USAID HIV/AIDS E-Newsletter - February 2005

The Synergy Project, implemented by Social & Scientific Systems, Inc., published this E-Newsletter on behalf of USAID's Office of HIV/AIDS.

This E-Newsletter ended in 2005, but access past editions in the archive section.

The U.S. Agency for International Development’s Office of HIV/AIDS is proud to be a partner in The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. This e-newsletter is a regular update from USAID and its partners on programs that prevent and mitigate HIV/AIDS across the developing world.

We encourage you to circulate this publication to colleagues.

Table of Contents

• A. News
  • AIHA Healthcare Partnership To Combat HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Russia
  • Hospital Becomes First Public Facility in Haiti to Offer Antiretroviral Treatment
  • Zambian Documentary Lauded at International Film & Video Awards in New York
  • Colin Powell Visits Kenyan Youth Active in HIV Prevention Programs
  • New Project for Youth and Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Uganda
  • YouthAIDS Global Ambassador Speaks to Church Leaders in Africa
    
    
• B. Recent Events
  • Southern Africa and East/West Africa Regional Strategic Information Meetings
  • Meeting Addresses Collaborative HIV/AIDS Initiatives in the Russian Federation
    
    
• C. Online Resources
  • MEASURE DHS Updates HIV/AIDS Survey Indicators Database
  • The Synergy HIV/AIDS Resource Center Highlights What's New
    
    
• D. Publications
  • Report Examines Effectiveness of Program for Children Affected by AIDS
  • Handbook Encourages Greater Involvement of People Living with HIV
  • Vulnerability of Youth Highlighted in Study on Transactional Sex
  • Report Documents Changes in Epidemiology of HIV, Knowledge, and Behavior in Kenya
  • PLACE Assessments in Lesotho and South Africa Conducted
  • HIV-Prevention Programs for Young Men Spotlighted
  • Family Health International/YouthNet Publishes New Issues of YouthLens
    

A. News

• AIHA Healthcare Partnership To Combat HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Russia
  The National Perinatal Information Center in Providence, Rhode Island, has partnered with Russia's Samara Oblast Ministry of Health to develop care, support, and treatment services for people living with HIV/AIDS in Togliatti, Russia, where HIV infection rates are skyrocketing. The partnership is funded through USAID/Russia’s HIV/AIDS Operation Plan and is managed by the American International Health Alliance (AIHA).
  
  
• Hospital Becomes First Public Facility in Haiti to Offer Antiretroviral Treatment
  Conception Hospital in Cayes recently became the first public hospital in Haiti to deliver antiretroviral treatment to HIV-positive patients. This major collaborative effort involves the Haitian, U.S., and French governments; the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; and several U.S. implementing agencies, including Family Health International and Management Sciences for Health, with funding from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.
  
  
• Zambian Documentary Lauded at International Film & Video Awards in New York
  The Zambian documentary "Tikambe" ("Let's Talk About It") received a Silver World Medal at the New York Festivals' 48th annual International Film & Video Awards for its portrayal of a Zambian woman struggling to live positively with HIV and AIDS. Directed by Carol Duffy Clay, "Tikambe" was chosen from among nearly 1,000 entries from 32 countries. The documentary was produced by the Zambia Integrated Health Programme (a joint effort of the Government of Zambia and USAID), the Network of Zambian People Living with HIV, and the Center for Communication Programs at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
  
  
• Colin Powell Visits Kenyan Youth Active in HIV Prevention Programs
  In one of his last public appearances as Secretary of State, Colin Powell met with 19 young Kenyans in Nairobi in January to discuss their involvement in HIV prevention activities managed by Family Health International. The youth included peer educators, youth dramatists, and Girl Guides, who explained how the epidemic affects their lives and what they are doing to promote prevention among youth.
  
  
• New Project for Youth and Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Uganda
  A four-year program for $15.6 million has been awarded for CARE to work in partnership with the Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Development, and the Uganda AIDS Commission. The program will expand focused HIV/AIDS services for youth, and critical services for orphans and vulnerable children. CARE Uganda will implement the program in collaboration with the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, the International Center for Research on Women, and the Center for Communications Programs of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
  
  
• YouthAIDS Global Ambassador Speaks to Church Leaders in Africa
  Actress Ashley Judd addressed a USAID-sponsored HIV/AIDS workshop of the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) in Nairobi, Kenya. The workshop brought together 40 church leaders, general secretaries of the National Council of Churches, and church HIV/AIDS program managers, who are mobilizing their congregations against HIV/AIDS. The three-day effort sought to assist the church leaders in formulating and implementing HIV/AIDS policies in their churches.

B. Recent Events

• Southern Africa and East/West Africa Regional Strategic Information Meetings
  MEASURE Evaluation, UNAIDS and U.S. Government partners will host two regional strategic information meetings for field officers as part of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. The Southern Africa Regional Meeting will be held in Johannesburg March 1-4, 2005 and the East/West Africa Regional Meeting will be in Dar es Salaam March 8-11, 2005. The purpose of these meetings is to provide support for networking, team-building and sharing of experiences among field officers; action planning for country-level and regional coordination of unified monitoring and evaluation planning and implementation; and capacity building.
  
  
• Meeting Addresses Collaborative HIV/AIDS Initiatives in the Russian Federation
  The American International Health Alliance, in collaboration with University Research Co., LLC, hosted a strategic planning meeting January 26-28 in St. Petersburg, Russia, to help policymakers, practitioners, and other organizations working in the Russian Federation to develop a more cohesive approach for scaling up HIV/AIDS-related care and treatment services.

C. Online Resources

• MEASURE DHS Updates HIV/AIDS Survey Indicators Database
  The HIV/AIDS Survey Indicators Database provides a free, easily accessible, comprehensive source of information on HIV/AIDS indicators derived from sample surveys. Country-based trend reports and customized tables are easy to create. Users first choose the type of survey and the countries or region of interest, and then select indicator types, HIV-prevalence data, and background characteristics. A description of program areas and definitions for the indicators are also available.
  
  
• The Synergy HIV/AIDS Resource Center Highlights What’s New
  The Synergy HIV/AIDS Resource Center, implemented by Social & Scientific Systems, Inc., currently contains more than 3,600 documents on HIV/AIDS project management, research, and reproductive health issues, most of which are available for download. Users can refer to "What's New in the Synergy Resource Center," which provides links to new publications, or search the entire online database.

D. Publications

• Report Examines Effectiveness of Program for Children Affected by AIDS [PDF, 387KB]
  This report by the Population Council highlights findings from a targeted evaluation of a succession-planning program in Uganda that helps HIV-positive parents prepare for their children's future. The program was implemented by Plan Uganda and the National Community of Women Living with AIDS. Results suggest that the succession-planning program helps parents disclose their HIV serostatus to children, appoint guardians, and write wills, thus contributing to ensuring a more stable future for vulnerable children.
  
  
• Handbook Encourages Greater Involvement of People Living with HIV [PDF, 755KB]
  The product of numerous consultations and input from more than 400 people living with HIV in 30+ countries, "Challenging, Changing, and Mobilizing: A Guide to PLHIV Involvement in Country Coordinating Mechanisms" includes information on the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; Country Coordinating Mechanisms (CCMs); how to be an effective CCM member; and how to improve CCMs through the greater involvement of people living with HIV. The handbook was released by POLICY, Global Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS, and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit.
  
  
• Vulnerability of Youth Highlighted in Study on Transactional Sex [PDF, 155KB]
  To begin to protect young women and men from heightened risk of HIV, it is important that policymakers and program managers gain a better understanding of transactional sex among youth. This study by the POLICY Project examines factors influencing transactional sex in 12 sub-Saharan African countries.
  
  
• Report Documents Changes in Epidemiology of HIV, Knowledge, and Behavior in Kenya [PDF, 432KB]
  "AIDS in Africa during the Nineties: Kenya" provides an analysis and review of existing data from Kenya during the 1990s and was carried out as part of a series of reports on AIDS-related trends of that time. The report was released by MEASURE Evaluation and contributors include staff from the Kenya Ministry of Health, Kenya National AIDS Control Council, Population Services International, and MEASURE Evaluation.
  
  
• PLACE Assessments in Lesotho and South Africa Conducted [PDF, 232KB]
  MEASURE Evaluation has released "Priorities for Local AIDS Control Efforts (PLACE): for use in border areas of Lesotho and South Africa." The PLACE method is used to identify those areas likely to have a higher incidence of HIV infection, and specific sites within these areas where AIDS-prevention programs should be focused.
  
  
• HIV-Prevention Programs for Young Men Spotlighted
  The latest issue of "Horizons Report" describes emerging findings from Horizons studies on gender-based intervention approaches that target young men in Brazil, Tanzania, and India. The research examines the linkages between gender norms, sexual relationships, and HIV-risk behaviors, and whether the interventions that are developed based on this information make a difference in the lives of young men and their partners.
  
  
• Family Health International/YouthNet Publishes New Issues of YouthLens
  YouthLens, a series of research briefs published by Family Health International/YouthNet, summarizes the latest information on key issues regarding reproductive health and HIV prevention among youth ages 10 to 24. Numbers 13 and 14 in the series, "New Resources on Youth Reproductive Health and HIV Prevention, 2002-2004" and "HIV-Infected Youth," were recently published. The former provides a summary of major reports, resources, and web links that provide guidance to youth-focused organizations. The latter addresses the specific medical, psychological, and social support needs of HIV-Infected youth.