HIV/AIDS: IRIN/PlusNews Weekly Issue 510, 5 November 2010
JOHANNESBURG, 5 November 2010 (PlusNews) - CONTENTS:
SOUTH AFRICA: The difference AIDS makes to vulnerable children
SOUTH AFRICA: ART patients defy risky sex expectations, says study
KENYA: Counselling key to success of male cut
SOUTH AFRICA: Hospitals failing to treat HIV-positive infants
EVENTS/RESOURCES
1. Bangkok International Symposium on HIV Medicine, 19-21 January 2011 -Bangkok, Thailand
2. Prevention Revolution - UNAIDS
VACANCIES
1. HIV Testing and Counselling Advisor, Global Health Fellows Programme (GHFP) - Washington, DC, United States
2. Technical HIV Specialist, Most-at Risk-Populations (MARPs), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Sub-Regional Office for West and Central Africa - Dakar, Senegal
SOUTH AFRICA: The difference AIDS makes to vulnerable children
New South African research shows that AIDS-affected children struggle with educational and mental health issues more than their peers, who are vulnerable for other reasons.
full report
SOUTH AFRICA: ART patients defy risky sex expectations, says study
Fears that antiretroviral therapy might lead healthier-feeling HIV-positive people to have more sex and potentially infect others may be unfounded, according to a new South African study, which recorded patients having significantly less sex as well as safer sex after starting treatment.
full report
KENYA: Counselling key to success of male cut
When Kenya launched its national voluntary male circumcision campaign in 2008, critics worried that it could lead to greater sexual risk-taking - but men in the western Nyanza Province seem to be disproving this theory.
full report
SOUTH AFRICA: Hospitals failing to treat HIV-positive infants
KwaZulu-Natal Province remains the epicentre of South Africa’s HIV epidemic but new research reveals that nearly a third of hospitals surveyed had not started a single HIV-positive infant on antiretroviral treatment in several years.
full report
EVENTS/RESOURCES
1. Bangkok International Symposium on HIV Medicine, 19-21 Jan. 2011 – Bangkok, Thailand
This annual symposium aims to provide updated information on HIV treatment and research for Asia’s physicians, health care workers and civil society. Presentations will focus on managing HIV and opportunistic infections, as well as the latest updates on treatment and prevention.
For more information, go to www.hivnat.org
2. Prevention Revolution - UNAIDS
UNAIDS has developed a new social media initiative called Prevention Revolution. The aim is to inspire and encourage people using social media to know more about preventing HIV in the lead up to World AIDS Day – and to make #PreventionRevolution one of the most popular tags on Twitter on 1 December 2010.
To find out more about the initiative and how to get involved, go to the Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/UNAIDS
VACANCIES
1. HIV Voluntary Testing and Counselling (VCT) Advisor, Global Health Fellows Programme (GHFP) - Washington, DC, United States
Responsibilities:
- Provide USAID technical and programmatic advice on the implementation of HIV/AIDS programmes, particularly those involving VCT
- Collaborate with fellow USAID staff, including with those groups working on cross-cutting issues involving the organization’s Office of Population and Reproductive Health and Africa Bureau, to ensure a cohesive VCT strategy across the Agency
- Serve as a member of the PEPFAR Interagency VCT Technical Working Group
- Lead PEPFAR-funded public health VCT evaluations
- Collaborate with other bilateral and multilateral donors working on VCT, especially the World Health Organization (WHO)
- Conceptualise and design new VCT projects
- Maintain regular communications with multiple USAID partner organizations to support a wide range of activities and projects that include VCT activities
Requirements:
- Master’s degree or higher in public health or related field
- Minimum 10 years’ experience in health, including HIV/AIDS; at least three years’ experience in designing, implementing or managing VCT programmes in international or resource-challenged settings
- Proven track record in maintaining close relationships with government and community-based partners
- Excellent analytical, written and oral communication skills; A writing sample will be required
- Ability and desire to travel as required
- US Citizenship or Permanent Residency required
Application deadline: 30 November 2010
All applicants are required to apply through GHFP’s online recruitment system at www.ghfp.net. A separate cover letter describing your qualifications and experience, interest and familiarity with issues relating to this position, and how this position relates to your career goals is required for each application. All applications must be submitted by 5:00 pm US Eastern Time on 30 November 2010.
2. Technical HIV Specialist, Most-at-Risk Populations (MARPs), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Sub-Regional Office for West and Central Africa - Dakar, Senegal
Responsibilities:
- Support policy and programme development and implementation to ensure the provision of integrated services and technical support to country offices and regional programmes
- Assist country offices in identifying co-financing opportunities; liaise with donors at the regional level and UNFPA's Resource Mobilization Branch
- Assist country offices to develop key programmes and management-related documents
- Participate in field missions related to planning, monitoring, and evaluation assistance for country and regional initiatives
- Ensure an open exchange of state-of-the-art programmatic innovations in partnership with UNAIDS, civil society, and other national and regional partners
- Organize capacity-building for Joint UN Teams on AIDS programme/technical managers on policy and programme support to HIV-affected and most-at-risk populations, including sex workers
- Consolidate country-level lessons learned/best practices in the region and ensure that these are incorporated into the UNFPA knowledge sharing system
- Collaborate with UN agencies, the NAIDS Secretariat, research and training institutions, and professional societies to act as regional focal point for inter-agency working groups in HIV and sex work
Requirements:
- Advanced university degree or equivalent experience in public health, medicine, demography, gender or related field
- At least seven years of increasingly managerial professional experience in the technical areas, of which at least three years must be at the international level
- Experience in areas such as population and development, sexual and reproductive health, or HIV in relation to MARPs; experience within the UN system desired
- Strong communication and writing skills in either English or French, with a working knowledge of the other
- Field experience is required
Application deadline: 24 November 2010
To apply, go to UNFPA's electronic application management system at www.unfpa.org and create a candidate profile. Please download the step-by-step guide to the system for your reference
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