South Africa

The Proteas skipper Graeme Smith is not only upbeat about victory in the ICC 2007 World Twenty20 but also optimistic about how cricket can add to combating HIV among children and young people.

Talking tough to the opponents, Smith, who joins an array of leading cricket icons to aid the “Unite for Children, Unite Against AIDS” global campaign, couldn’t ignore the attention he was getting from scores of children and young admirers during a training session at Johannesburg’s Wanderers Stadium.

“HIV and AIDS are relevant and pressing subjects here in South Africa. As cricketers we command the attention of the public and the media, and we want to use that to try and better the situation for the children and young people,” he said.

He added: “We have an important role to ensure that the message that says children’s rights and needs take prominence in the fight against AIDS reaches all the relevant people.

”Fielding coach Jonty Rhodes joined the skipper in a short coaching clinic for the children. The smiles on the children and how they treasured the autographed miniature bats by the cricket stars left an impression that cricket has touched them in more ways than one.

The “Unite for Children, Unite Against AIDS” campaign stresses the unacceptable levels of HIV prevalence among children and young people. It also makes a call to action to de-stigmatize the AIDS epidemic and shows how the values of cricket are applicable responses to AIDS while giving greater visibility to children living with and affected by AIDS.

The campaign recognizes the power of world class cricket as a platform to raise awareness of HIV and AIDS, especially among children and young people. The ICC World Twenty20 2007, taking place in South Africa in September, is expected to add impetus to the campaign.

The South African cricketers have also recorded video footage, amplifying key messages overarching the “Unite for Children, Unite Against AIDS” campaign as part of the ongoing awareness programme.

The backdrop to the campaign is the staggering numbers of than 1000 children under 15 dying from AIDS-related diseases every 24 hours. So, far more than 15 million children have lost one or both parents to AIDS.

 

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Links:

Read more on the ICC Twenty20 World Championships
Read more on Unite for Children: Unite against AIDS

Nathan Bracken and Brad Hodge took time out of their preparations for the ICC World Twenty20 2007 to visit a project as part of the ICC’s work with UNAIDS and UNICEF to raise awareness on AIDS.

They visited the loveLife Orange Farm Y-Centre, part of South Africa's national HIV prevention program for youth, to meet young people who both volunteer and attend the project.

Nathan Bracken said: "By visiting projects to raise AIDS awareness, hopefully we can play a role in the ICC's partnership with UNAIDS and UNICEF to reduce stigma around HIV. It is important that projects like loveLife provide opportunities for young people to make informed choices about the way they live their lives and help halt the spread of HIV.

"loveLife Y Centres provide hubs for regional networks of franchise holders, adolescent friendly clinics and outreach programs. They serve as best-practice sites for youth leadership development and adolescent clinical services; training venues for groundBREAKER and loveLifestyle programs; and provide trained facilitators to support the loveLife Games and other outreach programs.

Brad Hodge: "Sport is a great way of inspiring young people and teaching them skills which they can use in all areas of their life. It has been very moving to see how loveLife provides opportunities for young people to develop their confidence by taking part in a range of team sports."

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Links:

Read more on the ICC Twenty20 World Championships
Read more on Unite for Children: Unite against AIDS

Bats flashing. Balls flying. The three young boys, their fingers intertwined in the links

of the wire-mesh fence, watched mesmerized as some of their cricket idols trained on a pitch just outside of Johannesburg in South Africa.

 

The Pakistan cricket team had invited the youngsters from loveLife – the national HIV prevention programme for young people in South Africa – to their training session in support of the International Cricket Council’s partnership with UNAIDS and UNICEF to bring attention to the situation of children and young people living with or affected by HIV.

 

The Pakistan cricket team is among 12 world teams currently gathered in South Africa to play in the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 2007, which is being held at various locations throughout the country from 11 to 24 September.

 

Coming off the pitch after their practice session, the cricketers took time to sign commemorative bats, take photos – and talk to the young boys about the importance of HIV prevention.

 

“Be safe. Be strong. Love life!” said Shoaib Akhtar, arguably the fastest cricket bowler in the world and a clear favourite of the young fans.

 

“AIDS is a challenge for all countries in the world, and especially for cricket-playing countries, which are among the most affected by HIV,” added Kamran Akmal. As the AIDS Ambassador for the Pakistani team, Kamran devotes much of his time to HIV-related activities in his home country, spreading the ‘Play safe’ message. “It must be our common goal to defeat HIV.”

 

Some 40 million people in the world are infected with HIV – nearly 15 million of them living in cricket-playing countries.

 

Pakistani captain Shoaib Malik was the first player to arrive for the training session and the last to leave – a reflection of his responsibility as team leader. “Being the captain of the team is a difficult job. It means giving 110 percent. But strong leadership is important to the performance of any team. It is also important that we show leadership as role models for young people through the world and we are proud to be part of the ICC partnership with UNAIDS and UNICEF.”

 

Pakistan stars and other top players, including South African captain Graeme Smith, Kuman Sangakkara of Sri Lanka and India’s Yuvraj Singh will feature in public service announcements for the ‘Unite for Children, United against AIDS’ global campaign highlighting how HIV impacts on the lives of young people. These will be made available to broadcasters in 105 countries across the world as well as being watched by fans on the big screens at the 27 matches during the tournament.

 

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Links:

Read more on the ICC Twenty20 World Championships
Read more on Unite for Children: Unite against AIDS

Aussie stars support loveLife project

Nathan Bracken and Brad Hodge took time out of their preparations for the ICC World Twenty20 2007 to visit a project as part of the ICC’s work with UNAIDS and UNICEF to raise awareness on AIDS.

Read more

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“Cricket can help combat HIV and AIDS”, says Graeme Smith

The Proteas skipper Graeme Smith is not only upbeat about victory in the ICC 2007 World Twenty20 but also optimistic about how cricket can add to combating HIV among children and young people.

Read more

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Promoting sport and HIV prevention

“What do you want to do when you grow up?” “Play cricket for South Africa!” the six boys cried out in unison when asked about their future aspirations. The group of 9- and 10-year-old ‘mini-cricketers’ from Alexander Township on the outskirts of Johannesburg, were at Wanderers to meet some of their heroes from the Bangladeshi cricket team, here to participate in the ICC World Twenty20 2007, taking place in South Africa from 11 to 24 September.

Read more

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McCullum backs HIV and AIDS campaign

Neil McCullum wears two caps – star cricketer for Scotland on the pitch as well as a physical education teacher.

Squeezing in training sessions and international cricket play when his day job allows, Neil also manages to make time in his busy schedule to support the ICC’s HIV awareness programme by visiting children infected with or affected by HIV.

Read more

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Pakistan cricket team talks about HIV prevention

Bats flashing. Balls flying. The three young boys, their fingers intertwined in the links of the wire-mesh fence, watched mesmerized as some of their cricket idols trained on a pitch just outside of South Africa.

Read more

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Cricket chief and star show AIDS solidarity in India

Head of the International Cricket Council (ICC), Malcolm Speed joined Indian star Virender Sehwag and Cecilio Adorna, UNICEF India country representative, in a visit to the Antiretroviral treatment centre of the Kalawati Saran Children’s Hospital in New Delhi at the end of August. The visit was part of the ICC's partnership with UNAIDS and UNICEF to raise awareness and reduce stigma around AIDS and the impact of AIDS on children through the global campaign, UNITE FOR CHILDREN UNITE AGAINST AIDS.

Read more

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Stars back AIDS awareness campaign at ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa

International cricketers will highlight the situation of children and young people living with HIV as part of a far-reaching AIDS awareness campaign during the 2007 World Twenty20 world cricket championship in South Africa.

Read more

International cricketers will highlight the situation of children and young people living with HIV as part of a far-reaching AIDS awareness campaign during the 2007 Twenty20 world cricket championship in South Africa.

Players, participating in the competition from 11 to 24 September in Johannesburg, will promote HIV prevention messages as part of the International Cricket Council's (ICC) ongoing partnership with UNAIDS and UNICEF.

Cricket fans will also be targeted by loveLife - South Africa's national youth HIV prevention programme - who are also partners in the initiative.

Top players, including South Africa captain Graeme Smith, Kumar Sangakkara of Sri Lanka and India's Yuvraj Singh will feature in public service announcements for the 'Unite for Children, Unite Against AIDS' campaign highlighting how HIV can affect the lives of young people. Broadcasters from 105 countries will be encouraged to use the messages that will be screened to fans on giant screens at the 27 matches during the tournament.

Other stars will visit UNICEF and loveLife community-based project activities in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg to promote AIDS awareness to young people and encourage them to develop life-skills to avoid HIV infection.

Players also plan to wear red ribbons in selected matches to demonstrate their support for people living with HIV.

Sri Lanka wicketkeeper-batsman Kumar Sangakkara said: "I hope people will listen to cricketers, I hope that our support helps and that it brings a different perspective to building interest in these issues and raising awareness. It's important to raise awareness any way that you can and if different voices and fresh faces help then that is good."

South Africa star AB de Villiers added: "I have a very soft heart and to see those children and the way they cope with HIV puts a lot of what I do as a cricketer in perspective. I have been involved in a few projects to do with 'Unite for Children, Unite Against AIDS' in different parts of the world where we have toured and it has been a very worthwhile thing to do.

"I feel a real calling to help wherever I can. The issue of AIDS is close to my heart because of the impact it has had on my country but I think we have a responsibility as high-profile sportsmen to do what we can as it helps to open eyes and it inspires people to do something about the problem. Awareness is a big factor in helping prevent the spread of HIV so the more we talk about it and keep it in the public eye the better."

India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh added: "Any social cause is important for top players playing any sport because people look up to you and you need to make them understand and educate them about issues relating to HIV. Through the ICC working with UNAIDS and UNICEF, we can deliver important messages to people all over the world."

Michael Hussey of Australia will also be supporting the campaign. He said: "When I visited an education project in the Caribbean during the ICC Cricket World Cup, I saw for myself the importance of educating young people on HIV and AIDS. UNICEF and UNAIDS play a vital role in addressing this epidemic and by supporting this partnership, by meeting young people and raising awareness of HIV and AIDS, I hope I can personally play a part in reducing discrimination."

As well as player-related activities, the 500 volunteers working at the event have all received HIV and AIDS education from loveLife health trainers, supported by UNAIDS. There will also be advertising boards at the grounds promoting the 'Unite for Children, Unite Against Aids' campaign.

The African Broadcast Media Partnership Against HIV/AIDS - a coalition of more than 50 African broadcast companies - will also be supporting the partnership, promoting player visits and event activities related to the partnership.

Cricket is popular in many of the countries that are most impacted by AIDS, including India and South Africa.

“UNAIDS has worked for many years with the ICC and the partnership has helped us reach large audiences with HIV prevention messages. Sport is a powerful force for change and the cricket players are great roles models helping us not only promote HIV prevention but also tackle the stigma and discrimination associated with HIV and AIDS,” said Andy Seale, team leader for civil society partnerships at UNAIDS.

Part of this story first appeared on the ICC web site: http://www.icc-cricket.com/

 

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Links:

View the two new 30-second Public Service Announcements featuring five of the world's
   top cricketers talking about how children and young people are affected by HIV

Read feature story: Cricket chief and star show AIDS solidarity in India

Read more on the ICC Twenty20 World Championship

Read more on Unite for Children: Unite against AIDS

Dans le cadre des efforts visant à prévenir la transmission du VIH de nouvelles mères à leur nourrisson, l’Afrique du Sud a mis en place un programme appelé ‘Mothers to Mothers’ (m2m). Dans ce programme, des femmes sont formées pour conseiller d’autres femmes enceintes et de nouvelles mères vivant avec le VIH. M. Gene Falk a expliqué que ‘Mothers to Mothers’ se révélait un modèle de prise en charge efficace et durable. Les femmes peuvent aussi contacter un centre d’appel téléphonique d’urgence, ce qui s’est avéré être un moyen important d’éducation et de soutien. L’éducation du public au moyen d’émissions télévisées, a aussi été très efficace pour informer les femmes au sujet de la transmission mère-enfant du VIH.

En Zambie, plus de 16 % des adultes âgés de 15 à 49 ans vivent avec le VIH. Le Dr. Namwinga Chintu, du Centre zambien de recherche sur les maladies infectieuses, a indiqué que l’une des priorités était d’organiser un suivi pour trouver les nourrissons qui avaient été exposés au VIH. Elle a ajouté qu’en Zambie les initiatives visant à prévenir la transmission mère-enfant du virus avaient été renforcées grâce à la collaboration du Gouvernement zambien et de partenaires appuyés par le Gouvernement américain. Dans un pays où l’épidémie de sida a eu un impact dévastateur sur tous les aspects de la vie, la coopération entre le gouvernement et les partenaires concernés dans la riposte au sida était essentielle. Elle a demandé la mise en place de programmes de financement novateurs pour aider à prévenir la transmission mère-enfant du VIH et l’application de méthodes qui renforcent l’adhésion du gouvernement à cette cause.

« Un petit coup de pouce dans la bonne direction peut avoir beaucoup d’effet », a-t-elle déclaré.

Elle a évoqué les nombreux obstacles à la mise en œuvre de programmes de lutte contre le VIH, notamment la concurrence entre les priorités sanitaires, la difficulté de dispenser des services dans les zones difficiles d’accès et le faible taux d’accouchement dans les établissements de santé.

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Liens:

Davantage d’informations sur la Réunion des personnes chargées de la mise en œuvre de la lutte contre le VIH/sida

“If South Africa can achieve its aims, the country will be well on the way to leading Africa into a new phase in the AIDS response,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot, at the opening of the third South African Aids conference in Durban yesterday.

Congratulating South Africa for its new “ambitious and credible” five-year National Strategic Plan for Aids, which aims to half new infections by 2011, Dr Piot underlined that the effective implementation of the plan is critical for future progress. “ The National AIDS Plan represents an incentive for all of us, wherever we work, to take a cold, hard look at what we are doing and to change what needs to change,” he said. “Failure to reach the ambitious, but necessary, goals would be a collective failure on all our parts. You have a better chance than any other country in the region to deliver on AIDS. If you can't, who can?" he added.

More than 4000 scientists, activists and medical experts have joined in Durban this week for the third South African AIDS Conference. At the conference opening, Dr Piot joined Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ncguka, who heads the recently restructured South African National AIDS Council, social activist Graça Machel and the Treatment Action Campaign’s Nkhensani Mavasa on the podium.

The conference theme is Building Consensus on Prevention, Treatment and Care, and organisers hope to end the four-day meeting with a formal declaration on the way forward on key topics, such as the role of male circumcision in preventing HIV transmission. Other issues up for discussion include WHO/UNAIDS’ new guidelines on HIV testing and counselling and the spread of extremely drug resistant tuberculosis, to which people living with HIV are particularly vulnerable.

The conference will run from 5 – 8 June.

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All photo credits: UNAIDS/M.Furrer

Links:

Read UNAIDS Press Release
Read Dr Piot’s opening speech: ‘To reduce AIDS globally, South Africa should succeed’ (pdf, 43 Kb)
Download the HIV and AIDS and STI Strategic Plan for South Africa, 2007 – 2011 (pdf, 1.6 Mb)
Read feature story: South Africa marks key AIDS milestones
Visit the official web site of the 3rd South African AIDS Conference

En Afrique du Sud, la riposte au sida a reçu un coup de pouce grâce à l’approbation de deux processus clés : la restructuration du Conseil national d’Afrique du Sud sur le sida (SANAC) et le lancement d’un nouveau plan national de lutte contre le sida qui orientera la riposte du pays au cours des cinq prochaines années.

Le Conseil restructuré est un organe partenarial multisectoriel de haut niveau présidé par Mme Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Vice-Présidente d’Afrique du Sud, et dont le vice-président à élire sera un représentant de la société civile. Le Conseil comprend des ministres et des responsables de 18 secteurs de la société civile ; il jouera un rôle de chef de file pour rallier tous les suffrages sur les questions de stratégie et de politiques concernant le sida. Le Conseil supervisera aussi la mise en œuvre et l’examen d’ensemble du nouveau Plan stratégique national.

Présenté comme le document actuellement le plus complet et le plus dynamique d’Afrique du Sud sur les questions concernant le sida, le Plan stratégique de lutte contre le VIH, le sida et les IST pour l’Afrique du Sud 2007 – 2011 s’appuie sur les enseignements de la riposte au sida du pays tirés des expériences des dernières décennies et détaille des cibles concrètes à atteindre d’ici 2011 dans des domaines précis.

Le 2 mai, le Cabinet sud-africain a officiellement approuvé le plan quinquennal. Le large processus consultatif et participatif – qui a débuté en 2006 et auquel ont participé des responsables gouvernementaux, un large éventail d’organisations de la société civile, les Nations Unies, des établissements universitaires et de recherche, le monde du travail et le mondes des affaires – a été une étape essentielle de l’élaboration du plan. 

Les principaux objectifs du plan sont de réduire de moitié le nombre de nouvelles infections à VIH et d’atténuer l’impact du virus en élargissant l’accès à un traitement, des soins et un appui appropriés à 80 % de l’ensemble des personnes diagnostiquées séropositives au VIH. Les parties prenantes s’engagent aussi à réduire les taux de transmission mère-enfant du virus à moins de 5 % et à allouer 40 % du budget prévu au traitement du VIH.

Mark Heywood, du AIDS Law Project et de la Treatment Action Campaign, et membre du Groupe de référence de l’ONUSIDA sur le VIH et les droits de l’homme, qui a participé à la rédaction du document, a déclaré qu’il s’agissait d’un plan « sérieux et audacieux ». « Il reconnaît le caractère fondamental des droits de la personne et fournit des cibles qui faisaient gravement défaut concernant le traitement et la prévention du VIH en attribuant clairement les responsabilités pour que le plan se concrétise », a-t-il ajouté.

« Ce processus a permis de rapprocher le Gouvernement sud-africain de la société civile et nous a donné, en tant que nation, l’occasion de nous retrouver les uns les autres et de nous engager à nouveau pour lutter contre la propagation du VIH », a déclaré Mme Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu, membre du Parlement, représentante du secteur des handicapés au sein du Conseil national de lutte contre le sida et membre du Groupe de travail des experts nationaux sur le sida nommé par le Directeur général du ministère de la Santé pour conduire la finalisation du plan national. « C’est un effort collectif et je pense qu’il en sera de même lorsque nous mettrons en œuvre le plan. Nous savons que grâce au plan les choses vont mieux aujourd’hui qu’hier mais que demain elles iront encore mieux », a-t-elle déclaré. 

Pendant l’élaboration des deux processus, l’ONUSIDA a travaillé en étroite collaboration avec le Conseil national de lutte contre le sida et le ministère de la Santé d’Afrique du Sud. Par l’intermédiaire de l’Equipe commune des Nations Unies sur le sida, l’ONUSIDA a aussi fourni un appui technique à plusieurs consultations de la société civile.

« Fournir un appui à ces processus a constitué une priorité de l’aide apportée par l’ONUSIDA à l’Afrique du Sud pour faire progresser sa riposte. Nous saluons la direction nouvelle et audacieuse qui a renforcé le Conseil national de lutte contre le sida et élaboré un plan national solide. Grâce aux nombreux échanges avec la société civile et d’autres partenaires l’on s’oriente vers une riposte nationale unifiée à l’épidémie », a déclaré Mbulawa Mugabe, Coordonnateur de l’ONUSIDA dans le pays, qui était aussi l’un des 16 membres du Groupe de travail.

« L’essentiel, maintenant, est de mettre en œuvre efficacement et sans tarder le plan qui sera soutenu, dans la mesure du possible, par l’ONUSIDA et la famille des Nations Unies afin que les buts fixés soient atteints », a-t-il ajouté.

A la fin 2006, un Sud-Africain sur neuf, soit 5,5 millions de personnes, vivaient avec le VIH et la prévalence parmi la population adulte était de 18,8 %. La prévalence n’a pas encore commencé à diminuer mais elle s’est stabilisée parmi les jeunes de 15 à 24 ans. La prévalence nationale du VIH parmi les femmes enceintes fréquentant les dispensaires prénatals était de 30,2 % en 2005.

En juin, l’Afrique du Sud organisera la troisième Conférence nationale sur le sida qui sera axée sur le thème : Parvenir à un consensus sur la prévention, le traitement et les soins du VIH. Cette conférence aura pour but de servir de tribune pour des délibérations sur les principales questions controversées concernant la prévention, le traitement et les soins du VIH. La Conférence nationale sera ouverte par le Dr Peter Piot, Directeur exécutif de l’ONUSIDA.

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Liens:

Télécharger le Plan stratégique de lutte contre le VIH, le sida et les IST pour l’Afrique du Sud 2007 - 2011 (en anglais) (pdf, 1.6 Mb)
Site Internet du ministère de la Santé d’Afrique du Sud (en anglais)
Le Gouvernement d’Afrique du Sud en ligne (en anglais)
Davantage d’informations sur la 3ème Conférence sur le sida d’Afrique du Sud (en anglais)

La médecine traditionnelle africaine est souvent la principale, et parfois même la seule, option de soins de santé accessible à bien des personnes vivant en Afrique subsaharienne.

Des essais d’association entre les soins de santé biomédicaux et traditionnels à l’intention des personnes vivant avec le VIH ont commencé au début des années 1990 lorsque l’Organisation mondiale de la Santé a recommandé que la médecine traditionnelle soit intégrée aux ripostes nationales au VIH.

« Partout dans le monde, les gens ont toujours recherché les conseils à la fois des médecins et des tradipraticiens pour toutes sortes de problèmes physiques, psychiques et spirituels. Le VIH n’est donc pas une exception, » déclare Purnima Mane, Directeur du Département Politiques, Evidence et Partenariats à l’ONUSIDA. « Nous avons le devoir de faire en sorte que les gens aient accès aux meilleurs soins possibles, » ajoute-t-elle.

Parmi les premières tentatives d’association des meilleurs éléments des deux systèmes, on note plusieurs projets d’étude de l’efficacité des remèdes traditionnels à base de plantes pour le traitement des maladies liées au VIH. Des études portant sur la perception qu’ont les tradipraticiens des infections sexuellement transmissibles et de l’infection à VIH ont également été effectuées. Suite à cette collecte d’information, des projets de collaboration ont été lancés pour former les tradipraticiens aux fonctions d’éducateurs et de conseillers chargés de donner des informations sur le VIH et les infections sexuellement transmissibles dans leurs communautés et parmi leurs pairs.

Un de ces projets portait sur les guérisseurs Inanda de la vallée des Mille Collines au KwaZulu Natal, Afrique du Sud. En 2000, les leaders communautaires ont demandé de l’aide pour renforcer leur riposte à l’épidémie de sida. Ils ont identifié des tradipraticiens locaux susceptibles de jouer un rôle important. En réponse à leur demande, des spécialistes en sciences sociales et des médecins ont entamé un partenariat avec les guérisseurs locaux sur des projets de prévention du VIH.

Un groupe de quelque 16 à 20 guérisseurs ont participé à des ateliers une journée par mois, pour s’informer sur la transmission, la prévention, le traitement et la prise en charge du VIH. Des discussions avaient lieu sur les pratiques sexuelles traditionnelles et culturelles, susceptibles de prévenir la transmission du VIH et sur la sexualité à moindre risque au-delà des préservatifs.

Des traitements à base de plantes telles que Sutherlandia frutescens, aussi connue sous le nom de ‘buisson à cancer’, qui est produite sous forme de comprimés et améliore l’appétit et le système immunitaire, ont été examinés tout comme d’autres médicaments traditionnels utilisés par les guérisseurs.

Des orateurs invités ont parlé de l’utilisation des plantes médicinales et les guérisseurs, qui étaient invités à suivre un cours dans une pépinière de plantes médicinales, ont par la suite créé un jardin de ces plantes.

La coordination des besoins du patient dans le cadre de la famille et de la communauté a constitué une part importante des débats. Traditionnellement, les guérisseurs adoptent des méthodes holistiques pour soigner les problèmes et les maladies au cours de leurs consultations et, si le patient demeure au cœur de la prise en charge, on accorde tout autant d’importance au contexte socioculturel, dans lequel le réseau de soutien et l’interaction avec la famille sont essentiels.

« Nous devons trouver d’autres moyens de faciliter et de soutenir la contribution unique des tradipraticiens à la riposte au sida, » relève Andy Seale, Chef des Partenariats avec la société civile à l’ONUSIDA.

Grâce à des rencontres régulières, les guérisseurs ont mis en place un réseau de soutien et ils s’appuient mutuellement pour des questions d’orientation-recours ainsi que de ressources. On relève de plus en plus de nouveaux moyens de stimuler à la fois les réseaux de recours au secteur officiel de la santé et ceux des tradipraticiens.

Les échos du travail des guérisseurs d’Inanda s’élargissent de plus en plus et un nombre croissant de personnes demandent un test VIH, un conseil et un soutien par le biais des tradipraticiens. L’espoir est revenu dans la vallée des Mille Collines avec le désir de faire la différence. 

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Dans le cadre de sa collection des meilleures pratiques, l’ONUSIDA a publié des directives pratiques destinées à aider les autorités sanitaires à instaurer des rapports productifs entre tradipraticiens et professionnels de la médecine, pour renforcer la riposte au sida. Télécharger les directives.

Autre lien:

ONUSIDA "Collection Meilleures Pratiques" : Tirer les leçons de l'expérience

Nazareth House, a faith-based organization located in Cape Town, was the first Catholic orphan care institution in South Africa to provide paediatric antiretroviral therapy for the HIV-positive orphans it cares for.

The Sisters of Nazareth House are currently caring for 35 children made orphans by AIDS and 20 adults living with HIV, most of whom, due to the complexity or severity of their symptoms can no longer care for themselves or be cared for by their family or community.

Like Nazareth House, many faith-based initiatives have been on the front-line of the epidemic since its devastating effects on the population became apparent in Africa. Nowadays, faith-based organizations, which often reach the most remote communities, as well as being prominent in large urban centres, are uniquely placed to provide a range of quality HIV-related services (from training of home-based caregivers to provision of antiretroviral therapy) to those in need.

However, the valuable work of organizations within the Catholic Church based upon their religious principles sometimes lacked the coordination and level of support needed to improve the effectiveness of their responses to the AIDS epidemic.

It was under these circumstances that the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC), in partnership with the Catholic Medical Mission Board, launched the Choose to Care initiative. The initiative, supported by funding from the Bristol-Meyers Squibb Foundation and other sources, started in 2000 as a coordinated response to the overwhelming need to provide HIV-prevention education, care and support to communities in the southern African region.

“Since 2000 the SACBC AIDS Office has coordinated the response of the Catholic Church to AIDS in South Africa, Swaziland and Botswana, strengthening and building on existing programmes, as well as helping to initiate new ones. The continuum of Choose to Care in most of the programmes and projects linked to the SACBC has seen commitment to prevention, care and support to people infected and affected by AIDS,” stated Mr. Johan Viljoen, Programme Manger of Choose to Care Project.

At first the Choose to Care projects were engaged in providing prevention and care services. However, the provision of treatment to those living with HIV, particularly orphans and vulnerable children, has become one of their main activities. The sites supported by the SACBC providing antiretroviral therapy aim at complementing government programmes in areas where government-funded antiretroviral therapy is not available, notably in resource-poor communities.

Nazareth House was one of the first sites where antiretroviral therapy was provided as part of the Choose to Care initiative. By replicating similar small-scale programmes implemented through the diocesan and parish system, the Catholic Church has been able to scale-up HIV programmes that remain rooted in and responsive to the needs of local communities.

This approach has been proven to be effective as is shown in a study recently researched and written by Rev. Robert J. Vitillo, Special Adviser on HIV for Caritas Internationalis. The study has now been published as part of the UNAIDS Best Practice Collection as an example of how a coordinated response to the epidemic made by a faith-based organization has increased HIV prevention education, care and support to communities affected by AIDS as well as complementing governments’ efforts to achieve universal access to prevention, treatment, care and support.

“The highly variable nature of the epidemic has been met with a wide variety of Best Practice responses. The Choose to Care initiative is especially interesting as it provides evidence that a large scale response to HIV may be achieved through support, coordination and guidance given to a large number of locally-rooted small-scale programmes,” noted Alistair Craik, Best Practice Manager, UNAIDS.

Drawing upon independent research the study shows that the Choose to Care projects are valued both for their compassion and practical effectiveness. Further proof of the strength and effectiveness of the Choose to Care model is provided by the fact that since 2005 when, as planned, funding support ceased, the great majority of projects have continued, sustained by new sources of support.