How can we tell if teenagers are responding to HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns? Is it acceptable to conduct randomised trials in schools to find out? University College London, together with the University of Zimbabwe and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, looked into the sensitive topic of interviewing and testing teenagers for sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs) including HIV, in a feasibility study for a large community randomised trial. It found that communities in Zimbabwe were enthusiastic about taking part in trials in schools and recognised the importance of these.
Governance and participation in health
AN URGENT CALL TO CIVIL SOCIETY TO ADVOCATE FOR INCREASED FUNDING TO THE GLOBAL FUND TO FIGHT AIDS, TUBERCULOSIS AND MALARIA
Fund the Fund have produced an advocacy kit aimed at civil society organisations (including nongovernmental, community-based, people living with the diseases, faith-based, and trade unions) to promote their advocacy for increased investment in the Global Fund.
Further details: /newsletter/id/29809
CIVIL SOCIETY AND HEALTH - ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY OF SELECTED RESEARCH
Civil society actors have become more visible, active and influential within health and health systems. Understanding their role, the factors influencing them and the health outcomes they produce is important to anyone wishing to improve public health. This website presents an annotated bibliography of research on civil society and health prepared as a collaboration between the World Health Organisation's Civil Society Initiative and Training and Research Support Centre. The research focused on three theme areas: Civil society - state interactions in national health systems; Civil society contributions to pro-poor, health equity policies; Civil society influence on global health policy.
On-Line AIDS Candlelight Memorial - Light a Virtual Candle
You are invited to light a virtual candle for someone who has been touched by HIV/AIDS. Visit http://www.candlelightmemorial.org/lightcandle to be a part of the fastest growing on-line AIDS Candlelight Memorial. The "On-Line AIDS Candlelight Memorial", which is part of the Global Health Council's International AIDS Candlelight Memorial Campaign, gives people from around the world the opportunity to join millions of others in remembering those who have been impacted by HIV/AIDS. Once you have lit your virtual candle, you will have the opportunity to join the world's largest grassroots AIDS event and register your community to be part of the "International AIDS Candlelight Memorial" on May 18, 2003. By organizing a Memorial for May 18, you will be lighting candles in solidarity with millions of other individuals in more than 90 countries around the world.
Further details: /newsletter/id/29725
Participatory Learning and Action: Ethiopia Project Shows How a Participatory Process with Youth can Help Shape National Policy
To begin planning its program, the new Ethiopian Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Culture turned to an approach called participatory learning and action, or PLA. Officials involved young people throughout the country in a learning and planning process for the Ministry. The youth developed a national youth charter and a 3-year action plan to mobilize youth for improved sexual health and HIV/AIDS preventive behavior. Plus, the process led to the creation of a dynamic network of young people committed to the health and future of the country.
Examining HIV/AIDS THROUGH THE Eyes of Ordinary South Africans
This paper produced by the Centre for Social Science Research (CSSR) at the University of Cape Town compares public opinion survey data from the Afrobarometer with epidemiological data about the HIV/AIDS pandemic in seven Southern African countries. The authors use this data to examine the degree to which people are aware of the pandemic, and are willing to speak about it. They also use it to examine whether it yields any palpable consequences of the disease in terms of public health. In turn, they also ask whether data on public awareness of AIDS deaths and individual health status corroborate, broadly, existing epidemiological data on HIV/AIDS. Finally, they examine the degree to which HIV/AIDS affects southern Africans' political priorities, political participation and expectations for government action.
The Massive Effort Campaign
Established in Sept 2001, this is a global movement that seeks to reduce the incidence of diseases like AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria among poor people. The campaign's goal is to advocate for and communicate best practices to stimulate social and political change. The campaign supports networks of existing organisations by providing strategic information, best practices, prototype messages, opportunities for collaboration and co-ordination. A website facilitates this exchange of information.
Drop the Malaria Tax Campaign
Africa Malaria Day on 25 April 2003 is nearing, marking three years since African leaders met in Abuja, Nigeria and promised to help fight malaria by dropping taxes on treated mosquito nets. Research and experience prove beyond any doubt that Insect Treated Nets (ITNs) save lives by preventing new malarial infections. Recognizing their life-saving potential, African leaders pledged to drop all taxes and tariffs on ITNs. But despite this, many countries have yet to drop the malaria tax. At the website below there are a range of resources for finding out more about malaria and the campaign to drop the taxes on mosquito nets, information about the campaign to pressure African leaders to comply and a list of countries who have kept their promise about the tax and those who haven't.
ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING OF BEHAVIOR CHANGE COMMUNICATION (BCC) INTERVENTIONS
This is a handbook to help planners and implementors look at the effectiveness of their BCC interventions. Implementors can use the handbook to help them monitor, since the handbook can point out both strengths and potential weaknesses of an ongoing intervention. The handbook can also be used as a planning tool because it highlights important points for the design and development of effective BCC programming.
using sms to fight tb
A Cape Town doctor has dramatically helped the fight against tuberculosis (TB) by introducing a SMS service to remind patients to take their medication. Dr. David Green, a consultant in Managed Care, Disease Management and Information Systems, became so frustrated when his mother constantly forgot to take her medication for hypertension, that he started sending her SMS reminders -- and it worked. It did not take him long to make the connection between the effectiveness that his SMS messages had on alerting his mother, the high incidence of TB in Cape Town, and the possibilities that bulk SMS messages could present.
Further details: /newsletter/id/29558