Dr. Clarence S. Hall: "Though the challenges are many, this is our only hope to save lives preserve mankind"

by Bambi Weavil

We recently had a fascinating and in-depth interview with Dr. Clarence S. Hall, Deputy Director of Health & HIV/AIDS with Africare who has extensive hands-on experience internationally fighting HIV/AIDS. Thank you to Africare for making this incredible interview possible:

Bambi Weavil: How long have you worked with Africare? Can you describe your job role to our audience?

Dr. Clarence S. Hall: I have worked for Africare the last seven and a half years. I was hired as Director of HIV/AIDS with only a secretary, to establish the HIV/AIDS Unit and develop a five year HIV/AIDS Strategy 2000 - 2005. The HIV/AIDS Unit and the Health Unit were combined in 2004 to form the Office of Health & HIV/AIDS (OHHA). I was appointed deputy to Dr. Charles DeBose, Director. My current responsibilities include: (1) Assist the OHHA Director in managing the office and provide HIV/AIDS technical guidance and advice to OHHA staff, regional directors, headquarters technical directors and the field; (2) conduct site visits to assigned countries to provide technical support and strengthen relationships with donors and potential partners; (3) identify and draft OHHA policy changes that will advance the organization and/or its mission.; participate in USG, international NGO organization and UN meetings to discuss and assist in formulating related policies; and represent Africare at special meetings/media events on Health & HIV/AIDS in Washington, other parts of the U.S. and abroad.

BW: Why did you choose to work in the AIDS Awareness field?

CH: "Prevention is better and cheaper than cure." In the case of AIDS, there is no cure, therefore, much of the sickness, suffering and death can be avoided if people are informed and persuaded to take responsible action (behavior change) to preserve their lives and those of their loved ones. Though the challenges are many, this is our only hope to save lives preserve mankind.

BW: What do you feel is the most critical problem going into 2008 you feel is happening in Africa that Africare is working on?

CH: There are so many preventable diseases health problems that are impacting the lives and the economies of Africa, e.g. HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STI), malaria, measles, malnutrition, maternal and infant deaths and poverty. These problems cannot be tackled in isolation as in the past. An integrated approach is the only way to make a difference. Africare has adopted this approach in most of its countries and look forward in 2008 to make it 100%.

BW: What do you feel is the most misunderstood understanding of the AIDS pandemic?

CH: Discourse on HIV/AIDS still carries a great amount of stigma, which unfortunately causes many people to underestimate their risk. We still talk about the AIDS as a "gay disease", or a disease that only affects the poor in the developing world. Even in high prevalence places targeted by prevention programming, such as Sub-Sahara Africa, perceived risk remains low. As the pandemic matures more people are increasingly at risk. For instance, years ago, gay men were most at risk for contracting HIV. Today, however, according to UNAIDS, half of all adults worldwide living with HIV are women, up from 41 percent ten years ago. The majority of infections are also resulting from heterosexual sex. Reports by the Kaiser Family Foundation indicates that this trend also persists in the United States, where 26 percent of AIDS diagnoses in 2005 were women. The Centers for Disease Control predicts that if "new HIV infections continue at their current rate worldwide, women with HIV may soon outnumber men with HIV."

Even more troubling is the fate of married women worldwide who wrongly believe their monogamous status protects them from contracting HIV. The United National Population Fund (UNFPA) reported in 2005 that more than four-fifths of new infections in women result from sex with their husband or primary partners. Meanwhile, a 2004 UNAIDS study in India found that 27 percent of male clients patronizing male sex workers were married. These data only reinforce the idea that prevention tactics are as important today as they were in the dawn of the pandemic. However, more attention needs to be placed on engaging whole societies in discourse about HIV and AIDS, particularly women who are increasingly becoming most affected by the pandemic.

BW: What has been some positive progress Africare has made in 2007?

CH: Africare has been able to demonstrate an effective ways to address the needs of orphans and vulnerable children in its Regional Community-based Care, Protection and Empowerment (COPE) Project in Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. The results have prompted the USAID Missions in two of these four countries to provide additional funding to consolidate achievements and extend the program to new areas within the respective countries. We have also received accolades for our HIV/AIDS youth-centered program, Reaching HIV/AIDS Affected People with Integrated Development Support (RAPIDS) Project in Zambia. The lifeskills and livelihood training manuals we developed have been accepted by the government to the point where Africare has been certified as a training institute for youth HIV/AIDS prevention training. The Injongo Yethu Project (uplifting those in need) in the Eastern Cape, South Africa is Africare's first comprehensive HIV/AIDS project. The project aims to prevent, treat, care for and support people infected with HIV, their caregivers, and family members. The project's goal is to increase the awareness of, expand access to quality treatment, care, and support services for people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. In addition the Project creates a sustainable partnership between communities, the government, and local NGOs and community-based organizations (CBOs) that will help them to respond to the health, social and economic impact of HIV/AIDS. The Project builds upon the South African Government's decision to roll out a massive HIV/AIDS treatment program and works collaboratively with governments at all levels: national, provincial, district, municipality, and community. In 2007, Africare was able to strengthen project staff and put a number of systems in place to that will facilitate the achievement of the project aims and goal. Based on this experience and the achievements so far, Africare anticipates expanding these programs in Africare countries.

BW: When someone donates to Africare, where does the money primarily go?

CH: Donations to Africare primarily go to program and support activities that embrace our mission: "to improve the quality of life in Africa, assisting families, communities and nations in two principal areas--food security and agriculture, and health and HIV/AIDS."

BW: Have you worked out in the field? If so, what has been a story that impacts you daily to keep going?

CH: I began my international work as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the mid-60s. My over 40- year professional career has been largely focused on Africa with brief assignments in the Caribbean and the Western Pacific. I have always been amazed and inspired by the hard work, dedication and generosity of the people who do so much with so little. My most to recent visit to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Ghana last November reinforced this observation. Despite the fact that in one country we traveled on roads that were so bad it took us 3 hours to travel 35 miles, our Africare staff carries out their responsibilities by regular visits under these conditions to provide technical, material and moral support to project staff. A training program for traditional birth attendants (TBAs), most do not read or write, to help them recognize potential delivery complications early and refer them to secondary and tertiary health facilities, uses traditional songs and demonstrative dancing as educational tools. A Village Nutrition Growth monitoring project uses local colored beads worn as bracelets to identify the nutritional status of infants and children. A mother whose malnourished child is wearing a yellow or Orange bracelet is inspired to feed her child so that it can have a green bracelet like the child next door. These examples keep me going to do all I can to support our field staff, to identify and channel more resources to where they are needed most.




	Dr. Clarence S. Hall: "Though the challenges are many, this is our only hope to save lives preserve mankind" by Bambi Weavil We recently had a fascinating and in-depth interview with Dr. Clarence S. Hall, Deputy Director of Health & HIV/AIDS with Africare who has extensive hands-on experience internationally fighting HIV/AIDS. Thank you to Africare for making this incredible interview possible: Bambi Weavil: How long have you worked with Africare? Can you describe your job role to our audience? Dr. Clarence S. Hall: I have worked for Africare the last seven and a half years. I was hired as Director of HIV/AIDS with only a secretary, to establish the HIV/AIDS Unit and develop a five year HIV/AIDS Strategy 2000 - 2005. The HIV/AIDS Unit and the Health Unit were combined in 2004 to form the Office of Health & HIV/AIDS (OHHA). I was appointed deputy to Dr. Charles DeBose, Director. My current responsibilities include: (1) Assist the OHHA Director in managing the office and provide HIV/AIDS technical guidance and advice to OHHA staff, regional directors, headquarters technical directors and the field; (2) conduct site visits to assigned countries to provide technical support and strengthen relationships with donors and potential partners; (3) identify and draft OHHA policy changes that will advance the organization and/or its mission.; participate in USG, international NGO organization and UN meetings to discuss and assist in formulating related policies; and represent Africare at special meetings/media events on Health & HIV/AIDS in Washington, other parts of the U.S. and abroad. BW: Why did you choose to work in the AIDS Awareness field? CH: "Prevention is better and cheaper than cure." In the case of AIDS, there is no cure, therefore, much of the sickness, suffering and death can be avoided if people are informed and persuaded to take responsible action (behavior change) to preserve their lives and those of their loved ones. Though the challenges are many, this is our only hope to save lives preserve mankind. BW: What do you feel is the most critical problem going into 2008 you feel is happening in Africa that Africare is working on? CH: There are so many preventable diseases health problems that are impacting the lives and the economies of Africa, e.g. HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STI), malaria, measles, malnutrition, maternal and infant deaths and poverty. These problems cannot be tackled in isolation as in the past. An integrated approach is the only way to make a difference. Africare has adopted this approach in most of its countries and look forward in 2008 to make it 100%. BW: What do you feel is the most misunderstood understanding of the AIDS pandemic? CH: Discourse on HIV/AIDS still carries a great amount of stigma, which unfortunately causes many people to underestimate their risk. We still talk about the AIDS as a "gay disease", or a disease that only affects the poor in the developing world. Even in high prevalence places targeted by prevention programming, such as Sub-Sahara Africa, perceived risk remains low. As the pandemic matures more people are increasingly at risk. For instance, years ago, gay men were most at risk for contracting HIV. Today, however, according to UNAIDS, half of all adults worldwide living with HIV are women, up from 41 percent ten years ago. The majority of infections are also resulting from heterosexual sex. Reports by the Kaiser Family Foundation indicates that this trend also persists in the United States, where 26 percent of AIDS diagnoses in 2005 were women. The Centers for Disease Control predicts that if "new HIV infections continue at their current rate worldwide, women with HIV may soon outnumber men with HIV." Even more troubling is the fate of married women worldwide who wrongly believe their monogamous status protects them from contracting HIV. The United National Population Fund (UNFPA) reported in 2005 that more than four-fifths of new infections in women result from sex with their husband or primary partners. Meanwhile, a 2004 UNAIDS study in India found that 27 percent of male clients patronizing male sex workers were married. These data only reinforce the idea that prevention tactics are as important today as they were in the dawn of the pandemic. However, more attention needs to be placed on engaging whole societies in discourse about HIV and AIDS, particularly women who are increasingly becoming most affected by the pandemic. BW: What has been some positive progress Africare has made in 2007? CH: Africare has been able to demonstrate an effective ways to address the needs of orphans and vulnerable children in its Regional Community-based Care, Protection and Empowerment (COPE) Project in Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. The results have prompted the USAID Missions in two of these four countries to provide additional funding to consolidate achievements and extend the program to new areas within the respective countries. We have also received accolades for our HIV/AIDS youth-centered program, Reaching HIV/AIDS Affected People with Integrated Development Support (RAPIDS) Project in Zambia. The lifeskills and livelihood training manuals we developed have been accepted by the government to the point where Africare has been certified as a training institute for youth HIV/AIDS prevention training. The Injongo Yethu Project (uplifting those in need) in the Eastern Cape, South Africa is Africare's first comprehensive HIV/AIDS project. The project aims to prevent, treat, care for and support people infected with HIV, their caregivers, and family members. The project's goal is to increase the awareness of, expand access to quality treatment, care, and support services for people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. In addition the Project creates a sustainable partnership between communities, the government, and local NGOs and community-based organizations (CBOs) that will help them to respond to the health, social and economic impact of HIV/AIDS. The Project builds upon the South African Government's decision to roll out a massive HIV/AIDS treatment program and works collaboratively with governments at all levels: national, provincial, district, municipality, and community. In 2007, Africare was able to strengthen project staff and put a number of systems in place to that will facilitate the achievement of the project aims and goal. Based on this experience and the achievements so far, Africare anticipates expanding these programs in Africare countries. BW: When someone donates to Africare, where does the money primarily go? CH: Donations to Africare primarily go to program and support activities that embrace our mission: "to improve the quality of life in Africa, assisting families, communities and nations in two principal areas--food security and agriculture, and health and HIV/AIDS." BW: Have you worked out in the field? If so, what has been a story that impacts you daily to keep going? CH: I began my international work as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the mid-60s. My over 40- year professional career has been largely focused on Africa with brief assignments in the Caribbean and the Western Pacific. I have always been amazed and inspired by the hard work, dedication and generosity of the people who do so much with so little. My most to recent visit to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Ghana last November reinforced this observation. Despite the fact that in one country we traveled on roads that were so bad it took us 3 hours to travel 35 miles, our Africare staff carries out their responsibilities by regular visits under these conditions to provide technical, material and moral support to project staff. A training program for traditional birth attendants (TBAs), most do not read or write, to help them recognize potential delivery complications early and refer them to secondary and tertiary health facilities, uses traditional songs and demonstrative dancing as educational tools. A Village Nutrition Growth monitoring project uses local colored beads worn as bracelets to identify the nutritional status of infants and children. A mother whose malnourished child is wearing a yellow or Orange bracelet is inspired to feed her child so that it can have a green bracelet like the child next door. These examples keep me going to do all I can to support our field staff, to identify and channel more resources to where they are needed most.			Meet Dillon, our special friend affected by HIV Ashley Judd, Global Ambassador for YouthAIDS YouthAIDS Global Ambassador, Ashley Judd's Asia Diary * Every day, 14,000 people contract HIV * 40.3 million people now live with HIV * AIDS kills one child every minute Featured Performer Raising Awareness for AIDS: Annie Lennox The Concept Behind "Sing": More Videos Please purchase "Sing" by clicking here Annie's Call to Action: More Videos Please purchase "Sing" by clicking here

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