AIDSbuzz

Alphabetical List of Useful Websites

This list includes the main websites that have been referred to throughout the AIDSbuzz website as well as some additional ones that provide useful information about various aspects of the HIV and AIDS epidemic. Many of the organisations featured in the Directory have their own websites, which provide greater details about their activities. Those websites are not represented in this list-please refer to the Directory for further information.

This website is hosted and compiled by the Medical Research Centre, and is an HIV and AIDS information portal for Southern Africa. The site includes research highlights and topics aimed at health professionals, policy-makers, educators and researchers, as well as people wanting to know more about HIV and AIDS. Register free and receive their excellent newsletter, with all kinds of information with an African focus.

AIDSPortal is an internet platform which provides tools to support global collaboration and knowledge sharing among new and existing networks of people responding to the AIDS epidemic. The resource library is organised around key policy and financing initiatives (such as Universal Access), key programmatic issues (such as Orphans and Vulnerable Children) and regions and countries (including a page on South Africa). While all visitors to the site can browse the resource library, organisations involved in the response to HIV and AIDS are encouraged to apply for free AIDSPortal membership. Members join a global community of shared learning and best practice and have access to tools to directly share their expertise and experiences, network with other members on key issues and track and engage in global policy issues.

This website provides general information about HIV and AIDS in a South African context. It keeps interested parties informed of the Foundation's activities including the organisations it helps to fund. AFSA provides a funding channel for anyone wishing to contribute to the support of various non-profit projects helping people affected by the epidemic.

The AIDS Consortium was established as a project of the Centre for Applied Legal Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa in 1992. It is a membership-based organisation consisting of over 1000 service organisations and individuals working to address the epidemic in South Africa. The organisation's main objectives are to promote a non-discriminatory response to the HIV and AIDS epidemic and to help build the organisational capacity and effectiveness of the member organisations. It runs workshops and training programmes and provides user-friendly information and resources.

This is a US-based site that aims to raise public awareness, especially in America, about the situation regarding HIV and AIDS in Africa.

This site has a good section on the legal rights of people living with HIV and AIDS.

This UK-based website includes information about treatment and care, living with HIV, preventing HIV, and HIV basics. The site offers daily news on developments in the world of HIV, as well as searchable databases of HIV treatment and care and worldwide HIV organisation listings.

This website provides a searchable database of hospitals, clinics and Non-Profit Organisations providing services relating to HIV and AIDS for affected people living in the Western Cape, South Africa.

AVERT is an international HIV and AIDS charity based in the UK, with the aim of 'averting' HIV and AIDS worldwide. AVERT supports a number of overseas projects including one in South Africa. The website provides excellent information about the epidemic, covering issues such as transmission, testing, treatment and care, as well the latest statistics. The site has a specific section for youth and a choice of educational resources including downloadable booklets and quizzes.

This website provides accessible, reliable information for Christians and Christian organisations involved in HIV work and includes a databases on resources, projects and programmes, and sermon material. It is maintained by CARIS (Christian AIDS Resource and Information Service), a CABSA project.

The Centre for AIDS Development, Research and Evaluation (CADRE) is a South African non-profit organisation working in the area of HIV and AIDS social research, programme development and communication. CADRE strives to locate key HIV and AIDS research in the public domain. The website provides access to a wide range of contemporary HIV and AIDS social research, conference papers, communication materials and links to HIV and AIDS organisations.

www.csa.za.org

The University of Pretoria (UP) established the Centre for the Study of AIDS (CSA) in 1999 to mainstream HIV and AIDS issues through all aspects of University's core business activities. The CSA has innovative training, educational, counselling and research programmes, and also provides intellectual leadership and consultancy services to government and the non-profit sector. Their programmes which reach over 40 000 students and staff include training, counselling and support services dand a range of community-based programmes.

CINDI (Children In Distress)

CINDI is a consortium of over 100 Non-Profit Organisations, government departments and individuals working together to help children affected and infected by HIV and AIDS in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The main capacity-building functions of CINDI are to develop, train and mentor its member organisations. CINDI also acts as a funding conduit for its member organisations.

Food & Trees for Africa

www.trees.co.za

The first and only national, public benefit, civil society greening and food gardening organisation in SA addressing climate change and food security.

HAART4AFRICA is a unique African initiative providing on-line access to essential information about living with HIV and AIDS. Through their Treatment Helpline Direct a comprehensive set of Patient Information Fact Sheets (PIFS) are available in an increasing number of languages. Access to these fact sheets is free simply by selecting the appropriate country. It is also possible to subscribe to a free newsletter which provides regular updates about the latest treatment research and other aspects of the epidemic around Africa.

HEARD was established in 1998 at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa to undertake academic and applied research into the economic, development and social impacts of HIV and AIDS. It is also a teaching and training institute.

HIVAN was established by the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa to promote, conduct, and build capacity for research into ways to help people affected and infected by HIV and AIDS. The website provides an electronic database of around 2 000 South African-based Non-Profit Organisations, government departments, university facilities and private organisations involved with the epidemic.

Register free for this weekly newsletter from the Kaiser Family Foundation. The newsletters feature themes such as global challenges, drug access, science and medicine, recent research releases as well as opinion pieces.

Mindset Health

www.mindset.co.za

 Mindset Health is a powerful partnership between Mindset Network, the National Department of Health and Sentech. It aims to deliver on a mass scale, uplifting health education on critical health issues, including the HIV and AIDS pandemic. It was launched in October 2003 and targets health care providers, workers and the general public. Mindset sources and creates digital health educational content which is delivered via video, multimedia computer lessons and print in multiple local languages. The focus of the content is on HIV and AIDS and tuberculosis. Satellite broadcasts currently deliver health education information to over 200 health sites in South Africa and there is potential to reach the rest of Africa.

Southern Africa HIV Clinicans' Society

Th e society was established in 1997 and is an affiliate of the South African Medical Association (SAMA). It is the largest professional HIV interest group in the world, with over 12,500 members in 2007. The Society represents a powerful and independent voice within Southern Africa, with key representation from the most experienced and respected professionals working in the fight against HIV. Through its quarterly publications the Society supplies information on training courses, symposia, conferences, monthly branch meetings, current ARV prices and clinical guidelines. The society runs on-line discussion groups which allow members and other interested parties to contribute to the promotion of high quality health care. The Society carries out a co-coordinating and networking role with other key SA and SADC players in the field of HIV, including corporate employee and home-based community programmes to increase access to treatment and care.

The Legal Resources Centre (LRC)

The LRC is an independent non-profit law centre which has an excellent Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) support project providing NPOs with resource materials, critical skills and information to help with good governance. The LRC also offers legal services to NPOs and aims to promote better co-operation between these organisations and the State.

SABCOHA 

www.sabcoha.org

SABCOHA aims to co-ordinate a private sector response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. It  is a member-driven organisation, comprised of 45 corporates and 15 small and medium-sized businesses. SABCOHA strives to help companies, both large and small, in their efforts to combat the epidemic through workplace initiatives. The organised business environment offers a unique opportunity to target the millions of employees affected by the pandemic.

SAfAIDS

Established in 1994, SAfAIDS is a regional HIV and AIDS organisation based Harare, Zimbabwe. Its goal is to disseminate information to promote, inform and support appropriate responses to the epidemic in the Southern African region.

The Catholic Church is a major provider of care, treatment and support to people affected and affected by HIV and AIDS in South Africa. The SACBC supports a network of over 140 service programmes in South Africa working through Catholic hospitals, clinics, hospices, and home-based care and orphan programmes. This makes it the largest service provider in the country, after the government.

The Body Pro is an on-line resource dedicated to the needs of HIV and AIDS healthcare professionals. The website contains a great deal of scientific information about treatment, new drug formulations, drug trials, research and international conferences. Anyone can sign up for free regular email newsletters.

TAC was launched on 10 December 1998, International Human Rights Day. Its main objective is to campaign for greater access to HIV treatment for all South Africans, by raising public awareness and understanding about issues surrounding the availability, affordability and use of HIV treatments.

WC NACOSA seeks to reduce the impact of HIV and AIDS through increasing the capacity of NPOs working in this field in the Western Cape, South Africa. It does this mainly by providing training and mentoring programmes, as well as technical resources and information material. It also maintains a database of all its member organisations (over 700).