| Top : 2007 : 2007_01_07 |
Oprah gets HIV test hopes students willSun, 07 Jan 2007 00:48:43 GMTBy CLARE NULLIS, Associated Press Writer CAPE TOWN, South Africa - Oprah Winfrey took an HIV test Saturday and encouraged students at her new school and their loved ones to follow suit, in a bid to inspire more openness about the disease that is devastating South Africa's youth. At an open day for families at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, the talk show host promised the 152 pupils free AIDS testing, counseling and — if necessary — treatment. "To be a great leader you must be of sound mind, body and spirit," Winfrey said. "Part of leadership is having the courage to demonstrate true action. Today I have taken the test to demonstrate why it's so important." Winfrey's test results be kept confidential, as will those of the girls, according to a statement issued on behalf of the Oprah Winfrey Foundation. Taking an AIDS test was not mandatory for students, and results will not affect their participation at the school. An estimated 5.4 million of South Africa's 48 million people are infected with the AIDS virus. In 2006, an estimated 950 people died per day from AIDS-related diseases, while 1,400 were infected each day — a total of 530,000 new infections — according to an authoritative report by the Actuarial Society of South Africa and the Medical Research Council. The report warned that fewer than half of South Africa's 15-year olds will live to see their 60th birthday because of the pandemic and that the youth faced a "bleak future." Health authorities and AIDS activist groups say the stigmatization surrounding the virus and resulting reluctance to be tested is especially alarming. Young women are especially at risk, and many of the girls at Winfrey's school come from families affected by AIDS. Winfrey selected the 11- to 12-year-old girls for the school from 3,500 applications across the country. To qualify, they had to show both academic and leadership potential and have a household income of no more than $787 a month. Winfrey's luxurious academy opened last Tuesday at a ceremony attended by Spike Lee, Tina Turner and former South African President Nelson Mandela, who inspired Winfrey in 2000 to undertake the project. Built on 52 acres, the 28-building campus resembles a luxury hotel, with state-of-the-art classrooms, computer and science labs and a library, theater and wellness center. Each girl lives in a two-bedroom suite. It will eventually have 450 students. Winfrey, who herself had an impoverished childhood, plans to build a house on the campus so she can monitor the girls' progress. R.I. No link in meningitis case deathSun, 07 Jan 2007 01:51:12 GMTPROVIDENCE, R.I. - There was no link between an elementary student who contracted meningitis and three others in the state who were infected with encephalitis, state health officials said Saturday. Test results on an elementary school student in Coventry who contracted meningitis showed the child did not have the same bacteria that killed a second-grader in Warwick last month, the health department said in a statement. Mycoplasma bacteria was blamed for the cases of encephalitis in Warwick and West Warwick in the last few weeks. Dylan Gleavey died from the neurological illness last month. Meningitis is an inflammation of membranes protecting the brain, and encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain. Mycoplasma can occasionally cause such neurological complications. Experts from the state health department and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control are investigating the encephalitis cases. All the cases prompted officials to close public schools Thursday and Friday in Warwick, West Warwick and Coventry. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence also closed eight schools in those communities as a precaution, although there were no known cases there. Health officials said the schools would reopen Monday. FDA approves 1st drug for obese dogsSat, 06 Jan 2007 05:12:35 GMTBy ANDREW BRIDGES, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON - Is your hound round? Too much flab on your Lab? Is your husky, well, husky? A new drug may provide some help. The government approved the first drug for obese canines on Friday. Called Slentrol, the Pfizer Inc. drug is aimed at helping fat Fidos shed extra pounds. "This is a welcome addition to animal therapies, because dog obesity appears to be increasing," said Stephen Sundlof, director of the Center for Veterinary Medicine at the http://www.fda.gov |