IRIN HIV/AIDS Weekly - 66
Africa
15 February 2002


NEWS:

SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS village causes "more harm than good" - NAPWA
NIGERIA: Focus on HIV/AIDS in the north
SOUTH AFRICA: Corridors of hope against HIV
ETHIOPIA: Help needed to tackle AIDS
BURUNDI: IRIN interview with HIV/AIDS Minister Sindabizera
AFRICA: Making VCT more youth-friendly
AFRICA: Life expectancy set to reach lowest levels ever

LINKS:

1. Email discussion on young women and HIV/AIDS
2. International AIDS Candlelight Memorial
3. On-line course for health care providers
4. Scaling Up the Response to Infectious Diseases: A Way out of Poverty

CONFERENCES/RESEARCH:

1. Antiretrovirals may reduce HIV transmission risk of STDs
2. AIDS Forum - University of Pretoria, South Africa
3. New ethics guidelines for HIV patients
4. IV International Conference on HIV/AIDS Infection in Women and Children

JOB OPPORTUNITIES:

1. Internship opportunities in reproductive health and HIV/AIDS
2. Short term Portuguese and English Consultants


SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS village causes "more harm than good" - NAPWA

The opening of South Africa's first "AIDS village" on Thursday was not
what people living with HIV/AIDS needed, and would cause "more harm than
good", the spokesperson for the National Association of PWAs (NAPWA) told
PlusNews on Friday.

Thanduxolo Doro said the controversial village, run by interdenominational
Sparrow Ministries, was an "insensitive" initiative that had not taken
into account the needs of people living with HIV/AIDS. "Their intentions
were good, but there should have been broad consultation," he added.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=1219&SelectRegion=Southern
_Africa&SelectCountry=SOUTH_AFRICA

NIGERIA: Focus on HIV/AIDS in the north

Mary Audu is 17 years old and in secondary school in Billiri, a rural town
in Nigeria's northeastern Gombe State. Until two years ago she had heard
nothing about HIV/AIDS. That was when following a persistent ailment, a
doctor in a local hospital asked her to have a blood test.

"It was the doctor who on going through the test result explained to me
that I was infected with HIV," she told PlusNews. "When the doctor said
this it meant nothing to me. Even when he explained to me that HIV leads
to AIDS and has no cure it still didn't quite register."

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSReport.ASP?ReportID=1217&SelectRegion=West_Afr
ica&SelectCountry=NIGERIA

SOUTH AFRICA: Corridors of hope against HIV

The border town of Messina, at the northeastern tip of the country, is
South Africa's gateway to the rest of the continent.

Throughout the day, a steady flow of vehicles with number plates from
throughout the region churn up the dust alongside the road to the border.
At night, Messina seems just as busy. It serves as the entertainment
centre for truckers parked for the evening, and people from the nearby
farms and mines looking for some action in the many shebeens (illegal
bars).

Inevitably, in all that traffic, HIV is a passenger.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSReport.ASP?ReportID=1216&SelectRegion=Southern
_Africa&SelectCountry=SOUTH_AFRICA

ETHIOPIA: Help needed to tackle AIDS

Ethiopia can never defeat AIDS alone and needs the help of the
international community, the deputy speaker of the country's House of
Representatives admitted on Wednesday.

Dr Petros Olango said that the only way to overcome the devastating
effects of the virus was through a united front. "We are all aware that
millions of children are becoming orphans due to HIV and this is a great
challenge to the nation," he told a workshop on HIV/AIDS in Addis Ababa.
"Something has to be done."

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSReport.ASP?ReportID=1215&SelectRegion=Horn_of_
Africa&SelectCountry=ETHIOPIA

BURUNDI: IRIN interview with HIV/AIDS Minister Sindabizera

The Burundi government says although the HIV infection prevalence in urban
areas has stabilised at 18.6 percent, it is concerned by a significant
increase in the level of infection in rural areas.

At 1 percent in 1989, HIV prevalence in rural areas was 7.5 percent by
2001, the Burundi minister for HIV/AIDS issues, Genevieve Sindabizera,
told PlusNews. She attributed the stabilisation in urban areas to a higher
literacy rate, better means of communication, and increased acceptance and
availability of condoms.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSReport.ASP?ReportID=1214&SelectRegion=Great_La
kes&SelectCountry=BURUNDI

AFRICA: Making VCT more youth-friendly

Voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) programmes have been known to
increase the adoption of safe sex behaviour among adults, but not all VCT
services are effective and appropriate for young people, a study has
found.

In both Kenya and Uganda, large numbers of young people were aware that
HIV testing was available to them but far fewer were aware of a facility
close to where they lived. More than 75 percent of untested youth in Kenya
and about 90 percent in Uganda expressed an interest in getting a test.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSReport.ASP?ReportID=1218&SelectRegion=Africa&S
electCountry=AFRICA

AFRICA: Life expectancy set to reach lowest levels ever

The life expectancy of Africans is set to reach one of its lowest levels
ever, it was revealed this week. By the year 2005, most Africans will die
before they reach their 48th birthday, the fourth general assembly of the
African Population Commission (APC) heard.

And disease, the main killer, has become a risk to the national security
of African countries, threatening the very survival of some communities,
the conference in Addis Ababa was told. The spread of HIV/AIDS in
particular, and wars and poverty, have driven down the life expectancy by
15 years in the last two decades.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSReport.ASP?ReportID=1213&SelectRegion=Africa&S
electCountry=AFRICA


LINKS:

1. The Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID) and the United
Nations Women's Development Fund (UNIFEM) will be co-hosting a 3-week
email discussion on YOUNG WOMEN AND HIV/AIDS. Moderated on AWID's Young
Women and Leadership (YWL) list-serve the discussion will explore, among
other things, the following: - intersections between youth, gender and
HIV/AIDS; - emerging challenges and successes in HIV/AIDS for young people
(particularly young women); - best practices (e.g. advocacy campaigns,
participatory research) in addressing gender and youth issues in AIDS
programmes.

For information on how to subscribe to the YWL list-serve email:
ywl@awid.org

2. International AIDS Candlelight Memorial - May 19 2002

The Memorial will take place in more than 1,000 communities and 80
countries. The International AIDS Candlelight Memorial is designed to
honour the memory of those lost to HIV/AIDS, show support for those living
with HIV/AIDS, raise awareness of HIV/AIDS, and mobilise community
involvement in the fight against HIV/AIDS. This year's theme is "Share
Your Vision for a Brighter Tomorrow."

For more information on becoming a Candlelight Coordinator or to sponsor a
community, visit the website http://www.candlelightmemorial.org/ or e-mail
Matthew Matassa mmatassa@globalhealth.org

3. Managing Cognitive, Behavioural, and Motor Disorders in HIV/AIDS -
On-line course sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health in
collaboration with I.D.E.A.S. Inc.
http://hivinsite.ucsf.edu/InSiteIdeas?page=id-00-00

4. "Scaling Up the Response to Infectious Diseases: A Way out of Poverty"
WHO, UNICEF, UNAIDS, World Bank, UNESCO, and UNFPA.
http://www.who.int/infectious-disease-report/2002/framesintro.html


CONFERENCES/RESEARCH:

1. Antiretroviral therapy may reduce facilitating effects of STDs on HIV
transmission. By reducing levels of HIV in semen, antiretroviral therapy
can often reduce the HIV transmission risk associated with sexually
transmitted infections in men, British investigators report.
http://hiv.medscape.com/viewarticle/423010?srcmp=aids-020502

2. The monthly AIDS Forum held by the Centre for the Study of AIDS,
University of Pretoria in South Africa is scheduled for February 22 2002.
The speaker for the February 2002 forum will be Mary Crewe, Director for
the Centre and the topic for discussion is "FROM DURBAN TO BARCELONA".

For more information contact:
Natasja Brummer
Centre for the Study of AIDS
Tel +27 (0) 12 420 4391
Fax +27 (0) 12 420 4395
E-mail nbrummer@ccnet.up.ac.za
Web www.csa.za.org

3. Fertility specialists shouldn't dismiss the idea of helping some
HIV-infected parents have children, new ethics guidelines say. The
standards issued Wednesday by the American Society for Reproductive
Medicine say therapies now exist that can greatly reduce the risk of
passing the HI virus to the baby.
http://ww2.aegis.org/news/ap/2002/AP020215.html

4. The IV International Conference on HIV/AIDS Infection in Women and
Children - April 11-12 2002, Rio de Janeiro Brazil
Contact Information:
Informed Eventos
Fax: 55 21 266 0105/266 7583
inform@informed-eventos.com.br


JOB OPPORTUNITIES:

1. Internship opportunities in reproductive health and HIV/AIDS -Family
Health International

The YOUTHNET Program of Family Health International (FHI) announces an
eleven-week internship programme designed to give current or recent
undergraduate university students from developing countries experience in
designing, implementing and evaluating youth reproductive health (YRH) and
HIV/AIDS programmes. Six positions, based in the Washington, DC area are
available.  The internship program will run from May 27 to August 9, 2002.

Each intern will develop a collaborative relationship with YOUTHNET staff
working in one of six technical areas related to YRH and HIV/AIDS.  These
are:

- Health Communications & Youth Leadership
- Research and Evaluation
- Private Sector & Corporate Social Responsibility
- Policy and Gender
- Country Program Management
- Journalism & Electronic Media

Interns will receive free housing (if needed) and an expense allowance of
$300 per week.  Travel to/from the Washington, DC area to participate in
the internship will be paid up to $400 per individual. Preference will be
given to dynamic individuals from developing countries currently enrolled
in or recently graduated from US-based undergraduate universities who
expect to return to their country of origin after their studies are
complete.  Individuals must have particular interests or skills in YRH and
HIV/AIDS in developing country contexts and one or more of the technical
areas listed above.  Foreign language and computer skills are desirable.

Applicants should send a current resume or C.V.; a cover letter
identifying their technical skills and interests with an explanation of
why the internship matches the applicant's career goals; and a letter of
recommendation from the applicant's advisor, professor or supervisor in an
applicable field.  Deadline for receipt of applications is April 1.

Applications and inquiries can be sent via e-mail to
youthnetinterns@fhi.org, or by mail to:

YouthNet Interns
Family Health International
2101 Wilson Blvd., Suite 700
Arlington, VA  22201

2. Short term Portuguese and English Consultants for Guinea Bissau MAP
Preparation Support

Specialists for HIV/AIDS economic and social impact analysis on the
agricultural sector, education sector, and the health sector are required
for a short term consultancy to support the Guinea Bissau MAP Preparation
initiative run by the World Bank. One month mission for each in March
2002.

Send CV by email attachment to the following address:

Christian FAULIAU
Rural Capacity Building (AFTR2)
The World Bank
01 BP 1850 Abidjan 01 Cote d'Ivoire
WBGN: 531+426
Tel. (225) 22 40 04 26 Fax . (225) 22 44 79 79
E-Mail:  Cfauliau@worldbank.org


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

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