IRIN HIV/AIDS Weekly - 164
Africa
16 January 2004


NEWS:

NIGERIA: Stock of subsidised drugs for AIDS runs out
ETHIOPIA: Traditional burial societies to help people living with HIV/AIDS
ETHIOPIA: Interview with director of HIV/AIDS film "Hidden Tears"
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Are countries spending enough on AIDS?
SWAZILAND: AIDS and economic decline hamper school enrolments
KENYA: Confusion over HIV prevalence rates

LINKS

1. Africa Action
2. Binti Pamoja Centre
3. Global Media Initiative

CONFERENCES/EVENTS/RESEARCH RESOURCES

1. Abstract Submission Deadline
2. Award in International Health and Human Rights
3. Sexual and Reproductive Health Course
4. Male Circumcision and HIV

VACANCIES

1. Southern Africa Regional Coordinator
2. PSI Marketing Advisor, Madagascar


NEWS

NIGERIA: Stock of subsidised drugs for AIDS runs out

A Nigerian government programme to provide antiretroviral treatment at
subsidised prices for people living with HIV/AIDS is under threat because
the initial stock of drugs is running out and has not been replenished,
officials said.

The programme was launched in January 2002 by President Olusegun Obasanjo,
with the aim of providing more affordable antiretroviral treatment to
10,000 people at 25 designated centres across the country.

The government charged just over US $7 per month for the treatment, which
can improve the health of people living with AIDS and extend their lives,
but cannot cure them. It costs about $300 per month at commercial prices.

The uptake was very slow at first, but Health Ministry officials told
PlusNews on Wednesday that it had improved as awareness of the programme
grew.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=2926


ETHIOPIA: Traditional burial societies to help people living with HIV/AIDS

Ethiopia’s traditional community-based burial societies - idirs - are now
turning their attention to helping people living with HIV, officials said
on Tuesday.

"This change of mandate is very fundamental," Dr Eyob Kamil, head of Addis
Ababa’s Health Bureau, told PlusNews at the launch of a training programme
for idirs. "It’s mobilising community support and giving skills to provide
care to everyone. This is community empowerment."

Idirs are community groups to which people pay subscriptions towards
meeting funeral and mourning costs. They have a very long reach among
communities and are found in almost all parts of the country. Members of
these burial societies are currently being trained for HIV/AIDS-related
work in Addis Ababa.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=2909


ETHIOPIA: Interview with director of HIV/AIDS film "Hidden Tears"

Ethiopia’s fledgling film industry is turning its attention to fighting
the HI virus. The documentary film-maker, Kidane Yilak, tells PlusNews why
he felt compelled to make the country’s first-ever film addressing the
stigma and discrimination prompted by the virus, and the threat posed by
HIV/AIDS, which has infected an estimated 2.2 million people in Ethiopia.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=2921


SOUTHERN AFRICA: Are countries spending enough on HIV/AIDS?

The impact of HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa is now well recognised, but the
critical question is whether enough funding has been allocated to deal
with the epidemic, a report by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC)
said.

In April 2001 in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, African leaders committed
themselves to allocating at least 15 percent of government expenditure to
the health sector. But except for Zimbabwe and South Africa, none of the
other Southern African countries surveyed in the report - Botswana,
Lesotho, Mozambique and Swaziland - had fulfilled this promise. Analysts
have questioned the accuracy of the Zimbabwe figures.

"Botswana comes closest among the remaining countries, spending 10 percent
of government expenditure on health. The other countries spend about half
of the 15 percent target," the study noted.

Although it was likely that Botswana and Swaziland would meet their
obligation, the "constrained macroeconomic environment" in Mozambique and
Lesotho made reaching the 15 percent threshold less likely.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=2920


SWAZILAND: AIDS and economic decline hamper school enrolments

With schools reopening nationwide this week, teachers in Swaziland are
concerned that a weakening economy and HIV/AIDS will affect the number of
children enrolling for the 2004 academic year.

"The problem is school fees - and it's not a new one. Parents scramble to
come up with money for tuition, school uniforms, transportation, boarding
and other fees. What is measurably worse this year is the number of
parents who are out of work, and the growing population of children
without parents," Alexander Tsabedze, a headmaster in the northern Hhohho
region, told IRIN.

The impact of HIV/AIDS on poor households is compounding an already
difficult situation.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=2908


KENYA: Confusion over HIV prevalence rates

Findings from a government survey released last week showed that Kenya may
have a lower HIV prevalence rate than was previously thought, but
activists warned the situation on the ground had not changed.

The preliminary report of the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey found
there were fewer people living with HIV/AIDS than projected - 6.7 percent
compared to the 9.4 percent estimated by UNAIDS and the World Health
Organisation for 2003. Up to 3,000 households were tested for HIV in the
study, which is used to plan government health policies.

In a statement on Tuesday, UNAIDS described last week's news reports
claiming that their figures were "overestimated", as unfounded.

"When broken down by gender, the survey found an HIV prevalence of 8.7
percent among women, which is in the same range as the 9.4 percent
prevalence estimated by UNAIDS and WHO," UNAIDS said in the statement.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=2910


LINKS

1. Africa Action launched its new website this week. It offers major new
features and original content on US Africa policy and the Africa's Right
to Health Campaign. There are resources and policy analysis on a range of
key issues and countries; activist tools on Africa's HIV/AIDS crisis; and
a newsroom with Africa Action's latest media activities and archived press
releases and reports.

Africa Action is working with activists across the US to put pressure on
President Bush to keep the promise made in last year's State of the Union
address to give US $15 billion to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa and the
Caribbean. A set of talking-points on Bush's AIDS policies, entitled
"Broken Promises and Betrayals," is also on the new website.
http://www.africaaction.org

2. The Binti Pamoja (Daughters United) Centre is designed to create a safe
space where girls and young women can discuss reproductive health issues,
and fight gender discrimination, domestic abuse and rape. The centre uses
art and photography as a means of expression and to enable young
participants to speak out on difficult issues. Discussion topics have
included violence against women, sex, contraception, sexually transmitted
infections (STIs) and ethnic conflict. To further discussion, field trips
to NGOs addressing some of these issues have been organised. To complement
the discussions, members were given disposable cameras and assignments
that paralleled the topics. The Centre is also spearheading the
establishment of an AIDS awareness Peer Educators programme.
http://cfk.unc.edu/binti-pamoja/index.html

3. An archived version of a live web cast of this week's press conference
with media leaders and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to launch the
Global Media AIDS Initiative is available online. The Initiative aims to
activate media organisations to reach the world's people - especially
youth - with information about how to prevent and treat HIV, and to help
combat AIDS-related stigma and discrimination.
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/healthcast/kff/15jan2004


CONFERENCES/EVENTS/RESEARCH RESOURCES

1. People are invited to submit abstracts online for the XV International
AIDS Conference to be held in Bangkok, Thailand from 11 to 16 July 2004.

The online Abstract submission deadline is 21 January 2004, midnight CET
(Central European Time). Abstract submission in paper form is already
closed. Abstracts sent by email will NOT be accepted.

Online Abstract submission form:
www.congrex.com/s.asp?C='04070409'&

For more information about Abstract requirements:
http://www.ias.se/bangkok/mainpage.aspx?pageId=174

A reminder of important AIDS2004 deadlines:

- Abstract submission (paper form): Closed
- Abstract submission (online): 21 January 2004
- Scholarship application: 2 February 2004
- Skills Building Workshop submission: 2 February 2004
- Registration (Early registration fee): 2 February 2004
- Registration (Standard Fee): 1 May 2004

2. The Association François-Xavier Bagnoud, Doctors of the World, and the
Global Health Council have partnered to support the Jonathan Mann Award in
international health and human rights. The award is presented annually to
a leading practitioner in health and human rights, whether an individual
or organisation, and is designed to allow its recipients a measure of
financial freedom to pursue their work in the area of global health and
human rights.
www.globalhealth.org/view_top.php3?id=238

3. Monitoring and Evaluation for Sexual and Reproductive Health is a
training course that examines the underlying principles of monitoring and
evaluation for programme managers. The course will be held in
Johannesburg, South Africa, from 22 March to 2 April 2004, by the Margaret
Sanger Centre International South Africa. Participants will explore the
steps in establishing effective monitoring and evaluation systems and are
guided in how to integrate gender analysis into their monitoring and
evaluation plans.

The course is designed to strengthen institutional capacity to effectively
monitor programme operations and evaluate performance. For more
information: http://www.pambazuka.org/index.php?id=19251

4. USAID and Population Services International's AIDSMark project have
published the report "Male Circumcision: Current Epidemiological and Field
Evidence; Programme and Policy Implications for HIV Prevention and
Reproductive Health", which examines the relationship between male
circumcision and HIV transmission, and other health concerns.

The comprehensive report summarizes the proceedings of a two-day
conference attended by hundreds of experts, who discussed current
epidemiological and biological evidence, clinical trials and field
studies, and offers their findings and conclusions.
http://www.psi.org/resources/male-circ.html


VACANCIES

1. The International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS (ICW) is
looking to appoint a Southern Africa Regional Coordinator. This is the
first of the ICW Regional Coordinator posts. The post will be located
wherever the selected candidate is based, and is a senior, full-time, paid
post. The contract is initially for six months, with the expectation that
it will be renewed at the end of the period.

ICW's role is to ensure the development of a strong, dynamic and active
ICW network in the region, with the capacity to fully involve its members
in the work of the wider organisation.

The incumbent will develop communications with and between members, as
well as with Regional Coordinators in other regions of the world as they
are appointed, and the ICW International Support Office based in London.
The Coordinator will also be responsible for piloting an election process
for country and regional representatives.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

- To increase communications with ICW members in Southern Africa, through
face-to-face contact and other communications mechanisms.
- To strengthen members' participation and inclusion in the global ICW
network as a means of increasing the voices of HIV-positive women from the
region in support, treatment and advocacy initiatives at all levels.
- To develop and pilot a transparent and accountable system of electing
HIV-positive women as ICW country and regional representatives in Southern
Africa.
- To develop ICW's Southern Africa region in consultation with the ICW
International Support Office, the Board of Trustees, and ICW staff in
other regions, ensuring that it is fully integrated into the worldwide ICW
network.
- To provide monthly reports to the International Support Office and the
Board of Trustees, including financial reports. To provide donor proposals
and reports as required.
- To coordinate and develop ICW projects and workshops within the Southern
Africa region, in coordination with the Global Sexual and Reproductive
Rights Advocacy Officer (currently based in Pretoria) and other staff
across the global network.
- To develop a monitoring and evaluation system for regional activities.
- To develop mutual support, and joint advocacy and policy work with local
and national networks of HIV-positive women in the region, networks of
positive people, and ICW partners such as YWCA, WAGGGS and others.
- To encourage the development of national positive women's networks in
countries in the region where these do not exist.

The successful candidate will be required to establish a base with a host
organisation in the same country, which will provide office space and
equipment, and may be required to administer funds on behalf of ICW.
However, the post-holder will be fully accountable to ICW, and will be
expected to work full-time on ICW activities. The host organisation
nominated will be subject to approval. The salary will be agreed in line
with national market rates.

REQUIREMENTS:

- Firm commitment to the ethos of ICW and excellent communications skills,
both written and verbal, and including project proposal writing skills.
- IT skills, particularly Word, Excel, email and internet. Planning and
project management skills.
- Willingness and availability to travel within the Southern Africa region
and internationally.
- Sound understanding of international HIV, gender and development issues,
and principles of democracy and accountability in a network.
- Sound understanding of confidentiality and gender issues, an ability to
work on own initiative and as part of a team
- Good spoken and written English, knowledge of Portuguese an advantage
- Diagnosed HIV positive and public about HIV status

Application forms can be downloaded from the ICW website and should be
returned to ICW by the deadline by email(fionah@icw.org) marked "ICW SARC
2004", and copied to Lynde Francis, ICW's Southern Africa Regional Trustee
(centre2@africaonline.co.zw).

For more information: www.icw.org. Closing date for applications: February
4, 2004


2. Population Services International (PSI) is a non-profit social
marketing organisation, operating in more than 70 developing countries,
and is looking for a qualified candidate for the position of Marketing
Advisor, Madagascar. The Marketing Advisor will be responsible for all
technical department activities and their managers (Qualitative Research,
BCC/IEC, Distribution, Video Production) on the consumer products side of
PSI/Madagascar’s operations.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

- Work in close collaboration with the FMCG Brand Manager to manage four
products (Condoms, ITNs, SWS and Chloroquine)
- Launch new products
- Oversee annual marketing plan strategy design for each brand
- Participate directly in long-term planning and management
- Conduct new business development as necessary

QUALIFICATIONS:

- Relevant master’s degree (MBA, MIA, MPH)
- Significant experience in marketing and product development, preferably
in a management capacity
- At least 2 years of work experience in a developing country
- Fluency in French
- Background in research and communications
- Familiarity with international health (specifically malaria),
development issues, and the international donor community

The successful candidate will exhibit creative thinking ability; excellent
communication, analytical, organizational, interpersonal, and writing
skills; an interest in private sector approaches to development; and the
ability to produce results in difficult circumstances.

Please apply online at www.psi.org.  No calls or emails.


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

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Copyright (c) UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2004


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