AFRO-NETS> ATCnet Database for the African Health and HIV-AIDS Crisis

[Kirimi Kaberia <kirimik@atcnet.org>]

ATCnet Database for the African Health and HIV-AIDS Crisis
----------------------------------------------------------

http://www.atcnet.org

ATCnet has launched an easily accessible Internet database for the 
African Health and HIV-AIDS Crisis to consolidate information about 
organizations and individuals that are working to combat the crisis. 
There is a growing global appreciation of the enormity of the health 
and HIV-AIDS crisis in Africa. With this database it will be possible 
to publicize the enormous amount of work that African organizations 
and individuals are doing in Africa to address the pandemic. 

ATCnet is an organization with tax exempt status for charitable con-
tributions in the United States and is an African network of networks 
in Africa and among the African Diaspora. ATCnet is using modern and 
information technology (ICT) to make it possible for value adding de-
velopment to become the norm in Africa, building on the incredible 
wealth and resources of the continent. Modern ICT makes it possible 
for the first time to build a single database for all the many Afri-
can organizations and individuals doing work on thecrisis and for the 
information to be easily accessible via the Internet anywhere there 
is Internet access. 

Health and HIV-AIDS is a huge crisis in Africa. The health and HIV-
AIDS crisis threatens everything. HIV-AIDS appears to be out of con-
trol and other even more infectious diseases could easily emerge from 
the crisis and bad practices of the health sector. ATCnet regards 
health and HIV-AIDS a priority issue for Africa. The enormity of the 
crisis is difficult to comprehend. Between 5,000 and 7,000 Africans 
die every day as a result of AIDS related infection. More than 12,000 
a day become infected. Millions of young people have nobody to take 
care of them, because parents and all the adults of the extended fam-
ily have died. Old people are also living with nobody in the extended 
family left to help care for them. 

The ATCnet database documents information about the organizations in 
Africa that are presently doing incredible work to confront the 
health and HIV-AIDS pandemic with extremely limited financial and ma-
terial resources. But the enormous value of the work that these or-
ganizations are already doing is not at all reflected in the delib-
erations of policy makers regarding the crisis, yet it is a powerful 
resource for success in the battle against the pandemic and it is al-
ready deployed around Africa. 

The new ATCnet database makes it possible to identify the successes 
that there have already been in addressing the health and HIV-AIDS 
crisis. Though the gross statistics are horrible, they might encour-
age inaction because the problem appears so huge. The ATCnet database 
makes it possible to recognize that there is already an existing de-
ployment of people and organizations that can easily be assisted to 
do even more valuable work in Africa. 

The ATCnet database makes it possible for money and in kind donations 
to be mobilized for use by registered organizations doing work in Af-
rica. The ATCnet database and search engine will now make it easy for 
American philanthropists to select specific projects to support. 

The ATCnet network in Africa makes it possible to ensure that the re-
sources are used as the donors intend. The ATCnet database and the 
financial analysis system makes it possible to ensure that funds are 
used effectively to improve the health environment in Africa and con-
tain the HIV-AIDS pandemic. 

The database will help African organizations publicize their priority 
needs in a systematic way. The database will help the global commu-
nity help African organizations improve their productivity in the 
work by making it much easier to get access to critical resources. 

It is recognized that there are many resources that are needed, both 
financial and material. There is also the need for resources associ-
ated with education and training. The ATCnet network provides a link 
between those with resources and those in need of resources. The da-
tabase will make it possible for organizations that can donate mate-
rials to do it easily, and to know that the materials are being used 
in the manner intended. 

During the next few weeks ATCnet will be registering organizations in 
the database. The goal is for several thousand leading organizations 
to be registered in that time. The registration program will continue 
so that in time all organizations doing valuable work in the health 
sector and against the HIV-AIDS pandemic are registered. 

Additional critical information will be obtained as fast as possible 
so that critical needs can be identified and a process of resource 
mobilization implemented. At the same time steps will be taken to 
confirm the validity of the information to ensure that it can be re-
lied on as a basis for decision making. 

Information in the ATCnet database originates from a variety of 
sources, including the concerned organizations and from secondary 
sources. The information is validated by independent inquiry using 
third parties. 

More information is available on the ATCnet website:
http://www.atcnet.org 

The primary contact and communications with ATCnet and its network is 
through e-mail and the Internet. Check the website at www.atcnet.org 
or send information requests to <info@atcnet.org>. If you do not have 
e-mail use regular mail. 

For more information or to help, contact: 
Kirimi Kaberia 
ATCnet 
5851 Quantrell Avenue # 501
Alexandria, VA 22312, USA
Tel: +1-703-658-6333 
Fax: +1-703-658-3993
mailto:kirimik@atcnet.org 
http://www.atcnet.org 

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