Following the recognition that morbidity and mortality due to malaria had dramatically increased in the last three decades, in 2002 the government of Zambia reviewed its efforts to prevent and treat malaria. Convincing evidence of the failing efficacy of chloroquine resulted in the initiation of a process that eventually led to the development and implementation of a new national drug policy based on artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT). All published and unpublished documented evidence dealing with the antimalarial drug policy change was reviewed. These data were supplemented by the authors observations of the policy change process. Study results suggest that drug policy changes are not without difficulties and demand a sustained international financing strategy for them to succeed. The Zambian experience demonstrates the need for a harmonized national consensus among many stakeholders and a political commitment to ensure that new policies are translated into practice quickly.
Values, Policies and Rights
Delaying sexual initiation has been promoted as one of the methods of decreasing risks of HIV among young people. In traditional countries, such as Ethiopia, retaining virginity until marriage is the norm. However, no one has examined the impact of this traditional norm on sexual behaviour and risk of HIV in marriage. This study examined the effect of virginity norm on having sex before marriage and sexual behaviour after marriage among rural Ethiopian youth. Maintaining virginity is still a way of securing marriage for girls, especially in rural areas; the odds of belief and intention to marry a virgin among boys was 3-4 times higher among rural young males. As age increased, the likelihood of remaining a virgin decreased. There was no significant difference between married and unmarried young people in terms of number of partners and visiting commercial sex workers. Married men were twice more likely to have multiple sexual partners than their female counterparts. Although virginity norms help delay age at sexual debut among rural Ethiopian youth, and thus reduces vulnerability to sexually transmitted infections and HIV infection, vulnerability among females may increase after marriage due to unprotected multiple risky sexual behaviours by spouses. The use of preventive services, such as VCT before marriage and condom use in marriage should be part of the HIV prevention and control strategies.
This Resource Guide brings together two of the Open Society Institute’s largest priorities: public health and numerous law and human rights initiatives.
This publication covers ten reasons why human rights should occupy the centre of the global AIDS struggle. This declaration, endorsed by 24 nongovernmental organisations and networks around the world, affirms that, now more than ever, human rights should occupy the center of the global struggle against HIV and AIDS.
This volume provides an evidence and rights-based approach to monitoring the well-being of children and adolescents in South Africa. Drawing on international precedents, and extensive peer review processes, experts in various fields have developed this holistic set of indicators to enhance the monitoring of the status of children.
This research report highlights the lack of priority given to tackling gender-based violence against women by the major international HIV funding organisations. The research found that the funding bodies continue to treat violence against women as a supplementary issue rather than as something integral to all aspects of their work on HIV. Funding for programmes which combat gender-based violence is a separate stream and these initiatives have not benefited from the increase in funding for HIV programmes in the last number of years. It is very difficult to track the exact amount of money the major funding bodies are devoting to these initiatives and difficult to hold them accountable on this issue. The report recommends that these institutions develop a clear policy framework that gives priority to violence against women and girls, and the link with HIV.
This abbreviated version of the Policy on Quality in Health Care for South Africa follows on the original that became national policy in 2001. It comes at a time when the public health care system is in dire need of again refocusing its collective efforts towards improving the quality of care provided in public health facilities and communities. Knowing that quality is never an accident, always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skilfull execution, and that it represents the wise choice of many alternatives, this abbreviated version attempts to provide to all public health officials in a nutshell and in a more reader friendly language, the strategic direction health facilities and officials need to follow to assure quality in health care and continuous improvement in the care that is being provided. Health care personnel are encouraged to use this copy of the Policy to focus their intentions and guide their efforts.
This document describes the priorities for the National Health Department.
The Act is intended to provide a framework for a structured uniform health system within the Republic, taking into account the obligations imposed by the Constitution and other laws on the national, provincial and local governments with regard to health services; and to provide for matters connected therewith
The Department of Health conducted a review of the period 1999-2004 to determine what work is outstanding and what new work is needed to provide the necessary stewardship of the South African health system.This process has resulted in the adoption of a new set of priorities described in this document.