IRIN HIV/AIDS Weekly - 398
Africa
1 August 2008


NEWS:

JOHANNESBURG, 1 August 2008 (PLUSNEWS) - NEWS:
SWAZILAND: Circumcision gives men an excuse not to use condoms
SOMALIA: Fighting AIDS in a war zone
TANZANIA: Modernisation of labs to boost HIV/AIDS campaign
SOUTH AFRICA-ZIMBABWE: Sex for soap, salt and sugar
BENIN: Power cuts and risky sex
MALAWI: High hopes for female condom
KENYA: HIV services are scarce on the street
GLOBAL: It's not over yet, says UNAIDS
BLOG: The last taboo?
BLOG: Politics, prevention and party dresses
BLOG: Getting hot under the collar at conferences


EVENTS/RESOURCES

1. Imagined Futures, 25 to 26 September - Pretoria, South Africa

2. Orphans and vulnerable children support CD-ROM - International 
HIV/AIDS Alliance


VACANCIES

1. Executive Director, International Council of AIDS Service 
Organisations (ICASO) - Toronto, Canada

2. Technical Advisor, HIV and AIDS Palliative Care, Catholic Relief 
Services - Lusaka, Zambia


NEWS

SWAZILAND: Circumcision gives men an excuse not to use condoms

There is a growing belief among men in Swaziland that circumcision 
provides complete protection against HIV, a perception that worries 
non-governmental organisations (NGOs) battling the highest HIV 
prevalence rate in the world.

More details: http://www.plusnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=79557


SOMALIA: Fighting AIDS in a war zone

Aid agencies working in a climate of heightened insecurity in Somalia 
have been forced to come up with inventive ways to keep their HIV 
programmes, and their staff, alive following the recent kidnappings of 
several foreign and local aid workers.

More details: http://www.plusnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=79555


TANZANIA: Modernisation of labs to boost HIV/AIDS campaign

Tanzania is undertaking a US$10 million programme to modernise medical 
laboratories in regional hospitals to improve HIV/AIDS monitoring, 
Minister of Health David Mwakyusa has said.

More details: http://www.plusnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=79530


SOUTH AFRICA-ZIMBABWE: Sex for soap, salt and sugar

The border between South Africa and Zimbabwe is more than an 
international boundary; it also determines the method of payment for sex 
workers, because on one side cash is taken, while on the other, goods 
are bartered.

More details: http://www.plusnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=79499


BENIN: Power cuts and risky sex

With selective power cuts regularly plunging Benin's largest city, 
Cotonou, into darkness, Alain*, a young taxi driver, no longer has to 
worry about paying for a hotel room to have casual sex - a quiet corner 
on a dark street will do.

More details: http://www.plusnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=79533


MALAWI: High hopes for female condom

Malawian women have little say when it comes to condom use, but the 
government hopes that the recent launch of the female condom in the 
country could go some way in solving this age-old dilemma.

More details: http://www.plusnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=79506


KENYA: HIV services are scarce on the street

In the next four months, Rashid Mwaneno Dona will become the father of a 
baby that he and his girlfriend, Fatma Chelimo, conceived while living 
on the streets of Mombasa, on the Kenyan coast.

More details: http://www.plusnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=79505


GLOBAL: It's not over yet, says UNAIDS

The rate of new HIV infections is slowing in a number of countries, but 
the AIDS epidemic is not over in any part of the world, and is gaining 
pace in some.

More details: http://www.plusnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=79509


BLOG: The last taboo?

When is a particular practice cultural and when is it just something 
that people have got used to?

Does "culture" justify male promiscuity? Domestic violence? Female 
genital mutilation?

More details: http://www.plusnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=79540


BLOG: Politics, prevention and party dresses

The 1980s pop icon Pat Benatar once said, "Love is a battleground." If 
you're a woman, so is your wardrobe.

More details: http://www.plusnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=79543


BLOG: Getting hot under the collar at conferences

This August, as more than 20,000 people gather in Mexico City for the 
International AIDS Conference, you can bet that some delegates will be 
attending meetings of a much more intimate nature than the conference 
programme offers.

More details: http://www.plusnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=79554



EVENTS/RESOURCES

1. Imagined Futures, 25 to 26 September - Pretoria, South Africa

Tshwane University of Technology's Centre for the Study of AIDS in 
Pretoria, South Africa will host a two-day conference titled "Imagined 
Futures III 2008." The conference aims to bring together student 
leaders, peer educators, HIV and AIDS programme managers, researchers, 
and academics to discuss key focus areas within university HIV and AIDS 
programmes.

For more information, go to: 
http://www.csa.za.org/article/articlestatic/400/1/2/


2. Orphans and vulnerable children support CD-ROM - International 
HIV/AIDS Alliance

The CD-ROM contains an electronic library of over 700 resources on 
supporting orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs) gathered from a wide 
range of organisations with experience in this field. It is for use by 
non-governmental organisations (NGOs), governmental organisations, 
community-based organisations (CBOs) and individuals working with OVCs.

To order or download a copy, go to: 
http://www.aidsalliance.org/custom_asp/publications/view.asp?publication_id=94



VACANCIES

1. Executive Director, International Council of AIDS Service 
Organisations (ICASO) - Toronto, Canada

Responsibilities:

- Undertaking and leading the representation, advocacy, negotiation and 
liaison tasks with the organisation's key external stakeholders in the 
global response to HIV and AIDS

- Fostering and providing linkages to funders, partners and other key 
stakeholders

- Ensuring the development and management of a resources development 
strategy that underpins the organisation's on-going viability and growth

- Liaising regularly with ICASO's partner organisations

- Ensuring that ICASO abides by ethical operating standards in all 
agency affairs, including financial, and that agency by-laws are adhered 
to

- Reporting to the international Board of Directors and participating as 
a member of the Board to support its governance responsibilities, 
including providing regular, high-level strategic analysis and advice in 
its direction-setting role

- Working synergistically with agency staff and constituents.


Requirements:

- A graduate degree (would consider a combination of an undergraduate 
degree with significant relevant experience)

- Five or more years of experience as an executive director or senior 
management experience preferably in a non-profit/charitable organisation

- An excellent understanding of international development issues and of 
HIV and AIDS

- Experience in working in a global environment and capacity to work in 
a wide range of cultural, social and political settings

- Sound knowledge of resource development, programme management 
(development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation), human 
resources and financial management

- Effective communication skills in English and the ability to speak 
other languages (Spanish, French, Portuguese and/or Russian preferred)

- Excellent advocacy, negotiation, facilitation and presentation skills

- Outstanding analytical and negotiation skills and high-level skills in 
problem solving, diplomacy, and interpersonal skills.


Application deadline: 25 August

To apply, send a resume and cover letter to jobs@brownconsulting.ca


2. Technical Advisor, HIV and AIDS Palliative Care, Catholic Relief 
Services - Lusaka, Zambia

Responsibilities:

- Provide technical assistance in the development, implementation and 
evaluation of HIV programmes, including prevention, care and support, 
and treatment activities, with specific emphasis on comprehensive 
palliative care services

- Conduct regular technical advise support visits to implementing 
partners jointly with project staff

- Facilitate synergies between CRS' HIV and AIDS projects and support 
proposal development

- Ensure the timely submission of quality narrative and statistical 
reports in compliance with CRS and USAID standards

- Actively participate in strategic planning and monitoring linking 
project with other CRS Zambia, USAID Partners and other organisations 
with relevant HIV programmes

- Lead process of coordinating all relevant information in the 
preparation and writing of programme reports

- Provide back-up support regarding partner implementation issues and 
coordinate activities with implementing partners as needed especially in 
technical palliative care areas such as pain management


Requirements:

- Masters in public health or other relevant masters degree

- Minimum 3 to 5 years overseas development experience in progressively 
responsible positions with significant HIV and AIDS palliative care 
health project management experience

- Demonstrated ability in proposal development, and field research

- Capacity to work closely with, understand, and support local 
faith-based and diverse NGO partners

- Excellent written and oral communications skills

- Strong interpersonal, cross-cultural, and training/mentoring skills

- Demonstrated commitment to development through local empowerment

- Ability to work both independently, and as member of diverse task 
teams

- Sub-Saharan Africa and/or Zambia experience helpful; ability to travel 
as needed

- Professional proficiency in French, Spanish or Portuguese strongly 
preferred


Application deadline: 1 October

To apply, go to: www.crs.org/about/careers


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