ACORD, an Africa-led international alliance working for social justice and equality, aims to prevent the further spread and mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS through community-based research and advocacy and working in alliance and partnership with others. This publication is documents and disseminates the lessons from research carried out by ACORD in Angola, Uganda and Tanzania.
Equity and HIV/AIDS
Joining hands: Integrating gender and HIV/AIDS in Angola, Tanzania and Uganda
Hadjipateras A, Akullu H, Owero J: Agency for Research and Cooperation in Development (ACORD), July 2006
Kenya: World Bank approves US$80 million HIV/AIDS program
Warutere P, Auma A: The World Bank, 26 June 2007
The World Bank approved a credit of US$80 million for Kenya to expand the coverage of targeted HIV and AIDS interventions to prevent and mitigate the impact of the disease. The Total War Against HIV and AIDS (TOWA) Project will assist Kenya to further reduce the prevalence of HIV/AIDS, which dropped from over 13 percent in 2001 to about 6 percent in 2005, by further strengthening the governance of the National AIDS Control Council (NACC)— the lead agency for designing strategies and overseeing the implementation of programmes to control the pandemic. The programmes include use of grant funds by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) which will be subjected to rigorous and transparent processes of selection, implementation monitoring and performance. This approach includes greater community oversight and blacklisting of NGOs that do not perform.
Missing the target: Time is Running Out to End AIDS
International Treatment Preparedness Coalition (ITPC), 18 July 2007
Global AIDS treatment efforts will fall far short of the G8 goal to reach five million Africans and provide global universal access to AIDS drugs in the next few years unless the pace of treatment scale up accelerates and the effort expands to address key barriers, according to this report. The report provides a 17-country overview of AIDS treatment successes and setbacks and offers an in-depth review of treatment delivery in six countries not covered in the group’s previous reports – Cambodia, China, Malawi, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
New HIV/AIDS drugs 500% more costly, says MSF
Raja K: South-North Development Monitor (SUNS) 6299, 24 July 2007
The new HIV/AIDS drugs recommended by WHO raises the cost for patients by nearly 500%, according to Medecins Sans Frontieres. This could affect the availability of these drugs in developing countries. This finding by MSF was in the latest edition of its report "Untangling the Web of Price Reductions" released at the fourth International AIDS Society Conference, in Sydney, Australia.
Response rates for providing a blood specimen for HIV testing in a population-based survey of young adults in Zimbabwe
McNaghten AD, Herold JM, Dube HM, St. Louis ME: BMC Public Health 7:145, 5 July 2007
To determine differences among persons who provided blood specimens for HIV testing compared with those who did not among those interviewed for the population-based Zimbabwe Young Adult Survey (YAS). When comparing persons who provided specimens for HIV testing with those who did not, few significant differences were found. If those who did not provide specimens had prevalence rates twice that of those who did, overall prevalence would not be substantially affected. Refusal to provide blood specimens does not appear to have contributed to an underestimation of HIV prevalence.
The Africa Multi-Country AIDS Program 2000–2006: Results of the World Bank's response to a development crisis
The World Bank, 14 June 2007
A new World Bank report on HIV/AIDS launched in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, says the mobilization of empowered 'grassroots' communities, along with delivering condoms and life-saving treatments, are beginning to slow the pace of the continent's epidemic, which last year killed more than 2 million African adults and children, and left another 24.7 million Africans struggling to live with its deadly effects. According to the new report, ultimate success in defeating HIV/AIDS will depend on marshalling effective prevention, care, and treatment, measures to boost 'social immune systems' in African countries—changing their beliefs, perceptions, and social and individual behaviors around the disease so that eventually they can reverse the advance of HIV and stop the damage done by AIDS. The report says these changes are taking place as the epidemic shows signs of slowing in Uganda, Kenya, and Zimbabwe, and in urban Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burundi, Malawi, and Zambia.
Towards a stronger response to HIV and AIDS: Challenging stigma
Nyblade L, Carr D: International Center for Research on Women (ICRW)
This DFID paper looks at information and evidence for the global prevalence of HIV stigma and how it damages people living with HIV and AIDS and their families, especially women. It provides information and evidence on: HIV stigma is globally prevalent and damaging—affecting people living or associated with HIV and AIDS on a daily basis—and is especially severe for women; HIV stigma compromises effective responses to AIDS (by lowering uptake of preventive services and testing, delays disclosure, decreases care seeking and undermines treatment; effective strategies for tackling stigma exist, and action is possible; and DFID is well placed to help scale-up efforts and play a leading role in the international arena.
World Bank approves fifteen million dollars to fight cross-border-HIV/AIDS in Africa
Auma B: The World Bank, 6 July 2007
The Horn of Africa is one of the regions most prominently impacted by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. However, the Horn of Africa is also where there is hope that something can be done to bring about change. Recognising the movement of vulnerable populations is a major challenge in the region, on 28 June 2007 the World Bank and IGAD signed a $15 million grant to support the IGAD Regional HIV/AIDS Partnership Program (IRHAPP). The program seeks to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS among cross-border and mobile populations in IGAD’s member states: Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda. The four-year project, aims to reduce the vulnerability of these mobile populations.
Community views on routine HIV testing and antiretroviral treatment in Botswana
Cockcroft A, Andersson N, Milne D, Mokoena T, Masisi M: BMC International Health and Human Rights 7:5, 8 June 2007
The Botswana government began providing free antiretroviral therapy (ART) in 2002 and in 2004 introduced routine HIV testing (RHT) in government health facilities, aiming to increase HIV testing and uptake of ART. This paper reports a household survey of 1536 people in Botswana, asking about use and experience of government health services, views about RHT, views about ART, and testing for HIV in the last 12 months. Public awareness and approval of RHT was very high. The high rate of RHT has contributed to the overall high rate of HIV testing. The government's programme to increase HIV testing and uptake of ART is apparently working well. However, turning the tide of the epidemic will also require further concerted efforts to reduce the rate of new HIV infections.
Healthcare utilisation of patients accessing an African national treatment program
Harling G, Orrell C, Wood R: BMC Health Services Research 7:80, 7 June 2007
The roll-out of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Africa will have significant resource implications arising from its impact on demand for healthcare services. Existing studies of healthcare utilisation on HAART have been conducted in the developed world, where HAART is commenced when HIV illness is less advanced. This paper describes healthcare utilization from program entry by treatment-naïve patients in a peri-urban settlement in South Africa.