03/31/2010 • 10:29 pm Comments Off on 31.03.2010 Safe house
HOPE Cape Town was the first project to receive the “safehouse” placket from the “Romantik Hotel Group” and “be your own hero e.V.
Filed under: General, HIV and AIDS, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, Networking, Society and living environment, be your own hero, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, romantic hotel group, safe hous
02/18/2010 • 10:43 pm 1
Today is mainly an office work day – so many things are waiting to be finalised. In the morning still sitting together with a colleague of mine and exchanging ideas. In the afternoon reading some emails I discover that the South-African Government has agreed to change their guidelines for HIV treatment and that now the 350 mark of the CD4 count is significant for the begin of the treatment. This is indeed good news . I have my little doubts whether the implementation will be smoothly and were the money is coming for all those now eligible for treatment, but we will see.
Another good news is the insight, the local minister of health of the Western Cape gave in saying that there is a good understanding between the Western Cape and the national government in health issues. No jealousy or there like. Also good to hear and my prayers are, that this will last longer than the world cup 2010 is in town.
All steps in the right direction and if correct implemented, we will see many South African being able to contribute to the countries well-being instead of dying to early.
Filed under: HIV and AIDS, Politics and Society, Reflection, CD4 count, hiv, HIV Treatment, HIV treatment, people living with the virus, south africa, western cape
02/16/2010 • 9:56 pm Comments Off on 16.02.2010 POZ and CAN
A whole series of meetings today, amongst others one with our working group looking into the pastoral care for HIV positive priests and religious. We discuss the way forward and how important it is to back up our pastoral efforts with a proper theological and psychological consideration. Obviously it is compassion driving us, but is this enough? When we want to engage bishops and convince them to support us, it would be good for us to have done our homework. Obviously we also have to look at the scale of what we can do and how we approach it. A very constructive meeting and surely a big step forward.
Afterwards meeting with the Catholic Aids Network in Welcome Estate. We are still waiting for our constitution as requested by the National Catholic Aids office and we discussed in length the way forward. The topic HIV and AIDS has indeed changed in the last years and for many church groups and initiatives, it is one aspect of their work amongst others. This is different from when CAN started, where the support groups were partly marginalised and worked very isolated, thus needing much more networking and moral support. We also aim to have a service around World Aids Day, not only as a memorial service for those, who have died already, but also as a sign of encouragement for those, who are still working in this field. And I am convinced we have not reached yet the peak – the PEFPAR funding is going to get less, and we still have to catch up for quite some wasted years here in South Africa; the adherence will be a topic and a problem in the years to come. Whoever thinks, that HIV and AIDS is dealt with – I think the opposite. We still have a way to go – and if we not take care of this way, we will have to pay a costly price. Between political declarations of intent and reality is here in South Africa still a big gap ( I guess not only in South Africa)…
HOPE Cape Town, Catholic AIDS Network, the poz initiative for HIV positive priests and clergy and all the other local initiatives will be needed still for a long time…
Filed under: HIV and AIDS, HIV Prevention, HIV Treatment, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, Medical and Research, Politics and Society, adherence, Aids, bishop, catholic aids network, compliance, hiv, people living with the virus, PEPFAR, positive clergy, POZ, south africa, Theology
02/08/2010 • 10:17 pm Comments Off on 08.02.2010 Monday blues again…
Monday morning starts off with two doctors interested in the HOPE Cape Town project. Somehow an interesting dialogue between European and African thinking. For me amazing to see how people really try to get a grips on the HIV pandemic in Southern Africa and develop ideas how to minimise the transmission rate. Obviously also the stance of the Catholic Church is part of the discussion.
Thereafter a TV request and discussion with the producer what is possible on short notice. It is sometimes difficult to judge and see how we can get the legitimate request for information together with what we can render on possibilities to fulfill such requests. In the moment, lots of TV teams are searching for motives, interviews and stories around the soccer world cup 2010… People in South Africa are generally more sensitive about cameras in townships and I can understand it. For too long, townships have been used and sometimes abused to produce, what was requested, without really respecting the dignity of the people. Times have changed and I think it is good that they have changed.
CCMA next, the center for conciliation and arbitration has scheduled a meeting to discuss a case of dismissal, I have been involved with. Also here it is sometimes not easy to find a balance between the very different standpoints of view of the employee and the employer. But after an informal discussion a solution is found and the more legal ways avoided. I am quite relieved about it.
Then office work, emails – I think I did write about them a couple of days earlier – to answer takes time, a request for an interview tomorrow regarding Nelson Mandela and his release from prison has to be prepared, some phone calls and then it is time for a home visit with house mass. A good tradition to bring some families together to celebrate the Eucharist in their home and then to stay together for a decent meal and lots of chat and discussion. It is good to touch again the lives of people, talk about families, their joys and hard times, about any topic just coming up. I always find a house mass very intense as people are more participating, are more part of the celebration.
The evening ends with some preparation for tomorrow, some last emails to answer and reading the latest news on the internet.
Filed under: HIV and AIDS, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, Medical and Research, Reflection, Society and living environment, Africa, catholic church, Church Matters, conciliation, dismissal, eucharist, europe, hiv, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, house mass, soccer world cup, TV
01/30/2010 • 6:10 pm Comments Off on POZ.com – Treatment News : Long-Lasting HIV Nucleoside Analogue in Development
An interesting article and a promising one as well:
POZ – POZ Magazine – POZ.com – Treatment News : Long-Lasting HIV Nucleoside Analogue in Development.
Filed under: HIV and AIDS, HIV Treatment, Medical and Research, Aids, hiv, HIV Treatment
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