IRIN HIV/AIDS Weekly - 269
Africa
3 February 2006


NEWS:

BOTSWANA: Routine HIV testing not as straightforward as it sounds
MOZAMBIQUE: Newspapers in hot seat over AIDS cure ads
TANZANIA: Condom taboo in Zanzibar hampers fight against HIV/AIDS
WEST AFRICA: Uneven progress in treatment provision


EVENTS

1. AIDS2006 Abstract deadline

JOBS

1. HIV/AIDS Regional Advisor - PATH


NEWS:

BOTSWANA: Routine HIV testing not as straightforward as it sounds

Botswana's decision to introduce routine HIV testing in all its health
facilities was driven by the growing realisation that plans to provide
anti-AIDS medication were likely to fail unless more people were tested.

Two years down the line, health officials estimate that up to 35 percent
of the 1.7 million Batswana now know their status.

But activists have expressed concern that the policy could be eroding
the patient's right to confidentiality, with the risk of informed
consent being compromised.

The landlocked Southern African country has all the ingredients for
turning the epidemic around: political leadership, optimal use of
existing resources and an established treatment plan. But fear of stigma
has proved an even bigger hurdle, causing people to wait until they are
very ill before seeking treatment.

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=5647


MOZAMBIQUE: Newspapers in hot seat over AIDS cure ads

The poorly regulated traditional medicine industry is attracting ever
larger numbers of clients with newspaper advertisements that make
extravagant claims.

"Traditional doctor, with experience in Africa and Europe, now with
African antiretrovirals for cure of AIDS, tuberculosis, asthma,
haemorrhage, fungus, anaemia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, paralysis, and for
solutions of problems, such as bad luck, divorce, jobs, luck and career
advancement" reads one.

Some newspapers, like the independent weekly 'Savana', are refusing to
carry these adverts. "We do not publish such statements without the
appropriate scientific qualifications. As part of the movement to fight
HIV/AIDS, we cannot accept publicity that deceives people," Savana's
editor, Fernando Gonaalves, told PlusNews.

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=5653


TANZANIA: Condom taboo in Zanzibar hampers fight against HIV/AIDS

Campaigns to fight HIV/AIDS often focus on the "ABC" strategy - or
Abstinence, Be faithful and use Condoms. However, on the
ultra-conservative, predominantly Muslim island of Zanzibar, the condom
remains taboo and is rarely incorporated into public awareness messages.

"We believe that advocating the use of condoms is promoting illegal sex,
mainly among the youth," said Fadhil Soraga, secretary at the office of
Zanzibar's mufti, or senior Muslim scholar. "The proper campaign is A
and B."

While public talks or advertising campaigns about HIV/AIDS in Zanzibar
may advise people to "Abstain, Be faithful," these messages carefully
omit condom use as a prevention method.

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=5648


WEST AFRICA: Uneven progress in treatment provision

For many West and Central African countries, 2005 was the year of
implementation and the reinforcement of their HIV/AIDS treatment
programmes.

It was also when 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 came to an end, having failed to reach its target.

The failure has been partly attributed to the fact that the campaign did
not pay enough attention to national constraints. To address these
shortcomings, UNAIDS and the UK government's Department for
International Development (DFID) have launched a global steering
committee that includes 40 senior representatives of donor countries,
developing countries, donor agencies, the United Nations and people
living with HIV/AIDS.

HIV/AIDS stakeholders in West Africa have welcomed the move, hoping
their concerns will be taken into account after spending the past few
months grappling with issues such as whether antiretrovirals (ARVs)
should be provided free of charge, the cost of laboratory tests should
be subsidised, and how to link public treatment initiatives with those
in the private sector.

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=5655



EVENTS:

1. The International AIDS Conference, to be held in Toronto, Canada from
13 - 18 August 2006, is the only global forum for interdisciplinary
discussion of key developments in the fight against HIV/AIDS. This
year's conference will feature a number of important changes in response
to the changing reality faced by those working in the field.

The programme committees have taken steps to increase the presence and
quality of science programming by increasing the proportion of abstract
driven session in the programme, revising the peer reviewer database and
placing increased emphasis on posters, including presentation and
discussion. More time has been allocated within the abstract driven
sessions to allow for discussion. In addition, new formats for dialogue
on current controversies and sessions on cross cutting thematic areas
have been added to the programme.

The deadline for abstract submissions is only three weeks away, on 22
February 2006, midnight CET (Central European Time).

Click here to submit an abstract: http://www.aids2006.org/abstracts

Abstracts submissions are invited in five tracks:
- Track A: Biology and Pathogenesis of HIV
- Track B: Clinical Research, Treatment and Care
- Track C: Epidemiology, Prevention and Prevention Research
- Track D: Social, Behavioural and Economic Science
- Track E: Policy

Each track contains a large number of sub-categories. Click here to find
the track details and sub-categories: http://www.aids2006.org/tracks

A small number of late breaker abstracts will be selected for
presentation. Late breakers may be submitted between 29 May and 12 June
2006 on the Conference website.



JOBS

1. International health NGO PATH, is looking for a Regional HIV/AIDS
Advisor who will contribute to the vision, strategy and mobilization of
resources for PATH's HIV/AIDS strategic programme and will be
responsible for the conceptualisation, design, management, and
evaluation of integrated health projects in Africa focusing on HIV/AIDS.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

- Contribute to the strategic vision and mobilization of resources for
PATH's HIV/AIDS programme. Strengthen implementation and evaluation of
the HIV/AIDS strategic programme.

- Provide leadership and direct programme support to regional and
country level programme development through project conceptualisation,
contacts with donors and partners, identification and recruitment of key
staff, management of proposals and proposal writing.

- Provide direct technical and managerial support to projects once they
are awarded.

- Collaborate with donor and colleague organizations to advance PATH's
HIV/AIDS programs globally.

- Represent PATH with outside organisations including project partners,
at formal meetings, with collaborators, and among the donor community.

- Provide senior-level leadership, dynamic management, liaison, and
outreach for PATH's HIV/AIDS strategic programme.

- Interact extensively with other strategic and country programmes that
PATH has prioritised for HIV related work.

- Ensure that the quality of PATH's HIV activities meet or exceed PATH's
guidelines for achieving programmatic impact.

- Ensure that programme activities have sufficient human and financial
resources to achieve their objectives and are carried out within budgets
and time frames specified.

- Apply effective partnership skills and provide technical leadership in
documentation of programmes.

- Contribute to effective mentoring of other team members.


For more information: www.path.org


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


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