IRIN HIV/AIDS Weekly - 59: 28-Dec-01
IRIN HIV/AIDS Weekly - 59
Africa
28 December 2001
NEWS:
AFRICA: Clean water a must for infant formula
AFRICA: Making women equal in HIV/AIDS prevention
ZAMBIA: HIV/AIDS discrimination features in presidential race
ANGOLA: 'Alarming' new data
BURUNDI: Government concerned over HIV increase in rural areas
LINKS:
1. Speakout - rape and post exposure HIV prophylaxis information
2. Using theatre and puppetry to fight HIV/AIDS
CONFERENCES/RESEARCH:
1. Antiretroviral treatment adherence in children
2. HIV-resistant sex workers may have specific antibody responses
3. South African Gender Based Violence and Health Conference
AFRICA: Clean water a must for infant formula
Up to 16 percent of children born to HIV-infected mothers acquire HIV/AIDS
through breast milk in Africa. However, a recent study has shown that the
use of infant formula as a substitute has been associated with higher
rates of morbidity and mortality in developing countries.
Researchers conducted a study in a community in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, to
evaluate the quality of water available to prepare infant formula, as well
as to evaluate knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding water and
infant formula.
One hundred and twenty selected households, represented by women who
attended the HIV clinic at the Koumassi mother-child clinics, were
surveyed between April and June 1999.
Virtually all caretakers believed breast-feeding was best for infants
because of nutrition, tradition and cost. According to the study, 52
percent of the caretakers expressed concerns about infant formula. These
concerns included risk of diarrhoea, need for meticulous preparation and
decreased nutritional value. Only 10 percent were formula-feeding their
infants at the time of the study.
Coliform bacteria was detected in 74 percent of samples of stored water.
In 2 samples of stored water, both coliform bacteria and E. coli were too
numerous to count.
The researchers recommend that maternal health settings in developing
counties, especially those implementing formula-feeding programmes to
prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission, need to evaluate the water used
and to make provisions for safe water for their clients.
AFRICA: Making women equal in HIV/AIDS prevention
Women in Africa have been the hardest hit by HIV/AIDS. Twenty years into
the pandemic, very little has been done to empower them to insist on safe
sex. However, a growing interest in the female condom could correct this
imbalance.
The introduction of the female condom, particularly in countries where
HIV/AIDS is rampant, has become a major talking point. Several debates
about this relatively new form of contraception were held at the recent
12th International Conference on AIDS and STDs in Africa (ICASA), held in
Burkina Faso.
Many HIV/AIDS advocacy groups saw the female condom as a significant new
alternative that women can use to better protect themselves against
infection. Concerns were raised, however, about the poor education
campaigns and prohibitive cost of the device.
For more details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=1171&SelectRegion=Africa&S
electCountry=AFRICA
ZAMBIA: AIDS discrimination features in presidential race
As Zambians went to the poll this week, a controversy over the banning of
HIV-positive presidential candidates showed how much further the country
needed to go in tackling stigma and ignorance, activists told IRIN.
The call for testing and banning was first made by the former party chief
of the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD), Michael Sata. It
was seen as an attempt to "out" key opponents among the 11 presidential
candidates, seven of whom were former MMD ministers.
Surprisingly, several non-governmental organisations echoed the call. The
Zambia Independent Monitoring Team led by Alfred Zulu said that although
there was no law compelling anyone to be tested, HIV-positive presidential
candidates should withdraw in the "national interest" to "save" state
resources.
For more details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=1169&SelectRegion=Southern
_Africa&SelectCountry=ZAMBIA
ANGOLA: 'Alarming' new data
The Angolan ministry of health released "new and alarming data" suggesting
a sharp rise in the HIV-positive rate among women attending selected
ante-natal clinics, UNICEF said in its latest situation report.
In 1999, the sero-prevalence rate among ante-natal clinic attendees was
3.4 percent. The result of a recent study supported by the UN children's'
agency - gathered in identical circumstances - demonstrated an 8.6 percent
sero-positive rate. Approximately 40 percent of Angolan women attend
pre-natal clinics.
For more details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=1170&SelectRegion=Southern
_Africa&SelectCountry=ANGOLA
BURUNDI: Government concerned over HIV increase in rural areas
The Burundi government says although the HIV prevalence rate in urban
areas has stabilised at 18.6 percent, it is still concerned by the level
of infection in rural areas.
At one percent in 1990, HIV prevalence in the rural areas was 7.5 percent
by 2000, the minister for HIV/AIDS issues, Genevieve Sindabizera, told
IRIN on Monday. She attributed the rise to the high level of promiscuity
in camps for the displaced, which host some 432,000 people, and to a lack
of information on the disease.
She said the government had taken steps to control the epidemic, which in
Burundi mostly affects people aged between 15 and 25 years. The government
is strengthening its capacity to provide HIV/AIDS information, employing
HIV preventive measures and providing drugs, Dr Joseph Wakana, who heads
the nation's HIV/AIDS secretariat, told IRIN.
For more details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=1168&SelectRegion=Great_La
kes&SelectCountry=BURUNDI
LINKS:
1. Speakout. A South African site with information on rape and post
exposure HIV prophylaxis http://www.speakout.org.za
2. AREPP Educational Trust is an educational theatre organisation founded
in South Africa as a community based educational trust. It aims to use
theatre and puppetry to provide alternative, supplementary social
education. Their work is currently focused on addressing the issues of
HIV/AIDS, sexuality, life skills, gender and all forms of abuse.
http://www.at.artslink.co.za/~arepp/intro.htm
CONFERENCES/RESEARCH:
1. Antiretroviral treatment adherence in children
http://www.medadvocates.org/news/main10818.html
2. HIV-resistant sex workers may have specific antibody responses
http://ww2.aegis.org/pubs/aidswkly/2001/AW011212.html
3. The First South African Gender Based Violence and Health Conference
takes place from 18-20 April 2002 in Gauteng, South Africa Contact: Naomi
Webster - SAGBVHI Private Bag X35 Pretoria 0001 South Africa Telephone: 27
(12) 339 8527 E-Mail: Naomi.Webster@mrc.ac.za
IRIN-SA
Tel: +27 11 880-4633
Fax: +27 11 447-5472
Email: IRIN-SA@irin.org.za
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