often left to deal with the consequences themselves, abandoned by the father and their family.

Some cannot see themselves as single mothers and give their children up for adoption or have abortions. In the worst and saddest of these cases, as was reported on the front page of The Times newspaper on 20 July 2010, mothers simply dump their babies.

Taking responsibility

Women often get the blame for these unwanted babies. People ask why they did not use contraceptive pills.  But men must also take responsibility. Not only are condoms freely available in clinics across South Africa, but the  University of the Western Cape’s (UWC) scientists, together with colleagues at the University of Missouri in America are now also conducting research on a male contraceptive pill, made from a plant extract.

According to the Cape Times, a molecule found in two varieties of olive trees and cloves, has been tested on males of three animal species including mice, rabbits and rats and was found to have a contraceptive effect.

This molecule also has some anti-cancer, anti-HIV, anti-ulcer and anti-microbial effects.

However, Cape Times states that the scientists will not be able to test the molecule on humans until they find out how its contraceptive quality actually works.