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The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief - September 2006 Newsletter
Angola: Angolan Youth Centers Provide Educational, Recreational Activities [more]
Angolan Youth Centers Provide Educational, Recreational Activities: Long lines trail outside the Jango Juvenile Youth Center in Cabinda, Angola. The center's educational classes, health information and recreational activities have attracted so many young adults to the center that there is not enough room for everyone inside. However, with few options for similar training or socializing, the wait is well worth it for many in line. Recognizing the need to reach out to youth in Angola, the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (Emergency Plan/PEPFAR), working with partners in-country, is supporting four Jango Juvenile Youth Centers. The centers are located in Luanda, Cabinda, Huambo and Huil, and have been so successful and popular with youth that a fifth center is scheduled to open in Cunene this year. The Jango Juveniles, whose name means "safe space," fill an important void for communities in Angola. Before the centers were built in 2002, there were simply no "safe spaces" where youth could learn to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS and invest in their own future. The four centers serve an estimated 140,000 youth per year. This success is due in large part to the unique approach used at the Jango Juveniles. In order to attract youth to the centers, a number of non-HIV/AIDS activities are sponsored, including skills training in diverse areas, sports and cultural activities. Jango Juvenile Youth Centers are especially important for out-of-school youth, who come to the centers for additional education. These classes enable youth to become active leaders in their communities by teaching the skills necessary to become an integral part of the workforce. By providing training in these areas, the Emergency Plan and its partners are enabling Angola's youth to empower themselves and take control of their future. Nigeria Uses Internet to Educate Citizens About HIV/AIDS Through a partnership between AIDS Information Center International (AICI) and the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria, people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS have a new source for information about HIV/AIDS on the Internet. The new Web site provides a central place Nigerians can visit for accurate and trustworthy knowledge. The site provides community news, links to newspaper articles on HIV/AIDS, information about AICI, and contact information for the organization. Visitors to the site will also find a link to the AICI blog, where organizers post more detailed information about local events. AICI, which is supported by the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (Emergency Plan/PEPFAR), works to disseminate information about HIV/AIDS in the federal capital territory of Abuja and surrounding communities. The program targets women, youth, children, and people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. AICI was initiated by the Nigerian Library Association and is managed with support from the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria. Namibia Receives Grant to Support Education for OVCs Orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs) living in Namibia are the recipients of a $1.3 million grant from the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (Emergency Plan/PEPFAR). In partnership with the Namibian people, this grant will help supply OVCs with necessary school supplies like uniforms, books and school lunches. Counseling services will also be provided for OVCs in many of the communities. The HIV/AIDS epidemic has left 85,000 children orphaned in Namibia. Often left to take on head-of-household duties, many OVCs do not have the resources to remain in school. The grant will support 28 schools and communities in the Oshikoto, Oshana, Ohangwena, Omusati and Caprivi regions of Namibia. To address the needs of OVCs, the U.S. Government has partnered with the Ministries of Education, Gender Equality, and Child Welfare, as well as non-governmental and faith-based organizations to support the Orphans and Vulnerable Children Education Initiative. The program, which began last March, will use the grant money to provide critical care and support for more than 58,000 OVCs in Namibia. Spotlight: Dr. Tom Kenyon Appointed Principal Deputy Coordinator Dr. Tom Kenyon is the newly appointed Principal Deputy Coordinator and Chief Medical Officer for the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator. Dr. Kenyon's past experience working and living in Namibia provides him with first-hand experience about the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (Emergency Plan/PEPFAR) and its work. "PEPFAR is an incredible commitment that, for the first time, is giving many of the tools and resources to countries to make a difference," he said. "We had resources before, but not on the scale we have now. I am looking forward to being part of PEPFAR's future and ensuring that countries get the support they need." As Principal Deputy Coordinator and Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Kenyon will provide leadership for the office, developing policies and strategic goals and objectives for the Emergency Plan. He will also serve as a representative of the office to educate the public and garner support for PEPFAR, and will visit representatives in countries to obtain first-hand knowledge of achievements, concerns and needs. Dr. Kenyon spent the last 10 years living and working with host governments in Botswana and Namibia. He was an integral part of U.S. Government support for the government of Namibia's highly successful efforts to introduce and expand HIV counseling and testing, prevention of mother-to-child transmission services, and anti-retroviral treatment at the national level, with a particular emphasis on early infant diagnosis and treatment of HIV in children. Dr. Kenyon received his B.S. (1977) from Indiana University and his M.D. (1981) from the University of Missouri - Columbia. He completed his residency in pediatrics at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center in Tucson (1984), an M.P.H. (1993) in international health from Johns Hopkins University, and HHS/CDC's training in field epidemiology through the Epidemic Intelligence Service (1994) in the Division of TB Elimination. PEPFAR Programs Praised at International AIDS Conference Scientists, activists, doctors, people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS, community leaders and government officials gathered in Toronto, Canada August 13-18, 2006 for the 16th International AIDS Conference. One hundred U.S. Government (USG) delegates attended the conference. Among those in attendance was Ambassador Mark Dybul of the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator. Ambassador Dybul explained to participants how the USG has led the world in turning the tide against the HIV/AIDS pandemic through the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (Emergency Plan/PEPFAR). In an interview with the Kaiser Network, Ambassador Dybul stressed the importance of sustainability and local capacity building in meeting the Emergency Plan's 2-7-10 goals. He said, "President Bush committed $15 billion over five years so we could achieve those goals and so we're on track to do it, and we're going to do it by building local capacity, building the systems in country. - It needs to be built into the country itself. It has to be a part of the country, and it needs to be owned by the country in a multi-sector way." Bill and Melinda Gates delivered a keynote address during the opening plenary session. During the address Bill Gates praised the Emergency Plan saying, "PEPFAR is supplying antiretroviral drugs to more than half a million people in 15 countries in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief has done a great deal of good, and President Bush and his team deserve a lot of credit for it." Former President Bill Clinton also attended the conference and praised the Emergency Plan's work during a panel on Monday. He said, "PEPFAR, on balance, has done a terrific amount of good." The International AIDS Conference is a biennial gathering of the global AIDS community organized by the International AIDS Society. Taking advantage of the conference's speaking opportunities, PEPFAR sponsored three satellite sessions and the USG as a whole presented several abstracts. Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator | | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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