Hope is the pillar of the universe: health-care providers' experiences of delivering anti-retroviral therapy in primary health-care clinics in the Free State province of South Africa.

South Africa is experiencing one of the largest HIV/AIDS epidemics in the world. A national, publicly funded anti-retroviral therapy (ART) programme has recently been launched. This paper describes the findings from a qualitative study of the views of health-care professionals, especially nurses, regarding the ART roll-out in the Free State province of South Africa, where nurses are responsible for most of the care delivered to AIDS patients.

Phase II trial of preoperative chemoradiation with a hyperfractionated radiation boost in locally advanced rectal cancer.

Purpose: The purpose of this phase II study was to prospectively determine the efficacy of preoperative chemoradiation with a hyperfractionated (Hfx) RT boost to 61.8 Gy in locally advanced rectal cancer.

Methods: Eligibility stipulated that the primary lesion had to be either T4; or T3 and >4 cm or 40% of the bowel circumference.

What's news: perspectives on HIV/AIDS advocacy in the South African print media.

This paper explores stakeholders' views regarding the question of whether HIV/AIDS coverage in the South African media should be the product of media advocacy and a proactive agenda for contributing to social change. Twenty-seven newspaper editors, journalists and other key stakeholders with a vested interest in HIV/AIDS coverage in the print media were interviewed during the course of 2002. Two overriding issues were raised by informants for consideration.