Life remains a daily struggle for most communities across the region who live in abject poverty. An increase in the frequency, complexity and magnitude of natural disasters, influenced in part by climate change, and coupled with socio-economic shocks, pandemic diseases and endemic inequality, has exacerbated the vulnerability of millions across the region. The region features prominently in terms of prevalence rates for tuberculosis, malaria, diarrhoeal diseases and maternal and child mortality.

Executive Summary

This report covers the period 01/01/2010 to 31/12/2010.

In brief

Programme outcome: In line with Strategy 2020, strategic aim 2, to enable healthy and safe living, National Societies (NS) in the southern Africa region have continued to implement HIV interventions that aim at alleviating the suffering of people living with HIV (PLHIV) and orphans and vulnerable children (OVC). The Global Alliance on HIV (2006-2010), and its seven principles,1 has been rolled out in all ten National Societies in the Southern Africa region.

FAO NEWS RELEASE (11/14 en)

FAO helps governments prepare as rising waters threaten food security

Rome, 7 February 2011 - Thousands of hectares of agricultural land and crops have been damaged by floods and heavy rains in parts of southern Africa, and more damage may occur in the coming weeks if above normal rains persist.

This is raising concern about the food security of the affected population in the poorer parts of the sub-region over the coming months.

With the rainy season still only half way through, and with the cyclone season due to peak in February, several

Report No: ISR1920

Implementation Status Overview

The project's implementation status continues to improve and most activities agreed upon in the June 6-month 2010 Action Plan, have been completed. These include the hiring of key technical staff, the timely issuance of critical procurement contracts, collection of M&E baseline indicators for the Phase One community grants, and the completion of the Social Assessment. All of these key actions contribute to the longer-term achievement of the project objectives, which focus on enhancing the efficiency of evidence-based interventions.

Executive summary

Botswana Red Cross Society (BRCS) 2011 plan emanates from the priorities as espoused in its strategic plan (2006 - 2010) and the ongoing review exercise of the strategy beyond 2010. The vision of BRCS leadership is to shape the National Society (NS) into a model of excellence in addressing the needs of the most vulnerable people. Programmes have been designed to capacitate BRCS towards attaining its vision. Focus for 2011 is on building the institutional and implementation capacity of the NS particularly in terms of sustainability beyond 2010,

Abstract

Background: HIV testing with counseling is an integral component of most national HIV and AIDS prevention strategies in southern Africa. Equity in testing implies that people at higher risk for HIV such as women; those who do not use condoms consistently; those with multiple partners; those who have suffered gender based violence; and those who are unable to implement prevention choices (the choice-disabled) are tested and can have access to treatment.

Methods: We conducted a household survey of 24,069 people in nationally stratified random samples of communities

DUKWI, Botswana, May 25 (UNHCR) - Squealing with delight, young Elvis rushes off to greet his mother as she wends her way towards the family's hut in north-eastern Botswana's Dukwi refugee camp.

The Zimbabwean infant, aged almost three, is a picture of health. But one year ago, carrying the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), he was near death's door. Elvis could barely sit up. His body was wracked with opportunistic infections, including tuberculosis, and he was constantly in hospital for treatment.

The infection was passed on by his mother,

Summary

The desert locust (DL1) situation remained calm in February in winter breeding areas due to unfavorable ecological conditions. Only a few scattered solitary adults and/or hoppers were reported in northern Mauritania, southwest Libya and along the Red Sea coasts in Sudan and Saudi Arabia. A similar situation may exist in northern Niger and Mali where surveys were undermined by the ongoing security situation. No locusts were reported in other outbreak regions during this time (CNLA/Mauritania, DDLC/Libya, DPPQS/India, FAO-DLIS, PPD/Ethiopia, and PPD/Sudan).