IRIN HIV/AIDS Weekly - 267
Africa
20 January 2006


NEWS:

AFRICA: Year in Review 2005 - The long slow road to '3 by 5'
SOUTH AFRICA: Khomanani adds a new twist to love on Valentine's
MOZAMBIQUE: MSF to ensure sustainability of ARV programme
SWAZILAND: More people but still too few testing for HIV
TANZANIA: Sex and condom education essential - govt


EVENTS

1. Launch of PlusNews Portuguese
2. Launch of Nigeria information portal
3. Workshop on Monitoring and Evaluation of HIV/AIDS Programmes

JOBS

1. SAfAIDS Programme Officers


NEWS

AFRICA: Year in Review 2005 - The long slow road to '3 by 5'

Almost a month after the deadline, the World Health Organisation's (WHO) 
campaign to put three million people in the developing world on 
anti-AIDS drugs by the end of 2005 has failed to meet its target.

When WHO launched the '3 by 5' initiative it was widely acknowledged 
that the 'aspirational' target represented a significant hurdle, given 
the state of global funding for AIDS, doubtful political will, drug 
availability and technical capacity.

But activists acknowledged that it did at least represent a goal to work 
towards, especially since, in Africa, fewer than 30,000 people were on 
antiretroviral (ARV) medication in 2001.

Dr Eric Goemaere, head of Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) in South Africa 
noted, "It's good to have an ambitious target. People are under pressure 
to move - and things are moving, and moving fast."

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=5620


SOUTH AFRICA: Gays and SANBS kiss and make up

The impact of HIV/AIDS has led to far greater focus on safe donor blood 
than ever before, and the South African National Blood Services (SANBS), 
custodian of the reserves, has managed to step on almost everyone's toes 
in its efforts to safeguard reserves.

Last year the discovery that the SANBS was discarding black donor blood 
on grounds of there being a higher risk of HIV attached led to a public 
outcry.

Although that policy - which Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang 
said "smacked of racism" - has since been changed, the SANBS's donor 
questionnaire is now the focus of attention.

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=5623


SOUTH AFRICA: Khomanani adds a new twist to love on Valentine's

If the government's latest anti-AIDS campaign is anything to go by, 
Valentine's Day next month could mean more than just chocolates and red 
roses for some South African couples.

By distributing free romantic cards with the message, "It's time to take 
our relationship to the next level", Khomanani, the government's 
HIV/AIDS communications programme, aims to encourage more couples to be 
tested together for HIV.

Cyril Sadiki, Khomanani's programme manager, told PlusNews: "We realised 
that women readily took on the task of finding out their status, while 
men tried to determine their own status through the results of their 
female counterparts. This novel approach lets partners know it is okay 
to get tested together."

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=5599


MOZAMBIQUE: MSF to ensure sustainability of ARV programme

In a bid to ensure the sustainability of its antiretroviral (ARV) 
treatment programme in Mozambique, the international NGO, Medecins Sans 
Frontieres (MSF), has focussed on skills transfer with the aim of 
handing over the running of its sites to the government.

This would see the government and local community taking over the 
responsibility for running MSF's Lichinga site in the northern Niassa 
province, which treats 370 patients, by the end of 2008.

In South Africa, MSF has also been training local health officials to 
take over its ARV treatment programmes.

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=5612


SWAZILAND: More people but still too few testing for HIV

HIV/AIDS awareness efforts in the kingdom of Swaziland are slowly 
bearing fruit, with a growing number of people coming forward to be 
tested for HIV, a new report has found.

According to the AIDS Information and Support Centre (TASC), nearly five 
times more people tested for HIV in 2004 compared to 2001.

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=5621


TANZANIA: Sex and condom education essential - govt

Tanzania's education ministry has reaffirmed its position on the 
introduction of reproductive health and HIV/AIDS education at primary 
school level, despite condemnation from Catholic bishops.

The Roman Catholic Church recently slammed the new syllabus, labelling 
it "unacceptable", as the teaching of proper condom use had been include

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=5616


CONFERENCES/ EVENTS/ RESOURCES

1. PlusNews has launched a new information service specialising on 
HIV/AIDS in the five Portuguese-speaking countries of Africa.

The goal of the new service is to be the Portuguese-language reference 
point for HIV/AIDS in Angola, Cabo Verde, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique and 
Sao Tome and Principe, with links to Brazil, Portugal, and the African 
Diaspora in the European Union and elsewhere.

Like its sister services PlusNews English and French, PlusNews 
Portuguese will produce original stories through a network of stringers 
based in the capital and provinces of their countries. The website 
features job vacancies, conferences, events, studies and training tools.

To subscribe and to visit the new website: www.plusnews.org/pt

2. Projekthope has launched NigeriaHIVinfo.com www.nigeriahivinfo.com an 
information portal designed to provide timely, accurate, and responsible 
news as well as analysis on the occurrence of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria.

It is hoped that this portal will serve as a resource for people living 
with HIV/AIDS and their families, to ensure that they have access to the 
right information about how to cope with being positive.

The website will also measure and appraise the efforts of government and 
international agencies working in HIV/AIDS.

3. USAIDS's Measure Evaluation Project in conjunction with the School of 
Health Systems and Public Health at South Africa's University of 
Pretoria, will be presenting an Anglophone Africa regional workshop on 
Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) of HIV/AIDS Programmes.

The workshop will offer intensive training, covering the fundamental 
concepts and tools for monitoring and evaluating HIV/AIDS Programmes.

It will include sessions on:

- The Role of Strategic Information in Decision Making
- M&E Frameworks
- Indicators
- Information Systems
- Evaluation Designs
- Developing M&E Plans
- Selecting, calculating and interpreting indicators
- Facilitating the use of Strategic Information

Workshop dates: 27 March to 7 April 2006 Workshop fee: US $2 200.00

For enquiries and enrolment please contact: Alice Mkuzangwe Tel: +27 12 
420 5015 Email: alice.ce@up.ac.za

Download the brochure for additional information: 
http://ceatup.webza.net/up2/Brochure.pdf

Online version: http://ceatup.webza.net/up2/health.html


JOBS

1. Southern Africa HIV/AIDS Information Dissemination Service (SAfAIDS) 
is a regional NGO based in Harare, Zimbabwe. The organisation's mission 
is to promote effective and ethical development responses to the 
epidemic and its impact through HIV/AIDS knowledge management, capacity 
development, advocacy, policy analysis and documentation. SAfAIDS is 
looking for 3 highly skilled individuals to join its dynamic team

All posts require excellent written and verbal communication skills, 
computer literacy, self-motivation, flexibility, adaptability and the 
capacity to work under pressure individually and in teams as well as an 
interest and commitment to work in the area of HIV/AIDS.

1) Position: Senior Programme Officer - Publications

To provide SAfAIDS with senior level programme support, skilled 
editorial input for SAfAIDS publications and to ensure professional 
outputs.


REQUIREMENTS:

- Relevant Degree, preferably in social sciences. At least 6 years 
experience in the field of communication, in particular the academia, 
editing / publishing fields.

- In-depth understanding of HIV/AIDS issues in the region

- Proven editorial and writing skills for diverse literacy levels.

- Proven experience in production and distribution of print and audio 
visual materials

- Ability to supervise publications unit staff.

- Knowledge of Portuguese language would be an advantage


2) Position: Programme Officer - Advocacy

To work on the SAfAIDS Advocacy programme. This post requires experience 
in working with advocacy organisations and networks.


REQUIREMENTS:

- A Masters Degree, preferably in social sciences. At least 5 years 
experience in the field of development work, some of which could have 
been in advocacy work.

- In-depth understanding of HIV/AIDS advocacy issues in the region

- Excellent oral and written communication skills

- Proven experience in material development

- Experience in working with diverse regional groups

- Excellent participatory training skills

- Interest in and commitment to work in the area of HIV/AIDS.


3) Position: Monitoring and Evaluation Officer

This post requires a skilled individual, with experience in design and 
implementation of monitoring and evaluation systems.


REQUIREMENTS:

- A Masters degree in statistics, demography, epidemiology, public 
health or related field

- Minimum 5 year working in monitoring and evaluation and experience in 
training/capacity building

- Excellent oral and written communication skills

- Excellent computer skills


SAfAIDS is an equal opportunity employer: people living with HIV are 
encouraged to apply. We offer the right person an exciting opportunity 
to make a meaningful contribution to responses to the HIV epidemic in 
the region, competitive salary and benefits package.

Interested applicants should send an application and CV, information on 
current salary, benefits and contact details of 3 referees to:
   The Executive Director,
   P O Box A509,
   Avondale,
   Harare, Zimbabwe
   or
   E-mail to info@safaids.org.zw.

Please note that only short listed candidates will be contacted.


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


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