IRIN HIV/AIDS Weekly - 246
Africa
12 August 2005


NEWS

SOUTHERN AFRICA: Farmworkers neglected in HIV/AIDS prevention
SOUTH AFRICA: Govt to consider routine testing
SOUTH AFRICA: HIV/AIDS to take heavy toll on health services
CAMEROON: FHI ends clinical trial of ARV drug Tenofovir


CONFERENCES/ EVENTS/ RESEARCH/ RESOURCES

1. Video on HIV-positive African priest now in French and Portuguese
2. Debating Sexual Rights in Africa
3. Innovative Approaches to income generation for PLWHA Groups

VACANCIES

1. Global Campaign Coordinator - AIDS Care Watch



NEWS

SOUTHERN AFRICA: Farm workers neglected in HIV/AIDS prevention efforts

Constantly moving, keeping an ear open for fresh opportunities, migrant 
farm workers in Southern Africa are often a forgotten population, for 
whom little is done to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS in an already 
high-risk environment.

A study conducted by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) 
in the region along the border between South Africa and Mozambique 
brings into sharp focus how living and working on farms makes workers 
more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS.

Researchers noted that high-risk sexual behaviour between men and women 
working on farms was common, and the "incidence of concurrent sexual 
relationships was unexpectedly high".

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=5122


SOUTH AFRICA: Govt to consider routine testing

The South African government is considering whether to make HIV tests 
routinely available at public health facilities.

Individuals wishing to know their HIV status currently undergo voluntary 
counselling and testing (VCT) but only 850,000 South Africans - in a 
population of around 45 million - have been tested in the past four 
years.

Views on testing have begun to shift: last year Botswana became the 
first African country to introduce routine testing in its health sector, 
with Malawi and Lesotho following suit.

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=5109


SOUTH AFRICA: HIV/AIDS to take heavy toll on health services

The cost of health services in South Africa will increase sharply in the 
next few years as a result of HIV/AIDS, researchers have found.

By 2007, large numbers of HIV-positive South Africans would start 
falling ill from AIDS-related diseases, placing a heavy burden on the 
country's public healthcare sector, according to the Health Economics 
and HIV/AIDS Research Division (HEARD) of the University of 
KwaZulu-Natal.

Rising HIV-prevalence rates in South Africa would aggravate the 
situation - the rate for pregnant women attending antenatal clinics grew 
from 27.9 percent in 2003 to 29.5 percent in 2004.

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=5114


CAMEROON: FHI ends clinical trial of ARV drug Tenofovir

A US-based research organisation has announced that it will end the 
controversial testing of the anti-AIDS drug, Tenofovir, on sex workers 
in Cameroon.

In a statement Family Health International (FHI) said, "Over the next 
month, women will return to the clinic for their final visits. By the 
end of September 2005, the site will be closed."

Tenofovir is an antiretroviral (ARV) drug manufactured by US 
pharmaceutical company Gilead, and sold under the brand name 'Viread' 
for the past three years.

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=5118



CONFERENCES/ EVENTS/ RESEARCH/ RESOURCES

1. The video "What can I do?" launched in Kampala, Uganda, in September 
2004, features a priest living with HIV/AIDS and is designed to address 
HIV-related stigma, shame, discrimination and denial in churches. It 
profiles the Rev Canon Gideon Byamugisha from Uganda - the first African 
priest to disclose his HIV-positive status.

Byamugisha calls on Christians to do away with judgemental attitudes to 
HIV-positive people, and offer them love and support instead.

The 49-minute video is divided into short segments on topics such as 
'Coping with stigma', 'Why be tested for HIV?' and 'Challenges for the 
church'. It is accompanied by a 48-page Facilitator's Guide to enable 
groups to explore the issues it raises in greater depth.

The Strategies for Hope Trust, which produced this resource, has 
announced that the video is now available in French and Portuguese, as 
well as the original English.

The video (English/French/Portuguese) and the Guide (English only) can 
be ordered from:
   Email: info@talcuk.org
   Tel: +44 1727 853869
   www.talcuk.org

Limited quantities of free copies of these materials are available to 
African organisations unable to purchase them. For enquiries about these 
and other Strategies for Hope materials, please contact:
   Glen Williams, Series Editor, Strategies for Hope
   Email: sfh@stratshope.org
   Tel: +44 1865 723078


2. Africa Regional Sexuality Resource Centre (ARSRC) will be hosting a 
time-limited structured and moderated discussion on the topic: Debating 
Sexual Rights in Africa.

This discussion will take place on the ARSRC electronic discussion forum 
from 15 August to 15 October 2005. To participate, click on the link 
below and sign up with your name and the country in which you work.

http://forums.arsrc.org/ OR http://www.arsrc.org


The overall aim of this discussion is to promote more informed public 
dialogue on human sexuality, share experiences and raise awareness of 
issues related to 'Sexual Rights in Africa', in the hope of contributing 
to positive change in relevant policies and programmes in Africa.

Some of the topics to be covered include:

- The roles and responsibility of legal systems in protecting and 
promoting the sexual rights of women, and the need to revisit the 
implementation of laws within evolving social norms and traditions.

- Sexual rights and what they mean at national and individual levels in 
Africa, within the context of HIV/AIDS

- Sexuality issues at the personal and family level, and the impact on 
women's sexual health

For more information:

Olusegun Sangowawa
Programme Officer Information Services
Africa Regional Sexuality Resource Centre (ARSRC)
17 Lawal Str, Off Oweh Str.
Jibowu, Yaba
Lagos State, Nigeria
Tel: +234-1-791-9307
mailto:o.sangowawa@arsrc.org
http://www.arsrc.org


3. The Southern African AIDS Trust (SAT) recently released 'Community 
Responses 3: Innovative Approaches to income generation for PLWHA 
Groups' - the third in a series of Community Responses.

Each edition of the Community Responses series takes a practical 
programming challenge, describes how a community responded to the 
problem and extracts the keys lessons for sharing with others. Other 
editions in the series are:
- Mobilising men as home-based care volunteers
- Transferring Palliative Care from Institutions to Communities

SAT is a regional initiative that supports community responses to HIV 
and AIDS through in-depth partnerships with community groups in southern 
Africa, and wider networking, skills exchange and lesson-sharing 
throughout the region and internationally. SAT funding and 
skills-building activities support the capacity development of partners 
and their programming, in order to create more effective, sustainable 
and comprehensive community responses.

The SAT Regional Secretariat is currently based in Zimbabwe, from which 
SAT operates five country offices in Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, 
Zambia and Zimbabwe.

To obtain SAT publications, e-mail: info@satregional.org or visit the 
website at: http://www.satregional.org.



VACANCIES

1. Global Campaign Coordinator - AIDS-Care-Watch campaign

The AIDS-Care-Watch (ACW) campaign is currently seeking an experienced 
Global Campaign Coordinator to support and strengthen the 
AIDS-Care-Watch campaign. This is a one-year full-time assignment. The 
location of this position is flexible, however, the preferred location 
is Chiang Mai, Thailand.

The AIDS-Care-Watch campaign is a partnership of over 250 organisations 
worldwide. AIDS-Care-Watch was conceived to provide an avenue for 
treatment advocates worldwide to unite and soundly advocate for a 
comprehensive care package for people living with HIV/AIDS, as well as 
antiretroviral treatment.


RESPONSIBILITIES:

- Coordinate campaign partner relations, including day-to-day
   coordination and communication with partners and new partner
   recruitment
- Coordinate all ACW communication channels, including the production
   of the monthly ACW Monitor (an e-newsletter sent to members of the ACW
   eForum)
- Assist and facilitate campaign activities, especially at country
   level
- Assist with campaign media and marketing activities

(A highly qualified and motivated candidate may have the opportunity to 
move into the Campaign Manager Position in due course)


REQUIREMENTS:

- Experience in HIV/AIDS care and treatment advocacy
- Three to five years of grassroots organising/campaign experience
- Practical experience working in HIV/AIDS, TB or other health areas
- Highly motivated and able to work independently in a fast-paced,
   dynamic environment
- Good communication skills
- A degree in public health, international development or a related
   field

Experience in journalism and/or other media-communication initiatives is 
essential

If you have any questions about this position, please email 
hr@aidscarewatch.org.

To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to
AIDS-Care-Watch campaign, attention: Abigail Erikson, Campaign Manager
Email: hr@aidscarewatch.org.

AIDS-Care-Watch campaign - Thailand
PO Box 173
Chiang Mai University Post Office
Huay Kaew Road, Muang
Chiang Mai 50200 Thailand
Tel: +61 53 418438
Fax: +61 53 418439


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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