HIV

South Africa has the highest number of HIV cases of any country in the world. An estimated 5 and a half million people are infected with the virus that causes ADIS. 55% of them are women. Last May, the cabinet of president Thabo Mbeki approved 5 years plan to guide efforts against ADIS in South Africa. For the plan to succeed, officals agreed the nation had to deel with the poverty, violence and discrimination facing women. Now a report from Amnesty international, looks at the struggles of poor rural women living with HIV in South Africa. The humen rights group says, the women face oppression and a human right abuses. And it says other woman who feel socially and ecnomicly weak, all at higher risk of becoming infected with HIV.

Amnesty researcher Marry Rayner says rural women have little control their relationship with men. Amnesty gathered statements from 37 women in Mpumalanga and KwaZulu Natal provinces. They said that sometimes when they tried to ask their sexual partners to use protection, they might exprense verbal aggression or violence. The report says many rural women with HIV do not even have enough money to travel to health centers for treatment. They might not have enough money for food. Unemployment is a major problem. Amnesty International released this report in London last week. Also in London Scottish singer Anne Lennox promoted her new charity single called sing . The aim is to raise money for the treatment action Campaign,an HIV AIDS orgnization in South Africa.

sing are sister sing, let your voice be heard, what won't kill you make you strong, sings are sister sing.....