Dear Friend,

December 1 is World AIDS Day. To set the stage for this year’s theme, “Getting to Zero,” the White House declared an unprecedented vision for achieving an AIDS-free generation. In this issue of Connect, EngenderHealth’s leaders offer their perspectives on this goal. Also in this issue:

• EngenderHealth at ICASA 2011
• Photo essay: Preventing HIV among Ethiopian youth
• 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence
• Career opportunities

EngenderHealth on Achieving an AIDS-Free Generation
On November 8, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton declared boldly that the end of HIV and AIDS is finally in sight, a vision that resonates with this year’s World AIDS Day theme: “Getting to Zero: Zero New HIV Infections, Zero Discrimination, and Zero AIDS-Related Deaths.” The statement marks the first time ever that the U.S. government has made the end of HIV and AIDS a policy priority. EngenderHealth experts took a moment to reflect on her remarks, including highlighting the importance of family planning in HIV prevention.
Read more.

2011 UNAIDS Report: Winning the Race against HIV and AIDS
The year 2011 has been a “game-changer” in the global response to HIV and AIDS, providing the knowledge and tools that are needed to defeat HIV and AIDS, according to a new World AIDS Day report by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). The report cites unprecedented progress, including a 20% rise in antiretroviral coverage in sub-Saharan Africa between 2009 and 2010, and a 21% decline in annual new infections since 1997. The report sets forth a new framework for achieving “smarter, faster, better” outcomes that will help ensure “the beginning of the end of AIDS.”

Marking 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence
EngenderHealth’s CHAMPION Project is spearheading a diverse array of activities in Tanzania to mark this year’s “16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence”—a global campaign that symbolically links November 25 (International Day against Violence Against Women) with December 10 (International Human Rights Day). During this time, CHAMPION staff will lead public marches, community dialogues, and text-message campaigns, as well as print and broadcast (television and radio) media programs. The goal is to raise community awareness about the effects of violence and show solidarity with district and national leaders.

EngenderHealth Signs Letter to U.S. House of Representatives on Family Planning
EngenderHealth signed an October 31 letter urging House appropriators to support continued U.S. leadership on international family planning and reproductive health (FP/RH). Joining dozens of nonprofit organizations, EngenderHealth asked the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations to increase funding for these programs in the Fiscal Year 2012 budget. The content of the letter was similar to the version sent to the U.S. Senate on October 13, thanking them for standing up for FP/RH programs.

House Democrats Defend UNFPA in a Letter to President Obama
Led by Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-NY), 107 House Democrats sent an “open” letter to President Barack Obama on November 3, urging him to continue supporting U.S. contributions to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). They underscored UNFPA programs that are critical to improving comprehensive reproductive health care in more than 150 countries.

EngenderHealth at Dakar Family Planning Conference (November 29–December 2)
The 2011 International Conference on Family Planning is under way! See our agenda for a schedule of EngenderHealth activities and presentations in the remaining two days of the conference.

EngenderHealth at the 16th International Conference on AIDS & STIs in Africa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
From December 4-6, EngenderHealth will participate in the 16th International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa (ICASA), an event aimed at fostering discussion and mobilizing leaders in the global response to HIV and AIDS. Held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, this year’s conference will focus on themes of ownership, sustainability, and scalability. EngenderHealth program staff will deliver five poster presentations on the importance of engaging men in the response to HIV, recent studies on the Shang Ring (a disposable male circumcision device for HIV prevention), and more. Download our conference flyer (PDF, 212KB) to learn more.

Engaging Faith-Based Organizations in the Response to Maternal Mortality
The Maternal Health Task Force, Woodrow Wilson Center, and UNFPA hosted a November 16 dialogue on the role of faith-based organizations in reducing maternal mortality. Faith-based organizations often have the potential to address cultural beliefs that may affect decisions about early marriage and family planning. Held in Washington, DC, the event is the latest in an ongoing Dialogue Series that explores diverse issues related to maternal health. Check out a webcast of the discussion.

GlobeMed’s November 17 online newsletter includes a “photo message” from President Pamela Barnes, who delivered keynote remarks at the 2011 GlobeMed HillTop conference.

In a November 15 blog post, George Washington University’s GlobeMed program highlighted as a “favorite moment” President Barnes’s keynote at the 2011 GlobeMed HillTop conference.

On November 2, the Ethiopian News Agency highlighted a donation of eight ambulances and seven generators from EngenderHealth and Ipas-Ethiopia.

As a partner in the Male Circumcision Consortium, EngenderHealth recently completed three research studies to help inform adult male circumcision (MC) programming in Nyanza Province, Kenya:

• Exploring the Human Resources Landscape for Male Circumcision
  (PDF, 3.6MB)
  This study found health worker shortages in four districts of Nyanza Province, Kenya, and identified barriers to addressing them, including potential limitations due to sex of the health workers and poor understanding of incentives mechanisms for motivating health workers.

• Assessing Two Strategies for Expanding Coverage of Male Circumcision
  (PDF, 4.7MB)
  This study assessed two strategies for performing voluntary male circumcision services in Kenya: (1) task-shifting to trained nurses and clinical officers, and (2) using trained itinerant clinical officers. The findings confirmed that both approaches are effective and safe for expanding MC services at the community level.

• Assessing Costs of Approaches and Service Delivery Modes for Male Circumcision
  (PDF, 3.3MB)
  This study compared the costs and efficiency of various program approaches (horizontal and vertical) and service delivery modes (base, outreach, and mobile). The findings revealed minimal cost or efficiency differences among approaches and modes, supporting continued use of all delivery modes and a mix of horizontal and diagonal program approaches.