RIATT-ESA Commemorates World TB Day

Each year, we recognize World TB Day on March 24, 2024. In observance of this year’s World TB Day, RIATT-ESA joins the rest of the world in commemorating and reaffirming its commitment to ending TB through its work. World TB Day is a day to educate the public about the impact of TB around the world. This year’s World TB Day has been celebrated under the theme “Yes! We can end TB”. TB is still one of the world’s deadliest diseases and recent years have seen a worrying increase in drug-resistant TB. The World Health Organization estimates that 10.6 million people developed active TB in 2022, of whom 1.3 million were children, and 1.3 million people died from the disease. Adolescents (10 to 19 years) and those people living with HIV have the highest risk of mortality.

Following the United Nations high-level meeting in September 2023, WHO is encouraging a) Investment, b) Uptake of the latest WHO recommendations c) adoption of innovations, and d) active involvement of civil society organizations in the fight against the pandemic.

TB is distributed inequitably, with the highest burden of disease worldwide occurring in resource-limited settings where confirming TB diagnoses in children is challenging. We, therefore, join WHO in encouraging all partners and stakeholders to invest in ending TB through advancing high-impact clinical research, and technological innovations, catalyzing adequate financing and policy directions that build on localizing WHO recommendations.

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UNAIDS, UNICEF and WHO urge countries in western and central Africa to step up the pace in the response to HIV for children and adolescents

PRESS RELEASE

DAKAR/GENEVA, 16 January 2019—At a high-level meeting in Dakar, Senegal, UNAIDS, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) urged countries in western and central Africa to do more to stop new HIV infections among children and adolescents and increase HIV testing and treatment coverage.

In 2017, around 67 000 children (aged 0–9 years) and 69 000 adolescents (aged 10–19 years) became newly infected with HIV. Two thirds (46 000) of adolescents newly infected with the virus were girls. While progress has been seen in stopping new HIV infections among children in some countries—eleven countries registered a reduction of more than 35% between 2010 and 2017*—others, including Nigeria, which has the largest epidemic in the region, experienced no declines at all.

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Call for book chapters- Adolescence and HIV in Eastern And Southern Africa

HEARD, in partnership with UNAIDS, UNDP and Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), proposed a new and engaging book 'Adolescence and HIV Prevention in Eastern and Southern Africa: Emerging Evidence and Intervention Strategies'. HEARD and partners are now seeking innovative contributions to this book project. 

This book will address current perspectives in HIV prevention with adolescent populations. The aim of the project is to bring together leading social scientists, public health experts, policy makers and the HIV affected community to translate recent momentous advances into action that will address HIV prevention gaps in adolescents in eastern and southern Africa. This project will welcome public health and social science based contributions offering new thinking, fresh approaches or evidence-based findings to enhance and accelerate HIV prevention. 

Click here to download the call for contributions. 

Webinar: Ending Child Marriage and Stopping the Spread of HIV in Africa

Research by the African Union Commission and RIATT-ESA examines some of the existing literature to highlight what is known about the links between child marriage and HIV, and spotlights opportunities for further action.

This webinar explores the findings of the research and examines the implications for programmes and advocacy.  

• Moderator by Ms Nyaradzayi, Gumbonzvanda - CEO, Rozaria Memorial Trust and AU Goodwill Ambassador on Ending Child Marriage.
• Presenter: Dr.Kwalombota M.Kwalombota- Researcher
• Presenter: Ruth Koshal- The Senior Africa Engagement Officer at Girls Not Brides the Global Partnership to End Child Marriage, based in Nairobi, Kenya. Prior to joining Girls Not Brides, she was the Director of Social Enterprise at Africa Centre for Entrepreneurship and Leadership in Kenya.  Ruth previously worked with Save the Children International as a Senior Manager and World Vision International as a Senior Policy and Advocacy Advisor. 
• Presenter: Ramatou Tore- Merlo- The Regional Senior Child Protection Specialist for UNICEF West and Central Africa Regional Office located in Dakar. In her capacity she oversees and provides strategic direction and guidance on UNICEF programmes addressing Child Marriage, Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting, Violence against Children and Child Protection Systems Strengtheningin 24 countries across West and Central Africa. Prior to this position, she was the UNICEF Chief of the Child Protection programme in Rwanda from 2012 to 2016. Ramatou Toure also served as a Child Protection Specialist in the Democratic Republic of Congo in Kinshasa and Lubumbashi from 2008 to 2011. From 2006 to 2008 she worked in the Global Emergency Office at UNICEF Headquarters in New York, USA, as a Policy and Advocacy Officer in charge of children affected by armed conflict. Before joining UNICEF, she worked with government institutions and non-governmental organizations across Europe and Africa.

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Webinar hosted by RIATT-ESA and The African Union

PATA Promising Practices of HIV Adherence and Support for your People Living with HIV

PATA has recently published a series of promising practices of HIV adherence and support for your people living with HIV. These series highlights the calls for:

• Health care provider sensitisation, to improve treatment of adolescents to make them feel appreciated, accepted and respected.
• Care giver support, a crucial part of improving adolescents mental health, adherence and resilience.
• A renewed focus on peer support, as AYPLHIV are well-placed to understand, support and respond to the needs of other young people in their communities. 
• HIV and SRH services that are comprehensive, amongst others this should include psychosocial support and family planning services.

Click on the links below to read the full papers.

• Promising practices in health provider sensitisation for adolescents and young people living with HIV
• Mmata Tswana (My Partner) - Community caregiver support groups to improve ART adherence amongst adolescents living with HIV
• Promising practices in peer support for adolescents and young people living with HIV
• Promising practices in integrating HIV and SRH services for adolescents and young people living with HIV