allAfrica.com: Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report (Page 1 of 3)

Global Challenges

African Countries Have Made Least Progress in Reducing Infant, Maternal Deaths, Report Says

[Apr 17, 2008]

Some countries in Africa have made the least progress among developing nations worldwide toward reaching targets in the United Nations Millennium Development Goal of reducing infant and maternal deaths, according to a report released on Wednesday, Reuters reports (Roelf, Reuters, 4/16). The report was released by the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, which includes about 240 members such as UNICEF, the World Health Organization and Save the Children (SAPA/Independent Online, 4/16). The report found that the 10 countries with the worst infant mortality rates are in sub-Saharan Africa, which is highly affected by HIV/AIDS, according to UNICEF Chief of Health Peter Salama. "Many of these countries where under-five mortality has actually increased since 1990 are high HIV prevalence countries ... such as Botswana, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and South Africa," Salama said.

The report calls for an additional $10 billion to improve health interventions and reduce mortality rates. About 10 million women and children die annually from preventable causes, and major challenges include poor nutrition, weak health infrastructures and a lack of funds. Many of the countries that made little or no progress on infant and maternal deaths are experiencing health care worker shortages, according to Reuters. Countries that have made progress took steps such as bolstering vaccine programs and distributing more vitamin supplements and insecticide-treated nets (Reuters, 4/16).

The report is available online.

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Relatives of Detained Chinese HIV-Positive Protesters Appeal for Their Release

[Apr 17, 2008]

The relatives of a group of HIV-positive people on Wednesday in Beijing appealed to police to release the group, which was detained after protesting in front of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Reuters reports (Blanchard, Reuters, 4/16).

On April 5, Chinese police allegedly beat, shocked and detained 11 HIV-positive protesters from the Shahe province who were hoping to attract Wen's attention about their efforts to be compensated by a hospital where they allegedly contracted HIV through tainted blood in the mid-1990s, according to Beijing-based HIV advocate Wan Yanhai of the Aizhixing Institute. The protesters also were sprayed in the face with a substance that caused them to become unconscious, Wan said. They were then taken to a hospital and detained.

Wang Weijun, a friend of the protesters, said three women later were released after they agreed to drop their complaint against the government and not discuss the incident. The other protesters -- six men and two women -- did not agree to the conditions, Wang said.

According to Wan, the Shahe local court has refused to accept the group's case against the hospital, and the local government has not supported them despite making a pledge to do so. Although the Chinese government has acknowledged responsibility for HIV cases that were transmitted through tainted blood, many HIV-positive people who contracted the virus through blood transfusions have had difficulty receiving compensation (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 4/14).

A relative of one of the detained HIV-positive people, who asked to remain anonymous, said, "Our husbands have been detained, so how can we live?" She added, "We have come to Beijing to use the law to find out what happened to them." In response to repeated calls, police and government officials in Shahe have said that they are not familiar with the case or that it is not within their jurisdiction.

The detainees' lawyer Jiang Tianyong said police told him the case was a matter of national security, and they have refused to say what happened to the protesters or what charges could be brought against them. The protesters "just went hoping to meet Wen," Jiang said, adding, "They heard he was a person who cared about the people's suffering. We hope their husbands can be released as soon as possible" (Reuters, 4/16).

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Workplace Attitudes Toward HIV/AIDS, Acceptance of Condoms Improving, ILO Report Finds

[Apr 17, 2008]

Workplace attitudes toward people living with HIV/AIDS, and acceptance of condom use and other preventive measures have increased in some countries as a result of HIV policies and practices, according to a report by the International Labour Organization, the U.N. News Service reports (U.N. News Service, 4/15). The report, titled "Saving Lives, Protecting Jobs," was prepared by the ILO Programme on HIV/AIDS in the World of Work and presented Monday to the U.S. Department of Labor, which is the funding partner in the Strategic HIV/AIDS Responses in Enterprises, or SHARE, project, Occupational Health Safety reports.

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