SUDAN HIV/AIDS WORKING GROUP (SHAWG)

dedicated to improving the quality of HIV/AIDS care in Sudan
Home     About SHAWG     TOKTEN & SHAWG     Activities     Publications     e-Learning     Videos     Join SHAWG     Donations     Site Map      
Sudan is the most severely affected country in North Africa and the Middle East with an estimated 500,000 people living with HIV/AIDS, and mostly in need of antiretroviral therapy (ART).
 
Despite lack of precise epidemiological data, it is believed that the country is in the early stages of a generalized HIV/AIDS epidemic charachterized by a predominantly heterosexual transmission pattern.
 
According to the national survey conducted by the Sudan National AIDS Programme (SNAP) in 2002, the adults' prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS has been estimated at 1.6%, with specific population group prevalence rates ranging from 0.5% to 2.5% in the northern part of the country. 
 
In Sudan, HIV/AIDS remains an unspoken taboo. However, some progress has been made with regards to breaking the silence surrouding HIV/AIDS.

 

The fight against HIV/AIDS requires joint efforts and expertise in addressing the issues pertaining to HIV/AIDS control and care. Sudan lacks the necessary expertise

and capacity to handle the situation in a comprehensive manner. Against this background, the Sudan HIV/AIDS Working Group (SHAWG) has been established as a voluntary network of Sudanese healthcare professionals with special interest in HIV/AIDS.
 
The aim of SHAWG is to contribute to HIV/AIDS control activities in the Sudan by providing a forum for clinicians, public health physicians, and other interested parties such as journalists and civil society groups. 
 
So far SHAWG has undertaken active steps towards engaging in the HIV/AIDS control activities in the Sudan. We look forward  to expanding our medical training activities as well as establishing long-term clinical mentorship schemes on HIV/AIDS in partnership with the Sudan National AIDS Programme (SNAP). 
  
SHAWG is actively seeking collaboration with individuals and/or institutions working in the field of HIV/AIDS in order to facilitate the transfer of knowledge on HIV/AIDS to healthcare professionals working in resource-poor settings in Sudan.