Global AIDS Program E-Mail Broadcast - 16 June 1999
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* GLOBAL AIDS DIRECTORY 2000 NOW AVAILABLE
* NEW POLL SHOWS AMERICANS CONCERNED ABOUT WORLD-WIDE SPREAD OF
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
* POZ MAGAZINE'S JULY ISSUE FOCUSES ON AIDS IN AFRICA
* DR. CYNTHIA MAUNG IS FIRST WINNER OF JONATHAN MANN AWARD FOR GLOBAL
HEALTH AND HUMAN RIGHTS
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GLOBAL AIDS DIRECTORY 2000 NOW AVAILABLE
Global AIDS Directory 2000, a comprehensive listing of "Who's Who"
among groups working in the global response to HIV/AIDS, is now avail-
able. Published by the Global Health Council with funding from USAID,
Global AIDS Directory 2000 offers crucial information that can lead to
new partnerships and information sharing with colleagues around the
globe. Mission statements, service profiles, contact information and
other facts about more than 250 agencies -- including foundations, pri-
vate voluntary organizations, professional associations, consulting
firms, NGO networks, U.S. government and international agencies, and
civic groups - make Global AIDS Directory 2000 an essential resource.
The up-to-the-minute data was compiled by survey, with every effort
made to help each organization present itself in its own words. Indexes
help Directory users look up organizations by country or by topic of
concentration. Copies of Global AIDS Directory 2000 are U.S. $50 each,
$25 for Global Health Council members. For shipping and handling in the
United States, please include $5; for international orders, please in-
clude $15. To order a copy of Global AIDS Directory 2000, send your
name and address with a check drawn on a U.S. bank, a U.S. postal money
order, U.S. travellers check or credit card information to:
The Global Health Council
c/o First Union National Bank,
Dept. 5100,
Washington, DC 20061-5100, USA.
VISA, MasterCard and American Express credit card orders are accepted
and should include account numbers, expiration date and signature. If
you are unable to afford Global AIDS Directory 2000 or have further
questions, please contact:
William Craig,
Information Officer,
Tel: +1-802-649-1340 or
mailto:wcraig@globalhealth.org
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NEW POLL MEASURES AMERICANS' CONCERN ABOUT WORLD-WIDE SPREAD OF
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
A study sponsored by the Global Health Council (GHC) reveals that
nearly 85 percent of Americans fear the global spread of AIDS, tubercu-
losis, and hepatitis, among other infectious diseases, according to a
story headlined, "Most Fear Spread of Disease," appearing in USA Today
on June 16, 1999. Ninety percent of poll respondents agree that fight-
ing a disease at its source is the best approach, while 85 percent say
that vaccines are critical. Nearly half of all Americans say they know
someone with AIDS, TB, hepatitis, or malaria, and 54 percent consider
themselves knowledgeable about global infectious diseases. Also, over
80 percent of respondents see AIDS as a greater threat today than it
was 10 years ago, while 42 percent and 65 percent consider TB and hepa-
titis as growing problems, respectively. GHC officials say the survey
shows that Americans are more concerned with health issues than politi-
cians seem to believe.
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POZ MAGAZINE'S JULY ISSUE FOCUSES ON AIDS IN AFRICA
Pulling no punches about the dire state of the AIDS crisis in Africa,
but emphasizing real hope and opportunities for lifesaving activism,
the July issue of POZ magazine takes an in-depth look at what guest
editor Philip Wilson calls "the real Africa AIDS story." POZ is Amer-
ica's most widely circulated publication covering persons and issues
affected by HIV and AIDS. Reports from South Africa, Senegal, Zambia,
Uganda, Zimbabwe and elsewhere examine topics ranging from the disas-
trous implications of current HIV transmission rates to the bravery of
African PWAs who speak out despite the risk of ostracism.
Other topics include traditional healing, drug company policy towards
making medicines affordable by Africans, and ways for Americans and
others to lobby for help for Africa. "The real Africa AIDS story," Wil-
son writes in an editorial letter, is what Africans with HIV are accom-
plishing "against apparently insurmountable odds." In a recent phone
interview, Wilson, who is an adjunct professor at the University of
Southern California and director of the Aids Social Policy Archives and
Institute, said the special POZ issue documents "extremely valuable
lessons that folks in the developed world can learn about the resource-
fulness of people in the developing world. "We've gotten so locked into
the funding fight, we've forgotten some of the social, mental, and emo-
tional issues involved in fighting this kind of pandemic," Wilson said.
"That comes home when you look at Africa. The connection between the
developed world and the developing world is not simply a paternalistic
and altruistic one. There are opportunities for transfer of 'technol-
ogy' - of methods of coping and helping -- both ways."
For information about subscribing to POZ, call 800-973-2376 from within
the U.S., or +1-815-734-4151 from outside the U.S. For other informa-
tion, write to:
POZ Publishing LLC
349 W. 12th St., 2nd Fl.,
New York NY 10014, USA
or visit:
http://www.poz.com
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DR. CYNTHIA MAUNG IS FIRST WINNER OF JONATHAN MANN AWARD FOR GLOBAL
HEALTH AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Dr. Cynthia Maung, the refugee who founded the Mae Tao Clinic on the
Thai-Burmese border to serve thousands fleeing Burmese Army violence,
has been chosen as the winner of the first-ever Jonathan Mann Award for
Global Health and Human Rights. President Jimmy Carter will present the
award and an initial $25,000 cash prize at the Global Health Council's
annual conference in Arlington, VA on June 22. The award and the cash
prize have been established to honor Dr. Jonathan Mann, a crusader
against AIDS and a champion of human rights, who died in the crash of
Swissair Flight 111 in September 1998 along with his wife, Mary Lou
Clements-Mann. Dr. Cynthia, known as "The Mother Teresa of Southeast
Asia," has persevered in caring for Burmese refugees on the Thai-Burma
border despite threats against her life and military attacks against
the refugee camps where some of her programs are based. "Dr. Cynthia's
work embodies the essence of Dr. Mann's life work," said Dr. Nils Dau-
laire, president of the Global Health Council. "Jonathan Mann under-
stood that improved health cannot be achieved without basic human
rights, and that rights are meaningless without adequate health."
The award calls attention to the vital links between health and human
rights. It will be presented annually to a leading practitioner in
health and human rights, be it an individual or an organization. The
Jonathan Mann Award's sponsors - the Global Health Council, Association
Francois-Xavier Bagnoud, Doctors of the World and Human Rights Watch -
note that Dr. Cynthia's compassion and determination are matched by an
uncompromising selflessness. She takes no salary for her work at the
10-year-old clinic, and her family lives in poverty. She is joined in
her effort by an all-volunteer staff. The services they offer include
not only basic health care and shelter but work programs to help refu-
gees earn money. She and her team persist in trying to better refugees'
lives despite Burmese Army attacks on the refugee camps and threats
against Dr. Cynthia's life. If Dr. Cynthia cannot accept the award -
which includes a $25,000 prize - in person at the Global Health Coun-
cil's annual meeting, it is hoped that she will be able to participate
in the presentation via satellite video link from somewhere in northern
Thailand.
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