IRIN HIV/AIDS Weekly - 396
Africa
18 July 2008


NEWS:

JOHANNESBURG, 18 July 2008 (PLUSNEWS) - NEWS
SOUTH AFRICA: "Is there a virus in the house?"
SWAZILAND: Pregnant women still struggle to prevent HIV
INDONESIA: Trying to solve ARV supply woes
SOUTH AFRICA: Bev White: "They have looked after us and it's our duty
   to look after them"
KENYA: There's no substitute for support when taking ARVs
AFGHANISTAN: Food prices fuelling sex work in north?
SOUTH AFRICA: WANTED - 4,000 doctors
SWAZILAND: Siphiwe Hlope, "Today women are so courageous"
GLOBAL: Is AIDS still an emergency?


EVENTS/RESOURCES

1. Feel! Think! Act!: A guide to interactive drama for sexual and 
reproductive health with young people, International HIV/AIDS Alliance

2. Strategies for Change: Breaking barriers to HIV prevention, treatment 
and care for women, Open Society Institute, August 2 - Mexico City


VACANCIES

1. Medical Officer on prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) 
of HIV, World Health Organisation - Brassaville, Congo

2. Country coordinator, UNAIDS - Rwanda



NEWS

SOUTH AFRICA: "Is there a virus in the house?"

Hidden behind the high walls that surround most middle-class suburban 
homes in South Africa is one of the largest and most marginalised black, 
female workforces in the country.

More details: http://www.plusnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=79265


SWAZILAND: Pregnant women still struggle to prevent HIV

Larger numbers of pregnant women living with HIV in Swaziland can now 
access services to prevent mother-to-child transmission of the virus, 
but activists and health officials say more emphasis should have been 
placed on quality rather than quantity.

More details: http://www.plusnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=79303


INDONESIA: Trying to solve ARV supply woes

>From the day Lenny (not her real name) was diagnosed HIV positive, she 
opted to get her life-prolonging antiretroviral (ARV) drugs from 
overseas - a vote of no-confidence in Indonesia's sclerotic supply 
system. "I heard from my friends that hospitals often ran out of ARVs, 
so I became paranoid," she said.

More details: http://www.plusnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=79288


SOUTH AFRICA: Bev White: "They have looked after us and it's our duty to 
look after them"

Bev White, a business owner and mother of one, started a support group 
called Living Positively at Home for employers of HIV-positive domestic 
workers after her child's nanny, Thandi, was diagnosed positive three 
years ago. She talked to IRIN/PlusNews about her experiences.

More details: http://www.plusnews.org/HOVReport.aspx?ReportId=79266


KENYA: There's no substitute for support when taking ARVs

We [people living with HIV] must eat well, must keep off stress - it is 
not good for you ... if you can, please walk out on anything annoying 
and go and watch Vitimbi [a popular TV sitcom] or sing your favourite 
song ... be happy and positive."

More details: http://www.plusnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=79287


AFGHANISTAN: Food prices fuelling sex work in north?

High food prices, drought, unemployment and lack of socio-economic 
opportunities are pushing some women and young girls in northern 
Afghanistan into commercial sex work, women's rights activists and 
several affected women told IRIN.

More details: http://www.plusnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=79278


SOUTH AFRICA: WANTED - 4,000 doctors

With more South African doctors now working abroad than in the country's 
ailing public health sector, the government needs to start aggressively 
recruiting health workers from other countries, according to a 
non-profit recruitment organisation.

More details: http://www.plusnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=79241


SWAZILAND: Siphiwe Hlope, "Today women are so courageous"

Siphiwe Hlope is a pioneer. She was one of the first Swazi women to 
publicly declare her HIV status, in 2001, at a time when stigma against 
people living with the virus was intense. She went on to form Swaziland 
Positive Living (SWAPOL) to advocate awareness and the rights of 
HIV-positive people in a country with an adult HIV-prevalence rate of 26 
percent, the world's highest.

More details: http://www.plusnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=79249


GLOBAL: Is AIDS still an emergency?

The rate of new HIV infections, which has fuelled the global HIV/AIDS 
epidemic since the 1980s, has peaked throughout the world and is now 
declining

More details: http://www.plusnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=79325



EVENTS/RESOURCES


1. Feel! Think! Act!: A guide to interactive drama for sexual and 
reproductive health with young people, International HIV/AIDS Alliance

This interactive drama guide is aimed at sexual and reproductive health 
and drama practitioners, peer educators, drama groups, outreach workers, 
teachers, community workers and others to help young people discuss 
sexuality and reproductive health issues.

Download or order the tool kit at 
http://www.aidsalliance.org/custom_asp/publications/view.asp?publication_id=296&language=en

2. Strategies for Change: Breaking barriers to HIV prevention, treatment 
and care for women, Open Society Institute, August 2 - Mexico City

The Strategies for Change symposium will take place in advance of AIDS 
2008 and will feature a series of panel discussions with HIV activists, 
women's advocates and health experts. Speakers will address legal, 
economic, advocacy and treatment strategies for a more "woman-friendly" 
response to HIV.

For more information, contact pkrasney@sorosny.org



VACANCIES

1. Medical Officer on prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) 
of HIV, World Health Organisation - Brazzaville, Congo

Responsibilities

- Develop and implement standards for improving maternal, newborn and 
child health services in the context of PMTCT

- Adapt generic materials and standards for PMTCT, clinical management 
of HIV in pregnancy and the management of opportunistic infections to 
local resource contexts

- Build capacity of policy makers and healthworkers and strengthen 
community participation in PMTCT

- Support the strengthening of monitoring and evaluation systems

- Promote regional sharing of best practice

- Facilitate effective partnerships and resource mobilisation for PMTCT 
at country, regional and global levels

- Act as focal person for all matters related to PMTCT, disseminating 
information on PMTCT activities and building partnerships across World 
Health Organisations departments on cross-cutting issues


Requirements

- Masters degree in epidemiology or public health

- Broad knowledge of HIV/AIDS with a particular focus on mother to child 
transmission and approaches for prevention, care, support and

- At least ten years experience in a senior HIV/AIDS position with at 
least 5 years experience in technical and programme management 
experience in PMTCT and maternal, newborn and child health services

- Excellent knowledge of English or French with a working knowledge of 
the other; working knowledge of Portuguese an advantage


Application deadline: 21 August 2008

To apply online, please visit 
https://erecruit.who.int/public/hrd-cl-vac-view.asp?o_c=1000&jobinfo_uid_c=19937&vaclng=en



2. Country coordinator, UNAIDS - Rwanda

Responsibilities

- Provide leadership and guidance on policy and strategy for a scaled-up 
national response

- Advocate with national and international partners - government, civil 
society, bilateral and multilateral - for an expanded response to AIDS 
on issues relevant to the national situation

- Facilitate the development and application of a Joint UN advocacy 
strategy and plan

- Ensure the collation, dissemination and use of strategic information 
to guide public policy, support the UN's advocacy efforts, and inform 
technically and ethically sound policies

- Promote the development and consolidation of monitoring and evaluation 
systems

- Facilitate tracking of resources allocated to HIV-related activities 
and monitor resource gaps

- Identify and monitor capacity gaps and mobilise technical, financial 
and institutional resources to respond to these


Requirements

- Advanced degree in development economics, social or physical sciences, 
public health, public administration, management, or similar academic 
preparation

- Knowledge of development issues and of the application of research 
findings to meet the requirements of developing countries

- Eleven to 15 years experience in managing and implementing development 
cooperation programmes, including field experience with demonstrated 
achievements in developing countries

- Experience working within the UN system organisations in technical 
programmes, or in public health at international level is required

- Advanced knowledge of English and French, both oral and written

Application deadline: 12 August 2008

To apply online, go to 
https://erecruit.unaids.org/public/hrd-cl-vac-view.asp?jobinfo_uid_c=19955&vaclng=en


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