HIV prevention is possible if we can defeat Stigma, will we? Take a HIV test now!

In our world estimation and from the UN Aids programme own admission yesterday, we have deep believe at the African Institute AISD that it is possible to reverse HIV spread in Africans and the world if stigma is seriously combated.

The number of new HIV infections and deaths from AIDS are falling globally, according to new statistics from the UN's programme on HIV/AIDS.

Michel Sidibe, photo above, says the statistics show the spread of HIV has halted in some places. And Mr Juma from African Institute invite Africans in the UK to come out and take up a HIV test.


There are now signs the epidemic is declining, it says, however, stigma and discrimination continue to cause problems for the estimated 33m people living with HIV.

Last year there were 2.6m new HIV infections.

This is down almost 20% since the peak of the Aids epidemic in 1999.

In 2009, 1.8m died from Aids-related illnesses, down from 2.1m in 2004.

Mixed progress

The report says rates of treatment using anti-retroviral drugs have risen from 700,000 in 2004 to over 5m people in 2009.

Sub-Saharan Africa continues to be the region most affected by the epidemic, with around 70% of all new HIV infections occurring here.

But infection rates are falling, particularly in South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia.

There is a mixed picture in other parts of the world.

Eastern Europe and central Asia show sharp rises in new infections and Aids-related deaths.

And the UN says bad laws and discrimination, particularly in respect to drug users and homosexuals, continue to hamper the fight against Aids.

"We are breaking the trajectory of the Aids epidemic with bold actions and smart choices," said Mr Michel Sidibe, executive director of UN-AIDS.

"Investments in the Aids response are paying off, but gains are fragile - the challenge now is how we can all work to accelerate progress."

'We can speed up our response if promise are not broken and our community address some of media negative myths around HIV' end of article by AISD

Sexual Health Week 2010

Sexual Health is GOOD for PEOPLE of all ages

We are having a very good start of our SEXUAL HEALTH WEEK that is running from 13 to 19 September. We are giving plenty of information out and oureaching people from all ages from young people to midle aged people who are right at the centre on this years sexual health week. African Institute is providing information, condoms, HIV Prevention DVDs, Do It Right gender campaign from NAHIP programme, and are doing demonstration of proper condom use for small groups in African Small Business.

AISD Campaigners in Nottinghamshire joined others nationally to say many middle-aged people and pensioners are either embarrassed about buying contraception, and because of the stigma associated with venereal disease “VD” among older generations they are less likely to ask for advice. VD is being known as STIs (Sexually Transmitted Infections)

Others are said to believe, wrongly, that using condoms is unnecessary if they can no longer have children.
But recent figures show that almost 13,000 men and women over 45 years old were diagnosed with a Sexually Transmitted Infection last year, double the numbers recorded a decade earlier, while more older men contracted herpes than teenage boys.
In response, FPA, the sexual health charity, has launched what it believes is the first-ever awareness campaign aimed specifically at the over-50s.
Called The Middle-age Spread, it involves fashion adverts from the 1970s that have been turned into posters with a photograph of a condom and the slogan: “Remember wearing this? Then remember to wear this!”
Julie Bentley, chief executive of the FPA, said: “We celebrate the positive and fulfilling sexuality of the over 50s, but we also have to get the message across that STIs don’t care about greying hair and a few wrinkles. This is a concerning situation which unless we take action now is only going to get worse.”
She went on: “There is very little sexual health information and services for the over 50s, and current campaigns, however good, are exclusively for the young.
“Sex is something very personal, we can all find it difficult to talk about and this can be particularly true for older generations.
“Many over 50s, relieved contraception is no longer an issue, forget about using condoms. Others haven’t had to think about using condoms for decades, let alone go into a shop and buy them.
“Worries about confidentiality stop them going to clinics which tend to be more geared for young people. We often have the over 50s asking our helpline whether they are allowed to attend because of their age.
“We need to do more to encourage the over 50s to access sexual health clinics. Running sessions specifically for the over 50s would make people feel more comfortable about using services.”

Prevention is key in addressing incurable STIs, such as HIV & herpes. Mr Juma ,AISD Director said on Saturday 11th Sept while launching sexual health week for this year near the African House in Nottingham City

The most effective way to prevent sexual transmission of STIs is to avoid contact of body parts or fluids which can lead to transfer with an infected partner. No contact minimizes risk. Not all sexual activities involve contact: cybersex, phonesex or masturbation from a distance are methods of avoiding contact. Proper use of condoms reduces contact and risk. Although a condom is effective in limiting exposure, some disease transmission may occur even with a condom.

Ideally, both partners should get tested for STIs before initiating sexual contact, or before resuming contact if a partner engaged in contact with someone else. Many infections are not detectable immediately after exposure, so enough time must be allowed between possible exposures and testing for the tests to be accurate. Certain STIs, particularly certain persistent viruses like HPV, may be impossible to detect with current medical procedures.

AISD Microbicides News and Conference in 2010: African Women Will kill HIV Virus

African Women Test Vaginal Ring To Kill HIV Virus

African Institute for Social Development(AISD) has been involved in international efforts to bring about changes and lasting solutions to HIV virus in African Communities and the world. The virus that causes AIDS would not have a vaccine for many more years to come. In the effort to combat the virus, Scientists have been running trials of Microbicides(= substances that kill viruses on contact) which could bring about the lasting changes and prevent many people from become infected during sexual contacts.

We are pleased to publish the new trial that has been launched in June 2010 and will involve women from 7 countries in southern Africa. David Brown from Washington Post wrote the following news report :

By David Brown
Washington Post Staff Writer June 2010
The first test of a long-acting vaginal ring loaded with an HIV-preventing drug has begun enrolling women in southern Africa.
With no prospects for an AIDS vaccine in the next decade or longer, the AIDS community has high hopes for "microbicides," the general term for substances that kill viruses or bacteria on contact. None of the compounds tested to date, however, has worked, and one of them actually increased a woman's risk of becoming infected.
The new study is the 15th undertaken by the International Partnership for Microbicides, a nonprofit group in Silver Spring that has helped lead the search for a discreet, woman-controlled means of protection.
"This is the one that is most likely to work," Zeda Rosenberg, the head of the organization, said last week at Women Deliver 2010, an international conference on maternal and child health held in Washington.
Elizabeth Mataka, the United Nations special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, said she was "very excited about the prospect" of a long-acting microbicidal ring. She told reporters that its advantage is that "nobody needs to know, nobody needs to agree" when a woman uses it.

Heterosexual intercourse is by far the main mode of HIV transmission in the world, with women at somewhat greater risk than men. Of the 33 million people living with AIDS worldwide, 16 million are women age 15 and older. Two-thirds of HIV-infected people live in sub-Saharan Africa, and 60 percent of them there are women.
The product manufactured by the Silver Spring nonprofit is a silicone ring similar to one used in contraceptive devices such as NuvaRing. It is impregnated with dapivirine, an antiretroviral drug. The drug is released into the vagina over a month, after which it is replaced.
The study is recruiting 280 women and will evaluate the ring's safety through blood tests, pelvic exams and interviews with users. The first women were recruited in South Africa at the end of April; other volunteers will come from three nearby countries.
Whether the ring successfully prevents HIV infection will require a much larger study that won't begin until next year. It will recruit up to 8,000 women in seven countries, will cost about $90 million and is expected to have results in 2015.
Previous studies have shown that a woman's sexual partner is aware that she is using a vaginal ring about half the time. Some experts are worried that if a woman uses the ring without informing a partner, she might risk becoming the victim of violence if he finds out.
"I think women are incredibly resourceful and will figure out how to place this in the context of their relationship," Rosenberg said.
An 889-woman study of a vaginal gel containing the antiretroviral drug tenofovir is underway in South Africa. Preliminary results on that microbicide will be revealed next month.
A vaginal ring that contains both contraceptives and an antiretroviral drug is also under development with support from the U.S. Agency for International Development, said Régine Sitruk-Ware, an endocrinologist with the nonprofit Population Council. It would be removed once a month during the menstrual period and could be used for a year

We at AISD encourage members of African Community in the East Midlands region and England to play a part in these developments or at least stay informed. We therefore invite all our readers to join our feedback conference in London:

MICROBICIDES 2010 Conference

‘Building Bridges in HIV Prevention’ Feedback Session
You are cordially invited to the Microbicides 2010 conference feedback session. The session will highlight new studies and findings, key messages and emerging issues presented at the conference in Pittsburgh, USA.
Please find below details for the session
DATE: Friday 2nd July 2010
TIME: 14.00 – 16.00
VENUE: African HIV Policy Network, 3rd Floor West Wing, New City Cloisters, 196 Old Street, London, EC1V 9FR
Please confirm your attendance to the session by email to Mariama.kamara@ahpn.org or call 0207 017 8910 by Wednesday 30th June 2010.

For further help please do not hesitate to contact us at http://www.africaninstitute.org.uk/ or call AISD director Mr Amdani Juma on 07834459076

AISD Support the Pledge to Stop Mother to Baby HIV Spread

A campaign is being launched to try to enlist public support to ensure no more children are born with HIV by 2015.

It is the work of the Global Fund, which uses donations from governments to fight HIV, TB and malaria.

The Born HIV Free campaign comes at a critical time, with the fund seeking donations of up to $20bn over the next three years.

It recognises this will be a battle, as governments deal with the aftermath of the Greek financial crisis.

HIV can be passed from mother to child during pregnancy, labour or breast-feeding.

This type of transmission has been almost wiped out in countries such as the UK, because pregnant women who test positive for the virus that causes AIDS can be treated with drugs.

Other measures - such as giving birth by caesarian section - help stop HIV being transmitted to the baby.

But in developing countries, 430,000 children are born with HIV every year.

International effort

The Global Fund already channels more than half of international resources used to prevent mothers passing on HIV.

It believes that the goal of ending this type of HIV transmission by 2015 is achievable - if governments feel they can pledge money with the support of their electorates.

Its executive director, Professor Michel Kazatchkine, said: "We can win this battle against Aids if we get the funding we require.

"This campaign is intended to encourage people to sign up in support of the Global Fund, and to show their leaders that there is strong public support to continue and increase funding for its mission."

Endorsement

The campaign has been overseen by the French first lady, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, who is an ambassador for the Global Fund.

Her voice urges people to lend their support in a series of films, with music by Amy Winehouse and U2, which are being promoted on the internet.

The logo has adapted the visual imagery of the red ribbon - long associated with AIDS awareness - to symbolise a mother and child.

The US is the biggest donor to the Global Fund. The UK has pledged or contributed $1.1bn since the fund began in 2002. France is the largest European contributor.

The next round of donations will be confirmed at a crucial meeting in October, chaired by the UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon.

Insiders at the Global Fund are waiting to hear how the new coalition government in the UK will respond to the request for commitments.

They say they have previously had "promising noises" from the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats on global health issues.

The editor of the Lancet medical journal, Dr Richard Horton, said: "An early indication that our government will support the Global Fund is really important.

"It's something that has worked - because the money has been spent on drug treatment and bed nets.

"Another pressing issue is taking a serious look at the Department for International Development.

"There is genuine concern that a lot of money has been spent on development aid - without always getting a clear return.

"There needs to be accountability at this time of financial stringency"

By Jane Dreaper
Health correspondent, BBC News

We would like to show support and encourage our members to bring the campaign home, work and go public. African people will benefit from this campaign and we would have a world without the word AIDS again said Amdani Juma, AISD Director

VICTORY & ROAD TO EQUALITY IN EMPLOYMENT FOR PEAPLE WITH HIV

AFRICAN INSTITUTE UBUNTU VIEW

AISD JOINS THE NATIONAL AIDS TRUST, THE HIV CHARITY TO WELCOME GROUNDBREAKING STEP TO PROHIBIT THE USE OF PRE-EMPLOYMENT HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRES



New legislation looks set to remove a significant barrier in recruitment for HIV positive people by outlawing the use of pre-employment health questionnaires

NAT (National AIDS Trust) are today celebrating a significant step forward towards the end to discrimination in recruitment for people living with HIV. Last night saw the introduction to the Equality Bill of a ground breaking clause that received cross party support and will for the first time see the prohibition of health questionnaires prior to an offer of employment.

Until now, employers have been able to ask job applicants whether they have a disability, are taking medication or have a medical condition – even if it has no relevance to the role. NAT has worked with politicians from all parties to secure this outcome, playing a key role in the campaign to prohibit the use of these questionnaires that have enabled less scrupulous employers to filter out applicants with a disability or long term health condition.

Deborah Jack, Chief Executive of NAT, comments:

“We are delighted that the Government has listened to NAT’s concerns and that the Equality Bill will prohibit the use of pre-employment health questionnaires, bringing the UK into line with international best practice around recruitment and disability.

Many employers do not realise that someone living with HIV can have an active career and be an asset to their organisation – even if they are the best candidate for the job, people are turned down because employers makes incorrect assumptions about their health. In a difficult economic climate and with a reformed benefits system it is more important than ever to remove the discrimination which prevents so many HIV positive people from entering paid employment. In the past, irrelevant and intrusive questions have deterred people from applying for jobs and provided opportunities for unfairness and prejudice, we are therefore today celebrating the Bill’s prohibition of questionnaires that will remove one of the key barriers to disabled people entering the workplace.”

NAT are now calling on the Government to make sure this Bill reaches the statute books before an election is called, so that these new measures prohibiting the use of health questionnaires become a reality for people living with HIV.

Notes to the Editor:
1 – The Equality Bill debate in the Lords on pre-employment health care questionnaires can be found at http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200910/ldhansrd/text/100119-0008.htm
2 – NAT worked with Rethink on this issue. Our joint submission to the Work and Pensions Committee on the issue of pre-employment questionnaire is available at:
http://www.nat.org.uk/Our-thinking/Law-stigma-and-discrimination/Human-rights-and-discrimination.aspx

As member of NAT Policy Network, the African Institute for Social Development ask all our partners in Nottingham, the East Midlands and beyond to raise awareness of this bill and positive gains it allow us to go ahead in defieting disadvantadge and discrimination based on HIV status, we are achieving the UBUNTU for people said Mr Juma the AISD community director.

WORLD TB DAY AT AISD NOTTINGHAM

Dear Reader

The World Tuberculosis Day

World Tuberculosis Day, falling on March 24 each year, is designed to build public awareness about the global

epidemic of tuberculosis and efforts to eliminate the disease. Today tuberculosis causes the deaths of about 1.6 million people each year, mostly in the Third World.
March 24th commemorates the day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch astounded the scientific community by announcing that he had discovered the cause of tuberculosis, the TB bacillus. At the time of Koch's announcement in Berlin, TB was raging through Europe and the Americas, causing the death of one out of every seven people. Koch's discovery opened the way toward diagnosing and curing tuberculosis
World Tuberculosis Day 2010
On the occasion of World TB Day 2010, the International Committee of the Red Cross declared that attempts to stem the spread of tuberculosis across the globe are likely to fall well short of what is needed unless authorities in affected countries significantly increase their efforts to stop the deadly disease from breeding inside prisons. As a result of overcrowding and poor nutrition, TB rates in many prisons are 10 to 40 times higher than in the general public. The ICRC has been fighting TB in prisons in the Caucasus region, Central Asia, Latin America, Asia Pacific and Africa for more than a decade, either directly or by supporting local programmes [1].
Themes by year
2010: On the move against TB: Innovate towards action
2009: I am stopping TB
2008: I am stopping TB
2007: TB anywhere is TB everywhere
2006: Actions for life – Towards a world free of TB
2005: Frontline TB care providers: Heroes in the fight against TB
2004: Every breath counts – Stop TB now!
2003: DOTS cured me – it will cure you too!
2002: Stop TB, fight poverty
2001: DOTS: TB cure for all
2000: Forging new partnerships to Stop TB

"We ask all men, women and young people to join our efforts in highlighting health challenges that African Communities are facing right now in the UK, in Africa and accross the world. TB infection is here in the Eastmidlands and numbers are shoking" Mr Amdani Juma from AISD

TALK & TEST Campaign in England

African Institute for Social Development (AISD)

We are pleased to launch TALK & TEST campaign in Nottingham. AHPN tailored HIV prevention interventions are required for African living in England

Testing is the only way you can tell if you are infected with HIV

is the message emphasised in the new HIV testing campaign by the African HIV Policy Network (AHPN).
The campaign is part of the Department of Health funded National African HIV prevention (NAHIP) programme

Having an HIV test is the only way to know for sure if you are infected. The sooner the diagnosis, the more likely it is that HIV treatments will keep you healthy. The campaign carries the theme TALK and TEST and aims to signpost those who wish to TALK about their concerns regarding testing for HIV and living with HIV, to a free and confidential helpline 0800-0967-500.

Visitors to www.doitright.uk.com, can access facts and figures about HIV, find out more about the HIV test, and can complete an interactive HIV information quiz (Life check), providing a range of information from the basics of HIV to taking treatment.

TALK & TEST builds on the findings of the latest Bass Line survey of 2,500 Africans living in England. The Bass Line survey was commissioned by AHPN and undertaken by Sigma Research. Its aim was to provide a better understanding of the gaps in HIV prevention within African communities in England.

Bass Line 2008-09 suggested that almost 40% of African people in England had never tested for HIV, and among them, almost 10% were too afraid they might have HIV to test. About one-in-eight (12.2%) of those completing the survey wanted to test for HIV but did not know where to go for an HIV test.

Ford Hickson, Senior Research Fellow at Sigma Research and the lead researcher on Bass Line said “Many African people in England would test for HIV if they knew where to go for a test. This simple need should be addressed as a matter of urgency. However, influencing testing in other Africans requires increasing their perception of risk from HIV infection, and increasing their understanding of the benefits of testing and the potential harm associated with not knowing their HIV status.

When it came to essential awareness about HIV, the vast majority of those completing the survey knew that: HIV is a virus that can be passed during sexual intercourse, that HIV cannot be passed through everyday contact, and that there is a medical test that can show whether someone is infected.

Jabulani Chwaula –NAHIP Programme Manager says; “The value these findings bring to HIV prevention programmes, is that, while on one hand the HIV prevention needs may be basic and primarily information-based for some, for others they are likely to be quite complex. Those who lack social power turn out to be those with the greatest need for skills and confidence to help them avoid getting or passing on HIV. Resolving this means paying attention to treatment access, stigma, discrimination, and immigration policy”.

It is the position of the AHPN that an essential element of planning, funding and delivery of HIV prevention for African people in England is recognition of people’s rights to access information and health services including testing for HIV.

A Department of Health spokesperson said: “We are pleased to support the Bass Line survey, which provides a valuable insight into the HIV prevention needs of African communities. Today, it’s never been easier to get an HIV test with excellent access to confidential GUM and sexual health clinics. We will consider the survey findings in taking forward our national African HIV prevention programme”. port: HIV in the United Kingdom: 2009 Report.
The final report of Bass Line 2008-09 is available free at:
www.sigmaresearch.org.uk/go.php/reports/report2009h
www.nahip.org.uk

For more information Contact:
AHPN Information -020 7017 8910 or info@nahip.org.uk


**Notes for Editor:
The AISD is one of African Community Based Organisation involved in the campaign in Nottingham. AISD works with local, regional and national partnership to improve health and skills in African Communities in Nottingham and region. AISD is one of 19 NAHIP partners’ organisations working to accelerate response of reducing HIV infection of African men, women and young people in England. contact us at http://africaninstitute-aisd.blogspot.com/ email: africaninstitute@live.co.uk or call us at +44(0)7834459076

The AHPN is an alliance of African community-based organisations and their supporters working for fair policies for people living with HIV/AIDS in the UK, providing training, support, research and information. The AHPN is the only African organisation in the UK whose work is dedicated to policy, advocacy and representation at national level. Its major focus is on HIV and the sexual health of Africans in the UK.
National African HIV Prevention Programme (NAHIP) NAHIP is a Department of Health-funded programme managed by the AHPN. It works with community-based organisations to implement prevention initiatives at national level. For more information, please visit http://www.nahip.org.uk/

Sigma Research is a social research group specialising in the behavioural and policy aspects of HIV and sexual health. It also undertakes research and development work on aspects of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) health and wellbeing. Sigma is part of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Portsmouth. It provides research and development services across the UK but it has its offices in London.
In the last ten years, Sigma Research has undertaken more than fifty research and development projects concerned with the impact of HIV on the sexual and social lives of a variety of populations. Projects include local, regional and national needs assessments, intervention and programme evaluations and service and policy reviews.

HIV in the UK

People living with HIV:
More than 85,000 people are living with HIV in the UK
Over a quarter of people with HIV in the UK are undiagnosed
About two thirds of people living with HIV are men and a third are women
Over half of all people living with HIV are aged between 30 and 44, but there are significant numbers both of young people and older people now living with HIV

New HIV cases in 2008: 7,298 new diagnoses
The two groups most affected remain gay and bisexual men and black African heterosexuals. Three-quarters of people diagnosed were between these two groups.
2,760 new diagnoses among men who have sex with men
2,790 new diagnoses among people from black and minority ethnic communities

All figures from the Health Protection Agency report: HIV in the United Kingdom: 2009 Report.

African Institute AISD will launch Gender Campaign for Teens against violence

In 2010, The African Institute for Social Development(AISD) champions equality and right to fair treatment between both teenagers and young people. We support and campaign for a progressive home and school education that deals with sexuaity, gender, power and violance as HIV and Sexual Health studies show that those issues are closely related.
AISD will campagn along side the government to fight against violence among young people especially those in sexual relationships to improve lives and prevent all forms of abuses. It is appropriate to support African young people and involve teenagers in the below government campaign

Teen partner violence campaign launching 15
February 2010
As a first step in the long-term commitment to change public attitudes towards violence against women and girls, the government is launching a marketing campaign to tackle attitudes to violence in teenagerelationshipson 15 February 2010. Recent NSPCC research showed that violence in teenage relationships is highly prevalent and that teenagers have surprisingly tolerant attitudes to violence in relationships. Partner exploitation and violence in teenage intimate relationships, Barter et al (University of Bristol and NSPCC,2009)
Evidence also shows that coercive and controlling behaviour canescalate into both physical and sexual violence and lead to repeat instances.

Campaign aims
The campaign is aiming to interrupt the pattern of violence by showing teens that the behaviour is unacceptable and to influence them before their attitudes or behaviour become too entrenched. Home Office is leading on the campaign and DH is working alongside them to ensure the relevant health messages are incorporated into the work. The marketing campaign is intended to challenge the attitudes of 13-18yearolds, getting them to re-think their views by showing them that they do not have to accept or tolerate violence in relationships. Parents and carers also need to be made aware that teen partner violence is a problem so that they can pick up on any potential relationships where violence could escalate and talk to their teens about this very difficult subject.

Media
The campaign is launching with a TV campaign on youth TV channels, supported with posters in places that young people frequent, press and editorial in girls magazines, radio partnerships for boys and a digital online presence to send all teens for more information or help andadvice. In order to raise awareness of the issue to parents and carers, pressadvertisements will be placed in women's weekly and lifestyle magazines alongside editorial. Professional-facing comms

A specific leaflet has been produced for health professionals providing background and a link to support materials including child safeguarding guidance. As well as Home Office working with DH, they are liaising with DCSF to develop campaign materials to target teachers. This includes packs for schools to support the campaign.



Actions for NHS
Please promote by downloading the campaign posters and leaflets and displaying in waiting rooms and where relevant. Professionals are to familiarise themselves with the issues surrounding teen partner violence by visiting the relevant links below.

Web links
From 15 February 2010:
NHS communicators: download campaign materials and read more aboutthecampaign at http://www.crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk/
NHS health professionals: read safeguarding guidance and find outaboutthe campaign at http://www.crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk/
Teens can find out more at www.direct.gov.uk/thisisabuse
Parents can find out more at www.direct.gov.uk/spotteenabuse
If you have any further questions about the campaign, please email violence@dh.gsi.gov.uk



Please write to AISD at africaninstitute@live.co.uk contact us through our blogger