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IRIN PlusNews Weekly Issue 207, 12 November 2004


	Wednesday 17 November 2004

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IRIN PlusNews Weekly Issue 207, 12 November 2004

[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

NEWS:

AFRICA: Generic anti-AIDS drugs withdrawn from WHO list
BURKINA FASO: NGOs seek local funds to access ARVs
MOZAMBIQUE: Artists create AIDS awareness
SOUTH AFRICA: Child welfare system leaves many AIDS orphans stranded
SOUTH AFRICA: Women street traders falling through the cracks
SOUTH AFRICA: Gender equality needed in national HIV/AIDS policy
SWAZILAND: Construction declines as impact of HIV/AIDS builds up

HAYDEN'S DIARY:

Maids, madams and the "terrible thing"

LINKS:

1. New Website on Sexual Violence

CONFERENCES/ EVENTS/ RESEARCH/ RESOURCES:

JOB OPPORTUNITIES:

AFRICA: Generic anti-AIDS drugs withdrawn from WHO list

In a move that could affect HIV-positive people on treatment in developing countries, an Indian generic drug manufacturer voluntarily withdrew its drugs from the World Health Organisation's (WHO) list of approved HIV medicines.

The seven antiretroviral (ARV) drugs made by Ranbaxy Laboratories were removed after the company "found discrepancies" in documents proving their biological equivalence to the patented versions, a WHO statement said. In August this year, WHO withdrew three other drugs made by the company for the same reason.

More details

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BURKINA FASO: NGOs seek local funds to access ARVs

Local HIV/AIDS NGOs in Burkina Faso are planning to raise funds in the country rather than seek external sources of funding for antiretroviral (ARV) drugs, activists told PlusNews.

About 43,000 HIV-positive people in the country need treatment, but in June this year only 2,000 people were receiving it. An estimated 300,000 people in Burkina Faso are living with HIV/AIDS.

"The Global Fund takes care of 3,500 people over a period of four years, but what will become of them at the end of the period?" asked Mamadou Sawadogo, president of Burkina's National Network For Greater Involvement of People Living with AIDS (REGIPIV), while talking to PlusNews.

More details

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SOUTH AFRICA: Child welfare system leaves many AIDS orphans stranded

With an increasing number of children orphaned by HIV/AIDS seeking foster care, the HIV/AIDS epidemic is placing enormous pressure on South Africa's child welfare system.

An estimated 18 percent of the country's children are orphans. According to the Medical Research Council (MRC), at least 5.7 million children could lose one or both parents to AIDS by 2015.

Social workers are grappling with heavy caseloads, while caregivers applying for foster care grants have sometimes been known to wait for as long as two years for their submissions to be processed.

More details

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SOUTH AFRICA: Women street traders falling through the cracks

Women street hawkers are falling through the cracks of HIV/AIDS prevention efforts, despite being one of the highest risk groups. Up to 40 percent of female street traders in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province are HIV-positive, researchers have found.

According to a study by the Health Economics and AIDS Research Division (HEARD) of the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, most of the women live and work in poor areas, and lack basic health and welfare services and social protection.

More details

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SOUTH AFRICA: Gender equality needed in national HIV/AIDS policy

South African lobby group, the Gender Aids Forum (GAF), is calling for a stronger emphasis on addressing gender inequalities in the national HIV/AIDS policy.

"Gender-based power imbalances are not reflected in the national AIDS plan. South Africa is missing a debate about what gender means for the fight against HIV/AIDS," GAF team leader Dawn Cavanagh told PlusNews.

More details

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MOZAMBIQUE: Artists create AIDS awareness

Mozambican artists organised a four-day festival on Art and AIDS last week in the capital, Maputo, to create awareness around the epidemic.

The festival, the third to be organised by the Cooperative of Associated Artists, Musicians and Journalists, showcased a number of artistic initiatives, which were discussed by the audience. The event also included a one-day seminar on the role artists can play in AIDS prevention campaigns.

More details

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SWAZILAND: Construction declines as impact of HIV/AIDS builds up

The rate of construction in Swaziland has more than halved as a result of the AIDS pandemic, as property owners and small businesses are forced to spend more money on medical bills and funerals.

According to the Central Bank of Swaziland, the number of completed buildings plunged by 54 percent in 2004.

More details

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HAYDEN'S DIARY:

Maids, madams and the "terrible thing"

Dear Diary

Ten years into South Africa's democracy, one needs only scratch the surface to see the true colours of what many refer to as our 'Rainbow Nation'.

In some instances, the HIV/AIDS pandemic even acts as an effective scratching tool to reveal what really lies beneath the bright colours of hope and reconciliation.

So it's no surprise when news items say black maids are being tricked into testing for HIV by white employers, and then promptly dismissed if they test positive.

More details

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LINKS:

1. The website for the Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI) is now live. The SVRI aims to build an experienced and committed network of researchers, policy makers, activists and donors to ensure that the many aspects of sexual violence are addressed from the perspective of different disciplines and cultures. The SVRI website provides information about the SVRI and contains links to documents and other resources on sexual violence and sexual violence research. It is also possible to join and contact the SVRI through the website: www.who.int

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[ENDS]

Recent AFRICA Reports

AIDS activists want billion dollar Glaxo trust, 17/Nov/04

Frank dialogue about gender key to tackling HIV/AIDS , 16/Nov/04

Women street traders falling through the cracks, 11/Nov/04

Generic anti-AIDS drugs withdrawn from WHO list, 10/Nov/04

Child welfare system leaves many AIDS orphans stranded, 9/Nov/04

Links

VIH Internet

Sida Info Services

Aides

Le Fonds mondial de lutte contre le SIDA, la tuberculose et le paludisme

Le Réseau Afrique 2000

PlusNews does not take responsibility for info in links supplied.

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