IRIN HIV/AIDS Weekly - 289
Africa
23 June 2006


NEWS:

SOUTH AFRICA: New AIDS threat looms
UGANDA: Challenges of resettlement for HIV-positive displaced
UGANDA: Staff shortages hampering HIV/AIDS care in Kitgum
KENYA: Free ARVs a step in the right direction, but much more needed
ETHIOPIA: Poverty limiting treatment options for HIV-positive children
COTE D'IVOIRE: Involving children in issues raised by HIV/AIDS
ZAMBIA: Low testing figures forces govt to launch national testing day
NAMIBIA: Concern as BMS starts handover of HIV/AIDS treatment

EVENTS/RESOURCES

1. Women's Treatment Literacy Toolkit Launch
2. Media Guide for AIDS2006

VACANCIES

1. Law and Policy Researcher: HIV and AIDS


NEWS

SOUTH AFRICA: New AIDS threat looms

South Africa's Western Cape province has so far maintained the lowest 
HIV prevalence rate in the battle against AIDS, but this could be 
changing.

According to the 2002 National HIV and Syphilis Antenatal 
Sero-prevalence, based on a sample of more than 16,000 women attending 
antenatal clinics in the country's nine provinces, Western Cape recorded 
a rate of 12.4 percent, compared to a prevalence level of 16 percent to 
36.5 percent in other provinces.

However, this figure rose by three percent over the next two years, 
causing some experts to suspect that increased levels of HIV might be 
linked to the growing popularity of a relatively new but highly 
addictive and easily accessible drug.

Andreas Pluddemann, a senior researcher in alcohol and drug abuse at the 
Medical Research Council (MRC), recalled that sporadic queries about a 
mysterious substance known only as 'tik' began reaching the offices of 
the South African National Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse (SANCA), 
and the Cape Town Drug Counselling Centre (CTDCC) three years ago.

"It turned out to be crystal d-methamphetamine hydrochloride, otherwise 
known as 'speed', 'ice', 'crystal meth', 'crystal', or just 'meth'. It 
is a crystalline form of methamphetamine, a powerfully addictive 
stimulant often used recreationally as a party drug," he told PlusNews.

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=6079


UGANDA: Challenges of resettlement for HIV-positive displaced

Walter Okello clutched his wheezing, gaunt three-year-old son as they 
sat on a wooden bench outside northern Uganda's Lira Regional Hospital 
waiting for the results of an HIV test.

"If Emy tests positive then it means my wife must be positive too, and 
that will make three of us," said HIV-positive Okello, resigned to the 
likely outcome of the blood test. "At the moment we live in Amuka [camp 
for the internally displaced], close to Lira hospital, but I hope soon 
we will return to the village, but getting [medical] help will then be 
difficult."

In 2002, the bloody conflict between the rebel Lord's Resistance Army 
and government forces forced 70 percent of Lira's population into 
cramped, unsanitary camps. Now, across Lira district, improved security 
is offering hundreds of thousands of people the opportunity to end a 
day-to-day existence dependant on humanitarian handouts and return home 
to their villages.

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/aidsreport.asp?reportid=6082


UGANDA: Staff shortages hampering HIV/AIDS care in Kitgum

A shortage of trained medical staff in the war-torn northern Ugandan 
district of Kitgum is compromising efforts to improve the care, support 
and treatment of HIV/AIDS patients.

Continuing insecurity and dire living conditions in the district's 
ubiquitous camps for the displaced are prompting qualified staff to quit 
in search of a more comfortable working environment, leaving already 
ill-equipped health centres even more short-staffed.

"It's a real struggle to get qualified staff in Kitgum," said Dr Vincent 
Oringa, district director of health. "Working conditions in the camps 
are not easy, simply because the basic necessities like decent housing, 
running water and electricity are not there."

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/aidsreport.asp?reportid=6085


KENYA: Free ARVs a step in the right direction, but much more needed

Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki's recent announcement that antiretroviral 
(ARV) treatment will now be free of charge in public hospitals came as a 
welcome relief, particularly to the East African nation's HIV-positive 
people.

"Very few could afford the drugs when the ARV programme opened in Kisumu 
[city in western Kenya] in 2004," said Dr Lennah Nyabiage, the 
government's ARV officer for Nyanza Province. "Then, they cost 500 
shillings [US $7] per month, but we realised that many patients were not 
accessing drugs because of poverty, so we reduced it further to 100 
shillings [$1.40]."

Nyabiage said when the cost of the drug was initially decreased, Kisumu 
- the main city in Nyanza, which she said had an HIV prevalence of 15 
percent, more than twice the national average of about six percent - saw 
a two-fold increase in the number of people accessing treatment. "We 
expect a further increase now that the drugs are completely free," she 
added.

But it remains unclear how the free ARV scheme will be implemented.

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=6080


ETHIOPIA: Poverty limiting treatment options for HIV-positive children

With an estimated 2.6 million children orphaned by HIV/AIDS over the 
last decade, Ethiopia faces an uphill battle in its attempts to care for 
these children.

Five-year-old Tesema Asamnew (not his real name) is one of the children 
being cared for at the Abebech Gobena Child Care and Development 
Organization. Abebech Gobena, founder and manager of the organisation, 
remembers the day Tesema came to the home four years ago.

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=6084


COTE D'IVOIRE: Involving children in issues raised by HIV/AIDS

As co-founder of a shelter for children orphaned by the HIV/AIDS 
pandemic, Rodrigue Koffi knows that children should never be shut out of 
the complex problems faced by families living with HIV/AIDS.

But Koffi winces when tagged an AIDS orphan himself. Instead, the 
20-year-old chairman of the Nzrama home housing 50 HIV/AIDS orphans 
describes himself as a defender of children's rights.

"There are no pre-defined criteria for orphans and vulnerable children," 
he told IRIN in the rebel stronghold city of Bouake, in divided Cote 
d'Ivoire. "You can find orphans everywhere: in prisons, on the streets, 
in villages or working as a prostitute."

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/aidsreport.asp?reportid=6087


ZAMBIA: Low testing figures forces govt to launch national testing day

The low uptake of HIV voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) services 
in Zambia has forced the government to come up with a national testing 
day to encourage more people to know their status.

Director of the Zambian National AIDS Council Ben Chirwa, announced that 
on 30 June this year, all health facilities and AIDS NGOs will for the 
first time be conducting free HIV tests in all 73 districts of the 
country.

Chirwa told IRIN that the new campaign - which is to be marked annually 
- had been prompted by the fact that despite high levels of knowledge 
about the existence of HIV and the provision of free antiretroviral 
drugs through the public health sector, not enough people were coming 
forward to get tested.

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=6086


NAMIBIA: Concern as BMS starts handover of HIV/AIDS treatment

Almost three years ago, the privately funded Mapilelo ('Place of 
Survival') project began providing people in the impoverished 
northeastern Caprivi region with anti-AIDS drugs.

But with pharmaceutical company Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) announcing 
the end of its funding in September, concerns have been raised over the 
fututre of the project, which has about 1,700 people on antiretroviral 
(ARV) medication.

"We have been in discussions with the Ministry of Health and donor 
agencies, and we are just waiting to see," Dr Zengani Chirwa, Mapilelo's 
principal medical officer, told PlusNews. "The ministry has been quiet 
about it, but it is likely to take over the treatment aspect of the 
project. But what happens to the community aspect?"

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=6088


EVENTS/RESOURCES

1. SAfAIDS in conjunction with the American Jewish World Service (AJWS) 
and ActionAid International proudly launches the first ever Women's 
Treatment Literacy Toolkit, giving practical information on 
antiretroviral treatment to women, girls and those supporting them.

It is simple, user friendly, and clear and is designed to help its users 
make informed decisions about HIV/AIDS prevention, care, support and 
treatment. Illustrated with diagrams and pictures, the toolkit is 
equally useful for low literacy populations.

The tools include: fact sheets, posters, activity cards, a calendar, a 
brochure, an audiocassette and lists of additional resource materials. 
The audiocassette shall support women with low literacy levels and 
visual impairment, realising their right to ART information.

The toolkit is currently available in English, Shona and Ndebele.

For more information:

Santi Imbers
SAfAIDS
17 Beveridge Road
Avondale
Harare
Zimbabwe
Tel:263 4 336193/4;335015
Fax: 263 4 336195
Web: www.safaids.org.zw
Email: mediadesk@safaids.org.zw

2. A Media Guide is now available to assist journalists in planning 
their participation in the conference. Read more about the on-site Media 
and Broadcast Centre at AIDS 2006.

Online at: http://www.aids2006.org/admin/images/upload/883.pdf


VACANCIES

1. The Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA) is an 
advocacy and grantmaking organisation operating in Angola, Botswana, 
Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

OSISA is part of a global network of foundations that share the common 
mission of developing more open societies through support to a range of 
programmes in various areas including education, media, human rights, 
information and communication technology, HIV/AIDS, language rights, as 
well as social, legal and economic reform. OSISA is looking to make the 
following appointment:

Law and Policy Researcher: HIV and AIDS

The successful candidate will be based in Johannesburg and will be 
responsible for conducting country-specific research on AIDS policy and 
law issues. The candidate will have a strong influence on supporting a 
new sub-programme on 'AIDS and the Law'. In addition, the successful 
candidate will be responsible for providing technical assistance to all 
grantees wishing to include legal and policy components in their HIV 
work. This will include primary responsibility for the technical content 
and editing of OSISA publications and documents relating to HIV and 
AIDS. The Researcher will also have a direct ongoing coordination and 
administrative responsibility over a number of grants.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

- Supporting the HIV and AIDS team with research and technical legal
   analysis within in the of the programme;
- Coordination of programme communication and publication issues;
- Supporting the AIDS and the Law sub-component of the HIV and AIDS
   programme;
- Providing overall programme assistance;

REQUIREMENTS:

- The ideal candidate will have a minimum of a law degree or any other 
degree with a focus on Public Health, Human Rights, HIV and AIDS, 
Journalism, or any other relevant degree from the social sciences or 
humanities.

- Close knowledge of the HIV and AIDS sub-sector and networks in the 
SADC region. They will have good knowledge of the HIV and AIDS terrain 
in the OSISA countries. They will also have sound experience in HIV and 
AIDS with a strong focus on governance, law and/or human rights.

- Experience of working in a funding organisation is preferred.

- The candidate must have excellent inter-personal skills. The ability 
to independently use computer packages such as MS Word, Excel, Internet 
and e-Mail is a must.

- The candidate should also be open to innovation and experimentation 
and have appreciation for community-based approaches.

- Fluency in written and spoken English is a prerequisite and knowledge 
of at least one African language from the SADC region (outside South 
Africa) is a must.


An attractive remuneration package, commensurate with experience, 
including relocation costs within Southern Africa, is offered. The job 
is offered on a two-year renewable contract, subject to performance.

Interested and qualified candidates who match the profile are invited to 
submit their CV and a letter of interest to:

The Human Resources Department,
Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa,
P.O. Box 678,
Wits
2050,
Fax: +27 11 4032708.
Email: human_resources@osisa.org

Closing Date for applications is 15 July, 2006. Only short-listed 
candidates will receive a response from OSISA.


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


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