IRIN HIV/AIDS Weekly - 293
Africa
21 July 2006


NEWS:

GUINEA-BISSAU: Health service far from well
TANZANIA: Ban on early marriage puts police within "firing range" of
   HIV
NIGERIA: More ARV sites but some areas neglected - report
ZAMBIA: Recovering Copperbelt faces new dangers
SOUTH AFRICA: Now heard - children's voices on HIV/AIDS
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Farmworkers slowly waking up to HIV/AIDS


EVENTS/RESOURCES

1. Hesperian's new 2006 edition of Where Women Have No Doctor online
2. AIDS 2006 African/Black Diaspora Stream Symposium
3. HIV/AIDS, Conflict and Displacement: Pre-Toronto 2006 International
    AIDS Conference Event


VACANCIES

1. Southern Africa Desk Officer - Tearfund, Mozambique/Angola/Botswana
2. Manager, AIDS Budget Unit - Idasa, Pretoria
3. HIV/AIDS Coordinator - World Vision, Western Cape



NEWS

GUINEA-BISSAU: Health service far from well

Few beds are occupied at the hospital in Gabu, a bustling town in 
eastern Guinea Bissau, close to the border with Guinea Conakry.

It is not that the locals are particularly healthy. They are as wracked 
by malaria, malnutrition, cholera, TB and AIDS as every one else is in 
this country, one of the world's five poorest.

"My people don't go to the hospital because they get nothing there, they 
must buy everything," said Kalifo Djallo, the region's regulo, or 
paramount chief.

Gabu hospital is not an exception, it is the rule. In Bafata, the second 
largest town, 100km east of the capital, the hospital is arguably worse. 
The state of Guinea Bissau's health facilities reflect a postcolonial 
history of weak governance, political instability and minimum 
investment.

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/aidsreport.asp?reportid=6185


TANZANIA: Ban on early marriage puts police within "firing range" of HIV

A law compelling newly employed police officers in Tanzania to remain 
single for five years is proving counterproductive, according to some 
government officials.

Harith Bakari Mwapachu, the minister for security and public safety, 
said recently that the police force was under siege from AIDS and, 
unless checked, could compromise the country's security.

"We must do everything within our power to minimise the impact of the 
pandemic on our security forces," he said in the commercial capital, Dar 
es Salaam, adding that the government could be forced to review the law.

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=6173


NIGERIA: More ARV sites but some areas neglected - report

Nigeria is rolling out anti-AIDS drugs to a growing number of people 
living with HIV/AIDS, but getting hold of the medication is still a 
major struggle for those living outside key urban centres.

According to the National Consolidated Treatment Report by the National 
AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Disease Control Programme (NASCP), Lagos, 
Nigeria's largest city, has 11 ARV facilities, while the capital, Abuja, 
has 12. But many other states with higher caseloads of infection 
sometimes only have three distribution points, while most have only one 
outlet.

Oba Oladapo, of the lobby group, Treatment Action Movement (TAM), 
pointed out that Oyo State, one of the largest in the country, has just 
a solo treatment site. "What has been happening is that people living 
with HIV in some parts of the state like Shaki, a border town, have to 
travel for about three to four hours to access treatment in Ibadan, the 
state capital."

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=6176


ZAMBIA: Recovering Copperbelt faces new dangers

After a decade of unemployment, Zambia's Copperbelt region is 
recovering, thanks to surging world copper prices. But, with among the 
worst HIV infection rates in the country, the legacy of the recession 
will be felt for many years to come.

Copper and cobalt have generated Zambia's wealth for over 70 years, with 
a string of major towns growing up around the mines. But privatisation 
of the industry in the 1990s, triggered by low world prices and a broke 
government, led to huge job losses and falling living standards in the 
highly urbanised central province.

Poverty, sex work and, inevitably, HIV/AIDS are closely interrelated. 
For widows like Joyce Mutale, still waiting for benefits owed after the 
death of her husband on the mines in 1999, sex work is something she has 
had to come to terms with - her youngest sister is on the streets.

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=6181


SOUTH AFRICA: Now heard - children's voices on HIV/AIDS

A group of rural primary school children in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal 
Province are helping to break the silence about HIV/AIDS by recording 
their "autobiographies" for radio.

The project is a collaboration between the University of Cape Town's 
Children's Institute, Zisize Educational Trust, a local NGO, and 
Okhayeni Primary School in Ingwavuma, with the goal of enabling children 
to talk to adults about HIV and raise public awareness about how 
children are affected by the disease. A group of 10 pupils aged nine to 
13 began participating in radio-training workshops in April last year.

HIV prevalence in the region is among the nation's highest - 35 percent 
- but it is rarely talked about openly, especially with children. But 
confronting adults with microphones and asking questions about how HIV 
has affected their families, where it comes from and how they can 
protect themselves from it has changed this.

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/aidsreport.asp?reportid=6172


SOUTHERN AFRICA: Farmworkers slowly waking up to HIV/AIDS

"Farm workers should take care of each other - always use a condom", 
reads a poster at a bus terminal in the small town of Hoedspruit, in 
South Africa's Limpopo province, where hundreds of farm labourers arrive 
daily searching for work.

Migrant farmworkers in Southern Africa are often a forgotten population, 
with little HIV/AIDS support provided despite being a high-risk group. 
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) is trying to address 
that lapse with 'Project Hlokomela', an initiative offering prevention 
and care in Hoedspruit.

In the northern province of Limpopo, situated along the Mozambican 
border, many of the farmworkers are male labourers from Mozambique who 
stay on farms for short periods and have a high level of mobility.

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/aidsreport.asp?reportid=6180



EVENTS/RESOURCES

1. Where Women Have No Doctor combines self-help medical information 
with an understanding of how poverty, discrimination and culture can 
limit women's health and access to care. Developed with community-based 
groups and medical experts from over 30 countries, Where Women Have No 
Doctor is aimed at any woman who wants to improve her health, and health 
workers who want more information about women-only problems.

The 2006 edition includes new and updated information on HIV/AIDS, 
including the use of antiretrovirals and preventing mother-to-child 
transmission, treatment of sexually transmitted infections, family 
planning and TB. Major topics covered include: pregnancy and birth, 
health concerns of women with disabilities, refugees, HIV/AIDS and 
sexually transmitted infections, the politics of women's health, and 
rape and violence against women.

To access the complete edition:
http://www.hesperian.org/publications_download.php#wwhnd

Or to view the book in over 20 translations:
http://www.hesperian.org/publications_translation.php


2. The African/Black Diaspora Stream at the International AIDS 
Conference in Toronto next month will consist of a week of sessions, 
cultural activities, information and events that address HIV/AIDS among 
black people living in developed countries. This Stream will explore and 
highlight current trends and issues, facilitate discussion of shared 
experiences, identify needs and gaps in research and policies, and work 
on developing a global network.

The Africa and Caribbean Council on HIV/AIDS in Ontario (ACCHO) will 
host an inaugural symposium (HIV/AIDS in the African/Black Diaspora: 
Addressing the Hidden Epidemic) and reception on 12 August.

Other events in this Stream will include:
13 August: Moving Forward: The State of AIDS in Black America
14 August: HIV/AIDS and population mobility: Innovative approaches to 
HIV prevention and care for mobile populations in various regions of the 
world

To view a full list of sessions in this Stream, go to the AIDS 2006 
Programme-at-a-glance page of the AIDS 2006 website and select the 
African/Black Diaspora roadmap: 
http://www.aids2006.org/PAG/ProgrammeAtAGlance.aspx?Roadmap
To receive updates, email Monika Goodluck, AIDS 2006-African/Black 
Diaspora Coordinator: aids2006@accho.ca


3. HIV/AIDS, Conflict and Displacement: Pre-Toronto 2006 International 
AIDS Conference Event. In the runup to the 2006 International AIDS 
Conference in Toronto, Unicef, UNHCR and the Interagency Task Force on 
HIV/AIDS (IAFT) are organising a one-day meeting specifically dedicated 
to the theme of HIV and AIDS programming in conflict settings. The 
meeting, on the 12th August at the Marriott Downtown Eaton Centre Hotel, 
will provide an opportunity for all stakeholders (the humanitarian 
community, policymakers, implementing agencies, donors, civil society, 
persons infected and affected by HIV and AIDS and others) to take stock 
of the experiences developed over the course of the past years, evaluate 
the lessons learned, identify the policy and programmatic ways forward, 
and set the agenda for the years to come.

For more information, contact Betty Noakes, Unicef Canada at 
bnoakes@unicef.ca or tel: +1 416 482 4444 ext 826, Fax: +1 416 482 8035



VACANCIES

1. Southern Africa Desk Officer - Tearfund, Mozambique/Angola/Botswana

An experienced project manager, accountable for the strategy development 
of Tearfund's relationships with a portfolio of partners, develop 
advocacy initiatives and allocate resources to effectively impact the 
poverty issues in Angola, Mozambique and Botswana.

REQUIREMENTS:

- 3 years' experience in project management in community development in
   the region
- strategic analysis, problem-solving, decision-making and negotiating
   skills
- ability to deliver presentations and write reports
- a good understanding of the regional context of Southern Africa
- language ability in Portuguese or Spanish is essential
- a commitment to Tearfund's evangelical Christian beliefs

Tearfund is a UK evangelical Christian relief and development charity 
working with local partners in over 70 countries to bring help and hope 
to communities in need.

Duration: 2 years (start ASAP)

Location: Preferably Maputo (Mozambique), although Luanda (Angola) 
considered

Closing date: 20 August 2006

For more information and to apply, visit: 
http://www.tearfund.org/Jobseekers/International


2. Manager, AIDS Budget Unit - Idasa, Pretoria

The AIDS Budget Unit analyses policies and budgets of government's 
response to HIV/AIDS at national, provicinal and local levels and also 
builds the capacity of non-governmental organisations in African 
countries to conduct HIV/AIDS budget and expenditure analysis. The Unit 
is looking for a skilled manager to drive and supervise research, 
fundraise and develop new projects.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
- overall management of the project - planning, research, training,
   advocacy, networking, donor relations, fundraising and financial
   accountability
- management of staff
- development of relationships with internal and external partner
   government departments and civil society organisations

REQUIREMENTS:
- strong leadership and management skills
- ability to fundraise and develop new projects
- experience working regionally and relating with international
   organisations and donor agencies
- knowledge of general issues related to HIV/AIDS as well as specific
   knowledge in resource tracking and funding flows
- 3-5 years' experience in a related field
- preferably a Master's degree in Health Economics, Public Health,
   Public Policy or Social Sciences
- a strong research background with excellent writing skills and strong
   quantitative analysis skills

Idasa is an independent non-profit public interest organisation 
promoting democracy.

Location: Pretoria

Closing date: 4 August 2006

Send applications to the Personnel Department, Idasa, PO Box 1739, Cape 
Town 8000, fax: +27 (0)21 461-2589, email: personnel@idasact.org.za


3. HIV/AIDS Coordinator - World Vision, Western Cape

Based at Atlantis in the Western Cape, the HIV/AIDS coordinator is 
required to facilitate the implementation of HIV/AIDS intervention 
programmes.

REQUIREMENTS:
- degree in Social or Nursing Science
- 3 years' experience in design, planning, management, implementation,
   monitoring and evaluation of HIV/AIDS and reproductive healthcare
   interventions
- trainer of trainer's skills in HIV/AIDS education
- counselling and facilitation skills
- drivers license

World Vision is an international Christian relief and development 
organisation working to promote the wellbeing of all people, especially 
children, in 99 countries.

Closing date: 28 July 2006

Suitably qualified applicants should send a CV to: cindy_sigalow@wvi.org 
or fax: 0880117604297


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


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