Rosenfield A, Min CJ, Freedman LP. Making motherhood safe in developing countries. New England Journal of Medicine. 2007 Apr;356(14):1395-1397.

In 2007, the Safe Motherhood Conference in Nairobi marked its 22nd anniversary. This annual event launched a global initiative to reduce maternal mortality in developing countries. This article provides a perspective on progress over the past 20 years.

Pai NP, Tulsky JP, Cohan D, Colford JM Jr, Reingold AL. Rapid point-of-care HIV testing in pregnant women: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Tropical Medicine and International Health. 2007 Feb;12(2):162-173.

The authors aim to summarize the overall diagnostic accuracy of rapid HIV tests in pregnancy and outcomes such as acceptability, patient preference, feasibility, and impact of rapid testing.

Coovadia HM, Rollins NC, Bland RM, Little K, Coutsoudis A, Bennish ML, Newell ML. Mother-to-child transmission of HIV-1 infection during exclusive breastfeeding in the first 6 months of life: An intervention cohort study. Lancet. 2007 Mar 31;369(9567):1107-1116.

This study assessed the HIV-1 transmission risks and survival associated with exclusive breastfeeding and other types of infant feeding.

Lowrance D, Filler S, Makombe S, Harries A, Aberle-Grasse J, Hochgesang M, Libamba E. Assessment of a national monitoring and evaluation system for rapid expansion of ARV in Malawi. Tropical Medicine and International Health. 2007 Mar;12(3):377-381.

Malawi has undertaken an ambitious antiretroviral treatment (ART) scale-up effort, with over 57,000 patients initiated on ART by June 2006. This study assessed the national ART monitoring and evaluation system in Malawi to ensure that the response to the epidemic was being monitored efficiently and effectively, and that data collected were useful.

Jackson DJ, Chopra M, Doherty TM, Colvin MS, Levin JB, Willumsen JF, Goga AE, Moodley P. Operational effectiveness and 36 week HIV-free survival in the South African programme to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV-1. AIDS. 2007 Feb 19;21(4):509-516.

This study focuses on the effectiveness of programs to reduce transmission of HIV from mother to child in Africa.

Sawires SR, Dworkin SL, Fiamma A, Peacock D, Szekeres G, Coates TJ. Male circumcision and HIV/AIDS: Challenges and opportunities. Lancet. 2007 Feb 24;369(9562):708-713.

Viewpoint on links between circumcision and reduction in HIV/AIDS transmission rates.

Kourtis, Athena P; Schmid, Christopher H; Jamieson, Denise J; Lau, Joseph. Use of antiretroviral therapy in pregnant HIV-infected women and the risk of premature delivery: A meta-analysis. AIDS. 2007 March 12;21(5):607-615.

The use of antiretroviral agents in pregnant HIV-infected women has been reported to increase the risk of premature delivery in some studies. The authors performed a meta-analysis on relevant studies to address this question.

Kapp C. XDR tuberculosis spreads across South Africa. Lancet. 2007 Mar 3;369(9563):729.

South Africa is struggling to contain an outbreak of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis, which has now spread to all the country’s provinces, according to the Department of Health, and threatens to hamper HIV/AIDS treatment plans. Clare Kapp reports from South Africa.

Record R, Mohiddin A. An economic perspective on Malawi's medical "brain drain." Global Health. 2006 Dec 18;2:12.

The author's illustrate arguments and possible policy options, both from the perspective of doctors and nurses being "looted" from developing countries as well as from the viewpoint of success in the training and "export" of health professionals and the benefits this provides.

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Kofi OG, Lindsey J. Saving children, enhancing lives. Combating HIV and AIDS in South Africa. United Nations Children’s Fund and UNICEF South Africa. Second Edition, June 2006.

This report discusses the challenges and solutions of treating children infected with HIV/AIDS in South Africa. Highlighted is the progress in the availability of antiretroviral therapy made during the 2005-06 calendar year, including a collaborative effort between the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) and local community-based clinics. The Centre for Rural Health Partnership aims to have all HIV- and AIDS-infected children and adults on treatment in KwaZulu-Natal’s Umkanyakude district by the end of 2007.

Full text available! Click view report below.