IRIN HIV/AIDS Weekly - 221
Africa
18 February 2005


NEWS:

SWAZILAND: Targeting HIV/AIDS in the workplace
SIERRA LEONE: New survey expected to show much higher HIV prevalence
   rate
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS activists demand expansion of national treatment
GABON: New factory produces AIDS and anti-malarial drugs for the region
MAURITANIA: Taboos, denial and lack of data hinder fight against AIDS
SWAZILAND: HIV-positive women's group creates agricultural cooperative


LINKS

1. The South African Health Directory
2. Talking With Kids
3. School and Health

CONFERENCES/ EVENTS/ RESEARCH/ RESOURCES

1. SAfAIDS - African Regional Gender Mainstreaming Symposium
2. OSI's TB/HIV advocacy grant competition: Request for proposals

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

1. Communications coordinator - Amsterdam




NEWS

SWAZILAND: Targeting HIV/AIDS in the workplace

In a country where employers still discriminate against HIV-positive
employees, Gladys Ndlangamandla a tall, soft-spoken woman of 33, is one of
the lucky few.

When she revealed her HIV status, instead of being summarily dismissed,
she was given a flexible workload for times when she would be unwell.

"For three years after learning I was HIV positive, I continued to work. I
stock merchandise, and I must clean the shelves. But two weeks ago I fell
sick - just yesterday I went back and I told my employers," she explained
to PlusNews.

More details: http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=4495


SIERRA LEONE: New survey expected to show much higher HIV prevalence rate

Sierra Leone has announced plans to launch a nationwide HIV/AIDS survey in
the next two months following widespread indications that the real rate of
HIV prevalence is four or five times greater than the official government
estimate of less than one percent.

Health officials and groups believe the actual rate is much closer to the
West African average of five percent.

"We plan to carry out a national survey in March or April to determine the
real AIDS prevalence rate in the country," Brima Kargbo, who heads the
government's National AIDS Secretariat, told IRIN.

More details: http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=4494


SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS activists demand expansion of national treatment

South Africa's AIDS activists once again marched to parliament on
Wednesday, launching a campaign to put more HIV-positive people on the
national treatment programme.

The AIDS lobby group, Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), will spend the rest
of this year campaigning for 200,000 people to be treated with
antiretroviral (ARV) drugs in the public sector by the beginning of 2006,
and at least 10 percent of them must be children.

Over 5,000 protestors marched through Cape Town to hand over a memorandum
to government at the parliament buildings.

More details: http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=4489


GABON: New factory produces AIDS and anti-malarial drugs for the region

The government of Gabon has opened a factory in Libreville that will
manufacture drugs to treat HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis (TB) for 30
million people living in six states in Central Africa.

"A battle has been won in the fight against the AIDS pandemic: the
reduction of our country's dependence on foreign countries for the supply
of drugs," Health Minister Paulette Missambo said at the opening ceremony
on Saturday.

The factory will produce six types of generic antiretroviral (ARV) drugs
for people living with AIDS, using technology provided by Brazil. ARV
drugs improve the health of people living with AIDS and extend their life.

More details: http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=4485


MAURITANIA: Taboos, denial and lack of data hinder fight against AIDS

As the Islamic Republic of Mauritania begins to respond to HIV/AIDS,
social taboos, widespread denial and an absence of accurate data combine
to make progress difficult.

Koumba, her head wrapped in a bright yellow scarf, is well aware of the
reality of HIV/AIDS and the difficulty of seeking help. The slim
29-year-old woman is poor, frightened and HIV-positive.

Her husband and two-year-old son are also living with the HI virus, but no
one else in their family knows.

More details: http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=4481


SWAZILAND: HIV-positive women's group creates agricultural cooperative

Swazis for Positive Living (SWAPOL), launched by a group of middle-aged
HIV-positive Swazi women, is breaking new ground by developing
self-sustaining agricultural projects in an effort to be less dependent on
donor organisations.

"Donor funding comes with strings attached - it's best if you can prosper
without it," said a younger volunteer, Joyce Nxumalo, a slim 22-year-old
wearing a red AIDS ribbon.

She and her boss, Sipiwe Hlope, a founding member of SWAPOL, are standing
beside a small fenced field belonging to the group, where the season's
first vegetables sprout above the cultivated ground.

More Details: http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=4480



LINKS

1. The South African Health Directory

This site provides subscribers with an easy-to-use directory of health
practitioners and health facilities in South Africa.

The directory makes provision for individual web pages for health
practitioners conforming to the ethical and legal requirements of the
Health Professions Council of South Africa.

HIV and AIDS is just one of the special interests or focus areas that the
public can search.

Access the directory: http://www.healthdirectory.co.za


2. Talking With Kids

We live in an increasingly complex world, which challenges us every day
with a wide range of disturbing issues that are difficult for children to
understand and for adults to explain.

This site aims to help by offering practical, concrete tips and techniques
for talking easily and openly with young children aged 8 to 12 about some
very tough issues: sex, HIV/AIDS, violence, drugs and alcohol.

Access the site: http://www.talkingwithkids.org


3. School and Health

Administered by the Partnership for Child Development, an international
initiative to improve the health and education of school-aged children by
means of school-based services, this website has information on programme
activities - including HIV and AIDS - in a long list of countries.

Also available are articles on health issues for children, and a list of
documents and publications that can be ordered.

Access the site: http://www.schoolsandhealth.org



CONFERENCES/ EVENTS/ RESEARCH/ RESOURCES

1. SAfAIDS - African Regional Gender Mainstreaming Symposium

The Southern Africa HIV/AIDS Information Dissemination Service (SAfAIDS)
is hosting a southern African Regional Gender Mainstreaming Symposium in
Swaziland from 5 - 7 April 2005.

Under the theme, 'Has mainstreaming become an outlived paradigm: is it
protecting women and girls in the era of HIV and AIDS?', participants will
examine the relevance, effectiveness and efficacy surrounding existing
regional mainstreaming strategies, with a gendered and human rights-based
approach to HIV and AIDS policy, law and programming initiatives.

SAfAIDS is calling for experts and resource persons, who would be willing
to facilitate sessions or present papers on various topics.

For more information contact:
Rouzeh Eghtessadi or Joshua Chigodora
Southern Africa HIV/AIDS Information Dissemination Service
Tel: + 263-4-336194/3, 307898
Fax  + 263-4-336195
Email: rouzeh@safaids.or.zw, joshua@safaids.org.zw


2. OSI's TB/HIV advocacy grant competition: Request for proposals

The Open Society Institute (OSI) is calling for proposals to support
projects aimed at improving local, national or regional policies and
programmes on tuberculosis (TB) and HIV/AIDS co-infection.

This small grants competition is intended to support TB and HIV/AIDS
advocacy work by organisations of people living with the HI virus, AIDS
treatment advocates and activist community groups and regional networks in
countries and regions affected by the dual epidemics.

Interested organisations should request a grant application form from the
following contact:
TB/HIV Advocacy Grant Competition
Eleonora Jimenez
Project Assistant, Public Health Programmes Open Society Institute
400 West 59th Street, New York, NY 10019
Fax: +1.646.557.2553
Email: ejimenez@sorosny.org



JOB OPPORTUNITIES

1. 1. Communications Coordinator - Amsterdam

The Global Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (GNP+) is offering
qualified individuals to opportunity to apply for the available position
of communications coordinator, based in the Netherlands, Amsterdam.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

- Actively build and maintain relations with press corps in and around the
Netherlands as well as with media personnel of Aidsfonds, Dutch HIV
Foundation and NGOs working on Access issues.
- Act as press officer for specific projects, including international
conferences and events, and as back-up spokesperson on campaign issues
when necessary
- Coordinate the production of press/media materials, e.g. press releases,
backgrounders, op-eds, articles, online materials and images, for the
wider GNP+/regional network and international press
- Create/edit presentations on various campaign-related topics. Help
produce materials (posters, exhibitions, brochures etc.) aimed at external
audiences including the general public. Represent the campaign at
international events as necessary
- Regularly update the website by posting reports and publications, press
releases, press clips, latest events; design the homepage to reflect
topical activities
- Develop a yearly action plan for the website incorporating
communications activities; submit a forward planning calendar to the
International Coordinator on a monthly basis
- Assist with the development of other campaign-related website activities
with other regional sections

REQUIREMENTS:

- Work experience as public information officer or press/media officer in
an NGO (non- government organisation) or international organisation
- Capable of handling stressful situations
- Experience in health communications or advocacy work a definite
advantage
- Good French skills a big asset, other languages (Spanish, Dutch) useful
- Flexibility and ability to manage many tasks simultaneously
- Excellent computer literacy
- Strong commitment to the concept of an international HIV/AIDS movement
and knowledge and affinity for the issues the movement encompasses
- Manage budget for communications programme. Source funding for
communications programme.

To apply for the position:
Please send a cover letter and CV as soon as possible to:
Rick Jones,
GNP+,
P.O. Box 11726
1001 GS Amsterdam.
Or send by email to: jones@gnpplus.net

For more information about the GNP+, see our website
http://www.gnpplus.net


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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