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Note: This document is from the archive of the Africa Policy E-Journal, published
by the Africa Policy Information Center (APIC) from 1995 to 2001 and by Africa Action
from 2001 to 2003. APIC was merged into Africa Action in 2001. Please note that many outdated links in this archived
document may not work.
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Africa: AIDS Updates
Africa: AIDS Updates
Date distributed (ymd): 000901
Document reposted by APIC
+++++++++++++++++++++Document Profile+++++++++++++++++++++
Region: Continent-Wide
Issue Areas: +economy/development+
Summary Contents:
This posting contains references to a variety of new reports and
links on HIV/AIDS, as well as the announcement of a new Africa-wide
network AFREHET (African Network for Family, Reproductive and
Environmental Health Research, Education and Training). Another
posting today contains (1) a reminder of the on-line discussion on
AIDS being hosted by the Economic Commission for Africa, (2) an
op-ed piece by APIC/Africa Fund director Salih Booker in the August
28, 2000 edition of the Boston Globe, entitled "Use the Surplus to
fight AIDS", and (3) testimony at a post-Durban congressional
briefing by Chatinkha Nkhoma.
+++++++++++++++++end profile++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Additional new links and reports
(See also the suggested starting points at
http://www.africapolicy.org/action/health.htm)
http://www.allafrica.com/aids
Regularly updated AIDS news from around the continent, in French as
well as English, on the new site of Africa News Service
http://www.egroups.com/group/nigeria-aids
Discussion group on Nigeria and HIV/AIDS
http://www.aids2000.com
Official site of the XIII International AIDS Conference in Durban,
South Africa. Includes reports from sessions.
http://www.iaen.org
International Aids Economics Network includes references to
papers at a World Bank / UNAIDS symposium preceding the Durban
conference.
http://www.fao.org/waicent/ois/press_ne/presseng/2000/pren0037.htm
FAO press release on HIV/AIDS spread in rural areas.
AFREHET Initiative
[excerpts from posting on Afronets (African Networks for Health
Research & Development) - http://www.healthnet.org/afronets]
African Network for Family, Reproductive and Environmental Health
Research, Education and Training (AFREHET)
ORIGIN:
Visiting United States president, Bill Clinton, addressing the
joint session of the Nigerian National Assembly on Saturday
August 28, 2000, urged Africans to join hands together to
confront diseases in the region. According to President Bill
Clinton:
To build stronger economies we must confront the diseases that
are draining the life out of African cities and villages,
especially AIDS, but also TB and malaria. AIDS will reduce the
life expectancy in Africa by 20 years. It is destroying families
and wiping out economic gains as fast as nations are making them.
It is stealing the future of Africa. ...
These and some other highlights in president Bill Clinton's
speech stimulated a meeting among the representatives of a
cross-section of NGOs in the health and community development
sectors present. The following salient issues were noted:
- Africa's high mortality rates are as result of a combination
of factors including un-spaced pregnancies and non-access to
adequate family planning and reproductive health services and
unhealthy environment.
- The problems of poverty and underdevelopment are more
pronounced in the rural areas, where about 65% of the population
reside, therefore, the government and non-governmental sectors
should be mobilized to focus their integrated health program more
in the rural areas of Africa.
- There is a critical shortage of safe and sustainable
reproductive health services and there is therefore, an urgent
need for information, training and technical assistance,
including the supply of training manuals, video and other
facilities.
- AIDS/HIV epidemic must be accorded the high priority it
deserved in our health programmes.
- Among children, malaria still remained the number one killer
disease in Africa.
- Networking among African NGOs in the health and community
development sectors has been very poor, whereas,
- some nations (and NGOs) in Africa do not have sufficient resources
(expertise, experience and finance) to confront and solve
their family, reproductive and environmental health problems.
- Experiences within some nations may usefully contribute to
improving family, reproductive and environmental health services
in others.
- There is therefore, an urgent need to encourage partnership
among NGOs in health and community development sectors working in
different parts of Africa.
After series of consultation and deliberations, the meeting
adopted the formation of a network "African Network for Family,
Reproductive and Environmental Health Research, Education and
Training" (AFREHET).
AFREHET is a network linking non-governmental organizations that
works to make family, reproductive and environmental health
services safe, available and sustainable in Africa, using
participatory approaches in research, education and training. It
is non-political, non-religious and not for profit.
MISSION
The mission of the organization is to make reproductive health
services available, safe and sustainable in Africa especially in
areas where such facilities are either not available or
inadequate and serve as template were experience and expertise
can be shared between member NGOs in mutually benefiting
partnerships.
MAJOR OBJECTIVES
- To support the efforts of African governments in its
determination to reduce the rate of population growth.
- To reduce the incidence of unsafe abortions in Africa and
clinic based infections in African communities.
- To promote strict adherence to medical ethics and informed
choice by health care providers in Africa.
- To make reproductive health services available, safe and
sustainable in Africa.
- To establish health information resource centers in various
parts of Africa.
- To facilitate partnerships where experience and expertise can
be shared among local and international NGOs in Africa and other
parts of the world to enhance the family, reproductive and
environmental health situation in Africa.
- To build skills for better quality care in Africa.
- To expand contraceptives services in Africa and promote
respect for informed consent procedures and indigenous health
knowledge of the people.
- To improve the environmental Health status of African
communities.
ACTIVITIES
The major activities of AFREHET includes the
following:
- Facilitation of national and international exchange of
experience and expertise in family, reproductive and
environmental health ser vices in Africa.
- Conducting research to generate base line/current information
on the behaviour and the attitudes of the African populace
towards family, reproductive and environmental health issues and
to design the most effective interventions.
- Facilitation of relevant training events for members within
and outside Africa.
- Establishment of health information resource centers.
- Production of a regular newsletter for the purpose of
spreading new insights and facts on family, reproductive and
environmental health issues to members and the general populace.
- Formation of partnership with other international
organizations having similar objectives.
- Soliciting for funding from national and international
agencies to carry out its activities.
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
A Director will oversee the activities of AFREHET at the
continental level. There will be four sub-regional offices
namely: East Africa, North Africa, Southern Africa and West
Africa. AFREHET zonal offices will coordinate the countries in
the sub-region. Thus, each zone will be structured to make it function
effectively. Each Zone will have a Zonal Coordinator. The
Director and the Zonal Coordinators will constitute the Executive
Council, which also is the decision making body of the Network.
MEMBERSHIP
AFREHET membership is open to any non-governmental organization
(local and international) working to improve the family,
reproductive and environmental health services in Africa.
To become member of this Network, Please complete the membership
registration form below and send to:
Dr. S. Jegede, Secretary, afrehet@yahoo.com or
mmaishat@yahoo.com; or Dr. B. Oluwatosin, Foundation for
Endogenous Development and Environmental Sciences (FEDES),
University of Ibadan, P. O. Box 9939 Ibadan, Nigeria
fedes@skannet.com
Name of Organisation:
Contact person (s):
Contact Address:
Phone: Fax: E-mail address:
Year of Establishment:
Activity / Programme Focus:
Current number of Member:
Area of Coverage (International, National, State/Province,
Community.
Please provide specific information as names of state covered.
This will facilitate the process of continental coverage of the
Network):
What do you expect of the Network:
What can you contribute to the Network:
How did you get to know about AFREHET:
Suggestions/comments on the objectives, activities etc.:
This material is being reposted for wider distribution by the
Africa Policy Information Center (APIC). APIC provides
accessible information and analysis in order to promote U.S.
and international policies toward Africa that advance economic,
political and social justice and the full spectrum of human
rights.
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