IRIN HIV/AIDS Weekly - 158
Africa
5 December 2003


NEWS:

ZIMBABWE: Foreign funds provide some good news for health sector
RWANDA: US official pledges to mobilise resources in fight against 
  HIV/AIDS
AFRICA: Continent's HIV/AIDS programmes receive a boost
DRC: MONUC helping to break "vicious circle of fear" about HIV/AIDS
SWAZILAND: Resisting condom use as AIDS deaths soar
ZAMBIA: Culture of silence over gender violence
SOUTHERN AFRICA: HIV/AIDS has shaped the crisis in the region
SOUTH AFRICA: Mixed response to AIDS door-to-door campaign
GLOBAL: WHO unveils ARV treatment plan
UGANDA: New deadline for free antiretrovirals
SOUTH AFRICA: Indian women struggling with HIV/AIDS and disclosure

LINKS

1. Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC)
2. The Rubber Tree
3. International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care (IAPAC)
4. Positive Singles
5. Yolanda Says

CONFERENCES/EVENTS/RESEARCH/RESOURCES

1. Medical Research Council (MRC) Research Trainee Programme for young
black scientists
2. 11th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections
3. 6th International Conference on Home and Community Based Care for
People Living With HIV/AIDS
4. AllAfrica.com launches debate on access to ARV treatment in Africa

NEWS

ZIMBABWE: Foreign funds provide some good news for health sector

The Norwegian Agency for Development on Tuesday earmarked approximately US
$1.1 million for the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Zimbabwe to purchase
and distribute essential medicines.

An acute shortage of foreign currency has crippled the health system, with
the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare unable to finance urgently needed
drugs to treat some of the most basic health conditions.

Many rural health facilities are at a standstill. Fuel shortages, combined
with a shortage of qualified staff, have left the public health system
unable to meet the growing health needs of the population. And as the
rainy season begins, the potential outbreak of malaria and water-borne
diseases such as cholera, if left unchecked, could have lethal
repercussions, especially for young children who are most vulnerable to
these diseases, a UNICEF statement said.

Zimbabwe's crumbling health sector last week received a major financial
boost when the Geneva-based Global Fund donated US $24 million for the
fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=2813


RWANDA: US official pledges to mobilise resources in fight against
HIV/AIDS

US Secretary for Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson promised on
Wednesday to mobilise funds for HIV/AIDS programmes in Rwanda and to
secure antiretroviral (ARV) drugs for Rwandans infected with the disease.

Thompson made the pledge in the Rwandan capital, Kigali. He was on the
second leg of a four-nation tour of Africa to assess HIV/AIDS projects to
determine what needs to be done to increase treatment and prevent the
spread of the pandemic.

"We want to see what programmes are working and then fund those
programmes, and be able to get antiretroviral drugs to people that need
them as soon as possible," he said after meeting Rwandan President Paul
Kagame.

Statistics from the Rwanda AIDS Control Programme indicate that at least
13 percent of Rwanda's 8.2 million people are infected with HIV/AIDS, yet
only a handful of them have access to ARVs.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=2807


AFRICA: Continent's HIV/AIDS programmes receive a boost

Just a month after presenting a bill that could allow Canadian
manufacturers to export cheaper generic anti-AIDS drugs, the government
announced on Monday it was contributing up to US $77 million over five
years to African HIV/AIDS projects.

Initial allocations of about US $27 million will go to Tanzania and
Mozambique, where prevalence rates are among the highest in the world, and
benefit "African-led" care, treatment, support and prevention programmes,
a statement by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) said.

"Canada is focusing its resources in hard-hit countries where we know we
can, and are, making a difference in the fight against HIV/AIDS. No one
person, institution, group or country, acting alone, can stop the spread
of this tragic pandemic," Susan Whelan, Minister for International
Cooperation, said in the statement.

The government also threw its support behind the recently unveiled plan by
the World Health Organisation to provide three million HIV-positive people
in developing countries with antiretroviral therapy by the end of 2005.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=2806


DRC: MONUC helping to break "vicious circle of fear" about HIV/AIDS

The UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, known as MONUC, is
using all its public information mediums to broadcast HIV/AIDS awareness
and "help break the vicious circle of fear, prejudice and ignorance
associated with the spread of the disease", the mission's head and Special
Representative of the UN Secretary-General in the country, William Swing,
said on Monday.

Swing made the remarks in an address to MONUC staff in the Congo,
according to a statement the mission issued to coincide with events
marking the World AIDS Day. He expressed concern about the spread of the
HIV/AIDS pandemic "that kills five people every minute of every day in the
world".

MONUC reported that Swing regretted that adequate resources had not been
made available to counter the "awesome challenge" posed by HIV/AIDS.

In the Congo, Swing was quoted as saying, it might be several years until
the full impact of HIV/AIDS was revealed.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=2801


SWAZILAND: Resisting condom use as AIDS deaths soar

Resistance to condom use in Swaziland has proved a perplexing failure for
the government and health NGOs, a failure whose consequence is apparent in
new statistics on the epidemic, released by the Joint UN Programme on
HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

"We failed to learn the lesson of recent history that condoms are
unpopular. We should have stressed education, abstinence and faithfulness
to your partner from the start," Thabsile Dlamini, secretary of the
Swaziland Nurses Association, told PlusNews.

The UNAIDS report released last week proved depressing reading. In
Swaziland "the epidemic has assumed devastating proportions", it said.
"National HIV prevalence in Swaziland has matched that found in Botswana -
almost 39 percent. Just a decade earlier, it had stood at 4 percent."

Like Botswana, which has led the world in HIV infections among its adult
population, Swaziland shows no sign of incipient decline in HIV
prevalence, the report stated.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=2798


ZAMBIA: Culture of silence over gender violence

About 80 percent of Zambian wives find it acceptable to be beaten by their
husbands "as a form of chastisement", according to the latest Zambia
Demographic Health Survey.

Out of 5,029 women interviewed countrywide, 79 percent said they should be
beaten if they went out without their husband's permission. Sixty-one
percent said a beating was acceptable if they denied their husbands sex,
while 45 percent said a beating was in order if they cooked 'bad' food.

Compounding the abuse was the culture of silence around domestic violence.
"This is an aberration - and women are making an abnormality normal," said
National AIDS Council director of programmes Dr Alex Simwanza, when he
recently met traditional leaders to urge their support in fighting
gender-based violence.

"Zambian wives are living in a sorry state. As far as they are concerned,
they can be beaten for almost anything. This is a frightening phenomenon,"
he noted.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=2797


SOUTHERN AFRICA: HIV/AIDS has shaped the crisis in the region

The impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on Southern Africa has shaped the
current humanitarian crisis in the region, where more than 6 million
people will need food aid to survive the beginning of next year.

The UN has warned that this part of the world faces the triple threat of
food insecurity, weakened government capacity and the impact of HIV/AIDS.

Mark Sterling, UNAIDS intercountry team leader in the region, told
PlusNews on World AIDS Day that "HIV tends to slip off the agenda in terms
of public attention and decision-making around food security".

Yet food security and HIV/AIDS are inextricably linked in this, the worst
HIV/AIDS-affected area in the world, according to the latest UNAIDS AIDS
Epidemic Update.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=2796


SOUTH AFRICA: Mixed response to AIDS door-to-door campaign

The Alexandra Community Centre in Johannesburg was buzzing with activity,
as a group of young people milled around the parking lot, dressed in white
T-shirts with bold AIDS logos and bags slung across their shoulders.

It was Friday - the fifth day of the Gauteng Province's door-to-door
anti-AIDS campaign, and only two more days were left before it was wrapped
up on World AIDS Day.

The campaign has been conducted to raise awareness, "strengthen support
for HIV-positive people and also focuses on the needs of orphans and
vulnerable children", a provincial statement said. Last year 10,000
volunteers visited homes and provided information and education to 4.6
million people throughout the province, the country's economic heartland.

Zechariah Ndlovu, a young man dressed in the regulation white T-shirt and
black jeans, was at the centre "first thing this morning". He and seven
others were waiting for their group leader to lead them to Ward 75 - an
infamous part of Alexandra township, populated mainly by male hostel
dwellers.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=2795


GLOBAL: WHO unveils ARV treatment plan

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Monday unveiled a concrete plan to
treat three million AIDS patients with antiretrovirals by 2005 ("3 by 5").

Dr Jack Chow, WHO Assistant Director General, said the figure of three
million, which was half the number of people who needed ARVs, was "a
preliminary response" to the global health emergency.

"The ultimate goal is universal access," he told a news conference in
Nairobi.

"We know from experience that the availability of treatment encourages
people to declare their HIV status and receive counselling," said Dr Paulo
Teixeira, Director of the HIV/AIDS Department in WHO. "We also know that
the availability of treatment reduces stigma for people living with AIDS."

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=2791


UGANDA: New deadline for free antiretrovirals

Uganda's ministry of health on Monday committed itself to offering free
antiretroviral (ARV) treatment to people living with HIV/AIDS who urgently
need it but cannot afford it, starting January 2004.

The announcement was made at the World AIDS Day commemoration in Kampala,
attended by President Yoweri Museveni and Health Minister Jim Muhwezi.

In the government’s firmest commitment to date to provide access to the
drugs, Muhwezi said that from January, Uganda would be the second country
in Africa, after Botswana, to give free ARV drugs to people living with
HIV/AIDS.

However, he stressed that priorities would have to be drawn up.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=2790


SOUTH AFRICA: Indian women struggling with HIV/AIDS and disclosure

Stigma and gender inequality are helping to drive HIV/AIDS in South
Africa's traditionally conservative Indian communities.

Thirty-year-old Poppy Naicker is illiterate and barely able to make ends
meet. But poverty and her inability to write her own name are the least of
her concerns.

She is HIV-positive and has been laid low by opportunistic infections, but
is shunned by the Indian community of Chatsworth near the port city of
Durban, where she lives with her older sister and three teenage children
in a small overcrowded council flat.

One of just a handful of Indian women in the community willing to disclose
their HIV-positive status, Poppy told PlusNews she had contracted HIV from
a number of encounters with men who paid her for sex that was often
unprotected.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/webspecials/worldaids2003/38184.asp


LINKS

1. Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC)

This non-profit, volunteer-supported and community-based South African
organisation is committed to leadership in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
GMHC's mission is to reduce the spread of HIV, help HIV-positive people
maintain and improve their health and independence, and keep the
prevention, treatment and cure of HIV an urgent national and local
priority.

For more information: http://www.gmhc.org/


2. The Rubber Tree

This secure, online store is aimed at helping people make safe,
responsible decisions about their reproductive and sexual health by
providing a place to get low-cost, non-prescription contraceptives and
information on sexually transmitted diseases, birth control, and
overpopulation.

For more information: http://www.rubbertree.org/index.html


3. International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care (IAPAC)

The IAPAC site offers a wide variety of services aimed at crafting and
implementing global educational and advocacy strategies to help improve
the quality of care provided to all people living with HIV/AIDS.

For more information: http://www.iapac.org/


4. Positive Singles

This is a Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) dating site targeting men
and women who are living with herpes, HIV/AIDS, chlamydia, thrush or other
STIs. People are able to meet new STI friends from across the globe for
romance, dating and friendship.

For more information: http://www.positivesingles.com/


5. Yolanda Says

This humorous site by HIV-positive comedian Yolanda is dedicated to all
people living with HIV/AIDS. It takes a funny yet educational look at the
HI virus and helps people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS to laugh at
themselves. Give this a skip if you do not have a sense of humour or might
feel offended by its contents.

For more information: http://www.yolandasays.com/


CONFERENCES/EVENTS/RESEARCH

1. Medical Research Council (MARC) Research Trainee Programme for young
black scientists.

The MARC research trainee programme places black postgraduates in its
units and groups. Black candidates with a four-year degree or equivalent,
or a Master's degree, can apply for a research training internship
position with a MARC research unit or group. Research trainees who
register for a masters or doctoral degree can renew their appointment for
a second and third year, subject to their satisfactory performance.

For more information:
http://www.mrc.co.za/funding/fundopportunities.htm#research


2. 11th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections

The conference is a scientifically focused meeting of the world's leading
researchers working to understand, prevent, and treat HIV/AIDS and its
complications, to be held in San Francisco, USA, between 8 and 11 February
2004.

For more information:

http://www.retroconference.org/2004/home.htm


3. 6th International Conference on Home and Community Based Care for
People Living With HIV/AIDS

The conference takes place between 8 and 11 December 2003 in Dakar,
Senegal, and will provide an ideal framework for sharing, advocacy,
capacity building and the dissemination of successful experiences.

For more information: http://www.dakarvih2003.sn/anglais/apatronat.html

4. AllAfrica.com launches debate on access to ARV treatment in Africa

The debate keynote points to the fact that disempowered population groups,
such as mothers and children, are being excluded from access to treatment.
Although treatment is likely to become more widely available, it will fall
far short of need for many years to come. In the meantime, should medical
practitioners alone select candidates for treatment or is there  a case
for prioritising 'strategically important' groups?  The debate raises
issues about ethics, about corruption and about the way wealth is being
used to jump the queue.

You can debate directly at http://allafrica.com/debates/hivtreatment/


JOB OPPORTUNITIES

1. Editor PlusNews HIV/AIDS Service for West and Central Africa

IRIN is looking for an editor to expand and enhance its current coverage
of HIV/AIDS issues for sub-Saharan Africa. The successful candidate will
be charged with expanding IRIN's PlusNews HIV/AIDS service by increasing
the news flow from West and Central Africa, using both personal contacts
and IRIN's extensive stringer network in the two regions. S/he will be
expected to write and edit well-researched and sensitively written stories
about HIV/AIDS in both English and French. S/he will also supervise the
work of a newly created translation unit charged with producing a French
language online news service about HIV/AIDS in Africa. S/he will liase
closely with the existing PlusNews editorial unit in Johannesburg, South
Africa, and IRIN's West Africa bureau. S/he will be expected to travel
occasionally within Africa to report directly on HIV/AIDS issues in
individual countries and to attend conferences on efforts to control the
pandemic and improve the lives of people living with AIDS.

The deadline for applying is 5 December 2003.

Apply to: Robert Powell, Managing Editor IRIN West Africa e-mail:
robert@irin.ci (cc application to Joanne.Clark@un.org)

The job description was posted to the ReliefWeb vacancies page on 26
November 2003 (www.reliefweb.int). Copies can also be obtained by sending
a request to Joanne Clark - Joanne@IRINnews.org.


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

[This Item is Delivered to the "PlusNews" HIV/AIDS Service of the UN's
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Copyright (c) UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2003


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