Southern Africa Development Marketplace awards nearly USD 400,000 to innovative HIV/AIDS proposals

The Parktonian Hotel in Johannesburg buzzed with excitement and anticipation June 1-3 as the World Bank hosted its first regional development marketplace in southern Africa. The theme HIV/AIDS: Turning Ideas into Action galvanized some 300 organizations from Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland to submit proposals. An independent assessment panel comprised of civil society, academia, government and the private sector scrutinized the proposals in two separate rounds. A total of 38 proposals went into the final round and representatives of these organizations attended the event, along with others who participated in the Knowledge Exchange.

Civil Society helps in KZN ARV Roll-out

About 90 NGOs in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province have teamed up to work with the government in rolling out anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs, in the first structured civil society response of its kind in South Africa, and possibly even on the continent. When the government announced a national rollout plan for free ARVs in September 2003, Cati Vawda, Director of the Durban-based Children's Rights Centre, and a number of her NGO colleagues, quickly realised that "government alone cannot do it".

Sex with a condom is more fun, says SA Minister of Health

Blanket coverage takes on a new meaning with the launch of the government's new condom.

"Deadly Myths?" selected for screening at the XV International AIDS Conference

€œDeadly Myths?" is the fifth documentary produced by Jill Kruger (Deputy Director - Social and Behavioural Sciences, HIVAN) - a hard-hitting, 50-minute documentary which takes a harsh and unblinking look at the deadly myths which surround the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The documentary highlights what people at ground level are doing to cope with an epidemic that is affecting their daily lives.

11 million copies of educational HIV and AIDS Treatment booklets distributed

11 million copies of the €œHIV and AIDS and Treatment€ booklet are being distributed nationally, as part of the Comprehensive HIV and AIDS Care, Management and Treatment Plan. This is probably the largest public health education drive of its kind.

The agriculture, nutrition and HIV/AIDS connections in developing countries

This essay was invited by USAID, and is intended to inform its strategic planning in agriculture. It seeks to create an awareness of the connections between rural poverty, undernutrition, and HIV/AIDS in developing nations and to then suggest specific cross-sector investment strategies that can be used more effectively to combat the three.

Sanlam warns of HIV/AIDS economic time bomb

The HIV/AIDS pandemic is an economic time bomb that poses a major threat to the profitability of companies in South Africa, the country's second largest financial services group, Sanlam, has warned.

Student finances affected by HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS-related illness and deaths among South Africa's university students have resulted in a debt of more than US $1,2 million to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme.

HIVAN-WCRP Medical Researchers€™ and Faithleaders€™ Forum - May 2004: The A €“ Z of Anti-retroviral Therapy

In May 2004, interfaith leaders, medical researchers and community members in and around Durban joined together for a one-day workshop to share knowledge about anti-retroviral drug treatment and the roll-out of the ARV treatment programme in KZN. Hosted by partners HIVAN and the World Conference on Religion and Peace (WCRP), the gathering focused on how religious groups could help people living with HIV and AIDS, the facts about how ARVs work, and how local health structures are targeting the most vulnerable patients for medication.

SAHARA Conference - 9-12 May 2004 - Cape Town ICC

SAHARA, or the Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS Research Alliance, is a resource network that facilitates social science research on HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa.