IRIN HIV/AIDS Weekly - 230
Africa
22 April 2005


NEWS:

ZAMBIA: Poverty adds another dimension to stigma
SWAZILAND: Child rights advocates highlight plight of under-fives
SOUTHERN AFRICA: HIV/AIDS, poverty keeping children from schools, says
   UNICEF
MALAWI: Impact of hunger hastens spread of HIV/AIDS - new study
LIBERIA: No money to finance AIDS survey, no treatment outside Monrovia


CONFERENCES/ EVENTS/ RESEARCH/ RESOURCES

1. Managing HIV/AIDS Home based Care Programmes
2. Tools for African Journalists
3. New Eldis Health Resource Guide

VACANCIES

1. VCT Coordinator - Human Sciences Research Council

NEWS

ZAMBIA: Poverty adds another dimension to stigma

The pressures of caring for terminally ill family members, while trying 
to make ends meet in a country staggering under the impact of the 
HIV/AIDS epidemic and food shortages, has forced many poor Zambian 
households to make painful decisions.

When faced with extreme levels of poverty, caregivers discriminated 
against the AIDS patient without even realising it, research presented 
at the international conference on HIV/AIDS and Food and Nutrition 
Security in Durban, South Africa, revealed.

"There's only so much people can cope with - these decisions are based 
on limited resources and their actions are driven by this - but people 
living with HIV/AIDS are experiencing it as stigma," Virginia Bond, 
principal investigator for a study on stigma in Zambia, commissioned by 
the International Centre for Research on Women (ICRW), told PlusNews.

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=4718


SWAZILAND: Child rights advocates highlight plight of under-fives

Child rights advocates have banded together in a bid to cope with 
ongoing concerns about the welfare of Southern Africa's children.

At a recent meeting organised by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) in 
Swaziland, delegates from Lesotho, Malawi and South Africa highlighted 
the need to bolster care programmes targeting children under five years.

"In Swaziland we have begun a network of Neighbourhood Care Points that 
provide a structure for assisting orphans and vulnerable children. In 
Malawi they are using a comprehensive approach for all children, not 
just orphans," UNICEF country director, Alan Brody, told PlusNews.

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=4729


SOUTHERN AFRICA: HIV/AIDS, poverty keeping children from schools, says 
UNICEF

HIV/AIDS and poverty are the stumbling blocks to achieving the target of 
gender parity in most Southern African classrooms by 2015, according to 
the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).

The latest UNICEF report, released on Monday, indicated that school 
enrolment statistics in five Southern African countries - three of them 
with extremely high HIV/AIDS prevalence rates - were not on course for 
achieving gender parity.

In Botswana, Namibia and Lesotho, children from households affected by 
HIV/AIDS were often forced to quit school, pointed out Changu 
Mannathoko, UNICEF's regional advisor. Girls dropped out to run the 
home, while boys were forced to share the economic burden of the family 
by working.

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=4719


MALAWI: Impact of hunger hastens spread of HIV/AIDS - new study

Southern Africa's recent humanitarian crisis highlighted how the 
HIV/AIDS epidemic increased people's vulnerability to acute food 
shortages, leaving them unable to cope.

But research presented at last week's international conference on 
'HIV/AIDS and Food and Nutrition Security' in Durban, South Africa, 
found that this was only half the story.

A study of smallholder farmers in three rural villages in Malawi's 
Lilongwe district revealed that hunger was a greater contributing factor 
to increasing susceptibility to HIV/AIDS, as these communities were 
engaging in risky sexual practices to survive.

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=4721


LIBERIA: No money to finance AIDS survey, no treatment outside Monrovia

Health officials know that AIDS is a serious problem in Liberia, but the 
government has no money to conduct a proper HIV prevalence survey, and 
specialist treatment for the disease is only available in the capital, 
Monrovia.

Doctor James Duworko, the head of Liberia's National AIDS Control 
Programme (NACP), told PlusNews that the government was providing 
life-enhancing antiretroviral (ARV) drugs free of charge to 369 people 
living with AIDS, through three privately run hospitals in Monrovia.

But elsewhere in the West African country, which is emerging painfully 
from 14 years of civil war, there is only one HIV testing centre, in the 
northern town of Gbarnga, and no specialist treatment is available.

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=4720



CONFERENCES/ EVENTS/ RESEARCH/ RESOURCES

1. The Centre for African Family Studies (CAFS) will be holding an 
international course on 'Managing HIV/AIDS Home-based Care Programmes' 
from 27 June to 15 July 2005 in Nairobi, Kenya. This is an intensive 
three-week course offering a learning and sharing opportunity for 
programme managers and officers in the field of HIV/AIDS. The course 
will provide trainees with hands-on skills in community mobilisation, 
comprehensive HIV/AIDS home-based care services, HIV/AIDS 
community-based prevention interventions, ART and PMTCT Community 
preparedness, training transfer, and planning, supervision, monitoring 
and evaluation of HIV/AIDS community-based intervention programmes.

The learning atmosphere is lively, creative and participatory, and uses 
an approach that emphasizes 'learning by doing'. Participants share 
experiences in home-based care and also learn from the regional 
experience of CAFS in building the capacity of individuals, and from 
organisations working in the field of HIV/AIDS and reproductive health.

The fee for the course is US $2,800, which covers tuition, training 
materials, participant's handbook, supplies, training-related field 
trips and certification awards.

For more information on the course: http://www.cafs.org

In addition to this international course, CAFS can offer tailored 
in-country training to a minimum of 10 participants on HIV/AIDS, 
home-based care and support services.


2. The Tools and Resources page for African Journalists and Educators at 
the Datelinehealth-Africa web portal has been updated with new 
resources/links on ongoing Awards, Fellowships, Scholarships, 
Internships, Grants and Other support.

To access this resource: 
http://www.datelinehealth-africa.net/betav1.0/resources/journalist_educator.asp


3. A new Key Issues page on maternal, newborn and child health is now 
available on the HRC/Eldis Health Resource Guide.

This guide outlines the key policy debates, and examines what action is 
needed to achieve the Millennium Development Goals on maternal and child 
health. Written by experts in the field, the guide proposes a win-win 
solution that will benefit mothers, babies and children, while 
contributing to stronger health systems.

The guide can be accessed at: www.eldis.org/health/MNCH.htm



VACANCIES

1. VCT Coordinator - Human Sciences Research Council

South Africa's Human Sciences Research Council is seeking to appoint a 
Voluntary Counselling and Testing Coordinator (VCT) in a research study 
to determine the effectiveness of VCT as an entry point for 
community-level changes in HIV incidence, risk behaviour and stigma. The 
candidate will be based at a research site in Vulindlela, adjacent to 
the Mafakathini Clinic outside Pietermaritzburg.

The successful candidate will be responsible for coordinating and 
managing the VCT component of the research study, and will work under 
the direction of the Project Director. The successful incumbent will be 
appointed on a 3-year contract.

REQUIREMENTS:

- A Master's degree, or one close to completion in psychology, social 
work or related fields

- Relevant research, project coordination or project management 
experience

- Prior knowledge and/or experience in HIV/AIDS issues

- Fluency in English and Zulu, computer literacy and a driver's licence.

- Good facilitation skills, with the ability to design and develop 
training materials and curricula

- Good organisational and problem-solving skills

When applying, please include a letter of motivation, indicating why you 
think you are suitably qualified for the position, your CV, the details 
of three recent referees (with telephone, fax and e-mail contact 
details), and a breakdown of your current cost-to-company package. 
Applicants may be required to undertake a written exercise in the 
competencies required for the position.

Please submit your application to Ms Michele Glasson, Human Sciences 
Research Council, Private Bag X07, Dalbridge, 4014. Tel: +27 31 2425512 
Fax+ +27 31 2425401 or email: mglasson@hsrc.ac.za


IRIN-SA
Tel: +27 11 895-1900
Fax: +27 11 784-6759
Email: IRIN-SA@irin.org.za

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Copyright (c) UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 
2005


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