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Newer and more effective drugs to be used in the treatment of HIV/AIDS. This came out of a gathering in Cape Town where delegates discussed how best to improve health care in Africa.

Efforts to reduce the burden of disease in Africa over the last 10 years have improved. But malaria, TB and HIV/AIDS are still critical issues facing African countries. At a meeting held in Cape Town to discuss health care in Africa, it was heard that new drugs are in the pipeline for the better treatment and management of HIV/AIDS.

"In the pipeline we have newer and better drugs. Better means down to one pill a day and, secondly, the drug is killing the virus more effectively and, thirdly, less side-effects. In the past we have had problems with the side-effects of HIV drugs. We still do, but much less because the quality of drugs has improved", said Sir Richard Feachem, Director of the US-based Global Health Group.

In the case of malaria, new diagnostics are now used to provide rapid and accurate tests for those in remote areas. Unni Karunakara, from Medecins Sans Frontiers (MSF), said this is a breakthrough for Africa.

"Before, we had to rely on microscopes, whereby people had to go to the health centers - and that's if they even had one and someone who can draw blood. And, previously, people with malaria were treated symptomatically and many did not have malaria. So, now we are accurate. We are treating people with the disease. That is a huge improvement", Karunakara said.

Yet malaria still remains a huge problem on the continent.

"It kills about 800 000 children every year. Children who do not die of it are weakened by malaria. This is because they are out of school a lot due to episodes of malaria. Their cognitive development is impaired because of frequent attacks of malaria. So, malaria produces generations who have not benefitted from schooling to the degree they might have".

But, with insufficient funding curbing the burden of disease is difficult, particularly as foreign funding for health care in Africa is drying up.

"Foreign companies are deterred from investing. If they think that their new investment will be in a highly malarious area, they go somewhere else. Malaria costs Africa many billions of dollars every year and getting rid of it will be a huge boost not only for human welfare, but for the economy of Africa", said Sir Richard Feachem.

With international funding cuts, domestic funds are just insufficient to carry the burden of disease single-handedly.

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Africa: New Approaches Could Fight Killer Diseases

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (MainStreet) -- Early March marks the spring break recess across much of the United States, and students use it to descend on popular destinations such as Cancun and Honolulu for collegiate debauchery. Those looking for beer bongs and toga parties can look in those obvious travel directions. Those looking for a bit more refinement can seek out these chic Mexican retreats just south of the border. You'll likely share a plane with Cancun-bound revelers pounding mini-bottles of Jack Daniels, but upon landing you'll go your own way to Mexico's ever-fashionable Tulum, just two hours to the south. With its front-row proximity to the Mayan ruins and hotel structures that rarely rises above the palm trees, Tulum has managed to endure as the antithesis of the often overbuilt, mega-touristic Maya Riviera region it cohabits. It's been compared by fashion bibles such as Vogue Italia as the new Goa and by others as the Hamptons dipped in an Ibiza bath, but in actuality the eco-destination of Tulum is like no other. And it's most idyllic in spring, when the fashionable elite return in droves. There are two ways to see Tulum: Staying at a hotel that masters the boho glamour of the area's history or one that embodies a zen hedonism, a theme for which the area's quickly becoming known. The previous is exemplified no better than at Coqui Coqui Residences, owned by an Italian fashion designer and her Argentine perfumer-slash-designer partner, who oversee one of the chicest beachfront posadas in the hemisphere and an ever-expanding brand that includes two additional properties on the peninsula. Minimalist palapa-style cottages feature smooth concrete floors, dramatic beds under a thatched roof and bathrooms adorned in homemade perfumes and body products. Those looking for the Tulum of the future can find it at Be Tulum, a 20-room boutique property that is part of Design Hotels and mixes Banyan Tree-esque architecture with in-room plunge pools and a beach club bar that manages to be lively without losing its laid-back charm. For those seeking a bit more boom and bass, to the north of Tulum is the party epicenter of Playa del Carmen, where Mexican hotelier Grupo Habita offers Hotel Basico. This south-of the-border beachfront boutique features an architectural facade and industrial aesthetic for those in search of a party hotel with a stylish edge. A truly tropical resort infrastructure features an airy restaurant specializing in Veracruz cuisine and a lively cocktail bar stocked with an energetic set of spring breakers -- just not quite on party par with Cancun. Direct access to the beach means that some guests of the hotel's 15 rooms and suites are a little slower to discover the rooftop bar and above-ground pools, which are made from repurposed petroleum tanks. The town of San Miguel de Allende is not a new name for luxury seekers. It has a fabled history and two world-recognized luxury hotels, including an outpost of Orient Express Hotels. Hotel Matilda, however, can compete with the best of them with a name that's been part of the city's identity for more than a generation. It's a uniquely modern boutique hotel, given this town's heritage of Spanish Colonial landmarks, and while it's within the town's cobblestone core, it has a modern facade by Marco Martinez Valle Arquitectura and interiors by U.S.-based McAlpine Booth & Ferrier. Grand living spaces mix modern design and eclectic decor with extensive Latin American art collection with works by such artists as Diego Rivera and Nacho Rodriguez Bach. Imanta Resort is a new name for those in search of a removed location and five-star bragging rights. With a name that translates from the Spanish as "magnetic attraction," it's an epic resort with a main hotel complex defined by a spare tropical aesthetic and a series of casas built with stacked-stone walls and private terraces and adorned with a lagoon-style infinity pool. Meals are taken in one of three in-house eateries, where ingredients are either plucked fresh from a garden or caught on the line the same day as ordering. Days can be spent in numerous yoga classes, at the in-house spa or exploring the inland rancheros by ATV far away from the brashness so many people associate with spring break in Mexico. >To submit a news tip, email: tips@thestreet.com.

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Mexico's Greatest Spring Break Retreats

LONDON, March 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Global room rate increases 4% in 2011, says new Hotels.comHotel Price Index (HPI)

Cash-strapped UK travellers faced hotel price rises last year in more than two thirds of their favourite destinations, according to a new global report released today.

The latest Hotels.com Hotel Price Index (HPI), the most comprehensive survey of room rates in the world, reveals increases in 69 of the 88 city or resort locations analysed across the world.

The fluctuating value of the Pound and a growing demand for hotels, especially from international business executives, helped to push up the global average price by 4%. However, this masked some dramatic swings in the cost of accommodation caused by historic political events including the Arab Spring and natural disasters such as the Japanese earthquake.

David Roche, President of Hotels.com, which scrutinised prices paid in 142,000 properties in over 85 countries, said: "Price volatility in 2011 meant UK travellers found it more expensive to stay in the majority of their favourite destinations abroad.

"A variety of factors, including currency movements and a growth in corporate travel, pushed up prices at a time when many consumers were already struggling to pay their bills at home.

"However, it must be stressed that room rates were still generally lower than they were in 2005 meaning hotels represented outstanding value for the hard-pressed holidaymaker looking to escape austerity Britain."

Last year, prices fell 2% in Asia year-on-year but rose in all other areas: 8% in the Pacific, 5% in North America, 4% in Latin America, 3% in the Caribbean and 2% in Europe and the Middle East.

Demand rises in US cities

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UK Travellers Hit by Hotel Price Rises in Majority of Favourite Destinations

13 March 2012

London, March 13th 2012 The relative strength of the global hotel sector can be seen as an indicator of a potential turnaround in the economic outlook with the average price of a room around the world rising 4% in 2011, according to the latest Hotels.com Hotel Price Index (HPI). The continuing strength in corporate travel, in particular, helped to push up demand and room rates, although prices were still generally lower than in 2005.

The HPI looks at prices that people actually paid for their hotel room around the world. Last year, prices fell 2% in Asia year-on-year but rose in all other areas: 8% in the Pacific, 5% in North America, 4% in Latin America, 3% in the Caribbean and 2% in Europe and the Middle East. The overall increase reflected a continuing trend of steady recovery after a 13% tumble in 2009.

David Roche, President of Hotels.com: "The hotel sector is a good barometer for the global economy as a whole. Prices are up because demand for rooms is on the rise a sign of higher levels of business and consumer spending. Local conditions, influenced last year by political uprisings, natural disasters and currency fluctuations, do have a major impact on prices but, overall, the momentum is there and the market is growing."

Natural and political events leave their mark

The Arab Spring protests and war in Libya hit prices across the Middle East and North Africa with rates falling in Egypt, Tunisia and Qatar. Travellers to Sharm El Sheikh, in particular, could find prices up to 30% lower than 2010. On the other hand, holidaymakers switching their holiday plans to southern European destinations in Italy and Spain saw substantial price hikes in some popular sunshine sunspots, such as Ibiza where prices rose up to 40%.

Asia was the only region to experience a price fall in average rates, down 2% on average, partly due to devastating natural catastrophes in two popular destination markets. The Japanese earthquake in March 2011 led to falling demand and room rates while Thailand's worst flooding in almost 60 years also triggered a cut in traveller numbers from July onwards and discounting by hoteliers.

The floods in Brisbane and earthquake in New Zealand's South Island, impacting Christchurch in particular, prompted price rises due to a lack of supply of rooms.

Regional variations highlight local conditions

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Global Hotel Recovery In 2011 Signals Growing Market Confidence | hotels.com Reports

London, March 13th 2012 The relative strength of the global hotel sector can be seen as an indicator of a potential turnaround in the economic outlook with the average price of a room around the world rising 4% in 2011, according to the latest Hotels.com Hotel Price Index (HPI). The continuing strength in corporate travel, in particular, helped to push up demand and room rates, although prices were still generally lower than in 2005.

The HPI looks at prices that people actually paid for their hotel room around the world. Last year, prices fell 2% in Asia year-on-year but rose in all other areas: 8% in the Pacific, 5% in North America, 4% in Latin America, 3% in the Caribbean and 2% in Europe and the Middle East. The overall increase reflected a continuing trend of steady recovery after a 13% tumble in 2009.

David Roche, President of Hotels.com: The hotel sector is a good barometer for the global economy as a whole. Prices are up because demand for rooms is on the rise a sign of higher levels of business and consumer spending. Local conditions, influenced last year by political uprisings, natural disasters and currency fluctuations, do have a major impact on prices but, overall, the momentum is there and the market is growing.

The Arab Spring protests and war in Libya hit prices across the Middle East and North Africa with rates falling in Egypt, Tunisia and Qatar. Travellers to Sharm El Sheikh, in particular, could find prices up to 30% lower than 2010. On the other hand, holidaymakers switching their holiday plans to southern European destinations in Italy and Spain saw substantial price hikes in some popular sunshine sunspots, such as Ibiza where prices rose up to 40%.

Asia was the only region to experience a price fall in average rates, down 2% on average, partly due to devastating natural catastrophes in two popular destination markets. The Japanese earthquake in March 2011 led to falling demand and room rates while Thailands worst flooding in almost 60 years also triggered a cut in traveller numbers from July onwards and discounting by hoteliers.

The floods in Brisbane and earthquake in New Zealands South Island, impacting Christchurch in particular, prompted price rises due to a lack of supply of rooms.

In Europe, the ongoing Eurozone sovereign debt crisis and the fall in the value of the Euro saw dramatic falls in some struggling countries such as Greece as hoteliers adjusted their rates to attract demand in a depressed market. However, prices rose in Ireland with visits from Queen Elizabeth and US President Barack Obama in May helping to raise the countrys global profile and appeal.

Travellers from countries with traditionally strong currencies such as Switzerland, Australia and Sweden enjoyed significant price falls across the world but many inbound visitors were faced with more expensive accommodation.

There was a rollercoaster ride for the Brazilian Real with Brazilians enjoying its relative strength in the spring of 2011 by taking more trips to the US. However, they stayed at home when the currency fell by more than 20% during the summer forcing up demand and prices in their own cities.

The depreciation of the Indian Rupee against most major currencies saw prices fall for many international travellers to cities such as New Delhi and Mumbai.

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Recuperação do setor hoteleiro mundial em 2011 indica crescente confiança no mercado