Your daily Selection of IRIN Africa PlusNews reports, 11/19/2004

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U N I T E D N A T I O N S

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CONTENT:

1 - AFRICA-KENYA-TANZANIA-UGANDA: Global Fund approves funding proposals

for AIDS, malaria and TB

2 - SWAZILAND: Swazis strengthen efforts to fight HIV/AIDS stigma

3 - ZAMBIA: Inexpensive antibiotic offers hope to HIV positive kids

1 - AFRICA-KENYA-TANZANIA-UGANDA: Global Fund approves funding proposals

for AIDS, malaria and TB

AFRICA, 19 November (PLUSNEWS) - The Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS,

malaria and tuberculosis (TB) approved on Thursday the fifth round of

funding proposals to combat the three diseases.

The decision was made after a two-day, closed-door meeting of the Global

Fund's Board in Arusha, Tanzania. Presidents Mwai Kibaki of Kenya, Yoweri

Museveni of Uganda and Mkapa of Tanzania attended the meeting

that opened on Wednesday.

Previously, there had been uncertainty about the fifth round of funding,

with some donors adopting a hard-line stance towards continued funding.

Some of the donors favoured the establishment of bilateral arrangements

with the countries the Global Fund supports.

An officer with the Global Fund, Jon Liden, said the applications for

funding would be received in March and would be considered for approval by

the board in September.

The chairman of the Global Fund Board, Tommy , who is also the US

secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services, announced the

fifth round of funding, saying the money would deliver critical aid in the

fight against HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria.

" Today's unanimous decision reflects the Board's unwavering commitment to

turning the tide against these diseases and ensuring the long-term

viability and accountability of the Global Fund, " he said. " I applaud all

Board members for reaching a consensus that provides hope for the

suffering while affirming the Fund's need to proceed with responsibility

and fiscal prudence. "

Grant proposals to the Global Fund are evaluated by an independent

technical review panel and those meeting the requirements, are then

recommended to the Board for funding.

The Global Fund Board approves two-year programmes, with an option to

renew funding for another three years if the project achieves the targeted

results.

Since its creation in January 2002, the Global Fund has committed US $3

billion in two-year grants to 128 countries.

" A new round of proposals will ensure that the Global Fund continues to

expand its funding, " said Helene Rossert-Blavier, the vice-chair of the

Board and executive director of the French non-governmental organisation,

AIDES.

She added that the money would enable the Global Fund to fulfil the hopes

of millions of people around the world " by providing more people with

AIDS, TB and malaria treatment and increase prevention efforts " .

The approval of the funding proposals for 2005 is expected to meet the

year's requirements of $2.4 billion, with $1.4 billion needed for the

renewals of existing grants. Regardless of the timing of new grants, an

estimated $2.7 billion would be additionally required for renewals after

2005.

" The Global Fund is three-years old and as it moves forward, we face the

dual challenge of making current grants work as quickly and effectively as

possible and raising more money to meet the urgent need to scale up

prevention and treatment in countries with acute needs, " Feachem,

the Global Fund's executive director, said. " Today's decision by the Board

shows its commitment to meet these challenges. "

[ENDS]

2 - SWAZILAND: Swazis strengthen efforts to fight HIV/AIDS stigma

MBABANE, 19 November (PLUSNEWS) - Shame was replaced by solidarity at the

launch of an umbrella body of organisations of Swazis living with HIV/AIDS

this week.

The Swaziland National Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS

(SWANNEPHA), comprising 46 organisations with memberships ranging from a

handful to over 1,400, aims to reduce stigma and discrimination and " build

a positive image of people living with HIV and AIDS " .

SWANNEPHA's role will be to strengthen the capacity of officials in the

affiliated organisations, and facilitate the coordination and sharing of

experiences and best practices among people living with HIV and AIDS.

The federation will mobilise the participation of people living with HIV

and AIDS in the national response to the disease, and act as an

information clearing house.

The launch of SWANNEPHA was recommended by the National Emergency Response

Committee on HIV/AIDS, which disperses funds from government, private

donors and the Global Fund Against HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis, to AIDS

groups.

A study conducted by the committee last year to identify HIV/AIDS support

groups found that " most of them are very new, with no formal leadership

structures and a small proportion of people who are open about their HIV

positive status. "

The report recommended the establishment of a support group mother body,

" to unify and strengthen the contribution and voice of people living with

HIV/AIDS in the national response to HIV/AIDS " .

" We are no longer afraid. There is strength in numbers and, unfortunately,

there are now just so many people living with the disease, " said AIDS

activist Vusi Matsebula, who was elected chairperson of SWANNEPHA.

Matsebula was one of the first Swazis to publicly acknowledge his HIV

positive status. As a founding member of the Swaziland AIDS Support

Organisation (SASO), the first such group in the country, he campaigned

against discrimination towards people living with HIV and AIDS, and

championed the cause of antiretroviral drugs against initial health

ministry opposition.

" It has always been a hard battle for people to wake up to the AIDS

dilemma, and not ostracise people with HIV, " said Hannie Dlamini, also a

SASO founder member.

Another key organisation affiliated with the new umbrella body is the

Swaziland Women's Association for Positive Living.

Sipiwe Hlope, a founder member of the HIV-positive women's group, said,

" There is a happy spirit among those of us who feel we should not be

shoved aside because we have become infected. Positive living prolongs

lives: it is in your attitude and the way you treat your body, and look

after your physical and mental health. All of us together can exchange

notes about new treatments; we can lobby the health ministry better if we

are unified. "

[ENDS]

3 - ZAMBIA: Inexpensive antibiotic offers hope to HIV positive kids

JOHANNESBURG, 19 November (PLUSNEWS) - Zambian health experts on Friday

heralded the results of clinical trials showing that a widely available

antibiotic drug could dramatically cut AIDS-related deaths in children.

The trials, conducted in the capital, Lusaka, between 2001 and 2003, were

backed by the UK's Department for International Development to test

co-trimoxazole, which was given to 540 HIV positive children over a period

of nearly 20 months.

The programme was stopped early when it became clear that substantially

fewer children on the antibiotic were dying. Across the globe around 1,300

children die from HIV/AIDS illnesses every day.

According to paediatric specialist Dr Ganapati Bhat at the University

Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, after 19 months, 74 (28 percent) of the

children on co-trimoxazole had died, compared with 112 (42 percent) of

those on a placebo. The antibiotic had proven effective against

respiratory opportunistic infections associated with HIV infection.

" It was quite obvious that the children who had been administered the

antibiotic were doing better than those on the placebo. We immediately

decided to put all the children on preventative co-trimoxazole, and those

who needed antiretroviral therapy are starting it, " he told PlusNews.

It was the first time the low-cost, readily available antibiotic had been

tested as a preventative medicine in a large study of children with HIV.

Bhat said co-trimoxazole had the advantage of being cheap and widely

available, whereas antiretroviral (ARV) drugs were more expensive, but

cautioned that the antibiotic was not intended to replace ARVs and the two

should be used in tandem.

Dr Chifumbe Chintu, a principle clinician at the University Teaching

Hospital, said: " This will provide a great relief to many African

governments who are struggling to provide millions of children with HIV

care. It is recommended that any child who has been exposed to HIV is

provided with co-trimoxazole prophylaxis and nutritional support, until

they test positive for the virus. "

[ENDS]

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