AP - Ten years ago the government set out to test herbal and other alternative health remedies to find the ones that work. After spending $2.5 billion, the disappointing answer seems to be that almost none of them do.

AFP - The number of known HIV/AIDS cases in Indonesia has almost tripled since 2005, AIDS commission head Nafsiah Mboi said Wednesday.

AFP - South Africa's AIDS epidemic, the worst in the world, appears to be stabilising with infections among children and teenagers declining, according to a new national study released Tuesday.

AP - Some people who buy supplements to avoid Big Pharma drug companies may find themselves doing business with Big Herba, instead.

AP - Senate Democrats announced plans Tuesday to begin committee work next week on health care legislation designed to assure coverage for millions of Americans who now lack it, a key objective of the Obama administration.

AP - Lead in ginkgo pills. Arsenic in herbals. Bugs in a baby's colic and teething syrup. Toxic metals and parasites are part of nature, and all of these have been found in "natural" products and dietary supplements in recent years.