IRIN HIV/AIDS Weekly - 84
Africa
21 June 2002


NEWS:

ZIMBABWE: Update on state of emergency over HIV/AIDS
AFRICA: Activists denounce US government HIV/AIDS initiative
TOGO: New HIV/AIDS project targets vulnerable women and girls
MOZAMBIQUE: Saving young lives with football
SOUTH AFRICA: Number of children orphaned by AIDS to increase

LINKS:

1. Facts for Life
2. New website to promote women's issues
3. HIV/AIDS campaign for access to treatment

CONFERENCES/RESEARCH/EVENTS:

1. New Training resource on gender and rights
2. Child Survival in Nigeria: socio-economic implications of HIV/AIDS
3. HIV/AIDS and Education in Southern Africa Conference
4. Young Women's Symposium on HIV/AIDS

JOB OPPORTUNITIES:

1. HIV/AIDS Programme Manager
2. Senior Advisor, Tuberculosis & HIV/AIDS

ZIMBABWE: Update on state of emergency over HIV/AIDS

A month after Zimbabwe's government declared a state of emergency over
HIV/AIDS to allow the importation and manufacture of generic drugs, not
much action has been taken and there are still a lot of unanswered
questions, Zimbabwe's National Network for People living with HIV/AIDS
(ZNNP+), told PlusNews.

"A lot has been said but we still don't know anything about it and how it
will affect us," Jefta Mxotshwa, acting director of ZNNP+ told PlusNews on
Friday.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=1349

AFRICA: Activists denounce US government HIV/AIDS initiative

IDS activists denounced the Unites States government's announcement of a
new international initiative for the prevention of mother-to-child
transmission of HIV/AIDS in Africa, saying the plan was "all for show".

In a press statement released on Wednesday, AIDS lobby groups ACT UP,
Africa Action, the Global AIDS Alliance, Health GAP, and the Student
Global AIDS Campaign, said the plan contained "little new money, while
sabotaging a bipartisan effort that would have made a substantial new US
contribution in 2002 to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria".

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=1347

Reacting to the US president's announcement on Wednesday, UNAIDS said the
initiative would save lives. The agency noted that close to 800,000 babies
were infected with HIV last year as a result of mother-to-child
transmission, which can be reduced through prenatal and antenatal care,
including short course regimens of antiretroviral therapy.

Calling mother-to-child transmission a "significant part of the HIV
epidemic," the agency said the US announcement was a step in the right
direction towards reaching the goals set at last year’s UN General
Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS. Those include the commitment to
halve transmission from mother to child by 2010.

TOGO: New HIV/AIDS project targets vulnerable women and girls

Poor and illiterate women and girls in Togo will soon be helped to learn
how to avoid HIV/AIDS infection and care for those infected in a joint
project between the UN and the Togo government.

According to a UN Development Programme (UNDP) statement, the infection
rate among boys aged 15 to 19 is eight percent, while the rate for girls
is 30 percent. The rate of infection among adults in Togo more than
tripled between 1997 and 2001, rising from two percent to seven percent,
the statement said.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=1344

MOZAMBIQUE: Saving young lives with football

The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and national football players in
Mozambique celebrated Global Football Day for Children on Wednesday by
educating young players about HIV/AIDS.

This year's World Cup has been dedicated to children, the first time that
the games have been dedicated to a humanitarian cause. UNICEF and the
international football body FIFA have created an alliance which will use
the interest shown in football to highlight the major problems children
are facing today - and to present possible solutions.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=1345

SOUTH AFRICA: Number of children orphaned by AIDS to increase

At least 5.7 million children in South Africa could lose one or both
parents from HIV/AIDS by 2015 unless there are major interventions, the
country's Medical Research Council (MRC) warned in a new report.

"Without significant changes in sexual behaviour or interventions, about
15 percent of all children under the age of 15 are expected to be orphaned
by 2015," the MRC said in a policy brief.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=1342


LINKS:

1.  Facts for Life (FFL), one of the world's most widely read books with
15 million copies available in 215 languages, has gained new life with its
first major revision and new PDF and website versions. FFL is a joint
effort of UNICEF, WHO, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNDP, UNAIDS, WFP and the World Bank
to provide essential information on low-cost ways to help prevent child
deaths and diseases and to protect women during pregnancy and childbirth.
The new edition contains updated information, especially in the HIV/AIDS
chapter. It can be downloaded in English, French or Spanish on its
website. The website also comes with a text-only version.

For more information, contact Sascha Segan at unicef@saschasegan.com
http://www.unicef.org/ffl.

2. New website to promote women's issues - women from the horn of Africa,
have launched a website to enhance access and sharing of information. The
Horn of Africa Region Women's Knowledge Network (Hawknet) will serve as a
channel for information exchange in business, health, development and
gender issues, in relation to women.
http://www.acwict.or.ke/Hawknet/default.htm

3. In the next phase of its HIV/AIDS campaign for access to treatment,
Action for Southern Africa are lobbying the UK government to live up to
their promise to prioritise Africa. You can find out more about the
campaign at: http://www.actsa.org/HIV/main.htm


CONFERENCES/RESEARCH/EVENTS:

1. New Training resource on gender and rights - Transforming Health
Systems: Gender and Rights in Reproductive Health is now available.

Transforming Health Systems is the product of a five-year collaborative
process between WHO, the South African Women's Health Project and the
Centre for Health and Human Rights at the Harvard School of Public Health.

It is a training resource for health trainers to use with health managers,
planners, policy-makers and others with responsibilities in reproductive
health. It is a unique training curriculum designed to equip participants
with the analytical tools and skills to integrate the promotion of gender
equity and reproductive rights into their reproductive health policies,
planning and programmes.

The curriculum, designed to be run as a stand-alone, two or three week
course, contains six teaching modules: three foundation modules on gender,
the social determinants of health, and rights, and three application
modules on available evidence, on policy, and on the health systems. Case
studies and practical material deal with reproductive health issues,
covering a broad spectrum from maternal mortality to HIV/AIDS and sexual
violence.

The 492-page training curriculum is also available in a CD-ROM version.
For more information and to order a copy, visit their website:
http://www.who.int/reproductive-health/ or contact Manuela Colombini at
colombinim@who.int

2. A conference on Child Survival in Nigeria and the socio-economic
implications of HIV/AIDS, will be held from the 25-27 July 2002 in Lagos,
Nigeria.

For more information contact:

Dr O Akinlade
Tel: +23 48 022 240 063
Fax: +23 414 924 179
Email: agosnma@hotmail.com

3. HIV/AIDS and Education in Southern Africa Conference - will be held on
18 July 2002 in London, England.

The objectives of the conference are not only to raise awareness on the
issue of HIV/AIDS and its impact on education in Southern Africa but also
to encourage partnerships that facilitate the exchange of skills and
resources between NGOs, trades unions, the private and public sectors in
the UK and partners in Southern Africa.

Speakers will include Professor William Makgoba, President of the Medical
Research Council in South Africa, Professor Michael J Kelly of the
University of Zambia, Promise Mthembu of the International Community of
Women Living with AIDS, Dr Nicola Swainson of the University of Sussex, Dr
Elaine Unterhalter of the Institute of Education and Mark Thorpe of VSO
Mozambique.

For booking forms and more information contact The Canon Collins
Educational Trust for Southern Africa (CCETSA) 22 The Ivories 6
Northampton Street London N1 2HY, UK Tel: +44-20-7354-1462 Fax:
+44-20-7359-4875 mailto:ccetsa@gn.apc.org

Updated information about the conference and a booking form will soon
appear on their website at: http://www.canoncollins.org.uk

4. The Eastern and Southern Africa Young Women's Symposium on HIV/AIDS

The Eastern and Southern African Young Women’s symposium on HIV/AIDS is
expected to bring together young women from academic institutions in the
region, gender-based organisations, NGOs, donors and governments to
reflect on the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic on young women and to
design strategies for greater practical action to combat the spread of
HIV/AIDS among young women.

The workshop will be held in Nairobi, Kenya between 27-29 November 2002,
to coincide with the World AIDS Day Celebrations. The event, organised as
part of the preparations for the second International Youth/ Students
Conference on AIDS (IYSCA 2003) will promote the active participation of
young women, young women’s organisations, universities, NGOs, and
government institutions. The event is organised by Strategic Initiatives
for Development (STRIDE) and the Kenya Oral Literature Association.

The objectives of the 3-day symposium include the following:

- To provide a forum for networking, sharing of knowledge, experiences and
  ideas on initiatives to reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS on young women.
- To promote cross-country exchange of best practices for implementing
  women-friendly health services in academic institutions in Africa.
- To identify and develop specific actions that can be implemented to
  support young women affected by HIV/AIDS.
- To prepare young women to participate in the 2nd International Youth
  Conference on HIV/AIDS scheduled for June 2003.

Participants will be expected to seek funding for their own travel and
accommodation costs. A registration fee of US $50 will be levied to
participants to meet some of the administrative costs. A limited number of
participants will be supported to attend the event. Accommodation costs
are estimated at US $40 per day.

Countries expected include Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Eritrea, Sudan,
Rwanda, DRC, Burundi, and Ethiopia. Others include Zambia, Lesotho,
Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mauritius, Madagascar, and
Seychelles.

For more information, registration and abstract forms (including themes)
please contact:

W. Kaikai
The Symposium Secretariat
P.O. Box 13542-00100, Nairobi
Tel: 254-02-245311
Email: kola@todays.co.ke or strideve@hotmail.com


JOB OPPORTUNITIES:

1. Programme Manager, Catholic Relief Services - Lilongwe, Malawi

The Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has been implementing projects in
Malawi since 1998. The office is located in Lilongwe, the capital, and has
a staff of fourteen, four of which are international positions. The
primary CRS partner is the Catholic Development Commission in Malawi
(CADECOM).

CRS is undertaking four major programme areas - HIV/AIDS, Justice & Peace,
health and agriculture (food security).

CRS/Malawi is still a relatively new programme in Malawi. Therefore, the
incumbent must be flexible and able to adapt to an ever-changing and
growing environment.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

- Lead in the development of HIV/AIDS programmes and ensure that they are
in accordance with the CRS/USCCB AIDS policies.
- Participate in the development of new projects in programming and
advocacy in line with the "Standards and Approach for CRS HIV/AIDS
Programming in Africa".
- Work with partners to address the causes of the AIDS pandemic locally
and in connection with the CRS Africa Campaign.
- Use Project Proposal Guidelines to assist CRS project officers and
partners in their planning and funding.
- Participate in project reviews.
- Work with national staff to build a solid team, identify learning
opportunities for the team members as well as opportunities for them to
share their knowledge with others.
- Assist with Strategic, Annual Programme Plans and HIV/AIDS Plan for
CRS/Malawi.
- Contribute to CRS/Malawi's implementation of the CRS Strategic Framework
and the Southern Africa Regional Strategy.
- Conduct periodic field visits.
- Strengthen and maintain partnerships with local partners.
- Liaise with local partner organisations, as well as government, national
and international agencies, to ensure that initiatives achieve high impact
and are well coordinated.
- Ensure programme quality through implementation of CRS/Malawi specific
project review systems (IRC, PAC), consultation with SARO RTAs, and
comprehensive M&E systems.
- Provide support and guidance (technical/logistical) to other staff.

REQUIREMENTS:

- Master's Degree in Public Health, or related field e.g. international
development.
- At least 2 years of overseas development experience.
- Minimum 1 year experience in managing projects in particular with
project development, working with donors and partner organisations,
working with budgets, monitoring and evaluation and training and technical
assistance.
- Experience with HIV/AIDS/OVCs, micro-finance, and/or organisational
capacity building programming.
- Demonstrated experience conducting assessments, developing proposals,
monitoring and evaluating projects, and writing analytical reports.
- Excellent written and oral communications skills.
- Strong interpersonal and multi-cultural skills and experience working
with national staff.
- Advanced computer literacy (Microsoft Word and Excel).
- Professional proficiency in Spanish, French or Portuguese. French or
Portuguese preferred.

For more information on this position and to apply directly on-line,
review their website at www.catholicrelief.org in the "JOBS" section. In
your cover letter, please indicate salary requirements, req. no.I 02 019,
and source code RWEB.

Job reference code: RW_51212E

SOURCE: RELIEFWEB

2. Senior Advisor, Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS -CEDPA, USAID/Kenya (TAACS)

CEDPA is a non-profit international organisation that has been awarded a
USAID contract to provide Technical Advisors in AIDS and Child Survival
(TAACS) to USAID offices overseas and in Washington. This position
requires US citizenship. Security clearance will be required.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

- The incumbent will serve as a Senior Advisor reporting to the PHN Office
Director, REDSO/E and will provide technical and administrative oversight
of the Mission's Infectious Disease interventions relative to
tuberculosis.
- Liaise and work closely with WHO/AFRO and other regional institutions.
- Provide technical assistance to countries in the sub-region on technical
aspects of tuberculosis prevention and control and TB/HIV programming.
- Provide technical leadership in new areas for USAID missions.
- Provide assistance to design, develop, and assess key applied research
activities that will inform programming decisions relative to key
tuberculosis disease interventions.
- Liaise with external partners on infectious disease priorities and
mobilise external technical resources to achieve regional objectives in
reducing the threat of infectious diseases.
- Investigate the design and establishment of new strategic partnerships
under USAID's new pillar for Global Development Alliance (GDA) as it
relates to TB and TB/HIV collaboration.
- Provide leadership in overall TB programme performance monitoring.

REQUIREMENTS:

- Minimum of a Master's in Public Health or related graduate degree, MD
preferred.
-Demonstrated and recognised expertise in infectious disease control,
including TB prevention and control, HIV/AIDS and child survival.
- Minimum of twelve years of progressive experience managing communicable
disease programmes, TB/HIV/AIDS and/or child survival programmes in
developing countries.
- Previous experience in programme and activity design, development,
implementation, monitoring and/or evaluation.
- Experience in the implementation of NGO programmes and the
public-private sector interface in general.
- Previous experience working with USAID.
- Knowledge of donor development programmes (multi-lateral, bilateral,
and/or private).
- Knowledge of African institutions and familiarity and sensitivity to
socio-cultural factors affecting development in the region is desirable.
- Strong analytical, writing, speaking, presentation and interpersonal
skills.
- Experience working in the African Region, strong language skills in
English and French needed as well as a willingness to learn to effectively
communicate in Swahili is highly desirable.

Excellent benefits.
Send resume/CV, cover letter and salary history. Please reference where
you saw this job listing.
Fax to 202-667-4371 or e-mail to taacsjobs@cedpa.org


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

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