by api,

The court had two specialists in psychiatry who came to a conclusion that terrorist Anders Breivik is insane.

The court decided to appoint new psychiatrists in order to get a second opinion. The two new psychiatrists have decided that it is better for them to have Breivik in forced observation for a couple of weeks before the trial starts so that they can study him well.

The defence lawyers defending the terrorist had protested having the new psychiatrists who were appointed by the court. Their appeal was denied today. That means the two new psychiatrists will now have their way. – to have the terrorist in the observation where they can study his behaviour. This will take place either at Dikemark psychiatric institution or Ila maximum prison.

If it takes place in the prison, that will  be a challenge to the health personnel because some of them have to be posted to the prison to work with him. For the health personnel, this will be a new environment for them.

Related article:

• Norwegian terrorist Breivik – Trial road-map ready

End

By Korir, Chief Editor - api

Jeff Mwangi Kwirikia, whose daughter is singer Stella Mwangi based in Norway, was hit and killed by a vehicle on Tuesday the 31.january. He was going home from his work place.

The driver of the vehicle did not wait at the accident point. He disappeared from the scene of the accident. The police has been searching for him.

Today, Thursday the 2nd of February, the driver gave himself up to the police accompanied by his wife. The police questioned him, but gave little information on the case.

He may be put in police custody overnight and taken to court tomorrow where the police will most probably request the judge to place him in custody for 4 weeks while they investigate the case. If he accepts the responsibility – that he was the one who caused the accident, there may be no need to place him in custody that long. He will then be allowed to await trial at home.

This normally happens if the accused has permanent residence known to the court and the police and when the authorities believe the culprit will not cause himself to become a fugitive by escaping out the country. It is, however, not possible for any one involved in a criminal act to be allowed to be home awaiting trial if, or before important evidence has been secured by the police.

In this case, the police have seized the accident vehicle – which is important as evidence, and the man has confessed that he is the one who caused the accident. Therefore, there is no fear that he will interfere with any investigations that the police may wish carry out.

His lawyer has told the media that the reason why he disappeared from the scene of the accident was because he panicked. He has told the police, according to his lawyer, that on realising the deceased was in front of him he was unable to stop or swing away in order to avoid the accident.

The most disturbing thing about this accident is the driver’s behaviour. Choosing to disappear from the scene instead of calling for help cannot be forgiven.

His actions, immediately after the accident occurred, disappearing from the scene, hiding the vehicle and himself for two days is disheartening. There will always be speculations that the deceased’s live probably could have been saved had the driver called for the ambulance services immediately after the accident.

The offence committed can land the driver in jail between 3 to 6 years. He is a 39-year-old Norwegian man.

Jeff Mwangi Kwirikia, 54 years old, moved from Kenya in 1991 with his family to Norway where he was granted refugee status.

The main memorial service will take place in Ullensaker, not far from the Norwegian capital city, Oslo, on Friday the 10th of this month (February), if all goes as planned. Meanwhile, a decision has been taken to transport his body back to Kenya for burial.

For those who may not be able to travel to Ullensaker on Friday the 10th, there is opportunity this coming weekend on Sunday the 5th (February), to attend a memorial meeting at the Red Cross, Hausmans gata nr.7 in Oslo at 15.00.

African Press International sends condolences to the family and wishes them strength during this trying moment. May God be by their side and may the late Jeff Mwangi Kwirikia’s soul rest in peace.

End

Or is it ODM party leadership organization gone bad?

Kenyans are lately taking the word and the practice of democracy to heights rarely seen in other mature democracies. To some extent it is a display of total disregard of party interest unless the party itself does not exist or has absolutely no properly documented interests. A party like ODM, must have written and unwritten dos and don’ts. I strongly feel the challenge of the incumbent presidential nominees should be a “no no” unless it is absolutely necessary.
 
For Mudavadi to declare that he is running as a presidential candidate while he is the deputy prime minister to the prime minister, one is left to wonder whether ODM is intact or in disarray.
As of today, the president of the republic of Kenya is Raila Amollo Odinga and his vice president is Wycliffe Musalia Mudavadi, atleast if we go by the true results of 2007 elections or if we do recognize the other half of the Government.

Hence, if election was to be held today, it would be unthought-of for the vice president to challenge the incumbent president in a nomination unless there is a very very serious fall out. While Mudavadi’s insistence that he is running for the very same office as the person who gave him the job sounds innocent and democratic, the action is literally rogue action and requires thorough explanation than the one ODMers are getting. 
In 1980, the incumbent President Jimmy Carter received a real challenge for renomination on Democratic Party from Ted Kennedy. This was a rare occurrence hence Kennedy had to have very good reasons for this challenge.

Some of those reasons were:

1. Polls showed that the Democrats preferred Kennedy over Carter by a 5-to-3 margin.
2. Kennedy and several other democrats hated Carter’s policies especially with regard to Iran hostage crisis
3. Labor unions urged Kennedy to run, as did some Democratic Party officials who feared that Carter’s unpopularity would cost them 1980 congressional elections.

At least in this case, there was an obvious an open disagreement not only on policies but also on the idea that Carter had very low ratings and could cost the democrats the presidency. Anyhow after a bitter challenge, Carter won the nomination but lost the presidency. The Democratic Party lost anyway and stayed out of power for a while.
The moral of the story is that, if indeed Musalia is running against Raila, the party will be wrecked from within and ODM may loose the election as some of the supporters of Mudavadi will walk off to other parties if the contest is tough and bitter.

Further more Mudavadi must;

1. Show us if in the current polls he can deliver the presidency to the ODMers
2. He must tell us that he totally disagree with Raila’s policies.
3. He must tell us if the ODM delegates and interest groups prefer him over Raila

If these are not the reasons, then we must ask Mr. Wycliffee this question again and again.
Mudavadi, Why are you running against your boss Prime Minister Raila Odinga sir?
And if there is no solid answer then we must tell him that this is not a good reason to cause turmoil in our party. It is an ambition that must be dropped in the interest of our party. Mudavadi’s reason for running for presidency is not hidden. Simply put, it is the idea that a luo is not electable as president. Indeed other people who have a general dislike for Raila are pushing stated this publicly. During  Mudavadi’s tour of Nandi, Elgeyo/Marakwet, Baringo and Uasin Gishu counties the delegates described him as a “better leader to work with”.

Mudavadi is already developing a big head syndrome hence his ambitions cannot let him wait for his turn. Like I said before, Raila Odinga has hunted the animal down and now those who did very little want the best parts. History is repeating itself, through democratic process the Raila gave Ruto, Kalonzo and Musalya a limelight. They took that to mean that they are popular and told Raila Amolo Odinga that he must leave the presidency for him because he is unelctible. This very same ideology is in Mudavadi’s head.
This time my advice to the PM is: Do not shed any tears, tell Mudavadi to soldier on but at a cost. The challenge of the incumbent must automatically disqualify him as a possible running mate.
To Mudavadi I say: Jarikni jamuod nyoyo gikuoyo. Wait for your turn my brother. Can anyone translate for Mudavadi?
 
 
By Dr. Barack Otieno Abonyo
Associate Professor of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Florida A and M University
1415 Martin Luther King Dr. Tallahassee Fl, 32304
USA

——————————-

Below is A Reaction to the above article emailed to API by: Albert Musasia

I will dully take the responsibility of translating, not for  Musalia, but for those who while entitled to their opinion, have chosen not only to arrogantly ignore facts, but also misstate the facts.

I hate to say this, but maybe i have to state it in very blank terms, that the people of LUO nyanza sometimes display arrogance and ignorance of the highest order. It becomes even hard to distinguish a professor and a fellow villager, by virtue of how they interpret obvious facts. I just hate the ” Don’t play with fire”, what he is and what has”,”the person appointed by the prime minister”, “Grow horns when he sees a following”,” the challenge of the incumbent nominees should be a NO-NO. Who do these  people think they are? Is ODM a preserve of the people of Nyanza or is it a property of Raila? Was Raila doing Mudavadi a favor in appointing him the Deputy Prime Minister.? What is democracy, the same principles that ODM claims to uphold, if the same ODM cannot allow it to take its course? Is this  the, ”If not Raila, then not you” kind of mentality?
It’s important to understand that times have changed and if Mudavadi was to leave ODM, it won’t be the same as when Kalonzo left ODM. I think Dr. Obonyo needs to understand that, and he needs to understand who is playing with fire in this case. I’m for the unity of ODM and would love Raila to be president if nominated to be the ODM presidential candidate. But the kind of negativity the likelihood of a Musalia nomination has generated is surprising, especially where it is coming from. This kind of arrogance it distasteful and annoying.

If mudavadi was to break away from ODM, here are some facts you will have to remember.

1. Mudavadi’s mum is a Kalenjin, and also, the senior Mudavadi while he was an education officer in Rift Valley helped many Kalenjins and he is the one who encouraged former president Moi to enter into politics. Kalenjins have told Musalia Mudavadi that they owe him and that if he was a nominee, they would return to ODM en-masse.

2. Kikuyus would rather have a Mudavadi presidency than a Raila presidency. Raila can even pay for a single vote in the Kikuyu land, but at the end of the day, they won’t vote for him. All he needs is to choose Peter Kenneth as the Running mate or any other Kalenjin and that’s it. Politics is a game of no favors but strategies.
3. Western Province will vote solidly behind Mudavadi than you can ever imagine. Do not underestimate the Luhyia unity, though they are diverse. If Raila lets Mudavadi go, then Raila will be left with the Luo people and a few scattered  votes elsewhere, he will be number four on the ballot and that’s not the best way to end a political career. Kenyans want a peace maker, and Mudavadi epitomizes that concept, as much you may like it or hate it – it is what it is and currently, Raila has a lot to do to correct his image among the Kalenjins and Kikuyus.

My whole point is that, the arrogance of the likes of Jakoyo Midiwo, Oburu Odinga and the like-minded brothers from Nyanza, who think that Raila cannot be challenged and that Raila cannot deputize anybody; I will say to them, that this is the Kenya that Raila has fought for, for many decades.You will have to contend with the truth and be ready for the eventuality. I believe that democracy should take its course as defined in the ODM constitution, and nobody should be spared. Let the people decide who will be the nominee.

You all can ignore the above facts if you all choose to. The story on the ground will agree with what I have stated above. I just hope that Raila’s advisers should be willing to support Mudavadi if he wins the nomination, everything else is unnecessary noise. If you all think mudavadi is playing with fire. Think again.You may be the one playing with fire. The likes of Midiwo and the arrogance they display feeds to the fears the people of Kenya have against the LUO’s once Raila is the president. You are spoiling for Raila. I think they should shut up and find a better way to communicate, coz when they do, they have no idea when they are messing up.

I’m not a Mudavadi sympathizer. But I’m ODM in blood and a Raila admirer. I hate arrogance just like anybody else. Why should we replace Mt. Kenya mafia with chest thumping  characters like the ones a afore-mentioned. My support for Raila may just diminish by reading the posts I have read in the Social Media just because Mudavadi is contesting the ODM, nomination. We have a lot of educated fools.

End

By API

“The road map is ready: There will be 1 accused on trial, 5 judges, 2 prosecutors, 4 defence lawyers, 174 lawyers helping survivors and victims’ relatives, around 800 survivors and relatives, and 500-600 journalists from 20 countries.”

Anders Brevik, the Norwegian man who bombed Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg’s office on the 22nd of July last year (2011) will face trial in April this year.

There is enormous interest in the case and that has caused the Norwegian court handling the matter to come up with a road map for his trial.

It is now clear that in the beginning of March the prosecutors will present the
formal charges against Breivik. At the same time, witnesses in the case will be formally informed and a timeline of the different phases of the trial revealed.

There have been some discussions as to whether Breivik will be charged for
crimes against humanity. Other things that will happen before the trial is an appeal over the naming of the third and fourth psychiatric experts appointed by the court.

In February, the court may have reached a decision on whether to allow the proceedings to be filmed. This is also the time the choice of the 3 laymen who together with to Judges will try Breivik’s case.

The trial is expected to begin on the 16th of April and is expected to last for 10 weeks – unless something drastic happens forcing the court to extend the duration. The court has revealed that the case will be on Mondays through Thursdays 9 a.m and 3.30 p.m. Due to the work-load in this case, Fridays will be used by the defence and prosecution to prepare themselves for the  following week’s work.

The court has confrimed that the will be one accused on trial, 5 judges to listen to the case, 2 prosecutors, 4 defence lawyers defending the terrorist, 174 lawyers helping survivors and victims’ relatives, around 800 survivors and relatives. Due to the interest in the case, around 500 and 600 journalists from 20 countries have indicated their intention to be present during the trial.

The venue of the case has only 200 seats and that is seen as a very big challenge for those in charge of the proceedings. They have to sort out how many people should be allowed entry. The journalists who will be accredited will, however, be catered for if they will not get entry to the court. A press centre will be set up

It is, so far, unclear whether the court will allow journalists and other interested parties to film or take pictures. The court will decide on this sometime in February.

The different phases of the trial:

The trial will start with the prosecution presenting its overall view of
the case, followed by comments from the defence. In a normal trial the process can last for 10 to 15 minutes. Breivik’s case, is unusual and cannot be said is a normaal case. Due to this fact, the presentation is expected to last longer, -  one whole day is a probability.

Immediately after the presentation, the accused will be called upon to describe, in his own words, what he did, how he did it and why. This can go on for several days. He can be questioned by the judges, the prosecution, the defence and the lawyers representing the survivors and the victims’ relatives.  

On completion of his testimony, witnesses will testify, followed by more material evidence, such as post-mortem reports to be presented to the
court. This will be followed by court-appointed psychiatric experts, who will present their assessments and answer some questions. The prosecution will sum up the case, followed by contributions from the lawyers supporting the survivors and relatives of victims. The defence will then sum up its case.

The accused will get one more chance to say a few final words before the court adjourns.

The verdict:

Once the trial is over, the judges will retire for some weeks before convening the court to read the verdict. The verdict could  be ready sometime in the middle of July.

The trial will be conducted as any other criminal case. The duty of the judges in this case, however, is to determine whether Breivik is criminally insane or not. Their findings will guide them in the determination of the accused’s sentence.

In making their decision, the judges do not have many options.. The Norwegian law, unlike in some countries like the US where judges can order the case a mistrial, dictates that the judges are to convict or acquit the accused.

The judges may decide to agree with prosecution and sentence the accused as per the charge sheet, but they may also decide to go for a lesser charge. It is unclear whether they can impose higher sentence than that which will be requested by the prosecution.

The Judges:

The court has confirmed that five judges will decide Breivik’s fate - two professionals and three lay men, - who are volunteers, - drawn by lottery from a database of 8,000 Norwegians registered as residents in Oslo. The selection of the three lay men is expected to take place coming weeks.

Broadcasting of the trial:

The judges have not decided whether to allow TV cameras to broadcast
the trial to the wider public. It does not usually happen during Norwegian
trials, but the option is not ruled out here due to the unique nature of the case.

The proceedings in Oslo will be broadcast to 18 courts around the country. This will be done in order to enable the survivors and relatives of victims who do not live in the capital city to have the opportunity to follow the proceedings. It has also been revealed that the trial will be recorded for historical purposes.

Media coverage to the trial:

Over the past few weeks, the Foreign Press Association in Norway has been discussing with the Oslo court about media coverage of the trial. The access to TV, courtroom and simultaneous translation, among other things.

So far the indication is that some foreign media will be allowed in the courtroom and accredited media will be allowed to follow the proceedings in a press room next to the court room where the accused will stand trial, or in a Press Centre to be set up at Hotel Bristol – some 75 metres from the court house, that can cater for 300 to 400 journalists. Information about how accreditation and other important information will be made public any time before the trial kicks off.

Journalists who will follow the proceedings in the press room at Hotel Bristol will not be allowed to film the screen. Guards will be posted there to ensure filming does not take place.

The Foreign Press Association in Norway has asked the court to give clear guidelines as to what the penalties would be for breaking the rules. For now, it is believed that a likely penalty will be the withdrawal of the accreditation for the rest of the trial.

The Foreign Press Association has also highlighted to the court the possibility that survivors and relatives could film Breivik and post pictures on social  media. If such a thing happens, the media may decide to use such films and photographs.

The sentence:

If found insane, Breivik may be sentenced to serve in a psychiatric institution. The court has not given out information on the comparison between serving a sentence in a prison and in a psychiatric institution.  The Foreign Press Association in Norway is seeking to get a law professor who understands and can elaborate on this.

End

Minister of Foreign Affairs Jonas Gahr Støre commented, “Norway strongly condemns the increasing use of violence in Syria, where thousands have been killed. We deeply deplore the Syrian authorities’ gross human rights violations against the country’s own population.”

The situation in Syria has deteriorated further in the last few days. Civilians have been hard hit by the authorities’ brutal attempts to crack down on the now nine-month long uprising.

“Norway supports the Arab League’s peace plan for Syria, and hopes that the Security Council will rapidly endorse the plan,” said Mr Støre.

The peace plan, which the Arab League adopted on 22 January, is an important step towards a political solution to the conflict. The plan entails a transition process with the establishment of a national unity government, gradual transfer of power from the President to the Vice President, and finally open, free elections. The Secretary General of the Arab League is presenting the plan to the UN Security Council today.

End

source. mfa.norway

ISRAEL-OPT: Key West Bank settlement outpost slated for evacuation

Photo: Erica Silverman/IRIN

The issue of Israeli settlers in the West Bank has long been a major obstacle to improved Israeli-Palestinian relations

RAMALLAH,  – Israel’s High Court of Justice has ordered Israeli settlers in the Migron settlement outpost in the West Bank to leave by 31 March in response to a 2006 petition filed by seven Palestinian landowners and Israeli pressure group Peace Now.

“The prime minister is trying to implement the court’s decision peacefully,” by reaching an agreement with the Migron settlers which would include moving them from their homes to new housing on adjacent Israeli “state land”, Mark Regev, spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told IRIN.

According to the court’s ruling of 2 August 2011, the outpost is on privately-owned Palestinian land.

“If there is illegal construction on private land, it has to come down,” said Regev. Any agreement the prime minister reaches with the settlers will be put before the court, he added.

There are 18 cases regarding outposts, including Migron, before the high court, according to Peace Now, an Israeli pressure group which campaigns for a politically negotiated two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Several have been going on for years.

Peace Now began petitioning the high court to pressure the Israeli government to take action against the “illegal” outposts, which occupy about 1,620 hectares of West Bank land. About 16 of the outposts are on nearly 100 percent Palestinian land and an estimated 22 are on at least 50 percent Palestinian land, according to Peace Now.

“During 2011, the state informed the court of its intention to officially establish 11 new settlements by legalizing `illegal’ outposts, which are home to some 2,300 settlers in 680 structures,” said Lior Amihai of Peace Now’s settlement watch team in Jerusalem. Since the petition was filed there has, however, been little building of outposts on private Palestinian land, said Amihai.

“Settlement” is the term used to denote Israeli civilian communities built in territory conquered by Israel in the 1967 Six Day War, now called the West Bank by Palestinians and the international community, and known to Israelis as Judea and Samaria.

Outposts are settlements built without official Israeli government blessing, typically after the mid-1990s. There are about100 outposts to date, many of which were supported by the Israeli government.

In 2003 the government of Ariel Sharon (in which Netanyahu was a senior minister) adopted the road map peace plan, which required Israel to “immediately dismantle” all outposts established after March 2001, including Migron.

Settlement expansion in the West Bank accelerated in 2011. There were 1,850 new “building starts” for housing units (excluding East Jerusalem), an almost 20 percent increase on 2010, says the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Various initiatives by the Israeli government in 2011 were aimed at “legalizing” unauthorized settlement outposts built on private Palestinian land, reports OCHA.

About 300,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank – out of the West Bank’s 2.5 million people – according to UN estimates, while a total of 500,000 settlers live in occupied Palestinian land. Of these, about 4,000-5,000 settlers live in outposts, according to Peace Now.

Humanitarian concerns

The Migron settlers announced this week that talks with Israeli Minister Without Portfolio Benny Begin are under way with the aim of legalizing the outpost. Many community members are motivated by religious beliefs that they are entitled to the land.

About 322 Israeli settlers live in Migron, one of the largest outposts, which has 14 permanent structures and 56 caravans on about 36 hectares east of the West Bank city of Ramallah.

We are seeing a general increase in price-tag attacks, and it is the Israeli army’s responsibility to protect Palestinian civilians

Spokesperson for the Migron community Aviela Deitch told IRIN that when the community was established in 1999 residents were led by the government to believe that they had legal rights to purchase the land.

The community is concerned they will not be relocated in a humane manner, says Deitch, noting the issues – some ongoing – surrounding the 2005 settler withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

Three homes in Migron were destroyed by the Israeli authorities on 5-6 September 2011.

“Troops arrived with no forewarning in the middle of the night, without any paperwork, refusing to look at the homeowners’ paperwork, and destroyed three family’s homes,” said spokesperson Deitch. “In one home, where five children aged 2-10 were sleeping, troops wearing face masks and carrying shields burst through the windows, terrifying the children.”

Families were given no alternative housing by the government, and many personal belongings from the home were destroyed, said Deitch, estimating the total loss at nearly US$300,000.

Spokesperson for the Israeli Police Micky Rosenfeld told IRIN these decisions are in the court’s hands. “They are living there against Israeli law; no one has to tell them in advance to leave,” he said.

However, according to the Israeli government-commissioned Sasson Report, millions of shekels of public funds were invested illegally in the outpost, for example, to connect homes to the water and electricity network.

The transfer of settlement blocs in the West Bank to the Palestinian Authority (PA) will be essential to any final-status peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians, and the creation of a future Palestinian state.

Settler violence, including “price tag” incidents by Israeli settlers continues to affect Palestinians’ lives and livelihoods.

The “price tag” strategy emerged during 2008, in which groups of settlers would exact a “price” against Palestinians and their property in response to attempts by the Israeli authorities to dismantle “unauthorized” settlement outposts,” reports OCHA.

“We are seeing a general increase in price-tag attacks, and it is the Israeli army’s responsibility to protect Palestinian civilians,” said Amihai, from Peace Now, warning that attacks will increase if Migron is dismantled.

es/eo/cb
source www.irinnews.org

SOMALIA: SGBV on rise in Hargeisa IDP camps

Photo: Jane Some/IRIN

Fouzia Hassan, 50, an IDP at the stadium camp in Hargeisa, Somaliland

HARGEISA,  – Cases of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), as well as domestic violence, are increasing in camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Hargeisa, capital of the self-declared independent Republic of Somaliland, with social workers attributing the trend to hard economic times made worse by recent drought in the region.

“Numbers of the displaced have increased in recent months, with many families coming to town to escape drought; lack of a police presence within the camps and inadequate lighting have contributed to the increase in some of these cases,” Shukri Osman Said, an SGBV coordinator for an NGO, Comprehensive Community-Based Rehabilitation Somaliland (CCBRS), told IRIN at the Stadium IDP camp in Hargeisa.

The Stadium IDP camp, home to an estimated 5,000 families (30,000 people), is one of several IDP camps in Hargeisa where humanitarian organizations such as CCBRS have ongoing programmes aimed at addressing SGBV among vulnerable communities.

According to Said, CCBRS has been running the SGBV programme in the IDP camps since 2006 with funding from the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR.

“On average, CCBRS handled between 15 and 20 cases of SGBV per month; however, we have noticed that the cases of domestic violence have increased dramatically; in 2011 alone, we had over 500 cases of domestic violence,” Said told IRIN. “Our SGBV prevention programme has helped somewhat because the SGBV cases have started reducing; our concern is the rise in domestic violence, which is mostly due to men not coping well with economic hardship and ending up venting their frustration on their wives.”

The CCBRS programme, she said, had a component targeting those with physical disabilities and provided orthopaedic aids – such as wheelchairs – to some of the affected IDPs. SGBV coordinators from CCBRS also made home visits for physiotherapy sessions, provided counselling and psycho-social support and referred those requiring specialized treatment and/or legal aid to relevant institutions.

“Most of the victims of SGBV are poor and cannot afford treatment in private hospitals; some cannot even afford the transport to public hospitals, so we help by referring them to the Sexual Assault Referral Centre in the main hospital in Hargeisa,” Said told IRIN. “We also refer those requiring legal aid to organizations that help women seek justice.”

Hawo Yusuf, a member of the management committee at the Stadium IDP camp, said the committee supported SGBV survivors by helping them be accepted by society. “We help construct shelter for those in need of a place to stay, especially those who become pregnant; we help by tracking and [apprehending] the perpetrators, although our efforts are frustrated when these people are freed without being charged with any offence.”

Livelihood projects

According to UNHCR Somaliland, Hargeisa is home to approximately 85,000 displaced people who have fled their homes mostly from south and central regions of Somalia, due to various reasons, including drought, limited livelihood opportunities and increased violence.

“IDPs often live in difficult conditions, more often than not with limited access to basic facilities such as adequate healthcare, good shelter and clean water and sanitation amenities, ample security as well as employment opportunities,” the agency said. “UNHCR engages IDPs in Hargeisa in various projects like solar lighting or animal husbandry that will equip them with the necessary skills to start up their own businesses and provide a better life for their families.”

CCBRS is implementing an income-generating project, funded by UNHCR, aimed at empowering woman in the IDP camps. Started in 2008, the project has helped transform the lives of the IDPs by providing them with better livelihoods.

Fouzia Hassan, mother of eight and one of the beneficiaries, told IRIN: “All my children are now in school, thanks to the US$600 grant I received to boost my bread-making business. My business has expanded and I now make between 55 and 65 loaves a day, something I could not have dreamt of doing before the start of this project.”

Hassan said she can now take care of her family better: “I can meet their medical bills, I have built a latrine for the family’s use and I have installed a water tank, this is now my home. It has changed my life and my family’s.”

js-ah/mw
source www.irinnews.org

TANZANIA: Good results in programme to boost TB detection

Photo: David Gough/IRIN

Better TB case detection would improve the country’s treatment and prevention programmes (file photo)

ARUSHA,  – A pilot community programme to improve TB detection in northern Tanzania has shown good results and could be replicated nationwide as the country seeks to improve its TB treatment and prevention systems.

Tanzania has been battling TB for years, a struggle intensified by the parallel HIV epidemic; approximately 47 percent of new adult cases in the country are HIV-positive. Without proper treatment, about nine in 10 people living with HIV who become ill with active TB will die within two to three months, according to UNAIDS.

The programme, which ran from April to September 2011, systemized the way suspected TB cases were reported and handled. It encouraged healthcare professionals to work closely with community leaders to raise awareness of symptoms at every opportunity, such as at village meetings. It also used posters and slogans to make sure high-risk groups were aware of symptoms. This produced more patient referrals to health centres for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up care.

Another crucial part of the TB pilot project was the creation of a “cough register” in each area, recording who was referred to a healthcare professional for further testing, by whom and the results of that referral.

Management Science for Health collaborated with the NGO, PATH, and the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Programme, with financial support from the US Agency for International Development, at 12 health facilities in northern Tanzania’s Arusha and Meru district councils. A crucial tenet of the programme was emphasising that TB and HIV treatment must be done “hand in hand”.

Results

“In both districts the standard operating procedure intervention has improved TB case notification in children and women,” said Zahra Mkome, director, TB/HIV projects at PATH in Tanzania. “[It] improved team work, commitment, motivation of healthcare workers, awareness and involvement of communities in TB control activities.”

An evaluation comparing six months of TB case notification before and after the project showed a 54 percent increase in detection of TB in all forms in Meru, while in Arusha it increased by 117 percent.

The standard operating procedure “rules” were used to provide clear and simple instructions to the health workers on how to improve TB case detection at different units and sections within health facilities, both outpatient and inpatient departments. Each area was provided with a plan and goals to implement their strategy, plus additional equipment to aid diagnosis such as paediatric score charts. Each area appointed a task force for TB treatment and these groups were encouraged to hold regular feedback meetings.

Little data exists on the scale of the TB epidemic in Tanzania, and experts believe the records created by this system could prove a crucial tool in combating its spread and establishing where it is already most prevalent.

One doctor based in a rural practice was particularly encouraged by the increased reporting of paediatric cases. He said some children suffering severe respiratory distress had been saved, “who in normal circumstances would have died”. A number of the clinicians involved attributed an increase in notification of cases in the under-16 age group specifically to the wider use of paediatric diagnostic score charts.

However, several challenges were flagged during the pilot: healthcare workers at Arusha’s Selian Hospital said there was an urgent need to strengthen laboratory services to help confirm diagnoses; a lack of microscopes in labs and delays in issuing results were also highlighted.

Challenges to scale-up

Rolling out the rules on a national scale could also prove challenging as the majority of Tanzanians live in very rural areas and a poor road network means access to healthcare is limited.

Mobile diagnosis and training centres that offer new methods of testing – for example, with the use of fluorescence microscopes – could make diagnosis much faster and more accurate.

“Patients in Tanzania often have to travel very long distances as most live in rural areas, which costs them money to travel every day and some are essentially too week to go on their own as a very large number are already suffering from the weakness that comes with HIV,” said Alex Schulzer of the Novartis Foundation for Sustainable Development, which runs patient-centred TB programmes with the government.

A shortage of medical professionals could also hinder the expansion of the programme; Schulzer recommended the use of lower cadre health workers and the community itself to fill gaps. The Novartis programme gives patients the choice to either take the daily treatment at a health facility under the supervision of a medical professional, or at home, supported by a family or community member. In the case of home-based treatment, the patient and treatment supporter are required to visit the health facility once a week during the two-month intensive phase to refill prescriptions and see a medical professional.

Schulzer said the programme had created a system that gave patients “the freedom not to have to walk miles to the clinic every day.

“We also needed to relieve some of the healthcare providers who cannot cope with such large patient numbers on a daily basis,” he added.

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source www.irinnews.org