Today is World Tuberculosis Day and this year's theme -"On the move against TB: Transforming the fight towards Elimination"- is a hopeful disposition for the ongoing race to eliminate tuberculosis. All over the world, public health practitioners and research scientists as well as pharmaceutical companies are tirelessly pursuing efforts to eradicate this disease and much progress has been made.
Recent developments have shown that tuberculosis can be controlled and eventually eliminated as more people understand the disease and its occurrence patterns. With drug-resistant TB confirmed in 58 countries, plus the likelihood of more confirmations, Stop TB Partnership's two year "Innovation" campaign is apt as the world forges on with creating awareness of, preventing and treating tuberculosis.
Innovative and effective forms of research, implementation and financing need to be executed, such as the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria which has since 2002 till date, detected and treated 7.7 million new cases of infectious tuberculosis through funded programs all over the world.
A site visit to the Kenya National Hospital Global Fund-funded MDR-TB ward in 2010 showed that in Africa the Global Fund is providing genuine succour in the areas that truly need it. In this case, there was no sufficient enclosed ward in existence for patients suffering from the multi-drug resistant type of infectious tuberculosis. This is one of many cases.
The time has come for Africans to take responsibility in Africa and embark on innovative efforts to contribute to preventing, treating and creating awareness of this pandemic. It is encouraging that through the Friends of the Global Fund Africa and Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria initiative - The Gift from Africa campaign, the African private sector has given up to US $ 5 Million to fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria but there is still more to be done from supporting national and community programs to giving directly to the Global Fund to supporting the Stop TB Partnership.
World TB Day is a reminder that the TB pandemic is very much alive and is taking lives on the African continent. There is a gaping critical need for financial support from African private sector and governments if Africa is to be a continent free of this pandemic.
In the past years of its existence, Friends of the Global Fund Africa has given its support to the demonstrable and effective Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Friends Africa has done this, and will continue to do this, because we believe that it is the most effective mechanism to combat these three pandemics on a global scale.
In light of recent press coverage of Global Fund grants being subverted by corruption and misappropriation, we are obliged to re-examine our strong commitment to the Global Fund. It would be unwise to not do so. It is one of our obligations as a supporter of the Global Fund � to ensure that it matches the standards of transparency and accountability that it aspires to.
It is our belief that, after reviewing the accounts and the evidence of these recent claims, the fundamental principles of the Global Fund have not been compromised � that is, accountability, transparency and effectiveness. We do not dispute the reported grave misuse of Global Fund grants in Mali, Djibouti, Mauritania and Zambia. However, these events have reinforced our resolve to be exacting towards the Global Fund and its processes. They are crucial to remind us that this fight is not simple, that the war cannot be won against these three pandemics by simply throwing money at it, that it must be the responsibility at all levels of society to ensure that the money is getting to who need it most. That we must be ever vigilant of those who would divert this money for their own selfish ends. That we, as Africans, must take responsibility for our own health agendas and ensure that we can drive back against the corruption and misuse that would threaten our ability to do so.
The very foundation and motto of Friends Africa is to bear this responsibility. It would be lax of us to let these reported misuses pass by unremarked � we are determined to be, like the Global Fund, transparent and accountable � however, it would be more lax of us to give up the fight against these diseases because there are admitted inefficiencies with achieving the required scale-up of prevention and treatment. These recent media commentaries have only strengthened our resolve to demand more of the Global Fund in its reporting and accountability, but also to demand more of ourselves, as Africans, to ensure this misuse does not occur, at any level, again.
Link to Q & A (How The Global Fund Protects its Grant Money) Here .
Link to Global Fund press release Here .
Friends Africa accepts a range of fellows with backgrounds in public health, international relations, research, business management, medicine, communications, policy, economics and from bachelors degree holders (with experience) to post-doctoral degree holders with several years of experience. Interns work closely with staff on projects and are given the opportunity to take the lead on initiatives and projects. Fellows also have the opportunity to travel extensively all over Africa and globally in the course of their work.
Please click here to join our Fellowship database
Available Internship Categories:
1. Research and Documentation - This area of work entails detailed data analysis and research to document the impact of resources and interventions applied to AIDS, TB and Malaria in Africa with the aim of shaping global level policy on the 3 diseases. Ongoing work in this area at Friends Africa include country case studies on millennium development goals, a pan-African testimonials publication, and disease-specific country reports.
2. Technical Assistance Mobilization - This work involves working with the Friends Africa database of 300 regional consultants to develop opportunities for their work in proposal development, monitoring and evaluation, needs assessments and implementation support throughout Africa. It also involves carrying out consultant trainings and expansion of the technical assistance database.
3. Communications -This work involves the development and use of various media (website, newsletter, publications, video documentary, press conferences) to disseminate the work, project plans and project outcomes of Friends Africa. It also involves the development of advocacy tools for use in policy promotion, fundraising, awareness in the fight against AIDS, TB and Malaria.
4. Advocacy - This work involves the development and execution of various projects which aim to increase awareness of and fundraise for AIDS TB and Malaria and for the Global Fund. Some ongoing projects include, text messaging campaigns, sexual and reproductive health advocacy projects, high-level advocacy visits, and private sector resource mobilization, the Gift from Africa Campaign, the Africa Champions for Health campaign.
5. Capacity Building - this work includes organizing and carrying out training workshops for the civil society and private sector constituencies at Friends Africa. Ongoing projects include: Grassroots Capacity Building seminar, workplace policy training seminars for the private sector small to medium scale enterprises and training to consultants on RH/HIV integration.
6. Partnership Building - This involves working with the leadership of Friends Africa to expand the partnership base of the organization. Tasks include grant writing, proposal development, project development and setting up partnership meetings with post meeting follow-up. Partners include NGOs, private sector, multilaterals and bilaterals, academic institutions and The Global Fund and the seven other "Friends" organizations affiliated with Friends Africa.
7. Governance and Organizational Development - This work involves working with the leadership of Friends Africa to handle board matters, matters arising from board meetings, board member replenishment, board member engagement, planning and execution of annual Friends Africa board meetings.
There are currently some openings for full-time employment at Friends Africa. These positions which are at the Associate, Manager and Director levels will likely be filled by candidates who have undergone one of the Friends Africa internship sessions.
Internships in any of the above internship categories are currently available in the following time frames for 2010:
3 month Internship (5 openings available per session):
June 1st to August 31st 2011 - deadline for application March 31st 2011
6 month internship (5 openings available):
June 1st to November 30th, 2011 - deadline for application March 31st 2011
2 month internship (3 openings):
January 11th, 2012 to March 11th 2012
Should you be interested in securing an internship with Friends Africa for one of the above sessions, kindly apply by sending your CV and cover letter to internships@friends-africa.org also state your top 2 work categories of interest and top 2 preferred sessions by the deadline provided.
Sincerely,
Nwando Onyeabo Advocacy and Communication Associate Friends of Global Fund Africa
The ´Gift from Africa´ Corporate Executives Dinner will hold on World AIDS Day Wednesday December 1st, 2010; it is a follow-up to the Private Sector Workshop, organized by Friends Africa for Heads of Corporate Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility held on July 8th 2010 in Lagos State. During the meeting, the Nigerian Honourable Minister of Health, Professor C. O. Onyebuchi Chukwu and the Director General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Professor John Idoko called on Nigerian companies to be committed in the fight against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria by supporting the Global Fund. This Corporate Executives Dinner aims to unite meaningful Nigerian individuals for the fight against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
The involvement of the private sector has the potential to make huge progress in this fight, and so this event will create a platform for increased commitment and collaboration from Nigerian business to this critical cause. Please click here to read more and to register for this event.
The Government of Rwanda hosted Friends of the Global Fund Africa and members of the African private sector in the Gift from Africa Private Sector Event which held in Rwanda on November 6th, 2010. The three-fold event was attended by His Excellency President Paul Kagame, Her Excellency Madame Jeanette Kagame, Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, CEO of Access Bank and over 200 African business representatives. The Government of Rwanda announced a US $1 Million USD contribution in addition to US $2 Million USD raised for the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria by African private sector companies in attendance. Please click here to read more.