Highlights of Africa AIDS Watch programs in Africa.

In 1999 Africa AIDS Watch sent container loads of medicines and medical supplies to three African countries - Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.

The Save Our Souls (SOS) Children's Center in Lagos Nigeria and the Police Hospital in Ikoyi Nigeria received donation worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Currently we are working with the Catholic Bishop of Kafanchan In Nigeria to assist the St. Louis General Hospital in Zonkwa. The hospital is a missionary center set up in the 1940's by German Missionaries but has almost collapsed because of neglect and the enchroachment of a rival religious sect that frowns at Christianity.

We are approved by the IRS as a 501(c) and recognized by the United States Agency for International Development USAID.

We are approved by the United Way , the Do Unto Others of America and a host of other accredited non-profit organizations across the United States.
We recently opened an office in Kenya to take care of our East African Operations
We are in the process of setting up a regional office for the two Congos - in Central Africa

Africa AIDS Watch Annual Report for the year ended 2000:

In the year 2000 HIV/AIDS continued its ravaging impact on the continent of Africa. It is estimated that up to 40 thousand people are infected each day. HIV/AIDS continued to be the leading cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa. A UN report claims that as of last year, more than 15 million children have been orphaned by the disease. In South Africa for example, the combined effect of the infection has led to deaths unimagined. The African region is the most affected with about 25.3 million people having HIV/AIDS.
Indeed, according to a report by the ILO titled "HIV/AIDS: A threat to decent work, productivity and development", AIDS would have a particularly terrible effect on the work force over the next two decades, not only reducing its size but causing an increase in child laborers, moonlighting parents, job absenteeism from sickness associated with AIDS and added difficulties in recruiting. The report also projects that by 2015; the population of some 29 African countries is expected to reach 698 million or 61 million less than the total would have been without the spread of AIDS.

In South Africa, for example, former President Mandela in a recent statement said that the impact of HIV/AIDS on his country is " a crisis of a dimension which [he] cannot describe in words. In our country, 10 teachers die every month of AIDS. In one University, a student dies every week. And in one of the most prominent Universities in the country, more than 25% of the students are HIV positive. In one of our neighboring countries, three Cabinet Ministers, one of whom was a doctor, have died because of the illness".

More than in any other year in its seven glorious years in existence, AAW made tremendous strides yet unmatched. We extended our reach to Kenya in East Africa and Guinea in West Africa. There can be no doubt that the passion and enthusiasm generated by the HIV/AIDS pandemic is reaching every nook and cranny of Africa.

Following our renewed efforts at campaign drives, and the effected change in our official name, our organization achieved a greater recognition in the eyes of the ever generous American populace. Thus, our campaign for fund drive reached an unprecedented eight hundred per cent over and above the preceding year.
We must admit that next campaign year is not going to be rosy as a tactical error in registering for the 2001 CFC cost us registration for this campaign year. In other word, while we succeeded in making a land mark in the 2000 campaign, our IRS filing mistake in 2001 cost our participation. What this means is that we expect a zero financial return in the 2001 CFC drive!

In 2000, we accomplished some projects in Africa. We initiated the water borehole scheme in Obiohuru, Nigeria. We donated drugs worth several thousands of dollars to the Lagos Island Maternity, the Mbano Joint Hospital and the Ehime Mbano General Hospital. We responded to calls from Zimbabwe, Uganda and South Africa with usual dispatch with which we have answered their call in the past.

Of all the breakthroughs, our joint venture with the Washington DC based HIV Community Coalition - HCC is the most enduring. Through HCC, our efforts to distribute condom and HIV/AIDS prevention literature took an upwards turn.

We have initiated a localized community outreach program in the Washington DC metropolitan area aimed at attracting the attention and interest of Africans and Caribbean's and in fact all people of African descent that live in the District.

These groups of immigrants most of whom are undocumented fret the idea of going to public sponsored programs for fear of being identified and sent to the immigration department for onward deportation. Worse even is their belief that HIV/AIDS may never affect them. Or the shame that come with affliction when a person of African descent is identified with HIV/AIDS.

Our recently introduced outreach program is receiving wide reviews as we partner with HCC. This relationship with HCC has enabled us to reach undocumented africans living in the district of Columbia in their thousands distributing condoms and ministering unto them on the best possible ways of avoiding the infection of HIV/AIDS. We have also been admitted by the DC Care Consortium - a Washington DC based organization that serves as a clearing house for credible organizations such as our in the search and provision of good and quality health care delivery for member organizations

We have hired more counselors and outreach specialist and we have seen the swell in the number of volunteers as our efforts in mobilizing dedicated front in this campaign to eradicate the scourge of our generation.

We have expanded our quest for finance and support sending out hundred of letters of inquiry to donor organizations. We have joined a number of reputable organizations such as the Washington Welfare Foundation to expand our resource base. We have also retained the services of a reputable grant- writing firm to shore up our fledgling search for funds outside the CFC. Thus Messrs Ugo Harris and Oluchi Nwabuisi have joined to help in fund raising activities.

This year we have geared efforts to bring in qualified hands into the organization, making it some of the strongest in taking care of the needs of Africans either within the shores of the US or on the continent of Africa who may have the need for our services. Messrs Edward Muchene of Kenya and Dr. Dialo of Guinea joined our organization as technical experts and new members of the board of Directors. We are looking forward to more dynamic and productive years ahead of us. As usual, with people's support, we will be there in style.

Planned Activity /Implementation
AAW hopes to achieve success through HIV/AIDS prevention awareness mass literacy campaigns, community outreach programs, and hospice services to infected persons. We assist clients through local health and community organizations in recipient counties in the Metropolitan area by collecting, allocating, and distributing funds and providing other important services to clients such as HIV prevention, education, and testing strategies in host counties. Furthermore, we assist in planning, implementation, and coordinating HIV/AIDS education activities.

In collaboration with the Washington DC HIV Community Coalition, the only people living with HIV/AIDS coalition, the DC Care Consortium, Africa AIDS Watch intends to undertake the task of reaching the African immigrants living in Washington DC, Montgomery and Prince George's counties. Churches, Mosques, community leaders and activists and main African stores will be targeted. The cultural diversity of our staff members will enable us to get the message across in a perfectly understandable language (English, French, Portuguese, African dialects, etc…)

Our goal is to promote the only HIV/AIDS awareness campaign targeting African People living in the metro area. AAW proposes to set up HIV/AIDS/STDs WATCH INFORMATION AND EDUCATION Centers designed to provide and disseminate information on these diseases.

These AAW proposed HIV/AIDS/STDs Centers are in tune with the WHO overall strategic plan for HIV/AIDS and STDs 1997-2001(WHO/ASD/96.3) which is based on the WHO policy and strategy orientation-HIV/AIDS and STD (WHO/ASD/96.2). Africa AIDS Watch shares the vision of the WHO of a "World without HIV/AIDS and STD", and the WHO's mission to contribute to the decrease in the spread of HIV/AIDS and STD epidemics and impact on the health of individuals and communities.
Throughout the metropolitan area, nine centers including five churches and five community-based organizations will be set up to carry out the outreach mission. Those centers will educate African communities at the grassroots level, on simple but effective ways of preventing, treating, managing and controlling the spread of HIV/AIDS/STDs infections. In addition, AAW has established working partnership with local medical clinics, also critical for heightening awareness that fuels voluntary testing and counseling facilities.

Method of Evaluation
AAW's technical staff is planning to record the attendance to the education/counseling centers. Appropriate survey forms will be designed and made available at the designated centers and at the participating healthcare clinics. Statistics including number of Africans attending the centers will be recorded and stored in our database system. HIV/AIDS prevalence will be primarily determined. Incidence rates will be ultimately recorded. These data will serve as base line information. The obtained figures will enable AAW to provide government health surveillance agencies and other caring organizations with more accurate statistics, keep track on HIV/AIDS/STDs and plan future interventions. Our long-term goal would be to reduce HIV/AIDS incidence among the DC metropolitan African community.

Ethical Concern
This program will be executed in conformity with rules and regulations on confidentiality. Informed consent will be required from all patients. They will be available in participating clinics. The consent forms will be read to those unable to read and signatures or thumbprints will be required. Explanation and translation in African language will be provided if needed. The testing for HIV/AIDS will be voluntary and patient confidentiality will be totally respected. The benefits gained by the metropolitan African community will include adequate care and drug supplies. Throughout the duration of the program, the surveillance of HIV/AIDS will be heightened