Sustainable Development Goals

On the 25 of September, 2015 The 193-Member United Nations General Assembly today formally adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, along with a set of bold new Global Goals, which Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon hailed as a universal, integrated and transformative vision for a better world. The Goals are displayed

For more information visit the UN website here

Grant opportunities from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is inviting applications that address specific challenges defined in the grant programs below. For details and application instructions, please visit the new Grand Challenges website

Electrocardiography (ECG) Rhythm Interpretation

Dr. Tuzo Lyuu from Muhimbili National Hospital has been giving a series of lectures on ECG to PASADA Clinicians for the past three months. To get the notes for future reference please click here

Malaria death rates have plunged by 60% since 2000

The World Health Organization (WHO) this month, published a report which shows that since 2000 the Malaria Death Rates have plunged by 60%.

The report summarizes the remarkable progress seen, on a global and regional level, in reversing malaria mortality and incidence since 2000. It introduces malaria and the strategies used to fight the disease, outlines progress according to each of the MDG indicators, and highlights the main challenges that remain in controlling and eliminating this disease.

To learn more click here

Training in laboratory quality management and the WHO LQSI tool

Post-graduate training for medical laboratory professionals

This post-graduate training module was developed by KIT Biomedical Research for the World Health Organization especially for medical laboratory professionals (KIT Biomedical Research is designated as WHO Collaborating Centre for Laboratory Strengthening). During this course you’ll gain the theoretical background and the practical expertise required to efficiently implement a quality management system that complies with the requirements of the ISO 15189 international quality standard for medical/public health laboratories.For more information follow this link

Levels and Trends in Childhood Malnutrition

The World Health Organization has just published a Report on Levels and Trends of Childhood Malnutrition of the world. You can read it here

Tanzania National Key Population Comprehensive Guidelines

The National AIDS Control Program has just released the Tanzania National Key Population Comprehensive Guidelines you can get the document by clicking here

JIAS special issue: "HIV and adolescents: focus on young key populations"

Dear colleagues, CIPHER is pleased to announce the publication of the JIAS special issue “HIV and adolescents: focus on young key populations”, co-edited by guest editors Linda-Gail Bekker and Sybil Hosek. This supplement highlights the HIV-specific issues and challenges encountered by young people, particularly those identified as being a part of a key population. While a decrease in new HIV infections and deaths have been observed in other age groups, these continue to increase dramatically in adolescents, making them a group urgently in need of focus in the overall global fight against HIV. Young key populations (YKPs), including young men who have sex with men, transgender youth, young people who sell sex, those who inject drugs, young women as well as various combinations of these, have been identified as bearing a disproportionate burden of HIV. In addition, YKPs encounter high levels of stigma and discrimination, posing additional barriers for getting tested for HIV, accessing services and adhering to treatment. The articles in this supplement aim to identify the current gaps in understanding of the HIV-related issues faced by YKPs while calling for innovative and comprehensive approaches to linking them to the HIV prevention and treatment cascades. This special issue covers topics related to tailoring combination prevention packages to the needs of YKPs, facilitating access to HIV testing and health services, enabling adherence to treatment, addressing and providing support for the specific mental health needs of YKPs while also addressing the legal and policy frameworks that directly impact on their health.   To access the special issue, please click on the following link: http://www.jiasociety.org/index.php/jias/issue/view/1472 Please, feel free to distribute this within your network and we hope you enjoy this special issue! Marissa Vicari Marissa Vicari Manager, CIPHER International AIDS Society Avenue de France 23  |  CH-1202 Geneva  |  Switzerland Tel: +41 22 7100 828  |  Fax: +41 22 7100 899 marissa.vicari@iasociety.org | www.iasociety.org | IAS on Facebook | IAS on LinkedIn | Twitter: @iasociety

GRIEVING SESSIONS TO CHILDREN LIVING WITH HIV

INTRODUCTION

PASADA takes care of more than 3000 children living with HIV. One of the challenges the children face is difficulty in understanding how they got the infection and coping with the losses of loved ones as a result of HIV and AIDS.

Having grieving sessions helps them in this process of building resilience. In its program, PASADA conducts Grieving Sessions to children every year.

Grieving is to mourn or feel sorrow for several reasons like death of our beloved ones, our sickness of our self or our beloved ones, separation, disasters, war etc. It is an approach of psychosocial support too.

Psychosocial support is the process of meeting a person's emotional, social, mental and spiritual needs. All of these are essential elements of positive human development.

Psychosocial support is needed by all children. It promotes their psychological and emotional well-being, as well as their physical and mental development.

Psychosocial support helps to build resiliency in children. It also supports families to provide for the physical, economic, educational, social and health needs of children. Children are resilient, but when faced with extreme adversity and trauma, they and their families can need extra support. Psychosocial support builds internal and external resources for children and their families to be able to understand and deal with adverse events.

Some children need specific, additional psychosocial support. These interventions usually target children who have experienced extreme trauma or adversity, or who are not receiving the necessary support from caregivers. Such interventions should be provided in addition to any ongoing support from families and community. 

Many things can impact on a child’s psychosocial well-being, including poverty, conflict, neglect and abuse. HIV and AIDS can compound these. As a result of HIV and AIDS, children might experience traumatic events such as the illness and death of parents or themselves, violence and exploitation, stigma and discrimination, isolation and loneliness, and lack of adult support and guidance.

Appropriate psychosocial support helps children and their families to overcome these challenges, and builds coping mechanisms, trust and hope in their future.

Advantages:

• Children know their potential in their family (as human beings)

• Accept the fact they live with HIV and they are affected with TB. When they take their TB medications properly will be cured and free from the disease.

• They forgive the people whom did not tell them their status.

• Promise to each other to study hard, and to achieve their goals.

• Children learn that in the community there are legal assistance systems like Police, Hospital and Schools that they are there to help them. Whenever they have problems can go and seek assistance.

Issues:

• Children living with HIV have needs which need to be discussed and understood.   
• Caregivers/parents/guardians need to be open to children especially on issues pertaining to their children.

• Caregivers need parenting seminars on dealing with co infected diseases.

 

WORLD MALARIA REPORT 2014

On the 9th of December, 2014 the World Health Organization released the World Malaria Report 2014 which shows that; The number of people dying from malaria has fallen dramatically since 2000 and malaria cases are also steadily declining, according to the World malaria report 2014. Between 2000 and 2013, the malaria mortality rate decreased by 47% worldwide and by 54% in the WHO African Region - where about 90% of malaria deaths occur.
New analysis across sub-Saharan Africa reveals that despite a 43% population increase, fewer people are infected or carry asymptomatic malaria infections every year: the number of people infected fell from 173 million in 2000 to 128 million in 2013.For more information click here to read it.