IRIN PlusNews Weekly Issue 315, 22 December 2006

[Guest guest]

AFRICA: IRIN PlusNews Weekly Issue 315, 22 December 2006

NEWS

ZAMBIA: Poor nutrition nullifies benefit of ARV treatment

KENYA: Slow progress in safer-sex services for men who sleep with me

SOUTH AFRICA: Reproductive rights of HIV positive people under discussion

MALAWI: Chiefs lead by example in response to HIV/AIDS

EVENTS/RESOURCES

1. Resource for HIV/AIDS and Sexual and Reproductive Health Integration

2. 8th International AIDS Impact Conference - Marseille, France, 1 to 4 July,

2007

VACANCIES

1. Country Director, ActionAid - South Africa

ZAMBIA: Poor nutrition nullifies benefit of ARV treatment

The poor nutrition often experienced by HIV-positive Zambians on antiretroviral

[ARV] drug treatment is nullifying the benefits of the medicine, health experts

are warning.

" Whenever I take my ARVs without eating anything, I begin to feel dizzy and

sometimes I even vomit - I generally feel very weak in my body; I have to be in

bed for some time unless I took the drugs after eating, " Mukwendi, a

resident in the capital, Lusaka, one of thousands on ARVs, told IRIN/PlusNews.

More details: http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSReport.ASP?ReportID=6619

KENYA: Slow progress in safer-sex services for men who sleep with men

Although sex between men remains illegal in Kenya, services addressing HIV/AIDS

and the sexual health needs of men who have sex with men (MSM) are slowly

becoming available to this much-neglected and stigmatised group.

The Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine's Voluntary Counselling and Testing

Services (LVCT), for instance, has been offering advice to MSM since 2003 and

now offers a full range of services, including messages about safer sex,

voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) and antiretroviral (ARV) drugs.

More details: http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSReport.ASP?ReportID=6618

SOUTH AFRICA: Reproductive rights of HIV positive people under discussion

HIV-positive Phindile Madonsela always used a condom with her partner, but one

day it broke. When it had happened before, she had gone to the local clinic and

obtained emergency contraception, also known as the morning-after pill, but this

time she did not go because she feared the disapproving attitude of the nurses.

Later she discovered she was pregnant.

Madonsela, a volunteer HIV/AIDS educator for AIDS lobby group, the Treatment

Action Campaign (TAC), had mixed feelings. " I promote condoms, so I felt very

bad about being pregnant, " she told PlusNews. " But I said to people, 'I'm

positive, and I still have the right to have a baby.' "

More details: http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSReport.ASP?ReportID=6620

MALAWI: Chiefs lead by example in response to HIV/AIDS

A group of traditional leaders in Mchinji district, about 100km west of Malawian

capital, Lilongwe, has become involved in HIV/AIDS awareness efforts in their

communities, encouraging people to talk more openly about the epidemic.

Three years ago, 28 traditional leaders formed Mduwa Chiefs AIDS Organisation to

address the spread of the disease in their villages - a first in this

conservative country, which has one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the

world.

More details: http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSReport.ASP?ReportID=6621

EVENTS/RESOURCES

1. Resources for HIV/AIDS and Sexual and Reproductive Health Integration

The Resources for HIV/AIDS and Sexual and Reproductive Health Integration site

at: www.hivandsrh.org (formerly www.fpandhiv.org) lists nearly 500 selected

resources supporting integration of HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment and

promotion of sexual and reproductive health. The site links to journal articles,

reports, conference papers, news and training materials on topics including:

- Family Planning and Antiretrovirals

- Family Planning and Mother-to-Child-Transmission

- Contraception for HIV-Positive Women

- Community-Based Approaches to Integration

- Microbicides

The site is maintained by the Center for Communication Programs, s Hopkins

Bloomberg School of Public Health (www.jhuccp.org), and Constella Group, LLC,

with funding from the and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the and

Lucile Packard Foundation. For more information, contact: inform@....

2. 8th International AIDS Impact Conference - Marseille, France, 1 to 4 July,

2007

Registration and abstract submission is now open for AIDS Impact 2007. The AIDS

Impact conference is specifically devoted to Human and Social Sciences in the

field of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The last conference, held in 2005 in Cape Town,

South Africa, attracted more than 700 participants from all over the world. The

goal of the conference is to give more space to social sciences research in the

field of HIV in developing countries.

Abstract Deadline: 22 January 2007 (abstracts should be submitted in English

only and must not have been previously published or presented. They should be no

longer than 300 words.)

For more information, go to: http://www.aidsimpact.com/2007/

VACANCIES

1. Country Director, ActionAid - South Africa

ActionAid International works in partnership with local NGOs, CBOs, and

governments across the world, to support the poor and excluded people to have

rights to education, food, democratic governance, security, gender equality and

life and dignity in the face of HIV/AIDs. ActionAid is looking to recruit a

committed and competent Country Director in the Africa Region.

Responsibilities and Requirements:

- Expand and deepen partnerships, programmes and accountability

- A proven track record in leading and managing institutions and development

programmes

- Experience being part of social movements or as an active member of civil

society

- Actively committed to gender equity

- Strong financial management and control skills

- High level of people related skills

- Courage of conviction in taking public stands against issues of injustice and

experience of dealing with governance issues

- Perspective and competencies for rights-based and policy advocacy work;

fundraising and donor relations

- Ability and maturity to act and demonstrate independence in a polarized

political environment

Deadline: 12 January, 2007

To apply, send CV, cover letter and at least two names of referees to

cdsa.jhb@....

[ENDS]

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

Mail@....

IRIN-SA

Tel: +27 11 895-1900

Fax: +27 11 784-6759

Email: IRIN-SA@...

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.]

To make changes to or cancel your subscription visit:

http://www.Plusnews.org/subscriptions/AIDSsubslogin.asp

Subscriber: AIDS treatments

Keyword: Africa

[Guest guest]

AFRICA: IRIN PlusNews Weekly Issue 315, 22 December 2006

NEWS

ZAMBIA: Poor nutrition nullifies benefit of ARV treatment

KENYA: Slow progress in safer-sex services for men who sleep with me

SOUTH AFRICA: Reproductive rights of HIV positive people under discussion

MALAWI: Chiefs lead by example in response to HIV/AIDS

EVENTS/RESOURCES

1. Resource for HIV/AIDS and Sexual and Reproductive Health Integration

2. 8th International AIDS Impact Conference - Marseille, France, 1 to 4 July,

2007

VACANCIES

1. Country Director, ActionAid - South Africa

ZAMBIA: Poor nutrition nullifies benefit of ARV treatment

The poor nutrition often experienced by HIV-positive Zambians on antiretroviral

[ARV] drug treatment is nullifying the benefits of the medicine, health experts

are warning.

" Whenever I take my ARVs without eating anything, I begin to feel dizzy and

sometimes I even vomit - I generally feel very weak in my body; I have to be in

bed for some time unless I took the drugs after eating, " Mukwendi, a

resident in the capital, Lusaka, one of thousands on ARVs, told IRIN/PlusNews.

More details: http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSReport.ASP?ReportID=6619

KENYA: Slow progress in safer-sex services for men who sleep with men

Although sex between men remains illegal in Kenya, services addressing HIV/AIDS

and the sexual health needs of men who have sex with men (MSM) are slowly

becoming available to this much-neglected and stigmatised group.

The Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine's Voluntary Counselling and Testing

Services (LVCT), for instance, has been offering advice to MSM since 2003 and

now offers a full range of services, including messages about safer sex,

voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) and antiretroviral (ARV) drugs.

More details: http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSReport.ASP?ReportID=6618

SOUTH AFRICA: Reproductive rights of HIV positive people under discussion

HIV-positive Phindile Madonsela always used a condom with her partner, but one

day it broke. When it had happened before, she had gone to the local clinic and

obtained emergency contraception, also known as the morning-after pill, but this

time she did not go because she feared the disapproving attitude of the nurses.

Later she discovered she was pregnant.

Madonsela, a volunteer HIV/AIDS educator for AIDS lobby group, the Treatment

Action Campaign (TAC), had mixed feelings. " I promote condoms, so I felt very

bad about being pregnant, " she told PlusNews. " But I said to people, 'I'm

positive, and I still have the right to have a baby.' "

More details: http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSReport.ASP?ReportID=6620

MALAWI: Chiefs lead by example in response to HIV/AIDS

A group of traditional leaders in Mchinji district, about 100km west of Malawian

capital, Lilongwe, has become involved in HIV/AIDS awareness efforts in their

communities, encouraging people to talk more openly about the epidemic.

Three years ago, 28 traditional leaders formed Mduwa Chiefs AIDS Organisation to

address the spread of the disease in their villages - a first in this

conservative country, which has one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the

world.

More details: http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSReport.ASP?ReportID=6621

EVENTS/RESOURCES

1. Resources for HIV/AIDS and Sexual and Reproductive Health Integration

The Resources for HIV/AIDS and Sexual and Reproductive Health Integration site

at: www.hivandsrh.org (formerly www.fpandhiv.org) lists nearly 500 selected

resources supporting integration of HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment and

promotion of sexual and reproductive health. The site links to journal articles,

reports, conference papers, news and training materials on topics including:

- Family Planning and Antiretrovirals

- Family Planning and Mother-to-Child-Transmission

- Contraception for HIV-Positive Women

- Community-Based Approaches to Integration

- Microbicides

The site is maintained by the Center for Communication Programs, s Hopkins

Bloomberg School of Public Health (www.jhuccp.org), and Constella Group, LLC,

with funding from the and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the and

Lucile Packard Foundation. For more information, contact: inform@....

2. 8th International AIDS Impact Conference - Marseille, France, 1 to 4 July,

2007

Registration and abstract submission is now open for AIDS Impact 2007. The AIDS

Impact conference is specifically devoted to Human and Social Sciences in the

field of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The last conference, held in 2005 in Cape Town,

South Africa, attracted more than 700 participants from all over the world. The

goal of the conference is to give more space to social sciences research in the

field of HIV in developing countries.

Abstract Deadline: 22 January 2007 (abstracts should be submitted in English

only and must not have been previously published or presented. They should be no

longer than 300 words.)

For more information, go to: http://www.aidsimpact.com/2007/

VACANCIES

1. Country Director, ActionAid - South Africa

ActionAid International works in partnership with local NGOs, CBOs, and

governments across the world, to support the poor and excluded people to have

rights to education, food, democratic governance, security, gender equality and

life and dignity in the face of HIV/AIDs. ActionAid is looking to recruit a

committed and competent Country Director in the Africa Region.

Responsibilities and Requirements:

- Expand and deepen partnerships, programmes and accountability

- A proven track record in leading and managing institutions and development

programmes

- Experience being part of social movements or as an active member of civil

society

- Actively committed to gender equity

- Strong financial management and control skills

- High level of people related skills

- Courage of conviction in taking public stands against issues of injustice and

experience of dealing with governance issues

- Perspective and competencies for rights-based and policy advocacy work;

fundraising and donor relations

- Ability and maturity to act and demonstrate independence in a polarized

political environment

Deadline: 12 January, 2007

To apply, send CV, cover letter and at least two names of referees to

cdsa.jhb@....

[ENDS]

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

Mail@....

IRIN-SA

Tel: +27 11 895-1900

Fax: +27 11 784-6759

Email: IRIN-SA@...

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.]

To make changes to or cancel your subscription visit:

http://www.Plusnews.org/subscriptions/AIDSsubslogin.asp

Subscriber: AIDS treatments

Keyword: Africa