IRIN HIV/AIDS Weekly - 68
Africa
01 March 2002


NEWS:

CONGO: FOCUS on multi-agency HIV/AIDS initiative
BOTSWANA: Global AIDS Fund proposals on track
SOUTH AFRICA: Activists welcome AIDS budget
UGANDA: AIDS and war orphans a compelling concern

LINKS:

1. Safe Passages to Adulthood
2. The White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood
3. The Futures Group International
4. The Global Business Council on HIV/AIDS

CONFERENCES/RESEARCH:

1. Booklet for work on Gender and HIV/AIDS
2. 5th International Conference on Healthcare Resource Allocation for
HIV/AIDS
3. Request for proposals - The Child Health and Nutrition Research
Initiative
4. Awards for innovative business response to HIV/AIDS
5. Women of our World 2002 Wallchart

JOB OPPORTUNITIES:

1. Financial Manager - Treatment Action Campaign, South Africa


CONGO: FOCUS on multi-agency HIV/AIDS initiative

In response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the Republic of Congo (ROC) -
described by the World Food Programme (WFP) as a "looming national
catastrophe" - United Nations agencies and the ROC government, together
with other implementing agencies, have set up a nutrition project for
people living with HIV/AIDS, and their families, that is proving to be a
life-saver.

The pilot phase of this emergency response project was launched in
November last year in the capital, Brazzaville, and Pointe Noire in the
southwest, WFP said in its strategy paper on supporting the UN/government
plan to fight HIV/AIDS in ROC.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSReport.ASP?ReportID=1230&SelectRegion=Great_La
kes&SelectCountry=CONGO

BOTSWANA: Global AIDS Fund proposals on track

Botswana's response to the Global AIDS Fund's call for proposals has been
"overwhelming", an official from the Country's Coordination Mechanism
(CCM) told PlusNews.

"We have all been working day and night to make sure we have everything
ready for the deadline," said Dr Babu Khan national coordinator for the
National AIDS Coordinating Agency (NACA). The Global Fund to fight AIDS,
Tuberculosis and Malaria issued a call for proposals for the first round
of grants last month and set a deadline for 10 March

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSReport.ASP?ReportID=1231&SelectRegion=Southern
_Africa&SelectCountry=BOTSWANA

SOUTH AFRICA: Activists welcome AIDS budget

AIDS activists welcomed the increased expenditure on HIV/AIDS in the South
African 2002-2003 budget released last week, but expressed concern that
the funds could be misused at provinical level.

"We are pleased that progress is being made by the treasury in combating
the HIV/AIDS epidemic. There is now a basis to move forward on this
issue," the Treatment Action Campaign said in a statement on Monday

In his budget speech, Finance Minister Trevor Manuel said that in addition
to an estimated R4 billion (US $348 million) spent by provincial health
departments on AIDS-related illnesses, funding for "prevention programmes
in schools and communities, hospital treatment and community-care
programmes will amount to R1 billion (US $87 million) next year, rising to
R1.8 billion (US $156 million) in 2004/5."

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSReport.ASP?ReportID=1229&SelectRegion=Southern
_Africa&SelectCountry=SOUTH_AFRICA

UGANDA: AIDS and war orphans a compelling concern

Uganda has an estimated 1.7 million orphans, the highest number in the
world, and 25 percent of all households look after at least one child
orphaned by either HIV/AIDS or war, according to a new study by the
Ministry of Gender and Labour and Social Development, cited by the
nongovernmental organisation World Vision.

An analysis of the situation of orphans in Uganda within the new study
suggests that the living conditions of orphans below 18 years of age will
make them a "lost generation", without caretakers to help provide their
immediate needs for nutrition, health care, clothing, shelter and other
child rights, according to World Vision.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSReport.ASP?ReportID=1228&SelectRegion=East_Afr
ica&SelectCountry=UGANDA


LINKS:

1. The Safe Passages to Adulthood Programme is a five-year programme of
research into young people's sexual health in poorer countries funded by
the Department for International Development (DFID) in the UK.
http://www.socstats.soton.ac.uk/cshr/SafePassages.htm#menu

2. The White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood is a group of
organisations and individuals that have combined forces to raise
international awareness about the need to make pregnancy and childbirth
safe for all women and infants. The Alliance hopes to make or keep this
issue as a priority of international organisations and governments. Their
new website was launched this week.
http://www.whiteribbonalliance.org/

3. The Futures Group International (TFGI) website provides information on
child survival, costing, family planning, reproductive health, HIV/AIDS,
and maternal and child health. It also provides links to research papers
as well as links to projects funded by the organisation.
http://www.tfgi.com/

4. The Global Business Council on HIV/AIDS was established to advocate for
greater business action against the epidemic. It seeks to transform the
business response to HIV/AIDS, promoting HIV prevention and care workplace
programmes and innovative partnerships with governments and civil society.
http://www.businessfightsaids.org/


CONFERENCES/RESEARCH:

1. Booklet for work on Gender and HIV/AIDS - UNIFEM's new publication
"Turning the Tide: CEDAW and the Gender Dimensions of the HIV/AIDS
Pandemic," contributes to understanding how the world's foremost blueprint
for women's human rights can be put to work to address the HIV/AIDS
epidemic from a gender perspective. The book is intended to be a resource
for National AIDS Councils, HIV/AIDS activists, women's human rights
activists, UN partners, and others who are doing work in this area.

For more information, contact Ilana Landsberg-Lewis, CEDAW Advisor, at
ilana.landsberg-lewis@undp.org

2. Fifth International Conference on Healthcare Resource Allocation for
HIV/AIDS (ICHRA), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 15-17 April 2002. The ICHRA is an
annual gathering of physicians, ethicists, government and private sector
representatives, and those living with and/or affected by HIV/AIDS to
explore solutions to the global crisis in access to HIV/AIDS care. This
year's conference is coordinated in association with the European
Commission, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and World Health
Organization (WHO). For more information on the conference:
http://www.iapac.org/conference/01news.html

3. Request for proposals - The Child Health and Nutrition Research
Initiative is supported by the Global Forum for Health Research. It is
calling for proposals to develop and conduct interventions to scale up
promotion of exclusive breastfeeding to six months through Integrated
Management of Childhood Illnesses (facility-based counselling and peer
counsellors) to district or national level. Institutions and research
groups from Africa, Asia and Latin America are eligible to apply alone or
in collaboration with institutions in the developed world. The deadline is
15 March 2002. For more information email: moreiraa@who.int.

4. Awards for innovative business response to HIV/AIDS - Each year, the
Council presents its Awards for Business Excellence, recognising
innovative business responses to HIV and AIDS in companies around the
world.

Nominations for the Awards for Business Excellence 2002 are currently
being accepted. The closing date for applications is March 22, 2002.
Awards will be presented in New York on May 16, 2002. Entry forms and more
details can be found on the Council's website www.businessfightsaids.org ,
or by contacting Julian Hussey:

Julian Hussey
Tel: +44 1225 316 848
Fax: 1 212 846 1939
E-mail: jhussey@businessfightsaids.org

5. Women of our World 2002 Wallchart - The Population Reference Bureau
(PRB) has produced an updated data sheet that catalogues the status of
women in 168 countries. The data in the "Women of Our World 2002"
wallchart show that women have seen major gains in health, education, and
rights over the last half-century, but that progress has been uneven. The
data sheet, released in advance of International Women's Day on March 8,
contains indicators on reproductive health, including maternal mortality,
fertility rates, and HIV/AIDS, as well as demography, education, economic
status, and political leadership. If you would like to request copies,
please contact PRB at the email: prborders@prb.org Population Reference
Bureau: http://www.prb.org


JOB OPPORTUNITIES:

1. Financial Manager - Treatment Action Campaign, South Africa

The Treatment Action Campaign is hiring a financial manager. The
requirements for the position are:

1. ADMINISTRATION
Supervise and manage day to day financial administration
- Invoices received timeously
- Cheque payments for National & Provincial offices where necessary
- Photocopying of all cheque payments and invoices
- Filing
- Banking
- Faxing of deposit slips to suppliers
- Assisting with queries on accounts
- Salary payments - currently 20 staff
- Medical Aid
- UIF
- Fixed Asset register
- Insurance
- Lease & rental payments
- Where possible financial/admin training in provinces as required

2. FINANCIAL
- Reconciling all invoices with payments
- Reconciling petty cash and cash book
- Bookkeeping to balance sheet for all provinces
- Budgets
- Monitoring of bank accounts and ensuring no discrepancies within
provinces
- Ensuring spending is in accordance with budgets
- Responsible for complete financial accountability of TAC
in accordance with budgets and funders requirements
- Financial policies and procedures in place
- Preparation for audit
- Working with provincial treasurers
- Ensuring TAC adheres to Section 21 - liaises with Company
Secretary/Auditors
- Recording and safe keeping of all financial documents

3.FUNDING
- Timeous financial reports to funders
- Allocation of all payments to various funders
- Responding and managing requests from funders

Salary and work location are negotiable. People who live openly with HIV
are encouraged to apply. Applicants should send their applications to:
Nathan Geffen
(RE: Financial Manager Position)
PO Box 74
Nonkqubela 7793
Cape Town
Fax: 021 788 3726
Closing date for applications 15 March, 2002. Only shortlisted applicants
will be contacted.


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

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