GLOBAL: IRIN/PlusNews Weekly Issue 417, 12 December 2008
JOHANNESBURG, 12 December 2008 (PlusNews) - CONTENTS:
NIGERIA: Sex in the slums
AFRICA: Who is taking care of the children?
GUINEA: In search of reliable AIDS data
KENYA: Mary Muthoni, "Disabled people living with HIV face so many challenges"
SOUTHERN AFRICA: The long road to male circumcision
AFRICA: Ignoring the facts on AIDS and disability
KENYA: Maureen Kiwinda, "It was not my desire to sleep with people to get a job"
MOZAMBIQUE: ARVs stolen and sold
AFRICA: Knowing is not enough
ZIMBABWE: Cholera outbreak eclipsing AIDS crisis
WEST AFRICA: Unplugging bottlenecks in ARV distribution
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Mabelle Kpawilina, "AIDS in Sam Ouandja is worse than in Bangui"
Events/Resources
1. Understanding the politics of HIV policies, HLSP Institute
2. Advanced HIV and AIDS Lobbying and Advocacy Course, Regional Capacity Building Partners (RECABIP), 9 -13 Feb. - Nairobi, Kenya
Vacancies
1. Health & HIV Programme Coordinator, Concern Worldwide - Port au Prince, Haiti
2. Men who have sex with men (MSM) Programme Coordinator, TREAT Asia – Bangkok, Thailand
NIGERIA: Sex in the slums
Ijora Badia in Lagos, Nigeria's former capital city and the country's economic hub is a community virtually without government services.
full report
AFRICA: Who is taking care of the children?
Armed conflicts and political instability in West Africa have left many children vulnerable to HIV infection and suffering from psychological distress, but little attention is paid to their needs.
full report
GUINEA: In search of reliable AIDS data
How many people with HIV in Guinea are on antiretroviral (ARV) medication? How many are co-infected with tuberculosis? Which population groups are most vulnerable to HIV infection? These questions and many others vital to coordinating an effective AIDS response are hard to answer in a country where very little AIDS-related data is available.
full report
KENYA: Mary Muthoni, "Disabled people living with HIV face so many challenges"
Mary Muthoni is physically handicapped and gets around on crutches. She talked to IRIN/PlusNews at the 15th International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA) taking place in Dakar, Senegal, about the triple stigma she has experienced.
full report
SOUTHERN AFRICA: The long road to male circumcision
Looking to get circumcised to reduce your risk of HIV infection? If you're living in Southern Africa, you might have a long wait until services become more widely available.
full report
AFRICA: Ignoring the facts on AIDS and disability
The exclusion of disabled people living with HIV in Africa is so entrenched that they were even marginalised at the latest international conference on the disease, according to disabled rights activists.
full report
KENYA: Maureen Kiwinda, "It was not my desire to sleep with people to get a job"
Maureen Kiwinda, 22, came to the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, in 2003 to stay with her brother, a casual employee in the industrial area. She has also taken up casual employment, but told IRIN/PlusNews that handing out sexual favours was a regular requirement for getting work.
full report
MOZAMBIQUE: ARVs stolen and sold
Lino Matope, 23, is lying on a mangy cotton mattress in a tiny shack made of corrugated iron sheets at the Feira market in Chimoio, capital of central Mozambique's Manica Province, receiving his fourth illegal injection of benzatinic penicillin.
full report
AFRICA: Knowing is not enough
HIV education can improve a young person's knowledge about HIV and AIDS but not necessarily their chances of avoiding infection.
full report
ZIMBABWE: Cholera outbreak eclipsing AIDS crisis
Moses Mwedzi, who lives in Budiriro, a high-density suburb of the Zimbabwean capital, Harare, has just recovered from a serious bout of cholera.
full report
WEST AFRICA: Unplugging bottlenecks in ARV distribution
In West and Central Africa, large amounts of money are spent on buying antiretroviral (ARV) drugs but weak distribution systems mean many HIV-positive patients never get them, said speakers at the 15th International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA) in Dakar, Senegal, last week.
full report
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Mabelle Kpawilina, "AIDS in Sam Ouandja is worse than in Bangui"
Mabelle Kpawilina, 22, is the only HIV-positive patient known to be taking antiretroviral (ARV) medication in Sam Ouandja, a mining town in the northeast of the Central African Republic, where the prevalence rate is 7.4 percent. She told her story to IRIN/PlusNews.
full report
Events/Resources
1. Understanding the politics of HIV policies, HLSP Institute
HIV has always been highly politicised, contend the authors, but despite this there has been limited analysis of the political determinants of HIV policy formulation and implementation. The authors argue that no single determinant can explain a national HIV policy but that it emerges from a unique interaction and configuration of institutions, ideas and interests. They advocate that an analysis that identifies the political obstacles and opportunities to evidence-informed policy should constitute a core feature of every national HIV response.
To download the document, go to www.hlspinstitute.org
2. Advanced HIV and AIDS Lobbying and Advocacy Course, Regional Capacity Building Partners (RECABIP), 9 -13 Feb. - Nairobi, Kenya
The course is designed for non-governmental and community-based organisations, and others responsible for influencing policies and programmes at the local, national or international levels.
For more information, go to www.recabip.com
Vacancies
1. Health & HIV Programme Coordinator, Concern Worldwide - Port au Prince, Haiti
Responsibilities
- Contribute to implementation, monitoring and revision of Concern Worldwide policies and plans
- Lead the process of developing Concern Haiti’s integrated Health and HIV strategy, and provide vision and leadership in relation to health and HIV issues within the programme
- Oversee implementation, monitoring and evaluation of programme strategy and plans in close collaboration with field teams and partners
- Ensure adequate documentation of experience generated through the programme
- Support fundraising for Concern Haiti’s health and HIV projects by developing strong proposals
- Maintain good professional relationships with the Ministry of Health, international agencies, NGOs, partners and other stakeholders working in the health and HIV sector in Haiti. Maintain good contacts with SAL Health, nutrition and HIV advisors both in Dublin and in New York.
Requirements
- At least five years of relevant experience in public health with significant experience in developing/managing health or HIV-related projects
- Experience of community-based health models and a broad approach to development.
- Proficient spoken and written French with a working knowledge of English.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Word and Excel
- Familiarity with budgeting and financial monitoring processes as well as project management tools
Application deadline: 4 January
To apply, please send your CV and cover letter to: [email protected]
2. Men who have sex with men (MSM) Programme Coordinator, TREAT Asia – Bangkok, Thailand
Responsibilities
- Manage daily operational and administrative duties as a secretariat
- Support the collaborative regional network for HIV prevention and care of MSM in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region
- Serves as primary liaison to the national MSM technical working groups
- Maintain a system for all regular communications, information sharing, and monitoring with all
- regional and in-country stakeholders
- Expand network capacity building opportunities within and around the region
- Develop and carry out trainings as deemed appropriate
- Update all programme documentation, work plans, milestones and files
Requirements
- Minimum of one year experience in HIV/AIDS prevention and care of MSM in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region
- Familiarity with MSM related issues, outreach, or services
- Strong ability to work independently, coordinate events, and relate to different people and organizations
- Proven English communication and public speaking skills are required, and fluency in at least one Asian language.
- Residence in Bangkok and significant regional and international travel are also required
- Knowledge of public health and HIV/AIDS policy issues, and exposure to MSM-related outreach, and services provision a plus.
- Prior programme management skills experience in Asia, particularly the Greater Mekong Sub-Region, are preferable
Application deadline: 7 January 2009
To apply, email your CV, statement of interest and salary expectations in English to hr.department@treatasia. People infected with/affected by HIV are encouraged to apply.
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