IRIN HIV/AIDS Weekly - 80
Africa
24 May 2002


NEWS:

AFRICA: Nevirapine fact sheet
SOUTH AFRICA: Insurance controversy for people living with HIV/AIDS
TANZANIA: Condom shortage poses threat to anti-AIDS strategy
ETHIOPIA: Training for HIV/AIDS youth counsellors launched
KENYA: Anti-AIDS groups demand urgency to match crisis

LINKS:

1. Canadian HIV/AIDS Policy and Law review
2. The TB/HIV Research Laboratory
3. The AIDS Law Project
4. AREPP Educational Trust
5. Regional Counselling Association

CONFERENCES/EVENTS/COURSES:

1. African religious leaders on children and HIV/AIDS
2. Satellite Session at AIDS 2002
3. Request for information
4. 2002 United States Conference on AIDS
5. International Congress on Drug Therapy in HIV Infection

JOB OPPORTUNITIES:

1. Deputy Director - SAfAIDS
2. Publications Manager - SAfAIDS
3. Vacancies - Zimbabwe National AIDS Programme
4. Research and information officer


AFRICA: Nevirapine fact sheet

The South African government recently changed its position on providing
nevirapine to HIV positive pregnant women, yet the government is still
appealing a court order to distribute the drug saying more research is
needed on its safety.

PlusNews compiled a fact sheet on the drug.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=1313

SOUTH AFRICA: Insurance controversy for people living with HIV/AIDS

When Mercy Makhalemele's husband died of HIV/AIDS seven years ago her home
was taken away after the insurance company refused to pay out his life
cover.

According to the National Association of People living with HIV/AIDS
(NAPWA) this is a widespread problem in South Africa. The organisation has
been running a campaign against insurance companies and banks, calling for
a review of their allegedly discriminatory policies.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=1311

TANZANIA: Condom shortage poses threat to anti-AIDS strategy

The government of Tanzania has expressed concern that the country is
facing a shortage of condoms, with only a million now in stock -
sufficient for one month - although their wide availability is a central
plank of national strategy to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS.

The shortage follows the return of a batch of 10 million condoms, imported
by the UNFPA for free distribution across Tanzania, but rejected in April
as sub-standard by the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) and the Ministry
of Health.

More detail:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=1310

ETHIOPIA: Training for HIV/AIDS youth counsellors launched

Ethiopia's first-ever team of youth counsellors who will help combat
HIV/AIDS was launched on Friday. The members of the 30-strong team, which
specialises in voluntary counselling and testing (VCT), will return to
their local communities to teach youth counsellors about HIV/AIDS.

The team, known as youth master trainers, were taught in the town of
Nazret - one of the main towns hit by HIV/AIDS - where prevalence among
young people is around 16 percent.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=1309

KENYA: Anti-AIDS groups demand urgency to match crisis

AIDS organisations meeting in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, on Sunday urged
political, religious and community leaders to step up, expand and
intensify the fight against the disease, and provide better leadership and
guidance to society in the face of the scale of the pandemic.

"The current budgets and support levels do not reflect the urgency of the
pandemic," the activist organisations asserted, pointing out that the
disease had now infected some 2.2 million people in the country, and was
claiming 700 lives a day.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=1308


LINKS:

1. Canadian HIV/AIDS Policy and Law review - The latest issue of the
Canadian HIV/AIDS policy and law review is now out. Notable features
include the preventing Mother to Child transmission landmark decision by
the South African government, HIV/AIDS in prisons among others.
http://www.aidslaw.ca/Maincontent/otherdocs/Newsletter/newsletter.htm#ci

2. The TB/HIV Research Laboratory is dedicated to research into the
prevention and treatment of HIV and tuberculosis.
http://www.brown.edu/Research/TB-HIV_Lab/

3. The South African AIDS Law Project includes an AIDS Resource Centre
with a range of publications, research papers and press releases from the
AIDS Law Project
http://www.hri.ca/partners/alp/

4. AREPP Educational Trust is an educational theatre organisation founded
in South Africa as a community based educational trust. 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

5. The Eastern and Southern Africa Counselling Association hopes to
coordinate standards of counselling for HIV/AIDS by facilitating agreed
standards throughout the region.
www.esaca.or.ke


CONFERENCES/EVENTS/COURSES:

1. On behalf of the Hope for African Children Initiative, The World
Conference on Religion and Peace (WCRP) is convening a gathering of
Africa's senior most religious leaders to discuss the impact of HIV/AIDS
on children and to launch a continent-wide campaign to further engage
religious communities in efforts to expand care and to reduce the stigma
often associated with AIDS.  Topics such as prevention, treatment, and
institutional versus community-led care for orphans will be addressed from
a theological perspective.

Twenty-five percent of all delegates will be women religious leaders.
Confirmed keynote speakers include Ali Mwinyi, former President of
Tanzania; Carol Bellamy, Executive Director of UNICEF; and Steven Lewis,
Special Advisor on AIDS to the UN Secretary General.

The meeting will be held from 9 - 12 June 2002 at the Intercontinental
Hotel, Nairobi Kenya.
For more information contact Jennifer Okungu at 254-722-519317 in Nairobi
Email: editrack@africaonline.co.ke

2. Satellite Session on Adherence for Clinicians, NGOs and Policymakers at
AIDS 2002

"Successful Program Models to Improve Adherence to AntiRetroviral
Therapy", this satellite session, moderated by Antonia Novella, MD, MPH,
DrPH, Commissioner of New York State Department of Health and former US
Surgeon General, will be held on July 10 2002 from 6 - 8 pm in Room 2:4 at
the FIRA de Barcelona (Plaça Espanya).

Topics include:
- Assessing the client for adherence intervention
- Models of care that support treatment adherence
- Successful strategies for treatment adherence
- The government's role in treatment adherence

For more information contact:
Carole Lemens, MPH,
AIDS Institute,
New York State Department of Health
Email: carole_lemens@hotmail.com

3. Request for Information on the Identification, Monitoring and Support
for Orphans

The Children's Institute (UCT) is conducting research in South Africa on
the identification, monitoring and support of children who have been
orphaned or who are at risk of being orphaned. Very broadly, the research
relates to the question of how such children are identified and, once
identified, are monitored and supported by the various services in their
community.

As part of this research the institute would like to know what is already
being done to actively identify and support such children, focusing
particularly on schools, health facilities and social development agencies
(including welfare facilities, NGOs, Home Based Care organisations etc.)

If you are involved in, or know about any community projects, schools,
health clinics or welfare organisations where there has been an effort
made to actively identify such children, please email Tanya Wilson at
tanyawilson@mweb.co.za
SOURCE: AF-AIDS

4. The United States Conference on AIDS is the most widely attended
gathering of HIV/AIDS prevention and service providers in the country. You
can now register, submit an abstract or apply for a scholarship via the
Internet. The conference is scheduled for 19 - 22 September 2002, in
Anaheim, California at the Anaheim Hilton. For more information and
application forms: http://www.nmac.org/usca2002

5. The 6th International Congress on Drug Therapy in HIV Infection will be
held from 17 - 21 November, 2002 in Glasgow, Scotland. For more
information: http://www.hiv6.com/content_ind.htm


JOB OPPORTUNITIES:

1. Deputy Director - SAfAIDS, Zimbabwe

Southern Africa HIV/AIDS Information Dissemination Service (SAfAIDS),
based in Harare is an NGO working to share information, strengthen policy,
promote and support a gender and human rights-based development approach
to HIV/AIDS prevention, care and long-term mitigation within the Southern
Africa region.

This post combines professional management skills and experience in
strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation, with development of sexual
health programmes, advocacy and consultancy. Candidates should also have
extensive experience in writing and delivering proposals, contracts and
reports.

REQUIREMENTS:

- Master's degree qualification (e.g. social science, public health, adult
education). A management qualification would be an added advantage
- Minimum 8 years experience in a similar/related field of which 5 years
should have been at managerial level

2. Publications Manager - SAfAIDS, Zimbabwe

To provide SAfAIDS with senior level programme support, skilled editorial
input for SAfAIDS publications and to ensure professional outputs.

REQUIREMENTS:

- Degree preferably in social sciences.
- At least 5 years experience in the field of development work, some of
which could have been in academia, editing/publishing fields.
- Proven editorial and writing skills for diverse literacy levels.
- Proven experience in production of print publications.
- Interest in and commitment to work in the area of HIV/AIDS.
- Ability to supervise publications unit staff.

Both posts require excellent written and verbal communication
skills,computer literacy, self-motivation, flexibility, adaptability and
the capacity to work under pressure individually and in teams as well as
strong interpersonal skills.
Competitive salary and benefits offered.  Please note no relocation
benefits will be paid.

To apply: please send a one-page cover letter and a concise CV, together
with information about your current salary and benefits, and contact
details for three references to:
SAfAIDS,
PO Box A509,
Avondale, Harare, Zimbabwe
Email: lotshiwe@safaids.org.zw

Please note that only short-listed applicants will be contacted. Deadline
for applications is 27 May 2002.

3. As part of the national commitment to introducing services to prevent
mother to child transmission of HIV, the Institute of Public Health of the
University of Bordeaux 2, France, is working in close collaboration with
the Government of Zimbabwe National AIDS Programme. Applications are
requested for the following personnel:

Project Coordinators - 2 posts

Responsible for the overall introduction and management of these new
programmes, the successful applicants will have:
- Fluency in Shona and English
- Proven managerial/administrative experience
- Experience keeping accounts/managing budgets
- Computer literacy

Previous counselling, nursing or medical experience will be an advantage,
especially work related to Maternal & Child Health or HIV/AIDS.

Counsellors - 6 posts

Responsible for providing comprehensive counselling and support services
to women and families involved in Prevention of Mother to Child
activities, the successful applicants will have:
- Fluency in Shona and English
- Previous counselling experience/counselling qualification

Previous counselling or nursing experience in Maternal Child Health or
HIV/AIDS will be an advantage.

The new projects will commence in June 2002.  Please send a full CV and
letter of motivation with a contact telephone number to:

Dr F. Perez
Bronte Hotel
132 Baines Avenue
Harare
E-mail: Freddy.Perez@isped.u-bordeaux2.fr

Closing date for applications is 31st May 2002.  Interviews will be held
in Harare on 3rd June 2002. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted,
and full terms of reference for the posts supplied prior to interview.

SOURCE: AF-AIDS

4. Research and information officer - health and international
development, ID21

ID21 needs a dynamic communicator with knowledge of health issues and
international development. Excellent writing and editorial skills
essential, plus relevant academic or equivalent experience. Full-time post
initially for one year but with the possibility of extension. Closing
date: 29 May. Interview date: 11 June. For further information contact
Personnel .
http://www.ids.ac.uk/ids/recruit/index.html


IRIN-SA
Tel: +27 11 880-4633
Fax: +27 11 447-5472
Email: IRIN-SA@irin.org.za

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