IRIN HIV/AIDS Weekly - 236
Africa
3 June 2005


NEWS:

ZAMBIA: HIV/AIDS affecting quality of education
SOUTHERN AFRICA: New research questions link between food crisis and
   AIDS
ZAMBIA: Community group project funds ARVs
TANZANIA: Local firm to produce ARVs starting next year
TOGO: UN agencies working to locate HIV patients displaced by post
   election violence


CONFERENCES/ EVENTS/ RESEARCH/ RESOURCES

1. 14th International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA) -
    New Announcement
2. UN Population and HIV/AIDS 2005 - Wall Chart
3. Global Campaign for Microbicides - Updated Fact sheet

LINKS

1. New site launched for AIDS Partnership with Africa (APA)

VACANCIES

1. Reproductive Health Project Officer - Angola




NEWS

ZAMBIA: HIV/AIDS affecting quality of education

HIV/AIDS is having an impact on teacher absenteeism in Zambia, which in 
turn is affecting the quality of education, according to a new World 
Bank study.

'Teacher Shocks and Student Learning: Evidence from Zambia', found that 
when teachers were absent as a result of illness, the level of learning 
was affected.

"In a country like Zambia, with very high HIV prevalence, shocks due to 
illnesses and funerals can lead to long absences and substantial 
declines in teaching performance," said the study, which surveyed 182 
schools in four of the country's eight provinces. It found that the 
illness of either the teacher or members of their family accounted for 
more than 60 percent of absences.

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=4880


SOUTHERN AFRICA: New research questions link between food crisis and 
AIDS

The link between HIV/AIDS and hunger in rural communities has received a 
great deal of attention in Southern Africa, where HIV/AIDS seems to have 
added a new dimension to the region's four-year-long food crisis.

But a new report has argued that although HIV/AIDS constitutes a 
humanitarian catastrophe, the impact of the epidemic was not a major 
cause of the region's food crisis during 2001 and 2004.

The study by the Overseas Development Institute's (ODI) Forum for Food 
Security in Southern Africa noted that in Zimbabwe, poor policy choices 
were the main reasons why the food crisis dragged on. Widespread chronic 
poverty also contributed to the emergency, which at its peak had up to 
7.5 million out of a population of 11.6 million in need of food aid.

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=4874


ZAMBIA: Community group project funds ARVs

A group of HIV positive people in Solwezi, the administrative capital of 
Zambia's North-western province, is helping its members access 
antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) with the proceeds from its income-generating 
activities.

The hammer mill project of the Network for Zambian People Living with 
HIV/AIDS (NZP+) in Solwezi, about 700 km northwest of the capital, 
Lusaka, is also making it possible for members to go for viral load 
testing.

Marjorie Makanga and her husband, Benson, the NZP+ Solwezi treasurer, 
both tested HIV positive in 1997, but their meagre incomes prevented 
them from having CD4 count tests (which measure the strength of the 
immune system) at the hospital, or buying ARVs.

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=4869


TANZANIA: Local firm to produce ARVs starting next year

A Tanzanian pharmaceutical company will begin producing generic 
antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) in mid-2006 at a factory in the northern 
town of Arusha, an official with the firm announced on Monday.

"We are optimistic that the locally produced ARVs will be accessible to 
many HIV/AIDS patients in Tanzania," Ramadhani Madabida, the managing 
director of Tanzania Pharmaceutical Industries (TPI), told PlusNews.

The company has already started importing the raw materials from China, 
and its factory has successfully produced the drug on a trial basis, 
Madabida said.

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=4868


TOGO: UN agencies working to locate HIV patients displaced by post 
election violence

Post-election violence has forced tens of thousands of Togolese to flee 
their homes, some of whom are living with AIDS and no longer have access 
to life-prolonging anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment, the UN children's 
agency UNICEF has said.

"We have started to identify people with HIV who fled from their homes 
without their medication," said Aicha Flambert, head of UNICEF in Togo.

"We hope the planned expansion of our system of epidemiological 
surveillance among the displaced will help us to track them and even 
show up new cases," she told PlusNews.

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=4862



CONFERENCES/ EVENTS/ RESEARCH/ RESOURCES

1. The following new deadlines have been approved for the activities of 
the '14th International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA)', 
scheduled for Abuja, Nigeria, from 4 to 9 December 2005.

Deadlines:

Abstract submissions - 28 June
Scholarship applications - 13 July
Early registration - 27 July
Name changes/cancellations - 30 June
Cancellation of hotel booking - 30 September
Request for letters of invitation - 30 October
Standard registration - 3 November
Group registration - 29 September
Satellite symposium booking - 27 July
Exhibition-stand booking - 15 October

It is hoped that this information will enable more stakeholders and 
other interested persons, organisations and institutions to participate 
in what promises to be the world's largest health event inside Africa in 
2005.

More details: www.icasa2005.org.ng

2. Although countries are introducing comprehensive HIV/AIDS prevention 
strategies to raise awareness and change risky behaviour, national and 
international responses remain inadequate to address the severity of the 
epidemic.

This is one of the main conclusions derived from a new wall-chart 
released by the Population Division of the UN Department of Economic and 
Social Affairs.

The chart, 'Population and HIV/AIDS 2005', provides an essential 
backdrop to the high-level meeting of the General Assembly, which kicked 
off on 2 June 2005.

To access the wall chart:
http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/POP_HIVAIDS2005/POP_HIVAIDS.htm

3. The Global Campaign for Microbicides has released a newly revised set 
of fact-sheets on the development of microbicides. The fact-sheets will 
be updated as scientific and advocacy efforts in microbicides progress.

The updated version of the fact sheet can be accessed at:
http://www.global-campaign.org/download.htm



LINKS

1. Nobel Peace laureate, John Hume, launched a new website in Ireland 
this week for the AIDS Partnership with Africa (APA), a nongovernmental 
organisation working with the people of Africa to tackle HIV/AIDS.

The new APA site will allow you to access a source of information about 
projects being developed in Africa and provide support for people 
wishing to set up local fundraising or education projects in schools and 
communities around Ireland.

Access the new site:
http://www.aidspartnershipafrica.org



VACANCIES

1. Reproductive Health Project Officer - Angola

The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) is seeking a competent individual to 
take up the post of Reproductive Health Project Officer in Luanda, 
Angola.

Under the guidance of the health programme officer, the successful 
candidate will be responsible for the planning and implementation of 
assigned health projects, including efforts in the prevention of 
mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV.


RESPONSIBILITIES:

- Design, prepare, implement and monitor projects in the area of 
reproductive health, including PMTCT. Analyse and evaluate data to 
ensure achievement of objectives and/or take corrective action when 
necessary to meet project objectives

- Assist in the development and/or introduction of new approaches, 
methods and practices in project management and evaluation

- Participate in the development of the reproductive health/PMTCT 
project work-plans; ensure compliance with specific assigned objectives, 
and provide guidance and support to staff in meeting project objectives

- Provide technical advice and assistance to government officials and 
other partners in the planning, implementation, monitoring and 
evaluation of reproductive health projects

- Prepare project status reports required for management, donors, budget 
review, programme analysis, annual reports, etc.

- Meet with national and international agencies covering the management 
of projects in reproductive health and PMTCT


REQUIREMENTS:

- Advanced university degree in medicine and/or public health

- Knowledge of the latest developments and technologies in a related 
field, preferably reproductive health

- Five years of responsible professional work experience in 
programme/project management, monitoring and evaluation in related field

- Fluency in written and spoken English required

- Knowledge of Portuguese/Spanish an asset

- Analytical, negotiating, communication and advocacy skills

- Knowledge of computer management and applications

- Ability to work in an international and multicultural environment


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.


VACANCY CONTACT:

Applications should go directly to the requesting office c/o 
egebremariam@unicef.org

Closing date:
10 Jun 2005


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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