South Africa

African women signed up for a trial to test pills and gels that can prevent HIV. They swore they were complying. Only they weren't.

Yes, Doctor, I Took My Anti-HIV Meds (But Really, I Didn't)

2:37pm November 13, 2014

by Anders Kelto

African women signed up for a trial to test pills and gels that can prevent HIV. They swore they were complying. Only they weren't. Reasons range from conspiracy theories to ... skin care.

Newborn in an incubator at Greytown Hospital in South Africa in 2009.

A Smartphone Gadget Pumps Up Breast-Milk Banks

10:37am November 11, 2014

by Nsikan Akpan

Access to breast-milk banks is a problem in the developing world. A smartphone accessory could save lives by allowing health workers to set up mini milk banks anywhere.

Gloria Gxebeka (left) visits Leona Mqhayi and types her health information into a cell phone

Grannies Taking Care Of Grannies Is Good For Everyone

6:32pm November 04, 2014

by Anders Kelto

Who better to check on the health of older folks than other older folks? That's what AgeWell Global, an innovative program in South Africa, is doing.

Queue Listen Now

South Africa Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has no patience for people who abuse their health and expect the government to fix things.

He Fixed South Africa's AIDS Policy, Now He's Out To Fight Salt

12:14pm September 24, 2014

by Jason Beaubien

Health Minister Aaron Motsolaedi faced an HIV/AIDS crisis when he took office in 2009. He's made great progress on that front. His new campaign: Convincing South Africans to live healthier lives.

She's a mother talking to another mother — and both are HIV-positive. That's the mentoring role played by Phelokazi Tinzi, who works for mothers2mothers in South Africa.

A Happy Marriage, A Terrible Secret, A Healthy Baby

9:08am September 12, 2014

by Anders Kelto

They were married in South Africa. The next day, he told his bride he was HIV positive. Soon after, she tested positive. And she thought nothing in her life would ever go right.

Olympic and Paralympic track star Oscar Pistorius listens to Judge Thokozile Masipa (unseen) deliver her verdict at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Friday.

Pistorius Found Guilty Of Culpable Homicide

7:39am September 12, 2014

by Scott Neuman

The double-amputee track star showed no emotion as the verdict was read in a South African courtroom. He faces a maximum of 15 years on the charge, which is roughly equivalent to manslaughter.

South African athlete Oscar Pistorius cries while the verdict is being read during his murder trial in Pretoria, South Africa, on Thursday.

Judge In Pistorius Trial Rules Out Murder

9:35am September 11, 2014

by Scott Neuman

South African Judge Thokozile Masipa, who has yet to render her final verdict in the jury-less trial, says the prosecution failed to prove premeditated murder.

A well-wisher uses his phone to take a picture of a banner of photos of Nelson Mandela outside the Mediclinic Heart Hospital in Pretoria, where the former South African president is being treated.

World News

South Africans Ponder A Nation Without Mandela

7:10pm December 05, 2013

by Jason Beaubien

The anti-apartheid hero has been a unifying force in South Africa, particularly for the ruling African National Congress. There's concern, however, that xenophobia, racism and political infighting may grow once the "father of the nation" dies.

Queue Listen Now

A prostitute in Johannesburg waits for a client on a street corner. An estimated two-thirds of sex workers in South Africa are HIV positive.

In South Africa, A Clinic Focuses On Prostitutes To Fight HIV

9:25pm August 28, 2013

by Jason Beaubien

Treating sex workers infected with HIV can save their lives and reduce the odds that they will spread HIV to clients. To make it easier for prostitutes to get care, a university-run clinic in Johannesburg is located in a neighborhood where they work.

Queue Listen Now

A nurse takes a blood sample from Nkosi Minenhle, 15, in a mobile clinic set up to test students for HIV at Madwaleni High School in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.

After Missteps In HIV Care, South Africa Finds Its Way

4:39pm August 28, 2013

by Jason Beaubien

The nation with the worst HIV epidemic on the planet is finally turning the corner on the disease. South Africa is simplifying AIDS care and giving antiviral drugs to nearly 2 million people every day.

Queue Listen Now