IRIN HIV/AIDS Weekly - 113
Africa
24 January 2003


NEWS:

AFRICA: Year-ender 2002 - HIV/AIDS funding fails to make the leap
AFRICA: Year-ender 2002 - Slow start to HIV/AIDS treatment roll-out
SOUTHERN AFRICA: UN agencies call for "prompt" action on HIV/AIDS
LESOTHO: Twin crises devastating families, UN envoy
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: French NGO gets land to build HIV/AIDS centre

LINKS:

1. Reproductive Health Outlook website
2. WHO Director General Selection
3. HIV/AIDS Programming Toolkit

CONFERENCES/EVENTS/RESEARCH:

1. "We Miss You All" book launch
2. HIV/AIDS Treatment Education and Advocacy Summit
3. Health and Literacy Compendium in Africa
4. Call for applications
5. Course on sexual and reproductive health programmes

VACANCIES:

1. National HIV/AIDS Coordinator
2. Project Manager

AFRICA: Year-ender 2002 - HIV/AIDS funding fails to make the leap

Hailed as a "quantum leap" in the fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the
Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has become a focal
point for funding efforts to bring the epidemic to heel.

But a year after issuing its first call for funding proposals, the Fund
remains seriously under-resourced, and concern is mounting over its
sustainability.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=1663

AFRICA: Year-ender 2002 - Slow start to HIV/AIDS treatment roll-out

The World Health Organisation (WHO) threw down a challenge to the
international community when, at the Barcelona international AIDS
conference in August, it set a target of three million HIV-positive
Africans to be on antiretroviral (ARV) HIV/AIDS therapy by 2005.

AIDS activists responded with cautious optimism, not least because fewer
than 30,000 people in Africa were on ARVs in 2001. WHO's target represents
just half of the six million Africans who currently require ARV treatment.

But a number of ARV treatment programmes were launched in 2002 by
governments, private companies and NGOs, suggesting a significant shift
towards improving access to ARVs.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=1664

SOUTHERN AFRICA: UN agencies call for "prompt" action on HIV/AIDS

Unless prompt and decisive action is taken to respond to Southern Africa's
humanitarian crisis, an estimated 12 million of the region's 60-million
people may die prematurely just due to HIV/AIDS alone, United Nations
agencies warned on Tuesday.

All indications were that Southern Africa would suffer "nothing short of a
decimation of populations in their most productive years, and the prospect
of economic collapse and insecurity in the foreseeable future," the
agencies said in a statement.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=1676

LESOTHO: Twin crises devastating families, UN envoy

UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Humanitarian Needs in Southern
Africa, James T. Morris, has highlighted the plight of women and children
amid the double crises of HIV/AIDS and food shortages.

Visiting Lesotho, as part of a tour of affected countries in the region,
Morris said the deadly combination of widespread food shortages and
Lesotho's rates of HIV/AIDS infection - the fourth highest in the world -
meant humanitarian actors faced an "enormous battle".

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=1682

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: French NGO gets land to build HIV/AIDS centre

Hanuman, a French NGO campaigning against HIV/AIDS has acquired land on
which an HIV therapy centre worth US $230,000 will be built. The land was
granted by a presidential decree on Tuesday.

A leading figure in Hanuman, Bernard Leclerc, who is also an adviser to
the president, told PlusNews on Wednesday that the centre was expected to
begin operating in mid-2003.

The Central African Republic has one of highest rates of infection in
central Africa with 14 percent of the population living with the virus,
according to Wilibiro Sacko, the coordinator of the CAR's national
anti-HIV/AIDS committee.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=1678


LINKS:

1. The 2002/2003 edition of the Reproductive Health Outlook (RHO) website
has just been published. The RHO website is designed for reproductive
health programme managers and decision-makers working in developing
countries and low-resource settings. RHO provides up-to-date summaries of
research findings, programme experience, and clinical guidelines related
to key reproductive health topics.

Substantive updates have also been made throughout the English edition.
During the latest update, the HIV/AIDS section has also been expanded.

The 2002/2003 edition of RHO is also available on CD-ROM free of charge.
http://www.rho.org/html/cd_rom.htm

2. The Break-the-Silence eForum will be helping to throw some light on the
selection of the new Director General at the World Health Organisation
(WHO). BTS will provide background information and invites your comments
on several aspects of the selection process:

- Why is it important who sits at the WHO/DG desk?
- Who controls the DG selection process and why?
- Who are the candidates, and what are their manifesto for WHO?
- What is happening at the WHO Executive Board?

To join the forum, send an email to: join-break-the-silence@hdnet.org

3. The Synergy APDIME Toolkit is an electronic, user-oriented, one-stop
shop of HIV/AIDS programming resources. Developed in collaboration with
the University of Washington, the Toolkit contains five modules covering
Assessment, Planning, Design, Implementation Monitoring, and Evaluation.
Each module outlines a comprehensive step-by-step method and web links to
hundreds of USAID and partner resources for programming. HIV/AIDS
specialists and programmes are invited to submit materials and suggestions
for inclusion in this shared resource.
http://www.synergyaids.com/apdime/index.htm


CONFERENCES/EVENTS/RESEARCH:

1. The Regional HIV/AIDS Information Network (RHAIN) will launch a new
edition of Noerine Kaleeba's We Miss You All on Tuesday 28 January 2003.

This second edition of one of the most influential books on HIV/AIDS is a
microcosm of the success story of a woman and a country, which
miraculously turned back the tide in a continent that is stalked by the
pandemic. Through the eyes of Noerine, the publication portrays the
effectiveness of community intervention.

The book describes the death of Noerine's husband Christopher from AIDS in
Uganda and the stigma her family suffered. This led her and a group of 16
AIDS-affected Ugandans to found one of Africa's first support groups, The
AIDS Support Organisation (TASO).

The launch will be held at the Park Hyatt Hotel, Rosebank in Johannesburg,
South Africa from 12:00 - 14:00.

For more information:

Richard Delate, Centre for AIDS Development Research and Evaluation
(CADRE)
Tel: +27 82 370 2666
Richard@cadre.org.za

Moroko Shai, UNAIDS Eastern & Southern Africa
Tel: +27 12 338 5315

2. An international coalition of HIV/AIDS organisations and individual
advocates are sponsoring a four-day global summit on "treatment
preparedness" in Cape Town, South Africa from 13 - 16 March 2003.

"Treatment preparedness" is a term used to describe HIV/AIDS treatment
education and advocacy efforts that are designed to increase access to and
demand for HIV/AIDS treatment and prepare communities for safe and
effective use of HIV therapies.

The International HIV/AIDS Treatment Education and Advocacy Summit will be
a relatively small gathering of approximately 125 people. The primary goal
of the meeting is to create a framework for the development, maintenance
and enhancement of local and regional treatment preparedness efforts
around the world. The summit will offer an opportunity to strategise about
solutions to challenges that affect treatment advocacy and education
efforts.

Airfare, accommodation, meals and a small per diem will be offered to all
applicants that are selected by the ITP working group to attend the
summit.

To learn more about the International HIV/AIDS Treatment Education and
Advocacy Summit, email: Onos Imhanwa (Africa)
onos66@hotmail.com

3. Health and Literacy Compendium in Africa - This compendium describes
and provides details for both print and web-based materials on the links
between health status and literacy status. It also explains how to access
and develop easy-to-read health education materials, and how to teach
health with literacy, using health content.
http://www.africapulse.org/index.php?action=viewarticle&articleid=805

4. The International Society for Infectious Diseases (ISID) is accepting
applications for the April 2003 round of small grants. The small grants
programme is designed to fund pilot research projects by young
investigators in developing countries.

The goal is to support and foster the professional development of young
individuals in the field of infectious diseases research by helping them
to acquire additional skills and data to apply for other grants.

Areas of interest include, but are not limited to investigations of the
epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis or treatment of infectious
diseases, the epidemiology and control of hospital-acquired infections,
and modelling of cost effective interventions.

Up to five grants of up to US $6,000 each will be awarded annually.
Deadlines for submission of proposals are 1 April 2003 and notification of
award is after 1 June 2003. Requests for application materials and
additional information should be directed to:

ISID Professional Working Group
181 Longwood Avenue
Boston, MA 02115
USA
Fax: +1-617-731-1541
Email:info@isid.org

5. A 12-day intensive course on monitoring and evaluation of sexual and
reproductive health programmes will be held from 31 March - 11 April, 2003
at the Margaret Sanger Centre International in Johannesburg, South Africa.

This course is designed to strengthen institutions' capacity to
effectively monitor programme operations and evaluate its performance. The
course also draws on lessons from the field of HIV/AIDS prevention, with
an emphasis on sexuality and sexual behaviour change theory in the design
of effective programmes.

This intensive course involves 72 hours of classroom contact. Deadline for
application is 14 February 2003. To obtain information:
http://www.mscisa.org.za/courses

A limited number of scholarships are available.
For more information:

Busi Marule
Programmes Secretary
Margaret Sanger Centre International, South Africa
PO Box 848 Auckland Park 2006
Johannesburg, South Africa
Tel: +27-11-726-1172
Fax: +27-11-726-2424
mailto:info@mscisa.org.za
http://www.mscisa.org.za/courses


VACANCIES:

1. National HIV/AIDS Coordinator, World Vision South Africa

World Vision South Africa, a non-profit, Christian, relief and development
organisation, seeks a national HIV/AIDS Coordinator to be based at its
national office in Johannesburg.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

- Provide technical leadership to HIV/AIDS programme interventions in 14
project areas in South Africa.
- Facilitate Hope Initiatives HIV/AIDS training workshops prevention, care
and advocacy in all World Vision's areas of operation.
- Facilitate the design, implementation, management, monitoring and
evaluation of HIV/AIDS intervention programmes and provide adequate
technical support to all 14-project sites.
- Ensure that proposals for funding are produced and marketed.
- Facilitate and coordinate the implementation of agricultural and other
given projects.
- Coordinate HIV/AIDS strategic framework programme implementation in all
World Vision South Africa Area Development programmes sites.
- Develop HIV/AIDS prevention education materials and training curricula.
- Provide leadership in the area of planning, management, and evaluation
of HIV/AIDS related activities.
- Facilitate the training of HIV/AIDS facilitators on prevention, care and
advocacy.
- Provide leadership in the mobilisation of national efforts in response
to HIV/AIDS epidemic.
- Promote and strengthen the participation of people living with HIV/AIDS
by ensuring their participation on issues pertaining to people living with
HIV/AIDS.
- Facilitate the designing of HIV/AIDS programme interventions.
- Work collaboratively with the national structures and strengthen
existing networking systems.

REQUIREMENTS:

- Degree in Social Sciences with a strong bias towards health or nursing,
- 5 years working experience in designing, planning, management,
implementation monitoring, evaluation and facilitation skills in HIV/AIDS
and reproductive health care interventions required.
- Training of trainer's skills in HIV/AIDS education and counselling, home
based care interventions plus experience in the implementation of orphans
and vulnerable children [OVC] programmes will be an added advantage.

Interested applicants are requested to submit their applications by
Friday, 31 January 2003 and should be forwarded to Sarah Motsosi via email
sarah_motsosi@wvi.org or fax to +27 11 472-4885.

For more information, phone +27 11 671-1300.

2. Project Manager, Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference (SACBC)

RESPONSIBILITIES:

- Manage SACBC AIDS Office projects within South Africa, Namibia,
Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland
- Assist projects in the Church's network access provincial funding and
other resources available within the country
- Assist applicants seeking project funding with programme and proposal
writing
- Monitor and evaluate projects receiving funding
- Present regular narrative and financial reports on the status of
projects visited to the AIDS Office and to donors
- Ensure effective office management and record keeping for audit purposes
- Assist with conferences, workshops, and tours by potential and actual
donors

REQUIREMENTS:

- Familiarity with the teaching of the Catholic Church
- Social science university degree
- Driver's licence
- Direct experience in HIV/AIDS work and in project management
- Ability to work as part of an established team

Applications, including a curriculum vitae and the contact details of
three traceable referees, should be sent to:

Dineo Monyepao
PO Box 941 Pretoria 0001
Email: dmonyepao@sacbc.org.za by Friday 31 January 2003.


IRIN-SA
Tel: +27 11 880-4633
Fax: +27 11 447-5472
Email: IRIN-SA@irin.org.za

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