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The goal of world breastfeeding week (1 - 7 August 2004) according to UNICEF, is to support infant and young child feeding by enabling women to choose and succeed in breastfeeding in the early hours after birth and exclusively for six months, and to continue breastfeeding with safe, appropriate and adequate complementary food into the second year and beyond. UNICEF identifies this as the optimal course of infant and young child feeding and says 1.3 million lives could be saved this year with a greater global commitment to exclusive breastfeeding. For more information and resources on breastfeeding:
www.unicef.org

The Synergy HIV/AIDS APDIME Programming Toolkit CD-ROM Version 2.0 now includes more than 100 new HIV/AIDS tools and resources, updated features, a site map and print functions. Users can take a look at the web version and order the new CD-ROMs at: www.synergyaids.com

The resource was developed to help public health specialists and programme managers improve the Assessment, Planning, Design, Implementation Monitoring, and Evaluation of HIV/AIDS interventions. Since the CD-ROM was launched in February 2003, more than 1,000 global AIDS organisations in 95 countries have requested over 7,000 CD-ROM copies.

For more information:
Jill Leonard
The Synergy Project
Email:
www.SynergyAIDS.com

The 7th International AIDS Impact Conference is to be held in Cape Town, South Africa from 4 to 7 April 2005. South Africa's Human Sciences Research Council is a principal partner of this conference, which is expected to attract approximately 800 delegates from over 50 countries. The AIDS Impact Conference is designed to impart information on the latest research and findings on the virus, while taking a close look at the effects it has on the psychological aspects of people living with HIV/AIDS.

The conference topics will be:

• The impact of HIV/AIDS on different sectors of the economy
• The impact of HIV/AIDS on orphans, life expectancy, child and adult mortality and population growth
• Access to treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS
• The side effects of HIV/AIDS treatments
• HIV/AIDS prevention and care strategies
• Gender and HIV/AIDS
• Mental health and HIV/AIDS

The conference will bring together people from diverse backgrounds and disciplines, including volunteers and people living with the disease, to provide an open forum for debate and dialogue. It will also afford scientists, government and NGOs in Africa the opportunity to share their research-based knowledge and practical experience on HIV/AIDS with their counterparts from around the world.

The Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS and Health programme is one of the main partners hosting this conference. Key South African researchers have been invited to serve on the local organising committee to encourage local researchers to present evidence-based research that informs policy and programme design.

For more information:
AIDS Impact Secretariat
Edwin Nichols, The Netherlands
Email:
Fax: +31 20 521 0039
Tel: +31 20 521 0030
www.aidsimpact.net