IRIN HIV/AIDS Weekly - 286
Africa
2 June 2006


NEWS:

AFRICA: UNGASS draft declaration far short of civil society
   expectations
AFRICA: Politics override the needs of vulnerable people at UNGASS
SOUTHERN AFRICA: UNAIDS highlights poor progress in containing HIV/AIDS
EAST AFRICA: Significant progress as HIV prevalence declines - UNAIDS
BURUNDI: Lack of health facilities, staff shortages impede ARV rollout
NAMIBIA: Curbing HIV/AIDS along a transport corridor
TANZANIA: Church still opposes condoms, sex education
UGANDA: Criminal probe recommended in AIDS fund scam

LINKS

PlusNews Coverage on UN High Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS

VACANCIES

1. Short-Term Consultant HIV/AIDS Strategic Framework - UNAIDS, Juba - 
Southern Sudan



NEWS

AFRICA: UNGASS draft declaration far short of civil society expectations

The UN declaration reviewing global progress on HIV/AIDS released on 
Friday has failed to win the endorsement of civil society groups, 
disappointed by the lack of ambition in the text.

Late on Thursday, AIDS activists were still trying to enlist the help of 
sympathetic country delegations to strengthen language in the draft 
document on targets, affirmation of the rights of women and girls, "harm 
reduction" measures for injecting drug users, and recognition of the 
needs of other vulnerable groups such as sex workers, prisoners and 
migrants.

In a statement, a coalition of AIDS activists representing more than 100 
organisations said a draft of the political declaration "fell far short 
of expectations at a time when 8,000 people a day die of AIDS globally".

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=6030


AFRICA: Politics override the needs of vulnerable people at UNGASS

African AIDS activists at the UN High Level Meeting on HIV and AIDS in 
New York are furious over what they see as the overturning of agreed 
commitments on performance targets and the protection of vulnerable 
groups by a handful of African governments.

Gabon led African negotiators this week in thrashing out the text of a 
UN review of implementation of the 2001 Declaration of Commitment on 
HIV/AIDS. However, activists accuse the oil-producing country of 
ignoring a common African position agreed last month in Abuja, Nigeria, 
and are scrambling to persuade other countries to join Nigeria in 
publicly objecting to the new interpretation.

Nigeria is the only African country that has openly spoken out against 
the undermining of the commitments made by African leaders during the 
Abuja meeting to review progress in implementing the 2001 Abuja 
Declaration on AIDS, TB and Malaria.

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=6021


SOUTHERN AFRICA: UNAIDS highlights poor progress in containing HIV/AIDS

The HIV/AIDS pandemic may be slowing down globally, but in Southern 
Africa the outlook is still bleak, says a new UNAIDS report.

One-third of the worldwide 2005 AIDS death-toll occurred in Southern 
Africa and apart from Angola, HIV prevalence levels in the region were 
"exceptionally high".

"Globally the rate of increase is starting to flatten, but in this part 
of the world we don't see that taking place," said Mark Stirling, 
director of the UNAIDS Regional Support Team for Eastern and Southern 
Africa, during the launch of the report in Johannesburg, South Africa.

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=6011


EAST AFRICA: Significant progress as HIV prevalence declines - UNAIDS

Although sub-Saharan Africa is the region worst affected by HIV/AIDS, a 
new report by UNAIDS has noted significant declines in prevalence in 
Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

"Surveys have shown that condom use has been rising, women have been 
delaying their sexual debut and people have been reducing the number of 
sexual partners," said the agency's 2006 report on the Global AIDS 
Epidemic.

In Kenya the rate of infection dropped from 10 percent in the 1990s to 
about six percent at present, while Uganda saw a "steep decline" in the 
mid- and late-1990s, stabilising at 6.7 percent currently.

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=6018


BURUNDI: Lack of health facilities, staff shortages impede ARV rollout

As Burundi's public health system struggles to recover from a 12-year 
civil war, only a handful of the estimated 250,000 HIV-positive 
Burundians who need life-prolonging AIDS treatment are accessing it.

Just 6,672 Burundians benefit from free anti-AIDS drugs provided by the 
Global Fund to fight AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis, but UNAIDS 
estimates an HIV prevalence of six percent in a population of around 
eight million.

But the head of ARV provision at Bujumbura's Kamenge University 
Hospital, Dr Gaspard Kamamfu, said the free drugs, distributed via a 
government initiative, had prompted more people to be tested. Since 
February 2004, when the university's programme began, more than 500 
people have been put on ARVs.

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/aidsreport.asp?reportid=6019


NAMIBIA: Curbing HIV/AIDS along a transport corridor

"That [a condom] is a traveller's companion, just like the passport," 
said customs officer Joseph Matroos, pointing to a dispenser at the 
Ngoma border post in the Caprivi region on Namibia's northeastern border 
with Botswana.

Though not an expert, Matroos is aware that the heavy traffic crossing 
the border has contributed to spreading HIV/AIDS. Ngoma, 40km east of 
the Caprivian capital, Katima Mulilo, is one of two border posts on the 
Trans-Caprivi highway linking landlocked Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe - 
where HIV infection rates are among the world's highest - with the 
deepwater port of Walvis Bay in Namibia.

The second border post, Wenela, 5km north of Katima, is at the bridge 
across the Zambezi River, connecting Caprivi with Zambia. The bridge was 
opened in 2004 to facilitate trade from as far north as the Democratic 
Republic of Congo.

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/aidsreport.asp?reportid=6010


TANZANIA: Church still opposes condoms, sex education

Tanzania's Anglican Church is still vehemently opposed to condom use, 
despite its ambitious HIV/AIDS prevention campaign, and has called for a 
total ban on condom advertising to protect children from early exposure 
to sex.

Reverend James Dominic of the Tanga Diocese said the church would 
continue resisting condom use because it promoted underage sex and 
immorality. "The advertisements [of condoms] encourage young girls and 
boys to engage in sex because they are told to use condoms."

The Anglican Church has been at the forefront of efforts to curb the 
spread of HIV. In an effort to lead by example, it launched an HIV/AIDS 
control project in 2004 that compels the church leadership to take an 
HIV test before taking on religious responsibilities. In the Tanga 
Diocese 45 priests were tested recently, three of whom were found 
positive.

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=6026


UGANDA: Criminal probe recommended in AIDS fund scam

A judicial probe into the mismanagement of grants to Uganda from the 
Geneva-based Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has 
recommended that former health ministers and other managers of the funds 
be investigated for possible criminal prosecution.

Former health minister Jim Muhwezi and his two deputies, Mike Mukula and 
Alex Kamugisha, have all been implicated in the mismanagement of funds.

Muhwezi, the commission of inquiry said, influenced the recruitment of 
Tiberius Muhebwa - who headed the unit that managed the funds in the 
health ministry - against the recommendation of consultants who had 
identified another candidate. It called for immediate "criminal 
investigations against Muhebwa over forgery, uttering false documents, 
cover up and kindred crimes."

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=6028



LINKS

For additional PlusNews reports on the UN High Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS 
in New York and country progress reports on the 2001 UN General Assembly 
Special Session (UNGASS) on HIV/AIDS, visit the special PlusNews portal 
on UNGASS+5 - How Far Have We Come?

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/UNGASS.asp



VACANCIES

1. Short-Term Consultant HIV/AIDS Strategic Framework, UNAIDS, Juba, 
Southern Sudan

Closing date: 15 Jun 2006

The Government of South Sudan, through the South Sudan National AIDS 
Council (NAC) and in collaboration with UNDP-South Sudan, the Principle 
Recipient of the Global Fund (GFATM), UNAIDS and other partners, is in 
the process of developing an HIV/AIDS Policy and strategic framework.

The team of consultants will facilitate and assist the South Sudan NAC 
in developing this HIV/AIDS Policy and strategic framework.

Specific Activities of the team of consultants will include:

Phase I: Development of the Southern Sudan HIV/AIDS Policy
Phase II: Development of the HIV/AIDS Strategic Framework

The team of consultants (2 International and 2 National) will report to 
the UNAIDS Programme Officer in Juba and work closely with a committee 
constituted by the Southern Sudan National AIDS Council and UNDP South 
Sudan and UNAIDS. The UN technical working group on HIV/AIDS will 
provide technical guidance during the process, which is jointly funding 
by GFATM and UNAIDS.

Experience and skills required for both international and national 
consultants:

- Post-graduate degree in Public Health/Social science or related field

- At least 10 years' experience in the area of HIV/AIDS as a development 
issue

- Relevant academic background in the field of practical experience in 
developing the National HIV/AIDS policy and Strategic Plan, preferably 
in African countries

- Proven experience in leading the process for development of the
   National HIV/AIDS policy and strategic plan, through a consultative
   process with a cross-section of partners, especially the government
- Excellent data collection and analytical skills
- Practical experience in writing and documenting national-level key
   strategic documents and reports
- Excellent written and communication skills
- Fluency in written and spoken English
- Good knowledge of Southern Sudan context an asset
- Very good computer skills (including Microsoft Word & Excel)


The Consultancy will be for a period of 60 working days from July to 
September 2006, starting on 1 July 2006. Interested applicants should 
submit their CVs to UNAIDS Southern Sudan Office to the following email 
address: ouattaray@unaids.org

Reference Code: RW_6QCKEB-46


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


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Appropriate Donations for International Disaster/Humanitarian Needs
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Center for International                  web: www.cidi.org
     Disaster Information             listserv: www.cidi.org/listsub.htm
                                    guidelines: www.cidi.org/donate.htm
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
HIV-AIDS Weekly Issue                 www.cidi.org/humanitarian/hivaids