<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br>From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Diaz, Clara</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:diazc@unaids.org">diazc@unaids.org</a>></span><br>Date: Fri, Nov 2, 2012 at 7:17 PM<br>
Subject: Today's News (2012.11.02ex)<br>To: <br><br><br>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">Please
find attached the following AIDS-related articles compiled by UNAIDS<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><b><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold" lang="EN-GB">UNAIDS<u></u><u></u></span></font></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">1.
Tempo <u></u>Magazine<u></u>, <u></u>Indonesia<u></u>
- </span></font></span><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">FIGHTING HIV/AIDS IS AN <u></u>OPPORTUNITY<u></u>
TO BREAK THE SILENCE AROUND TABOOS <u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><u></u><span><b><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold" lang="EN-GB">AFRICA</span></font></b></span><u></u><span><b><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold" lang="EN-GB"> AND MIDDLE EAST <u></u><u></u></span></font></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">1.
IRIN PlusNews - </span></font></span><u></u><u></u><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">KENYA</span></font></span><u></u><u></u><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">: Media still need training
on HIV <u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">2.
Financial <u></u><u></u>Gazette<u></u>, <u></u>Zimbabwe<u></u><u></u> - </span></font></span><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">So Near, Yet So Far <u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">3.
New Era, <u></u><u></u>Namibia<u></u><u></u>
- </span></font></span><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">Teenage Pregnancy Alarming in the Ohangwena Region<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">4.
The Namibian - </span></font></span><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">Global Fund Whips <u></u><u></u>Namibia<u></u><u></u> <u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><u></u><span><b><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold" lang="EN-GB">ASIA</span></font></b></span><u></u><span><b><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold" lang="EN-GB"> AND PACIFIC<u></u><u></u></span></font></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">1.
VietNam+ - </span></font></span><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35">VIH/SIDA : la BAD assiste le <u></u>Vietnam<u></u>
et le <u></u><u></u>Laos<u></u><u></u><u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">2.
The Express <u></u><u></u>Tribune<u></u>, <u></u>Pakistan<u></u><u></u> - </span></font></span><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">Unpaid salaries: AIDS
programme employees threaten to stop work<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">3.
24kg <u></u>News Agency<u></u>, <u></u>Kyrgyzstan<u></u>
- </span></font></span><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">197 HIV/AIDS positive foreigners live in <u></u><u></u>Kyrgyzstan<u></u><u></u><u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><u></u><span><b><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold" lang="EN-GB">EUROPE</span></font></b></span><u></u><span><b><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold" lang="EN-GB"><u></u><u></u></span></font></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">1.
The Lancet - </span></font></span><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">Global engagement for health could achieve better results
now and after 2015<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">2.
Reuters - </span></font></span><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">Many HIV patients skip medications to drink: study<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">3.
The Guardian - </span></font></span><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">One-third of Congolese men admit committing sexual
violence <u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">4.
<u></u><u></u>FIGO<u></u>, <u></u>UK<u></u><u></u> - </span></font></span><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">Improved HIV treatment
credited with cutting child mortality <u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="FR">5. El
País, Spain - </span></font></span><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="FR">“Cuando salí del armario pensé que mi vida sería
rara” <u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="FR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><b><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold" lang="EN-GB">LATIN AMERICA AND <u></u>CARIBBEAN<u></u><u></u><u></u></span></font></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial">1. <u></u><u></u>Frontera.info<u></u>, <u></u>Mexico<u></u><u></u> - </span></font></span><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35">Previenen contra
VIH-SIDA <u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="FR">2. Clarín,
Argentina - </span></font></span><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="FR">Trabaja en una vacuna contra el sida y hoy será premiado
por la UBA <u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="FR">3. Brasília em tempo real - </span></font></span><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="FR">SUS terá comprimido
‘3 em 1’ contra a Aids a partir de 2013<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="FR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><u></u><span><b><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold" lang="EN-GB">NORTH AMERICA</span></font></b></span><u></u><span><b><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold" lang="EN-GB"><u></u><u></u></span></font></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">1.
Huffington Post - </span></font></span><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">From Recipient to Resource Partner: <u></u><u></u>China<u></u><u></u>'s Changing Role in Global
Development<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">2.
Associated Press - </span></font></span><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">Bicycling ‘Info Ladies’ bring Internet to
remote <u></u><u></u>Bangladesh<u></u><u></u>
villages where connections rare <u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">3.
<u></u><u></u>Toronto<u></u><u></u> Sun - </span></font></span><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">AIDS group angry over
HIV guilty verdict <u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><b><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold" lang="EN-GB">UNAIDS WEB.SITE<u></u><u></u></span></font></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">1.
UNAIDS – </span></font></span><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">Interview with J.V.R.Prasada Rao, United Nations
Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for AIDS in <u></u>Asia<u></u>
and the Pacific <u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">===========================<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><b><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold" lang="EN-GB">UNAIDS<u></u><u></u></span></font></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">===========================<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">FIGHTING HIV/AIDS IS AN <u></u>OPPORTUNITY<u></u>
TO BREAK THE SILENCE AROUND TABOOS <u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">Tempo <u></u><u></u>Magazine<u></u>,
<u></u>Indonesia<u></u><u></u><u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="ES-TRAD">04/11/2012<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="ES-TRAD"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">ON
THE RECORD<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">MICHEL
SIDIBÉ, UNAIDS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR <u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">AN
extraordinary HIV event took place in June, when the newly-appointed Health
Minister, Nafsiah Mboy launched a free condom distribution campaign. It
immediately raised protests from various segments of Indonesian society, ranging
from critics who reject HIV/ AIDS prevention as part of primary health care to
concerns that condoms would encourage youth to engage in free sex.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Despite
the skeptical response inside the country, the health minister’s
initiatives seemed to have impressed the global community, in particular UNAIDS
and its executive director, Michel Sidibé. But while the government programs to
combat the scourge have been recognized, Indonesia today is regarded as one of
the countries in Asia with a growing number of new HIV cases. On a recent
two-day visit to Indonesia, Sidibé visited Cipinang Prison, where the infection
HIV rate for female inmates is 6 percent and 1 percent for males, compared to
the national rate of 0.4 percent. Following his press conference at the Health
Ministry on October 23, Sidibe sat down for an interview with Tempo reporter Seulki
Lee. Excerpts:<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">How
was your trip to Cipinang?<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">All
prisons are always depressing, because the supporting infrastructure is not there
and they are often overcrowded. But I was very impressed by what is being done
there. First they have clearly set their goals: zero HIV infection, zero
discrimination and zero death due to HIV/AIDS. This is very important, as they
try to apply our global vision to the local level. Secondly, I was interested
in the true partnership between the NGOs, the prison authority, the health
ministry, the communities and people in the prison.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">What
impressed you most?<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">The
integrated services in prison. They have condom distribution and activities, and
programs to help prisoners think about their reintegration in day to day life. It
was very interesting to see people not just being treated as human beings
trying to restore their dignity, but also to make them understand the risks
that they might face in prison. This is an example of good faith and
implementation. I also found the education through theater, by having prisoners
play roles in bringing change inside the prison very interesting. We need to document
this prison experience for others to learn and share.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Why
is Indonesia becoming important with regards to HIV/AIDS?<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">The
leadership of the health minister since her appointment has been amazing. She
and the Indonesian government have managed to bring the HIV/AIDS debate to ASEAN
countries and bring the three’ zeros’ (zero HIV infection, zero
discrimination and zero death due to HIV/AIDS) as a common policy. So Indonesia
is taking a leadership role in those areas. The Indonesian health minister has
a long experience on and clear understanding of the issues, because she has the
vision.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Indonesia
and some other ASEAN countries have problems with the use of condoms as a
prevention tool, for cultural and religious reasons. What is your view on this?<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">It
is very important to have scientific evidence. The problem is that if you are
engaging in risky levels and you have a tool for protection but you don’t
protect, it is very unfortunate. Each infection and each new infection becomes
very costly. That is why we really need to push for sex education. We need to
bring this problem to the attention of young people and to leaders, to they can
have the tools to use. But to do that one must foster a belief in scientific
evidence and social change. Fighing HIV/AIDS is an opportunity to change
society. It is an opportunity to break the silence around taboos and to bring
the debate on sex education (to the surface). So HIV/AIDS is not a problem but
an opportunity.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">So
what still needs to be done?<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">First,
you need leaders, and secondly, you need to have a strong civil society,
including religious leaders to echo the voice of the voiceless. That will
really create pressure to have better programs to fight the HIV/AIDS scourge.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">===========================<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><u></u><span><b><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold" lang="EN-GB">AFRICA</span></font></b></span><u></u><span><b><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold" lang="EN-GB"> AND MIDDLE EAST<u></u><u></u></span></font></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">===========================<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><u></u><u></u><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">KENYA</span></font></span><u></u><u></u><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">: Media still need
training on HIV <u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">IRIN PlusNews<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="ES-TRAD">01/11/2012<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">NAIROBI,
1 November 2012 (PlusNews) - Scourge. Plague. Killer disease. All are terms
still routinely used by Kenya's media to describe the HIV epidemic more than
thirty years after it was first identified. Experts say the media needs to step
up to promote a better understanding of the illness.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">"The
use of words like 'scourge' or 'sufferer' in the media to refer to HIV/AIDS or
to people living with it... shows the disease is such a bad thing, yet there
are people living with it, and examples are countless, who are doing normal
things and leading normal lives," Allan Maleche, a human rights lawyer and
head of the Kenya Legal and Ethical Issues Network on HIV and AIDS, told
IRIN/PlusNews. "Stigma has been one of the issues that helped HIV to
spread, and there is need to train the media on how to report HIV in less
stigmatizing ways."<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Media
outlets often concentrate on the more salacious or scandalous details of
stories involving HIV rather than the more informative, educational aspects.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">One
woman interviewed by a Kenyan TV station earlier this year told IRIN/PlusNews
of her disappointment when the story was broadcast. "The journalists dwelt
mainly on how I got infected instead of how I protected my unborn child from
infection, which was my main aim of calling the journalist," she said.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Difficult
to cover<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Journalists
IRIN/PlusNews spoke to said stories about HIV were more difficult to cover than
other news stories, involving in-depth research, a strong understanding of
scientific subjects and tough interviews dealing with very personal issues.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">"Covering
HIV and AIDS is... a sensitive area and... you have to look at issues from the
[position] of the interviewee... People living with HIV are often misjudged,
blamed for ‘getting it’, which in turn leads to their being
stigmatized and shunned," Waweru Mugo, a freelance Kenyan journalist who
has written extensively on HIV, told IRIN/PlusNews. "This therefore
requires a journalist to be careful with the language [so] that [it] does not
discriminate and stigmatize further."<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">"I
suggest that journalists are trained and retrained in the use of language, for
it requires ethical and professional handling," he added. <u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Jane
Thuo, chief executive officer of the Association of Media Women in Kenya, noted
that there is a need to ensure HIV continues to receive press coverage amid
newer, equally serious health issues such as cancer and other non-communicable
diseases.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Training<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">In
2002, the Coalition of Media Health Professionals produced a guide to reporting
on HIV for Kenyan journalists in an effort to boost journalists' sensitivity on
the subject. But experts say there is a need for specific training for
journalists who write about HIV.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">One
such training, sponsored by the International Planned Parenthood Federation
(IPPF), was recently held in the Kenyan capital Nairobi. Tom Japanni, a senior
BBC producer and trainer for the two-day workshop, noted that journalists were
well placed to simplify the medical terminologies and disseminate them to the
society.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">"We
are advantaged to be able to interpret health-related research findings,
parliamentary bills and other related instruments, even in our local
languages," he said. "That is all the more reason journalists should
be well equipped to deliver the correct information to the society. You must be
informed for you to inform others."<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">"There
are people in Kenya who still do not understand HIV beyond transmission,
prevention and treatment," Helen Barsosio, a Kenyan-based reproductive
health researcher and the technical advisor on HIV programs for the NGO HOPE
worldwide, told IRIN/PlusNews. "This kind of training is ideal for
journalists to enable them to understand the correct language to use while
reporting and to identify the stories within the HIV main story."<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Having
an effect<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">"We
train the journalist on the art of interview, among other areas," said
Anne Mikia, a radio specialist and trainer at Internews, which supports local
media around the world. “Interviewing a person living with HIV needs a
lot of skill, lest you offend the interviewee.”<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Although
Mikia says it is difficult to measure the impact of their trainings, she noted
that stigmatizing language and pictures were on the decline in most major media
houses.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">"The
trainings... go for only one week, and that is not sufficient for a journalist
to acquire absolute effective skills on HIV reporting," she added, noting
that journalists need to use their own initiative to develop the skills to
report on HIV.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">A
local network of HIV-positive journalists is also playing a role in improving
reporting on HIV in the media. "We realized that journalists rarely speak
about themselves but report only what others have said or done. As journalists
living with HIV, we can easily address HIV issues because we relate with them,"
said Elvis Bassudde, chairman of the East Africa chapter of Journalists Living
with HIV/AIDS.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">"A
journalist living with HIV and who sits in an editorial committee can [more]
easily campaign for a space for an HIV story than one who is not."<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#ff99cc" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#ff99cc" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><a name="13ac11370d32fa63_AfricaMiddleEast2"><b><font color="white" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:white;font-weight:bold" lang="EN-GB">2<u></u><u></u></span></font></b></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">So Near, Yet So Far <u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">Financial <u></u><u></u>Gazette<u></u>, <u></u>Zimbabwe<u></u><u></u><u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="ES-TRAD">31/10/2012<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">By
Nelson Chenga<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><u></u><u></u><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">ZIMBABWE</span></font></span><u></u><u></u><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">'S target to reduce HIV and Aids prevalence to nine percent
by 2015 is within range especially after the country managed to bring down the
rate from about 27 percent just before the turn of the millenium to the present
14,3 percent between 2002 and 2006.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">Through
increased HIV counselling and testing services; improved quality of preventing
mother to child transmission services and community mobilisation, the southern
African country has been able to tame the destructive HIV and Aids disease
whose effects, at one stage, triggered a deceleration in <u></u><u></u>Zimbabwe<u></u><u></u>'s population growth rate.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">So
far, the fight has been well and good, but HIV and Aids is not giving up just
yet.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">The
disease is resurging and teaming up with other devastating ailments such as
tuberculosis (TB).<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">The
disease is fast mutating in a disturbing development that has brought a new
dimension to the country's efforts to achieve the United Nations-set Millennium
Development Goal number six (MDG 6), which seeks to combat HIV and Aids,
malaria and other diseases.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">According
to Zimbabwe's 2010 Millennium Development Goals country report, the TB
incidence rates phenomenally increased by over 700 percent between 2000 and 2007,
rising from 97 per every 100 000 people to 782 per 100 000.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><u></u><u></u><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">Zimbabwe</span></font></span><u></u><u></u><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"> is ranked 17 out of 22 states worldwide that are burdened
with TB.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">While
the report notes that 78 percent of the TB cases were successfully treated in
2007, the detection rates have remained woefully below 40 percent.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">Both
figures fall far below the World Health Organisation (WHO) global benchmark
targets of 85 percent and 70 percent respectively.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">Achieving
MDG 6 for <u></u><u></u>Zimbabwe<u></u><u></u>
has been complicated by a non-performing economy that experienced a decade-long
freefall.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">Although
the nose-diving economy was slowed down to the present inertia after the
introduction of a multiple currency regime in 2009, the country is nowhere near
regaining its strength to effectively sustain the effort against the major
diseases that continue to afflict the nation.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">Despite
these debilitating problems that have also affected other developing countries
that are hoping to achieve their own MDGs targets, UNAIDS has recorded some
commendable progress and indicates that the rate of new HIV infections in urban
Zimbabwe fell from almost six percent in 1991 to less than one percent in 2010,
a trend it has attributed to changes in behaviour without which an additional
35 000 new infections annually would have been detected.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">UNAIDS
executive director, Michel Sidibé, recently noted that: "Even in a very
difficult financial crisis, countries are delivering results in the AIDS
response.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">"We
have seen a massive scale up in access to HIV treatment which has had a dramatic
effect on the lives of people everywhere."<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">At
least 47 percent of the estimated 14,2 million people eligible for treatment in
low and middle income countries were accessing lifesaving antiretroviral
therapy in 2010, an increase of 1,35 million since 2009, UNAIDS and WHO
estimates say.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">Early
last month, more than 150 women leaders from the public sector, civil society,
private sector pledged their support to combating HIV and Aids when they
launched the Zimbabwe Chapter of the GlobalPOWER Women Network Africa that
seeks to implement the Harare Call to Action document that promises to
accelerate action on ensuring that the rights of women and girls to HIV and
reproductive health services are met.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">Despite
playing a critical role in the country's efforts to achieve MDG 6, women have
not been able to adequately access services and have been afflicted more by HIV
and Aids, accounting for 60 percent of the country's 1,3 million people living
with HIV.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">Also
last month, the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria disbursed
US$84 million to help <u></u><u></u>Zimbabwe<u></u><u></u>
achieve its plans for universal access to Aids treatment by year end.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">The
new disbursement, to cover the cost of life-saving antiretroviral drugs (ARVs)
for an additional 10 000 new patients, bringing the total number of people on
treatment with Global Fund support to 203 440 by year end, seeks to attain
universal coverage, which is generally defined as at least 80 percent of people
in need of treatment.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">With
further input from the United States President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief
(PEPFAR), which is also increasing its funding to cover an additional 60 000
this year and another 20 000 next year Zimbabwe is expected to reach 85 percent
of people in need of ARVs. Currently PEPFAR is supporting 80 000 people.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">"These
efforts are being closely coordinated with the government of Zimbabwe, which is
supporting 124 000 patients on ARV through its innovative AIDS levy initiative,
and with the United Kingdom's Department for International Development , which
is funding treatment for 35 900 patients," said the Global Fund in a
statement.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">Meanwhile
Zimbabwe's efforts to eradicate malaria, one of the major diseases targeted by
MDG 6, have bore some fruit with the country having so far achieved a 74
percent malaria coverage, which is 11 percent shy of WHO's global target.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">While
Zimbabwe is on track to control malaria, which is the country third leading
cause of hospital admissions, communicable diseases such as typhoid are
introducing new challenges hard on the heels of the devastating 2008 cholera
outbreak that affected close to 100 000 people and killed more than 4 000
others.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">After
all has been said and done it has become evident that without external
assistance efforts towards achieving any of the MDGs by 2015 will become a hard
drag for Zimbabwe and other developing economies as the targets remain so near,
yet so far away.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><a name="13ac11370d32fa63_AfricaMiddleEast3"><b><font color="white" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:white;font-weight:bold" lang="EN-GB">3<u></u><u></u></span></font></b></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><a name="13ac11370d32fa63_AfricaMiddleEast4"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">Teenage Pregnancy
Alarming in the Ohangwena Region<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">New Era, <u></u><u></u>Namibia<u></u><u></u><u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="ES-TRAD">31/10/2012<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">By
Clemence Tashaya<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">Eenhana
— Last year about 1 691 learners dropped out of school due to teenage
pregnancy, just one of the many challenges adolescents face on a daily basis.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">This
means on average of 30 children per classroom, Ohangwena region have closed 58
classes in 2011, 57 classes in 2010 and 56 classes in 2009.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">According
to the Ohangwena Region Health Director, John Hango, the youth pregnancy rate
in the region is very high with 25 percent among the 17 year - olds, 35 percent
among the 19 - year olds and 57 percent among the of year - olds who have given
birth to children.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">Hango
referred to these statistics as "just the tip of the iceberg" adding
that the numbers can be much higher but are simply not documented. Adolescent
pregnancy remains very prevalent, particularly in the rural areas of the country,
and has a negative impact on the health of the adolescents and their infants.
He revealed these statistics at the official inauguration of the Namibia Plant
Parenthood Association (NAPPA)'s Youth- Friendly clinic here on Saturday.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">Hango
said these youth's pregnancies are contributing to a high level of poverty and
illiteracy in the region. "Adolescents should be able to manage a life
without back street abortions and baby dumping, which usually occur when they
do not want a child. Poor access to relevant information and services are
especially problematic for the Namibian youths, as sexual education is not
taught in schools and it is a taboo discussion topic at home with their
parents," said Hango. He also revealed that the Ohangwena Regional Health Directorate
received 78 cases of abortion in 2011, and this year from January to June his
office received 74 cases. Many cases are suspected to be among the youths who
are suspected to be undergoing illegal abortions.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">The
Deputy Minister of Youth, National Service, Sports and Culture, Pohamba
Shifeta, officially opened the clinic and urged the Namibian youths, especially
those in the Ohangwena region to respect their parents. "We should all as
productive youths respect our parents and guardians irrespective of whether
they are educated or not because these parents have travelled in this long
journey called life. Whether you might hold a degree or a diploma from a
university, but respect your parents because they know the road you are using
for your journey to life," he said.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">He
advised youths especially those frequenting shebeens to stop this rowdy
behaviour because it's destroying their future. "The health challenges
adolescents face were brought to the forefront at a policy dialogue on
Adolescent Health Services. Adolescents are considered boys and girls between
the ages of 10 and 19." Shifeta further pointed out that family planning
is central to promoting and preserving reproductive health. The 2011 National
HIV Sentinel Survey indicates a slight decline in the overall HIV prevalence
among the 15 to 19 year-old group of pregnant women, which stands at seven
percent in comparison to 2011 when it was 5.1 percent.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">Shifeta
said rape, passion killings and other forms of sexual gender based violence
(SGBV) are common in <u></u><u></u>Namibia<u></u><u></u>.
In 2011, the Namibian police and the media reported that there were an
estimated 15 000 SGBV cases during the previous year.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">"This
is likely to be gross underestimate, while SGBV encompasses much more than rape
and domestic violence," he said He noted that officials dealing with
survivors of abuse often have poor response skills. "They often get
laughed at or are told that it was their fault resulting in these victims not
reporting the crimes."<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><a name="13ac11370d32fa63_AfricaMiddleEast5"><b><font color="white" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:white;font-weight:bold" lang="EN-GB">5<u></u><u></u></span></font></b></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">Global Fund Whips <u></u><u></u>Namibia<u></u><u></u> <u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">The Namibian<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="ES-TRAD">02/11/2012<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="ES-TRAD"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">By
Denver Kisting<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">THE
Global Fund, the main provider of funding to HIV-AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria
programmes in <u></u><u></u>Namibia<u></u><u></u>,
wants to recover about N$14,85 million from the recipients of its funds.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">A
Global Fund audit has uncovered that a total of US$2,23 million (approximately
N$20 million) spent by Namibian recipients has not been properly accounted for.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">Of
this, US$1,65 million (approximately N$14,85 million) was unsupported and
US$580 000 (approximately N$5,2 million) ineligible, it is stated in the audit
report released on October 2.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">Of
the unsupported expenditure, approximately N$38 169 was spent by the Catholic
Aids Action (CAA), N$756 216 by the Ministry of Education and N$1,54 million by
Development Aid from People to People (DAPP).<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">The
Society of Family Health spent N$5,13 million, the Council of Churches in
Namibia N$4,8 million and the National Social Marketing Association N$2,62
million.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">These
are expenditures which were “not adequately documented”. According
to the report, no assurance can be given that the funds were used for the
intended purpose.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">The
Society of Family Health was also the biggest culprit in unapproved
expenditure, having spent N$3,03 million of funds not in accordance with grant
agreements.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">Global
Fund general manager (GM) Gabriel Jaramillo said its secretariat will see to it
that these amounts are paid back.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">The
Ministry of Health and Social Services was the principal recipient of five of
the six Global Fund grants made to <u></u><u></u>Namibia<u></u><u></u>.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">In
the audit, “a number of significant weaknesses” were identified in
the internal controls of recipients. “There is scope to improve and
strengthen controls over expenditure.”<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">The
Global Fund’s Office of the Inspector General, which conducted the audit,
could therefore not provide its board “with reasonable assurance over the
effectiveness of controls in place at the time of the audit”.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">The
Global Fund had given grants totalling US$200 million (N$1,8 billion) to <u></u><u></u>Namibia<u></u><u></u>
by 2011. Of this, N$1,3 billion had been disbursed to recipients.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">The
Office of the Inspector General of Global Fund identified weak oversight
structures at sub-recipient level “which compromise programme performance
and in some cases led to the termination of the Global Fund grants”.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">Among
other things, the oversight boards were not always fully constituted during the
grant implementation period – like in the case of the National Social
Marketing (Nasoma) programme and Lironga Eparu.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">Global
Fund pulled the plug on Lironga Eparu in 2010.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">Nasoma,
CAA and CCN also came under fire for not reaching their targets.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">CCN
had no results of the number of clients tested and counselled at its three
Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VTC) centres, and its result on the number
of people trained for home-based care did not have sufficient supporting
documents.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">Nasoma,
whose target was to distribute free condoms, also did not have sufficient
documentation of its spending.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">For
the number of HIV-AIDS brochures and booklets printed and distributed, CAA
scored a mere 24%.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">Some sub-recipients
also entered into transactions with each other, which the report cautioned
could lead to conflicts of interest, for which there were no policies.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">Richard
Kamwi, the Minister of Health and Social Services, yesterday said although he
was aware of the audit report, he had not read it. “I cannot comment
until such time as I have read it.”<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">Nasoma
director Juliet Mudabeti said she was not aware of the report.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">Other
NGOs named in the report as not having provided documentation for their
spending and from which Global Fund now demands the funds, could not be reached
for comment yesterday at the time of going to print.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="FR">=======================<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="FR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><b><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold" lang="FR">ASIA AND PACIFIC<u></u><u></u></span></font></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="FR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="FR">=======================<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="FR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="FR">VIH/SIDA : la BAD assiste le Vietnam et le
Laos<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="FR">VietNam+<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="ES-TRAD">01/11/2012<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="ES-TRAD"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">La
Banque asiatique de développement (BAD) finance un projet de prévention et de
lutte contre le VIH/SIDA dans 23 provinces frontalières du Vietnam et du Laos,
a annoncé jeudi à Jakarta un expert de cette institution, Mme Emiko Masaki. <u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Mis
en oeuvre durant cinq années à partir de décembre 2012, ce projet a pour but
d'améliorer la gestion au niveau national de toutes activités en relation avec
la lutte contre le VIH/SIDA, ainsi que les compétences des corps
médico-sanitaires des deux pays, a précisé la responsable pour l'Asie du
Sud-Est de la BAD. <u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Il
permettra aussi aux deux pays de fournir des services à distance et un meilleur
accès à des services médicaux de qualité, ainsi que de mener une communication
au sein des groupes à risque des communautés. <u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Selon
des données officielles, bien que les taux de personnes contaminées par le
virus du SIDA au Vietnam et au Laos demeurent faibles par rapport à leurs
populations, avec 0,4% et 0,2%, la maladie se propage en zone rurale, notamment
dans les provinces partageant des frontières où les services médicaux publics
laissent à désirer et les maux sociaux sévissent davantage. <u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">La
BAD accorde une aide de 20 millions de dollars sur le budget de 21,9 millions
de ce projet, le solde étant financé par les fonds de contrepartie des
gouvernements vietnamien et laotien d'un montant de 1,3 million et de 500.000
dollars.- AVI<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#ff99cc" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#ff99cc" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><a name="13ac11370d32fa63_AsiaPacific2"><b><font color="white" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:white;font-weight:bold" lang="EN-GB">2<u></u><u></u></span></font></b></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">Unpaid salaries: AIDS programme employees
threaten to stop work<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">The Express <u></u><u></u>Tribune<u></u>, <u></u>Pakistan<u></u><u></u><u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="ES-TRAD">02/11/2012<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="ES-TRAD"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><u></u><u></u><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial">ISLAMABAD</span></font></span><u></u><u></u><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial"> - Over 32 employees of National AIDS Control Programme
(NACP) on Thursday warned to boycott their duties if they were not paid
outstanding salaries of the past five months by Monday.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial">In 17 HIV
treatment centres nationwide, which includes one at Pakistan Institute of
Medical Sciences, the lives of over 6,525 registered patients depend on the
antiretroviral drug, that the employees have threatened to withhold.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial">When no one
is concerned about our children dying of hunger, why should we care about
others? said some of the protesters. We have decided to stop the vital
drug’s supply if our demand is not fulfilled by next week, they
threatened.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial">Protesters
said Planning and Development Secretary Muhammad Javed Malik, inter-provincial
coordination secretary and the Finance Division had violated Islamabad High
Court’s orders by withholding their salaries. A contempt of court case
was filed against these officials in October and its first hearing is scheduled
for Friday (today).<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial">After the
court’s judgment in January, all employees were regularised and they
received salaries till June. The protesting officials who rank in seniority
from grade 1 to grade 18.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial">Behaviour
Change Communication Coordinator for prevention of HIV/AIDS Naeem Akhtar told
The Express Tribune that the programme was devolved to the provinces, but the
prime minister revived it after international donor agencies mounted pressure
on the government to form a central body.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial">NACP’s
PC-I was approved by the executive committee of the National Economic Council
and Rs247 million was allocated for 2012-2013 for salaries and funds to conduct
awareness and advocacy sessions.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial">An instalment
of Rs49 million for the first quarter was withheld, disrupting the awareness
campaign. “The number of HIV/AIDS patients has increased from 10 to 30 per
month and discontinuation of awareness sessions might make the situation
worse,” said Akhtar.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial">A driver with
NACP since 1996, Mohammad Nazir, who has four children to feed cannot afford
treatment for a tumour in his leg. Mohammad Razaq, another employee, has
stopped taking his medicines to control his diabetes.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial">The planning
and development secretary was unavailable for comment.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><b><font color="#ff99cc" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#ff99cc;font-weight:bold"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><a name="13ac11370d32fa63_AsiaPacific4"><b><font color="white" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:white;font-weight:bold" lang="EN-GB">4<u></u><u></u></span></font></b></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">197 HIV/AIDS positive foreigners live in <u></u><u></u>Kyrgyzstan<u></u><u></u><u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">24kg <u></u><u></u>News
Agency<u></u>, <u></u>Kyrgyzstan<u></u><u></u><u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="ES-TRAD">02/11/2012<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#ff99cc" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#ff99cc" lang="ES-TRAD"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">by
Kaliya DUISHEBAYEVA<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Bishkek
– “About 197 HIV/AIDS positive live in Kyrgyzstan,” Kenzhebek
Bokoev deputy of Parliament said at a session of Respublika faction today. <u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">According
to Bokoev, almost all (except one) of them are citizens of the Commonwealth of
Independent States member countries. “It is necessary to oblige all
foreigners who came to Kyrgyzstan to get tested for HIV/AIDS within 3
months,” he pointed.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">========================<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><u></u><span><b><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold" lang="EN-GB">EUROPE</span></font></b></span><u></u><span><b><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold" lang="EN-GB"><u></u><u></u></span></font></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">========================<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">Global engagement for health could achieve
better results now and after 2015<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="FR">The Lancet<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="ES-TRAD">03/11/2012<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#ff99cc" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#ff99cc" lang="ES-TRAD"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Volume
380, Issue 9853, Pages 1533 - 1534,<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Comment<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Gunilla
Carlsson a, Anders Nordström a<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Despite
the positive progress in people's health during the past 20 years, we have to
challenge ourselves and our key partners to save even more lives and prevent
illness now and after 2015, the target year for the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs). The investments made in health have paid off and the MDGs have
had a critical role. There have been substantial decreases in malaria
prevalence and deaths. The rapid increase in access to HIV/AIDS treatment is
another success, although there is still a huge access gap. The rise in the
number of immunised children is another area of substantive progress that has
had an impact on child mortality.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">This
progress is impressive but still not good enough. The success is patchy and
lacks sustainability. More importantly, we should be able to do better with the
domestic and international resources we are spending today. The main
responsibility for taking forward this work lies with our partner governments
and communities in the countries concerned. However, the international health
architecture also requires a substantive shake-up. There are too many competing
partnerships and political initiatives today. Roles and functions need to
become clearer and partners should rely more on each other. A post-2015 agenda
needs to include a narrative that is clear about a more effective engagement of
global partners responding to country needs.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">More
is expected from the global health organisations. Efforts by WHO, UNAIDS,
UNICEF, UNFPA, the World Bank, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and
Malaria, and the GAVI Alliance are highly appreciated, but the sum of their
collective resources is still not achieving as much as we would like in terms
of improved health for poor people. We could change the lives of many more poor
people, particularly women and children, if governments like our own,
implementing countries, and major global health players were working more
effectively and strategically together.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">WHO
is the UN organisation that takes the lead on health and should also guide the
work of the global community as a whole. In recent decades we have, however,
seen a major proliferation of health initiatives in which WHO has not been in
the driver's seat. It is imperative that WHO regains its role as the prime
vehicle for placing health on the global agenda and for attaining the highest
possible level of health for all. Current reforms at WHO are making progress in
that direction, but they have also highlighted the need for a common vision of
what WHO should do and how to radically improve the quality of work in
countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">The
Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria was not set up to duplicate
the work of WHO but as a financing instrument, and has contributed to major
health results across the world. The Global Fund is today facing major
challenges after growing too fast without evolving the necessary systems to
effectively manage investments, results, and risks. The Global Fund's new
strategy with its focus on national strategies and use of national systems as
the preferred way of working, alongside increased dialogue with ministries of
finance in recipient countries, is an excellent tool for changing the present
business model. But has this new strategy been fully embraced by the Global
Fund's Board and the Secretariat? The Global Fund should remain a financing
institution, but this will require effective partnerships with WHO, UNAIDS, and
the World Bank, which is not the case today.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">UNICEF
and UNFPA have a different status within the multilateral system; neither has
primarily a normative mandate nor are they purely financing institutions. The
world has changed since UNICEF and UNFPA were created and the question is what
are their roles today? We have recently seen the lead from UNICEF on child
survival and from UNFPA on family planning. In many places UNICEF and UNFPA are
doing a good job, but what are their specific roles and functions in terms of
contributing to the improved health of women and children?<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">The
GAVI Alliance has a more straightforward task and is doing a highly
professional job in contributing to increased immunisation coverage. Yet we
believe that the GAVI Alliance, as a development partner, could do even more
and contribute to strengthening infrastructure and health systems.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">The
World Bank is today largely absent from the global health policy arena. The
Bank has a crucial role in connecting the health sector to ministries of
finance, the macro environment, and to the health systems agenda. The long-term
issue around sustainable financing requires a comprehensive and holistic
approach to domestic, public, and private financing as well as the management
of international resources and improved aid effectiveness. The Bank has a
natural and important role here.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">UNAIDS
is making a good case for taking HIV/AIDS out of isolation and has tackled it
as a major development issue that requires multisectorial action. Can we build
on this approach to improve health more broadly?<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">This
is not the full picture of these organisations' work, but our conclusion is
that global engagement for health could achieve better results. The
responsibility for this lies with all of us. We need to rethink the role of
health in development and the global health landscape. We should focus more on
health outcomes on the ground, which requires stronger management, higher
levels of professionalism, and accountability, as well as effective
collaboration across agencies and governments. Today there is no real incentive
to achieve more with the resources that are made available. Future global
development goals need to take this into consideration.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Health
is more than a medical issue and there is a need for a new global vision for
health that will build on the MDGs and connect to future development goals. The
vision, based on countries' needs, should be translated into clear goals,
expected results, and guiding principles for its implementation.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Sweden
wants to contribute and encourage other players and countries to give priority
to women's and children's health. High needs remain, especially in the
lowest-income countries. We need a major push before 2015, and we must not
forget the unfinished MDG agenda beyond 2015. Women's and children's health is
also a rights issue and closely interlinked with the empowerment of women and
girls.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Health
must be brought out of isolation. We need to speak more about the impact of
such issues as climate change and the direct effects it has on people's health.
Health is an important indicator for how well we are managing the climate,
water resources, as well as food and energy production.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Unhealthy
food, increasing rates of smoking, and physical inactivity are realities not
only of wealthy nations but are rapidly changing the health situation of many
poor countries. People, families, companies, and all sectors of society can
make healthier choices; we need to empower them with the options and knowledge.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">We
should also highlight the relation between health, human rights, and economic
growth. Healthy workers are, for example, good for both governments and
business. There is much potential for engaging the private sector in improving
people's health. Our commitment to sustainable development needs to ensure that
we are creating more healthy societies and improving the living conditions for
people.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">The
Swedish Government is proud to allocate 1% of our gross domestic product to
development cooperation, and out of that 15% for health. But we are not
satisfied in terms of the health results for people. The Swedish Government has
appointed an Ambassador for Global Health and we are finalising a review of
both our bilateral and multilateral engagements. We are looking for new
relationships with partner countries. In addition to working with partner
governments and civil society, we would like to work more closely with the
private sector and the research community, and we have high expectations of the
multilateral system. Sweden's ambition is to remain a relevant and predictable
partner for global health organisations.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Are
we as international partners responding in the most effective way to the health
needs of women and children in low-income countries? We call on other
governments to join us in an open and frank discussion of the level of
performance of the present global health landscape to see if we can have a
greater impact on the lives and health of millions of people across the world.
Such a review could be linked to post-2015 consultations.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">GC
is Swedish Minister for Development Cooperation and member of the UN Secretary
General's High-level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development
Agenda. AN is Swedish Ambassador for Global Health, a Board member of the GAVI
Alliance, of UNAIDS, and alternate Board member of the Global Fund to Fight
AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. We declare that we have no conflicts of
interest.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">a
Ministry for Foreign Affairs, S-103 39 Stockholm, Sweden<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><a name="13ac11370d32fa63_Europe2"><b><font color="white" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:white;font-weight:bold" lang="EN-GB">2<u></u><u></u></span></font></b></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">Many HIV patients skip medications to drink:
study<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">Reuters<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="ES-TRAD">01/11/2012<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#ff99cc" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#ff99cc" lang="ES-TRAD"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">(Reuters)
- About half of HIV patients on antiretroviral therapy skipped their
medications whenever they were drinking alcohol, according to a <u></u><u></u>U.S.<u></u><u></u>
study - an ill-advised behavior that researchers say could lead to higher viral
loads.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">The
study, published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, for a year
followed nearly 200 people with HIV who were on antiretrovirals and drank
alcohol. It found that 51 percent stopped taking their medications while drinking.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">Lapses
could be due to forgetfulness while under the influence, but a widespread - and
erroneous - belief that mixing alcohol and HIV drugs can be toxic appears to
play a role.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">"The
harms caused by missing their medications far outweigh the harms caused by
mixing the two, if the person doesn't have liver disease," said Seth
Kalichman, a professor at the <u></u><u></u>University<u></u>
of <u></u>Connecticut<u></u><u></u> and lead
author of the study<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">Drinking
has been known to interfere with people's adherence to their medications, but
researchers said the consequences of inconsistent use of HIV medications can be
more severe.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">Antiretroviral
drugs suppress the HIV virus, and patients must take the medications
continuously to prevent the virus from surging. Additionally, going on and off
the drugs can lead to drug resistance.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">"People
living with HIV who deliberately stop their medications when they are drinking
are at risk for treatment failure," the researchers wrote.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">Kalichman
and his colleagues surveyed 178 people - about four out of five of them men -
who were currently using antiretroviral therapy and reported that they drank
alcohol.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">At
the beginning of the study, the researchers asked the participants about their
alcohol-related beliefs, such as whether they thought their drugs wouldn't work
as well if the two mixed. They also asked whether people would not take both at
the same time, either by avoiding alcohol or the medicines.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">Over
the following year, the team checked in with patients every month to see how
well they were sticking to their prescriptions through a pill count, and every
other month they called to ask how often the patient had been drinking
recently.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">Doctors'
offices measured each patient's level of virus and measures of immune system
health.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">They
found that 51 percent of the patients would avoid the medications when they
drank, and half of the people in this group had poor adherence to their
prescriptions. In addition, half of the group that skipped pills said they
wouldn't take them again until the alcohol was out of their system.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">People
who skipped medications while drinking were also more likely to have higher
levels of HIV in their bodies and lower numbers of CD4 cells, a measure of
immune system health.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">"I
think it's pretty well demonstrated that alcohol use is tied to poor adherence,
and I think most people think it's because they're impaired in some way or they
forget... whereas here it shows they're (often) intentionally missing their
medications," said Catherine Grodensky, a researcher at the Center for AIDS
Research at the University of North Carolina.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">"And
it looks like it's having some significant impacts on their treatment."<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">SOURCE:
<a href="http://bit.ly/SmCjq9" target="_blank">bit.ly/SmCjq9</a><u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">(Reporting
from <u></u><u></u>New York<u></u><u></u>
by Kerry Grens at Reuters Health; editing by Elaine Lies)<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><font color="#ff99cc" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#ff99cc" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><a name="13ac11370d32fa63_Europe3"><b><font color="white" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:white;font-weight:bold" lang="EN-GB">3<u></u><u></u></span></font></b></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">One-third of Congolese men admit committing
sexual violence <u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">The Guardian, <u></u><u></u>UK<u></u><u></u><u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="ES-TRAD">31/10/2012<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#ff99cc" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#ff99cc" lang="ES-TRAD"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">David
Smith, Africa correspondent<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">More
than one in three men surveyed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's
war-torn east admits committing sexual assault, and three in four believe that
a woman who "does not dress decently is asking to be raped",
researchers have found.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Some
61.4% of men interviewed said women sometimes deserve to be beaten; 42.7% think
that "if a woman doesn't show physical resistance when forced to have sex,
it's not rape"; and 27.9% believe that sometimes women want to be raped.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Well
over 40% of the men polled asserted that a man should reject his wife when she
has been raped.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">The
findings show that sexual violence is much more than a weapon of war, activists
said, and reflect widespread acceptance of patriarchal norms and rape myths.
They also pointed to Congo's incendiary mix of conflict, poverty and weak law
enforcement as causal factors in need of urgent redress.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">The
study was carried out by the South African-based Sonke Gender Justice Network
and the Brazilian non-government organisation Promundo in and near Goma in
Congo's North Kivu province. A total of 708 men and 754 women aged between 18
and 59 took part in individual interviews and focus group discussions in June
this year.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">The
self-reporting of men is particularly unusual and striking. Some 34% admit
having carried out some form of sexual violence in conflict, homes or other
settings.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Almost
two-thirds agree with the statement that "women should accept partner
violence to keep the family together", and almost a third endorse the view
that "a woman who is raped has provoked this by her attitude". More
than a quarter believe that "a man can force a woman to have sex and she
may enjoy it".<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">The
preliminary report notes: "In qualitative interviews, men openly shared
their opinions about the 'right to have sex' with their female partner even if
she refuses; most men did not consider it to be rape to force their wives to
have sex with them. Other men took any 'provocation' by a woman to mean that
she wanted sex."<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">As
an example, it quotes a 48-year-old man who said a girl entered his shop and
asked for water: "When a girl is asking for water in such a way, she wants
sex. So I took her in the middle of my shop. I think she liked it because her
body accepted me to enter."<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">The
study, part of the International Men and Gender Equality Survey, also suggests
that many men are themselves victims of violence, including sexual violence,
and shows a clear association between exposure to violence and increased
likelihood of subsequent perpetration.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">It
makes recommendations including far greater promotion of gender equality in
schools and public policy and a massive campaign of psycho-social care for boys
and girls exposed to multiple forms of violence at young ages.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">It
is estimated that at least half a million women have been raped in eastern
Congo since 1998, prompting the UN to brand it "the rape capital of the
world".<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Henny
Slegh, Promundo's regional coordinator in the Great Lakes region and principal
investigator for the new study, said: "The whole world knows there is a
lot of sexual violence here. We want to know why. The main thing we found is
there are conditions of extreme poverty and conflict and an inadequate response
by the national and especially international community contributing to the
cycle of violence.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">"Gender
inequalities exist everywhere but many parts of the world live under better
conditions. In this environment it is clearly worse. There are not educational
opportunities to change these attitudes. That's what responses and
interventions must focus on."<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">But
there are grounds for optimism, Slegh added, in the honesty and engagement of
respondents. "Men and women said: 'This is the first time I got asked
questions where I can tell my story.' One man said he'd raped a girl a week
before because he felt it was normal. He was exchanging opinions and it helped
him see it another way. The men were very open and said they would like groups
discussions more often."<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">This
was also welcomed by Micheline Muzaneza, a former Congolese child refugee who
now works with victims at the Sonke network in Cape Town, South Africa.
"Men accepting and saying, 'Yes, I did this,' is a big step," she
said. "We need to work on that."<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Gender
inequality is handed down through the generations, she continued. "They
think a woman must be in the kitchen, that a woman is like a child. The
cultural attitude is that a man can beat a woman. They grew up like that,
seeing their father beat their mother. To punish a rival armed movement, they
say: 'Let's go and rape their women and show we are stronger than them.' The
woman becomes an object."<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Heal
Africa runs a hospital for rape victims in Goma and recently reported a sharp
increase in cases because of rising militia fighting. Emmanuel Baabo, leader of
its projects dealing with sexual violence, said: "The attitude of the men
who have been asked in this study is not acceptable. How can one think that a
woman wants to be raped?<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">"But
I am not surprised at the outcome of this survey. It shows the ignorance of
many Congolese men and that in the Congolese culture women are still today
often seen as inferior to men. This attitude is also a question of education.
The more men are educated, the more they respect generally women."<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">He
added: "The armed groups consider violence as a weapon of war. And
[seeing] that the system of justice is not working correctly, the impunity
makes the situation even worse."<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">War
in eastern Congo has killed and displaced millions over nearly two decades. At
least half of those surveyed live below the absolute poverty line and hunger is
a daily reality, with 40% of men and 43% of women having only one meal a day.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Sonke
is calling for for more engagement with men and women and a transformation of
gender relations and social justice. Dean Peacock, its co-founder and executive
director, said: "On the question of whether men can change, the answer is
certainly yes, including in Congo.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">"There's
also evidence that a range of interventions can speed that up: group education,
mass media efforts, policy change, including the development and implementation
of laws that sanction and deter violence, and disrupt the toxic combination of
men's sense of entitlement to women's bodies and their sense of impunity for
using violence against women.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">"All
of those interventions are needed desperately in Congo. There are fledgling
efforts to engage men: the Congolese Men's Network, for instance, is working in
Kivu to challenge men to speak out against men's violence. These must be
supported and strengthened."<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><font color="#ff99cc" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#ff99cc" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><a name="13ac11370d32fa63_Europe4"><b><font color="white" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:white;font-weight:bold" lang="EN-GB">4</span></font></b></a><font color="white" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:white" lang="EN-GB"><u></u><u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">Improved HIV treatment credited with cutting
child mortality <u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">International Federal of Gynecology and <u></u><u></u>Obstretrics<u></u>, <u></u>UK<u></u><u></u><u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="ES-TRAD">02/11/2012<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="ES-TRAD"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Improved
treatment for HIV/Aids has been cited as one reason why child mortality is on
the decrease in South Africa.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Research
contained in the Census 2011 shows mortality rates in children under five
dipped slightly between 2007 and 2011, from around 61,000 to approximately
55,000, the New Age reports.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Deputy
director-general of Statistics SA Kefiloe Masiteng highlighted changes in the
country's HIV policies as helping the decline, noting treatment of the disease
means deaths are on the decline.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">South
Africa has been set a UN target of cutting its child mortality rate by
two-thirds from the 1990 figure by 2015 and spokesman for the Health Ministry
Joe Maila said he is confident the country will succeed.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">"Our
life expectancy has improved drastically (six years), so it shows that the
measures we have in place are yielding results," he remarked.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">However,
Mr Maila added that more work needs to be done to further reduce the figure,
adding: "We cannot lower our guard now".<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Posted
by Martine Ward<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><a name="13ac11370d32fa63_Europe6"><b><font color="white" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:white;font-weight:bold" lang="EN-GB">6<u></u><u></u></span></font></b></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35">“Cuando salí <u></u><u></u>del<u></u><u></u>
armario pensé que mi vida sería rara” <u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="FR">El País, Spain<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="ES-TRAD">02/11/2012<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#ff99cc" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#ff99cc" lang="ES-TRAD"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Alejandra
Agudo<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">La
salida al mercado de la segunda generación de iPhone cambió la vida de Joel
Simkhai. El aparato incorporaba un sistema de geolocalización. Era lo que este
emprendedor, nacido en Tel Aviv hace 36 años, criado en Nueva York desde los
tres y radicado actualmente en Los Ángeles, había estado esperando para hacer
realidad una idea y un deseo personal: una aplicación móvil para encontrar y
contactar con otros gais que estuvieran cerca. Los seis meses de trabajo a
deshora, con apoyo de amigos y poco dinero, culminaron en marzo de 2009. Nació
Grindr. Hoy es la mayor red social para homosexuales, con más de cuatro
millones de usuarios en 192 países. Por eso Simkhai es considerado un líder de
opinión, además de un empresario de éxito.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">“Me
gusta reunirme con gente, pero en una cafetería nadie sabe quién es gay”,
mira alrededor a modo de demostración. Coge su móvil y abre la aplicación
Grindr (traducido: molinillo de café). En ella sí puede ver si alguno de los
comensales de la terraza, en la que solo acepta tomar una botella de agua, son
gais (siempre que sean usuarios también de Grindr). “Somos humanos,
necesitamos socializar y la tecnología ayuda”. Pero la red no solo sirve
para contactar con otras personas, también envía mensajes sobre temas que
interesan al colectivo de homosexuales, transexuales y bisexuales
—“nuestros derechos”, especifica—. “Reconocemos
nuestra responsabilidad. En muchos países la homosexualidad es ilegal y Grindr
les ayuda a conectarse. La unión hace que la comunidad sea más fuerte. Así es
como esta aplicación puede ayudar a mejorar la igualdad”, opina.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Simkhai
cree que pese al “odio y violencia” que todavía sufren los gais en
el mundo —“increíble que suceda en el 2012”—, se ha
avanzado mucho. “Cuando yo salí del armario fue un proceso de años.
Difícil. Me sentí muy solo y eso que mis padres y amigos son de mentalidad
abierta. Pensaba en lo rara que iba a ser mi vida”, recuerda. El menor de
sus dos hermanos (ambos homosexuales) “nunca tuvo que salir del armario
porque nunca estuvo en él”, dice. Lo que considera un síntoma del
progreso. Y lanza un mensaje a los homosexuales asustados o confusos:
“¡La vida gay es genial! Yo no la cambiaría aunque pudiera”.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Pero
sabe que aún quedan muchos pasos hasta la normalización. En su opinión, el
matrimonio entre personas del mismo sexo y la posibilidad de formar una familia
son esenciales para la igualdad. “Espero poder casarme. Pero lo más
importante para mí es tener niños. Dos chicos”. En este sentido, y en un
contexto de elecciones en EE UU, cree que Obama es el candidato que mejor puede
responder a las reivindicaciones de los homosexuales. “En Grindr no
podemos pedir el voto, pero contamos a nuestros usuarios lo que dice cada uno
en relación con nuestros derechos para que lo tengan en cuenta cuando vayan a
votar”, explica. “Romney se ha mostrado contrario al matrimonio
gay. Obama a favor. Creo que es una buena razón para votarle”.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Es
la segunda vez que Simkhai visita España, el quinto país con más usuarios de
Grindr. Esta vez ha venido para hablar de su creación en la European Ecommerce
Conference. Se resiste a desvelar si es millonario, pero su negocio no ha
parado de crecer, emplea a 45 personas y se financia solo de la publicidad en
la versión gratuita y de las descargas de la de pago. “Sin inversores.
Ellos siempre pierden dinero”, ríe.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">========================<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><b><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold" lang="EN-GB">LATIN AMERICA AND <u></u>CARIBBEAN<u></u><u></u><u></u></span></font></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="FR">========================<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="FR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="FR">Previenen contra VIH-SIDA <u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="FR">Frontera.info, Mexico<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="ES-TRAD">02/11/2012<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#ff99cc" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#ff99cc" lang="ES-TRAD"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">TIJUANA,
Baja California(PH) - La meta de este año del programa de prevención de
VIH-SIDA de la jurisdicción sanitaria en Tijuana es entregar 3 millones de
condones, un objetivo que está muy próximo a cubrirse, dijo Norma Alicia Olmedo
Navarro, coordinadora del proyecto.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Hasta
el mes de octubre se han repartido más de 2 millones de condones y con el
tiempo que falta para concluir el año se estima llegar fácilmente a la meta.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">La
funcionaria dijo que la entrega de condones va acompañada de una plática de
cómo utilizarlos correctamente, así como de las consecuencias de tener sexo sin
protección.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">El
programa, que se considera exitoso, sostuvo, se realiza tanto en escuelas
públicas como en eventos masivos y ferias de salud y este año se acompañó de
una capacitación al personal de la jurisdicción para la colocación correcta del
condón a fin de que ellos reproduzcan la información en las constantes
jornadas.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">“No
se trata sólo de entregar condones, los preservativos se acompañan de
información clara y útil de cómo lograr una mejor protección” porque la mejor
manera de erradicar una enfermedad es previniéndola, aseguró Olmedo Navarro.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><a name="13ac11370d32fa63_LatinAmericaCaribbean4"><b><font color="white" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:white;font-weight:bold" lang="FR">4</span></font></b></a><font color="white" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:white" lang="FR"><u></u><u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="FR">Trabaja en una vacuna contra el sida y hoy
será premiado por la UBA <u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="FR">Clarín, Argentina<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="ES-TRAD">01/11/2012<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#ff99cc" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#ff99cc" lang="ES-TRAD"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Por
Valeria Román<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="ES">El
estadounidense David Baltimore es un peso pesado de la ciencia mundial. Ganó un
premio Nobel con tan sólo 37 años, y es uno de los autores del libro que usa la
mayoría de los biólogos que se dedican a entender qué pasa en las células de
los seres vivos, tanto cuando funcionan bien como cuando se descarrilan. Por
sus contribuciones, hoy la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales de la
Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA) le dará el título Honoris Causa. Y él lo
agradecerá con una conferencia gratuita y libre a las 17 horas en el Aula Magna
del Pabellón II de Ciudad Universitaria.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="ES"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="ES">Ya
tiene 74 años, pero Baltimore sigue investigando en cuestiones moleculares,
genética y sistema inmune con el mismo entusiasmo que tenía cuando sintió que
la biología era su disciplina favorita. “La ciencia es una pasión. Si no
la tenés, estás en un terreno equivocado”, dijo al ser entrevistado ayer
por Clarín en el hotel donde se hospeda en Puerto Madero, invitado por la
Dirección General de Ciencia y Tecnología del Gobierno de la ciudad de Buenos
Aires. <u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="ES"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="ES">Ahora,
investiga en el Instituto de Tecnología de California (Caltech) y apuesta todo
al innovador acercamiento para contar con una vacuna preventiva contra el virus
del sida (VIH). “Hace diez años tuve una idea. Se la presenté a la
Fundación Bill y Melinda Gates y me apoyaron con un subsidio. Consiste en un
tipo de terapia genética por la cual el organismo quedaría protegido frente al
ataque del virus del sida. Ya hemos tenido buenos resultados”.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="ES"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="ES">El
año pasado, Baltimore publicó en la revista Nature uno de los trabajos más
importantes que demostró la eficacia de su idea. Al menos en ratones. Con una
simple inyección en el tejido muscular, se inserta ADN para que el organismo
produzca un anticuerpo neutralizante del virus. <u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="ES"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="ES">El
científico sabe que se trata de un acercamiento preliminiar. Por un lado, hubo
muchos intentos de diferentes grupos de científicos que perseguían una vacuna
contra el mismo virus, pero no han tenido éxito, y hay más de 2 millones de
nuevos infectados por año. Por otro lado, también reconoce que los avances que
se esperaban en terapia génica en los años 90 aún están en pañales. “El
desarrollo de la terapia génica fue más lento de lo esperado, porque en algunos
casos hubo efectos adversos como cáncer”, recuerda. Y reconoce que con su
equipo de 25 personas tuvo en cuenta los obstáculos que encontraron otros
investigadores, y que ahora su estrategia podría funcionar. “Consideramos
que es más segura, aunque en ciencia uno nunca sabe”.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="ES"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="ES">El
científico está lejos de comportarse como una estrella. Se deja llevar por el fotógrafo
por un living del hotel y sólo toma agua.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="ES"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="ES">Llegó
a la biología por la influencia de su madre. “Ella era una psicóloga
experimental y dejó una impronta muy fuerte en mí”. Se dio cuenta de su
interés por la biología cuando cursaba el secundario y durante un campamento de
verano, que le permitió ver cómo trabajaban los científicos en un laboratorio.
Siguió su carrera y alcanzó el descubrimiento que le sirvió para el Nobel
(compartido con Renato Dulbecco y Howard Temin), en un momento en que estaba en
un año sabático en el Instituto de Tecnología de Massachusetts (MIT) en 1975.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="ES"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="ES">Baltimore
descubrió la existencia de una enzima que se llama transcripsa inversa, que
permite “copiar” ADN a partir del ARN y que resultó ser el
mecanismo de la acción de los virus tumorales, entre ellos el VIH. Un hallazgo
revolucionario. Desde el Nobel, su vida cambió. “No es tanto dinero como
se piensa. Me sirvió para comprarme una casa de veraneo. Pero sí me dio una
responsabilidad enorme. El Nobel hace que el científico ganador pase a ser una
figura mundial. Pero yo no opino sobre temas que no sé”, aclaró
Baltimore, que además será declarado Huésped de Honor por el jefe de Gobierno
porteño, Mauricio Macri. <u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="ES"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="ES">El
prestigioso científico siente que los peores momentos de su carrera han
sucedido cuando “rechazan un trabajo en las revistas con referato. Es muy
molesto”. En sus ratos libres sale a pescar, a esquiar, lee novelas de
misterio, y colecciona arte contemporáneo. También se ocupa de sus dos
empresas. “Como científicos no ganamos mucho dinero, y tener conexiones
con empresas es una buena entrada”.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><a name="13ac11370d32fa63_LatinAmericaCaribbean5"><b><font color="white" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:white;font-weight:bold" lang="FR">5<u></u><u></u></span></font></b></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="FR">SUS
terá comprimido ‘3 em 1’ contra a Aids a partir de 2013<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="FR">Brasília em tempo real<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="ES-TRAD">01/11/2012<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="ES-TRAD"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">A
partir do ano que vem, a rede pública de saúde vai passar a oferecer duas novas
formulações contra a Aids.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">São
os chamados três em um e dois em um, comprimidos que reúnem três ou dois
remédios já ofertados separadamente no país. A vantagem é reduzir o número de
comprimidos tomados pelos pacientes e aumentar a adesão ao tratamento.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">A oferta
dessas fórmulas foi anunciada ontem pelo ministro Alexandre Padilha (Saúde).
Esses e outros 18 produtos passarão a ser produzidos no país por meio de
transferência de tecnologia.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Dos
18, quatro são novidade para o SUS: o fator 8 recombinante (contra hemofilia),
o rituximabe contra artrite reumatoide e as vacinas contra a hepatite A e a
catapora (incluída na tetraviral).<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Com
as transferências de tecnologia para 12 laboratórios públicos, o Ministério da
Saúde afirma que vai economizar R$ 940 milhões ao ano.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Segundo
Sérgio Frangioni, presidente da empresa que produz as duas fórmulas contra a
Aids, a intenção do governo é oferecer os comprimidos a cerca de 100 mil dos
250 mil pacientes em tratamento.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Apesar
do anúncio, as drogas estão em processo de registro pela Anvisa (Agência
Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária) -passo necessário para o uso do remédio no
país.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">A
previsão é um custo de R$ 100 milhões no primeiro ano de compra -pelo acordo, o
governo compra o remédio do laboratório por pelo menos cinco anos, até passar a
ter produção própria.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">ATRASOS<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">O
ministro Padilha afirmou que o público-alvo das duas fórmulas contra o HIV será
anunciado em dezembro e que os remédios serão oferecidos no início de 2013.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">"A
grande mudança é simplificar para o paciente. Essa é a nova fronteira do
tratamento contra a Aids."<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">O
infectologista Artur Timerman, do Hospital Edmundo Vasconcelos, classifica como
fundamental o aumento da adesão ao tratamento pela reunião dos medicamentos em
um comprimido.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Mas
o médico critica a demora para a incorporação dos remédios, que, segundo ele,
estão disponíveis em fórmulas semelhantes no mundo há cerca de cinco anos.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">"O
Brasil, infelizmente, está ficando um pouco para trás. O programa de Aids tem
grandes méritos, mas tem demorado para incorporar os novos avanços", disse
ele.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Outros
países, diz Timerman, estão com medicamentos mais modernos, com até quatro
substâncias.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Na
semana passada, o ministério anunciou a incorporação do maraviroque, um
antirretroviral usado por pacientes que não tiveram sucesso com outros
remédios.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">E,
em agosto, a pasta anunciou que iria antecipar o início do tratamento contra a
Aids, oferecendo medicamentos a pessoas com o sistema imune menos prejudicado.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">========================<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><u></u><span><b><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold" lang="EN-GB">NORTH AMERICA</span></font></b></span><u></u><span><b><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold" lang="EN-GB"><u></u><u></u></span></font></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">========================<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">From Recipient to Resource Partner: <u></u><u></u>China<u></u><u></u>'s
Changing Role in Global Development<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">Huffington Post<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="ES-TRAD">26/11/2012<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#ff99cc" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#ff99cc" lang="ES-TRAD"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Steve
Davis,.CEO, PATH<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">In
1983, I was among the first group of graduate students to study at <u></u><u></u>Beijing<u></u> <u></u>University<u></u><u></u> following the tumultuous
years of the Cultural Revolution. It was one of the most extraordinary times of
my life. A tall, beach-blonde foreigner with a good grasp of Chinese, I
immersed myself in the country as it began to open up to the rest of the world.
I made lifelong friends with both Chinese and "<u></u><u></u>China<u></u><u></u> hands" who spoke with a
mix of excitement and uncertainty about the changes taking place as we traveled
around the country on the hard seats of local trains.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">Since
then, one of the most rewarding parts of my career and life has been engaging
with <u></u><u></u>China<u></u><u></u>.
I helped found <u></u>Columbia<u></u> <u></u>Law<u></u> <u></u>School<u></u>'s
Journal of Chinese Law, opened businesses in <u></u><u></u>China<u></u><u></u> and even adopted a son there.
Now, from trade disputes with the <u></u>United States<u></u>
to a once-a-decade change of power among the country's leadership, <u></u><u></u>China<u></u><u></u>
is constantly in the news. So it was with great excitement that I attended the
World Economic Forum's annual "Meeting of the New Champions" in <u></u><u></u>Tianjin<u></u><u></u> a couple of weeks
ago. <u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><u></u><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">Tianjin</span></font></span><u></u><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"> has emerged as one of the most pleasant cities in <u></u><u></u>China<u></u><u></u>,
with wide, clean avenues; sparkling facilities; convenient train and
communications services and a progressive civic agenda. It was completely
unrecognizable from the city I visited nearly 30 years ago, and the
conversations I had were different, too. World leaders in business, politics
and civil society gathered to discuss how to address some of the worlds' most
challenging economic and development problems, and to celebrate the "new
champions" among us.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">Given
the country's astounding social and economic changes, it shouldn't be
surprising that many of those new champions are Chinese. Over the last few
decades, <u></u><u></u>China<u></u><u></u>,
once regarded mainly as an aid recipient, has become an influential partner in
global health and development. This is especially true in <u></u>Africa<u></u>.
Last spring, for example, the Chinese government committed U.S. $2 billion to
support Chinese business expansion in <u></u>Africa<u></u>
via the China-Africa Development Fund, commonly called the CAD Fund. As for
health, the Chinese ambassador to <u></u>Kenya<u></u>
reminded a <u></u><u></u>Nairobi<u></u><u></u>
audience just last month that thousands of Chinese medical workers treat
millions of African patients in dozens of hospitals and malaria treatment
centers built with the support of his government. <u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">Certainly,
<u></u><u></u>China<u></u><u></u>'s
role in global development is not without controversy. Despite the rapid pace
of change in <u></u>China<u></u>, many
organizations active in global development, including the global health
nonprofit that I lead, still have fundamental concerns about <u></u><u></u>China<u></u><u></u>'s approach on issues
including human rights, transparency, the lack of conditionality of aid,
resource exploitation deals and corruption. The motives behind <u></u>China<u></u>'s good works are often met with suspicion:
What's in it for <u></u><u></u>China<u></u><u></u>?
Of course, questions about historical or contemporary motivations behind aid
and development efforts are fair game in assessing any country's commitments,
including European and <u></u>U.S.<u></u>
roles on the continent of <u></u>Africa<u></u>.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">But,
like the <u></u>United States<u></u>, <u></u><u></u>China<u></u><u></u>'s
potential as a player in global development can't be ignored. So the question
for organizations like PATH is not whether to work with Chinese partners, but
how to work with them. In light of the quality, strength and size of life
sciences research and development, manufacturing and the pharmaceutical and
devices markets emerging within <u></u><u></u>China<u></u><u></u>,
our strategy so far has been to engage with business, academic and government
partners there to bring needed products to the international marketplace. <u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">To
protect children from deadly Japanese encephalitis, for example, we worked with
the China National Biotech Group (now part of Sinopharm) to conduct pivotal
clinical trials of a vaccine, establish an affordable price for low-income
countries, and ramp up manufacturing. Our Japanese Encephalitis Project
contributed to the protection of hundreds of millions of children in <u></u>India<u></u>, <u></u>Cambodia<u></u>,
<u></u><u></u>North Korea<u></u><u></u>
and other countries. <u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">In
2008, we transferred production of our women's condom to a commercial partner
in <u></u><u></u>China<u></u><u></u>:
Dahua Medical Apparatus Company. Today, the condom -- which protects women from
unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV -- is
being introduced in <u></u><u></u>China<u></u><u></u>.
Meanwhile, we're conducting market research, building demand and working toward
introduction in sub-Saharan <u></u>Africa<u></u>.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">These
kinds of partnerships provide a roadmap for <u></u><u></u>China<u></u><u></u>'s future in global
development. Our presence in <u></u><u></u>China<u></u><u></u>
continues to grow, as do our partnerships, capabilities and opportunities to
serve our broader global health and development goals. At PATH, we're aware of
our differences with <u></u><u></u>China<u></u><u></u>
in history, goals and politics. But we're also committed to do more, engage
more deeply, identify new partners and explore more avenues toward lasting
impact.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><a name="13ac11370d32fa63_NorthAmerica4"><b><font color="white" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:white;font-weight:bold" lang="EN-GB">4<u></u><u></u></span></font></b></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">Bicycling ‘Info Ladies’ bring
Internet to remote <u></u><u></u>Bangladesh<u></u><u></u>
villages where connections rare <u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">Associated Press<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="ES-TRAD">02/11/2012<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#ff99cc" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#ff99cc" lang="ES-TRAD"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><i><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-style:italic" lang="PT-BR">Story carried by Washington Post<u></u><u></u></span></font></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">JHARABARSHA,
<u></u><u></u>Bangladesh<u></u><u></u>
— Amina Begum had never seen a computer until a few years ago, but now
she’s on Skype regularly with her husband. A woman on a bicycle brings
the Internet to her.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">Dozens
of “Info Ladies” bike into remote Bangladeshi villages with laptops
and Internet connections, helping tens of thousands of people —
especially women — get everything from government services to chats with
distant loved ones. It’s a vital service in a country where only 5
million of 152 million people have Internet access.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">The
Info Ladies project, created in 2008 by local development group D.Net and other
community organizations, is modeled after a program that helped make cellphones
widespread in <u></u><u></u>Bangladesh<u></u><u></u>.
It intends to enlist thousands more workers in the next few years with startup
funds from the South Asian country’s central bank and expatriates working
around the world.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">D.Net
recruits the women and trains them for three months to use a computer, the
Internet, a printer and a camera. It arranges bank loans for the women to buy
bicycles and equipment.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">“This
way we are providing jobs to jobless women and at the same time empowering
villagers with critical information,” said Ananya Raihan, D.Net’s executive
director.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">The
women — usually undergraduates from middle-class rural families —
aren’t doling out charity. Begum pays 200 takas ($2.40) for an hour of
Skype time with her husband, who works in <u></u><u></u>Saudi Arabia<u></u><u></u>.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">Begum
smiles shyly when her husband’s cheerful face pops up. With earphones in
place, she excitedly tells him she received the money he sent last month. He
asks her to buy farm land.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">Even
Begum’s elderly mother-in-law now uses Skype to talk with her son.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">“We
prefer using Skype to mobile phones because this way we can see him on the
screen,” Begum said, beaming happily from her tiny farming village in
Gaibandha district, 120 miles (192 kilometers) north of the capital, <u></u>Dhaka<u></u>.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">In
the neighboring <u></u><u></u>village<u></u>
of <u></u>Saghata<u></u><u></u>, an Info Lady
is 16-year-old Tamanna Islam Dipa’s connection to social media.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">“I
don’t have any computer, but when the Info Lady comes I use her laptop to
chat with my Facebook friends,” she said. “We exchange our class
notes and sometimes discuss social issues, such as bad effects of child
marriage, dowry and sexual abuse of girls.”<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">The
Info Ladies also provide a slew of social services — some for a fee and
others for free.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">They
sit with teenage girls where they talk about primary health care and taboo
subjects like menstrual hygiene, contraception and HIV. They help villagers
seeking government services write complaints to authorities under the
country’s newly-enacted Right to Information Act.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">They
talk to farmers about the correct use of fertilizer and insecticides. For 10
takas (12 cents) they help students fill college application forms online.
They’re even trained to test blood pressure and blood sugar levels.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">“The
Info Ladies are both entrepreneurs and public service providers,” Raihan
said.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">Raihan
borrowed the idea from Bangladeshi Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, who in 2004
introduced mobile phones to rural women who had no access to telephones of any
kind, by training and sending out scores of “Mobile Ladies” into
the countryside.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">That
hugely successful experiment drew in commercial mobile phone operators. Now
more than 92 million people in <u></u><u></u>Bangladesh<u></u><u></u>
have cellphone access.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">Nearly
60 Info Ladies are working in 19 of <u></u><u></u>Bangladesh<u></u><u></u>’s 64 districts. By
2016, Raihan hopes to train 15,000 women.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">In
July, <u></u><u></u>Bangladesh<u></u><u></u>’s
central bank agreed to offer interest-free loans to Info Ladies. Distribution
of the first phase of loans, totaling 100 million takas ($1.23 million), will
begin in December. Raihan said D.Net is also encouraging the large population
of Bangladeshi expatriates to send money home to help Info Ladies get started.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">“It’s
very innovative,” says Jamilur Reza Chaudhury, a pioneer of information
technology education in <u></u><u></u>Bangladesh<u></u><u></u>.
“The project is really having an impact on the people at grass-root
level.”<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">Info
Lady Sathi Akhtar, who works in Begum’s and Dipa’s villages, said
she makes more at the job than she would as a school teacher. She said that
after making payments on her 120,000 taka ($1,480) loan and covering other
costs, she takes home an average of 10,000 takas ($123) a month.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">“We
are not only earning money, we are also contributing in empowering our women
with information. That makes us happy.”<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">Copyright
2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><a name="13ac11370d32fa63_NorthAmerica5"><b><font color="white" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:white;font-weight:bold" lang="EN-GB">5<u></u><u></u></span></font></b></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">AIDS group angry over HIV guilty verdict <u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><u></u><u></u><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">Toronto</span></font></span><u></u><u></u><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB"> Sun<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="ES-TRAD">02/11/2012<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="ES-TRAD"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN">By
Jessica Beddaoui ,<u></u><u></u>Ottawa<u></u><u></u>
Sun<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">OTTAWA
- The Aids Committee of Ottawa (ACO) is livid with the guilty verdict handed to
Steven Boone on Wednesday for attempted murder and administering a noxious
substance -- HIV -- to his sexual partners.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">"These
verdicts will aid to increase rates of HIV in Canada as talking about sex goes
back into the closet and stigma against people living with HIV/AIDS continues
to thrive," states an excerpt from the ACO press release sent out on
Thursday.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">In
addition to attempted murder and administering a noxious substance, Boone was
convicted of three counts of aggravated sexual assault related to three men he
penetrated anally without a condom and one man he penetrated using a condom.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">Boone
told his partners he was clean.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">The
ACO argues that the severity of these verdicts "contradict medical science
and merely promote fear and hatred."<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">"An
AIDS diagnosis in Canada today is rare and highly treatable. Thanks to
advancements in pharmaceuticals and medical treatment, PHAs (people living with
HIV/AIDS) are now able to lead long, healthy and productive lives," reads
the release.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">The
ACO further argues that "HIV is a medical issue, not a legal one and
Canadian law is not a replacement for a condom," insisting that
criminalization is not the answer.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR">There
is still controversy about the Supreme Court of Canada's decision that criminal
action can be taken if HIV status is not disclosed, unless the amount in their
system has been reduced by medication and a condom is used during intercourse.<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="PT-BR"><a href="mailto:jessica.beddaoui@sunmedia.ca" target="_blank">jessica.beddaoui@sunmedia.ca</a><u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">========================<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><b><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold" lang="EN-GB">UNAIDS WEB.SITE<u></u><u></u></span></font></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">========================<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">Interview with J.V.R.Prasada Rao, United
Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for AIDS in <u></u>Asia<u></u>
and the Pacific <u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="EN-GB">UNAIDS<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#e93e35" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#e93e35" lang="ES-TRAD">02/11/2012<u></u><u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><span><font color="#ff99cc" face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#ff99cc" lang="ES-TRAD"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><i><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-style:italic">The United Nations
Secretary-General’s Special Envoys for AIDS are committed individuals
selected by the United Nations Secretary-General to help advance the AIDS
agenda at global level and to ensure that AIDS is kept high as a political
priority in their respective regions. In a series of interviews with
Unaids.org, the Special Envoys for AIDS shared their views on the state of the
AIDS epidemic and their own role in the global effort to end the epidemic.<u></u><u></u></span></font></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">J.V.R.Prasada Rao, a
national of <u></u>India<u></u>, was
appointed United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for AIDS in <u></u>Asia<u></u> and the Pacific in July 2012.<u></u><u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">Mr Rao was the Director of
India’s National AIDS Control Organization for five years before serving
as <u></u><u></u>India<u></u><u></u>’s
Permanent Secretary for Health and Family Welfare. There, he played an
instrumental role in implementing a comprehensive and decentralized national
AIDS control programme. He then joined UNAIDS in 2004, where he was appointed
Regional Director for <u></u>Asia<u></u> and Pacific and
subsequently Senior Advisor to the Executive Director. He has served as Member
Secretary of two independent commissions on AIDS in <u></u>Asia<u></u>
and the Pacific and is currently a Commissioner of the Global Commission on HIV
and the Law.<u></u><u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">During his work, Mr Rao
consistently advocated for the empowerment of vulnerable communities and people
living with HIV as an essential element to achieving an effective AIDS response
in <u></u>Asia<u></u> and the Pacific.<u></u><u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">UNAIDS.org: As one of the
United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoys for AIDS, what do you
consider to be your role in the response to the epidemic?<u></u><u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">The United Nations
Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon and the UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé
share the vision of getting to zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and
zero AIDS-related deaths. This includes <u></u>Asia<u></u>
and the Pacific, a region which represents more than half of the world’s
population. Although the region has seen progress in the areas of HIV
prevention and treatment, we still have a long way to go to get to zero. Thus,
my aim is to bring this message to top political leaders across the region.<u></u><u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">We must use the critical
three year period before 2015 to reach the Millennium Development Goal on
combatting HIV. I would like to share this message with political leaders,
parliamentarians, community representatives and donors.<u></u><u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">What motivates you in this
role?<u></u><u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">The biggest motivating
factor for working as Special Envoy on AIDS is the historical opportunity we
have to reverse the spread of HIV in Asia Pacific and to achieve the Millennium
Development Goals.<u></u><u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">I have been working on
AIDS programmes for the past 15 years, first in the Government of India and
later at UNAIDS, and faced enormous challenges—particularly in the early
days of the AIDS response. Things have changed a lot since then, but I learned
some important lessons which I can now pass on to others to make our collective
efforts in responding to the epidemic more efficient.<u></u><u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">The number of new HIV
infections has stabilized in <u></u>Asia<u></u> and
decreased in the Pacific in recent years. What has changed in the region?<u></u><u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB">In the last 10 years, some
countries have shown remarkable progress in terms of HIV prevention, which has
helped bring down new HIV infections. As a whole, the number of new HIV
infections in the region is declining, but I am still not happy with the rate
of this decline, and in many countries new HIV infections continue to rise.<u></u><u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial">Successful countries, such as <u></u>Thailand<u></u>, <u></u>Cambodia<u></u>,
<u></u>India<u></u> and <u></u><u></u>Malaysia<u></u><u></u>, have invested wisely in
HIV prevention programmes for key populations at higher risk. In the Pacific,
countries like <u></u>Fiji<u></u> and <u></u>Samoa<u></u> have demonstrated that a determined leadership and
a strong commitment to the AIDS response can make a big difference. Regional
inter-governmental bodies like the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for <u></u>Asia<u></u> and the Pacific (ESCAP) have kept AIDS a priority,
and this has contributed greatly to the stabilisation of HIV infections in
member countries.<u></u><u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial">What key issues and challenges remain
in the response to AIDS in <u></u>Asia<u></u> and the
Pacific?<u></u><u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial">I would like to highlight the threat
that comes from political leadership being complacent and claiming victory too
early. AIDS is becoming less of a priority in some of the Asian countries that
have seen improvement in recent years. We need to work with the leadership in
these countries to ensure that the response to AIDS does not lose momentum. We
cannot afford a second wave of the epidemic in the region.<u></u><u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial">The region is lagging behind the
global average in the provision of HIV treatment and prevention services to
stop new HIV infections among children. Programme managers and political
leaders should be aware of this and work to improve access to treatment to
vulnerable communities, women and children.<u></u><u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial">Adverse legal environments continue
to be a challenge in many countries in the region. Key populations such as men
who have sex with men, sex workers and people who use drugs are still
criminalised in most countries. I will encourage political leaders and
legislators to reform both the laws themselves and the way they are enforced.
Small countries like <u></u>Fiji<u></u>
and <u></u><u></u>Nepal<u></u><u></u>
have demonstrated that when leaders commit, they can alter the environment of
stigma and discrimination surrounding AIDS.<u></u><u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial">Throughout your career you have
consistently advocated for the empowerment of vulnerable communities. What is
the role of key populations in <u></u>Asia<u></u> and the
Pacific in the response to AIDS? <u></u><u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial">People living with HIV and key
populations at higher risk such as men who have sex with men, sex workers and
people who use drugs play a central role in the response to AIDS. The Asia
Commission report and country-specific surveillance data show that countries
need to invest in programmes to prevent HIV infections among key populations,
yet many countries are still not dedicating appropriate resources. I would like
to see constructive activism from leaders and members of key populations in
pressuring governments to provide adequate funding for HIV prevention and
treatment services for the most vulnerable communities.<u></u><u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial">At this critical juncture of the AIDS
response, the unity and commitment of community leaders is crucial. Some have
successfully demonstrated how community-owned HIV programmes for HIV prevention
and treatment can be cost-effective and produce positive results. We need to
see more of these community-owned HIV programmes implemented in various
countries. This is bound to make a difference to the course of the epidemic.<u></u><u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:13.0pt"><font face="Arial" size="1"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial" lang="EN-GB"><u></u> <u></u></span></font></p>
</div>
</div>
</div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>HIV TWG Listserv<br><br>Address to post message: <a href="mailto:hivaids-twg@ngocentre.org.vn">hivaids-twg@ngocentre.org.vn</a><br><br>Subscribe to the listserv: <a href="http://mailman.ngocentre.org.vn/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/hivaids-twg">http://mailman.ngocentre.org.vn/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/hivaids-twg</a> <br>