His skin itches madly from shingles, the thrush in his mouth makes it difficult to talk or eat and he has had chronic diarrhea for weeks, but South Africa's most prominent AIDS activist fights on. "There is no holiday from HIV," said Zackie Achmat, chairman of the Treatment Action Campaign, a group lobbying for affordable treatment for the 4.7 million South Africans infected by the epidemic. While 3,000 health experts, politicians and scientists gathered at the United Nations in New York this week to discuss ways to fight AIDS, Achmat and other activists remained on the ground in Africa, prodding their governments and their people into tackling the pandemic.
Governance and participation in health
Interactive learning tool on participatory processes
An interactive learning tool on participatory processes at the national level for the Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRSP) and other government strategies and actions to reduce poverty is currently under development. It is designed to provide staff from country governments, World Bank and the Fund, and civil society leaders guidance on participatory processes and outcomes at the national level through the 4 building blocks: poverty diagnostics, public expenditure management, macroeconomic reform and monitoring implementation and results of policies. This interactive learning guide on participation was prepared by the Action Learning Team of the Participation Thematic Group in the Social Development Department of ESSD Network. Please send your feedback and share your learning experiences with us: the Participation Group, Social Development Department, the World Bank.
Women and Power
by Irene Santiago
Underdevelopment as well as gender inequality is the story of power and powerlessness. The goal is to transform politics and leadership, so that women can contribute in the redefinition of power.
EAST AFRICA: Tapping into traditional health practices
NAIROBI, 21 May (IRIN) - The World Bank, representatives of US complementary health institutes and African traditional healers have
agreed to collaborate on the analysis and validation of indigenous health practices, including herbal treatments of HIV/AIDS-related opportunistic infections. Western health institutes and the Bank also agreed to discuss ways in which to build partnerships between traditional health practitioners and the scientific community, according to a press release from the World Bank's Indigenous Knowledge for Development (IK) Programme on 17 May.
Further details: /newsletter/id/28554
EAST AFRICA: Tapping into traditional health practices
NAIROBI, 21 May (IRIN) - The World Bank, representatives of US complementary health institutes and African traditional healers have
agreed to collaborate on the analysis and validation of indigenous health practices, including herbal treatments of HIV/AIDS-related opportunistic infections. Western health institutes and the Bank also agreed to discuss ways in which to build partnerships between traditional health practitioners and the scientific community, according to a press release from the World Bank's Indigenous Knowledge for Development (IK) Programme on 17 May.
Further details: /newsletter/id/28556
Women and HIV/AIDS in the 2nd Draft of the Declaration of Commitment
The Global Alliance for Women's Health submits the following proposals concerning women and HIV/ AIDS in the revised draft Declaration of Commitment on HIV /AIDS: The DECLARATION OF COMMITMENT ON HIV/AIDS would be greatly strengthened by citing explicitly Article 12 of the CONVENTION ON THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMATION AGAINST WOMEN (CEDAW) in the pre-ambular section with text from the article and by incorporating equality language in at least the section, "Care Support and Treatment." Care, support and treatment are fundamental elements of an effective response and should be available [equally] to men and women [in conformity with CEDAW, Article 12].States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in the field of health care in order to ensure, on a basis of equality of men and women, access to health care services. CONVENTION ON THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMATION AGAINST WOMEN (CEDAW), Article 12.1
If you or your organization would like to sign on to these proposals please contact us by e-mail.
Contact: gawh @igc.apc.org