IRIN HIV/AIDS Weekly - 166
Africa
30 January 2004


NEWS:

ZAMBIA: MSF says rural poor lack access to AIDS drugs
MOZAMBIQUE: Stigma remains obstacle to HIV treatment
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: HIV/AIDS awareness team set up for prisoners
COTE D'IVOIRE: More than half the patients tested in rebel hospital HIV
  positive
ZAMBIA: Feature on fear over HIV drug resistance
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: Country Profile
ZIMBABWE: EU aid for health services


LINKS

1. The International HIV Treatment Access Coalition
2. iThemba Lethu
3. The Body's "Prisoners and HIV/AIDS" page


CONFERENCES/EVENTS/RESEARCH/RESOURCES

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


VACANCIES

1. Regional HIV/AIDS Advisor - Harare, Zimbabwe
2. HIV/AIDS Coordinator - Ethiopia, Addis Ababa


NEWS

ZAMBIA: MSF says rural poor lack access to AIDS drugs

The international medical NGO, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) on Wednesday
began supplying free antiretroviral drug treatment to HIV-positive people
in Zambia's northeastern Nchelenge district.

MSF said a massive scaling up of treatment programmes was imperative in
rural areas, where communities were disintegrating because of HIV/AIDS.

The group has been providing care to HIV-positive people in Nchelenge
since 2002, but said some two-thirds of the 350 people currently in the
programme were in urgent need of antiretroviral treatment.

Joke van Peteghem, the MSF head of mission in Zambia,
 said in a statement: "By proving anti-AIDS treatment is possible in a
rural poor society, we hope to trigger other actors, such as the UN, NGOs,
donor governments and the Zambian government, to step up their efforts in
this regard."

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=2971


MOZAMBIQUE: Feature - Stigma remains obstacle to HIV treatment

Julia, 24, has three children and is one month pregnant with her fourth
baby, but is adamant that she does not want to continue with the
pregnancy.

"I've got three children already, I'm unemployed, and I am HIV-positive,"
she told IRIN.

Although she and her husband, who is also HIV-positive, were always
careful, "the condom burst once", resulting in the pregnancy.

Julia took care of her elder sister until she died of an AIDS-related
illness last month, leaving behind four children. During this time she was
often absent from her job as a domestic worker and was eventually
dismissed.

She is also nursing her four-year-old HIV-positive son, who is being
treated for tuberculosis. Her eldest child is HIV-negative and the
youngest, Vanya, is only eight months old and an infant can only be safely
declared HIV-negative after testing at 18 months.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=2970


CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: HIV/AIDS awareness team set up for prisoners

The national anti-HIV/AIDS body in the Central African Republic (CAR) has
set up a unit to conduct awareness campaigns among prisoners in police
jails in the capital, Bangui, state-owned Radio Centrafrique reported on
Tuesday.

"Prisoners often have sexual behaviour with high risks that favour quick
propagation of HIV/AIDS," Dr. Marcel Massanga, an official of the Comite
National de Lutte contre le Sida, said.

The radio reported that Massanga made the remarks when he took part in the
first HIV awareness campaign in the jail at the Bangui Central Police
Station.

Massanga said that the unit, which falls within the Ministry for Public
Security, would inform prisoners about the risks to which they are exposed
by practising homosexuality.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=2964


COTE D IVOIRE: More than half the patients tested in rebel hospital HIV
positive

There is no reliable data on the extent to which AIDS has increased in the
rebel-held north of Cote d'Ivoire since civil war broke out 16 months ago,
but recent informal studies by one haematologist working at the main
hospital in the northern town of Korhogo showed alarming results.

Dr Assad Ouattara told IRIN on Monday that he had tested 60 patients at
the Korhogo hospital for HIV/AIDS so far this month. Of these, 35 - more
than half - were found to be infected with the fatal virus.

Dr Ouattara said he had tested for HIV/AIDS all those patients from whom
he had taken blood samples for other forms of blood testing. Some of those
who tested positive appeared to be suffering from diseases associated with
AIDS, such as tuberculosis, but most simply thought they had malaria.
Seven were already so ill with AIDS that he recommended they seek
treatment in the economic capital, Abidjan.

Ouattara said HIV/AIDS appeared to be spreading rapidly in Korhogo, a
major rebel military base and market centre in the north. He blamed
rampant prostitution among girls of school age, who had been made idle by
the closure of most schools since the civil war began in September 2003.

"Thank God, classes are about to resume, because here in town we are
seeing young girls, abandoned by the education system, indulging in these
undesirable activities," Dr Ouattara said.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=2963


ZAMBIA: Feature on fear over HIV drug resistance

Zambian health officials have warned of the emergence of strains of the HI
virus that are resistant to current antiretroviral (ARV) drug treatment.

Dr Ben Chirwa, director general of the Central Board of Health, said a
recent laboratory study conducted at the University Teaching Hospital in
the capital, Lusaka, had confirmed the drug-resistant strain, and its
emergence was "clearly an indication that people are not being consistent
with their medication."

AIDS expert and former health minister, professor Nkandu Luo, told
PlusNews the problem was "immediate and urgent" because of its
implications for drug policies and the cost of health care.

"Drug resistance makes it difficult to treat patients ... if people are
not getting better, we have to look at other options, which increases the
cost of treatment. Zambia can barely afford to provide basic health care
to its people - we do not need this additional burden," Luo said.

Last year the government responded to the high cost of ARVs - around US
$250 per month - by introducing heavily subsidised medication through the
public health system for 10,000 HIV-positive people, at around $8 a month.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=2957


DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: Country Profile

The following is a new Country Profile database for the Democratic
Republic of the Congo, providing contact details of key AIDS NGOs,
government departments and UN agencies, plus the latest epidemiological
data and country indicator statistics.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=2956

ZIMBABWE: EU aid for health services

The European Union is this year expected to spend close to US $30 million
to help improve Zimbabwe's underfunded health delivery system.

The head of the European Commission (EC) delegation to Zimbabwe, Francesca
Mosca, said in a statement last week the money would be taken from a US
$69 million fund committed to Zimbabwe for the period 2000 to 2006.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=2952


LINKS

1. The International HIV Treatment Access Coalition

The site includes people living with HIV/AIDS, advocacy groups, NGOs,
governments, foundations, the private sector, and academic and research
institutions, working to expand access to HIV treatment to the growing
number of people living with HIV/AIDS in low- and middle-income countries,
by disseminating and exchanging information.

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


2. iThemba Lethu

This is a voluntary association of people concerned about the future of
young people and children threatened by HIV /AIDS, especially in the
Durban area of South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province.

For more information: http://www.ithembalethu.org.za/


3. The Body's "Prisoners and HIV/AIDS" page

The Body's "Prisoners and HIV/AIDS" page has links to dozens of articles,
including personal accounts, legal information, HIV/AIDS treatment, and
general news.

For more information: http://www.thebody.com/whatis/prison.html


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 master's 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


VACANCIES

1. Regional HIV/AIDS Advisor - Harare, Zimbabwe

The Global Health Council invites applications from competent, qualified,
dynamic and committed individuals for the position of Regional HIV/AIDS
Advisor in Zimbabwe to support and supplement in-country skills and
capacities in the area of HIV/AIDS.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

- Support country-level managers/advisors in development of HIV/AIDS
programmes, in line with Concern Worldwide HIV/AIDS policy
- Support development of Regional Programmes in HIV/AIDS
- Co-ordinate Regional workshops for HIV/AIDS advisors/managers
- Keep abreast of best practice in HIV/AIDS
- Participate in evaluation, in conjunction with external consultants
- Provide technical reports and position papers for activities/issues in
Southern Africa
- Provide technical support to HIV/AIDS programme managers/advisors

QUALIFICATIONS:

- Master's degree in development, HIV/AIDS, tropical health or related
subjects
- Five years' previous overseas experience, of which at least two should
be at a senior advisor or management level (in HIV/AIDS)
- Experience of programme design, monitoring and evaluation, networking
and dialogue with government
- Experience of supporting partners, capacity building, and rights-based
approaches
- Knowledge and understanding of mainstreaming HIV/AIDS

All applicants are advised to please send a cover letter and current CV
to:
hrenquiries@concern.net


2. HIV/AIDS Coordinator - Ethiopia, Addis Ababa

The International Rescue Committee (IRC), a leading organisation providing
relief, protection and resettlement services for refugees and victims of
oppression and violent conflict, invites applications from competent,
qualified, dynamic and committed individuals for the position of HIV/AIDS
Coordinator in Ethiopia.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

- Provide technical guidance to national staff programme managers and
officers on the implementation of HIV/AIDS and Reproductive Health RH
projects
- Draft an IRC Ethiopia Country HIV/AIDS Strategy (3-5 years) and present
to the deputy country director and country director for final editing and
approval
- Review relevant Annual Programme Statements (APSs) issued by USAID, call
for proposals issued by the European Union (EU) and advise the deputy
director and country director on appropriate opportunities for funding
- Develop and grow IRC Ethiopia's HIV/AIDS/RH programmes, focusing in
particular on programme quality and impact
- Draft proposals and ensure all donor and government reports are
submitted in a timely manner
- In consultation with the operations department and deputy director,
review applicants for all Health/HIV/AIDS positions and assist in the
recruitment of qualified national staff
- Carry out assessments on HIV/AIDS and RH needs in new project areas
- Develop IRC's role and reputation as a serious contributor to
HIV/AIDS/RH interventions in Ethiopia

QUALIFICATIONS:

- Four years' overseas experience in relief/refugee/development contexts,
preferably in Africa
- Proven experience working with the UN, EU and Unites States Government
donors
- Strong background in Health/HIV/AIDS/RH assessments and implementation
- Experience supervising staff in a multi-cultural setting
- Excellent oral and written communication skills (English)
- Health professional (MD, RN, MPH) with strong public health background
- Wide knowledge of, and experience in, statistical data analysis packages

IRC reviews all applications. You will be contacted if you are selected as
a candidate.

Apply online at http://www.theirc.org or http://www.ircjobs.org


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

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