IRIN PlusNews Weekly Issue 267, 20 January 2006

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AFRICA: IRIN PlusNews Weekly Issue 267, 20 January 2006

NEWS

AFRICA: Year in Review 2005 - The long slow road to '3 by 5'

SOUTH AFRICA: Khomanani adds a new twist to love on Valentine's

MOZAMBIQUE: MSF to ensure sustainability of ARV programme

SWAZILAND: More people but still too few testing for HIV

TANZANIA: Sex and condom education essential - govt

EVENTS

1. Launch of PlusNews Portuguese

2. Launch of Nigeria information portal

3. Workshop on Monitoring and Evaluation of HIV/AIDS Programmes

JOBS

1. SAfAIDS Programme Officers

NEWS

AFRICA: Year in Review 2005 - The long slow road to '3 by 5'

Almost a month after the deadline, the World Health Organisation's (WHO)

campaign to put three million people in the developing world on anti-AIDS drugs

by the end of 2005 has failed to meet its target.

When WHO launched the '3 by 5' initiative it was widely acknowledged that the

'aspirational' target represented a significant hurdle, given the state of

global funding for AIDS, doubtful political will, drug availability and

technical capacity.

But activists acknowledged that it did at least represent a goal to work

towards, especially since, in Africa, fewer than 30,000 people were on

antiretroviral (ARV) medication in 2001.

Dr Goemaere, head of Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) in South Africa noted,

" It's good to have an ambitious target. People are under pressure to move - and

things are moving, and moving fast. "

More details:

http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=5620

SOUTH AFRICA: Gays and SANBS kiss and make up

The impact of HIV/AIDS has led to far greater focus on safe donor blood than

ever before, and the South African National Blood Services (SANBS), custodian of

the reserves, has managed to step on almost everyone's toes in its efforts to

safeguard reserves.

Last year the discovery that the SANBS was discarding black donor blood on

grounds of there being a higher risk of HIV attached led to a public outcry.

Although that policy - which Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang said

" smacked of racism " - has since been changed, the SANBS's donor questionnaire is

now the focus of attention.

More details:

http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=5623

SOUTH AFRICA: Khomanani adds a new twist to love on Valentine's

If the government's latest anti-AIDS campaign is anything to go by, Valentine's

Day next month could mean more than just chocolates and red roses for some South

African couples.

By distributing free romantic cards with the message, " It's time to take our

relationship to the next level " , Khomanani, the government's HIV/AIDS

communications programme, aims to encourage more couples to be tested together

for HIV.

Cyril Sadiki, Khomanani's programme manager, told PlusNews: " We realised that

women readily took on the task of finding out their status, while men tried to

determine their own status through the results of their female counterparts.

This novel approach lets partners know it is okay to get tested together. "

More details:

http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=5599

MOZAMBIQUE: MSF to ensure sustainability of ARV programme

In a bid to ensure the sustainability of its antiretroviral (ARV) treatment

programme in Mozambique, the international NGO, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF),

has focussed on skills transfer with the aim of handing over the running of its

sites to the government.

This would see the government and local community taking over the responsibility

for running MSF's Lichinga site in the northern Niassa province, which treats

370 patients, by the end of 2008.

In South Africa, MSF has also been training local health officials to take over

its ARV treatment programmes.

More details:

http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=5612

SWAZILAND: More people but still too few testing for HIV

HIV/AIDS awareness efforts in the kingdom of Swaziland are slowly bearing fruit,

with a growing number of people coming forward to be tested for HIV, a new

report has found.

According to the AIDS Information and Support Centre (TASC), nearly five times

more people tested for HIV in 2004 compared to 2001.

More details:

http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=5621

TANZANIA: Sex and condom education essential - govt

Tanzania's education ministry has reaffirmed its position on the introduction of

reproductive health and HIV/AIDS education at primary school level, despite

condemnation from Catholic bishops.

The Roman Catholic Church recently slammed the new syllabus, labelling it

" unacceptable " , as the teaching of proper condom use had been include

More details:

http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=5616

CONFERENCES/ EVENTS/ RESOURCES

1. PlusNews has launched a new information service specialising on HIV/AIDS in

the five Portuguese-speaking countries of Africa.

The goal of the new service is to be the Portuguese-language reference point for

HIV/AIDS in Angola, Cabo Verde, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique and Sao Tome and

Principe, with links to Brazil, Portugal, and the African Diaspora in the

European Union and elsewhere.

Like its sister services PlusNews English and French, PlusNews Portuguese will

produce original stories through a network of stringers based in the capital and

provinces of their countries. The website features job vacancies, conferences,

events, studies and training tools.

To subscribe and to visit the new website: www.plusnews.org/pt

2. Projekthope has launched NigeriaHIVinfo.com www.nigeriahivinfo.com an

information portal designed to provide timely, accurate, and responsible news as

well as analysis on the occurrence of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria.

It is hoped that this portal will serve as a resource for people living with

HIV/AIDS and their families, to ensure that they have access to the right

information about how to cope with being positive.

The website will also measure and appraise the efforts of government and

international agencies working in HIV/AIDS.

3. USAIDS's Measure Evaluation Project in conjunction with the School of Health

Systems and Public Health at South Africa's University of Pretoria, will be

presenting an Anglophone Africa regional workshop on Monitoring and Evaluation

(M & E) of HIV/AIDS Programmes.

The workshop will offer intensive training, covering the fundamental concepts

and tools for monitoring and evaluating HIV/AIDS Programmes.

It will include sessions on:

- The Role of Strategic Information in Decision Making

- M & E Frameworks

- Indicators

- Information Systems

- Evaluation Designs

- Developing M & E Plans

- Selecting, calculating and interpreting indicators

- Facilitating the use of Strategic Information

Workshop dates: 27 March to 7 April 2006 Workshop fee: US $2 200.00

For enquiries and enrolment please contact: Alice Mkuzangwe Tel: +27 12 420 5015

Email: alice.ce@...

Download the brochure for additional information:

http://ceatup.webza.net/up2/Brochure.pdf

Online version: http://ceatup.webza.net/up2/health.html

JOBS

1. Southern Africa HIV/AIDS Information Dissemination Service (SAfAIDS) is a

regional NGO based in Harare, Zimbabwe. The organisation's mission is to promote

effective and ethical development responses to the epidemic and its impact

through HIV/AIDS knowledge management, capacity development, advocacy, policy

analysis and documentation. SAfAIDS is looking for 3 highly skilled individuals

to join its dynamic team

All posts require excellent written and verbal communication skills, computer

literacy, self-motivation, flexibility, adaptability and the capacity to work

under pressure individually and in teams as well as an interest and commitment

to work in the area of HIV/AIDS.

1) Position: Senior Programme Officer - Publications

To provide SAfAIDS with senior level programme support, skilled editorial input

for SAfAIDS publications and to ensure professional outputs.

REQUIREMENTS:

- Relevant Degree, preferably in social sciences. At least 6 years experience in

the field of communication, in particular the academia, editing / publishing

fields.

- In-depth understanding of HIV/AIDS issues in the region

- Proven editorial and writing skills for diverse literacy levels.

- Proven experience in production and distribution of print and audio visual

materials

- Ability to supervise publications unit staff.

- Knowledge of Portuguese language would be an advantage

2) Position: Programme Officer - Advocacy

To work on the SAfAIDS Advocacy programme. This post requires experience in

working with advocacy organisations and networks.

REQUIREMENTS:

- A Masters Degree, preferably in social sciences. At least 5 years experience

in the field of development work, some of which could have been in advocacy

work.

- In-depth understanding of HIV/AIDS advocacy issues in the region

- Excellent oral and written communication skills

- Proven experience in material development

- Experience in working with diverse regional groups

- Excellent participatory training skills

- Interest in and commitment to work in the area of HIV/AIDS.

3) Position: Monitoring and Evaluation Officer

This post requires a skilled individual, with experience in design and

implementation of monitoring and evaluation systems.

REQUIREMENTS:

- A Masters degree in statistics, demography, epidemiology, public health or

related field

- Minimum 5 year working in monitoring and evaluation and experience in

training/capacity building

- Excellent oral and written communication skills

- Excellent computer skills

SAfAIDS is an equal opportunity employer: people living with HIV are encouraged

to apply. We offer the right person an exciting opportunity to make a meaningful

contribution to responses to the HIV epidemic in the region, competitive salary

and benefits package.

Interested applicants should send an application and CV, information on current

salary, benefits and contact details of 3 referees to:

The Executive Director,

P O Box A509,

Avondale,

Harare, Zimbabwe

Or

E-mail to info@....

Please note that only short listed candidates will be contacted.

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Subscriber: AIDS treatments

Keyword: Southern Africa