Abstract

A South African survey to determine whether men's knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) towards HIV/AIDS prevention, counseling and testing have an impact on their low uptake of VCT services

M. Maponyane, C. Foti, L. Lamberti, L. Rakgokong
Catholic Medical Mission Board, Pretoria, South Africa

Background: Following evidence of shortcomings of current testing approaches to engage men in the utilization of home-based counseling and testing services, the Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB) conducted a baseline KAP survey in order to determine men's knowledge, attitudes and practices towards current HIV/AIDS prevention, counseling and testing interventions and to establish why they do not in utilize these services.

Methods: The South African DHS household questionnaire was adapted to include only those questions specific to men and HIV/AIDS and adding new questions on religious orientation, personal responsibility and men's beliefs and knowledge about “living with HIV and AIDS”. In order to capture men from a wide variety of cultures and religious backgrounds, this survey was conducted in three selected Dioceses located in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu Natal and Limpopo provinces.

Using convenience sampling, a male interviewer was each assigned a survey area and asked to interview men on a house-to-house basis. In all, 450 interviews of men aged 15 to 65 were completed. The results were analyzed using SPSS software.

Results: In all the provinces, the majority of respondents were between the ages of 15 and 25. In terms of their knowledge of, and attitudes towards, HIV/AIDS, as well as gender equality, the men of Limpopo demonstrated the greatest levels of awareness and acceptance of women as equal partners. Those of the Eastern Cape, however, faired poorly in all these areas. The men in all three provinces ranked taking responsibility for their personal health very high.

Conclusions: The findings of this preliminary survey suggest a definite need to empower men with greater knowledge around HIV/AIDS issues and to eradicate gender and cultural practices that hinder them from participating effectively in HIV counseling and testing.

Join Catholic Medical Mission Board's (CMMB) in-country leaders and senior management in an interactive dialogue highlighting the organization's progression from a mother-and-child focused scope of activity (PMTCT) to a multi-focused holistic approach that encompasses the entire family. CMMB is working to integrate PMTCT; male education and testing; HIV positive mentoring among mothers; adolescent male circumcision; and primary healthcare and life skills training into a family-centered approached to HIV and AIDS and better health.

Facilitator: Jeffrey Jordan, Senior Vice President of Programs and Director CMMB Washington Office

CMMB Dialogue Participants:

• Dr. Dianne Jean-Francois, Country Director, Haiti and the Dominican Republic
• Dr. Salvador Garcia de la Torre, Senior Medical Advisor & Regional Coordinator, Africa
• Dr. Moses Sinkala, Program Director, Zambia
• Doris Odera, Acting Country Director, Kenya

The Member Dialogues forum is a service provided to our member organizations on a space-available basis. The theme, content and participants in The Conversation are generated by the hosting member organization: Catholic Medical Mission Board

BOHEMIA, NY (MAY 1, 2009) - Thomas Gray, CFO of Catholic Medical Mission Board, the International Faith Based Charity that provides sustaining health care to developing countries all over the world, was the featured speaker at St. John's University Tobin School of Business on Thursday, April 23rd.

Mr. Gray's lecture focused on "Future Business Leaders: the critical role they can play in the Non-Profit Industry".

"The perspective that graduate and under-graduate students acquire at the Tobin School will influcence not only not-for-profit managers, but those who become Board Members, and volunteers as well. The needs of non-profits haven't changed, but the challenges they face today can be staggering. So the roles of management must be honed to a high degree," commented Mr. Gray.

"It is a happy coincidence that I am the CFO of Catholic Medical Mission Board, addressing students and faculty at St. John's University, one of the leading Vincentian Universities in the world; for St. John's, like CMMB directs it great resources to the root causes of social problems--CMMB directs its efforts toward sustaining health care in developing countries around the world--and St. John's to developing innovative solutions to these problems."

Thom Gray earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees from St. John's (Tobin School), and was honored with membership in the Management Honor Society, Sigma Iota Epsilon, and the Economics/Finance Society, Omicron Delta Epsilon.

WHO: Conductor George Mathew | Mezzo-soprano Susanne Mentzer | Concertmaster Glenn Dicterow | Posthornist Matthew Muckey | Trombonist Joseph Alessi
WHEN: 8:00 p.m. | Monday January 12, 2009
WHERE: Isaac Stern Auditorium | Carnegie Hall | New York, NY
PROGRAM: Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 3 in D Minor

A benefit concert featuring Gustav Mahler's monumental Third Symphony will be held at 8:00pm on Monday, January 12, 2009 in Isaac Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall. The performance, organized and led by conductor George Mathew, and benefitting CMMB,will feature some of the finest orchestral musicians from every continent, which include principal artists from:

• The New York Philharmonic
• The MET Orchestra
• The Philadelphia Orchestra
• Orchestra of St. Luke's
• Minnesota Orchestra
• Brooklyn Philharmonic
• Emerson String Quartet

And students, graduates and faculty of The Juilliard School and the Manhattan School of Music accompanied by and other major international orchestras and ensembles.

MAHLER FOR THE CHILDREN OF AIDS is the third in a series of global humanitarian concerts that George Mathew has conceived and presented at Carnegie Hall, gathering together artists from the world's finest orchestras, ensembles and music schools for humanitarian causes while employing the music itself as their central source of energy. Mathew drew inspiration from the success of BEETHOVEN'S NINTH FOR SOUTH ASIA, a January 2006 concert for survivors of the devastating 2005 earthquake in Pakistan, and the 2007 REQUIEM FOR DARFUR, hosted by Mia Farrow.

Ways to Get Involved:

Purchase tickets to the concert
Can’t attend? Consider a donation to help pediatric and maternal HIV/AIDS
Invite friends to the concert via Facebook

 Please watch a clip of conductor George Mathew talk about this historic event.