Your daily Selection of IRIN Africa PlusNews reports, 1/16/2007

[Guest guest]

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

Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN) -

[These reports do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

CONTENT:

1 - MOZAMBIQUE: HIV/AIDS carers to be taught ARV management

1 - MOZAMBIQUE: HIV/AIDS carers to be taught ARV management

MAPUTO, 16 January (PLUSNEWS) - The Mozambican Red Cross will begin training

hundreds of volunteer workers to manage antiretroviral therapy (ART) for people

in their care living with HIV/AIDS.

" This training is extremely important and will improve the work of our carers, "

a Macava, the Red Cross Mozambique coordinator of the HIV/AIDS programme,

told IRIN. " We have now finalised an eight-module training package on

antiretroviral therapy management, specifically designed for carers. "

The three-week training package for volunteers, who should have at least basic

reading and writing skills, includes information on how to judge the

preparedness of a client to start antiretroviral (ARV) medication, ensure that

those using the drugs stick to their regimen, and the importance of eating

nutritious food when taking anti-AIDS medicines.

A handful of NGOs have started ARV management training for carers but their

reach is limited, whereas the Red Cross has a nationwide network of 600 carers

in its home-based care (HBC) programme, which operates in 9 of the country's 11

provinces.

The national HIV/AIDS prevalence rate for adults is 16.2 percent but rises to 19

percent in Manica and 26 percent in Sofala - the provinces bordering Zimbabwe.

According to UNAIDS, Mozambique's HIV prevalence rate is the 10th highest in the

world, and nearly 80 percent of the country's about 20 million people live on

US$2 or less a day.

According to the health ministry, the government, with the support of partner

organisations, provides ARV treatment to 34,000 people and aims to have 50,000

on ARVs by the end of 2007. The ministry estimates that 250,000 people may

require ARV treatment.

Managing ARV treatment in Mozambique presents a huge challenge, especially in

the sparsely populated rural areas where infrastructure is poor.

Red Cross carer Mondlane conceded she was being overwhelmed by the

demands of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in her hometown of Moamba, 60km northeast of

the capital, Maputo. The HIV/AIDS prevalence rate for adults in Maputo Province

rose from 13.5 percent in 2000 to 20.7 percent in 2004, according to health

ministry figures.

Mondlane, 42, a mother of three, walks to visit five chronically sick people at

least three times a week because her bicycle is broken. Some of them are on ART,

but she admits that her knowledge of ARVs is rudimentary, saying, " I need to

understand the ARV drugs better. "

Her ignorance of administering ARVs showed during a house call on HIV-positive

Bata (not her real name), 21, who lives with her aunt and six other orphaned

nieces and nephews.

Bata has apparently just started second-line ARV treatment, but neither she nor

Mondlane know what these drugs are, or even if they are ARVs. Her aunt is also

not sure exactly what the medication is, but thinks it must be ARVs because " she

[bata] is always hungry " .

" I know I must take these tablets twice a day. They are different from the other

ones - the first lot of tablets made me very sick, " said Bata, who has never

received any formal education.

Like all carers, Mondlane participated in the health ministry's two-week

training course, which teaches basic medical knowledge such as first aid and

counselling, but does not include training in administering ARVs. " I am looking

forward to the training on ARVs, so I can care for my clients better, " she said.

ra/go/he

[ENDS]

This is non-reply e-mail. Please do not hesitate to contact us at

Mail@....

Principal donors: IRIN is generously supported by Australia, Canada, Denmark,

ECHO, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and

the United States of America. For more information, go to:

http://www.IRINnews.org/donors

[This item comes to you via IRIN, a UN humanitarian news and information

service, but may not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or its

agencies. All IRIN material may be reposted or reprinted free-of-charge; refer

to the copyright page (Http://www.irinnews.org/copyright ) for conditions of

use. IRIN is a project of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian

Affairs.]

PLUSNEWS

Tel: +27 11 895-1900

Fax: +27 11 784-6759

Email: Mail@...

To make changes to or cancel your subscription visit:

http://www.irinnews.org/subscriptions

Subscriber: AIDS treatments

[Guest guest]

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

Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN) -

[These reports do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

CONTENT:

1 - MOZAMBIQUE: HIV/AIDS carers to be taught ARV management

1 - MOZAMBIQUE: HIV/AIDS carers to be taught ARV management

MAPUTO, 16 January (PLUSNEWS) - The Mozambican Red Cross will begin training

hundreds of volunteer workers to manage antiretroviral therapy (ART) for people

in their care living with HIV/AIDS.

" This training is extremely important and will improve the work of our carers, "

a Macava, the Red Cross Mozambique coordinator of the HIV/AIDS programme,

told IRIN. " We have now finalised an eight-module training package on

antiretroviral therapy management, specifically designed for carers. "

The three-week training package for volunteers, who should have at least basic

reading and writing skills, includes information on how to judge the

preparedness of a client to start antiretroviral (ARV) medication, ensure that

those using the drugs stick to their regimen, and the importance of eating

nutritious food when taking anti-AIDS medicines.

A handful of NGOs have started ARV management training for carers but their

reach is limited, whereas the Red Cross has a nationwide network of 600 carers

in its home-based care (HBC) programme, which operates in 9 of the country's 11

provinces.

The national HIV/AIDS prevalence rate for adults is 16.2 percent but rises to 19

percent in Manica and 26 percent in Sofala - the provinces bordering Zimbabwe.

According to UNAIDS, Mozambique's HIV prevalence rate is the 10th highest in the

world, and nearly 80 percent of the country's about 20 million people live on

US$2 or less a day.

According to the health ministry, the government, with the support of partner

organisations, provides ARV treatment to 34,000 people and aims to have 50,000

on ARVs by the end of 2007. The ministry estimates that 250,000 people may

require ARV treatment.

Managing ARV treatment in Mozambique presents a huge challenge, especially in

the sparsely populated rural areas where infrastructure is poor.

Red Cross carer Mondlane conceded she was being overwhelmed by the

demands of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in her hometown of Moamba, 60km northeast of

the capital, Maputo. The HIV/AIDS prevalence rate for adults in Maputo Province

rose from 13.5 percent in 2000 to 20.7 percent in 2004, according to health

ministry figures.

Mondlane, 42, a mother of three, walks to visit five chronically sick people at

least three times a week because her bicycle is broken. Some of them are on ART,

but she admits that her knowledge of ARVs is rudimentary, saying, " I need to

understand the ARV drugs better. "

Her ignorance of administering ARVs showed during a house call on HIV-positive

Bata (not her real name), 21, who lives with her aunt and six other orphaned

nieces and nephews.

Bata has apparently just started second-line ARV treatment, but neither she nor

Mondlane know what these drugs are, or even if they are ARVs. Her aunt is also

not sure exactly what the medication is, but thinks it must be ARVs because " she

[bata] is always hungry " .

" I know I must take these tablets twice a day. They are different from the other

ones - the first lot of tablets made me very sick, " said Bata, who has never

received any formal education.

Like all carers, Mondlane participated in the health ministry's two-week

training course, which teaches basic medical knowledge such as first aid and

counselling, but does not include training in administering ARVs. " I am looking

forward to the training on ARVs, so I can care for my clients better, " she said.

ra/go/he

[ENDS]

This is non-reply e-mail. Please do not hesitate to contact us at

Mail@....

Principal donors: IRIN is generously supported by Australia, Canada, Denmark,

ECHO, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and

the United States of America. For more information, go to:

http://www.IRINnews.org/donors

[This item comes to you via IRIN, a UN humanitarian news and information

service, but may not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or its

agencies. All IRIN material may be reposted or reprinted free-of-charge; refer

to the copyright page (Http://www.irinnews.org/copyright ) for conditions of

use. IRIN is a project of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian

Affairs.]

PLUSNEWS

Tel: +27 11 895-1900

Fax: +27 11 784-6759

Email: Mail@...

To make changes to or cancel your subscription visit:

http://www.irinnews.org/subscriptions

Subscriber: AIDS treatments