Happy birthday to the staff members of the HIV/AIDS and TB unit who celebrate their birthday in May:
We would like to congratulate Thembi Mogafe on the birth of her new baby boy.
We also have some new staff members that joined the HIV/AIDS and TB Unit. Two EU funded appointments who will be working in the PMTCT programme are Ms. Lerato Lesole, and Ms. Ncamisile Nhlabathi. Mr. Percy Nhlapo has been appointed as the Human and Legal Rights Coordinator, and Mr. Montoeli Molefe is the new Assistant Director in the Care and Support Sub-Directorate. Welcome to them all.
Assessing the progression of HIV/AIDS in patients is done by counting CD4 cells, a type of white blood cell that is destroyed by the virus. Results from these tests not only inform doctors about the progression of the disease, but they also indicate how well a patient is reacting to anti-retroviral drugs.
These tests are costly and patients on antiretrovirals undergo CD4 tests every three months.
Techniques used to accurately count CD4 cells often produce variable results, as much as 15%-50%, when performed at different laboratories. Price and inaccuracy were major barriers to using existing techniques for CD4 counting.
In 1998 Dr Debbie Glencross of the South African National Health Laboratory Services (NHLS) embarked on a mission to identify a simpler, faster and substantially cheaper method of counting CD4 cells. Bristol-Myers Squibb's Secure the Future program awarded Dr Glencross a research grant in 2000.
"The grant from Secure the Future's HIV/AIDS Research Institute opened many doors for our team," says Dr Glencross, who on behalf of the NHLS has patented the new technique, trade-named AffordCD4, which costs approximately one-tenth of traditional techniques.
The World Health Organisation has accepted the panleucogating (pan = all, leucocytes - white blood cells) technique as a guideline and has expressed an interest in extending its use throughout Africa. The National Institute of Health in America has accepted the principle of the technique and incorporated it into its guidelines for testing for the presence of HIV-infected cells.
The NHLS is also developing generic antibodies for use in the AffordCD4 technique, further reducing the cost of each test.
More information on the panleucogating technique can be found at www.affordcd4.com. Information on Bristol-Myers Squibb's Secure the Future programme can be accessed at www.securethefuture.com
The Departments of Health and Education, MRC, UCT, University of Natal, UNISA and the CDC are collaborating on a National Youth Risk Behaviour Survey to be conducted in July/August 2002.
The aim of the study is to investigate the prevalence of risk behaviours among school-going learners. This would include focusing on behaviours that cause the most important health problems, including tobacco, alcohol and drug use, violence, unprotected sex, unhealthy eating and physically inactive behaviours.
This study will provide baseline data for tracking changing behaviours over time, and will also inform health promotion programmes in South Africa.
The study will be in the form of a school-based survey to be conducted in all nine provinces in schools in urban and rural areas. Learners in grades 8-11 will be participate in the study (a nationally representative sample from schools and classes randomly selected).
Prof. Priscilla Reddy of the MRC heads the project team.
For more information, contact Prof. Reddy at Priscilla.reddy@mrc.ac.za or Ms. Saadhna Panday at saadhna.panday@mrc.ac.za
www.health.gov.za
www.aidsdirectory.co.za
www.medadvocates.org/news/main10818.html#Week-in-Review
www.dpp.org.za
www.hst.org.za
www.childaidsservices.org
www.equinetafrica.org
www.unaids.org
You are also encouraged to share information on other useful websites. Feedback on the Department of Health website would be especially valuable.
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria announced its first round of grants to country programmes to prevent and treat the three diseases on Thursday 25 April 2002.
The Fund awarded a total of US $378 million over two years to 40 programmes in 31 countries.
The approved grants were selected from more than 300 proposals submitted for the first round of funding. These proposals requested more than US $5 billion from the Global Fund over five years.
"We received far more proposals than we are able to fund in this first round, demonstrating how great the need is to address HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria," Dr Anders NordstrF6m, Interim Executive Director of the Global Fund said in a press release.
"We prioritised high-quality proposals that were based on effective programmes and lessons learned, and were developed by partnerships of governments, community organisations, people living with the diseases, and other groups," he added.
Twenty-one of the 28 countries that will receive funds to fight HIV/AIDS, have grants that specifically include funding to purchase antiretroviral treatments.
Nigeria's proposal for the expansion of their antiretroviral programme received US $5.7 million, while the expansion of their current prevention of mother-to-child transmission project received about US $3.6 million this year.
The HIV/AIDS component of Zambia's proposal received the largest amount, with US $19.8 million for a year. A proposal submitted by Malawi's Country Coordinating Mechanism was approved for deferred funding, as it needed more extensive adjustments.
South Africa also received significant funding from the Global Fund, with US $13.4 for a year.
These funds have been allocated to strengthening the capacity for treatment, care and support related to HIV and TB, building on successful behaviour change.
The board also agreed a fast-track process to approve an additional US $238 million for 18 proposals in 12 countries, plus three multi-country proposals, provided certain conditions were met.
Speaking at a telephone press briefing, Fund officials said far more resources were needed for "sufficient, effective programmes of treatment and prevention for the three diseases".
"This funding is a significant advance in the global fight against AIDS, TB and malaria, but it is only a first step," said Dr Anne Peterson, Assistant Administrator for Global Health at the US Agency for International Development (USAID). "More funding is needed from governments, businesses, foundations, and other donors if we are to mount an effective and sustained response to these epidemics."
The Global Fund plans to issue a second call for proposals later this year.
Officials noted that the Fund would continue to look for ways to make the application process as accessible as possible to potential grantees.
For more information on proposals approved for funding: http://www.globalfundatm.org/files/Proposalslist_40.doc
Compiled by Celicia M Serenata
Deputy Director: HIV/AIDS and STDs
Tel: (012) 312-0128
Fax: (012) 326-2891
e-mail: serenc@health.gov.za
Red Ribbon Resource Centre
For all requests of HIV/AIDS materials (posters etc.), please contact:
Ms. Loreley Yeowart
Tel: (011) 880-0405
Fax: (011) 880-8552