Today’s Health News
Zambia’s HIV kits not among defective batches
Post, 13 January, 2012, p13
The Ministry of Health says Zambia’s HIV kits are not among the batches that were identified as defective and had to be recalled. Last November, the World Health Organization issued a notice stating that some HIV kits do not meet the necessary quality standards. It stated that thi had resulted in the recall of all batches identified as being defective by the manufacturer. But Ministry of Health spokesperson Dr Reuben Kamoto Mbewe said the ministry had checked Zambia’s kits and the recalled batch numbers were not among those in the country.
DMMU forms team to end typhoid spread in Mufulira
Post, 13 January, 2012, p15
The Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit has constituted a technical team to end the spread of typhoid in Mufulira’s Mupambe township. About 2,200 cases of typhoid have been recorded since the disease broke out three weeks ago in the township that has more than 3,200 residents.
Tanzania : Fight against malaria proves successful
13 January 2012
The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MoHSW) through the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) has reached an amazing milestone, with almost all beds in the country covered with Long Lasting Insecticides Treated Nets (LLIN). This has been made possible by the National Insecticides Treated Nets Programme (NATNETS), a public private partnership co-ordinated by the Netcell Project under the NMCP. The completion of free nets distribution marked the end of the Universal Coverage Campaign (UCC) that commenced in August 2010 to October 2011, making it almost every household in Tanzania to have a net. This campaign was fully funded by the Global Fund to fight AIDS TB and Malaria (GFATM). A total of 18,200,000 Long Lasting Insecticides Treated Nets (LLINs) were distributed to beneficiaries in Tanzania Mainland to cover all the sleeping spaces that were formerly not covered by the Under-five Catch Up Campaign (U5CC) and through the Tanzania National Voucher Scheme (TNVS) for pregnant women and infants. All households in the country whose sleeping spaces were initially not covered by an LLIN qualified as a beneficiary in the Universal Coverage Campaign and therefore, received a bed net. The net distribution brought joy to thousands beneficiaries whose children had not only suffered from malaria, but whose burden of the disease had drained their economy, forced pupils to postpone studies as well as losing some family members through death. Mwajuma Bakari (78), a resident of Endiamtu Ward in Mirerani District, Manyara Region said that the nets she got will enable her to make some savings from the amount of money she used to buy anti- malaria for her grand children. “I am now sure that the health of my grand children will improve,” she said. She said after every three months she had to take her grand children to the hospital to get treated from malaria. “It is too disturbing but I had no choice but to take care of the children who are orphans,” said the aged widow.
Tanzania : More than 130,000 young people are HIV positive
13 January, 2012
Dar es Salaam
At least 132,000 young people in Tanzania below the age of 15 live with HIV/Aids, it has been revealed. The Tanzania Commission for Aids (Tacaids) executive chairperson, Dr Fatma Mrisho, said that this called for concerted efforts to equip them with information and services based on specific needs and situations.Current national statistics show that 60 per cent of all new HIV/Aids infections involve young people below 24 years of age. It is estimated that 32 per cent of Tanzanians are between 10 and 24 years old. Dr Mrisho observed that young people needed to access appropriate non-judgmental information guiding them for a healthy productive life.Speaking at the launch of a booklet titled “Young People Living with HIV and Aids” yesterday in Dar es Salaam, she said Aids among the youth was worrying. The booklet was published under the Tanzanian German Programme to Support Health (TGPSH) of the German Cooperation Office. Dr Mrisho noted: “Most young people, especially young women living with HIV/Aids, do not have full information. The situation is worse for young people belonging to marginalised groups and those in most risk situations.” According to her, young people with HIV/Aids continue living in fear thinking that they will not be able to meet their dreams. She added that awareness will help them understand themselves better. The TGPSH programme manager, Dr Inge Baumgarten, noted that stigma and discrimination around HIV and Aids were still among the big challenges for individuals, their friends and loved ones, their families and communities living in Tanzania. She explained: “Young people aged 10 to 24 years form one of the most important target groups for sexuality and HIV interventions – be it prevention, care or treatment.” She said they have several questions preoccupying them beyond HIV and are often left ignored for questions about puberty, relationships, love and sexuality. She said in realising the gap, in 2000 the TGPSH started embarking on developing question – and answer booklets that responded to what young people really want to know about sexuality, HIV and Aids as well as reproductive health.
Uganda : Circumcision promo failing
13 January 2012
While there is high demand for circumcision services, it is not known how many men are undertaking the surgical procedure as part of efforts to reduce new HIV infections in the country, which stand at an annual average of 130,000. When three scientific studies in South Africa, Kenya and Uganda produced the same findings in 2007 that medical male circumcision reduces by 60 percent the chance of HIV infection in men, UNAIDS and the World Health Organisation asked countries to use it in combination with pre-existing measures such as ABC (Abstinence, Being faithful and Condom use). Recent research has also added treatment and pre exposure prophylaxis using antiretroviral therapy among discordant couples to the current prevention arsenal. It however emerged recently at a meeting in Kampala of the Safe Male Circumcision (SMC) National Task Force, that most of the institutions carrying out circumcision don’t share their data with the ministry of Health. According to the commissioner for National Disease Control, Dr Alex Opio, it is not possible to quantify the number of procedures due to lack of a comprehensive national report. “During supervision visits, I have found that while circumcision is happening in very many places the data is not being shared,” he said. “And as national chairperson, I do not have a single figure on the great work being done. We need to address this immediately and at least share some data on who is being circumcised, location, age group and adverse events after the surgery, if any.” Globally, use of data for evidence based programming is increasingly taking centre stage in public health interventions. And with modelling studies showing what targets Uganda needs in the next five years, monitoring of data will be of significant importance. In the case of Uganda for instance, 4.2 million adult/adolescent men need to be circumcised in five years to avert 340,000 new HIV infections by 2025. However, with most circumcision programmes funded using foreign aid -now on a downward spiral – there are sustainability challenges. For example, given a decrease in funding during the August – November period, Bugiri hospital did not offer any circumcision services. This was similar in Kamuli. As a possible mitigation measure, several speakers agreed that there is need for integrating circumcision services in the health system to ensure sustainability. But according to the UNAIDS Country Representative in Uganda, Musa Bungudu, the predicament should be an opportunity for African countries to rethink national funding priorities. “This very week, together with colleagues from the ministry of Health and Uganda AIDS Commission, we met parliamentarians and asked them how they could help. Their answer was that we present a costed plan. That is all they need and take it from there.”
Liberia : New approach developed to intensify fight against HIV/Aids
13 January 2012
The Lutheran Church in Liberia (LCL) HIV&AIDS Program has developed a new approach to intensity its fight against the threatening pandemic HIV&AIDS in Liberia. The strategy referred to as “Congregational Response,” is a mechanism aimed at engaging and empowering parishes within the Lutheran Church in the country. The strategy will also buttress relevant institutions involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS to reach the targeted audience. It would empower 25 out of 40 parishes of the Lutheran Church in Liberia (LCL) through the provision of generators, Mega phones and video cassettes intended to enhance their activities on HIV&AIDS messages. The Lutheran Church in Liberia (LCL) HIV&AIDS Program Officer, Mr. F. Philip L. Nushann, Jr. disclosed that his organization will bring on board the religious community to take the lead in the prevention of the virus. Mr. Nushann further disclosed that the new approach, which is geared toward the sustainability of HIV&AIDS issues, was developed last year following the midterm review on the progress of the faith based organization. Since the establishment of the Lutheran Church in Liberia AIDS Program in 2001, it has been funded by the Danish Evangelical Mission for the implementation of various programs relative to the control and prevention of HIV&AIDS in the country.
Tanzania : TACAIDS chief warns on HIV prevalence among youth
13 January 2012
Tanzania can achieve HIV/AIDS free-generation goal, if concerted efforts and urgent interventions are focused on the youth aged 24 years and below, the Tanzania Commission for AIDS (TACAIDS) Executive Chairperson, Dr Fatma Mrisho, has said. Dr Mrisho said Current statistics showed that 60 per cent of all new HIV infections involved young people below 24 years. The TACAIDS chief further made chilling revelations that of the 60 per cent infections, the most hit sex group was girls aged between 15 and 19 years. She said this on Wednesday in Dar es Salaam, when launching a book containing questions by young people living with HIV/ AIDS in Tanzania. The book was prepared by Tanzanian German Programme to Support Health (TGPSH). She noted that the number of young people living with HIV/AIDS was estimated to be 132,000, most of them being those aged under 15. “The situation calls for urgent intervention if Tanzania really wants to have an HIV/AIDS free generation,” she said. Dr Mrisho noted that young people, boys and girls, were susceptible to infections because sometimes they engage in relationships with older people which makes them have little room to negotiate for safer sex. According to TGPSH Programme Manager Dr Inge Baumgarten, the book, which was released as part of series, will go a long way in educating the youth countrywide. The Manager said more than one million books had been published and distributed countrywide and they were being used in 18 countries, translated in various languages.
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Additional materials in the Dziwani Knowledge Centre for health
REPSSI
Mainstreaming psychosocial care and support through child participation
REPSSI
Johannesburg, South Africa
2009, 52p.
The document is a guide with a view of enhancing child participation in various interventions meant to address their needs. Particular emphasis is put on the benefits of their participation. These include increase in skills and confidence as well as bringing creativity, energy and fun to development programmes.
REPSSI
Mainstreaming psychosocial care and support within food and nutrition programmes
REPSSI
Johannesburg, South Africa
2009, 50p.
Tailored for practitioners working with children and families affected by HIV and AIDS, conflict and poverty, the key messages in the book mainly focus on the nutritional programmes and how these build children’s dignity, confidence and general well being. The book also highlights how linkages with other organisations can help in referrals for further assistance of these children.
Smith, Tricia
Understanding HIV basics
REPSSI
Johannesburg, South Africa
2009, 13p.
The manual is a third in a series called Body Maps: Bringing mind, body and community together for wellbeing. Provides information from HIV and AIDS basic terminologies to CD4 count, ART, drug classes drug resistance and adherence.
REPSSI
Psychosocial care and support for young children and infants in the time of HIV and AIDS: A resource for programming
REPSSI
Johannesburg, South Africa
2007, 78p.
Key messages in this publication include role of family care, specialised mental health services, natural resilience in children and cost-effective interventions for addressing psychosocial wellbeing in children.
REPSSI
Tracking your health: A guide to creating a tracing book
Johannesburg, South Africa
2009, 23p.
Strives to mainstream psychosocial support into health services, in this case HIV treatment provided by clinics, hospitals and home based care. The document uses the tracing book as a tool to better understand individual health. The tracing book is like a journal and one can enter things that are important in their lives. This can be used to help children better understand HIV. The use of words is not necessary as symbols take on the illustration. Parents may also use the tracing book to encourage their older children get tested for HIV but also as an important piece of information in the event of illness.
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