Fourth of July

Tonight we celebrated the Fourth of July with a traditional American cookout. Twelve of us from ZEHRP gathered at the braai (grill) in the backyard of the flats and stuffed ourselves with cheeseburgers, potato salad, baked beans, deviled eggs, watermelon and brownies. I think the fireworks and sparklers were the only thing missing from our celebration!

Or maybe not?

This morning, we were all told that the Zambian president, Levy Mwanawasa, had died. The news was published in several papers and articles. The South African president, Thabo Mbeki, even requested a moment of silence to remember him.

However, a few hours later, we began hearing rumors that the Zambian government was denying the president's death. As we scoured the internet for news to verify whether the president was alive or dead, even the BBC, generally considered the most reliable source for news, was unable to give us a definite answer about the president's health. Was the president dead and the government trying to buy time to develop a plan of action of how to proceed in his absense? Or was the president alive and stable and the news of his death only a rumor?

No one has been able to confirm whether or not the president is alive. The news is now reporting that the president is stable and will have a minor operation over the weekend to improve his breathing. Yet there is still no clear answer.

Zambian president dies

from CBC News

Zambia's president died in a Paris hospital Thursday after suffering a stroke earlier in the week, local media reported.

Levy Mwanawasa, 59, fell ill as an African Union summit got underway in the Egyptian Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheik. The summit came under international scrutiny as Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe made his first appearance following an election that many have called a sham.

A Zambian government statement Monday said Mwanawasa suffered a stroke. Reuters, citing South Africa's Talk Radio 702, reported early Thursday that Mwanawasa had died.

Mwanawasa had been receiving medical care at Val-de-Grace military hospital in Paris, a frequent destination for French and foreign dignitaries, a French official said.

He was Zambia's third president since independence from Britain in 1964. Mwanawasa, a lawyer, won praise from Zambians, and many Western investors and donors for his free-market policies and a high-profile anti-graft campaign. His corruption efforts targeted his predecessor and former mentor, Frederick Chiluba.

Couples' counseling in the news

A few days ago, I posted about a paper that our organization published recently showing that couples' counseling could prevent up to 60% of new HIV infections. Although this paper was big news for RZHRG in our fight for the expansion of couples' counseling services, I wasn't sure how much attention anyone else would pay to it. As it turns out, a lot of people are paying attention.

The paper has hit the news, and I have seen articles in numerous places - the Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, National Institute of Mental Health Science News, Reuters, MSNBC, the International Herald Tribune (international version of the New York Times), Yahoo, Emory University, Global Health Council, etc.

You can read the article from the International Herald Tribune here.

Needed: football jerseys

The current ZEHRP United jerseys were donated five or six years ago and are starting to show their age. The fabric has faded, the edges are fraying and the letters and numbers are peeling off. If anyone has connections to a sporting/printing company, I'd love to find about 15 new jerseys for the team.