aaron motsoaledi

It has been a long time in the making, with much fund-raising undertaken and more still to go, but the ground has finally been broken to build the Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital. It is Madiba's last and fondest wish, and will be a living testament to his legacy.

About 180 000 HIV-positive South Africans will soon start taking fixed-dose combination antiretroviral (ARV) medication, which involves one tablet instead of three to five pills a day, reducing the risk of patients defaulting from treatment.

Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe handed over six state-of-the-art tuberculosis (TB) testing machines at Pollsmoor Prison in Cape Town on Monday as South Africa stepped up its efforts to fight TB in prisons, mines and schools across the country.

Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has unveiled a national strategic plan aimed at ensuring high quality training along with high standards of professionalism and well-resourced practice environments for nurses and midwives in South Africa.

President Jacob Zuma has appointed an inter-ministerial committee to coordinate and lead all support for the families and relatives of those killed during last week's violence in Marikana.

The National Health Amendment Bill, which aims to improve South Africa's health system through the establishment of an Office of Health Standards Compliance, was approved by the National Assembly in Cape Town on Tuesday.

South Africa and the United States have signed a new five-year framework partnership on HIV/Aids, with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton saying the US was committed to seeing the fight for an HIV-free generation in South Africa "through to the end".

The South African government’s HIV/Aids mission is to get as many people tested for the virus as possible. Doctors Without Borders hopes to relieve some of the pressure by encouraging a testing culture in the small town of Eshowe in KZN.
• New centres to help fight HIV in KZN

South Africa expanded its free antiretroviral (ARV) treatment programme for people living with HIV by 20% between 2010 and 2011, covering an additional 300 000 people, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said at the launch of the UNAids 2012 Global Aids Report.

Johannesburg’s inner city suburb of Hillbrow has become home to a new world class maternal and child health facility. The Shandukani Centre, one of the largest non-hospital based clinics in Southern Africa, will provide expert healthcare and treatment to vulnerable women and children, right on their doorstep.
• SA’s second health train rolls out