AFRO-NETS> E-MAIL BROADCAST / March 2, 1999

[Global Health Council <AIDS@globalhealthcouncil.org>]

E-MAIL BROADCAST / March 2, 1999
--------------------------------

Global Health Council / Global AIDS Program - EMAIL BROADCAST 
03/02/1999

* GLOBAL HEALTH COUNCIL AFFILIATE MEMBERSHIPS OFFERED 
* WORLD TB DAY OBSERVED MARCH 24, 1999 
* COUNCIL JOB ANNOUNCEMENT - HIV TECHNICAL INFORMATION OFFICER 
* NEW DOCUMENTS AVAILABLE FROM UNAIDS 
* US CONFERENCE ON AIDS - CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

-- 
AFFILIATE MEMBERSHIP OFFERED TO DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

As a part of its efforts to build global partnerships, the Global 
Health Council has established a new category of membership developed 
specifically for individuals and organisations from developing coun-
tries. Affiliate Individual Members and Affiliate Organisational Mem-
bers will receive all regular communications and materials provided to 
regular members, including the Council's membership publication Global 
HealthLink. However, in order to avoid high costs of air postage, all 
communications will be transmitted electronically or by surface mail. 
In addition, the Council will work with Affiliate Individual Members to 
seek scholarship funding to participate in the Annual Conference and 
other council-sponsored meetings.

AFFILIATE MEMBER RATES FOR 1999
Affiliate Individual Member $12 per year
Affiliate Organisational Member $30 per year

To register for membership send payment by check, in US Dollars, or by 
credit card to:

Membership
Global Health Council
1701 K Street, NW Suite 600
Washington, DC 20006, USA

Please include your full name, complete address, telephone, fax, and e-
mail.

--
MARCH 24 IS WORLD TB DAY

Tuberculosis or TB is one of the oldest diseases known to mankind. My-
cobacterium tuberculosis, the germ which causes TB, is carried in the 
air, and is spread through casual contact when a person who has active 
disease expels the germs by coughing, sneezing, spitting or even talk-
ing. Incidence of the disease is highest where people are poor, over-
crowded or have weak immune systems (as in people with HIV/AIDS). Glob-
ally, over 2 billion people carry the TB germ, but the germ is kept 
dormant by a healthy immune system. From epidemiological data, it is 
estimated that the chance of an infected individual, ever developing 
active disease is about 10%, but for people who are co-infected with 
HIV the chance rises to about 40-50%.

The World Health Organization (WHO) theme for TB Day - March 24, 1999 
is: "STOP TB, USE DOTS". This message must be carried around the world 
to every nook and corner. Facts from the WHO epidemiological database 
supports the declaration of TB as a global emergency:

TB accounts for 40% of AIDS deaths in Africa and Asia and one-third of 
AIDS deaths world-wide. TB is a leading killer of women: over 900 mil-
lion are infected world-wide and one million die annually. One-third of 
the world's population is infected with the TB bacillus. TB kills more 
people than either AIDS or malaria, and is in fact, the biggest killer 
of young people and adults in the world today. Drug resistance can de-
velop when patients use the wrong drugs, when the drug supply is unre-
liable, and when the course of treatment is not completed. The DOTS 
(Directly Observed Treatment Short course) strategy is effective in 
curing TB in people who have the HIV virus as in those who do not have 
the virus.

The World Health Organization has recommended DOTS as the best way to 
detect and cure infectious TB patients. The World Bank considers DOTS 
to be a cost-effective strategy and a sound economic investment for any 
government. The DOTS strategy achieves cure rates as high as 95% and 
works even in economically devastated areas. Current activity among 
NGOs and PVOs should be directed towards emphasising and supporting the 
fact that DOTS not only involves direct observation of treatment but 
also the political commitment, laboratory (microscopy) services, reli-
able drug supply and monitoring systems. As you look to develop pro-
grams and activities to observe on World TB Day, please review these 
examples of World TB Day Activities of 1998:

1. In Jordan the Minister of Health appeared on national TV to launch 
the TB Elimination in the Year 2010 Initiative. 

2. In New York City, USA, the Mayor and Health Commissioner attended a 
ribbon-cutting ceremony and news conference held by the TB Program at 
the Fort Greene Chest Clinic's new site. 

3. A WHO news conference in London, UK, followed a meeting of the Ad-
Hoc TB Committee, to announce that TB control was stalled in 16 key 
countries. 

4. The Malaysia Ministry of Health sponsored a medical exhibit on TB, a 
children's short story competition, and gave free medical exams to the 
public. 

5. The Health Minister in South Africa revealed that she was infected 
with TB. 

6. In Nigeria, the Minister of Health launched the revised National TB 
and Leprosy Workers Manual to mark World TB Day. 

7. A message from the Bangladesh President, Prime Minister, Health Min-
ister and Secretary of Health was broadcast on TV/Radio and published 
in the main newspapers.

For more information please refer to the following web-sites:

World Health Organization Global TB Program:
http://www.who.ch/gtb

TBNet:
http://www.south-asia.com/ngo-tb/

International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease:
http://www.iuatld.org

KNCV (The Royal Netherlands TB Association):
http://home.pi.net:80/-kncvtbc/rntahp.html

Surveillance of Tuberculosis in Europe:
http://www.b3e.jessieu.fr:80/ceses/eurotb/eurotb.html

CDC Division of TB Elimination: 
http://www.cdc.gov/nchstp/tb/dtbe.html

Brown University TB-HIV Research Laboratory:
http:/wwwbrown.edu/Research/TB-HIV_Lab/

Stanford Center for Tuberculosis Research:
http://molepi.stanford.edu/

Tuberculosis and Airborne Diseases Weekly:
http://members.aol.com/tbidc/Links.html#Journals

Japan Anti-TB Association:
http://www.jata.or.jp

--
JOB ANNOUNCEMENT HIV/AIDS TECHNICAL INFORMATION OFFICER, GLOBAL HEALTH 
COUNCIL 

This position is responsible for technical review, writing, copy edit-
ing, and layout preparation of the AIDS program newsletters, research-
ing and compiling data for informational press releases, managing elec-
tronic ListServes, updating web-site pages, and co-ordinating communi-
cations outreach to an international network of organisations and indi-
viduals working around the world in HIV/AIDS. Candidates must have at 
least three years experience in writing and editing technical summa-
ries, newsletters and press releases; knowledge of international 
health/development issues, strong verbal communications skills, com-
plete computer literacy, strong technical/analytical skills. Preference 
will be given to candidate who also have experience in a developing 
country. MPH desirable but not a requirement. Reference requested. Sal-
ary commensurate with experience. Fax resume and cover letter before 
March 15, 1999 to:

Global Health Council
Fax: +1-202-833-0075

No calls/no mails please.

-- 
NEW DOCUMENTS AVAILABLE FROM UNAIDS

If you have access to the web, you can find these documents on the 
UNAIDS website:
http:/www.unaids.org

by clicking your way into the UNAIDS cyber store, if not you can order 
them by mail from:

the Information Centre
UNAIDS
20 Av. Appia
CH-1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland.

The "Information Center" received the following new documents:

FRENCH and SPANISH version of:

- AIDS and Men who have Sex with Men, (Point of View) 
- AIDS and the military, (Technical Update) 
- Cost-effectiveness analysis and HIV/AIDS, (Technical Update) 
- HIV/AIDS and the Workplace, (Technical Update) 
- The public health approach to STD control


-- 
US CONFERENCE ON AIDS - Call for Abstracts / Scholarship Information

USCA: CONFERENCE REGISTRATION/CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

November 5-8, 1999 
Adams' Mark Hotel Denver, Colorado, USA

Sponsored by the National Minority AIDS Council Conference Partners 
AIDS Action, AIDS, Medicine & Miracles, AIDS National Interfaith Net-
work, The Balm In Gilead, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Design In-
dustries Foundation Fighting AIDS, Elton John AIDS Foundation, LIFE-
beat, Mothers' Voices, NAMES Project, National Alliance of State & Ter-
ritorial AIDS Directors, National Native American AIDS Prevention Cen-
ter, and The Red Hot Organization.

The third annual United States Conference on AIDS (USCA) will take 
place November 5-8, 1999 in Denver, Colorado. The purpose of this "Call 
for Abstracts" is to invite you to present at this year's Conference. 
To receive the formal brochure, please respond to this e-mail with your 
complete address and a copy will be mailed to you.

More than 2,500 service providers, people living with HIV/AIDS, policy 
makers, public officials, funders and other leaders attended the USCA 
in Dallas last year, making it the largest AIDS-related gathering in 
the U.S. This year we anticipate over 3,000 attendees and hope you will 
be among them. One key to USCA's success is the extent to which it in-
corporates the direct lessons and experiences learned in the field. Ac-
cordingly, we are inviting you to apply to become an official USCA 
seminar or workshop leader, roundtable facilitator or poster presenter, 
by completing and returning the "Call for Abstracts" to the National 
Minority AIDS Council by 5:00 PM on May 28, 1999.

If you have any questions about the conference you can call:
Vernell Henry
Tel: +1-202/483-6622
mailto:vhenry@nmac.org

CRITICAL DATES:
- Abstract Submission May 28, 1999 
- Scholarship Application July 16, 1999 
- Early Bird Registration July 16, 1999 
- Hotel Reservations October 1, 1999 
- Conference Pre-Registration October 8, 1999 
- Cancellation/Refund October 8, 1999 


--
The Global Health Council (formerly NCIH) Global AIDS Program 
1701 K Street, NW, Suite 600 
Washington, DC 20006, USA
Tel: +1-202-833-5900 
Fax: +1-202-833-0075 
mailto:AIDS@globalhealthcouncil.org
http://www.globalhealthcouncil.org



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