GLOBAL: IRIN/PlusNews Weekly Issue 407, 3 October 2008

JOHANNESBURG, 3 October 2008 (PlusNews) - NEWS

SOUTH AFRICA: New health minister to champion AIDS treatment
KENYA: Gold mining in the west loses its lustre
ANGOLA: Government pledges to provide better health care
MALAWI: Solving health worker shortages
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Skipping class, skipping treatment
ZIMBABWE: New government gives HIV-positive people hope
MOZAMBIQUE: Winning small victories against HIV and TB
MALAWI: Jackson Edward: "I may live longer than the people who talk ill about me"

EVENTS
1. The Journey Towards an AIDS Vaccine: Perspectives on Conducting Trials in Developing Countries, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI)
2. Conference on Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and Respiratory diseases, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), 15 - 18 December - Kathmandu, Nepal

VACANCIES
1. Male Sexual Health Technical Officer, Family Health International (FHI) - Asia Pacific Region
2. National Advisor for HIV Care and Treatment, International Training and Education Center on HIV (I-TECH) - Lilongwe, Malawi


NEWS
SOUTH AFRICA: New health minister to champion AIDS treatment

South Africa's new health minister, Barbara Hogan, has listed the twin epidemics of HIV and TB as among the most serious health challenges facing the country.

full report: http://www.plusnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=80715


KENYA: Gold mining in the west loses its lustre

The sleepy town of Nyatike, in western Kenya's Migori district, has relied on gold mining since foreign prospectors discovered the precious metal in the 1930s; men do most of the mining, while women and girls come to the mines to sell food.

full report: http://www.plusnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=80711


ANGOLA: Government pledges to provide better health care

Angola's new government is promising better health facilities at both primary and secondary care levels, as well as to reduce the prevalence of HIV/AIDS over the next four years.

full report: http://www.plusnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=80693


MALAWI: Solving health worker shortages

A chronic lack of healthcare workers in Malawi has crippled the health system, but a different way of doing things has alleviated the shortages, bringing new players to the field.

full report: http://www.plusnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=80698


SOUTHERN AFRICA: Skipping class, skipping treatment

Adjusting to college or university life can be rough – moving into residence, living with roommates, balancing academic demands with those of social life. Now try taking your antiretroviral (ARV) medication without the whole world knowing you're positive, and things get even more complicated. Disclosing to fellow students and lecturers can help, but is by no means a cure-all.

full report: http://www.plusnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=80673


ZIMBABWE: New government gives HIV-positive people hope

AIDS activists are hoping that the country's new administration will make good on promises to urgently improve access to affordable HIV/AIDS treatment and services at state hospitals.

full report: http://www.plusnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=80651


MOZAMBIQUE: Winning small victories against HIV and TB

Inês Muterua, 29, lies on a frayed straw mat between two mud huts and places an old tin can full of sand by her side. "I usually spit my phlegm into this can to keep from spitting just anywhere and contaminating others, like what happened with me."

full report: http://www.plusnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=80657


MALAWI: Jackson Edward: "I may live longer than the people who talk ill about me"

Jackson Edward, 37, is an HIV-positive father of three who lives in Balaka, a small town in southern Malawi. He dedicates his time to educating communities about living positively with HIV and distributing condoms in local bars. He talked to IRIN/PlusNews about how discovering his status changed his life.

full report: http://www.plusnews.org/HOVReport.aspx?ReportId=80688


EVENTS
1. The Journey Towards an AIDS Vaccine: Perspectives on Conducting Trials in Developing Countries, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI)

IAVI reviewed AIDS vaccine studies in developing countries to document their impact at the individual, community, national and international levels, and to highlight key strategies and lessons for future studies. After interviewing more than 100 trial participants, authors concluded that while most trials bring positive effects to communities, the need to mitigate negative effects within trial frameworks persists.

To download the document, go to https://www.iavi.org/viewfile.cfm?fid=47633


2. Conference on Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and Respiratory Diseases, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), 15 - 18 December - Kathmandu, Nepal

The conference will discuss new research on tuberculosis, HIV and respiratory diseases and act as a platform for those in the region to share their experiences as programme implementators.

For more, go to http://www.saarctb.com.np/


VACANCIES
1. Male Sexual Health Technical Officer, Family Health International (FHI) - Asia Pacific Region

Responsibilities
- Provide programme and technical assistance in FHI country programmes dealing with men who have sex with men (MSMs) in the Asia Pacific region
- Liaise with international donors and senior level ministry of health and government representatives regarding the development and implementation of programmes
- Ensure the quality of HIV communications interventions and research in FHI programmes are of international standards
- Collaborate with other technical staff in the development and implementation of guidelines, tools and recommendations related to MSMs
- Support country offices through capacity-building of FHI and other implementing agency staff

Requirements
- Candidates must be Thai nationals
- Masters degree or equivalent in public health or related fields
- At least five years of relevant experience in and working with nongovernmental organisations or donor-funded organisations in the HIV/AIDS field
- Knowledge of HIV/AIDS, reproductive health, public health in developing countries
- Excellent written and spoken English

Application deadline: 15 October

Send a resume and cover letter via email to the Human Resources Department at [email protected]. Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.


2. National Advisor for HIV Care and Treatment, International Training and Education Center on HIV (I-TECH) - Lilongwe, Malawi

Responsibilities
- Lead the HIV Care and Treatment section of the Ministry of Health HIV and AIDS Department in extending national antiretroviral programme
- Provide technical assistance to counterparts with the national ministry of health
- Strengthen the HIV-related services including testing, counseling, prevention of mother-to-child transmission and treatment of sexually transmitted infections

Requirements
- Medical doctor with extensive knowledge of rapid scale-up of HIV care, treatment and support services
- Five or more years of practical experience working at a senior management level overseeing a large clinical programme in a resource-limited context, preferably within the public sector in Africa
- Strong leadership skills, demonstrated diplomacy in working with a wide array of stakeholders and technical experts
- Sound knowledge of public health practice and health system issues
- Close professional links with relevant partners and international experts
- Solid background in operational research and translation of research into policy and practice
- Proven success in implementing health services and/or clinical research studies

Application deadline: 20 October

For more information and to apply, please visit http://www.go2itech.org/itech?page=con-00-00. Short-listed applicants will be contacted by 24 October