2003

GLOBAL: UNICEF Lists Top Five Fears for Children in 2004 Including AIDS and War: Agence France Presse (12.31.03) - Wednesday, December 31, 2003; AIDS, war, child abuse, life expectancy and a lack of investment in education will be key concerns for child welfare in 2004, UNICEF said today. Each of these issues alone poses heartbreaking challenges for hundreds of millions of children. Together, they represent a global imperative to do more for children in 2004,
THAILAND: AIDS Sufferers Hit 300,000 in Thailand: Xinhua News Agency (12.27.03) - Wednesday, December 31, 2003; More than 300,000 people in Thailand now have fully developed AIDS, the state-run Thai News Agency quoted Public Health Ministry spokesperson Nittaya Chanruengmahaphon as saying on Friday. Of the 312,429 AIDS patients, 62,726 have died. People ages 25-29 comprised the largest group of patients: 26 percent. The figures
MINNESOTA: Nonprofit to Build HIV/AIDS Housing Project: Star Tribune (12.27.03) - Wednesday, December 31, 2003; Jim Buchta; Clare Housing, a group that provides housing and other support services to HIV/AIDS patients, is planning to build a 30-unit, $6.7 million apartment building in a blighted section of northeast Minneapolis. In collaboration, the Central Community Housing Trust (CCHT) will build eight brick row houses - for sale - connec
UNITED STATES: Berkeley Scientists Create Tuberculosis 'Superbug': Oakland Tribune (12.27.03) - Wednesday, December 31, 2003; Ian Hoffman; Infectious disease professor Lee W. Riley and his post- doctoral students set out to solve a problem that has been vexing researchers for decades: Why does tuberculosis lie dormant in some humans for decades before triggering disease? Trying to render TB harmless, they disabled a collection of genes associated with the
FINLAND: Chlamydia Linked to Cervical Cancer Risk: Reuters Health (12.18.03) - Wednesday, December 31, 2003; Megan Rauscher; New research suggests that women with persistent chlamydial infection are at increased risk for developing cervical cancer. The latest findings, along with other emerging evidence, indicate that cervical cancer should be listed as one of the potential long-term [consequences] of genital chlamydia infection, according t
NIGERIA: Survey Identifies Factors Against Success of War on HIV/AIDS: AllAfrica (12.29.03) - Wednesday, December 31, 2003; Vanguard; The 2003 National HIV/AIDS Reproductive Health Survey (NARHS) conducted in Nigeria showed that at least seven out of 10 (72 percent) men and women in both rural and urban areas believe they are at no risk for HIV, and only two out of five (41 percent) want to be tested for the virus. Minister of Health professor Ey
BOTSWANA: Botswana Feels Brunt of HIV/AIDS Apathy: AllAfrica (12.29.03) - Wednesday, December 31, 2003; Business Day; A recent report by the Norwegian aid agency Fafo and the Botswana National Productivity Centre said South African multinational companies are dragging their heels about implementing HIV/AIDS policies in their Botswana subsidiaries. The study surveyed 100 businesses and found that South African operations were more like
JAPAN: Blood Donors' IDs to Be Checked: Daily Yomiuri (12.31.03) - Wednesday, December 31, 2003; Following the announcement Monday that a person in Japan had been infected with HIV through a blood transfusion, the Japanese Red Cross has decided to require that donors provide ID including a driver s license or passport before donating their blood. For those who do not possess any identifying documents, such as some
AUSTRALIA: Take Condoms to Party, Doctor Warns: Age (12.31.03) - Wednesday, December 31, 2003; Lucy Beaumont; As rates of STDs in Australia s Victoria state continue to climb, sexual health experts are warning about the dangers of New Year s Eve liaisons. Partying fueled by alcohol and drugs makes the New Year s period a busy one for sexual health medical staff, according to Dr. Darren Russell of the Melbourne Sexual Health Ce
UNITED STATES: Bolstered by Liver Transplant, HIV Patient Rebuilds His Life: Associated Press (12.31.03) - Wednesday, December 31, 2003; A liver transplant performed as part of a nationwide clinical trial for HIV-positive people has revived musician Terry LaBolt. After 20 years of combined HIV and hepatitis B infection, he was the first HIV-positive patient in the Cincinnati area to receive a new liver. Earlier in the epidemic, people with HIV were reje
LOUISIANA: Louisiana Worst Gonorrhea Rate; Top 10 in Two Other STDs: Associated Press (12.30.03) - Wednesday, December 31, 2003; Janet McConnaughey; Louisiana had the highest gonorrhea rate in the nation for the second year in a row in 2002, according to CDC. Louisiana has been among the five worst states for both gonorrhea and chlamydia for the past five years. The state ranked seventh- worst in 2002 for syphilis. We definitely need to get the word out that the sa
LIBYA: Libya Registers 975 AIDS Cases: United Press International (12.27.03) - Tuesday, December 30, 2003; The Libyan daily ash-Shams quoted national AIDS program Director Ahmad Mahmoud as saying that about 800 Libyan patients and 175 foreign residents in the country have AIDS. Mahmoud said the registered figures did not reflect the accurate number due to religious and social pressures, as well as a large number of illegal
RUSSIA: World Bank to Provide $150 Million to Combat TB, AIDS in Russia: ITAR-TASS News Agency (12.30.03) - Tuesday, December 30, 2003; Today in Moscow at a joint news conference organized by Russia s Justice and Health ministries, Deputy Health Minister Ruslan Khalfin said the World Bank will provide the nation with a $150 million loan to fight TB and AIDS. The money will fund a five-year project that has actually been underway since Dec. 11, Khalfin
UNITED STATES: Automated System Approved for Testing Two Diseases: New York Times (12.30.03) - Tuesday, December 30, 2003; Reuters; Gen-Probe announced yesterday that the Food and Drug Administration had approved its automated testing system for diagnosing STDs. The company said FDA approved the use of its Tigris DTS System for performing its Aptima Combo assay, which tests simultaneously for chlamydia and gonorrhea and has already been approved. T
MARYLAND: Hospice Hoping to Learn from African Counterpart: Baltimore Sun (12.26.03) - Tuesday, December 30, 2003; Stephanie Tracy; The Anne Arundel County-based Hospice of the Chesapeake (HOC) will be able to share its technical, administrative and development expertise with a hospice in South Africa thanks to a foundation that fosters hospice exchanges. In return, HOC will learn through the partnership how hospice care is provided in funding- and
UNITED STATES: Using Point-of-Care Testing to Make Rapid HIV-1 Tests in Labor Really Rapid: AIDS (09.26.03) Vol. 17; No. 14: P.2121-2124 - Tuesday, December 30, 2003; Mardge H. Cohen; Yolanda Olszewski; Bernard Branson; Michele Robey; Faridah Love; Denise J. Jamieson; Marc Bulterys; for the Mother Infant Rapid Intervention At Delivery Study; In November 2002, the Food and Drug Administration approved the OraQuick Rapid HIV-1 Antibody Test. Four Chicago hospitals (with the city s highest HIV-1 prevalence among childbearing women) rapidly tested 380 women at labor and delivery between January 2002 and July 2002. Three hospitals had obstetric staff perform ra
CANADA: Vancouver's Safe Site Popular with Junkies: Toronto Star (12.26.03) - Tuesday, December 30, 2003; Amy Carmichael; The roughly 5,000 heroin addicts in Vancouver s Downtown Eastside neighborhood prefer the city s first legal supervised safe injection site to drug use on the street, but some fear one such site is not enough. All the research on different sites anywhere in the world shows that the idea of having one in a city is not e
NAMIBIA: Local Businessman Helps Ease Africa's AIDS Plight: Orange County Register (12.28.03) - Tuesday, December 30, 2003; Jan Norman; Laguna Beach businessman Mike Shepard went to Africa on safari in 1996. A friend, Steve Garrison, asked him to look up his friends Jos and Sylvia Holtzhausen, missionaries in Namibia . Shepard flew two hours from Johannesburg to Namibia, a country where 22 percent of adults have AIDS. The Holtzhausens operated an
GLOBAL: Progress in War Against AIDS: Clinton Foundation Lauded for Helping Poor Get Needed Medicine: Newsday (12.28.03) - Tuesday, December 30, 2003; Laurie Garrett; The William J. Clinton Foundation has so far been involved in anti-AIDS efforts in several Caribbean countries, South Africa , Rwanda , and Mozambique . According to Ira Magaziner, director of the foundation s AIDS program, President Clinton met wealthy countries objections to funding anti-AIDS efforts
JAPAN: Japan Patient Receives HIV-Tainted Blood: Associated Press (12.29.03) - Tuesday, December 30, 2003; Kozo Mizoguchi; The patient infected with HIV from a blood donation that slipped through the screening system used by Japan s Red Cross was the only person to receive the infected blood, Japanese Health Ministry spokesperson Kazunari Tanaka said Monday. The infected donor s blood was in three samples. One of them was used in the trans
UNITED STATES: American Indians See Rapidly Climbing AIDS Infection Rates: Associated Press (12.29.03) - Tuesday, December 30, 2003; The remoteness of many American Indian reservations has largely insulated tribes from HIV/AIDS, but that has begun to change. More than 30 new cases were identified on the Navajo Reservation in 2003 - including the first documented cases of transmission on the reservation. Twenty-four new HIV cases were diagnosed on th
UNITED STATES: FDA Approves Rapid HIV Test: Wall Street Journal (12.30.03) - Tuesday, December 30, 2003; Otesa Middleton; Dublin-based Trinity Biotech PLC announced that the US Food and Drug Administration has approved its 10-minute HIV test, the Uni-Gold Recombigen HIV Test. It is the first rapid-test product approved for testing blood serum, plasma and whole blood. Company President Brendan Farrell said the test is every bit as accurate
CHINA: Officials Confirm HIV/AIDS Outbreak in Northeast China: Agence France Presse (12.26.03) - Monday, December 29, 2003; Officials in China s northeast Jilin province confirmed Friday that several villages in the province not previously recorded as having been affected by HIV/AIDS had in fact been hit hard, state media reported. Sixty-four inhabitants of Soudengzhan village and nearby villages have been diagnosed with HIV, China Daily sa
ILLINOIS: City Gets Funds for Homeless Services: Chicago Tribune (12.23.03) - Monday, December 29, 2003; Gary Washburn; The federal government awarded $37 million to help Chicago end homelessness, officials announced last Monday at a news conference. An additional $9.5 million was awarded to the city to assist Chicagoans with AIDS, said Roy Bernardi, assistant secretary of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, who appeared
NEW YORK: AIDS Center User-Friendlier: Daily News (12.17.03) - Monday, December 29, 2003; Beverley Wang; A new street-level HIV/AIDS service center in Brooklyn is generating optimism that more people will seek care. Housing Works is moving its Brooklyn COBRA case management center from its treatment and housing facility to a renovated rowhouse down the street at 2605-2609 Pitkin Ave. As the program expanded, we saw the ne
MINNESOTA: They Come Bearing Gifts: Star Tribune (12.25.03) - Monday, December 29, 2003; Jill Burcum; The Aliveness Project, a Minneapolis-based outreach program, distributed gift baskets on Christmas to hundreds of Upper Midwest families living with HIV/AIDS. Many people living with HIV are disowned by their relatives and family for the holidays, said Joe A. Larson, executive director of the program. Even after two de
UNITED STATES: Cardiopulmonary Hospitalizations During Influenza Season in Adults and Adolescents with Advanced HIV Infection: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (11.01.03) Vol. 34: P. 304-307 - Monday, December 29, 2003; Kathleen M. Neuzil, MD, MPH; Christopher S. Coffey, PhD; Ed F. Mitchel, Jr., MS; Marie R. Griffin, MD, MPH; The authors conducted a retrospective cohort study of all persons ages 15-50 with AIDS or advanced HIV enrolled in the Tennessee Medicaid program from 1995 through 1999, representing 7,368 person-years of follow-up. The purpose of the study was to determine the etiologic role of influenza in hospitalizations and deaths
TANZANIA: St. Michael's Students to Work with Africa AIDS Victims: Associated Press (12.28.03) - Monday, December 29, 2003; Ten students and teachers at St. Michael s College, Colchester, Vt., are cutting short their holidays to help people with HIV/AIDS in Tanzania . Associate professor Patricia Siplon is leading the group, whose mission is to establish a permanent volunteer service program to care for people with HIV/AIDS. The group is pa
PORTUGAL: Portugal Debates Setting Up Heroin Injecting Rooms in Prison: Agence France Presse (12.24.03) - Monday, December 29, 2003; Levi Fernandes; A recently released government report recommends Portugal set up heroin injection rooms in prisons, where widespread drug use is leading to rising HIV rates among the nation s 14,000 inmates. Nearly one in two Portuguese prisoners uses drugs and of those who do, 26.8 percent use injecting drugs like heroin, said the re
INDIA: India No Longer Shying Away from AIDS Epidemic: Agence France Presse (12.24.03) - Monday, December 29, 2003; Uttara Choudhury; Despite the Indian government s proposing cheaper HIV/AIDS drugs in 2003 and moving away from its previous stress on abstinence as a means of prevention, activists say more needs to be done. India has 4.58 million HIV/AIDS patients, second only to South Africa s 5 million. Critics say the government s prevention strate
JAPAN: Japanese Patient Infected with HIV by Donated Blood: Agence France Presse (12.29.03) - Monday, December 29, 2003; Hiroshi Hiyama; A patient in Japan has been infected with HIV-tainted blood, the Japan Red Cross said Monday. The blood was donated by an infected man during the short window period after infection when blood samples may not initially test positive for signs of the virus. The Red Cross determined the donor was positive on Nov. 16, aft
UNITED STATES: AIDS Detection: Many Heterosexual Adults Have Not Been Tested for HIV: Health & Medicine Week (12.22.03) - Monday, December 29, 2003; A nationwide Witeck-Combs Communications/Harris Interactive study of 2,056 adults showed that six out of 10 (59 percent) heterosexual adults had never been tested for HIV. Of gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender (GLBT) adult respondents, who comprised 7 percent of the sample, 35 percent had not been tested. At a time
INDIA: Troubled Indian Kashmir to Test Prisoners for AIDS: Agence France Presse (12.24.03) - Wednesday, December 24, 2003; Health Minister Lal Singh said yesterday that Kashmir will begin testing prisoners, including captured Muslim rebels, for HIV during regular weekly medical checkups. Kashmir, an Indian region of the Himalayas that is home to 10 million people, has an estimated 20,000 HIV cases. Authorities have been trying to fight AID
NORTH DAKOTA: State Reports More Chlamydia Cases: Associated Press (12.23.03) - Wednesday, December 24, 2003; During the first nine months of 2003, chlamydia cases in North Dakota increased by 37 percent. Although some of the increase can be attributed to more screening and improved testing, some of the increase is likely due to unprotected sex and other high-risk activities, said Kirby Kruger, manager of the state health depa
FLORIDA: Church Helps Those with AIDS: Bradenton Herald (12.17.03) - Wednesday, December 24, 2003; Donna Wright; Spurred to action by Gov. Jeb Bush s recent conference on how faith-based groups can help solve community problems, Bishop F.D. Simon and his wife, Florence, hosted a Christmas dinner for those infected or affected by HIV/AIDS. More than 125 men, women and children sat down to the elaborate meal held at the Temple of F
POLAND: Eastern Europe Urged to Prepare Now for Growing Threat of HIV Resistance: AIDS Weekly (11.17.03) - Wednesday, December 24, 2003; Experts at an HIV congress in Warsaw heard that Fuzeon ( enfuvirtide , formerly T-20) is a valuable tool for both patient and payer in the fight against HIV drug resistance. It is especially helpful when used earlier in pretreated patients. John Bowis, OBE, member of the European Parliament, applauded Poland s Ministry
AUSTRALIA: Fed: Reaper Keeps Bowling but Advances Show Promise for HIV/AIDS: Australian Associated Press (12.19.03) - Wednesday, December 24, 2003; Kylie Walker; Dr. Robert Finlayson, Australia s longest-serving HIV/AIDS physician, says treatment of the virus has evolved to the point that it is almost considered to be a chronic condition. That is a big change from the 1980s when he saw patients die by the hundreds, and fear and paranoia over contaminated blood and unsafe sex pr
CHINA: China Concentrates on AIDS Prevention: Xinhua News Agency (12.22.03) - Wednesday, December 24, 2003; Qian Xinzhong, China s former Minister of Health, said this year was a turning point and a milestone for China s HIV/AIDS prevention and control efforts, citing remarkable progress through the government s efforts and societal support. Gao Qiang, vice Minister of Health, brought up five AIDS measures at the 58th UN Ass
CHINA: China Says to Punish Any AIDS Cover-Up: Reuters (12.24.03) - Wednesday, December 24, 2003; On Wednesday, China warned against any new AIDS cover-ups, just one day after telling health care workers they would be punished if they failed to report new SARS cases. At a meeting with HIV/AIDS patients in Henan province, Vice Premier Wu Yi vowed to punish anyone attempting to cover up AIDS cases, according to the o
SOUTH AFRICA: International AIDS Conference to Be Held in South Africa: Xinhua News Agency (12.22.03) - Wednesday, December 24, 2003; Cape Town has won the bid to host the International AIDS Impact Conference in April 2005. Lorraine Sherr, a conference organizer, said Monday that the conference will offer information on the latest research and findings on the virus while examining the effects living with HIV/AIDS has on the psyche. It is the focus on
AFRICA: Millions of AIDS Orphans Strain Southern Africa: New York Times (12.24.03) - Wednesday, December 24, 2003; Sharon LaFraniere; As a result of the AIDS pandemic, southern Africa is home to millions of children robbed of their childhood and staggering under adult-size hardships. A new report by UNICEF estimates that 11 million children under age 15 in sub-Saharan Africa have lost at least one parent, and about a third have lost both parents, to
UNITED STATES: HIV Infection: New Partnerships Aim to Combat Rise of HIV/AIDS Infections in the Southern US: Women's Health Weekly (12.25.03) - Wednesday, December 24, 2003; Aiming to curb new HIV infections in those populations most at risk for the disease - including African Americans, Latinos and women - the Pfizer Foundation is funding 24 local HIV/AIDS service organizations in nine Southern states to support highly targeted prevention programs. The foundation s new Southern HIV/AIDS P
BOTSWANA: Botswana President Urges AIDS Testing in Christmas Message: Xinhua News Agency (12.22.03) - Tuesday, December 23, 2003; In his Christmas message on Monday, President Festus Mogae called on Botswanans to be tested for HIV. People must realize HIV is not a death sentence, he said: Help is available. A person can live a healthy and productive life for the next 15 to 20 years. Mogae urged responsibility, saying too many people continue to t
CHINA: Married Women in China's Capital to Be Equipped with 'Condom Cards': Agence France Presse (12.20.03) - Tuesday, December 23, 2003; On Saturday, the Beijing Times reported that authorities will soon issue cards to married women allowing them to get free condoms from vending machines placed throughout the city. One hundred machines will initially be placed in the city of 13 million and should begin operating in January. At the outset of the pilot pr
NORTH CAROLINA: HIV Can't Tamp Holiday Joy: News & Observer (12.20.03) - Tuesday, December 23, 2003; Bonnie Rochman; Lynette Traynham, 36, found out she had HIV eight years ago. Although drug regimens have kept her fairly healthy, she can no longer work and subsists on a disability check of $542 a month. She has no money for holiday gifts for her children - three boys and two girls ages 8 to 18 - and her grandson, Malik. Yet the chil
NETHERLANDS: Mortality and Progression to AIDS After Starting Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy: AIDS (10.17.03); Vol. 17; No. 15: P.2227-2236 - Tuesday, December 23, 2003; Ard I. van Sighem; Mark A. van de Wiel; Azra C. Ghani; Mari�lle Jambroes; Peter Reiss; Inge C. Gyssens; Kees Brinkman; Joep M.A. Lange; Frank de Wolf; on behalf of the ATHENA cohort study group; The authors studied 3,724 patients from the ATHENA observational cohort using highly active antiretroviral therapy to examine survival and progression to AIDS. Patients in this cohort were at least 18 years old at the time of inclusion in the study. Patients were monitored at 22 hospitals throughout the
AUSTRALIA: Health Groups Warn HIV Will Rise: Sydney Star Observer (12.17.03) - Tuesday, December 23, 2003; Tim Benzie; New data from New South Wales Health show 224 people tested HIV-positive in the first six months of 2003, an 18 percent increase for the same period in 2001 and a 38 percent increase over two years. We think that s a really major increase, said Lisa Ryan of NSW Health. We also know that newly acquired HIV infections ac
UGANDA: 40 Percent of Rakai Men Have Sex Outside Marriage: allAfrica.com (12.20.03) - Tuesday, December 23, 2003; New Vision; A Ugandan survey examining people s behavior and trends in HIV/AIDS revealed that around 40 percent of married men in the Rakai district engage in extramarital sex, and just 12 percent consistently use condoms. The survey showed that 21 percent of married women have sex outside of marriage and over 90 percent of them d
CHINA: Fighting Parallel Crises in China: AIDS and Apathy: New York Times (12.20.03) - Tuesday, December 23, 2003; Jim Yardley; While Chinese government officials ignored AIDS or denied it was spreading in the countryside, Dr. Gao Yaojie traveled through Henan province, gauging the spread of HIV/AIDS and bringing comfort and educational materials to remote villages. Gao, in her late 70 s, remains a fierce advocate now that the government is con
UNITED STATES: Agencies Rapped for Shirking HPV Law: Washington Times (12.23.03) - Tuesday, December 23, 2003; Cheryl Wetzstein; Rep. Mark Souder (R-Ind.) has charged two health agencies with failing to comply with federal mandates concerning the development of prevention strategies for human papillomavirus. CDC and Food and Drug Administration officials have been asked to appear at a Jan. 28 hearing of the House Government Reform subcommittee o
UNITED STATES: More Teenagers Say No to Sex, and Experts Aren't Sure Why: New York Times (12.23.03) - Tuesday, December 23, 2003; Linda Villarosa; Last week, CDC s annual tally of birth statistics showed that the teen birthrate has declined 30 percent over 10 years to a historic low of 43 per 1,000. African-American teenagers showed the sharpest drop, down more than 40 percent since 1991. For black teens ages 15-17, the rate dropped by half - 40 births per 1,000
SINGAPORE: Sexy Singapore Santas Hand Out Thousands of Condoms: Associated Press (12.22.03) - Monday, December 22, 2003; Over the pre-Christmas weekend in the city-state s Orchard Road shopping district, young women in skimpy Santa outfits distributed 50,000 free condoms. The giveaway was sponsored by Takaso Marketing, makers of Playsafe condoms. Our main objective is to educate the public on AIDS prevention and provide support on practi
PAKISTAN: UN Envoy Says Clerics Can Help Prevent Spread of AIDS in Pakistan: Associated Press (12.20.03) - Monday, December 22, 2003; Munir Ahmad; So far, only a small number of people have been affected from HIV/AIDS in Pakistan , but the situation can change in the coming years, Dr. Nafis Sadik, UN special envoy on HIV/AIDS in Asia, said Saturday in Islamabad. Pakistani women are getting this disease from their husbands, she said. Government officials report
UNITED STATES: CDC Launches E-Journal on Chronic Diseases: Associated Press (12.15.03) - Monday, December 22, 2003; CDC has launched an electronic journal on chronic diseases. CDC said the journal, Preventing Chronic Disease: Public Health Research, Practice and Policy, will focus on prevention, screening, surveillance and population-based programs that address the leading causes of death and disability in the United States
GEORGIA: Positive Impact Targets Mental Health and HIV: Southern Voice (12.19.03) - Monday, December 22, 2003; Marie Niesse; Positive Impact in Atlanta was founded in 1992 to help HIV- positive people cope with mental health issues. Dr. Gwen Davies, clinical director for Positive Impact, said the organization s clients have mental health concerns typical of any population - depression, anxiety, trauma history. She has noted an increase in th
WISCONSIN: County STD Cases Rise: Wausau Daily Herald (12.14.03) - Monday, December 22, 2003; Rick LaFrombois; Cases of sexually transmitted diseases continue to rise in Marathon County, although they remain below state and national rates. Area health care providers do not know with certainty why reports of STDs - specifically chlamydia and gonorrhea - are on the rise, but they suggest that diminished fear of HIV/AIDS has led s
EUROPEAN UNION: Determinants of Survival Following HIV-1 Seroconversion After the Introduction of HAART: Lancet (10.18.03) Vol. 362: P. 1267-1274 - Monday, December 22, 2003; CASCADE Collaboration; The current study explores the effect of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on survival and progression to AIDS after HIV-1 seroconversion. The researchers analyzed data from 22 cohorts of HIV-1 positive people from Europe, Australia and Canada , part of the Concerted Action on SeroConversion to AIDS and
SOUTH AFRICA: Enraged South Africa Rapists Kill HIV-Positive Victim: Reuters (12.21.03) - Monday, December 22, 2003; On Sunday, officials said they had arrested two men charged with gang-raping an HIV/AIDS activist and kicking her to death after she told them she was HIV-positive. Inspector Lunga Ntsinde said police were still looking for another suspect in last week s murder of 21-year-old Lorna Mlosana, who was raped in the bathroo
UGANDA: Uganda Looks to Children to Help Fight AIDS: Reuters (12.20.03) - Monday, December 22, 2003; Paul Busharizi; Uganda has adapted its ABC anti-AIDS slogan - A for Abstinence, B for Being faithful to one s partner, and C for using Condoms - to target preteens, hoping to raise awareness among an age group that will soon be at high risk of contracting a disease that had killed an estimated 947,952 Ugandans by December 2001. For
CANADA: Vancouver's Largest Syphilis Outbreak in the World at Risk of Spreading to Other Areas: Guardian (Charlottetown) (12.22.03) - Monday, December 22, 2003; Vancouver is struggling to deal with the world s largest per capita outbreak of syphilis, and a hand-drawn map of sexual relationships between Downtown Eastside prostitutes, pimps and johns may be the best weapon health officials have to fight it. Doctors say various attempts to curb the disease have been thus far inef
OKLAHOMA: Poll Finds Most High School Students Are Sexually Active: Associated Press (12.19.03) - Monday, December 22, 2003; A benchmark survey released Thursday by the Oklahoma Board of Education found that of 1,384 Oklahoma high school students in grades 9-12 surveyed, about half reported having had sex, tried cigarettes, and consumed alcohol. It was the first year for the state to participate in the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, conducted e
MALAWI: Malawian Corruption: Washington Times (12.19.03) - Friday, December 19, 2003; James Morrison; In an interview published yesterday, American Ambassador Steven Browning said Malawi s greed and graft are so widespread that the country does not qualify for US money to fight AIDS. Putting money where corruption is not controlled is a waste, Browning told the country s Nation and Daily Times newspapers. We therefore
GERMANY: Germany Contributes US$7.4 Million to Fight HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean: Associated Press (12.18.03) - Friday, December 19, 2003; Bert Wilkinson; Yesterday, Germany announced it was contributing $7.4 million in grant funds designed to help prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean. The country s development bank, the Kreditanstalt fuer Wiederaufbau, said it plans to distribute the funds through the Pan Caribbean Partnership Against HIV/AIDS, a Caribbean Co
GLOBAL: UN's Annan Calls AIDS 'Weapon of Mass Destruction': Agence France Presse (12.18.03) - Friday, December 19, 2003; At his year-end press conference Thursday, UN Secretary- General Kofi Annan said he hopes the international community will focus on the AIDS epidemic - which kills 8,000 daily - next year. He said while developed nations concentrate on terrorism and banned weapons, issues of disease and hunger concern less- developed n
MASSACHUSETTS: A School's Lesson: TB: Boston Globe (12.14.03) - Friday, December 19, 2003; Christine MacDonald; On Dec. 1, a 7th grader at Umana-Barnes Middle School in East Boston was diagnosed with tuberculosis. Students reacted fearfully to the news. There was a very heightened sense of anxiety, said Principal Edward Cook. They asked things like, Will this boy die? Will I die? Public health doctors and nurses were at the scho
UNITED KINGDOM: Tuberculosis Screening: TB Not Always Evident at Arrival in New Country: TB & Outbreaks Week (10.07.03) - Friday, December 19, 2003; Researchers from the UK Health Protection Agency, the British Thoracic Society, and the Department of Health Collaborative Group recently looked at changes in the number of cases of tuberculosis in children between 1988-1998. They found that the overall number of cases in children under 15 had changed only slightly, wi
COSTA RICA: Human Papillomavirus Tied to Oral Cancer: Reuters Health (12.10.03) - Friday, December 19, 2003; David Douglas; Human papillomavirus, a virus associated with cervical cancer, appears to be involved in cancer of the mouth and oropharynx (the part of the throat that includes the lower part of the tongue and the tonsils), according to a recent study. Lead author Dr. Rolando Herrero of the Costa Rican Foundation for Health Sciences-
GLOBAL: Toolkit Teaches Youth About AIDS: Sunday News (Lancaster, Pa.) (12.14.03) - Friday, December 19, 2003; Helen Colwell Adams; The Mennonite Central Committee, a worldwide relief agency, has developed a Join Hands, Stop AIDS toolkit that uses Hershey s Kisses and Hugs for the HIV Transmission Game, designed to show youth how quickly HIV/AIDS can spread and how the spread can be stopped through abstinence and marital fidelity. The toolkit is pa
CANADA: Young Adults, Teens Urged to Adopt Safe Sex Policy: Star Phoenix (12.16.03) - Friday, December 19, 2003; Shannon Boklaschuk; With the hope of reducing high rates of sexually transmitted disease among local youth, the Saskatoon Health Region has launched a new public awareness campaign urging people who have had unprotected sex to get tested. Until March 14, posters with the slogan, Unsafe Sex Can Mess Up More Than Just Your Bed will appear i
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS Costs in South Africa Are Rising: New York Times (12.17.03) - Friday, December 19, 2003; Nicole Itano; South Africa s insurance industry must adjust to a business climate in which 5 million people - 12 percent of the total population, and 20 percent of adults - have HIV/AIDS. A November study by Finmark Trust found 3.8 million South Africans who said they no longer had medical, life, disability or other insurance. Emplo
GLOBAL: Novartis Signs Deal to Provide TB Drugs: Associated Press (12.19.03) - Friday, December 19, 2003; Swiss pharmaceuticals manufacturer Novartis signed an agreement today with the World Health Organization to provide free drugs to half a million tuberculosis patients over the next five years. The donation will cost the company $7 million, and it ties in with a campaign by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis an
CALIFORNIA: Rise in Syphilis in San Francisco Tied to Internet: Reuters Health (12.18.03) - Friday, December 19, 2003; The Internet is a major factor in San Francisco s increase in early syphilis infections among men who have sex with men (MSM), according to a new CDC report. However, the Internet can also be used to track and treat the STD, the authors wrote. A summer 1999 outbreak of early syphilis among MSM who met their partners on
OKLAHOMA: Three Employees, 10 Patients Exposed to TB: Associated Press (12.16.03) - Thursday, December 18, 2003; Three nursing home employees and 10 patients at ManorCare Health Services-Northwest in Oklahoma City have tested positive for exposure to tuberculosis, but the facility says the disease has been contained. An employee may have infected four of the patients and two other employees, the Oklahoma City-County Health Depart
FLORIDA: More Children Test Positive for Latent TB: St. Petersburg Times (12.18.03) - Thursday, December 18, 2003; Jennifer Farrell; Another round of tuberculosis testing turned up more positive results among children who attended classes at the North Greenwood Community Family Center, Pinellas County Health Department officials said Wednesday. Of the 60 children and staff screened last week, 15-16 percent tested positive, according to Rob Berger, T
CANADA: Gates Foundation Grants University of Montreal $12 Million for Public Health Programs in Africa: Associated Press (12.16.03) - Thursday, December 18, 2003; On Tuesday, the University of Montreal announced it has received a US$12 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for public health programs in Africa. The university cited HIV/AIDS, infant mortality, tuberculosis and malaria as pressing public health issues in sub-Saharan Africa. In sub-Saharan Africa,
NEW YORK: New HIV Vaccine Trial Here: New York Blade (12.12.03) - Thursday, December 18, 2003; Steve Weinstein; Nine months after VaxGen reported disappointing results for its HIV/AIDS vaccine, the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center and the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative have announced they will test a DNA-based vaccine, Advax, on healthy, non- HIV-infected volunteers in New York City and Rochester. Invented in New York b
NEW YORK: Hospital's HIV Project Aids Caribbeans: Daily News (12.15.03) - Thursday, December 18, 2003; Joyce Shelby; Lutheran Medical Center is developing programs to improve health care for Caribbean people with HIV/AIDS living in Brooklyn and abroad. The federal Health Resources and Services Administration awarded the hospital $3.4 million to develop a training program for community health workers in the Caribbean and a peer suppor
FLORIDA: AIDS Housing Services Built on Foundation of Cooperation: Miami Herald (12.17.03) - Thursday, December 18, 2003; Andrea Robinson; On Thursday, AIDS activists and program directors will gather to launch a service center and Web site designed to help Miami s poorest AIDS patients find housing. The Housing Assistance Service Center will serve people countywide, referring them to available homes and apartments, intervening in tenant/landlord disputes
UNITED STATES: Attitudes Toward HIV Treatments Influence Unsafe Sexual and Injection Practices Among Injecting Drug Users: AIDS (09.05.03) Vol. 17: P.1953-1962 - Thursday, December 18, 2003; Waimar Tun; David D. Celentano; David Vlahov; Steffanie A. Strathdee; The current study assesses attitudes of injection drug users toward HIV infection, HIV treatments and HIV-related risk behaviors and their association with risky sexual and injection practices, and whether HAART has altered HIV risk perceptions. The researchers administered a questionnaire to IDUs participating in a co
TAJIKISTAN: Tajik Migrant Workers Bring Back Money, Gifts and Often AIDS from Russia: Agence France Presse (12.14.03) - Thursday, December 18, 2003; Tajiks who migrate to Russia for work are returning home for the holiday season bearing gifts, money and often sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS. In this predominantly Muslim country where the topic of sexuality is rarely broached in public, AIDS has reached such proportions that an education campaign warni
CANADA: Striking Posters Aimed at Youth Carry Pointed Hep C Messages: Guardian (Charlottetown) (12.16.03) - Thursday, December 18, 2003; Jim Day; Dianne Birt, education coordinator for AIDS Prince Edward Island, searched a long time to find the right look for posters to warn Island youth of the dangers of hepatitis C, educate them on prevention, and encourage testing. She finally chose images of a rugged young man with tattoos and a lip piercing, and a young wom
CHINA: Chinese Vice Premier Visits AIDS Village but Police Force Patients Home: Agence France Presse (12.18.03) - Thursday, December 18, 2003; Chinese Vice Premier and Health Minister Wu Yi visited an AIDS village Thursday to signal an accelerated government effort to control the potentially explosive epidemic. But police forced some 20 patients who had been vocal about requesting government assistance to stay home. Wu visited Wenlou, one of hundreds of villa
GLOBAL: AIDS Is Cutting African Life Span to 30-Year Low, Report Says: New York Times (12.18.03) - Thursday, December 18, 2003; Reuters; In the southern African nations ravaged by AIDS - now the world s leading cause of death for people ages 15-59 - adult mortality has surpassed levels not seen in 30 years, according to a World Health Organization report released today. Worldwide, HIV-related deaths were almost twice those of the next top killer - heart
UNITED STATES: Price of AIDS Drug Norvir Soars: Bay Area Reporter (12.11.03) - Thursday, December 18, 2003; Zak Szymanski; On Dec. 4, the price of widely used protease inhibitor Norvir leapt by 500 percent, to $8.50 per day for 100 milligrams, confirmed Abbott spokesperson Laureen Cassidy. The increase will help to pay for technology that has developed a Norvir tablet that does not need refrigeration, said Cassidy. Norvir is prescribed
INDIA: India May Begin AIDS Vaccine Trials in Mid-2004: Reuters (12.17.03) - Wednesday, December 17, 2003; India will likely begin the first phase of clinical trials of an indigenously developed AIDS vaccine by the middle of 2004, the president of the New York-based International AIDS Vaccine Initiative said today. Globally, vaccines are on trial in many countries including the US and South
UGANDA: Uganda to Start Giving Free Drugs to AIDS Patients in February: Agence France Presse (12.17.03) - Wednesday, December 17, 2003; Health Minister Brigadier Jim Muhwezi said today that in February, Uganda will start giving free antiretroviral drugs to HIV-positive people. It is going to be gradual, he said. We shall start with orphans, people involved in the mother- to-child transmission program, health workers who contract the disease while carry
GLOBAL: Red Cross Appeal Puts Largest-Ever Focus on Fighting Disease: Agence France Presse (12.16.03) - Wednesday, December 17, 2003; Deborah Haynes; The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies launched its 2004 appeal Tuesday, reserving the largest-ever portion to fighting diseases such as HIV/AIDS. More than 40 percent of the $173 million appeal would go to such help. In contrast, just fewer than 26 percent of funds raised would be directe
UNITED STATES: In Brief: Washington Post (12.17.03) - Wednesday, December 17, 2003; Digene, a Gaithersburg, Md. biotechnology company, has filed for US Food and Drug Administration approval of its chlamydia test. The test s method of specimen collection allows testing for chlamydia and human papillomavirus from a single vial.
COLORADO: Sex Education Book to Stay on the Shelf: Associated Press (12.16.03) - Wednesday, December 17, 2003; Library officials in Weld County have rejected a request to ban the book It s Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex & Sexual Health, saying such a move would violate freedom of speech. Library board members did agree to move the book from the children s section to the young adult area. Jeannie McAllist
NORTH CAROLINA: Wake Backs Revising Sex Ed: News & Observer (12.17.03) - Wednesday, December 17, 2003; T. Keung Hui; On Tuesday, the Wake County Board of Education gave preliminary approval in a 5-3 vote to a policy that would require school employees to teach about abstinence whenever sexual subjects are discussed. Supporters of the policy said it would ensure a consistent message from teachers and other school employees. But critic
AUSTRALIA: Public Health Policy: Clinician Attitudes Impact Treatment Outcomes for Drug Users with Hepatitis C: Hepatitis Weekly (10.20.03) - Wednesday, December 17, 2003; According to research from Australia , the hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a common infection among injecting drug users. There are currently few available data on the extent (or prevalence) of HCV-discrimination. This study examined perceived discrimination among a sample of heroin users and sought to determine whether the
CHINA: Hepatitis B: Study Suggests Telbivudine More Effective than Current Standard of Care: Hepatitis Weekly (11.17.03) - Wednesday, December 17, 2003; At the 54th Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, Lai Ching-Lung, professor of medicine at the University of Hong Kong , presented data showing an investigational drug - telbivudine (L-deoxythymidine or LdT) - achieved significantly better suppression of hepatitis B virus and norma
AUSTRALIA: Condom Scheme for Safe Jail Sex: Mercury (12.12.03) - Wednesday, December 17, 2003; Rohan Wade; A proposal to put condom-vending machines in Tasmanian prisons is expected to be approved early next year. The Justice Department s blood-borne virus working party put forth the proposal in an effort to ensure safe sex among inmates. Hayes Prison Farm will be the first to give inmates condoms, coinciding with a need to
TANZANIA: Condom Opponents Disappoint Anti-HIV/AIDS Campaigners in Tanzania: Agence France Presse (12.13.03) - Wednesday, December 17, 2003; John Kulekana; On Dec. 11, Brad Lucas, executive director of Population Services International in Tanzania , told a media seminar that it was disappointing to see some people, including senior clerics, claim that condoms promote promiscuity. There is no study which has so far proved that the use of condoms is linked to increased sexu
UNITED KINGDOM: New Rapid Test Developed to Detect Chlamydia: Reuters (12.17.03) - Wednesday, December 17, 2003; Patricia Reaney; An international team of scientists has developed an easy- to- use test for chlamydia that gives results in less than 25 minutes and will cost as little at 70 US cents in developing countries. The Firstburst dipstick test detects chlamydia bacterium in urine samples from men and from a vagina swab for women. The test w
UNITED STATES: FDA Panel Backs Easier Access to Morning-After Pill: Reuters (12.16.03) - Wednesday, December 17, 2003; Lisa Richwine; On Tuesday, an advisory panel of the Food and Drug Administration voted 23-4 to recommend allowing the Plan B morning after contraceptive to be sold without a prescription. The medication is intended for use by women within 72 hours of intercourse. Plan B is made by Women s Capital Corp., a privately held company that
VIETNAM: HIV Carriers Suffer Severe Discrimination at Work in Vietnam: International Labor Organization: Agence France Presse (12.16.03) - Tuesday, December 16, 2003; People infected with HIV in Vietnam face workplace discrimination that must be overcome in order to combat the epidemic, according to a UN International Labor Organization report released today in Hanoi. ILO consultants, convened in the Vietnamese capital for a workshop on HIV/AIDS discrimination, said ignorance about
INDIA: India's Nitpicking Stalls $100 Million AIDS Grant: Report: Agence France Presse (12.16.03) - Tuesday, December 16, 2003; Bureaucratic arguing within the Indian government has delayed a $100 million grant to fight HIV/AIDS in the country, the Times of India reported today. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria approved the grant to India in January. Meenakshi Dutta Ghosh, project director of India s National AIDS Control Organizat
CALIFORNIA: 'Soulful Celebration' Benefits Black AIDS Group: San Francisco Chronicle (12.12.03) - Tuesday, December 16, 2003; Dave Ford; The Black Coalition on AIDS, an 18-year-old organization, has been fighting HIV in a community where the disease stirs shame, denial and ostracism, and where numbers of HIV/AIDS cases are rising. On Friday, the group hosted San Francisco s Soulful Celebration, a fundraising event featuring entertainment and music in pr
WASHINGTON, D.C.: D.C. Cuts Prevention for Gay White Men: Washington Blade (12.12.03) - Tuesday, December 16, 2003; Lou Chibbaro Jr.; The District of Columbia s HIV/AIDS Administration (HAA) has reduced the funding for a Whitman-Walker Clinic HIV prevention program, GNet, that targets gay and bisexual white men, from $440,000 this year to $200,000 in 2004. HAA officials said the budget cut for GNet, which receives mostly federal funds, is necessary t
UNITED STATES: Multistate Evaluation of Invasive Pneumococcal Diseases in Adults with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection: Serotype and Antimicrobial Resistance Patterns in the United States: Journal of Infectious Diseases (09.01.03) - Tuesday, December 16, 2003; A.M. Fry; R.R. Facklam; C.G. Whitney; B.D. Plikaytis; A. Schuchat; Invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) due to Streptococcus pneumoniae is one of the major opportunistic infections among persons with HIV worldwide. In the United States , the incidence of IPD among HIV/AIDS patients is 46 times higher than among other adults. HIV/AIDS patients often take long- term antimicrobial agents
TANZANIA: Tanzanian Rats, Who Already Sniff Out Landmines, Now Poised to Detect TB: Associated Press (12.15.03) - Tuesday, December 16, 2003; George Mwangi; A grant from the World Bank will help train giant pouched rats, who have been trained to sniff out land mines in Africa, to detect tuberculosis bacteria in human saliva. The $163,780 grant is one of several awarded by the World Bank for proposals with creative responses to the challenges of development. Bart Weetjens,
MALAYSIA: One in Four Found to Have AIDS: New Straits Times (12.08.03) - Tuesday, December 16, 2003; Chuah Bee Kim; One out of every four people who voluntarily come in for HIV/AIDS screening and counseling at health clinics in Malaysia tested positive last year. Walk-in cases increased by 53.4 percent, with 451 reported for 2002, up from 294 for 2001, according to Malaysian Red Crescent Society Vice Chair Dr. Datuk Bahari Abu Manso
THAILAND: Vanishing Condoms Spark Alarm: Nation (Thailand)(12.15.03) - Tuesday, December 16, 2003; Vincent MacIsaac; The United Nation s AIDS agency in Thailand has expressed concern over the disappearance of free condoms from gay saunas since the launch of the Thai government s social order campaign. Many of the saunas have been raided repeatedly during the past two years. Sauna owners have been advised that condoms could be used as
CANADA: Visits Up at Planned Parenthood: Concerns Being Raised at Clinics About Lack of Sexual Health Education in Schools: St. John's Telegram (12.11.03) - Tuesday, December 16, 2003; Deana Stokes Sullivan; Patient visits to the sexual health clinics of Planned Parenthood Newfoundland and Labrador in St. John s increased by 47 percent this year. PPNL Executive Director Annette Johns said 1,647 people visited between January and November at the Merrymeeting Road center. Doctors reported that the higher- than- usual volume
UNITED STATES: Teenagers Want More Advice from Parents on Sex, Study Says: New York Times (12.16.03) - Tuesday, December 16, 2003; Kate Zernike; Adults and youths have diverging views about the role of parents in offering advice and guidance to their kids about sex, how many teens are having sex, and whether being a teen virgin is embarrassing or not, a study released today shows. The study, conducted by the Washington-based nonprofit group National Campaign to
BANGLADESH: Bangladesh Research Center Expands Role to Include HIV/AIDS: Agence France Presse (12.15.03) - Monday, December 15, 2003; Officials announced today that an international disease research center in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh , has expanded its operations to include HIV. According to the latest figures, Bangladesh has only 363 registered AIDS patients; however, 115 of those were reported in just the last 12 months. We are now dealing
NEW YORK: Free Tuberculosis Tests Offered After Case Is Found: New York Times (12.14.03) - Monday, December 15, 2003; Barbara Whitaker; Following the discovery of an active TB case at Claremont School in Ossining, the Westchester County Department of Health is to offer free TB tests to students and faculty Monday. The case was diagnosed Dec. 1. Fifty to 60 of the school s 580 students and 100 staff members are to be tested. Officials said they have no
NEW YORK: HIV/AIDS Continues to Plague Region: Putnam County Courier (12.04.03) - Monday, December 15, 2003; Eric Gross; On World AIDS Day, Putnam County, N.Y., governmental leaders urged residents to be aware of the HIV/AIDS risks associated with unsafe behaviors. Through 2000, Putnam County recorded 148 AIDS cases. Officials say for every confirmed AIDS case, six people have HIV. According to the most recent statistics from AIDS- Relat
FLORIDA: HIV a Topic at Pembroke Pines Health Fair for Seniors: South Florida Sun-Sentinel (12.07.03) - Monday, December 15, 2003; Marcia Freidenreich; Senior citizens at the Southwest Focal Point Senior Center health fair, held recently, crowded around the Senior HIV Intervention Project booth and grabbed multicolored condoms with scents such as orange-banana and strawberry. A lot of them say they re picking up the condoms to take to their grandchildren, said Dr. Shi
UNITED STATES: State Agency Policy and Program Coordination in Response to the Co-Occurrence of HIV, Chemical Dependency, and Mental Illness: Public Health Reports (09-10.03); Vol. 188: P.408-414 - Monday, December 15, 2003; Beth Meyerson, MDiv, PhD; Bong-Chul Chu, MHA, PhD; M. Valerie Mills, PhD, MSW; The current study reports the findings of a comparison among three surveys of state agencies in order to reach a preliminary understanding of policy and program coordination among state HIV, substance abuse and mental health agencies. The authors pointed out that HIV, mental illness, and chemical dependency interact in
NIGERIA: Prostitution Rife in Nigerian Capital as AIDS Rates Soar: Agence France Presse (12.07.03) - Monday, December 15, 2003; Stuart Graham; Nigeria has more than 1 million female sex workers and as many as 7 million people with HIV/AIDS, according to nongovernmental organizations. The fight against HIV/AIDS was a key topic at a four-day Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Abuja that opened on Friday, Dec. 5 and brought together leaders from 52 ma
BRAZIL: Brazil Government AIDS Program Challenges Catholic Church: Associated Press (12.09.03) - Monday, December 15, 2003; The director of Brazil s AIDS program said on Dec. 9 that the Catholic Church s attempts to discredit the effectiveness of condoms in preventing the spread of AIDS could not go unchallenged. We don t want to stir up controversy, but when the Church tries to shut down discussion about condoms and claims to use scientifi
CANADA: Syphilis on the Rise Among Downtown Eastside Prostitutes and Johns: Province (12.09.03) - Monday, December 15, 2003; According to the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, syphilis is on the rise. More than 200 cases have been reported this year, up from 177 in 2002 and 18 in 1996. The center s Dr. Michael Reckhart warns the numbers have the potential to skyrocket. We are going to have about 250 cases of syphilis this year, mo
THAILAND: I Worry That I Will Have No One: Washington Post (12.13.03) - Monday, December 15, 2003; Ellen Nakashima; Nisarat, a 10-year-old AIDS orphan with HIV, - and the source of the headline quote - is one of more than 300,000 children orphaned as a result of some of Thailand s 450,000 AIDS deaths since 1984. Living with her aged grandparents, she fears they will die first. Thailand has 670,000 HIV-positive people and the largest
UNITED STATES: US AIDS Funds Draw Criticism in Global Study: Wall Street Journal (12.15.03) - Monday, December 15, 2003; Michael Waldholz; While the United States is the largest single donor of AIDS funding to poor nations, current and future pledges by it and other nations will fall far short of what is needed, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation report released today. The 2004 budget Congress is expected to soon pass will increase US spending to fig
TENNESSEE: HIV/AIDS Center Marks Its First Year: Chattanooga Times Free Press (12.06.03) - Friday, December 12, 2003; Yolanda Putman; Officials at Chattanooga Primary Cares Center, which recently observed its first anniversary, expected 145 HIV/AIDS clients in the facility s first 18 months of operation, but instead have seen 188 in a year. That shows there is a need for our services, said Ardyce Ridolfo, clinic coordinator. The center offers primary
PENNSYLVANIA: Health Bureau to Close Night STD Clinic: Morning Call (12.11.03) - Friday, December 12, 2003; The Allentown Bureau of Health is closing its long-running Wednesday night STD clinic in favor of expanded hours Tuesday afternoons, effective Jan. 6. The Tuesday clinic will extend its hours from 2-4 p.m. to 1-5 p.m. The clinics provide testing and treatment for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B and C. According to Miche
UNITED KINGDOM: 200 Babies Need Tests After Worker Gets TB: Independent (12.12.03) - Friday, December 12, 2003; More than 200 infants are being tested for tuberculosis after an employee at a hospital infant care unit in Essex became infected. A spokesperson for Southend Hospital said letters had been sent to all the families whose children may have come into contact with the staff member, asking them to return for TB screening.
FLORIDA: Largo Church Tests Its New AIDS Mission: St. Petersburg Times (12.04.03) - Friday, December 12, 2003; Kelly Virella; In Largo on World AIDS Day, Greene Chapel AME Church inaugurated its new mission with a free HIV testing program. From 11 a.m. until 2 p.m., HIV counselors from the AIDS Service Association of Pinellas, and from Youth Education Services, part of the University of South Florida s pediatrics program, took saliva samples
NEW YORK: Rapid-Result HIV Testing Will Be Offered in City Jails: New York Times (12.12.03) - Friday, December 12, 2003; Paul von Zielbauer; Next month, the New York City Health Department will begin offering rapid HIV tests to any of the city s nearly 14,000 inmates who request it. Health officials said roughly 10-20 percent of the city s inmates have HIV, though about 8 percent do not know it. The rapid tests, which give results in half an hour, are an ef
UNITED STATES: Women Distrust Risk-Based Cervical Cancer Screening: Reuters Health (12.06.03) - Friday, December 12, 2003; Karla Gale; Recently, the US Preventive Services Task Force and the Canadian Task Force suggested that low-risk women could safely be screened for cervical cancer every three years - instead of annually - after three consecutive normal Pap smears. Researchers at Michigan State University conducted focus group interviews to assess
UNITED KINGDOM: Virus Test May Improve Detection of Cervical Cancer: Reuters Health (12.05.03) - Friday, December 12, 2003; A recent study suggests that switching from Pap smears to human papillomavirus testing as the primary screening method for cervical cancer could improve detection rates. Moreover, with appropriate repeat screening, this strategy would not increase referral rates for more invasive tests that are sometimes unnecessary.
UNITED STATES: TB Outbreak Still Being Investigated in Washington: Reuters Health (12.11.03) - Friday, December 12, 2003; Local, state, and federal health officials continue to investigate an ongoing outbreak of tuberculosis among King County s homeless population. According to a Public Health Dispatch in Friday s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, an annual average of 13 TB cases were diagnosed among homeless persons in King County d
THAILAND: Asia Looks to Thailand's AIDS Success Story: Christian Science Monitor (11.20.03) - Friday, December 12, 2003; Simon Montlake; Thailand s nationwide prevention campaign, launched in the early 1990s, has dramatically lowered the spread of HIV/AIDS. The government noted that the number of people testing positive for HIV in 2002 was 23,676, down 83 percent from a peak of 142,819 in 1991. Thailand s success in averting an AIDS epidemic on the scal
KENYA: Kenyan Prostitutes Offer Hope for AIDS Vaccine: Reuters (12.03.03) - Friday, December 12, 2003; A group of prostitutes in Nairobi s Majengo red-light district have remained HIV-negative despite long exposure to HIV- positive men. Scientists studying the group of women hope to discover what has kept the women HIV-negative and use their findings to develop an HIV/AIDS vaccine. For more than 15 years, researchers ha
UNITED STATES: New CDC Funding Emphasizes Accountability: Gay City News (12.04.03) - Friday, December 12, 2003; Duncan Osborne; CDC has announced $49 million in HIV prevention grants that require grantees to prove their programs are effective and focus more on HIV-infected persons. According to the Dec. 3 announcement, CDC expects to issue some 160 grants from $100,000 to $500,000. The grants will run for five years; $49 million is the first ye
UNITED STATES: AIDS Activists Slam New Medicare Bill: Inter Press Service (12.09.03) - Friday, December 12, 2003; Emily Hager; Some AIDS activists say the new Medicare program, signed into law by President Bush on Monday, will put many people with AIDS in jeopardy. The bill provides Medicare recipients with prescription drug coverage through private insurance policies. This bill calls for some 6 million low-income elderly and disabled Medicare
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: Half of Hospital Beds in Democratic Republic of Congo Taken by AIDS Sufferers: UN: Agence France Presse (12.01.03) - Thursday, December 11, 2003; Half of hospital beds in the Democratic Republic of Congo are occupied by people with HIV/AIDS, the UN secretary-general s special representative to the country said Dec. 1. It will take years to measure the exact impact of AIDS in the DRC, but 50 percent of the beds in hospitals are occupied by people suffering from t
CHINA: SW Province Setting Up China's First Domestic AIDS Prevention, Care Center: Xinhua News Agency (12.11.03) - Thursday, December 11, 2003; Southwest China s Yunnan province is setting up the nation s first domestic AIDS prevention and care center, the provincial AIDS prevention and control office announced Wednesday. The center, outside Kunming city, the province s capital, will have 200 beds and provide HIV/AIDS consultation, prevention, testing and trea
INDIA: Gates Foundation Funds New AIDS Prevention Program in Southern India: Associated Press (12.11.03) - Thursday, December 11, 2003; The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has donated $50 million to private agencies in two southern Indian states to help stop HIV/AIDS from spreading among high-risk groups such as prostitutes, migrant workers and truckers. The money, $25 million to each state, will be spread over five years and is part of the Seattle-b
MASSACHUSETTS: Efforts to Combat Teen Prostitution a Tough Go: Associated Press (12.07.03) - Thursday, December 11, 2003; A recent Suffolk University study of 106 women jailed in Boston on prostitution-related charges shows nearly half began their work in the sex trade by age 17, and some started as young as 10, said professor Maureen Norton-Hawk. Once they get recruited into it, it s very, very hard to climb out, because they have so few
UNITED STATES: Study Finds Three-Drug AIDS Combo Is Superior: Associated Press (12.11.03) - Thursday, December 11, 2003; Linda A. Johnson; In the biggest head-to-head comparison of AIDS medications to date, scientists tested several combinations of six HIV medicines and found one combination was superior. They found that the combination of efavirenz , lamivudine and zidovudine ( AZT ) works better and longer, is
CANADA: Repressed Attitude Toward Sex Results in High British Columbia Teen Pregnancy Rate: Report: Canadian Press (12.07.03) - Thursday, December 11, 2003; Dr. Perry Kendall, British Columbia s provincial health officer, recently released a report saying a repressed attitude toward sex is producing high numbers of teen pregnancies and STDs in the province. Kendall said reserved sexual attitudes help create disturbing statistics such as a pregnancy rate among 15- to 19-yea
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS Casts Shadow over South African Business: Mail & Guardian (12.10.03) - Thursday, December 11, 2003; Moipone Malefani; A new survey shows that HIV/AIDS has already had a significant negative impact on business for 9 percent of South African companies, the South African Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS announced Wednesday. Forty-three percent envisaged a significant negative impact over the next five years. Negative consequences of the pa
UGANDA: Uganda's AIDS Drug Program May Become Africa's Model: San Francisco Chronicle (12.07.03) - Thursday, December 11, 2003; Sabin Russell; Delegates touring last week in Africa with Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson divided into small groups in the Ugandan village of Tororo to visit the homes of patients receiving HIV/AIDS drugs from The AIDS Support Organization. In a nation where 85 percent of 26 million inhabitants live in rural areas
THAILAND: Fighting AIDS: Healthy Patients Tout ARV Treatment: Nation (Thailand) (12.01.03) - Thursday, December 11, 2003; Many Thais die unnecessarily from AIDS because they do not seek antiretroviral treatment. The main reason is that they do not believe doctors who tell them the drugs can help them live with HIV, and so they see no point in possibly exposing their HIV status to others. Three years ago, Chiang Dao Hospital in Chiang Mai
NIGERIA: Nigeria Drugs Shortfall Hits AIDS Patients: Financial Times (London) (12.11.03) - Thursday, December 11, 2003; Michael Peel; David White; AIDS patients receiving drug therapy through a pilot program in Nigeria have stopped receiving their medication, and the consequences could be disastrous, according to experts. They worry that the interruption in supplies in the past two weeks could lead to a build-up of resistance to the drugs. In one of the large
PENNSYLVANIA: State Medicaid Must Pay for Altoona Man's New Liver: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (12.11.03) - Thursday, December 11, 2003; Anita Srikameswaran; In a decision issued Monday, an administrative judge has ruled that the Pennsylvania Medicaid program must pay for an HIV- positive man s liver transplant it had previously declined to cover. We re very pleased, said Hayley Gorenburg, AIDS project director at New York-based Lambda Legal and attorney for William Jean Go
UGANDA: Straight Talk Turns 10: allAfrica.com (12.09.03) - Wednesday, December 10, 2003; New Vision; Straight Talk, the leading non-governmental organization that has spearheaded sex education among young people in Uganda , is celebrating its 10th year, said Cathy Watson, the group s communications director. The organization is planning to introduce Parent Talk, a newspaper engaging parents on various family issues, W
CALIFORNIA: Alameda County Starts HIV Line: Oakland Tribune (12.10.03) - Wednesday, December 10, 2003; In an effort to reach those at risk for HIV, the Alameda County Public Health Department this month re-launched an information hotline on HIV testing and prevention resources. The confidential line provides referrals for HIV testing, needle exchange sites, and alcohol and drug services. In both English and Spanish, cal
UNITED STATES: Senate Vote on $373 Billion Spending Bill Delayed Until January: Associated Press (12.09.03) - Wednesday, December 10, 2003; Alan Fram; On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) decided to delay a vote on a $373 billion spending package until January. The move puts spending plans for numerous projects, including the fight against AIDS in Africa, on hold for at least six weeks. The delay in the bill s $2.4 billion to combat AIDS in Africa
SOUTH AFRICA: Labor Unions Help Spread the Word: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (12.03.03) - Wednesday, December 10, 2003; David M. Allen; ...The South African government s announcement last week that it would expand HIV treatment to people who need it signaled a breakthrough in the country s response to AIDS. South Africa s decision is also something for taxpaying Americans to be proud of. Since 1995, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ha
CALIFORNIA: HIV Transmission Case Tossed Out; Man Didn't Intentionally Infect, Judge Finds: San Francisco Chronicle (12.10.03) - Wednesday, December 10, 2003; Jaxon Van Derbeken; On Tuesday, San Francisco Superior Court Judge Kay Tsenin found insufficient evidence to support charges that a former city health commissioner had intentionally infected sexual partners with HIV. The ruling to throw out a grand jury s indictment in the case marked the first-ever judicial review of a 1998 California la
UNITED STATES: Researchers Discover the Mouth's Defenses Against AIDS: Health & Medicine Week (11.24.03) - Wednesday, December 10, 2003; Researchers at Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Clinic have discovered a way the mouth may prevent contracting HIV. Since the lining of the mouth is constantly under attack by a barrage of bacteria that live and grow there, the mouth lining has an innate defense line of peptides - known as human beta-d
KENYA: Researchers Descend on AIDS-Ravaged City: San Francisco Chronicle (12.05.03) - Wednesday, December 10, 2003; Sabin Russell; The United States is building a new children s hospital with a sophisticated blood lab in Kisumu, Kenya s third-largest city. Home to the Luo tribe, Kisumu has an adult HIV infection rate of 22 percent, the highest in the country. Tuberculosis and malaria rates are among the highest in the world, with more TB in Nyanza
SOUTH AFRICA: Glaxo, Boehringer Allow More Copying of AIDS Drugs: Reuters (12.10.03) - Wednesday, December 10, 2003; Jodie Ginsburg; British-based GlaxoSmithKline Plc and German drug maker Boehringer Ingelheim said today they have agreed to allow the widespread manufacture of cheap generic versions of their patented AIDS drugs in South Africa . In an out-of-court settlement with AIDS activists, the companies will grant more lic
GEORGIA: Georgia TB Cases Decline for Second Year in a Row: Associated Press (12.09.03) - Wednesday, December 10, 2003; Daniel Yee; Tuberculosis cases in Georgia have declined for the second consecutive year, but rising cases in some parts of metro Atlanta and north and central Georgia have state health officials worried about controlling the infectious bacteria. The Georgia Division of Public Health reported Tuesday that there were 533 TB cases in
UNITED STATES: HHS: Faulty Research Removed Two Years Ago: United Press International (12.08.03) - Wednesday, December 10, 2003; Steve Mitchell; Despite recent news reports indicating that a federally funded sex education study may have included fabricated data, the skewed data were actually found two years ago and the data in question were removed right away from the database and were not published, said Alan Price, associate director of the Department of Heal
UNITED STATES: Bush to Trim Size of Fund Request for AIDS Fight: Wall Street Journal (12.10.03) - Wednesday, December 10, 2003; Michael M. Phillips; Backing away from his pledge to spend large amounts of money to fight AIDS and poverty in the developing world, President Bush plans to ask Congress for relatively small funding increases for the efforts. The federal budget is stretched to pay for the war in Iraq , tax cuts and homeland sec
GEORGIA: For the HIV-Positive Homeless, a Place of Caring Opens in Savannah: Associated Press (12.02.03) - Tuesday, December 09, 2003; In Savannah, a series of dilapidated shacks on the city s east side have been renovated to house poor and homeless people with HIV/AIDS. Across from Phoenix Place, a program for treating HIV/AIDS patients, the Daniel-Flagg Villas, which opened Dec. 2, can house up to 20 patients, giving them a safer place to sleep than
NEBRASKA: AIDS Project Raises $300,000: Associated Press (12.07.03) - Tuesday, December 09, 2003; The Nebraska AIDS Project raised a record $300,000 during the 11th annual Night of a Thousand Stars fundraiser held on Saturday. The event was held at the Omaha Convention Center, where comedian Jay Leno and singer Lionel Richie appeared to help raise the money. According to NAP Executive Director Tim Sullivan, five-ti
CALIFORNIA: Fresno County to Get Rapid Testing: Associated Press (12.02.03) - Tuesday, December 09, 2003; Starting next month, Fresno s Department of Community Health will offer free HIV testing with results available in about 30 minutes. Rapid testing is very important because so many people do not come back for their results, said Jena Adams, supervising communicable disease specialist. According to CDC, about 30 percent
BRAZIL: WHO Chief Presses Rich Nations for More AIDS Cash: Reuters (12.07.03) - Tuesday, December 09, 2003; World Health Organization Director General Jong-Wook Lee on Sunday called on rich nations to provide more money to fight AIDS, and singled out Britain, Japan and Scandinavian nations to donate more to WHO s global push against the disease. The trend is more money is becoming available, we have to put in more requests
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Powell Pays Tribute to Chinese Premier's AIDS Counseling: Agence France Presse (12.09.03) - Tuesday, December 09, 2003; On Monday, Secretary of State Colin Powell hosted a dinner for Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao at the State Department and praised the leader for his unprecedented public inclusion of AIDS patients. I appreciate your efforts on the AIDS crisis and I particularly applaud your efforts to remove the stigma of AIDS in
ILLINOIS: AIDS Battlegrounds; Outreach Program Goes Mobile: Chicago Tribune (12.01.03) - Tuesday, December 09, 2003; Jimmy Greenfield; Chicago s South Side Help Center sends outreach workers to some of the city s most dangerous neighborhoods to bring condoms and messages about HIV/AIDS prevention to residents, some who are gang members involved in the drug trade. The outreach workers drive a rainbow-colored van and blare rap music to attract people. T
FLORIDA: Students Get the Rap on AIDS: Miami Herald (12.07.03) - Tuesday, December 09, 2003; Jennifer Mooney; On Saturday, Dec. 6, Miami s Victory Day Youth March for Life brought together music stars - including Julio Iglesias Jr., Fat Joe, Lil John & the East Side Boyz and Trick Daddy - community leaders, schoolchildren and college students. The event used celebrity and song to get the message across about HIV/AIDS testi
CALIFORNIA: Syphilis on the Decline: Bay Area Reporter (11.27.03) - Tuesday, December 09, 2003; Matthew S. Bajko; For the first time since 1999, data from San Francisco s health department suggests the city s syphilis outbreak is on the decline. According to the department s November epidemiology report, the number of early cases of syphilis so far this year is 285 - a decrease from the 318 cases at this point in 2002. Across the
UNITED STATES, MEXICO: Increasing Latino Adolescents' Adherence to Treatment for Latent Tuberculosis Infection: A Controlled Trial: American Journal of Public Health (11.03) Vol. 93; No. 11: P. 1871-1877 - Tuesday, December 09, 2003; Melbourne F. Hovell, PhD, MPH; Carol L. Sipan, RN, MPH; Elaine J. Blumberg, MA, C.; Richard Hofstetter, PhD; Donald Slymen, PhD; Lawrence Friedman, MD; Kathleen Moser, MD, MPH; Norma J. Kelley, BS; Alicia Y. Vera, MPH; The authors of the current study sought to determine the efficacy of coaching Latino adolescents with latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) to adhere to isoniazid (INH) treatment. Although US TB rates have decreased as a result of renewed aggressive treatment of active cases, goals for reduced incidence have not been ac
RWANDA: In Rwanda, a Ray of Hope in the Fight Against AIDS: San Francisco Chronicle (12.04.03) - Tuesday, December 09, 2003; Sabin Russell; At the Kabgayi Hospital in Gitarama Province, the local Catholic diocese has built a campus of buildings to provide health care services including HIV testing of pregnant women. If they test positive, as some 16 percent of the women do, they are offered a course of antiviral medicine to prevent mother-to-child transmis
UNITED STATES: New Database to Help Fight Against Hepatitis C: Associated Press (11.29.03) - Tuesday, December 09, 2003; Leslie Hoffman; The Los Alamos National Laboratory in Albuquerque, N.M., has launched an Internet-based hepatitis C genetic database designed to help researchers better understand the virus known for its genetic variability. It will be very valuable in anti-viral drug design, in clinical treatment of hepatitis C and in designing a vac
UNITED STATES: House Passes Massive Spending Bill: Wall Street Journal (12.09.03) - Tuesday, December 09, 2003; David Rogers; By a 242-176 vote, the House of Representatives passed a massive year-end spending bill Monday, putting pressure on Senate leaders to call their members back to complete work on the $820 billion measure. Among the measure s most time-sensitive provisions is a 50 percent increase in annual funding to fight AIDS overseas
NEPAL: UNICEF Asks Religious Groups to Help Fight AIDS in South Asia: Associated Press (12.04.03) - Monday, December 08, 2003; Chijish Paudyal; UNICEF urged South Asian religious leaders Thursday to help fight HIV/AIDS and end the stigma and ignorance surrounding the disease. Nearly 5 million people are living with HIV/AIDS in the region and the trend is firmly upward, Sadig Raseed, UNICEF regional director for South Asia, said in Katmandu during a gathering o
TAIWAN: Fury over Taiwan Vice President's 'Wrath of God' AIDS Comments: Agence France Presse (12.08.03) - Monday, December 08, 2003; A furor erupted among gay rights campaigners in Taiwan today after Vice President Annette Lu suggested AIDS was God s punishment for homosexuality. Televised reports showed Lu remarking, at an AIDS awareness event over the weekend, that Some said the reason why AIDS spreads is because God can not stand it any more.
INDIA: Gates Foundation to Give $25 Million for AIDS in India: Associated Press (12.05.03) - Monday, December 08, 2003; In its first arrangement with a state agency in India , the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will give $25 million to the southern state of Karnataka to prevent HIV/AIDS. The money will come from a $200 million grant pledged by the foundation to help India fight the epidemic. The foundation has previously donated mone
FLORIDA: TB Case at Center Triggers Jitters: St. Petersburg Times (12.03.03) - Monday, December 08, 2003; Jennifer Farrell; A staff member at the North Greenwood Community Family Center was hospitalized recently with active tuberculosis, alarming some parents whose children attend after-school programs there. On Tuesday, the African American Leadership Council, the nonprofit agency that runs the center, and the Pinellas County Health Depart
UNITED STATES: MAGI Assay Improves HIV Detection in Female Genital Secretions: Biotech Week (11.05.03) - Monday, December 08, 2003; CDC researchers have reported that infectious human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is difficult to detect in female genital secretions by standard virus culture techniques. To improve detection of cell-free HIV-1 in female genital secretions, J.E. Cummins and colleagues at the National Center for Infectious Dise
INDIA: Actor Gere Raises AIDS Awareness in India: Associated Press (12.01.03) - Monday, December 08, 2003; Ramola Talwar Badam; Actor Richard Gere marked World AIDS Day by visiting clinics in India that care for prostitutes and launching a campaign to persuade the country s movie and sports stars to join AIDS awareness programs. According to government statistics, which do not include children, about 4 million Indians have HIV. US experts predi
BANGLADESH: Hundreds of Bangladeshis Join Anti-AIDS Rally as Infections Rise: Agence France Presse (12.01.03) - Monday, December 08, 2003; Nadeem Qadir; More than 2,000 people rallied on World AIDS Day in Dhaka to promote AIDS awareness. Figures show a sharp rise of registered HIV/AIDS cases in Bangladesh over the past year. Although Bangladesh has only 363 registered AIDS patients, 115 of them were reported during the past 12 months, a rise of nearly 50 percent, accor
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS Deaths Spawn 'Cowboy' Undertakers: Straits Times (Singapore) (12.01.03) - Monday, December 08, 2003; In South Africa , where about 1,000 people a day die of AIDS, cowboy undertakers have cashed in on a grim trade that threatens to overwhelm the country s cemeteries and hospital mortuaries. The number of undertakers in my area has shot up by almost 40 percent, said Moses Bopape, chair of the South African Funeral Pract
MALAYSIA: Asian Values Hindering Malaysia's Fight Against HIV/AIDS: Activists: Agence France Presse (12.01.03) - Monday, December 08, 2003; On World AIDS Day, activists said deep-rooted reticence about discussing sex and a reluctance to admit the existence of a problem hinder Malaysia s fight against HIV/AIDS as infection levels accelerate. We cannot close our eyes to the fact that there s an epidemic here. What s alarming is the level of denial in Malaysi
RUSSIA: Russia's Top AIDS Expert Says Government Not Doing Enough to Combat AIDS: Associated Press (12.01.03) - Monday, December 08, 2003; Maria Danilova; On World AIDS Day, Russia s top AIDS expert accused the government of not doing enough to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS in the country. More than 257,000 HIV cases, over 7,500 of which involve children, have been reported in all but one of Russia s 89 regions, officials said. Vadim Pokrovsky, head of the Health Ministry
AFRICA: US Health Secretary Upbeat on Africa Visit, but Says Much Remains to Be Done in Fighting AIDS: Associated Press (12.07.03) - Monday, December 08, 2003; Rhea Wessel; US Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson wrapped up a four-nation tour of Africa Sunday with an upbeat assessment of African efforts to fight HIV/AIDS, although he cautioned that much still remains to be done. Thompson and a roughly 100-member delegation of US lawmakers, health officials and business leade
PENNSYLVANIA: AIDS Group Sues City over Care: Philadelphia Inquirer (12.02.03) - Monday, December 08, 2003; Joseph A. Slobodzian; On Dec. 1, AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania filed a federal civil-rights suit against Philadelphia on behalf of a Germantown man who said city emergency personnel failed to provide appropriate care after learning he had AIDS. In the suit, ALP, a nonprofit legal group that represents people with HIV/AIDS, contends that
AFRICA: Oprah Promises to Help Spread Word About AIDS Devastation in Africa: Associated Press (12.04.03) - Friday, December 05, 2003; Lewis Mwanangombe; Touring HIV clinics in Zambia , talk show host Oprah Winfrey told reporters she would help to spread awareness about the devastation of HIV/AIDS in Africa. The world is kind, good and wants to help, but it can only help when it understands the disease, Winfrey said in Zambia s capital city, Lusaka. Winfrey, accompanied
UGANDA: US Gives Uganda $6.2 Million for Antiretroviral Program: Agence France Presse (12.04.03) - Friday, December 05, 2003; The United States Agency for International Development gave a Ugandan center $6.2 million to help local organizations provide antiretroviral therapy, Health Minister Brigadier Jim Muhwezi said Thursday. It is a three-year program under which the Joint Clinical Research Center will launch ARV services in more than 20 pu
ETHIOPIA: Ethiopian Red Cross to Offer Free ARVs to AIDS Patients: Agence France Presse (12.02.03) - Friday, December 05, 2003; The Ethiopian Red Cross Society will distribute free antiretroviral drugs, starting mid-December, to people with HIV/AIDS who cannot afford them, an ERCS official said Monday. The society is preparing to distribute the drugs free of charge to low-income HIV-positive people in Addis Ababa, with the first beneficiaries t
UNITED STATES: Partner Testing Key Weapon in AIDS Battle - Study: Reuters (12.04.03) - Friday, December 05, 2003; Paul Simao; On Thursday, CDC released a new study showing that comprehensive efforts to test the partners of people newly diagnosed with HIV could uncover thousands of infections and help contain the spread of the disease. About one-fourth of the estimated 950,000 Americans with HIV do not know they are infected. Diagnosing and tr
CHINA: More Elderly People Affected by HIV; Prostitution Believed to Be Behind a Record Proportion of Seniors with the Virus: South China Morning Post (11.25.03) - Friday, December 05, 2003; Mary Ann Benitez; Senior Medical Officer Dr. Chan Kam-tim said recently that HIV is increasingly infecting middle-age and elderly people in Hong Kong . So far this year, that age group s proportion of HIV cases has increased to almost 14 percent. On 157 people diagnosed as HIV-positive through September, 21 were age 55 or older, and mos
THAILAND: Thai Government Drops Plan for Condom Machines at Universities: Associated Press (12.01.03) - Friday, December 05, 2003; Alisa Tang; Thailand s director of the Bureau for AIDS, TB and STDs said Monday that widespread and outspoken opposition has caused the government to scuttle its recently announced plan to put condom vending machines in universities. We may propose this again when society feels ready, said Dr. Sombat Thanprasertsuk. Health officia
HAITI: In Rural Haiti, Shalala Views a Pioneering Effort on AIDS: Miami Herald (12.03.03) - Friday, December 05, 2003; Michael A.W. Ottey; Jane Regan; University of Miami President Donna Shalala, who served as Health and Human Services secretary in the Clinton administration, traveled to Thomonde and Canges, Haiti , this week to investigate a medical partnership that is saving lives and might be replicated elsewhere in the country. US-based Partners in Health, which
HAITI: In Haiti, Where Pleasures Are Scarce, US-Funded Abstinence Campaign Gets Mixed Reviews: Associated Press (11.30.03) - Friday, December 05, 2003; Paisley Dodds; Activists in Haiti question whether money for an abstinence campaign funded by the Bush administration could be better spent in other ways. In the impoverished nation where HIV/AIDS has infected 5 percent of 8 million people, HIV is increasing among Haitians ages 15-24. Fans of the abstinence campaign say Haiti can tak
NORTH CAROLINA: State Works with Colleges on Testing and Prevention: State Officials Say More Funding Is Needed: AIDS Alert (12.01.03) - Friday, December 05, 2003; The recent discovery of an HIV outbreak among students across a network of state universities has created a public health challenge in North Carolina. Operating on a shoestring budget, the state has implemented Project Commit to Prevent (PCP), a collaboration with 12 minority colleges to provide HIV/STD prevention and
NORTH CAROLINA: Multicampus Outbreak of HIV in North Carolina Spurs Quick State Action: Prevention, Testing Program Targets Black Colleges: AIDS Alert (12.01.03) - Friday, December 05, 2003; A North Carolina HIV RNA screening program, the Screening Tracing Active Transmission program (STAT), recently uncovered an HIV outbreak among college students, particularly young black men who have sex with men, attending 11 predominantly black colleges and one Native American college. Experts from CDC are investigati
MISSOURI: Health Officials Warn of Possible Link Between Shelter Use, TB: Associated Press (12.01.03) - Friday, December 05, 2003; Jim Suhr; On Monday, government health officials issued an advisory urging St. Louis-area medical workers to test the homeless for tuberculosis, warning that shelters are the likeliest sites for the disease to be spread. Since 2001, there have been 15 active TB cases among residents of the city s dozen or so public and private s
NEW JERSEY: Legislator Withdraws Needle Bill for Drug Users from Senate Panel: Star-Ledger (12.04.03) - Friday, December 05, 2003; Susan K. Livio; In the New Jersey Senate Wednesday, a bill to decriminalize the sale and distribution of hypodermic needles as a means of slowing the spread of AIDS was withdrawn by its sponsor before a committee could review it. Sen. Joseph Vitale (D-Middlesex) said he withdrew the bill after hearing concerns raised by state Attorney
PHILIPPINES: Philippines at Risk from HIV/AIDS from Overseas Workers: Minister: Agence France Presse (12.01.03) - Thursday, December 04, 2003; On Monday in Manila, Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit warned that HIV could spread in the Philippines through millions of Filipinos who have engaged in risky sex behavior while working overseas. According to official figures, 5 million to 7 million Filipinos work abroad, many as sailors who dock in ports where AIDS rates
SOMALIA: UNICEF Appeals to Somali Leaders to Help Youths Fight AIDS: Agence France Presse (12.01.03) - Thursday, December 04, 2003; On Monday in Kenya , UNICEF called on Somali leaders to support youth in fighting AIDS. Somali leaders have a responsibility to provide correct information on prevention and healthy lifestyles to young people, as they are the prime target of the epidemic, said Jasper Morch, UNICEF s representative to
MALAWI: Malawi Pledges to Provide Free AIDS Treatment to 50,000 People by 2005: Associated Press (12.01.03) - Thursday, December 04, 2003; On Monday, the government of Malawi pledged to provide free AIDS drugs to 50,000 people by 2005. About 15 percent of the poor southern African country s 11 million people have HIV, and AIDS- related illnesses kill at least 70,000 people a year there. Only 3 percent of Malawians have been tested for HIV. This program c
NEW YORK: Bloomberg Offers One-Hour AIDS Test: New York Post (12.02.03) - Thursday, December 04, 2003; Frankie Edozien; In marking World AIDS Day Monday, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the city will offer the latest rapid HIV test to all New Yorkers by next year. City officials are now using the test, but not widely. Bloomberg also announced the formation of a 20-member Commission on AIDS to help shape policy. The body will include city o
UNITED STATES: Bono Says Angry AIDS Funds Stalled in Congress: Reuters (12.03.03) - Thursday, December 04, 2003; Rock star and activist Bono said Wednesday he was infuriated that Congress has not passed a spending bill that includes money for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. Speaking to the Kaiser Family Foundation in Washington, Bono said 500,000 people, who might have lived had money been available for treatment,
MARYLAND: Health Officials Strive to Increase Awareness Regarding AIDS Crisis: Baltimore Sun (12.02.03) - Thursday, December 04, 2003; Dennis O'Brien; A year after Mayor Martin O Malley declared a state of emergency in the fight against HIV/AIDS, Baltimore health officials worry that a drop in cases could lead to public complacency. While AIDS is becoming more and more a chronic disease..., we want to avoid media fatigue from setting in and an attitude where people f
BOTSWANA: Barriers to Antiretroviral Adherence for Patients Living with HIV Infection and AIDS in Botswana: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (11.1.03) Vol. 34; No. 3: P. 281-288 - Thursday, December 04, 2003; Sheri Weiser, MD; William Wolfe, MD; David Bangsberg, MD; Ibou Thior, MD; Peter Gilbert, PhD; Joseph Makhema, MD; Poloko Kebaabetswe, MPH; Dianne Dickenson, MD; Kgosidialwa Mompati, MD; Max Essex, DVM, PhD; Richard Marlink, MD; Botswana has the highest estimated HIV prevalence in the world. According to the 2002 UNAIDS update, more than 330,000 people of its 1.5 million population have HIV, and there were roughly 26,000 deaths from AIDS in 2001. The estimated rate of infection among people ages 15-49 is 36 percent. One of the biggest ch
SWITZERLAND: International Red Cross Launches AIDS Fund to Help Threatened Staff: Associated Press (11.27.03) - Thursday, December 04, 2003; Thousands of staff and volunteers of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies have HIV/AIDS, according to Bernard Gardiner, head of the AIDS campaign at the Geneva-based organization. Launching a fund to help workers get vital drugs, Gardiner told reporters that fighting HIV/AIDS is a matter
BRAZIL: Brazil Urges Condom Use, Tolerance of HIV Sufferers on World AIDS Day: Associated Press (12.01.03) - Thursday, December 04, 2003; Tom Murphy; In Brasilia on Monday, to commemorate World AIDS Day, elementary school students unfurled the Solidarity Quilt, 100 yards by 60 yards of material comprising hundreds of patches, hand-sewn by children, urging tolerance for HIV/AIDS patients. In the background, a samba band played, It s a Sin Not to Use One, a tune compo
CHILE: Anti-AIDS Commercials in Chile Spark Media Backlash: Reuters (12.02.03) - Thursday, December 04, 2003; Ignacio Badal; The Chilean government s media campaign against HIV/AIDS hit a snag recently when three leading Chilean TV stations refused to air commercials that were launched for World AIDS Day along with radio jingles, pamphlets and bus-stop posters. The four commercials feature a married man who has a lover, a teenager having unp
AFRICA: Nine Companies to Finance AIDS Program in Africa: Associated Press (12.03.03) - Thursday, December 04, 2003; Matthew Rosenberg; On Wednesday, nine major international companies initiated an effort to expand HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention programs in Africa, beginning in some cases with their own employees. AngloAmerican, ChevronTexaco, Bristol-Myers Squibb , DaimlerChrysler, Heineken, Eskom, Lafarge, Pfizer
NEW YORK:Groups Launch Registry of Artists Who Have Died of AIDS: Associated Press (12.01.03) - Thursday, December 04, 2003; Michael Weissenstein; On World AIDS Day, the New York-based Alliance for the Arts Estate Project for Artists with AIDS announced it is launching an Internet registry listing hundreds of actors, designers, writers and others who have died of AIDS. The purpose of the registry is to memorialize the lives and catalog the work of those listed.
UNITED STATES:Trials Will Test Whether AIDS Drug Can Also Prevent HIV: Wall Street Journal (12.04.03) - Thursday, December 04, 2003; Marilyn Chase; Three studies to be launched next year will test whether a pill currently used to treat AIDS can prevent human transmission of HIV. Viread ( tenofovir ), manufactured by Gilead Sciences Inc., blocks a crucial enzyme HIV needs to replicate.
CHINA: China Issues Stamp to Commemorate World AIDS Day: Xinhua News Agency (12.01.03) - Wednesday, December 03, 2003; On Monday, the State Post Bureau of China issued a stamp to commemorate World AIDS Day. The stamp, which features a heart- shaped red ribbon, is meant to symbolize the care and support the society gives to HIV/AIDS patients. Ma Xiaowei, vice minister of the Chinese Health Ministry, said at the issuance ceremony that st
IRAN: Iran Counts 5,780 HIV Cases but Unofficial Estimates Are Six Times Higher: Agence France Presse (12.01.03) - Wednesday, December 03, 2003; Iran has 5,780 registered cases of HIV, including 700 AIDS cases and 634 deaths, a health ministry official said in newspaper reports published on World AIDS Day. However, several experts said in the same reports that the real figure was 30,000- 40,000 cases. The official said that 95 percent of the registered cases
MASSACHUSETTS: Mayor Backs Proposed Drug-Needle Law: Boston Herald (12.02.03) - Wednesday, December 03, 2003; Marie Szaniszlo; On Monday, Mayor Thomas M. Menino urged Boston to back legislation to make clean needles available to intravenous drug users at local pharmacies to prevent the spread of HIV. Although similar proposals have been criticized in other cities as encouraging drug use, Menino said, all the evidence says that s not true. This
CANADA: Rate of HIV Jumps in Federal Prisons: Edmonton Journal (12.01.03) - Wednesday, December 03, 2003; CanWest News Service; The number of federal inmates with HIV has risen steadily in the past decade, according to Daryn Bond of Manitoba AIDS Co- operative. In 2001, 223 Canadian inmates were HIV-positive, up from 24 twelve years earlier. The numbers show that injection drug use among inmates continues to be a problem. We ve heard stories wh
WASHINGTON, DC: District to Offer Condoms for Free: Washington Post (12.02.03) - Wednesday, December 03, 2003; Avram Goldstein; District health officials announced on World AIDS Day that they plan to soon install plain white condom dispensers in select government offices and distribute condoms free. The goal is to place more than 50 dispensers in offices frequented by the public, including the D.C. Housing Authority and the departments of human
UNITED KINGDOM: First UK National Database Measures Levels of HIV Drug Resistance: AIDS Weekly (11.17.03) - Wednesday, December 03, 2003; The UK Health Protection Agency s Communicable Disease Report published the first data from the National HIV Resistance Database, which show that HIV drug resistance is increasing. Drug treatments for HIV have proved to be very successful in keeping many of those infected in good health; however, in a small number of p
PAKISTAN: Candlelight Vigil, Doctors Parade Mark World AIDS Day in Pakistan: Agence France Presse (12.01.03) - Wednesday, December 03, 2003; A candlelight vigil, doctors parades and cricket players sporting red ribbons marked Monday s World AIDS Day in Pakistan . Although the Muslim country s official figures show only 231 AIDS cases and 2,080 HIV infections among its 145 million adults, UNICEF and UNAIDS estimate true figures may be as hig
CANADA: HIV/AIDS Scourge Growing in Canada: Edmonton Sun (12.02.03) - Wednesday, December 03, 2003; Canadian Press; The HIV/AIDS epidemic continues to grow in Canada with a record 56,000 people infected despite two decades of prevention efforts and hundreds of millions spent to fight the disease. The number of cases marks a 12 percent jump since 1999, according to Health Canada s sixth annual report on HIV/AIDS, released Monday to c
AFRICA: Thompson Visits Rwanda to Assess HIV/AIDS: Associated Press (12.03.03) - Wednesday, December 03, 2003; Rodrique Ngowi; On Tuesday in Kigali, US Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson laid a wreath at the tomb of victims of the 1994 Rwandan genocide in which thousands of women were raped and infected with HIV. Rwanda was the second stop on Thompson s four-nation tour of Africa, where he is evaluating current projects and det
UNITED STATES: Blood: Safety vs. Supplies: Baltimore Sun (12.01.03) - Wednesday, December 03, 2003; David Kohn; At a time when the US blood supply barely meets demand, some safety experts say the government, Red Cross and other blood suppliers are too cautious, excluding too many donors and adding too many safeguards. Blood safety and blood supply debates have heated up in recent years as shortages have become more common. Blood
UNITED STATES: Gen. Clark Declares War on AIDS: Miami Herald (12.02.03) - Wednesday, December 03, 2003; Ashley Fantz; On Monday in Fort Lauderdale, Democratic presidential hopeful Gen. Wesley Clark laid out his Global AIDS Security Strategy, in which he proposes doubling the nation s international AIDS- fighting commitment to $30 billion. This is a time to reflect on how far we ve come and how far we need to go, the retired general sa
CONNECTICUT: AIDS Rising Among Minorities, Women: Associated Press (11.30.03) - Wednesday, December 03, 2003; Diane Scarponi; HIV/AIDS is increasingly infecting women, Hispanics and heterosexuals in Connecticut, even as new AIDS cases and deaths continue to decline, a state report shows. Nationally, Connecticut ranks ninth in the number of AIDS cases per 100,000 residents, according to the state Department of Public Health s 2003 AIDS survey.
AFRICA: Medecins sans Frontieres Urges Further Cuts in AIDS Drug Prices for Wider Access: Agence France Presse (12.01.03) - Tuesday, December 02, 2003; On World AIDS Day, International medical charity Medecins sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) urged that the price of HIV/AIDS drugs be reduced even more in Africa. Today, the prices have fallen by another 50 percent, but every time the price comes down, more people can afford treatment, said Morton Rostrup, inte
UNITED KINGDOM: Britain Pledges $10 Million to Fight AIDS in 2004: Agence France Presse (12.01.03) - Tuesday, December 02, 2003; On Monday, British international development secretary Hillary Benn said Britain would double its contribution to the global AIDS battle to �6 million (US $10.3 million)in 2004, adding that Britain is the second-largest donor of bilateral HIV/AIDS assistance after the United States . Benn urged the international commun
CANADA: Canada Gives $76 Million to Africa's AIDS Battle: Agence France Presse (12.01.03) - Tuesday, December 02, 2003; On Monday, the Canadian government said it would give 100 million Canadian dollars (US $76 million) to help Africa fight AIDS. The International Cooperation Ministry said the money would be spent over five years and would be concentrated at first on Tanzania and Mozambique , which have some of the
CALIFORNIA: Hispanics in Monterey County Nearly Half of New AIDS Cases: Associated Press (11.30.03) - Tuesday, December 02, 2003; Hispanics in Monterey County accounted for nearly half of all new AIDS cases since 1997, and they contracted HIV faster than any other group, the county Health Department s new 2002 HIV/AIDS report shows. With the exception of a 1 percent proportional increase among Asian and Pacific Islanders, Hispanics were the only
FLORIDA: Memorial Service Draws Small Crowd in Broward: Miami Herald (12.02.03) - Tuesday, December 02, 2003; Ashley Fantz; About 75 people attended the HIV/AIDS memorial candlelight vigil outside of Broward County s Main Library for World AIDS Day yesterday. The Fort Lauderdale Gay Men s Chorus sang for the small crowd, and the library offered HIV-themed artwork by more than 30 visual artists and poets to mark the occasion. The exhibit was
UNITED STATES: Female-Condom Use in a Gender-Specific Family Planning Clinic Trial: American Journal of Public Health (11.03) Vol. 93; No. 11: 1897- 1903 - Tuesday, December 02, 2003; Susie Hoffman, DrPH; Theresa M. Exner, PhD; Cheng-Shiun Leu, PhD; Anke A. Ehrhardt, PhD: Zena Stein, MA, MB, BCh; The researchers evaluated female-condom use among women participating in Project FIO (The Future Is Ours), a randomized trial of a gender-specific HIV/STD preventive intervention that was successful in reducing unprotected sex. The authors present data on female-condom use during a 12- month follow-up period among 360
UNITED KINGDOM: British Rates of TB 'Are Worse than Third World': Daily Mail (11.25.03) - Tuesday, December 02, 2003; Beezy Marsh; A report released Nov. 24 warned that tuberculosis is making a comeback in the United Kingdom , and levels of the disease are now higher than is some Third World nations. The report, the result of a six-month investigation by the London Assembly health committee, showed a doubling of TB cases since 1987. Lung experts a
INDIA: India Plans Free AIDS Therapy, but Effort Hinges on Price Accord with Drug Makers: New York Times (12.01.03) - Tuesday, December 02, 2003; Amy Waldman; India hopes to begin providing free antiretrovirals by April 2004 to all HIV-positive new parents and all children under 15 in six states most affected by AIDS, government officials announced Sunday. All AIDS patients in those states will ultimately be treated under the plan. The decision, announced by Union Minister
CHINA: Chinese Leaders Break AIDS Taboo: Washington Post (12.02.03) - Tuesday, December 02, 2003; Philip P. Pan; Premier Wen Jiabao appeared on Chinese state television Monday night, comforting AIDS patients and appealing to the nation to treat them with care and love, signaling a new commitment by the Chinese government to fight a disease that has infected up to 1.5 million of its citizens. Wen pledged to put HIV/AIDS prevention
AFRICA: Thompson Promotes HIV Awareness in Zambia: Associated Press (12.01.03) - Tuesday, December 02, 2003; Florence Mwisa; Africa cannot be left to fight alone against the AIDS epidemic, Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said Monday in Livingstone, Zambia . This war has caused more casualties than any other war, Thompson said before joining a World AIDS Day march with World Health Organization Director-
UNITED STATES: Suffer Not the Children: USA Today (12.01.03) - Tuesday, December 02, 2003; Steve Sternberg; A few months after her daughter Ariel s death from AIDS in 1988, Elizabeth Glaser, who contracted HIV from blood transfusions in 1981, gathered two close friends together to help her launch the Pediatric AIDS Foundation. Glaser was determined to get her HIV-positive son Jake, 4, access to AIDS drugs then available to a
CALIFORNIA: Activists Call on Governor to Maintain Funding for AIDS Drugs: Associated Press (12.01.03) - Tuesday, December 02, 2003; Mason Stockstill; On World AIDS Day, JWCH Medical Clinic officials in Los Angeles called on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to maintain AIDS Drug Assistance Program funding proportionate to the need. Schwarzenegger s budget proposal includes capping ADAP spending and creating a waiting list if client demand exceeds available funding. Califor
MAINE: Rise in HIV Cases Raises Concern that Prevention Message Goes Unheeded: Associated Press (12.02.03) - Tuesday, December 02, 2003; A spike in the number of new HIV cases diagnosed in Maine has raised concerns that AIDS prevention messages are falling on deaf ears. To date this year, 45 new HIV cases have been recorded - a 67 percent increase over the 27 new cases in all of 2002. George Friou, executive director of the Frannie Peabody Center, a Por
INDIANA: AIDS Cases on the Increase, Especially Among Minorities: Associated Press (12.02.03) - Tuesday, December 02, 2003; In commemoration of World AIDS Day, Indiana University students lined the streets and sidewalks around Dunn Meadow in Bloomington on Monday with 500 luminaries in remembrance of Hoosiers who have died from HIV/AIDS. Sponsored by the IU chapter of the Student Global AIDS Campaign and the Community Action Group, the even
UNITED STATES: World AIDS Day Gets Its Due from Cable: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (12.01.03) - Monday, December 01, 2003; Jill Vejnoska; Monday at 7 p.m., Cinemax will present To Live Is Better Than to Die, which chronicles a year in the life of a Chinese family that contracted HIV through blood selling. Monday at 9 p.m., VH1 offers AIDS: A Pop Culture History, in which celebrities and others discuss how AIDS has been presented by mainstream media and c
UNITED STATES: TV Highlights: Washington Post (11.30.03) - Monday, December 01, 2003; Martie Zad; Monday at 8 p.m., Discovery Health Channel will air AIDS Orphans: Lost Childhood. To document the lives of children who have lost or are losing their parents to AIDS, the program focuses on two families left to survive in poor conditions with almost no food. Monday at 9 p.m., Nickelodeon will broadcast a report by jour
SOUTH AFRICA: Concert for AIDS: New York Times (12.01.03) - Monday, December 01, 2003; Ben Sisario; A duet between pop stars Bono and Beyonc� was the highlight of a Saturday concert for AIDS attended by more than 40,000 people in Cape Town. They sang American Prayer, a song that Bono said asked churches to open their doors, to give sanctuary that breaks the stigma that goes with being HIV- positive. The five-hour con
COLOMBIA: AIDS Epidemic Spreads in Colombia: Associated Press (11.30.03) - Monday, December 01, 2003; Margarita Martinez; At a recent conference gearing up for World AIDS Day, Ricardo Luque, a doctor with Colombia s Ministry of Social Protection, warned that AIDS could become a bigger killer than Colombia s civil war unless the government acts promptly. An average of 3,500 people die each year in a conflict that pits leftist rebels agains
UNITED STATES: Apathy and the AIDS Epidemic: Washington Post (12.01.03) - Monday, December 01, 2003; Julie L. Gerberding; As in years past, rituals of candles and quilts coincide on World AIDS Day today with the release of grave new statistics and heartrending personal stories - not only from distant countries but also from our own backyards. While humanitarian concerns demand that we take action in the developing world, our own growing
GHANA: HIV/AIDS Prevention: Peer Influence Plays Key Role in AIDS- Protective Behavior by Ghanaian Youth: AIDS Weekly (11.17.03) - Monday, December 01, 2003; Recently, US scientists examined interpersonal communication about reproductive health information among Ghanaian youth, and the association of this communication with different types of reported AIDS-preventive behaviors. Contacts of peer educators in Ghana were surveyed at three sites during April 1998, wrote R.C. Wo
ITALY: Pope Offers Prayers, Encouragement on AIDS Amid Criticism for Church Opposition: Associated Press (11.30.03) - Monday, December 01, 2003; Nicole Winfield; In his traditional Sunday greeting in St. Peter s Square in Vatican City, Pope John Paul II offered prayers for those with HIV/AIDS, and he encouraged those Roman Catholics who care for them to continue their efforts. John Paul s comments on the eve of World AIDS Day came as critics condemned Vatican opposition to usin
CHINA: China Sends Health Workers into the Streets to Educate on World AIDS Day: Associated Press (12.01.03) - Monday, December 01, 2003; Audra Ang; Today, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visited Beijing s Ditan Hospital and spoke with AIDS patients, signaling a new openness on HIV/AIDS by the Chinese government. Health workers hit the streets to mark World AIDS Day, teach prevention, and distribute condoms to migrant construction workers, an at-risk group. [Migrant wor
GLOBAL: WHO Certifies New Generic HIV Drug: Associated Press (12.01.03) - Monday, December 01, 2003; Chris Tomlinson; The World Health Organization today joined UNAIDS in Nairobi to launch the 3x5 campaign to provide treatment to 3 million people with HIV/AIDS by the end of 2005. The detailed 3x5 plan unveiled on World AIDS Day promised cheaper, simpler drug regimens and more money as part of its strategy. Also on Monday, WHO cert
GLOBAL: World Losing War on AIDS, Kofi Annan Says: Associated Press (11.29.03) - Monday, December 01, 2003; UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Saturday the world is losing its war against AIDS as governments fail to confront the threat it poses. In an interview in London, Annan told the British Broadcasting Corp. he is saddened by the incredible callousness of a world that allows millions of AIDS patients in developing cou
UNITED STATES: Bush Sends Blue-Chip Group to Four AIDS-Hit African Nations: San Francisco Chronicle (11.30.03) - Monday, December 01, 2003; Sabin Russell; This week, Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson is leading a high-level delegation of business executives and the Bush administration s top medical experts to four nations likely to share in the president s $15 billion AIDS relief package. Thompson and his delegation of more than 80 will meet Monday -
UNITED STATES: HIV Infections Continue Rise, Study Says: New York Times (11.27.03) - Monday, December 01, 2003; Anahad O'Connor; The number of new HIV cases diagnosed in the United States continues to climb, and the most significant rise has been among gay and bisexual men and Hispanics, CDC reported in a new study. The study looked at data from 29 states that included a confidential system that was initiated in 1999. Because states with the hig
GLOBAL: Hunger Worsens in Many Lands, UN Says: New York Times (11.26.03) - Wednesday, November 26, 2003; Somini Sengupta; On Tuesday, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization reported that worldwide hunger and malnourishment have swelled in recent years, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, because of war, drought, AIDS, and trade barriers. The AIDS pandemic in southern Africa has cut a devastating swath through what would otherwise be its
AFRICA: US Group to Visit Four Countries to Examine Projects that Combat AIDS: Associated Press (11.25.03) - Wednesday, November 26, 2003; Harry Dunphy; Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said Tuesday that he and a group of 80 US lawmakers, business people and members of religious organizations will travel to Africa next week to mark World AIDS Day and to examine efforts aimed at fighting the epidemic. The group will visit Zambia ,
ILLINOIS: AIDS: 'A Silent Storm': Chicago Sun Times (11.24.03) - Wednesday, November 26, 2003; Cathleen Falsani; Though much has been done in HIV/AIDS prevention work in the last 20 years, AIDS activists say something dramatic needs to happen to reverse the foothold the disease has established in the African-American community, where HIV infection rates continue to rise. Churches, the cornerstone of the community, can play a role
EUROPE: HIV Prevention: Clear Proof Offered That HIV Virus Cannot Pass Through Condoms: AIDS Weekly (11.10.03) - Wednesday, November 26, 2003; Recently, questions have arisen regarding whether HIV can pass through pores in latex condoms. European Union research projects provide extensive proof that it cannot. Over the past 15 years, the European Commission has supported numerous research projects to study - directly or indirectly - condom use as a preventive
UNITED KINGDOM: Britain to Fund AIDS Treatment in Developing Countries for First Time: Independent (11.26.03) - Wednesday, November 26, 2003; Jeremy Laurance; Hilary Benn, the United Kingdom s International Development Secretary, announced yesterday that Britain will fund AIDS treatments for the developing world for the first time. His announcement came at the launch of UNAIDS annual report. Previously, the Department for International Development backed HIV prevention but d
ASIA: Drug Use, Prostitution Put Asia's 'Big Three' at Risk: Agence France Presse (11.25.03) - Wednesday, November 26, 2003; Richard Ingham; China , India and Indonesia - which are home to 40 percent of the world s population - now face HIV epidemics that could leap out of risk groups and into the mainstream, UNAIDS and the World Health Organization warned Tuesday in thei
EASTERN EUROPE, COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES: Generation at Risk as AIDS Peril Advances in Former Soviet Bloc: Agence France Presse (11.25.03) - Wednesday, November 26, 2003; Richard Ingham; From Estonia to Kazakhstan , unsafe sex and rampant IV drug use in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet bloc are exposing teenagers and young adults to HIV/AIDS, UNAIDS and the World Health Organization said Tuesday. In the region, the UN estimated about 230,000 peo
AFRICA: Africa Has More than 11 Million AIDS Orphans - UNICEF: Reuters (11.26.03) - Wednesday, November 26, 2003; In a report released today, UNICEF said that by the end of 2001, more than 11 million African children under age 15 were orphans as a result of the AIDS pandemic. The study called for quick international aid to families and communities struggling to care for AIDS orphans, calling it a crisis of gargantuan proportions.
GLOBAL: Grim World AIDS Statistics Show Disease's Global Grip: Newsday (11.26.03) - Wednesday, November 26, 2003; Laurie Garrett; As many as 46 million people worldwide are HIV-infected, and more than 3 million people will die of AIDS by the end of this year, UNAIDS said yesterday in its annual report. HIV is now the leading cause of death in Africa, and the fourth-leading cause of death worldwide. Ten new infections occur every minute. In a
KANSAS: Teen-Sex Law Enforcement Before Judge: Wichita Eagle (11.26.03) - Wednesday, November 26, 2003; Ron Silvester; On Tuesday, doctors and lawyers squared off in federal court in a case involving how much discretion to give physicians and prosecutors in reporting sexual practices among people under age 16. Last summer, Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline presented a controversial opinion that said doctors, psychologists, nurses and
UNITED STATES: Where They Must Wait; AIDS Patients in 10 States Can't Get Life- Saving Drugs: Newsday (11.26.03) - Wednesday, November 26, 2003; Laurie Garrett; At a time when the Bush administration has asked Congress for $15 million to help fight AIDS overseas, some US patients are being denied access to antiretroviral treatment. Ten states currently have waiting lists for the AIDS Drug Assistance Programs that provide medication to low-income HIV/AIDS patients with little o
SOUTH CAROLINA: Two AIDS Programs Receive Grants: State (11.22.03) - Tuesday, November 25, 2003; Two South Carolina AIDS programs have received Pfizer Foundation grants as part of a three-year, $3 million initiative targeting underserved populations in the South, the foundation announced. Palmetto AIDS Life Support Services in Columbia will receive $49,900 to expand its Partners in Prevention program, which trains
SWITZERLAND: UNICEF Appoints HIV-Positive Muppet a 'Champion for Children': Associated Press (11.24.03) - Tuesday, November 25, 2003; Naomi Koppel; UNICEF has appointed an HIV-positive Muppet who stars in the South African Sesame Street as a global champion for children, agency officials said Monday. Kami, a mustard- colored Muppet appearing regularly on Takalani Sesame, represents a five-year-old girl orphaned by AIDS. To help UNICEF promote messages of ending HI
RUSSIA: Number of Russians with HIV Jumps Nearly 10-Fold: Official: Agence France Presse (11.24.03) - Tuesday, November 25, 2003; A top Russian health official reported Monday that the number of HIV-positive Russians has increased nearly 10-fold in the past three years. Only 20 per 100,000 Russians were HIV- positive in early 2000 and the rate has increased by nearly 10 times to 180 per 100,000 by November 2003, said Vadim Pokrovsky, head of the
CHINA, SOUTH AFRICA: Two Nations Fight AIDS: New York Times (11.23.03) - Tuesday, November 25, 2003; In the past few days, two nations with large numbers of AIDS- infected people have announced plans to distribute a triple cocktail of life-prolonging antiretroviral drugs free to all who need it. China has been treating 5,000 patients and plans to expand the program to cover everyone in the country. South Africa s cab
KENTUCKY: AIDS Group Says Brochures Removed: Lexington Herald Leader (11.22.03) - Tuesday, November 25, 2003; Steve Lannen; On Friday, members of Lexington-based AIDS Volunteers Inc. (AVOL) at a Scott County High School health fair were told to remove brochures about safe sex for gay and lesbian teens, and materials containing the gay pride flag or information about homosexual acts, according to Cathy Cox, AVOL s executive director. Princip
CANADA: Prevalence and Correlates of Untreated Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Infection Among Persons Who Have Died in the Era of Modern Antiretroviral Therapy: Journal of Infectious Diseases (10.15.03) Vol. 188; No. 8: P.1164-1170 - Tuesday, November 25, 2003; Evan Wood; Julio S.G. Montaner; Mark W. Tyndall; Martin T. Schechter; Michael V. O'Shaughnessy; Robert S. Hogg; The present study evaluated all HIV-related deaths from January 1, 1995 to December 31, 2001 in British Columbia, Canada , where HIV care and medications are free, provided by the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS Drug Treatment Program since 1992. British Columbia has a centralized death registry and
AUSTRALIA: Health Groups Unite to Fight HIV Rise: Sydney Star Observer (11.20.03) - Tuesday, November 25, 2003; Tim Benzie; A new HIV prevention campaign developed by New South Wales Health in collaboration with major HIV organizations aims to combat the recent rise in HIV infections. The HIV Prevention Action Plan media campaign has three messages: HIV risk from unprotected sex is higher than it was 12 months ago; STDs such as syphilis are
THAILAND: Report: Asian AIDS Epidemic Is Worsening: Associated Press (11.25.03) - Tuesday, November 25, 2003; Vijay Joshi; Time to Act, a report released today by ActionAid-Asia, says HIV/AIDS has reached a critical point and is now spreading faster in Asia than in Africa. The study cites complacent governments, inadequate health care and widespread prejudice as factors in the epidemic s spread. The report warns that seemingly low prevale
UNITED KINGDOM: HIV Numbers Rise 20 Percent to Nearly 50,000: Guardian (11.25.03) - Tuesday, November 25, 2003; James Meikle; Britain s Health Protection Agency reported yesterday that the number of UK residents with HIV climbed by 20 percent last year. About one-third of the 49,500 infected people do not know they have the virus, HPA said. Last year s newly diagnosed HIV cases are expected to reach 6,400. Of the 5,711 analyzed so far, about
MINNESOTA: Rural Towns Offer Free HIV Testing as Cases Increase: Associated Press (11.24.03) - Tuesday, November 25, 2003; As part of a wider effort to bring HIV testing and prevention information into rural Minnesota, the Rural AIDS Action Network has begun to offer free testing in Willmar, Morris, Alexandria and Fergus Falls. Though HIV infection rates are still low compared to the metropolitan area, the number of cases in rural areas of
UNITED STATES: HIV Secrecy Is Proving Deadly: New York Times (11.25.03) - Tuesday, November 25, 2003; Howard Markel; The failure to disclose HIV infection to partners, whether intentionally or unintentionally, is a significant but underreported factor many health experts say contributes to the continued spread of HIV in the United States . CDC estimates that as many as 33 percent of the 900,000 Americans infected with HIV may not kno
MICHIGAN: TB Testing Continues for Sebewaing-Area Students: Associated Press (11.21.03) - Monday, November 24, 2003; Sebewaing-area students and teachers continue to be tested for tuberculosis, and two more cases have been identified, in the wake of 34 people testing positive for TB late last month. A senior and a staff member at Unionville-Sebewaing Area High School had positive skin tests for the disease, the Huron Daily Tribune of
SINGAPORE: HIV/AIDS Infection Rises in Singapore: Agence France Press (11.24.03) - Monday, November 24, 2003; Singapore s HIV infection rate is up, with 201 people diagnosed in the first 10 months of this year, compared to 189 for the same period last year, the government said today. In a statement, the Ministry of Health said 198 of the 201 new cases were infected via sexual transmission, 78 percent of which were heterosexual
FLORIDA: Teens Broach Subject of Sex: Florida Today (11.19.03) - Monday, November 24, 2003; James Dean; First Defense, a Melbourne, Fla.-based sex education group presented a three-day workshop to eighth-grade boys, and then to girls, at Southwest Middle School in Palm Bay recently. Steve Smith, the group s director, gave statistics on STDs and teen pregnancy and cautioned that condoms are not foolproof protection agains
INDIANA: Study Shows Drop in City's Syphilis Rate: Indianapolis Star (11.22.03) - Monday, November 24, 2003; Diana Penner; Indianapolis dropped from seventh place in 2001 to 24th place in 2002 in the national rankings of syphilis cases per 100,000 in major cities, according to new CDC data. Indianapolis reported 36 new cases of syphilis in 2002, compared with 128 in 2001. The figures represent a 71.8 percent drop in the city s syphilis cas
MARYLAND: Baltimore's Rate of New Cases of Syphilis Falls to Behind Georgia's Rate: Associated Press (11.22.03) - Monday, November 24, 2003; Baltimore s syphilis rate has declined from the worst in the nation in 1997 for new cases to the number five spot, despite the fact that rates are rising nationally. City Health Commissioner Dr. Peter Beilenson attributes the improvement to a campaign to stem the disease s spread among drug users, including those who t
CALIFORNIA: San Francisco Has Nation's Highest Rate of Syphilis: Los Angeles Times (11.22.03) - Monday, November 24, 2003; Lisa Richardson; San Francisco has the nation s highest rate of syphilis cases, according to new CDC data. San Francisco s highest syphilis rate since 1999 - 40.6 cases per 100,000 in 2002 - was apparently driven by infections among gay and bisexual men. The city s rate compares to a national syphilis rate of 2.4 cases per 100,000 peop
UNITED STATES: The Effect of HAART and HCV Infection on the Development of Hyperglycemia Among HIV-Infected Persons: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (08.15.03) Vol. 33: P.577-584 - Monday, November 24, 2003; Shruti H. Mehta; Richard D. Moore; David L. Thomas; Richard E. Chaisson; Mark S. Sulkowski; Several reports have documented an increase in the occurrence of metabolic abnormalities including hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and overt diabetes mellitus among HIV patients taking HAART, particularly HIV- protease inhibitors . Some studies have suggested removal of the PI or replacing it with a
CHINA: AIDS Care in Rural China Now Better Than Nothing: New York Times (11.21.03) - Monday, November 24, 2003; Jim Yardley; Recently, top health officials in China announced they would give free HIV/AIDS drugs to all infected poor people. At present, the free drug program is accessible to only a minute portion of Chinese HIV/AIDS patients. Chinese health officials now acknowledge that HIV/AIDS may affect 10 million citizens by 2010. The Chi
NEW YORK: HIV Advocates Oppose GOP Medicare Deal: Gay City News (11.20.03) - Monday, November 24, 2003; Duncan Osborne; GMHC is opposing the Medicare bill and urging New York State Senators Clinton and Schumer to oppose and filibuster the bill, David C. Wunsch, director of health policy at Gay Men s Health Crisis, said recently. Not only does the bill wholly undermine the Medicare program, but it does specific harm to HIV- positive fol
NEW JERSEY: Gormley to Co-Sponsor State Needle-Exchange Program: Press of Atlantic City (11.19.03) - Monday, November 24, 2003; Pete McAleer; A bill permitting over-the-counter sales of hypodermic needles and allowing for state-regulated needle exchange programs will be introduced with bipartisan support when the New Jersey Senate returns for the start of its lame-duck session Nov. 24. Co-sponsoring the legislation is state Sen. Bill Gormley (R- Atlantic), w
MISSISSIPPI: US Syphilis Rate Increases; Mississippi Decreases: Associated Press (11.21.03) - Monday, November 24, 2003; Sheila Hardwell Byrd; State Epidemiologist Mary Currier said Mississippi s syphilis rate continues to decline due to measures taken in the 1990s to reduce the number of cases. While the nation s syphilis rate has climbed for the second year in a row, Mississippi s cases dropped from 140 in 2001 to 48 in 2002. Currier said the state had more
UNITED STATES: MAC AIDS Fund Campaign: Associated Press (11.17.03) - Friday, November 21, 2003; On Dec. 1, World AIDS Day, MAC cosmetics will hold celebrity events at its 20 US stores to raise awareness and funds for those affected by the disease. Celebrities scheduled to appear include Bebe Neuwirth, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Miss Universe Amelia Vega, Miss USA Susie Castillo, comedian Rita Rudner, the Dallas Cowboys Ch
ALABAMA: Grants for AIDS Prevention Awarded Two Alabama Groups: Associated Press (11.20.03) - Friday, November 21, 2003; On Thursday, the Pfizer Foundation announced it had awarded two grants totaling nearly $90,000 to two Alabama HIV/AIDS prevention groups. Montgomery-based Aid to Inmate Mothers will receive $48,864 for its HIV prevention education classes given to inmates, officers and staff at the women s Tutwiler Prison in Wetumpka.
CHINA: Villagers in Northeastern China Contracted AIDS by Selling Blood, Group Says: Associated Press (11.21.03) - Friday, November 21, 2003; Audra Ang; Dozens of villagers in northeastern China have contracted AIDS by selling blood and at least 20 have died, a Hong Kong- based human rights organization said today. Blood tests of 62 villagers from Soudengzhan in Jilin province are HIV-positive, and another 300 people may be infected, said the Information Center for Hum
NORTH CAROLINA: Robeson Task Force Targets Syphilis: Fayetteville Observer (11.20.03) - Friday, November 21, 2003; Venita Jenkins; Robeson County health officials hope a new task force that targets prostitutes will help achieve the goal of eliminating syphilis in the county by 2005. In 2001, the county ranked first in the nation for its syphilis rate - 73 cases per 100,000 people - with health officials identifying 144 new or existing cases. Last
ITALY: HIV/AIDS Transmission: Carrageenan Formulation Prevents Macrophage Trafficking from Vagina: Women's Health Weekly (10.23.03) - Friday, November 21, 2003; Considerable evidence exists that human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected macrophages and/or lymphocytes may mediate sexual transmission of HIV, scientists in Italy explained recently. According to M.E. Perotti and colleagues at the University of Milan, We and others have previously demonstrated that when vitally
THAILAND: Thai Teenagers Shunning Condoms, Health Ministry Warns: Agence France Presse (11.16.03) - Friday, November 21, 2003; On Sunday, the Health Ministry warned of an alarming trend of Thai teenagers shunning condoms, and it called for more campaigns to encourage their use as protection against HIV/AIDS. A survey of 350 teenage boys in Kalasin province found that only 24 percent regularly used condoms, believing it was safe to have sex wit
SOUTH AFRICA: Treatment Still Months Away for South African AIDS Sufferers, Government Says: Associated Press (11.20.03) - Friday, November 21, 2003; Alexandra Zavis; Treatment could be months - if not years - away for hundreds of thousands of South Africans with AIDS, the government said Thursday as it unveiled its national treatment plans. The government hopes to reach 53,000 patients by the end of 2004, though it cannot say for certain when treatment would begin, said Dr. Nono Si
INDIA: India's Hidden AIDS Epidemic: Virus to Infect 25 Million by 2010: Independent (United Kingdom) (11.19.03) - Friday, November 21, 2003; Maxine Frith; A report by the British charity Voluntary Service Overseas, to be published this week, warns that unless women s rights in India are improved, the country s HIV/AIDS epidemic could explode. While the Indian government reports that about 4 million people have HIV/AIDS, most aid agencies say the figure is much higher. Th
INDIA: Clinton Backs Indian Drug Makers, Providing Low-Cost Medicine to AIDS Sufferers in Africa, Caribbean: Associated Press (11.21.03) - Friday, November 21, 2003; Nirmala George; There are 6 million people in the world who need medication for HIV/AIDS, of whom only about 300,000 are getting antiretroviral drugs, former President Bill Clinton told a news conference today at Ranbaxy Laboratories in Gurgaon, on the outskirts of New Delhi. Under a deal brokered by the William J. Clinton Foundation
UNITED STATES: Georgia Leads Nation as Syphilis Increases: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (11.21.03) - Friday, November 21, 2003; Patricia Guthrie; Georgia s rate of syphilis cases led the nation last year as the disease re-emerged among gay and bisexual men, CDC announced yesterday. The STD s increase is likely linked to rising numbers of HIV/AIDS cases among men who have sex with men. Atlanta recorded the third-highest urban rate of syphilis, behind San Francisc
UNITED STATES: As Syphilis Cases Rise, So Do AIDS Fears: Washington Post (11.21.03) - Friday, November 21, 2003; Rob Stein; Yesterday, federal health officials reported an increase in the number of Americans infected with syphilis for the second year in a row, reversing a decade-long decline in its incidence. Experts fear the rise in syphilis portends an increase in HIV/AIDS cases, because syphilis is transmitted in the same way, and the ou
MADAGASCAR: More Than One Percent of Madagascans HIV-Positive: Health Ministry: Agence France Presse (11.18.03) - Thursday, November 20, 2003; On Tuesday, the health ministry said that more than 1 percent of Madagascar s population is HIV-positive, meaning the country is at risk for a sharp rise in AIDS cases. A study of 9,623 pregnant women from May to July this year found 1.1 percent with HIV, said Bruno Rakoto, who heads the ministry s AIDS campaign. Since
BANGLADESH: Majority of HIV/AIDS Cases in Bangladesh Found with Persons Working Abroad: Xinhua News Agency (11.20.03) - Thursday, November 20, 2003; Eighty percent of Bangladesh s total HIV/AIDS cases were detected in people who worked abroad, Nazrul Islam, professor of virology, told a roundtable discussion convened Wednesday in Dhaka. Islam said the exceptions were Bangladeshi army personnel who worked on different UN peacekeeping missions worldwide, as only two
INDONESIA: Indonesian Minister Warns of HIV/AIDS Cases Threat: Xinhua News Agency (11.19.03) - Thursday, November 20, 2003; On Wednesday, Indonesian Health Minister Achmad Sujudi warned of a rise in HIV/AIDS cases in the country. Quoting health ministry statistics, Sujudi said that at the end of September there were 3,924 HIV cases in Indonesia, 1,239 of which were AIDS cases. However, Indonesia s numbers are still lower than those in
GUYANA: Company to Distribute Cheap AIDS Drugs: Associated Press (11.19.03) - Thursday, November 20, 2003; Georgetown-based Guyana New Pharmaceutical Corp. will soon begin selling cheap HIV drugs to neighboring Caribbean countries, according to Guyanan Food and Drugs Department Director Marilyn Collins. The company already sells antiretrovirals through Guyana s government and is awaiting the approval of Caribbean health min
SOUTH AFRICA: Credit Where It's Due: Wall Street Journal (11.20.03) - Thursday, November 20, 2003; Bill Clinton; ...Yesterday s decision by the South African cabinet to approve a plan for the nationwide treatment of people living with HIV and AIDS is a milestone for a country that has one of the highest rates of HIV infection. Under the terms of the new treatment program... up to 1.4 million South Africans should be receiving me
UNITED STATES: Contraception Use, Family Planning, and Unprotected Sex: Few Differences Among HIV-Infected and Uninfected Postpartum Women in Four US States: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (08.15.03) Vol. 33; No. 5: P.608-613 - Thursday, November 20, 2003; Tracey E. Wilson; Linda Koenig; Jeannette Ickovics; Emmanuel Walter; Amy Suss; M. Isabel Fernandez for the Perinatal Guidelines Evaluation Project; The current study examined attitudes, behavior, and pregnancy rates of women with or at risk for HIV infection at six months postpartum. Specifically, the researchers wrote, our objectives were to assess differences in rates of repeat pregnancy, reproductive intentions, and contraceptive and condom use in HIV-positive
DENMARK: Anti-HIV Drugs Increase Risk of Heart Attack: Washington Post (11.20.03) - Thursday, November 20, 2003; David Brown; A large new study published today indicates that HIV-infected people who take combination antiretroviral therapy have a slightly higher risk of heart attacks than those who do not, and that the risk accumulates over time. Even so, the risk remains tiny compared with the drugs benefits. The Data Collection of Adverse Ev
UGANDA: Africa's AIDS Fight Aims High: Christian Science Monitor (11.18.03) - Thursday, November 20, 2003; Rachel Scheier; In Kampala, the AIDS Information Center has opened a private, air- conditioned executive wing across the courtyard from its stuffy, cramped facility. The clinic aims to provide discreet HIV testing and counseling for government officials, businessmen and other Ugandan VIPs. Health experts consider urban African men of
SOUTH AFRICA: South Africa Reverses Course on AIDS Drugs: Wall Street Journal (11.20.03) - Thursday, November 20, 2003; Mark Schoofs; In a dramatic shift of AIDS policy, South Africa has announced its government will undertake the world s largest AIDS treatment program, providing complex, expensive drug regimens free of charge. The decision represents one of the most ambitious public health programs ever tried in sub-Saharan Africa. If it succeeds, i
UNITED STATES: Multiple Barriers Prevent Minorities' Early Treatment: AIDS Stigma, Lack of Transportation Top List: AIDS Alert (11.01.03) - Thursday, November 20, 2003; Recent US HIV/AIDS statistics from CDC show the virus is the leading cause of death for African Americans ages 25-44 and the third leading cause of death for African Americans and Latinos ages 35-44. A recent CDC study at 16 sites found that African Americans and Latinos were more likely to be tested late for HIV than
PENNSYLVANIA: HIV-Positive Man Appeals State Medicaid Denial of Transplant Coverage: Associated Press (11.20.03) - Thursday, November 20, 2003; Allison Schlesinger; Attorneys for an HIV-positive man said Pennsylvania s Medicaid program should cover his liver transplant because there is no evidence that otherwise healthy HIV-infected patients have a worse chance of organ transplant survival than those who are not HIV-infected. William Jean Gough was denied coverage by the state s M
INDIA: Former US President Clinton to Visit India This Week: Agence France Presse (11.18.03) - Wednesday, November 19, 2003; Former President Bill Clinton will visit India for two days starting Friday, sources announced yesterday. He will meet with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and with AIDS activists in New Delhi. The purpose of the trip is to bolster efforts to prevent and control HIV/AIDS. India has 4.58 million people with HIV/AIDS
SOUTH AFRICA: South Africa Approves Mass HIV/AIDS Drug Treatment: Reuters (11.19.03) - Wednesday, November 19, 2003; South Africa s government today approved a drug treatment plan to tackle its HIV caseload, said Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang. After a cabinet meeting, she told reporters there will be a national network of antiretroviral distribution centers within one year. The government has long resisted making the drugs
BRAZIL: Brazil Closes Second Deal This Month for AIDS Drug Discount, Two More Under Negotiation: Associated Press (11.18.03) - Wednesday, November 19, 2003; Brazil will buy Merck s AIDS drug Efavirenz at a 25 percent discount for its national drug distribution program, Brazilian Health Ministry spokesperson Javier Martinez announced on Tuesday. This marks Brazil s second accord this month for purchasing discounted AIDS drugs. The annual savings from the reduced Efavirenz
UNITED STATES: FDA Fast Tracks Biosyn Gel Product: Philadelphia Business Journal (11.17.03) - Wednesday, November 19, 2003; Biosyn Inc. of Huntingdon Valley, Pa., announced Monday that the Food and Drug Administration had granted fast track designation to its C31G vaginal gel designed to reduce HIV transmission. We have worked closely with the FDA on the clinical path for this candidate since it is an important product for the prevention of
GEORGIA: Organization Started by University of Georgia Alums Aims to Help Children: Associated Press (11.14.03) - Wednesday, November 19, 2003; Two recent graduates of the University of Georgia (UGA) have founded Hearts Everywhere Reaching Out (HERO) for Children with the aim of improving the quality of life and emotional health of Georgia children who have HIV/AIDS or whose parents have died of the disease. The founders, Garrett Gravesen and Ryan Gembala, pla
CALIFORNIA: Volume Rising in Needle Exchange Debate: San Luis Obispo Tribune (11.16.03) - Wednesday, November 19, 2003; Julie Lynem; San Luis Obispo County does not have a syringe exchange program, but the idea of offering clean needles to drug users is circulating among some community groups and public health officials. In 2002-2003, 78 of 99 people testing positive for hepatitis C in the county reported IV drug use as their primary risk factor. Of
UNITED STATES: Risky-Sex Study OKs Antibiotic Use: Advocate (Baton Rouge) (11.12.03) - Wednesday, November 19, 2003; Joe Gyan Jr.; The prophylactic use of antibiotics can be a safe and effective way to prevent the spread of syphilis, a Tulane researcher said recently. Participants who were given antibiotics in a Baton Rouge pilot study reported no increase in unprotected sexual activity, according to Tom Farley, chair of the community health scien
UNITED KINGDOM: Human Papillomavirus: Scientists Announce Vaccine Hope: Women's Health Weekly (10.02.03) - Wednesday, November 19, 2003; Scientists at Cancer Research UK s Paterson Institute, in collaboration with doctors at St. Mary s Hospital, tested a vaccine, TA-HPV, and found that it shrank lesions in almost half of women with a precancerous disease of the vulva. The scientists believe the results of their study will help in the search for vaccines
CANADA: 861 Men Given Unsterilized Biopsy Probes: Ontario Reports Second Hygiene Breach in 3 Weeks: Edmonton Journal (11.18.03) - Wednesday, November 19, 2003; National Post; Toronto s Sunnybrook Hospital is urging other hospitals across the country to review infection-control procedures after an internal audit revealed that 861 men with prostate cancer had been exposed to an unsterilized biopsy probe since 1999. Hospital officials blamed the men s potential exposure to HIV and hepatitis B
ARGENTINA: World Bank Report: Latin America at Risk for Greater Spread of HIV/AIDS: Associated Press (11.18.03) - Wednesday, November 19, 2003; Alexa Stanard; While Latin American countries have increased their AIDS- fighting efforts, these measures are hindered by inadequate resources and reporting, poor health care and prejudice, according to a World Bank report issued Tuesday. According to HIV/AIDS in Latin American Countries: The Challenges Ahead - which comprises the re
NEW JERSEY: Syringe Study Generates Hope; Children's Home Officials Want News About Needle Sharing, HIV and Hepatitis C to Spark Action: Philadelphia Inquirer (11.19.03) - Wednesday, November 19, 2003; Dwight Ott; A report issued yesterday in Trenton states that the sharing of contaminated syringes by drug addicts is the leading cause of HIV and hepatitis C infections in New Jersey. Needle exchange advocates hope the study will help pass a bill currently before the state Assembly to increase addicts access to syringes. The study
CONNECTICUT: Chlamydia Most Common STD Among State's 15- to 19-Year-Olds: Stamford Advocate (11.15.03) - Wednesday, November 19, 2003; Alison Damast; Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted disease among Connecticut 15- to 19-year-olds, affecting about 10,000 people in 2002, according to the Connecticut Sexually Transmitted Diseases Control Program (CSTDCP). There are likely more cases than the 8,000 females and 2,000 males reported last year, but many peo
WISCONSIN: 16 Test Positive for TB Contact: Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (11.18.03) - Tuesday, November 18, 2003; Marilynn Marchione; Tuberculosis skin tests were offered to about 100 students and faculty at Marquette University who had been in contact with a professor who developed an active case of the disease. Of the 16 who had positive skin tests, none has developed symptoms, and all are being given follow-up tests and chest X-rays. A physician n
NEBRASKA: Grant Given to Enhance HIV Research at University of Nebraska- Lincoln: Daily Nebraskan (11.10.03) - Tuesday, November 18, 2003; Dakarai I. Aarons; The National Institutes of Health awarded a five-year, $2.6 million grant for the Nebraska Center for Virology to continue its research into HIV and Kaposi s sarcoma-related herpes. University of Nebraska-Lincoln Vice Chancellor of Research Prem Paul made the announcement on Nov. 6. NCV has been conducting its research
NEW YORK: Give Cons Condoms, Pols Urge: Daily News (11.15.03) - Tuesday, November 18, 2003; Joe Mahoney; On Thursday, New York Assembly Correction Committee Chair Jeff Aubry (D-Queens) and Health Committee Chair Dick Gottfried (D- Manhattan) introduced a law requiring that state prisoners get free condoms, even though sex behind bars is prohibited. The lawmakers criticized the state s ostrich-like approach to prison healt
AFRICA: Nigerian Tests Show Polio Vaccines Do Not Contain Harmful Hormones: Associated Press (11.17.03) - Tuesday, November 18, 2003; Gilbert Da Costa; Nigeria s National Hospital in Abuja said tests showed that polio vaccines used recently in a nationwide vaccination campaign do not contain hormones linked to infertility and sterility, despite persistent fears to the contrary among Nigerian Muslim fundamentalists. Hospital administrators did not say whether the vacci
ILLINOIS: City Budget Panel Adds $500,000 to Fight HIV: Chicago Tribune (11.18.03) - Tuesday, November 18, 2003; Sabrina L. Miller; Efforts to secure greater funding for Chicago HIV/AIDS programs proved successful when the City Council Budget Committee voted Monday to add an additional $500,000 to the $3.7 million that Mayor Richard Daley had included in next year s budget. Daley s budget had increased funding for the programs by $100,000 over the
ILLINOIS: Syphilis Cases Climbing; Lake County Sees Jump: Daily Herald (11.16.03) - Tuesday, November 18, 2003; Tona Kunz; Significant jumps in the number of syphilis cases reported in Chicago-area counties in the first three months of 2003 have put health officials on alert, especially since the sores associated with the disease increase by up to five times the likelihood of contracting HIV and hepatitis. In the Chicago area, it is starti
UNITED STATES: Key Clinical, Ethical, and Policy Issues in the Evaluation of the Safety and Effectiveness of Solid Organ Transplantation in HIV-Infected Patients: Archives of Internal Medicine (08.11.03) Vol. 163; No. 15: P.1773-1778 - Tuesday, November 18, 2003; Michelle E. Roland; Bernard Lo; Jeffrey Braff; Peter G. Stock; HIV patients are at significant risk for end-stage kidney and liver disease, and therefore potential candidates for organ transplantation. Pre-HAART, they were considered poor transplant candidates due to HIV-associated mortality and the possibility that post-transplant immunosuppression might accelerate HIV progressio
ANGOLA: Angola Next on Africa's AIDS Hitlist?: Reuters (11.15.03) - Tuesday, November 18, 2003; Zoe Eisenstein; During its nearly three decades of civil war, large areas of Angola were closed to civilian movement, which health officials believe may have slowed the spread of the HIV/AIDS pandemic ravaging much of the rest of Africa. But an April 2002 peace accord between the government and the UNITA rebel movement has allowed Ang
CANADA: Grim Posters Reveal Haunting Truth of AIDS: Montreal Gazette (11.15.03) - Tuesday, November 18, 2003; Levon Sevunts; An ad campaign by Quebec s Health and Social Services Department, to be placed in alternative newspapers and bar washrooms in major cities, depicts tombstone statues to remind young people that risky sex and drug use can be deadly. The first tombstone statue is a young angelic-looking woman shooting up a drug. The seco
UNITED STATES: Fewer AIDS Babies Being Born in America, but Worldwide Transmissions Remain at Epidemic Levels: Associated Press (11.17.03) - Tuesday, November 18, 2003; Worldwide, about 800,000 infants contract HIV through mother- to-child transmission during pregnancy and labor or after delivery through breast milk, according to World Health Organization estimates. The problem is worst in developing nations, where mothers have limited access to HIV/AIDS treatment. Drugs administered
MISSOURI: St. Louis University Will Test Hepatitis C Vaccine: St. Louis Post-Dispatch (11.17.03) - Tuesday, November 18, 2003; Eli Kintisch; The Center for Vaccine Development at St. Louis University is launching the first US trial of a vaccine that aims to defeat the most common type of hepatitis C, a liver infection whose chronic form affects around 2.7 million Americans. To be done in conjunction with the Emeryville, Calif.-based pharmaceutical firm Chir
WASHINGTON, DC: House-Senate Bargainers Agree to $2.4 Billion for Global AIDS Efforts: Associated Press (11.17.03) - Tuesday, November 18, 2003; Alan Fram; On Monday, House and Senate conferees agreed to provide $2.4 billion this year to fight AIDS, TB and malaria in 14 African and Caribbean nations. The amount agreed to is $400 million more than President Bush proposed. While AIDS advocates attacked Bush s request as inadequate, the administration defended the amount as
CALIFORNIA: Speaker on Africa: Oakland Tribune (11.17.03) - Monday, November 17, 2003; AIDS activists Zackie Achmat and Nonkosi Khumalo of South Africa s Treatment Action Campaign will lecture tonight at Oakland s Laney College on Fighting to Live, issues related to HIV/AIDS, health, trade and debt cancellation. The event will be held from 6-8 p.m., 900 Fallon St.; $10 donation requested. Telephone 510-5
PENNSYLVANIA: Pennsylvania Public Welfare Expands Drug Benefits for HIV Patients: AIDS Weekly (11.10.03) - Monday, November 17, 2003; Pennsylvania Public Welfare Secretary Estelle Richman recently announced the addition of Emtriva (emtricitabine) and Reyataz ( atazanavir sulfate) for the treatment of HIV/AIDS to the Special Pharmaceutical Benefits Program (SPBP). The program now offers 72 different types of drugs and treatmen
KENTUCKY: Jail Offers Free HIV Testing: Associated Press (11.13.03) - Monday, November 17, 2003; Inmates at Henderson County Jail are now being offered HIV testing thanks to the efforts of the local group Matthew 25 AIDS Service. We ve had a really great response, said Gayla Gilbert, a volunteer with the group, which began its program in August. I go in one week and do testing of women and the next week I test the
BRAZIL: Brazil Says It Obtains Record Discount on AIDS Drugs: Associated Press (11.14.03) - Monday, November 17, 2003; Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. s agreement to give Brazil a 76 percent discount on the new AIDS drug Atazanavir represents a breakthrough in the country s relationship with the pharmaceutical industry, its health ministry said Friday. It demonstrates that it is possible to provide health in
SOUTH CAROLINA: Game Shows Life's Hazards of Sex: Georgetown Times (11.12.03) - Monday, November 17, 2003; Jason Lesley; Service Over Self is ready to launch a comprehensive health program in Georgetown County high schools covering reproductive health, family life, pregnancy prevention, STDs and HIV/AIDS. Middle school students will learn about reproductive health, pregnancy prevention and STDs. The school board approved a program by SOS
MISSOURI: Jesse Jackson Brings Anti-AIDS Crusade to City Jail: St. Louis Post-Dispatch (11.17.03) - Monday, November 17, 2003; Ron Harris; On Friday, about 200 inmates of a medium-security St. Louis jail lined up to be tested for HIV along with the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Mayor Francis Slay, Health Department Commissioner Melba Moore, numerous clergy members and various elected officials. Jackson and the other dignitaries were being tested as part of an effor
SWITZERLAND: Use of Injections in Healthcare Settings Worldwide, 2000: Literature Review and Regional Estimates: British Medical Journal (11.08.03) Vol. 327; No. 7423: P. 1075- 1080 - Monday, November 17, 2003; Yvan J.F. Hutin; Anja M. Hauri; Gregory L. Armstrong; Poor injection practices have been reported worldwide, the current study stated. Many injections are unnecessary and unsafe. Of particular concern is the reuse of injection equipment in the absence of sterilization. The combination of injection overuse and unsafe practices results in a major route of transmission for
RUSSIA: Are Former Soviet Nations Plodding Down Wrong Path? Experts Lack Optimism for the Region: AIDS Alert (11.01.03) - Monday, November 17, 2003; Instead of supporting needle exchanges and other harm reduction strategies that have been proven to reduce the spread of HIV, Russia and some neighboring countries are arresting drug users, in some cases apprehending users at needle exchanges sponsored by international organizations, said Kasia Malinowska- Sempruch of
BOTSWANA: Doing Business in Botswana? Job 1: Get an AIDS Policy: Christian Science Monitor (11.12.03) - Monday, November 17, 2003; Abraham McLaughlin; David S. Hauck; Before George Gailey s construction firm could put one shovel into the ground to construct bungalows for mineworkers in a Botswana diamond mine, it had to have in place an HIV/AIDS program for his 168 workers. In a country where more than one- third of the people are believed to be HIV-positive, mine owner Debswana - a
KENYA: African Men Urged to Shun Practices that Expose Women to AIDS: Agence France Presse (11.14.03) - Monday, November 17, 2003; Lillian Omariba; Health experts and political figures from five African nations participated in a Commonwealth workshop last week in Nairobi that addressed men s role in stopping the spread of HIV. The conferees urged African men to reject practices such as polygamy, wife-inheritance and female circumcision, saying that they help sprea
UNITED STATES: Powell Defends US Policy on AIDS: BBC News (11.17.03) - Monday, November 17, 2003; In an interview with the BBC, Secretary of State Colin Powell said the United States is not backtracking on its commitment to spend $15 billion on AIDS over the next five years. He said the United States is making a greater contribution to fighting AIDS than any other country. Powell said AIDS is a national security is
NEW YORK: Assembly Pushes for State Oversight of Prison Health Care: Associated Press (11.14.03) - Monday, November 17, 2003; On Friday, Democratic legislators and prisoner advocates promoted legislation to give the New York Health Department oversight over some aspects of the health care system for its 65,800 state prison inmates, mandating that the department assess the treatment of prisoners with HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C. Corrections Commi
AFRICA: World Bank Targets AIDS Along Abidjan-Lagos Corridor: Reuters (11.13.03) - Friday, November 14, 2003; Lesley Wroughton; The World Bank approved a $16.6 million grant on Thursday for an HIV/AIDS project that will target, for the first time, a busy trade corridor that crosses five African countries from Ivory Coast to Nigeria . The grant will focus on reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS among transport workers, migrants, commercial sex worker
CHINA: China Wins $95 Million Global Fund Grant to Tackle AIDS Crisis: Agence France Presse (11.14.03) - Friday, November 14, 2003; The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has awarded a $95 million grant to China to help the nation control and prevent the spread of HIV and treat patients, according to the China Daily. It is the first grant awarded by the fund to China. The Health Ministry was reported as saying that the money should
LOUISIANA: Caldwell Parish Woman Forms Group to Battle HIV/AIDS: Associated Press (11.08.03) - Friday, November 14, 2003; Tommiea P. Jackson; Monica Johnson became infected with HIV after a blood transfusion in the mid-1980s. Yet she claims she has not been living with the virus for the past 20 years: HIV has been living with me. I m in control, Johnson said. Shunned by many in the small community of Columbia where traditions stand strong, Johnson formed Hel
UNITED STATES: What Did We Learn from AIDS?: New York Times (11.11.03) - Friday, November 14, 2003; Abigail Zuger; Two decades of struggling with HIV/AIDS have taught scientists arcane lessons about the molecules that cause illness and the molecules that can treat it as well as basic truths about the politics, economics, and psychology of health and disease. Before HIV/AIDS, scientists naively assumed that vaccination, sanitation a
SWEDEN: Chlamydia: Outbreaks Can Be Caught in the Net: TB & Outbreaks Week (09.16.03); A study at Umea University in Sweden shows that the Internet and the mail are useful in tracing chlamydia among young men. The study, run by research general practitioner Daniel Novak, his thesis director Roger Karlsson and Monica Jonsson at the Unit for General Medicine, covered all 22-year-old males in Umea, Sweden,
GEORGIA: Teen Pregnancy Clinic Could Stop Handing Out Condoms if State Budget Plans Approved: Macon Telegraph (11.13.03) - Friday, November 14, 2003; Andy Peters; Gray Beverley; A state effort to replace safe sex counseling with an abstinence-only approach could bring changes at a teen health clinic in Bibb County. Last month, the Georgia Department of Human Resources board approved a budget that cuts $4.7 million from adolescent health and development programs. If approved by Gov. Sonny Perdu
ILLINOIS: State Health Chief Defends Record on Black HIV Rates: Chicago Tribune (11.14.03) - Friday, November 14, 2003; Christopher Steiner; Appearing yesterday before a joint hearing of the Illinois House and Senate Appropriations Committees, Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Eric Whitaker said HIV prevention efforts in black communities need to be tailored to the population. What works in East St. Louis might not work on the South or West
LOUISIANA: Surgeon General: Health Literacy a Major Problem in AIDS Epidemic: Associated Press (11.13.03) - Friday, November 14, 2003; Thursday night at a New Orleans symposium on health problems prevalent among minorities and the poor, US Surgeon General Dr. Richard Carmona said a big problem in the AIDS fight is convincing people they are at risk. In many minority and poor communities, people have not truly accepted that they can become infected wit
WASHINGTON, DC: Senators Urge More AIDS Fight Spending: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (11.14.03) - Friday, November 14, 2003; Karen McPherson; Republican Sens. Rick Santorum (Pa.) and Mike DeWine (Ohio) asked a House-Senate conference committee yesterday to provide the higher of two amounts proposed this year for President Bush s five-year $15 billion pledge to fight AIDS overseas. Bush s 2004 budget proposed only $2 billion to fund the initiative, and the Ho
NEW YORK: Report: AIDS Discrimination in US Is Widespread: Reuters (11.13.03) - Friday, November 14, 2003; According to an American Civil Liberties Union survey of 43 community-based AIDS service providers in 11 states, civil rights violations continue to be widespread against people with HIV/AIDS throughout the United States . The survey, released Thursday, said some people are fired, have their rental agreements torn up,
CHINA: AIDS Research Center Opens in Beijing: Xinhua News Agency (11.13.03) - Thursday, November 13, 2003; The Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and the Beijing Union Medical College opened an AIDS research center Tuesday in Beijing. Former President Bill Clinton, on hand for the event, called the center s opening an important step in AIDS prevention, control and research. Gao Quiang, executive vice minister of public hea
AFRICA: Central African Region Adopts AIDS Plan: Agence France Presse (11.13.03) - Thursday, November 13, 2003; According to a communiqu� issued late Wednesday, 11 central African countries have adopted a $3.7 million joint action plan to fight AIDS, which kills more than 400,000 people in the region annually. The two-year program will coordinate national AIDS programs with funds from the Central African Economic and Monetary Un
NEW YORK: Central Harlem-Morningside Heights HIV/AIDS Rates Surge to Highest in NYC: Columbia Spectator (11.05.03) - Thursday, November 13, 2003; Josie Swindler; A report from New York City s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene shows that the combined neighborhoods of Morningside Heights and Central Harlem have the highest HIV rates of 42 neighborhoods surveyed throughout the city s five boroughs. Two percent of those neighborhoods populations have HIV, with infection rates
UNITED STATES: Cost Comparison of Three HIV Counseling and Testing Technologies: American Journal of Preventive Medicine (08.03) Vol. 25; No. 2: P.112-121 - Thursday, November 13, 2003; Donatus U. Ekwueme, PhD; Steven D. Pinkerton, PhD; David R. Holtgrave, PhD; Bernard M. Branson, MD; The current study examines and compares the economic costs of three HIV testing protocols at publicly funded HIV counseling and testing clinics. Of the approximately 2.3 million HIV antibody tests conducted in both 1997 and 1998, an average of 35 percent of HIV-positive clients and 42 percent of HIV- negative patients
SWAZILAND: Illegal Immigrants Replace Workforce Decimated by AIDS: Inter Press Service News Agency (11.10.03) - Thursday, November 13, 2003; James Hall; Recently, Swaziland has been inundated with a flow of mostly illegal immigrants from neighboring Mozambique . Swazi authorities are tolerant toward the influx of undocumented workers, although many Swazis are upset. With AIDS decimating the workforce in Swaziland, and many Swazis reluctant to do menial work, poor Mozam
INDIA: India's AIDS Epidemic Could Grow to African Levels: Activists: Agence France Presse (11.13.03) - Thursday, November 13, 2003; Uttara Choudhury; A study funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, released today, says India could face an AIDS epidemic similar to the one in Africa. The report cited figures from the Indian National AIDS Control Organization, which counted 4.58 million Indians with HIV/AIDS at the end of 2002, compared to 3.97 million in 2001
BOTSWANA: Botswana's Brain Drain Cripples War on AIDS: New York Times (11.13.03) - Thursday, November 13, 2003; Celia W. Dugger; Yesterday at a conference in Washington, Botswana s president, Festus G. Mogae, told delegates that one of his country s biggest obstacles to rapidly expanding HIV/AIDS treatment is a dearth of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health workers. He said nonprofit groups, foreign governments and international organiz
CONGO: Cycle of War Is Spreading AIDS and Fear in Africa: Washington Post (11.13.03) - Thursday, November 13, 2003; Emily Wax; Africa s cycle of war is spreading HIV. In Congo, about 5 percent of the population was infected before the recent war. Now, in the eastern parts of the country that have suffered the most during fighting, 20 percent of the population is estimated to be HIV-infected, according to the UN AIDS program in Kinshasa and the
ALABAMA: Bisexuality, Abuse, Drugs Behind AIDS Spread Among South's Rural Blacks, Researcher Says: Associated Press (11.09.03) - Thursday, November 13, 2003; Jay Reeves; Bisexuality, abuse of women and drugs and an environment of oppressive need are among factors underlying the faster rate of contracting HIV among rural Southern blacks compared with whites, according to research based on hundreds of clinical interviews conducted over a decade by a University of Alabama scientist. Pover
CALIFORNIA: Experimental AIDS Vaccine Fails Major Test in Thailand: Associated Press (11.12.03) - Thursday, November 13, 2003; Paul Elias; The Brisbane, Calif.-based based biotechnology company VaxGen announced Wednesday that a trial of its AIDS vaccine in 2,546 participants in Thailand had failed. The poor results were widely anticipated after the company announced in February that a much larger trial of its vaccine had failed in North America.
TENNESSEE: Magic Johnson to Speak Here About HIV/AIDS: Commercial Appeal (11.11.03) - Wednesday, November 12, 2003; James Dowd; Former NBA superstar Magic Johnson will be the featured speaker at a Nov. 18 HIV/AIDS screening and health fair in Memphis. Organizers hope the event at the Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church, located at 70 N. Bellevue in Midtown, will attract people who may be HIV-infected but have put off being tested. The fair w
UGANDA: Uganda to Conduct Door to Door HIV Testing: Xinhua News Agency (11.10.03) - Wednesday, November 12, 2003; To gain a more accurate picture of how many Ugandans are living with HIV, the government plans to conduct door-to-door HIV testing. Joseph Musinguzi, a senior medical officer in the country s AIDS Control Program, was quoted Monday by the government newspaper New Vision as saying that within a few months, health teams
SIBERIA: Siberian Region Is First Stop in TB Effort Using Lilly Drugs: Indianapolis Star (11.12.03) - Wednesday, November 12, 2003; Jeff Swiatek; Eli Lilly and Co. said Tuesday that it will donate drugs and that its corporate foundation will pay $1 million to support a program in Tomsk, Siberia, to stamp out multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Using 30 trained Russians and experts from Harvard University, the effort s results will be tracked closely and studied
SOUTH AFRICA: South Africa Set to Boost AIDS Spending: Reuters (11.12.03) - Wednesday, November 12, 2003; Gordon Bell; Today in Cape Town, South African Finance Minister Trevor Manuel said the government will nearly quadruple its HIV/AIDS spending to more than $1.7 billion over the next three years, with $270 million earmarked for the roll-out of a national antiretroviral treatment program. Treasury officials said the allocation for th
PENNSYLVANIA: National Grant to Fund Penn State HIV Education Efforts: Centre Daily Times (11.10.03) - Wednesday, November 12, 2003; Gwenn Miller; A $7,200 grant from the National Association for Student Affairs Administrators was awarded to Penn State to help students educate their peers on HIV risk reduction. Health officials say college students overlook or fail to understand their risk for contracting HIV/AIDS. Penn State was one of six universities to receiv
FLORIDA: HIV-Positive Receive Free Legal Advice from AIDS Project Florida: South Florica Sun-Sentinel (11.07.03) - Wednesday, November 12, 2003; Gregg Lasky; A new AIDS Project Florida (APFL) program offers free legal advice to people with HIV. The brainchild of attorney Norman Kent, a civil rights attorney, activist, and publisher of the Express Gay News, the program provides an answer for lawyer friends and colleagues who ask how they can help. People living with HIV ofte
OHIO: Priest's TB Death Leaves Questions: Plain Dealer (11.09.03) - Wednesday, November 12, 2003; Regina McEnery; Three months ago, the Rev. Norbert Oloya Atinmedi, a 36- year- old priest from Uganda , arrived in Cleveland for a three- year stay. Atinmedi, a member of the Apostles of Jesus, was assigned to St. Michael Hospital as chaplain. But by Oct. 24, he had died of respiratory failure due to multiple organ failure, AIDS and t
ILLINOIS: Mayor to Boost Anti-AIDS Funding, Aide Says: Chicago Sun-Times (11.11.03) - Wednesday, November 12, 2003; Fran Spielman; Just two weeks after Mayor Richard Daley insisted he could not go beyond the $100,000 AIDS funding increase he had already proposed, Budget Director Bill Abolt promised to do just that in the second round of amendments to the 2004 budget. Abolt did not say where the money would come from or how much the increase would
UNITED STATES: Heart Disease Risk: Cocaine Use Increases Heart Disease Risk in HIV Patients: AIDS Weekly (09.15.03) - Wednesday, November 12, 2003; A recent study showed that cocaine use increases the risk of heart disease in HIV patients. Cardiac dysfunction in AIDS is an important problem, while cocaine is an epidemic associated with sudden death, cardiac dysfunction, and congestive heart failure, US scientists explained. Cocaine use and HIV frequently coexist i
DENMARK: HIV Inhibitor: Boosted Saquinavir Shows Significant Safety Benefit over Boosted Crixivan: AIDS Weekly (10.20.03) - Wednesday, November 12, 2003; Recent study results show that boosted saquinavir (saquinavir 1000 mg with ritonavir 100 mg) reduced HIV to undetectable levels in significantly more patients than boosted Crixivan (indinavir 800 mg with ritonavir 100 mg) at 48 weeks, as a result of a higher discontinuation rate in the indinavir arm of the study due to
BOTSWANA: Reluctance to Face Tests Slows Botswana AIDS Fight: Boston Globe (11.08.03) - Wednesday, November 12, 2003; John Donnelly; Experts long assumed if the money was available and countries in Africa built solid treatment programs offering free drugs, people would access them. Not so in Botswana , which offers free antiretrovirals, puts up $30 million annually for AIDS programs, and has attracted help from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundatio
NEW YORK: Pfizer Makes Aid Pledge, Breaks Aid Pact: Wall Street Journal (11.12.03) - Wednesday, November 12, 2003; Scott Hensley; Yesterday, Pfizer retreated from a novel licensing deal for its Rescriptor that would have brought an inexpensive version of the HIV medicine to poor countries. Under the failed agreement, Pfizer would have licensed patents to the Concept Foundation, a nonprofit aid organization in
CALIFORNIA: AIDS Emergency Fund Hosts Dining Out Event: Bay Area Reporter (11.06.03) - Tuesday, November 11, 2003; Matthew S. Bajko; On Nov. 12, the AIDS Emergency Fund, which provides emergency financial assistance to San Franciscans with HIV/AIDS, is asking supporters to dine at one of 28 Noe Valley and Castro restaurants that will donate 25 percent of the evening s food and drink sales to the AIDS and Breast Cancer Emergency Funds. AEF hopes the
TEXAS: Texas to Start HIV Testing for Boxing and Combative Sports: Associated Press (11.10.03) - Tuesday, November 11, 2003; Beginning Jan. 1, 2004, in Texas, boxers and other combative sports participants will have to pass blood tests for HIV and hepatitis before taking part in any event. The Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation will appoint a medical advisory board for combative sports to recommend additional safety standards for f
AFRICA: Africans Are Dying of AIDS Without Pain Relief: British Medical Journal (11.08.03) Vol. 327; No. 7423: P. 1069 - Tuesday, November 11, 2003; Daloni Carlisle; Millions of Africans are dying of AIDS without any pain relief, despite oral morphine being one of the cheapest drugs in the world, a recent conference organized by Help the Hospices and the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fund was told. The conference, held in London, heard how legal obstacles make morphine difficult
RUSSIA: Letters to the Editor: AID and Russian Prostitutes: Washington Times (11.11.03) - Tuesday, November 11, 2003; Kent R. Hill; An Oct. 31 article, AIDS programs anger Muscovites (Nation) [summarized in PNU on Oct. 31], reports claims that US Agency for International Development-funded AIDS prevention programs in Russia promote legalized prostitution and encourage Russian girls to choose prostitution as a career. The assertions in the article
FLORIDA: Three-Year Syphilis Outbreak Brings New Clinic to Wilton Manors: South Florida Sun-Sentinel (11.07.03) - Tuesday, November 11, 2003; Bob LaMendola; In response to a three-year increase in syphilis cases, the Broward County Health Department is opening a new STD clinic in Wilton Manors. The syphilis outbreak is occurring mainly among gay men and others engaging in unprotected sex and is especially affecting the gay communities in Wilton Manors and Miami Beach, heal
ALABAMA: Integrating Behavioral Theory to Understand Hepatitis B Vaccination Among Men Who Have Sex with Men: American Journal of Health Behavior (07.-08.03) Vol. 27; No. 4; P. 291-300 - Tuesday, November 11, 2003; Scott D. Rhodes, PhD, MPH, CHES; Diane M. Grimley, PhD; Kenneth C. Hergenrather, PhD, MRC, MSEd; Annually, 6,000 deaths occur from complications of HBV infection, according to the current study, even though the disease is preventable and a vaccine has been licensed in the United States for 20 years. Although CDC recommends HBV vaccination for all men who have sex with men, US epidemiologic data and results from co
SOUTH AFRICA: HIV/AIDS Rate Increasing Among Western Cape Pupils: Cape Times (11.03.03) - Tuesday, November 11, 2003; Nazma Dreyer; HIV-infection rates among high school students in the Western Cape are rising steadily, said Education Minister Andr� Gaum. Department statistics show a marked increase of HIV/AIDS infections from 4.9 percent to 6.1 percent among youths under age 20 from 2000-2001. Statistics for 2002-2003 are not yet available. In res
CHINA: Rights Group Lauds China's AIDS Funding for Poor, Warns of Continuing Abuses: Associated Press (11.11.03) - Tuesday, November 11, 2003; In a statement issued Tuesday from its New York offices, Human Rights Watch praised China s efforts to bring medicines to its poorest AIDS patients but warned that crackdowns and discrimination could undermine the plan. Providing antiretroviral drugs to poor people is a great step forward. But draconian crackdowns agai
CHINA: Some Chinese with AIDS Abandon Free 'Cocktail': Washington Post (11.11.03) - Tuesday, November 11, 2003; Philip P. Pan; More than 1,040 of the 5,289 patients receiving free AIDS drugs in China abandoned the pill combinations in the first seven months of the program, Zhang Fujie, director of treatment for China s AIDS control center, disclosed Monday during an international AIDS conference at Qinghua University. Without a network of trai
CHINA: Clinton Urges US, China to Overcome Trade Row: Associated Press (11.11.03) - Tuesday, November 11, 2003; Stephanie Hoo; Today in Beijing, former President Bill Clinton called on China and the United States to overcome their differences on trade, saying the two powers must learn to cooperate to conquer common threats like AIDS, terrorism and global warming. Rather than have a big public trade fight, we need to have a private careful anal
VERMONT: STDs Are Up in Vermont, Health Department Says: Rutland Herald (11.07.03) - Tuesday, November 11, 2003; Darren M. Allen; Last year, Vermont saw a nearly 50 percent jump in chlamydia cases and an almost 30 percent spike in gonorrhea, according to the state health department. Some of the rise could be attributed to more accurate testing and diagnosis, said Marilyn Richards, STD coordinator. There were 954 chlamydia cases in Vermont in 2002
KENTUCKY: Kentucky AIDS Fund Strained: Louisville Courier-Journal (11.09.03) - Tuesday, November 11, 2003; Deborah Yetter; With flat funding and increasing client demand, Kentucky s AIDS Drug Assistance Program does not have enough money to treat about 140 residents currently on its waiting list. The demand for services just exceeds the supply of funds, said Lisa Daniel, who oversees the program for the Health Services Cabinet. As the numb
CALIFORNIA: Event to Focus on Liver Ailment: San Jose Mercury News (11.08.03) - Monday, November 10, 2003; Nicole C. Wong; Over the weekend, the Youth Leadership Conference on Asian & Pacific Islander Health at Stanford University drew 105 students from 33 high schools throughout California to discuss hepatitis B. The idea was for students to go back to their communities and spread the word about HBV, which disproportionately affects A
GUYANA: Activists Ask Caribbean Governments to Punish People Who Knowingly Infect Partners with HIV: Associated Press (11.07.03) - Monday, November 10, 2003; On Friday at the start of a five-day workshop in Georgetown, Guyana , activists called on Caribbean governments to pass legislation that would make it a crime for people to knowingly transmit HIV. While the Caribbean has the world s second highest number of people infected with HIV, there have been no known cases where
NAMIBIA: Brazil's President Pledges to Share HIV Drugs Technology with Namibia: Associated Press (11.07.03) - Monday, November 10, 2003; After earlier in the week announcing that his nation will build a $23 million factory to make HIV drugs in Mozambique , Brazilian President Luiz Inacio da Silva pledged on Friday to help Namibia produce the drugs as well. Brazil has a robust drug manufacturing industry: For years, it has made generic versions of HIV me
CALIFORNIA: Youth at Higher Risk for HIV Today: Alameda Times-Star (11.02.03) - Monday, November 10, 2003; Rebecca Vesely; At Tri-City Health in Fremont, Calif., 20-year-olds sit in a room furnished with worn couches, fuzzy pillows and hot-pink rugs organizing baskets full of condoms and bright flyers that say The Lowdown 4 the Getdown. They are trying to get other youth educated about safe sex and HIV, which is a tough battle because anyo
MASSACHUSETTS: Nate Longtin, 24, Is Warning Other Gay Young Men About the Dangers of Unsafe Sex and HIV: Boston Globe (11.04.03) - Monday, November 10, 2003; Bella English; Despite twenty years of warnings about unsafe sex, gay men ages 18-24 do not seem to be getting the message. Now that the drug cocktail can keep opportunistic infections and AIDS at bay for years, a new generation of gay men seems to be getting the message that HIV is just another STD like syphilis - treatable, not lif
HAITI: The Feasibility, Demand, and Effect of Integrating Primary Care Services with HIV Voluntary Counseling and Testing: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (08.01.03) Vol. 33: P.470-475 - Monday, November 10, 2003; Robert Peck; Daniel W. Fitzgerald; Bernard Liautaud; Marie Marcelle Deschamps; Rose Irene Verdier; Marie Eugene Beaulieu; Reynold GrandPierre; Patrice Joseph; Patrice Severe; Francine Noel; Peter Wright; Warren D. Johnson Jr.; Jean William Pape; The researchers hypothesized that HIV voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) and primary care services have synergistic benefits, and that integrating the two could be an effective strategy against HIV transmission in developing countries. We hypothesize that primary care services and HIV VCT are synergistic; the on-si
CHINA: Clinton, in China: World Must Collaborate to Fight Diseases Like SARS, AIDS: Associated Press (11.10.03) - Monday, November 10, 2003; Stephanie Hoo; Former President Bill Clinton praised the Chinese government today for its decision to help 5,000 poor AIDS patients receive treatment through next year, and he said the SARS epidemic demonstrated how countries and companies must collaborate to fight disease. We cannot escape each other s fate, he told a symposium conv
UNITED STATES: Blood Banks Pass Up Test that Might Have Prevented Thousands of Infections: Associated Press (11.10.03) - Monday, November 10, 2003; US blood banks in the early 1980s failed to use a screening test for hepatitis C that could have prevented thousands of infections, the Kansas City Star reported. The Star used data from studies at the time and estimated that if screening that detected an enzyme indicating liver damage had been implemented, more than 3
UNITED STATES: Federal Government Fails to Warn Public About Hepatitis C: Associated Press (11.09.03) - Monday, November 10, 2003; On Sunday, the Kansas City Star reported that nearly every public education campaign about hepatitis C, a virus that infects millions and kills thousands every year, has sputtered, with the government often citing lack of funds as the reason. In addition, the government did not follow through on a plan to notify tens o
MAINE: HIV Surges Among Gays: Portland Press Herald (11.09.03) - Monday, November 10, 2003; Josie Huang; After years of relatively stable levels of HIV infection in Maine, a growing number of gay and bisexual men are contracting the disease. State data show gay and bisexual men in Maine comprise about 71 percent of 41 cases recorded so far this year, up from 38 percent of 51 cases in 2000. What we could be seeing is a res
WASHINGTON, DC: Panel Says Keep AIDS Funding Method Same: Associated Press (11.07.03) - Monday, November 10, 2003; On Friday, a panel of the Institute of Medicine recommended that the method used to allocate $1.3 billion in AIDS funds between states and municipalities remain unchanged for now. The federal money is now allocated based on the estimated number of persons with AIDS in each state or community. Congress has suggested a b
FLORIDA: Health Summit Readies in Florida: Southern Voice (Atlanta) (11.07.03) - Friday, November 07, 2003; Van Gower; A wide range of health issues - including HIV, STDs, nutrition, substance abuse and spiritual and mental wellness - will be on the agenda during the annual Southeast Regional Gay Men s Health Summit next week in Sandestin, Fla. About 150 people are expected to attend and take part in more than 40 workshops. The event r
CANADA: HIV, Hepatitis Testing Could Take Months: Times Journal (11.05.03) - Friday, November 07, 2003; Canadian Press; It could take up to six months to determine the health of 146 patients who received throat or colon examinations with cleaned but unsterilized equipment last week at Lakeridge Hospital in Oshawa near Toronto, a hospital official said Tuesday. However, Dr. Michael Silverman, an infectious disease specialist, said after
MOZAMBIQUE: Children Dropping Out of School Because of AIDS, Officials Warn: Associated Press (11.06.03) - Friday, November 07, 2003; Emmanuel Camillo; Up to 1 million children have dropped out of school in Mozambique , a government official said Thursday. Higidio Marrule, of the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry, said children are left to fend for themselves after losing one or both parents to AIDS. Many end up on the streets, he told an international AIDS c
SWITZERLAND: UN to Seek $9 Billion to Fight AIDS in Third World: Reuters (11.07.03) - Friday, November 07, 2003; The World Health Organization s initiative to ensure 3 million people in poor countries receive HIV drugs by 2005 will require up to $9 billion, Paulo Roberto Teixeira, WHO s AIDS program head, said at a news conference Thursday. We are already late, said Teixeira, hailed as the mastermind of Brazil s campaign against
OREGON: County to Halve the Number of Condom-Use TV Spots: Mail Tribune (11.06.03) - Friday, November 07, 2003; Jonel Aleccia; Southern Oregon TV stations will continue airing only one of two controversial ads aimed at encouraging teenagers to use condoms. The other ad, which features two teens in the throes of passion, will not resume, said Jackson County Health and Human Services Director Hank Collins. Jackson said the move was not a respons
NEW YORK: Town Hall Forum Responds to Unsafe Sex: Gay City News (10.30.03) - Friday, November 07, 2003; Duncan Osborne; In response to the increase in unsafe sex, a panel discussion including playwright and actor Harvey Fierstein will take place at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center in New York City on Thursday, Nov. 16. Fierstein was enlisted for the forum after he published The Culture of Disease, a New York T
WISCONSIN: Programs Aim to Help Minority Men Avoid HIV: Capital Times (11.04.03) - Friday, November 07, 2003; Pat Schneider; New programs in Madison are trying to reach minority men who have sex with men (MSM) and, in some cases, have sexual relationships with women too. The Men of Color Access programs hope to bring HIV/AIDS prevention education to men in communities where safe sex messages have run into resistance based on cultural ideas o
CANADA: Validation of a Self-Reported Questionnaire Assessing Adherence to Antiretroviral Medication: AIDS Patient Care and STDs (07.03) Vol. 17; No. 7: P.325-332 - Friday, November 07, 2003; Gaston Godin, PhD; Camille Gagn�, PhD; Hermin� Naccache, MSc; The current study aimed to test the validity of a new, brief questionnaire assessing nonadherence to antiretroviral medications. The study recruited 256 participants in four HIV/AIDS clinics, three in Montreal and one in Quebec City. Subjects had to be at least 18, to have known their HIV status for at least six months
CHINA: China's AIDS Epidemic Reaching 'Frightening' Levels, Renowned Expert Says: Associated Press (11.07.03) - Friday, November 07, 2003; Stephanie Hoo; The number of AIDS patients in China is approaching frightening levels, according to Dr. David Ho, executive director of the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center in New York. There are about a million individuals in China who are already infected, he said today in China. There are some concerns about what the epidemic wi
CANADA: Canada Seeks to Block Reimport of Cheap AIDS Drugs: Reuters (11.06.03) - Friday, November 07, 2003; Randall Palmer; On Thursday, Canada unveiled legislation that would enable expensive AIDS drugs to be sold at low cost in Africa and Asia. The legislation makes Canada the first country taking concrete measures to implement a World Trade Organization agreement to provide cheap drugs to developing countries for AIDS, tuberculosis, mala
NEW YORK: AIDS Prevention: Studies to Look at Role of Alcohol in HIV Risk in Heterosexual Women: Women's Health Weekly (10.16.03) - Friday, November 07, 2003; Researchers at the University at Buffalo s Research Institute on Addictions (RIA) have been awarded two grants totaling $3.1 million by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Maria Testa, PhD, received a $1.9 million grant to study how to reduce binge drinking, incidents of indiscriminate sex, sexual a
INDIANA: Survey Finds Support for Showing Students How to Use Condoms: Associated Press (11.07.03) - Friday, November 07, 2003; Most Indiana residents surveyed believed public high schools should teach teens how to use condoms properly to prevent HIV/AIDS, but they oppose distributing free condoms in school, according to research presented Thursday by Indiana University professor William L. Yarber at the meeting of the Society for Scientific St
KENTUCKY: Lafayette Students to Get TB Tests: Lexington Herald Leader (11.06.03) - Thursday, November 06, 2003; Lisa Deffendall; About 150 Lafayette High School students will be tested for tuberculosis after a 16-year-old classmate began treatment Friday for suspected TB, Fayette school and health officials said Tuesday. The school system was notified late Tuesday afternoon, and letters were sent home to all families at the school. Students susp
MICHIGAN: Thumb Schools Report 34 Tuberculosis Infections: Associated Press (11.04.03) - Thursday, November 06, 2003; Thirty children and four teachers in Michigan s Thumb region have tested positive for tuberculosis. A positive TB skin test means you ve acquired the germ in your body, but it does not necessarily mean you have the active disease, said Gretchen M. Tenbusch, health officer for the Tuscola and Huron county health departm
MOZAMBIQUE: Business Needs to Do its Part in the Fight Against AIDS: Associated Press (11.05.03) - Thursday, November 06, 2003; Emmanuel Ntave; Some Mozambican businesses are still victimizing people with HIV, activists said Wednesday at the close of an AIDS conference in Maputo designed to encourage partnerships between government and the private sector. There are still companies in Mozambique that fire people with AIDS because they are scared they will infec
VERMONT: Vermont's 'Operation Hairspray' Enlists Hairdressers to Spread Health Information: Barre Montpelier Times Argus (11.04.03) - Thursday, November 06, 2003; Peter Crabtree; A dozen Bennington County social service workers, health care providers and hairstylists gathered Monday for an Operation Hairspray workshop at the West Mountain Inn in Arlington, invited by the Vermont Department of Health. The goal of the meeting was to discuss the health resources available to local women and ways o
OHIO: Attitudes Worry AIDS Activist: Akron Beacon Journal (11.03.03) - Thursday, November 06, 2003; Tracy Wheeler; At least twice weekly, Jim Chillemi circulates among Akron s dozen or so gay bars, undertaking interventions for men at risk for HIV/AIDS. He does not find that men are unaware of the risk; rather, some people don t want to hear about it anymore. The thing we re getting is that young, gay men who are [HIV- positive], o
UNITED STATES: Prevalence of Chronic Hepatitis B and Incidence of Acute Hepatitis B Infection in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Subjects: Journal of Infectious Diseases (08.15.03) Vol. 188; No. 4:P.571- 577 - Thursday, November 06, 2003; Scott E. Kellerman; Debra L. Hanson; A.D. McNaghten; Patricia L. Fleming; The current study determined incidence and risk factors for acute and chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and vaccination rates among HIV-infected subjects from the Adult/Adolescent Spectrum of HIV Disease Project during 1998- 2001. ASD is a longitudinal, medical-record-review study conducted by CDC in collaborat
MYANMAR: UN Human Rights Envoy Impressed with Junta's Anti- AIDS Efforts: Associated Press (11.06.03) - Thursday, November 06, 2003; Aye Aye Win; A visiting UN human rights envoy critical of Myanmar s junta for jailing political activists had a rare word of praise for its efforts to fight HIV/AIDS. I was very impressed to see the commitment of the government in addressing the issue of HIV/AIDS, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro said late Wednesday. He also said he was impre
CHINA: China Health Minister Official Puts HIV/AIDS Patients at 840,000: Agence France Presse (11.06.03) - Thursday, November 06, 2003; China s Executive Minister of Health Gao Giang announced Thursday that the nation has 840,000 HIV/AIDS patients, and that around 150,000 patients have died of the disease since 1985, according to the state China News Service. The infections, Gao said, were mostly contracted through unsanitary blood transfusions in the
MOZAMBIQUE: Brazil's Lula Vows to Help Mozambique AIDS Fight: Reuters (11.05.03) - Thursday, November 06, 2003; Marta Odallah; On Wednesday in Maputo, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva vowed to help Mozambique fight its AIDS epidemic by beginning production of antiretrovirals there. At a joint press conference with Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano, Lula said, We intend to produce antiretroviral drugs here in Mozambique in the
MICHIGAN: Hidden Cases in Michigan Lead to New Worries About Hepatitis: Detroit News (11.03.03) - Thursday, November 06, 2003; Shawn D. Lewis; The number of reported hepatitis C virus cases in Michigan has risen from 2,385 in 2001 to 4,500 cases currently because those who contracted it 10 to 30 years ago are just now discovering they have the virus. But there are thousands more cases in the state that are undiagnosed and unreported. The new cases have actual
MAINE: State Broadens Its TB Search: Portland Press Herald (11.06.03) - Thursday, November 06, 2003; Josie Huang; The fight against a tuberculosis outbreak among homeless people in Portland has spread beyond city limits. Public health workers are searching the state for people who had close, extended contact with six men diagnosed with active TB between August 2002 and Spring 2003. The state has lent staff to the city, and CDC con
SOUTH AFRICA: Ministers Stay Away from AIDS Body's Launch: allAfrica.com (11.04.03) - Wednesday, November 05, 2003; Business Day; Just two of the 10 cabinet ministers nominated to serve on the newly reconstituted South African National AIDS Council attended last weekend s inaugural council meeting, surprising some who expected more symbolic support from the cabinet s senior members. Deputy President Jacob Zuma, who is the chair, and Education Min
OHIO: 20 New TB Cases Routine, School Safe, Officials Say: Plain Dealer (11.05.03) - Wednesday, November 05, 2003; Amanda Garrett; Cuyahoga County health officials said Tuesday that 11 of 142 adults and nine of 471 students tested positive for tuberculosis at Marion-Sterling Elementary School in Cleveland, but that the building is safe and that children should be in school. Of those testing positive, four had been previously diagnosed with TB, whi
WISCONSIN: Students, Faculty Offered TB Tests: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (11.04.03) - Wednesday, November 05, 2003; Scott Williams; Students and faculty at Waukesha County Technical College are being offered free TB tests following the news that a female student was diagnosed with the disease. The student is recuperating at home and doing well. Health officials said there is no reason to believe anyone has been infected through casual contact with
ILLINOIS: Aldermen Lobby for AIDS Funding: Chicago Tribune (11.04.03) - Wednesday, November 05, 2003; Jimmy Greenfield; A majority of Chicago aldermen are prepared to back a proposed amendment that would add an additional $1 million to the $3.7 million already earmarked in the 2004 city budget for AIDS prevention and care. On Wednesday, Ald. Thomas Tunney (44th) plans to introduce the amendment at the Chicago City Council meeting with t
TEXAS: Many Teen Girls Date More Than One Person at a Time: Reuters Health (10.22.03) - Wednesday, November 05, 2003; Alison McCook; About half of teenage girls have been in a non-exclusive relationship, in which they and their partners could date other people, according to a survey of 12- to 15-year-old girls. And while having more partners can increase the risk of sexually transmitted diseases, less than half of the girls who date more than one pe
AUSTRALIA: Calls to Rethink Position on Male Circumcision: Australian Associated Press (11.03.03) - Wednesday, November 05, 2003; Judy Skatssoon; On Monday, at the Fertility Society of Australia s Annual Scientific Meeting in Perth, experts were told the nation needs to rethink its opposition to male circumcision amid growing evidence the practice offers significant health benefits for men and women. Professor Roger Short of Melbourne University said Australia h
MOZAMBIQUE: Mozambique Struggling to Feed Growing Number of AIDS Orphans: Associated Press (11.05.03) - Wednesday, November 05, 2003; Elliott Sylvester; The plight of AIDS orphans has been a theme at two separate AIDS conferences underway this week in Mozambique . One meeting, organized by Metropolitan, a South African financial services company, seeks to encourage public-private sector partnerships. The other is considering ways to mitigate HIV s effects on regional f
SOUTH AFRICA: Irish Priest First Person in South Africa to Participate in Human Trials of HIV Vaccine: Associated Press (11.04.03) - Wednesday, November 05, 2003; John Henry Boudreaux; On Tuesday, cameras flashed and film rolled as Kieran Creagh, the first person to participate in a human HIV vaccine trial in South Africa , rolled up his sleeve to show the injection site. Creagh, a 41-year-old Irish priest from Belfast, Northern Ireland , and medical
NORWAY: Former President Clinton Seeks Support for AIDS Measures from Norway: Associated Press (11.04.03) - Wednesday, November 05, 2003; Doug Mellgren; On Tuesday, former President Bill Clinton, speaking in Oslo, said terrorism and HIV/AIDS are both threats to world stability and must be stopped. Clinton said if AIDS cases rise from 40 million to 100 million worldwide in the next decade, as projected, the epidemic could cause massive political instability and the coll
CALIFORNIA: Law Aims to Boost Anti-HIV Medicine: Sacramento Bee (11.02.03) - Wednesday, November 05, 2003; Jim Sanders; California Gov. Gray Davis recently signed into law AB 879, a measure potentially bringing post-exposure prophylaxis to people who have HIV risk for non-occupational reasons. PEP typically involves the same types of drugs that are prescribed for HIV/AIDS patients, but with the goal of preventing infection after HIV exp
SOUTH DAKOTA: South Dakota Sees New Cases of Syphilis: Associated Press (11.04.03) - Wednesday, November 05, 2003; After a 10-year lull, South Dakota is seeing a rise in new syphilis cases. Since June, five cases have been reported in the southeastern portion of the state. Previously, the state had just three cases in the last five years. The state Department of Health is trying to contain the disease by monitoring syphilis patient
CALIFORNIA: Providers Host Youth HIV Symposium: Bay Area Reporter (10.23.03) - Tuesday, November 04, 2003; Matthew S. Bajko; Bay Area HIV prevention service providers are holding a free symposium for youths and youth service providers Nov. 7 to address special issues placing youths at risk for HIV infection. Symposium concerns will include prevention for positives, youths of color, and substance abuse. The Q Action program of Stop AIDS Proje
GEORGIA: CDC HIV Prevention Forum, Nov. 13, 1-3 p.m., EST: AIDS Policy and Law (10.10.03) - Tuesday, November 04, 2003; CDC s Public Health Training Network will broadcast a two- hour forum, Incorporating HIV Prevention into the Medical Care of Persons Living with HIV, on Nov. 13, 1-3 p.m. The live satellite broadcast and Webcast will examine the rationale for providing HIV prevention in medical care settings as well as the role of phys
ZAMBIA: Use of Dried Whole Blood Spots to Measure CD4+ Lymphocyte Counts in HIV-1 Infected Patients: Lancet (11.01.03) Vol. 362; No. 9394: P. 1459-1460 - Tuesday, November 04, 2003; Peter Mwaba; Sharon Cassol; Rick Pilon; Chifumbe Chintu; Michelle Janes; Andrew Nunn; Alimuddin Zumla; As antiretroviral drugs become widely available in developing countries, it is crucial to develop practical, field- friendly, inexpensive methods to measure CD4+ lymphocyte counts. Flow cytometry, the current gold standard measurement, is too expensive for use in poverty-stricken rural areas because it requires sophist
POLAND: Conference Warns of Rising AIDS Deaths in Eastern Europe: Agence France Presse (10.29.03) - Tuesday, November 04, 2003; Beatrice Khadige; An international AIDS conference in Warsaw rang alarm bells on Oct. 29 when it warned of a spiraling number of AIDS deaths in Eastern Europe unless people there receive the same treatment as HIV/AIDS patients in the West. In a statement given at the end of the five-day gathering, the European AIDS Clinical Society said
UNITED KINGDOM: Advice Clinics 'Increase Sexual Diseases': Sunday Herald (11.02.03) - Tuesday, November 04, 2003; Sarah-Kate Templeton; According to a new study of 99 health authorities in England, STDs actually rise in areas where contraception and sex advice are widely available. The introduction of the research coincides with the launch of Scotland s sexual health strategy, which is expected to recommend opening family planning clinics either in or
SOUTH AFRICA: AIDS Threatens Group Life Funds: Business Day (10.23.03) - Tuesday, November 04, 2003; Andrew Gillingham; Rising HIV/AIDS-related claims are threatening the long-term survival of group life and disability funds in South Africa , leading inevitably to increased premiums, reduced benefits or both. Amid such concerns, many corporations need to be congratulated on their attempts to manage HIV and AIDS in the workplace, and the
MOZAMBIQUE: Mozambique Hosts Two AIDS Conferences to Combat Rampant Infections: Associated Press (11.03.03) - Tuesday, November 04, 2003; Emmanuel Ntave; Mozambique s Health Minister, Francisco Songane, said Monday that AIDS is ravaging the country s agricultural sector with disastrous consequences to the food supply. He addressed delegates at the start of a three-day regional conference on the pandemic, held in Maputo. Although harvests in southern Africa have largely
SOUTH AFRICA: First Human Clinical Trial of HIV Vaccine in South Africa Begins: Associated Press (11.03.03) - Tuesday, November 04, 2003; Alexandra Zavis; Human clinical safety trials of a potential HIV vaccine will begin this week in South Africa , researchers announced Monday. The tests are the first in a series planned by the South African AIDS Vaccine Initiative, which was founded by the government three years ago. An HIV vaccine is our best hope of eradicating HIV f
MASSACHUSETTS: State AIDS Bureau Faces New Challenge as Director Departs: Boston Herald (11.01.03) - Tuesday, November 04, 2003; Michael Lasalandra; Jean McGuire, who left her position as director of the state s AIDS bureau on Oct. 31, said the face of the epidemic has changed over the five years of her tenure. Drug resistance has become more of a problem, she said, so managing the illness with antiretroviral cocktails is trickier. Another complication is that many
KENTUCKY: New Study Raises Questions About Abstinence Pledges: News-Sentinel (Fort Wayne, Ind.) (11.03.03) - Tuesday, November 04, 2003; Mary Meehan; Commitments signed by teenagers pledging that they will not have sex before marriage might be less than effective, according to a recent Northern Kentucky University survey of nearly 600 teens - more than half of whom said a person should still be considered abstinent after engaging in oral sex. The survey revealed tha
DELAWARE: Health Care Worker Has Tuberculosis: News-Journal (11.03.03) - Monday, November 03, 2003; Mike Chalmers; Delaware public health officials are monitoring a trainee at two Brandywine Hundred assisted-living facilities who has tested positive for tuberculosis. The employee, whose identity was not released, worked at Shipley Manor on Shipley Road and Foulk Manor South on Foulk Road, said Heidi Truschel-Light, spokesperson for
NORWAY: Bill Clinton to Visit Norway, Discuss Global Efforts to Fight HIV/AIDS: Associated Press (10.31.03) - Monday, November 03, 2003; Former President Bill Clinton is scheduled to visit Oslo, Norway , Tuesday and meet with leaders about efforts to combat HIV/AIDS, the prime minister s office said Friday. While there, Clinton is to meet Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik. On Wednesday, Clinton will meet Development Aid Minister Hilde Frafjord Johnson
JAPAN: Fifty Thai Prostitutes Dying of AIDS Every Year in Japan: Report: Agence France Presse (11.02.03) - Monday, November 03, 2003; According to a report in the Nation newspaper on Sunday, Kasit Pirom, Thailand s ambassador to Japan , said that more than 50 Thai women forced into prostitution in Japan die there each year from AIDS. So far this year, the embassy in Japan has sent back to Thailand the ashes of 50 Thai women, Kasit said. Every month,
SOUTH AFRICA: German Foreign Minister Meets with South African AIDS Activists: Associated Press (11.01.03) - Monday, November 03, 2003; Elliott Sylvester; On Saturday in Cape Town, German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer met with AIDS activists to discuss generic drugs and funding to combat the epidemic. The minister understands well the urgency with which we need to approach the fight against AIDS, Treatment Action Campaign leader Zackie Achmat said after the meeting.
LOUISIANA: HIV/AIDS Levels Remain Constant for Region: Beauregard Daily News (11.03.03) - Monday, November 03, 2003; Timothy P. Bush; According to Anthony James, a case manager for the Southwest Louisiana AIDS Council, HIV/AIDS levels in Region V are remaining constant, although cases have risen in other areas. Region V comprises five parishes - Allen, Calcasieu, Jefferson Davis, Beauregard and Cameron - which have a total of 930 cumulative HIV cases
FLORIDA: An In-Your-Face Strategy Teaches Latinos About HIV: Miami Herald (10.30.03) - Monday, November 03, 2003; Andrea Robinson; From the Borinquen Health Care Clinic bus in Miami, AIDS outreach counselor Richana Cha Cha Nieves spots a small group of Hispanic teenagers chatting in a parking lot. Offering brown paper bags containing condoms, she asks, When was the last time you took [an HIV] test? If you don t use a condom you re gonna die. There
OHIO: Hospital to Test All Employees for Tuberculosis: Associated Press (11.01.03) - Monday, November 03, 2003; Cuyahoga County health officials plan to test all employees at Cleveland s St. Michael Hospital for tuberculosis following the death of its newly appointed chaplain. The Rev. Norbert Atimnedi, 36, died Oct. 24 at a hospital in Canton after showing symptoms of the disease. Lab tests confirmed the infection. Infectious d
NEW YORK: Using a Telephone Support Group for HIV-Positive Persons Aged 50+ to Increase Social Support and Health-Related Knowledge: AIDS Patient Care and STDs (07.03) Vol. 17; No. 7: P. 345- 351 - Monday, November 03, 2003; Kathleen M. Nokes, PhD, RN; Lee Chew, MSW; Carolyn Altman, CSW; Twelve percent of the total number of people living with AIDS in New York City through 2001 were age 50 or older. Of people who received an initial HIV diagnosis between June 1, 2000, and December 31, 2002, 18.4 percent were ages 50-98. Middle-aged and older persons living with HIV/AIDS have more chronic medical condit
UGANDA: Teaching Safe Sex, Ugandan-Style: Boston Globe (10.28.03) - Monday, November 03, 2003; Rachel Scheier; Traditionally in Uganda , a senga, or paternal aunt, trained a young girl in all matters of love and marriage prior to her wedding night, said Phoebe Nakibuule Mukasa, a retired schoolteacher and local talk show expert in traditional romantic etiquette on Radio Simba. The aunties have become so popular recently that he
CALIFORNIA: When 'Friends' Talk, Teens Listen: USA Today (11.03.03) - Monday, November 03, 2003; Marilyn Elias; A Friends episode that aired Oct. 11, 2001, might have taught teenagers more about safe sex than hours of adult preaching, a survey suggests. Rebecca Collins, a RAND senior behavioral scientist, surveyed 506 frequent viewers ages 12-17 within a few weeks of the episode, then six months later. Her report shows that many
ALABAMA: Jail Contractor to Treat Hepatitis C: Birmingham News (11.02.03) - Monday, November 03, 2003; Carla Crowder; Medical costs in Alabama prisons are expected to rise as the new medical contractor begins treating hepatitis C. On Monday, the state s three-year, $142 million contract with Brentwood, Tenn.-based Prison Health Services takes effect, assuming care previously provided by Birmingham-based Naphcare for about $29.5 millio
Dining Out for People with AIDS: Southern Voice (Atlanta) (10.24.03) - Friday, October 31, 2003; Penny White; Project Open Hand Atlanta is hosting its annual Dining Out for Life fundraiser on Nov. 5, when up to 150 restaurants throughout Atlanta will donate 20 percent of their day s food and alcohol sales to the nonprofit. For 15 years, Project Open Hand has prepared and delivered healthy meals for Atlantans with AIDS and othe
Marquette University Faculty Member Diagnosed with TB: Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (10.29.03) - Friday, October 31, 2003; Marilynn Marchione; Milwaukee and Shorewood Health Department officials investigating a case of tuberculosis in a Marquette University faculty member say there is no outbreak and that none of the faculty member s contacts has tested positive for the disease. We do not believe that any Marquette students, faculty or staff are at significan
EU Accelerates Funding for Fights Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria: Associated Press (10.30.03) - Friday, October 31, 2003; The European Union stepped up its commitment to fighting killer diseases Thursday, saying it would accelerate a contribution of EUR170 million (US$198.2 million) to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The move raises Western Europe s contribution to 55 percent of the $4.7 billion fund, a UN initiat
Brazil Launches Major HIV Testing Program: United Press International (10.30.03) - Friday, October 31, 2003; On Thursday, Brazil s government launched a national campaign to encourage more people to be tested for HIV. Using the slogan Get Informed, the effort is aimed at persons who are infected but do not know it, according to BBC. Two-thirds of Brazil s estimated 600,000 HIV-infected people do not know they have the virus.
Agency Fills Clients, Homes with New Hope: Los Angeles Times (10.26.03) - Friday, October 31, 2003; Julie Tamaki; The Los Angeles County nonprofit Project New Hope has been helping low-income and homeless families and individuals with HIV/AIDS obtain housing since 1990. While many people feel squeezed by Southern California s housing market, people with HIV/AIDS may also have extremely low incomes because their health prevents the
Christiana Care Joins AIDS Study: News Journal (Delaware)(10.27.03) - Friday, October 31, 2003; Laura Ungar; Wilmington, Del. s Christiana Care Health System has joined an eight-year study of how best to manage antiretroviral therapy for HIV/AIDS patients. Christiana Care is one of 167 facilities nationwide participating in the study, sponsored by the Division of AIDS at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseas
Gynecology: Intravaginal Ring Could Be Used in New Approach to AIDS Prevention: Women's Health Weekly (10.16.03) - Friday, October 31, 2003; Scientists at Queen s University, Belfast, Northern Ireland , have developed an intravaginal ring that has potential use as part of a strategy to combat HIV, the British Pharmaceutical Conference has been told. The silicone rubber ring releases the antibiotic metronidazole to treat bacterial vaginosis.
HIV/AIDS Diagnosis: Finger-Stick HIV Test Is Accurate and Acceptable to Women in Thailand: Women's Health Weekly (09.04.03) - Friday, October 31, 2003; Alice Liu and colleagues affiliated with the Thailand Ministry of Public Health-US CDC Collaboration assessed the acceptability of a rapid finger-stick HIV test among Thai women. We used the HemaStrip HIV-1/2 test (Saliva Diagnostic Systems, Vancouver, Wash.) in a prospective cohort study of HIV seroincidence among wom
Appeal for Free Drugs Made at AIDS Conference: Agence France Presse (10.30.03) - Friday, October 31, 2003; An international conference of people living with HIV/AIDS ended in Kampala on Thursday with a call to the global community and the world s governments to help patients obtain free drugs to fight the disease. The international community should provide more of these drugs and give accessibility to them than they are cur
AIDS Programs Anger Muscovites: Washington Times (10.31.03) - Friday, October 31, 2003; Jennifer Harper; Charging that a US-funded AIDS prevention program is encouraging Russian girls to choose prostitution as a career, 16 Moscow City Duma members have taken their complaints to Capitol Hill. The group - which includes cultural, financial, health and social policies commissioners - said in an Oct. 8 letter to Senate Majori
Pentagon Stresses Need for Chlamydia Testing: Stars and Stripes (10.27.03) - Friday, October 31, 2003; Sandra Jontz; Roughly half of female US military personnel who should be tested for chlamydia are not receiving the required exam, and a solution to the problem could still be three years away as health officials await a computer tracking system. In 2001, all services implemented guidelines to routinely screen women for chlamydia, w
Senate Boosts Funds for Africa AIDS Fight: Associated Press (10.31.03) - Friday, October 31, 2003; Jim Abrams; On Thursday, the Senate approved 89-1 an additional $289 million to fight AIDS overseas next year. The increase would bring the first installment of President Bush s $15 billion global AIDS pledge to $2.4 billion for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1. Senators Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) sponsored the
Jackson Program Receives HIV Grant: Biloxi Sun Herald (10.30.03) - Thursday, October 30, 2003; The Nominal Group Inc. of Jackson is Mississippi s only institution to receive funding from the $156.5 million announced by the Department of Health and Human Services last week to support substance abuse prevention and treatment for people at risk for HIV. The group s program, Reducing the Risk to West Jackson, will r
Health Study Gives D.C. Good News on Uninsured: Washington Post (10.30.03) - Thursday, October 30, 2003; Avram Goldstein; A new Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation telephone survey of 1,581 District of Columbia residents shows the city s uninsured population has fallen to 50,000 - one of the nation s lowest rates. The survey, an effort to help the city plan health care programs, found that 24 percent of residents identified the control of H
Nigeria to Test Polio Vaccines over AIDS: Associated Press (10.30.03) - Thursday, October 30, 2003; Dulue Mbachu; Nigerian authorities said yesterday that polio vaccines recently administered in a nationwide campaign will undergo laboratory testing to calm fears about AIDS. Vice President Abubakar Atiku ordered testing on the vaccines for agents that could spread HIV or sterility, Nigeria s state television reported. On Friday, he
Daley Pressed on AIDS Budget: Chicago Tribune (10.30.03) - Thursday, October 30, 2003; Gary Washburn; Concerned about increasing HIV infections among gay and bisexual men and in minority communities, Chicago officials said Wednesday they will seek a more than 25 percent increase in Mayor Richard Daley s proposed AIDS budget. Daley s city budget of $3.7 million for AIDS prevention and care next year represents a $100,00
Short-Term Effects of Cannabinoids in Patients with HIV-1 Infection: Annals of Internal Medicine (08.19.03) Vol. 139; No. 4: P. 258- 266 - Thursday, October 30, 2003; Donald I. Abrams, MD; Joan F. Hilton, DSc; Roslyn J. Leiser, RN; Starley B. Shade, MPH; Tarek A. Elbeik, PhD; Francesca T. Aweeka, PharmD; Neal L. Benowitz, MD; Barry M. Bredt, MA; Bradley Kosel, PharmD; Judith A. Aberg, MD; Steven G. Deeks, MD; Thomas F. Mitchell, MPH; Kathleen Mulligan, PhD; Peter Bacchetti, PhD; Joseph M. McCune, MD, Phd; Morris Schambelan, MD; In 1986, the Food and Drug Administration approved a synthetic, oral form of marijuana s main psychoactive component, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (dronabinol) for treating chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. A randomized, controlled trial demonstrated that dronabinol increased self- reported appetite but not wei
Faulty Machine Means Thousands in British Columbia Got Wrong Results in STD Test: Canadian Press (10.29.03) - Thursday, October 30, 2003; Terri Theodore; A technical problem with a diagnostic machine in Cranbrook, British Columbia, switched thousands of test results for chlamydia and gonorrhea to their opposites, said Alison Paine, spokesperson for the Interior Health Authority. In other words, if you were a positive, you would have received a negative reading. If you w
ACT UP Calls for Prison Condoms: Gay City News (New York City) (10.23.03) - Thursday, October 30, 2003; Aaron Parsley; On Oct. 21, members of ACT UP-NY assembled at the Lincoln State Correctional Facility in Harlem and demanded that the New York State Department of Health take over health care inside state prisons because, they claimed, the Department of Corrections is not fighting a crisis of HIV and hepatitis C infections among inmat
Implementation of Rapid HIV Test Off to Slow Start: Los Angeles Times (10.29.03) - Thursday, October 30, 2003; Daniel Costello; Despite Food and Drug Administration approval of a 20-minute finger-prick HIV test nearly a year ago, fewer than a dozen California sites offer it. Health officials say strict state testing guidelines and confusion about how to implement the test have limited its introduction in California. In several instances, offici
Focus Is on Prevention as STDs Continue to Increase: Associated Press (10.28.03) - Thursday, October 30, 2003; Michael Koryta; Reported cases of STDs are on the rise in Indiana. According to state statistics, numbers for chlamydia and gonorrhea have been rising steadily in recent years, while syphilis is finally on a decline. Cases of HIV/AIDS are evaluated separately. In Jackson County, reported STD cases have increased 93 percent since 2000.
NIH Faces Criticism on Grants; Coalition Assails 'Smarmy Projects': Washington Post (10.30.03) - Thursday, October 30, 2003; Rick Weiss; The Traditional Values Coalition, a public policy organization that says it represents more than 43,000 member churches, yesterday said it will ask the Justice Department to investigate how scores of health and sexuality studies received federal funding through the National Institutes of Health. An official at NIH, whi
Pop Star Collins Gives Royalties to AIDS Foundation in South Africa: Agence France Presse (10.27.03) - Wednesday, October 29, 2003; British pop star Phil Collins has presented $54,000 in South African royalties to the country s Topsy Foundation, which cares for children affected by HIV/AIDS, the foundation announced Monday. We are delighted with the money from Phil Collins as it will assist our drive for self-sustainability immensely, foundation sp
Hattiesburg Group Home for HIV/AIDS Patients to Open Soon: Associated Press (10.27.03) - Wednesday, October 29, 2003; Bruce Van Nostrand, program director of a new HIV/AIDS group home in Hattiesburg, Miss., said a funding shortfall will not delay the facility s plans to accept patients. Despite a need for about $10,000 more to fund its $139,642 annual budget, 1- 2-1 Haven House will open by Dec. 1, he said. The opening had been schedu
Ethiopia to Give AIDS Drugs Free of Charge to Poor: Reuters (10.28.03) - Wednesday, October 29, 2003; Ethiopia said Tuesday it plans to distribute antiretroviral drugs free to poor people living with HIV. Preparation is underway to enable people who cannot afford [the drugs] and [are] certified as HIV/AIDS positive [to] get access to antiretroviral drugs free of charge, the Health Ministry said in a statement. Train
Nigerian States Halt Polio Campaign over AIDS Fears: Reuters (10.27.03) - Wednesday, October 29, 2003; Three mainly Muslim states in northern Nigeria have suspended a World Health Organization-led polio immunization program because they feared it spread AIDS and caused infertility, Nigerian officials said Monday. Chinwere Chukwuani, a director at Nigeria s National Polio Immunization Office, said the suspension could ca
AIDS Clinic Sees Face of Epidemic Change: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (10.27.03) - Wednesday, October 29, 2003; Patricia Guthrie; The Ponce de Leon Center in midtown Atlanta opened ten years ago as a one-stop medical resource for HIV/AIDS outpatients. Offering doctors, dentists, dermatologists, numerous other specialists and support groups under one roof, the center was designed to provide comprehensive care and keep patients outside the city s p
Crystal Meth Money Awarded from City: Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) (10.23.03) - Wednesday, October 29, 2003; Matthew S. Bajko; On Oct. 21, San Francisco s health department announced a $425,000 allocation to help prevent and treat crystal methamphetamine addiction in the gay community. The funding - an increase from the $300,000 originally allocated for the problem - will help eliminate clinic waiting lists for speed users and develop new adol
Lehigh Valley Hospital Has Quick Test for HIV: Morning Call (Allentown, Pa.) (10.27.03) - Wednesday, October 29, 2003; Ann Wlazelek; Free, rapid-result finger-stick blood tests for HIV are being offered for the first time at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown, Pa., as part of a state pilot program for diagnosing and counseling patients in the same visit. The hospital s AIDS activities office is one of three sites the state Department of Health chos
Many Teenage Girls Underestimate STD Risk: Study: Reuters Health (10.15.03) - Wednesday, October 29, 2003; Merritt McKinney; Teenage girls who have unprotected sex and engage in other risky sexual behavior may underestimate their odds of contracting an STD, a recent study shows. Most young women in this study, who were all sexually active and who demonstrated risk for STDs, did not perceive that they were at risk for infection, said Dr. Kath
New HIV/AIDS Funds Won't Go to Free Antiretrovirals: Inter Press Service (10.24.03) - Wednesday, October 29, 2003; Ranjit Devraj; The pledge of $200 million from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to help India fight HIV/AIDS will center on prevention, and none of the money will go towards the antiretroviral drugs that activists say could help alleviate the suffering of the 4 million people living with the virus. The Indian government can
With Billions of Dollars Pledged for Iraq, Is Enough Left for Poor Countries, AIDS Sufferers?: Associated Press (10.29.03) - Wednesday, October 29, 2003; Barbara Borst; Development and AIDS officials say that $33 billion in recent international pledges to rebuild Iraq were disproportionately generous when compared to their donations to fight poverty and AIDS in the poorest countries. The funding - including $20 billion from the United States - is nearl
AIDS Program Director Says the State Must Do More: Associated Press (10.27.03) - Wednesday, October 29, 2003; Karin Mongeon, North Dakota s AIDS program manager, said the state must step up efforts to fight the disease, given changing attitudes and a growing methamphetamine problem. When you look at what we are doing here, we are behind other states, she said. The state has the lowest number of HIV/AIDS cases per capita in the
Senate Approves Sessions' Request to Fight Medical AIDS Transmissions: Associated Press (10.28.03) - Wednesday, October 29, 2003; Jeffrey McMurray; In the Senate on Tuesday, no member objected when Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) proposed amending a foreign aid package to ensure that at least $75 million from the global AIDS bill would go toward the problem of unsafe medical injections in Africa. Sessions had been concerned that health officials wanted to use nearly a
City Teen Birth Rate at 4-Decade Low: Baltimore Sun (10.22.03) - Tuesday, October 28, 2003; David Kohn; On Oct. 21, city health officials announced Baltimore s lowest teen birth rate in at least four decades. They attributed the decrease to more effective contraceptives, fear of HIV/AIDS, and increased education efforts. In 2001, 8.3 percent of Baltimore females ages 15-19 gave birth - two-tenths of a percentage point lo
Iowa on Alert for Syphilis: Quad-City Times (Davenport, Iowa) (10.24.03) - Tuesday, October 28, 2003; Cherie Black; Recently reported cases of syphilis in South Dakota have prompted the state Department of Health to issue an alert to surrounding states, including Iowa, informing residents that they may be at-risk for contracting the disease. Currently, the Iowa Department of Public Health is following up on three sex partners of the
Senate Votes to Restrict Military Aid to Malaysia: Washington Post (10.28.03) - Tuesday, October 28, 2003; Helen Dewar; Among the issues in an $18 billion foreign operations spending bill on track for Senate approval as early as today is a proposal by Sen. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) to increase funding for AIDS in Africa and Caribbean nations by $289 million. If approved, the proposal would raise next year s funding to $2.4 billion. President
Study: Some Men May Be Hard-Wired for Unsafe Sex: USA Today (10.28.03) - Tuesday, October 28, 2003; Marilyn Elias; A recent Kinsey Institute study of 1,500 gay and heterosexual men suggests a minority - roughly 10-20 percent - are most likely to engage in risky sex. The threat of catching a disease does not seem to cool their desire, as it would for most people, and depression or stress can send them cruising for casual sex. All th
Coronary Heart Disease in HIV-Infected Individuals: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (08.01.03) Vol. 33; No. 4: P.506-512 - Tuesday, October 28, 2003; Judith S. Currier, MD, MSc; Anne Taylor, MD; Felicity Boyd, PhD, MPH; Christopher M. Dezii, RN, MBA; Hugh Kawabata, MA; Beth Burtcel, PharmD; Jen-Fue Maa, PhD; Sally Hodder, MD; The current study examined the age-specific incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD) among HIV-infected and noninfected men and women in the California Medicaid population. The authors reviewed administrative claims data and compared the incidence of and relative risk for CHD using log-linear analyses. They also asses
AIDS Strategy Praised, Criticized: Chicago Tribune (10.26.03) - Tuesday, October 28, 2003; Gary Marx; With HIV infection rampant in the Caribbean, Cuba has the lowest rate in the region - .05 percent, officials say. Cuba s aggressive campaign against HIV/AIDS involves universal treatment for those who test positive, but it also closely monitors the lives of patients. In the early 1980s, Cuban officials noticed that sol
A Battle Line in Botswana AIDS Fight; Patients Who Reject Test Risk Being Turned Away: Boston Globe (10.24.03) - Tuesday, October 28, 2003; John Donnelly; In June, Botswanan President Festus Mogae feared the worst after he fell ill and began to grow thinner: AIDS. I concluded I must have the virus. I was psychologically prepared, Mogae said in an interview. Mogae said he was screened for HIV and relieved to find he tested negative. The diagnosis was stress-related diabet
Abstinence Touted to Teens: Times-Picayune (New Orleans) (10.26.03) - Tuesday, October 28, 2003; Christine L. Bordelon; Erika Harold, Miss America 2003, spoke to an audience of about 2,000 middle and high school students, teachers and advisers at the Ponchartrain Center in Kenner, La., on Oct. 20 on the value of virginity. She appeared at the fall regional conference of the Governor s Program on Abstinence, one of five speaking engageme
Mississippi State University Study Seeks Lower STD Rates Among Youthful Offenders: Associated Press (10.28.03) - Tuesday, October 28, 2003; A Mississippi State University sociologist hopes a $1.6 million National Institutes of Health grant will help researchers determine ways to reduce the spread of STDs among teenagers. Through a cooperative effort with the University of Southern Mississippi, the five-year project headed by Angela Robertson, a research fe
With CDC Funds, State Widens Effort to Locate HIV/AIDS Sufferers: Associated Press (10.24.03) - Tuesday, October 28, 2003; Garry Mitchell; Just as Alabama health officials are stepping-up efforts to locate residents with HIV/AIDS and get them into clinics, state budget cuts are reducing drug treatments available for the potential patients. We ve had projects in the past that focused more on prevention for people testing negative for HIV, said Jane B. Chee
NIH Questions AIDS, Sex Attitudes Grants: Associated Press (10.28.03) - Tuesday, October 28, 2003; Mark Sherman; In response to complaints from the conservative Traditional Values Coalition, the National Institutes of Health is telephoning 157 researchers who were awarded grants for projects on AIDS and sexual practices. The phone calls are sending a dangerous message that research is being subverted by an ideological agenda, sai
Punxsutawney Teen Wins MTV Sex Education Essay Contest: Associated Press (10.25.03) - Monday, October 27, 2003; In the Pennsylvania town usually associated with groundhogs, 17-year-old Amanda Story has won an MTV essay contest on the topic of whether her town needs more sex education. Story, whose essay was selected from 14,000 entries among viewers ages 15-24, wrote about her five-month-old daughter Ryley and the challenges of
Zambia's Poverty Levels Unacceptable, Says President Mwanawasa: Associated Press (10.24.03) - Monday, October 27, 2003; Lewis Mwanangombe; On Friday, Zambia s President Levy Mwanawasa marked 39 years of independence from Britain by laying a wreath at the foot of the Freedom Statue in Lusaka and honoring outstanding Zambians who fought for the country s independence. However, on a radio and television broadcast the night before, he decried Zambia s unaccep
Gates Foundation and Botswana Government Funded AIDS Clinic Opens: Associated Press (10.24.03) - Monday, October 27, 2003; Sello Motseta; The Infectious Disease Control Clinic opened Friday in northern Botswana with the help of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The new clinic will treat thousands of patients who were previously cared for at the Nyangabgwe Hospital in Francistown. The clinic is on the grounds of Nyangabgwe Hospital, which currently p
HIV/AIDS Group to Raise Money and Its Profile: Gainesville Times (10.22.03) - Monday, October 27, 2003; Debbie Gilbert; The North Georgia AIDS Alliance, formed several years ago, has recently taken steps to raise its public profile. A $50,000 North Georgia Community Foundation grant enabled the group to hire Kathleen Edwards as its first executive director and to move into new headquarters. The group will hold its biggest fundraiser, a
Study Refutes Notion That Gay Asians Are Immune to HIV: Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) (10.16.03) - Monday, October 27, 2003; Matthew S. Bajko; A three-year survey of Asian and Pacific Islander (API) men who have sex with men (MSM) by San Francisco s Health Department and the community organization Stop AIDS found worrisome increases in STDs and risk among the population. HIV incidence among gay API surveyed was 1.8 percent, just short of the 2 percent rate fo
New Drug Hope for Millions of Hepatitis C Victims: Reuters (10.26.03) - Monday, October 27, 2003; A new drug that prevents a contagious virus from duplicating in the body could be a new weapon against hepatitis C, researchers working for the German pharmaceutical firm Boehringer Ingelheim said Sunday. More than 170 million people worldwide are infected with the hepatitis C virus, which can cause permanent liver dam
The Value of Screening for Sexually Transmitted Diseases in an HIV Clinic: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (08.15.03) Vol. 33; No. 5:P.642-648 - Monday, October 27, 2003; Thomas A. Farley; Deborah A. Cohen; Shin-Yi Wu; Ceryl Lynn Besch; CDC recommends STD screening among HIV-positive patients. STDs facilitate the spread of HIV, so the diagnosis and treatment of curable STDs in HIV-infected persons can help prevent the spread of HIV to partners even when infected persons continue unprotected sex. However, according to the authors, such screening is not
National Health Service Staff Die After HIV Accidents: BBC News (10.27.03) - Monday, October 27, 2003; According to a report on needle-stick injuries written by the Health Protection Agency and presented to the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee, four UK health workers have died after being injured with needles used on HIV patients. Nine more are living with HIV after being infected by such injuries while workin
Ugandan President Calls on World Leaders to Step Up AIDS Fight: Agence France Presse (10.26.03) - Monday, October 27, 2003; At Sunday s opening of a major international HIV/AIDS conference in Kampala, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni called on world leaders to step up the fight against the epidemic. Achieving a rolldown of the AIDS impact calls for strong political leadership, as lack of this has continued to be an impediment in the HIV/AI
AIDS Plan Would Cut Drug Costs for Poor: Washington Post (10.25.03) - Monday, October 27, 2003; Shankar Vedantam; The World Health Organization will soon disclose the first details of a global AIDS strategy to bring low-cost drugs to 3 million people in poor countries by the end of 2005. The plan, according to top officials, will eventually include endorsement of pills that combine three HIV drugs - lamivudine (
Alabama Prison at Center of Suit over AIDS Policy: New York Times (10.26.03) - Monday, October 27, 2003; Adam Liptak; Attorneys for inmates with HIV/AIDS segregated at the Limestone Correctional Facility in Alabama filed a federal suit against prison officials and medical provider Naphcare in Birmingham last November, contending that prisoners living conditions and medical care constituted cruel and unusual punishment. Being admitted
Christian Artists Take Up Bono's African AIDS Cause: USA Today (10.24.03) - Friday, October 24, 2003; Brian Mansfield; Some of contemporary Christian music s top artists will sing U2 songs on In the Name of Love: Artists United for Africa, a benefit album to help fight the African AIDS epidemic. The Jan. 27 release on Sparrow Records includes Sunday, Bloody Sunday by Pillar, Pride (In the Name of Love) by Delirious? and Love Is Blindne
Nine Percent of Sexually Active Students Had STD: Korea Times (South Korea)(10.24.03) - Friday, October 24, 2003; A Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine survey of 622 college students in three Seoul-area universities found that more than 9 percent of the 243 sexually experienced participants had an STD. Premarital sex and STDs were also more widespread among those teenagers who ran away from home. A survey of 175 male
Indigenous HIV Rates Rising: Age (Australia) (10.24.03) - Friday, October 24, 2003; Professor Cindy Shannon, chair of the Indigenous Australians Sexual Health Committee, told an AIDS conference in Cairns that HIV rates are rising in indigenous communities. She cited 23 new HIV cases among indigenous people in 2002, up from 12 in 2001. Heterosexual contact accounted for 40 percent of HIV exposure, comp
South African AIDS Activists Welcome Deal for Low-Price Drugs: Voice of America News (10.24.03) - Friday, October 24, 2003; Challiss McDonough; While it welcomes a deal brokered by former President Bill Clinton to supply low-price AIDS drugs to developing countries, South Africa s Treatment Action Campaign warns the deal will not solve all the nation s AIDS treatment problems. The Treatment Action Campaign feels that this is a very positive development, said T
Cambodian Monk Leads Fight for AIDS Orphans: Reuters (10.21.03) - Friday, October 24, 2003; Thomas White; In 1992, Muny Vansaveth, a monk, founded the Wat Norea Peaceful Children s Home in Battambang, Cambodia . The home now shelters 46 children orphaned by domestic violence, Asia s highest AIDS rate, civil war and genocide. Since founding the home, Vansaveth has cared for more than 300 orphans and 58 adult AIDS patients,
AIDS Manasota Closing Likely to Leave a Void: Sarasota Herald-Tribune (10.24.03) - Friday, October 24, 2003; Tom Bayles; Next week, after helping thousands of HIV/AIDS patients since 1987, the Sarasota-based nonprofit AIDS Manasota will lock its doors for good. A lot of our support in the early years was with people with AIDS and their families in the last few months of their lives, said Debbie Roginski, director of AIDS Manasota. A lot
Barebacking Profile Emerges; Panel Examines Evolving Practice of Condom-Free Gay Anal Sex: Gay City News (New York City) (10.16.03) - Friday, October 24, 2003; Duncan Osborne; A recent panel at New York City s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center discussed barebacking - intentional anal sex without condoms - and how clinicians can aid clients who bareback. We feel it is more than just condom-less sex, said Danny Carragher, a project director at the Center for HIV/AIDS Educ
Nutrition: Healthy Meal Planning Guides Offered for People with HIV Using Viracept: AIDS Weekly (10.13.03) - Friday, October 24, 2003; Agouron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a division of Pfizer , is making Viracept On-the-Go wallet-sized meal planning guides available to patients. The move was announced at the 43rd International Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC).
HIV Progression: Disease Development Can Be Monitored and Predicted: AIDS Weekly (09.29.03) - Friday, October 24, 2003; Currently, physicians track a patient s progression from HIV to AIDS through HIV RNA and CD4+ cells, expensive measurements requiring specialized equipment and training. In a recently published study, researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health suggest that a decline in the total lymphocyte cou
South African National Defence Force Won't Take HIV+ Recruits: Business Day (South Africa) (10.24.03) - Friday, October 24, 2003; South African Press Association; The Defence Ministry has confirmed that South Africa s National Defence Force (SANDF) will not recruit individuals to the military who are HIV-positive. However, it denied contradicting the cabinet, which stated Wednesday that there is no government policy of excluding people who are HIV- positive. Although Ministry sp
AIDS Drug Price War Is Far from Over: Business Day (South Africa) (10.20.03) - Friday, October 24, 2003; Tamar Kahn; The Competition Commission last week recommended that GlaxoSmithKline and Boehringer Ingelheim be forced to allow cheap generic copies of their AIDS drugs in South Africa . The complaint originated with the Treatment Action Campaign and other activist groups who argued that, despite recent cuts, t
HIV, TB Concern European Health Officials: Associated Press (10.23.03) - Friday, October 24, 2003; Doug Mellgren; Leading European health officials will gather in Oslo next week to address the severe health problems facing Russia and the Baltic states, including HIV and TB. Vast differences in income, health care and cases of infectious diseases remain between wealthy northwestern Europe and the former Soviet Bloc. Per capita earn
Clinton Group Gets Discount for AIDS Drugs: New York Times (10.24.03) - Friday, October 24, 2003; Lawrence K. Altman; Yesterday at a news conference at his offices in Harlem, former President Bill Clinton announced that the Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative had brokered a deal to cut the cost of two commonly used combinations of first-line antiretroviral drugs for distribution in poor countries. Under the agreement, the drugs wil
Saudi Arabia Reports More than 6,700 AIDS Patients: Associated Press (10.22.03) - Thursday, October 23, 2003; According to the Ministry of Health in the conservative Islamic kingdom, Saudi Arabia has registered 6,787 cases of AIDS. Mohammed al-Jifry, head of the Epidemic and Parasitic Diseases Authority, said the cases include 1,509 Saudi nationals. Of the patients, 77 percent are males ages 15-49.
Possible Settlement of Lawsuits Reached in Hepatitis C Outbreak: Associated Press (10.23.03) - Thursday, October 23, 2003; A proposed $25 million settlement has been reached in more than 60 civil suits arising from a hepatitis C outbreak at the Pain Management Clinic of Norman Regional Hospital in Oklahoma. More than 900 patients treated at the clinic between May 1999 and August 2002 were tested after a nurse anesthetist James C. Hill admi
$3.4 Million Vs. AIDS for Clinic: Daily News (New York) (10.22.03) - Thursday, October 23, 2003; Joyce Shelby; A Caribbean family health clinic run by Lutheran Medical Center received $3.4 million from the Department of Health and Human Services to help fight HIV/AIDS, Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D- N.Y.) announced Tuesday. Lutheran s Caribbean Family Health Center and the Caribbean Women s Health Association will get $1.4 million fo
Youths Aim to Fight AIDS in Africa: Indianapolis Star (10.19.03) - Thursday, October 23, 2003; Emma Hulse; Stuart McWhirter; Teens in Zambia and Ghana are working to empower young people in the fight against HIV/AIDS by sharing information with each other and the world. At Trendsetters, a youth-run journalism organization in Lusaka, Zambia, a monthly magazine and a free school edition focus on HIV/AIDS and other health concerns for teens.
Grants Target Drug Use and HIV: Chicago Tribune (10.23.03) - Thursday, October 23, 2003; John Keilman; Five Chicago-area health centers will split about $6 million in grants to combat HIV and drug abuse, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration announced Wednesday. The grants are intended to help minority communities disproportionately affected by drug abuse and HIV, and the money will fund programs
Increased Risk of High-Grade Cervical Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions and Invasive Cervical Cancer Among African Women with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 and 2 Infections: Journal of Infectious Diseases (08.03) Vol. 188; No. 4: P.555- 563 - Thursday, October 23, 2003; Stephen E. Hawes; Cathy W. Critchlow; Mame A. Faye Niang; Mame B. Diouf; Aissatou Diop; Papa Tour�; Abdoul Aziz Kasse; Birama Dembele; Papa Salif Sow; Awa M. Coll-Seck; Jane M. Kuypers; Nancy B. Kiviat; The authors studied 4,119 women attending an outpatient clinic in Senegal to assess the risk of prevalent high-grade cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSILs) or invasive cervical cancer (ICC) associated with HIV-1, HIV-2, HPV infections, HIV load and CD4 cell count. They hypothesized that, among HIV- positive
Chinese Scientists Call for Attention to AIDS Control and Cure, Warn of 'Scourge': Xinhua News Agency (10.23.03) - Thursday, October 23, 2003; Twenty-two prominent Chinese scientists have warned that AIDS will become a nationwide scourge in 10 years time unless prompt, efficient prevention and control measures are taken. The warning came in a report on the progress of the 121 Joint Action Plan, launched in March 2003. The plan, sponsored by the Chinese Founda
HIV Up as Gay Men Abandon Safe Sex: Age (Australia) (10.23.03) - Thursday, October 23, 2003; At a conference on HIV medicine in Cairns, associate professor Cindy Shannon, member of an Australian government body on HIV/AIDS, said 823 HIV cases were reported in Australia in 2002. The case count represents an 8.4 percent increase over 2001, when 759 new cases were diagnosed, according to a 2003 surveillance repor
Academics Cast Doubt on New AIDS Survey: Business Day (South Africa) (10.21.03) - Thursday, October 23, 2003; Tamar Kahn; Two of South Africa s leading HIV/AIDS academics have reacted with skepticism to a study by former health department Director-General Olive Shishana. The study said the epidemic peaked last year with about 4.69 million infected people and has started to level off. It also said the HIV incidence rate among 15- to 49-yea
The Real Drug Problem: Forgetting to Take Them: Wall Street Journal (10.21.03) - Thursday, October 23, 2003; Amy Dockser Marcus; While much of the national debate is focused on how to help more people afford costly medicines, there is an increasingly urgent problem of non-adherence for patients already on drug therapies. Earlier this year, the World Health Organization reported that only around 50 percent of people typically follow their doctors
Clinton Program Would Help Poor Nations Get AIDS Drugs: Wall Street Journal (10.23.03) - Thursday, October 23, 2003; Mark Schoofs; Former President Bill Clinton is today announcing an AIDS program that tackles both high drug prices and low quality health infrastructures in the developing world. Engineered by Clinton advisor Ira Magaziner, the Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative agreement will cut the price of a commonly used triple-drug regimen
HIV/AIDS Cape to Johannesburg Trek Ends: Star (South Africa) (10.22.03) - Wednesday, October 22, 2003; Ndivhuwo Khangale; Three German athletes hoping to raise HIV/AIDS awareness by running and cycling from Cape Town to Johannesburg finished their journey yesterday at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto. Joachim Franz, Dr. Michael Str�hmann, and Daniel Dost were accompanied by an 18-member team comprising doctors and technical suppo
AIDS Researchers Deplore Lack of Funding in Germany: Agence France Presse (10.21.03) - Wednesday, October 22, 2003; On Tuesday, German researchers criticized the lack of funding Germany dedicates to efforts to find an AIDS vaccine and called on the government to rethink its priorities. According to our calculations, the budget for research into an AIDS vaccine is about seven million euros [US$8.25 million], said Bernhard Fleckenste
Clergy, Community Leaders Address HIV/AIDS Problem: Associated Press (10.17.03) - Wednesday, October 22, 2003; Cheryl Wittenauer; The black community in St. Louis should follow the lead of the white gay community in mobilizing against HIV/AIDS, the chief of the city Health Department s Family and Community Health Bureau said Friday. We aren t owning it, Bill Dotson, who is black, told the mostly black audience of ministers, lawmakers and health a
Health Officials Report Rise in Hepatitis C: Journal-Standard (Freeport, Ill.) (10.22.03) - Wednesday, October 22, 2003; Travis Morse; Illinois Stephenson County Health Department is watching hepatitis C rates after noting a rise in cases in 2002. A county health department annual report showed 17 hepatitis C cases in 2002, a 40 percent increase over the 12 cases reported in 2001. But the Illinois Department of Public Health reported 22 cases of hepat
Opportunistic Infection: Increased Antimicrobial Use by HIV Patients May Heighten MRSA Risk: AIDS Weekly (10.13.03) - Wednesday, October 22, 2003; M. Miller and colleagues at Columbia University studied 500 subjects from a community-based cohort of drug users between February 1999 and March 2000. They found that increased antimicrobial use by HIV patients might heighten their risk of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection. HIV-infected individuals,
Hepatitis C Virus: Duke, Johns Hopkins to Lead First Comparative Trial of Therapies: Hepatitis Weekly (10.13.03) - Wednesday, October 22, 2003; In hopes of refining treatment practices for hepatitis C, researchers at Duke University Medical Center and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine will lead the first ever direct comparison of two leading treatments for the infection. Hepatitis C infects nearly 3.9 million Americans, according to CDC. Approxim
Cervical Cancer: New US Global AIDS Law Will Undermine Condom Use, Not Help Women, Paper Says: Women's Health Weekly (10.16.03) - Wednesday, October 22, 2003; A recent paper contends that high cervical cancer death rates among women in developing countries reflect a lack of access to Pap smears and other screening programs, not a high prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Genital HPV - certain strains of which can lead to cervical cancer - is common globally, b
AIDS Threat Worse than Terror, Canberra Warned: Australian (10.22.03) - Wednesday, October 22, 2003; Amanda Hodge; The chief of the Asia and Pacific AIDS Society said yesterday that HIV looms as a greater long-term security threat to the Asia-Pacific region than global terrorism, with infections throughout Asia set to outstrip those in Africa within a decade. We have already seen in Africa that once HIV starts affecting a lot of pe
Donors, UN Agree to Boost Support for AIDS Orphans: Agence France Presse (10.21.03) - Wednesday, October 22, 2003; A two-day meeting of donors, UN aid agencies and advocacy groups ended Tuesday in Geneva with agreement to boost efforts to help the growing number of children - mostly in sub-Saharan Africa - orphaned by AIDS. UNICEF and UNAIDS said in a statement that they had decided to improve support for families and education for
Mandela Joins Celebrities to Launch an Appeal to Fund AIDS Awareness: Associated Press (10.21.03) - Wednesday, October 22, 2003; Jack Garland; Nelson Mandela joined stars from the music world in London Tuesday to raise HIV/AIDS awareness with a fund-raising campaign named in his honor. The international appeal, 46664, Give 1 Minute Of Your Life To AIDS, uses Mandela s prison number from his almost two decades of incarceration on Robben Island in
New Mexico Inmates to Get Hepatitis Treatment: Associated Press (10.21.03) - Wednesday, October 22, 2003; For the first time, New Mexico will begin treating prisoners for hepatitis C, which infects roughly one-third of the state s 6,200 inmates. Dr. Frank Pullara, medical director for the state Corrections Department, said a new generation of drugs to effectively treat the virus was developed only about two years ago, and
US Researchers Identify HIV-Friendly Proteins: Agence France Presse (10.17.03) - Tuesday, October 21, 2003; US researchers have identified a series of proteins that enable HIV to bypass the human body s natural antiviral defenses, a discovery they say could lead to new treatments for HIV/AIDS. We ve discovered a new link in the chain that allows the HIV to overcome the cellular resistant factor and to infect human cells, Dr.
EU Rejects Vatican Claim that Use of Condoms Does Not Protect Against AIDS: Associated Press (10.20.03) - Tuesday, October 21, 2003; The European Union on Monday criticized recent statements by a top Vatican cardinal that latex condoms do not work as not supported by sound scientific evidence and so not plausible. Philippe Busquin, EU research commissioner, added that there is enough evidence to demonstrate that condoms are the best way to prevent H
Ad Campaign Focuses on AIDS in Black Women: Alameda Times-Star (10.16.03) Rebecca Vesely - Tuesday, October 21, 2003; HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of death among African- American women ages 25-34, and African-American women are the fastest growing population with AIDS in California, according to the state Department of Health Services. In an effort to break down the stigma of the disease, the Oakland chapter of the National Coalitio
Salt Lake City Gay Men's Health Summit Looks Beyond AIDS: Salt Lake Tribune (10.20.03) - Tuesday, October 21, 2003; Carey Hamilton; Characterizing the recent three-day gay men s health summit in Salt Lake City, David Ferguson, a conference coordinator, said, The goal of the weekend is to expand the notion of gay men s health beyond HIV. For about 20 years, gay men s health has been equated with a person s HIV status. We re not minimizing HIV, but g
HIV Prevalence in 72,000 Urban and Rural Male Army Recruits, Ethiopia: AIDS (08.15.03) Vol. 17; No. 12: P.1835-1840 - Tuesday, October 21, 2003; Yigeremu Abebe; Ab Schaap; Girmatchew Mamo; Asheber Negussie; Birke Darimo; Dawit Wolday; Eduard J. Sanders; Data on national HIV prevalence in Ethiopia are sparse, especially in rural areas where more than 85 percent of the population lives. To support health policy planning, Ethiopia s Ministry of Defense decided to estimate HIV prevalence in army recruits. The current study described HIV prevalence in relation to socio-dem
AIDS Follows Afghanistan's 'Miniglobalization': Christian Science Monitor (10.17.03) - Tuesday, October 21, 2003; Scott Baldauf; During its 23-year civil war, HIV/AIDS largely passed over Afghanistan . Now that the country is experiencing one of the largest influxes of people in its history, the disease is making inroads through prostitution and illicit drug use. Eight people tested positive for HIV last year; this year 15 have been diagnosed.
Study: South Africa AIDS Epidemic Peaked in 2002: Reuters Health (10.20.03) - Tuesday, October 21, 2003; Andrew Quinn; Research released Monday and published in the African Journal of AIDS Research suggests the AIDS epidemic in South Africa , the nation with the highest HIV/AIDS caseload, may be leveling off. Study authors Thomas Rehle, an independent US researcher, and Olive Shisana, of South Africa s Human Sciences Research Council (
Thai HIV Victims Meet US First Lady, Say US Needs to Do More to Fight AIDS: Associated Press (10.21.03) - Tuesday, October 21, 2003; Alisa Tang; Today in Thailand , 12 children born with HIV performed for first lady Laura Bush when she visited the Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health in Bangkok. She was there to see how the hospital is working to prevent mother-to-child transmission of the disease. The hospital has received funds as part of a collab
US Clears GlaxoSmithKline, Vertex AIDS Drug: Reuters (10.20.03) - Tuesday, October 21, 2003; Lisa Richwine; On Monday, the US Food and Drug Administration approved a new protease inhibitor developed by GlaxoSmithKline Plc and Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. The drug, previously known as 908, will be sold under the brand name Lexiva. FDA approved Lexiva for use with other HIV-suppressing medications. Dr. Debra Birnkrant, dire
US Agency Opens Beijing Office to Help Fight AIDS amid New Candor by China: Associated Press (10.20.03) - Tuesday, October 21, 2003; Christopher Bodeen; Aiming to bolster China s newfound willingness to fight HIV/AIDS, CDC opened an office in Beijing on Monday. CDC and Chinese officials said the office will enhance China s ability to care for an estimated 1 million HIV-positive people, as well as prevent the disease from spreading beyond high-risk groups. Both the US a
Crowds Turn Out for AIDS Walk in West Hollywood: Associated Press (10.19.03) - Monday, October 20, 2003; Angela Watercutter; More than 25,000 participants turned out in West Hollywood Sunday for the 19th Los Angeles AIDS Walk, raising nearly $2.5 million. AIDS has claimed 28,000 lives in Los Angeles County, and about 54,000 people there live with HIV/AIDS, according to AIDS Project Los Angeles, which receives the walk proceeds. Organizers an
Thousands Attend AIDS Walk: Austin American-Statesman (10.19.03) - Monday, October 20, 2003; Jeffrey Gilbert; Thousands of people lined Austin s streets Sunday for the 16th Annual AIDS Walk Austin. About 7,000 people attended the festivities, which included a street fair and 5K walk, up from 5,000 last year, according to Lee Manford, executive director of AIDS Services of Austin. Organizers hoped to raise about $200,000 for lo
AIDS Walk Brings in $1.1 Million: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (10.20.03) - Monday, October 20, 2003; About 12,000 people participated in yesterday s 13th annual AIDS Walk Atlanta, which benefits AID Atlanta and 16 other HIV/AIDS service organizations in the metro area. Organizers said the 10K walkathon, the largest in the Southeast, raised $1.1 million. Georgia has the eighth-highest rate of HIV/AIDS in the country, w
South Africa: Watchdog Rules 2 Drug Giants Inflated Prices: New York Times (10.18.03) - Monday, October 20, 2003; Agence France Presse; The Competition Commission, South Africa s independent competition monitor, recommended that Britain s GlaxoSmithKline and Germany s Boehringer Ingelheim be fined 10 percent of their annual sales in South Africa after finding they were guilty of charging excessively high prices for their AIDS drugs.
Drug Addiction and HIV Infection on Rise in Tajikistan: Lancet (10.11.03) - Monday, October 20, 2003; Tom Parfitt; Experts say a steep increase in Afghan narcotics trafficking through central Asia has led to a surge in drug addiction and HIV cases in Tajikistan . The former Soviet state is at the mouth of the old silk route through which heroin and other opiates flow to Russian and European markets. Traffickers usually move Afghan
Feds Refuse to Approve Local AIDS Drug Contract: Virginian-Pilot (10.17.03) - Monday, October 20, 2003; Liz Szabo; The federal Health Resources and Services Administration, which oversees the Ryan White CARE Act, has failed to approve Norfolk, Va. s contract with the only local pharmacy chain serving Ryan White patients. Because it has the most AIDS patients, Norfolk administers Ryan White funds for the region. The store, Bayview P
The Use of Needle Exchange by Young Injection Drug Users: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (09.01.03) Vol. 34; No. 1: P. 67-70 - Monday, October 20, 2003; Susan L. Bailey; DeZheng Huo; Richard S. Garfein; Lawrence J. Ouellet; Between 1997-1999, the researchers surveyed 700 injection drug users (IDUs) ages 18-30 in Chicago who had injected drugs at least once in the past six months. Recruited through street outreach, targeted advertising and chain referral, the cohort was developed as part of the collaborative Injection Drug Users Study II (
AIDS Vaccine: HIV Vaccine Candidate Trial Begins in 18 Cities Around the World: AIDS Weekly (10.13.03) - Monday, October 20, 2003; The HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) and Merck & Co. Inc. have begun the first global clinical trials of Merck s HIV vaccine candidate in 18 cities worldwide. The trial is the first study to take place in so many global locations simultaneously. It is also the first collaboration between Merck and HVTN, a global c
Vietnam Must Change Tack to Halt 'Serious' HIV Epidemic: Experts: Agence France Presse (10.14.03) - Monday, October 20, 2003; UN and international health experts warned on Oct. 13 that Vietnam has a serious, fast-growing HIV/AIDS epidemic, and they asked the government to take a more liberal approach to control it. Particularly, they urged that Vietnam lessen the stigma and discrimination against HIV-infected people, ensure their access to he
Arrested Chinese Health Official Released Without Trial: Agence France Presse (10.20.03) - Monday, October 20, 2003; A Chinese health official suspected of leaking information on Henan province s HIV/AIDS outbreak has been released from jail without standing trial, his wife said today. Ma Shiwen, a deputy head of Henan s center for disease control, was released Thursday after Chinese AIDS activists and international health organizati
US Health Chief Warns Asia Against AIDS: Associated Press (10.19.03) - Monday, October 20, 2003; Christopher Bodeen; The rapid spread of AIDS in China and India could wreck any chance of containing the disease, US Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson warned Sunday in Beijing. We are worried that if the epidemic grows in India and China like it has in sub-Saharan Africa, it may be then too late to ever contain it or be a
Disease Rates High in Massachusetts Prisons; Rate of HIV Infections Is 7th-Highest in US: Boston Globe (10.19.03) - Monday, October 20, 2003; Stephen Smith; A study from the Massachusetts Public Health Association found that prisoners in the state have some of the highest rates in the nation of HIV, hepatitis C and other chronic conditions. Health officials say measures must be adopted to reduce the spread of such illnesses once prisoners are freed. Although the soon-to-be
Broomfield to Start HIV Testing: Broomfield Enterprise (10.15.03) - Friday, October 17, 2003; Alisha Jeter; Officials expect that beginning Nov. 12, staff from Colorado s Boulder County AIDS Project will offer anonymous HIV tests and counseling, said Shelly Glick, BCAP community outreach coordinator. BCAP serves people in Broomfield, Boulder, Gilpin and Clear Creek counties. Oral swab testing will be offered twice a month at
UN Gives J$1.35B to Confront AIDS: Jamaica Observer (10.17.03) - Friday, October 17, 2003; The UN approved a J$1.35 billion (US$22.8 million) grant, through the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, to be used in Jamaica s fight against HIV/AIDS. Jamaica s Health Minister John Junor announced the grant yesterday while delivering a keynote address to the Rotary Club of Kingston, but was unable
AIDS Assistance Program Spared from Budget Cuts: Southern Voice (Atlanta, Ga.) (10.17.03) - Friday, October 17, 2003; Ryan Lee; On Wednesday, Georgia s AIDS Drug Assistance Program escaped proposed budget cuts when the state Board of Human Resources approved a revised budget that attempted to shelter direct care services. The board oversees the Department of Human Resources, which includes Georgia s HIV programs. ADAP s budget had been schedule
People Stay There to Learn to Live with HIV: Philadelphia Inquirer (10.12.03) - Friday, October 17, 2003; Mary Anne Janco; The Ralph Moses House, which opened in October 2000 in Chester, Pa., can accommodate up to 12 homeless HIV-positive men. Ralph Moses, who advocated for seven years to get the house built, is a former drug and alcohol addict who was diagnosed with HIV in 1989. In 1992, after a failed suicide attempt, Moses decided to ba
Lipid-Lowering Drug Use Rising in PI-Treated HIV Patients: AIDS Weekly (09.29.03) - Friday, October 17, 2003; Use of lipid-lowering therapy (LLT) is rising among HIV patients on antiretroviral therapy, despite limited evidence of their benefits in this population, a recent study noted. Many patients receiving protease inhibitors (PIs) develop hyperlipidemia, which may increase the risk of future coronary events, study author J
Africans Advocate Antiretroviral Strategy Similar to DOTS: Lancet (10.11.03) Vol. 362; No. 9391: P. 1210 - Friday, October 17, 2003; Charles Wendo; With the prospect of wide availability of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) in Africa, health experts are advocating a community- based delivery system similar to DOTS for tuberculosis. At last month s International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa in Nairobi, Kenya , delegates observed tha
At Last, Russia Faces AIDS: Baltimore Sun (10.16.03) - Friday, October 17, 2003; Douglas Birch; Since the 1990s, HIV in Russia has jumped from an infection confined mainly to intravenous drug users to one that affects the general population. About two years ago, the disease began to spread among prostitutes, many of whom are IDUs, who passed it on to their clients and children. About 1,500 HIV-infected babies wer
$623 Million OKd in Disease Fight, Short of Fund's Target: Newsday (New York, N.Y.) (10.17.03) - Friday, October 17, 2003; Laurie Garrett; The board of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis voted Thursday to approve $623 million in grants to poor countries, a decrease of $246 million from grants made earlier this year. Chaired by US Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson, the Global Fund board met this week in Chiang Mai,
Universities Struggle to Stem Outbreak of HIV: News Observer (Raleigh, N.C.)(10.13.03) - Friday, October 17, 2003; Vicki Cheng; Last summer, researchers at the University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services traced an HIV outbreak that infected 29 or more, mostly black, male college students in the Raleigh- Durham- Chapel Hill Triangle. They identified college campuses as high- transmissi
Study: AIDS Drugs Slash Death Rates by 80 Percent: Reuters (10.16.03) - Friday, October 17, 2003; Patricia Reaney; HIV/AIDS drug cocktails have slashed death rates from the disease by more than 80 percent, and now most patients on the drugs can expect to live for more than a decade and perhaps longer, scientists said on Friday. Death rates were halved shortly after the availability of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART), a
Day Focuses Hispanic Attention on HIV/AIDS: Record-Journal (Meriden, Conn.) (10.16.03) - Thursday, October 16, 2003; Rachel R. Makwana; Meriden, Conn., organizers of the first Latino HIV/AIDS Awareness Day pleaded with the nearly 20 people who attended the event at the Meriden Public Library to learn more about the disease and how to prevent it. The city s Health Department, MidState Behavioral Health System and the Community Health Center provided the
AIDS Awareness Event Targets South Florida Spanish-Speakers: South Florida Sun-Sentinel (01.16.03) - Thursday, October 16, 2003; Bob LaMendola; Though Wednesday s first national Latino AIDS Day was not heavy with activities in South Florida, community leaders used the day to rally supporters and attempt to unite groups to work together to fight the epidemic. According to AIDS officials, rising infection rates - especially among Hispanics - make the immediate n
State Develops Plan to Battle Hepatitis C: Associated Press (10.16.03) - Thursday, October 16, 2003; The Hawaii Department of Health is releasing a newly developed plan that addresses issues of surveillance, education, prevention and treatment of hepatitis C, health officials said. Because of the similar risk factors between viral hepatitis, HIV and sexually transmitted diseases, we have been working to develop a prog
Health Officials: Detroit Syphilis Cases Declining: Associated Press (10.15.03) - Thursday, October 16, 2003; Michigan health officials announced Wednesday that they expect syphilis cases in Detroit to be down about 50 percent this year. Detroit and Wayne County topped the list of cities and counties that accounted for at least half of new US syphilis cases in 2001. The numbers went up in 2002, but they are now declining. Ther
Food Pantry Helps Those with HIV: Newsday (New York, N.Y.) (10.12.03) - Thursday, October 16, 2003; Tomoeh Murakami Tse; Not long after learning her son was HIV-positive, Delores Edmonston began inviting others affected by the disease to their Freeport, N.Y., home for nutritious meals. While mom fixed things in the kitchen, I made referral calls to medical and health services, said Dale Anthony Edmonston, 40, who was diagnosed with HIV 1
Sims Praises AIDS/HIV Manifesto: Seattle Post-Intelligencer (10.16.03) - Thursday, October 16, 2003; Julie Davidow; King County Executive Ron Sims added his name yesterday to an HIV/AIDS prevention manifesto issued last week by a 40-member task force of public health and gay community leaders. The declaration emphasizes personal choice and responsibility as the path to halting the rising HIV infection rate in King County. If we are
Challenges Facing Health Professionals Caring for HIV-Infected Drug Users: AIDS Patient Care and STDs (07.03) Vol. 17; No. 7: P.333- 343 - Thursday, October 16, 2003; Joseph Inungu, MD, DrPH; Eileen Malone Beach, PhD: Reid Skeel, PhD; While sex is the most common way of transmitting HIV globally, injection drug use represents a growing mode of transmission. Since injection drug use is a more efficient method of spreading HIV than sexual intercourse, HIV epidemics among IDUs have a potential for rapid spread of the virus within the IDU community and
South Africa Struggles to Build AIDS Program: Uphill Fight Against Scope, Poverty, Cultural Factors: Baltimore Sun (10.14.03) - Thursday, October 16, 2003; John Murphy; With an estimated 5.3 million HIV-positive people, South Africa faces the challenge of creating the largest national antiretroviral treatment program in the world. Six hundred South Africans die of AIDS-related complications daily. To meet the mammoth demands of a program that activists expect the government to approve
Machines Replacing People Due to AIDS: Star (South Africa) (10.16.03) - Thursday, October 16, 2003; Lynne Altenroxel; Demographers attending the Joint Population Conference in Potchefstroom, South Africa , yesterday were told that companies are adapting to the HIV epidemic by replacing employees with machines to avoid the costs of absenteeism and paying out pensions to the families of employees who die young. A machine works 24 hours
Experts Paint Bleak HIV Scene in South: Post and Courier (Charleston, S.C.) (10.16.03) - Thursday, October 16, 2003; Lynne Langley; In the region with the largest number of people living with HIV, South Carolina ranks eighth in the nation for HIV incidence, up from 12th five years ago. Comprising about one- third of South Carolina s population, blacks account for a disproportionate 78 percent of newly diagnosed cases of HIV. And HIV among heterosex
US and Britain Look to Slow Pace of Spending on AIDS: Boston Globe (10.15.03) - Thursday, October 16, 2003; John Donnelly; The Bush administration and the British government are pushing for a slowdown in spending by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. The debate will take place at a closed meeting of the Global Fund in Thailand this week, and its impact could be far-reaching, officials said Tuesday. In three rounds of funding, t
Day Focuses Hispanic Attention on HIV/AIDS: Record-Journal (Meriden, Conn.) (10.16.03) - Thursday, October 16, 2003; Rachel R. Makwana; Meriden, Conn., organizers of the first Latino HIV/AIDS Awareness Day pleaded with the nearly 20 people who attended the event at the Meriden Public Library to learn more about the disease and how to prevent it. The city s Health Department, MidState Behavioral Health System and the Community Health Center provided the
AIDS Awareness Event Targets South Florida Spanish-Speakers: South Florida Sun-Sentinel (01.16.03) - Thursday, October 16, 2003; Bob LaMendola; Though Wednesday s first national Latino AIDS Day was not heavy with activities in South Florida, community leaders used the day to rally supporters and attempt to unite groups to work together to fight the epidemic. According to AIDS officials, rising infection rates - especially among Hispanics - make the immediate n
State Develops Plan to Battle Hepatitis C: Associated Press (10.16.03) - Thursday, October 16, 2003; The Hawaii Department of Health is releasing a newly developed plan that addresses issues of surveillance, education, prevention and treatment of hepatitis C, health officials said. Because of the similar risk factors between viral hepatitis, HIV and sexually transmitted diseases, we have been working to develop a prog
Health Officials: Detroit Syphilis Cases Declining: Associated Press (10.15.03) - Thursday, October 16, 2003; Michigan health officials announced Wednesday that they expect syphilis cases in Detroit to be down about 50 percent this year. Detroit and Wayne County topped the list of cities and counties that accounted for at least half of new US syphilis cases in 2001. The numbers went up in 2002, but they are now declining. Ther
Food Pantry Helps Those with HIV: Newsday (New York, N.Y.) (10.12.03) - Thursday, October 16, 2003; Tomoeh Murakami Tse; Not long after learning her son was HIV-positive, Delores Edmonston began inviting others affected by the disease to their Freeport, N.Y., home for nutritious meals. While mom fixed things in the kitchen, I made referral calls to medical and health services, said Dale Anthony Edmonston, 40, who was diagnosed with HIV 1
Sims Praises AIDS/HIV Manifesto: Seattle Post-Intelligencer (10.16.03) - Thursday, October 16, 2003; Julie Davidow; King County Executive Ron Sims added his name yesterday to an HIV/AIDS prevention manifesto issued last week by a 40-member task force of public health and gay community leaders. The declaration emphasizes personal choice and responsibility as the path to halting the rising HIV infection rate in King County. If we are
Challenges Facing Health Professionals Caring for HIV-Infected Drug Users: AIDS Patient Care and STDs (07.03) Vol. 17; No. 7: P.333- 343 - Thursday, October 16, 2003; Joseph Inungu, MD, DrPH; Eileen Malone Beach, PhD: Reid Skeel, PhD; While sex is the most common way of transmitting HIV globally, injection drug use represents a growing mode of transmission. Since injection drug use is a more efficient method of spreading HIV than sexual intercourse, HIV epidemics among IDUs have a potential for rapid spread of the virus within the IDU community and
South Africa Struggles to Build AIDS Program: Uphill Fight Against Scope, Poverty, Cultural Factors: Baltimore Sun (10.14.03) - Thursday, October 16, 2003; John Murphy; With an estimated 5.3 million HIV-positive people, South Africa faces the challenge of creating the largest national antiretroviral treatment program in the world. Six hundred South Africans die of AIDS-related complications daily. To meet the mammoth demands of a program that activists expect the government to approve
Machines Replacing People Due to AIDS: Star (South Africa) (10.16.03) - Thursday, October 16, 2003; Lynne Altenroxel; Demographers attending the Joint Population Conference in Potchefstroom, South Africa , yesterday were told that companies are adapting to the HIV epidemic by replacing employees with machines to avoid the costs of absenteeism and paying out pensions to the families of employees who die young. A machine works 24 hours
Experts Paint Bleak HIV Scene in South: Post and Courier (Charleston, S.C.) (10.16.03) - Thursday, October 16, 2003; Lynne Langley; In the region with the largest number of people living with HIV, South Carolina ranks eighth in the nation for HIV incidence, up from 12th five years ago. Comprising about one- third of South Carolina s population, blacks account for a disproportionate 78 percent of newly diagnosed cases of HIV. And HIV among heterosex
US and Britain Look to Slow Pace of Spending on AIDS: Boston Globe (10.15.03) - Thursday, October 16, 2003; John Donnelly; The Bush administration and the British government are pushing for a slowdown in spending by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. The debate will take place at a closed meeting of the Global Fund in Thailand this week, and its impact could be far-reaching, officials said Tuesday. In three rounds of funding, t
AIDS Walk Atlanta: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (10.15.03) - Wednesday, October 15, 2003; Betty Parham; The 13th annual AIDS Walk Atlanta, taking place this Sunday in Piedmont Park, will benefit AID Atlanta and 16 other metro area HIV/AIDS service organizations. Sign-in begins at 12:30 p.m., followed by an opening ceremony at 1:15 and the walk at 2. Walkers can register at www.aidswalk.net. Donors can also sponsor walker
Four Students Test Positive for Exposure to TB: Florida Times-Union (10.14.03) - Wednesday, October 15, 2003; Cynthia L. Garza; Four Duval County, Fla., students have tested positive for exposure to tuberculosis. They were among 150 screened after a First Student bus driver was diagnosed last week with an active case of the disease. It doesn t mean [the four] students have TB, it only means they have been exposed to it, said county Health Depar
Davis Ends on Signing Spree: San Jose Mercury News (10.14.03) - Wednesday, October 15, 2003; Ann E. Marimow; Over the weekend, recalled California Gov. Gray Davis vetoed a bill by state Sen. John Vasconcellos (D-San Jose) that would have allowed adults to buy syringes from pharmacies without a prescription. California is one of five states that require adults to have a prescription to buy syringes. It was the second year Davi
HIV/AIDS Service Facility Growing, in Need of Funds: Desert Sun (Palm Springs, Calif.) (10.10.03) - Wednesday, October 15, 2003; Kimberly Trone; Working Wonders, an organization dedicated to women, children and families affected by HIV/AIDS, celebrated its move to a new building on Oct. 9. Evelyn Hernandez Valentino, who was diagnosed with AIDS as a newlywed at age 29, started the group almost three years ago in her Cathedral City home. Valentino, who has been
3 of 4 in Study Hide HIV Status; Casual Sex Partners Often Left Unaware: Times-Picayune (New Orleans) (09.16.03) - Wednesday, October 15, 2003; John Pope; Scientists at Tulane University s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and CDC found that roughly three out of four people with HIV hide the fact from casual sex partners. By keeping quiet about their infections, they are putting many people at risk of contracting HIV, the researchers wrote. It s really scary
HIV/AIDS Public Health: Novel HIV Case Definition Improves Diagnosis of Children in Developing Areas: AIDS Weekly (09.15.03) - Wednesday, October 15, 2003; Scientists in the Netherlands evaluated the World Health Organization s clinical case definition for pediatric HIV infection, designed for use in countries where diagnostic laboratory resources are limited. C.L. Vangend and colleagues at the University of Groningen Hospital recorded clinical data from children admitted
Pollution a Key Factor for High TB Rate in Hong Kong: Standard (Hong Kong) (10.13.03) - Wednesday, October 15, 2003; Teddy Ng; Hong Kong has a higher rate of tuberculosis than any other city in the developed world because of its high population density and pollution, according to medical experts. Hong Kong has 6,000-7,000 cases annually, according to the Department of Health. Twenty to 30 new cases are reported daily.
Not Just Another Pretty Face: Newsweek (10.13.03) - Wednesday, October 15, 2003; Sarah Schafer; In China , prostitution has become so widespread that even members of the educated elite are getting into the oldest profession. Today, more than 10 million prostitutes work in China. Many do not always use condoms and are ignorant of how HIV/AIDS is transmitted. China s Communist Party all but wiped out the sex trade
The Epicenter of an Epidemic: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (10.15.03) - Wednesday, October 15, 2003; Julie Chao; In pilot programs, Chinese authorities recently began distributing free antiretroviral drugs in 51 counties in 11 provinces to thousands of poor farmers who sold their blood under unsanitary conditions in government-backed schemes in the 1990s. It s a huge attitudinal shift, said Ray Yip, director of CDC s AIDS program
AIDS Fighters: CDC Helps China Curb Spread of Deadly Disease: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (10.15.03) - Wednesday, October 15, 2003; Julie Chao; CDC has named Taiwan-born health expert Ray Yip director of a new program to stem the spread of AIDS in China. With an initial budget of $3 million, the China program is CDC s response to requests for assistance from the Chinese Ministry of Health and reports from a CDC team sent to the country in 2001 to assess the AI
Aided by Silence, HIV Grows Among Latinos: Dallas Morning News (10.14.03) - Wednesday, October 15, 2003; Ernesto Londono; Nationwide, blacks have contracted HIV/AIDS faster than Hispanics or Anglos. But in 2001-2002 in Texas, HIV spread faster among Hispanics than blacks. Texas recorded 1,033 new HIV cases among Hispanics in 2002 - up 25 percent from the year before. Between 1999 and 2002, state HIV cases among Hispanic women rose 63 perc
HIV/AIDS in Latinos on Rise: Shreveport Times (10.13.03) - Tuesday, October 14, 2003; Hispanic people made up 3 percent of Louisiana s HIV/AIDS cases in 2001, up from 2 percent in 2000. Rising HIV/AIDS cases among Latinos/Latinas nationwide have spurred national Latino AIDS Awareness Day on Wednesday, Oct. 15. Shreveport s Philadelphia Center, 2020 Centenary Blvd., will hold an open house Wednesday so t
Grenada: Government Program Trains Youths How to Avoid HIV Infection: Associated Press (10.13.03) - Tuesday, October 14, 2003; Grenada s government has launched a program to train Grenadian youths in how unsafe sex and drug use can lead to HIV infection, officials announced Monday. Some 150 youths are participating in 21-day training seminars held by the Grenadian Red Cross, according to Dianne Roberts, project coordinator of the country s you
Conference in South Africa Seeks to Use Internet to Fight AIDS: Xinhua News Agency (10.13.03) - Tuesday, October 14, 2003; Monday in Johannesburg, the three-day Helina Conference on Information Technology and HIV/AIDS opened. International IT professionals, scientists and researchers are meeting to discuss ways to use communication and information technology in the fight against the pandemic. David Rind, a doctor with Harvard Medical Inter
FDA Approves Schering Drug for Hepatitis C: New York Times (10.14.03) - Tuesday, October 14, 2003; Yesterday, Schering-Plough Corporation said it had received Food and Drug Administration approval for a prefilled penlike syringe that administers a drug for chronic hepatitis C. The device, the PEG-Intron Redipen, was designed to be simpler to use than a traditional vial and syringe. Schering-Plough, based in Kenilwor
Student Leadership in Public Health Advocacy: Lessons Learned from the Hepatitis B Initiative: American Journal of Public Health (08.03) Vol. 93; No. 8:P. 1250- 1252 - Tuesday, October 14, 2003; Leslie D. Hsu, MS; William DeJong, PhD; Renee Hsia, AB; Michael Chang, BS; Marvin Ryou, BA; Ellen Yeh, BA; Although Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders represent only 4 percent of the US population, they account for 50 percent of the 1.25 million chronic hepatitis B cases, according to the current study. Pacific Islanders are up to 13 times more likely to die from liver cancer than whites; Chinese Americans have a six-times g
Premarital AIDS Tests Popular in Cambodia, Showing Fruits of Efforts: Xinhua News Agency (10.13.03) - Tuesday, October 14, 2003; Zhang Ruiling Lei Bosong; More young Cambodian couples are opting to take an HIV test before marrying, according to Institute Pasteur du Cambodge statistics. Premarital HIV testing is very popular and common and has been since the beginning when the institute opened in 1995, said Philippe Glaziou, a researcher at the institute, which offers fre
AIDS Patients in Zambia Face Stark Choices: New York Times (10.11.03) - Tuesday, October 14, 2003; Sharon LaFraniere; After two decades of HIV/AIDS, Zambia s government is taking urgent steps, under new President Levy Mwanawasa, to address what health officials call the sixth-worst AIDS epidemic on earth. Nearly one in five Zambian adults has HIV, and 570,000 children are orphans. The latest UN estimate says 120,000 Zambians die of AI
The TB Fight Gets Harder: Newsday (New York, N.Y.) (10.14.03) - Tuesday, October 14, 2003; Laurie Garrett; As the sixth child of 13 born to a Lusaka, Zambia , family, Winstone Zulu has witnessed firsthand the grip HIV and tuberculosis have on his country: Only he and five siblings remain alive today, and his parents are raising 18 orphaned grandchildren. Crippled by a childhood bout with polio, Zulu himself contracted HIV i
Red Cross Condemns Rich Nations for Reneging on Global Fund Promises: Agence France Presse (10.13.03) - Tuesday, October 14, 2003; On Monday, the Red Cross condemned the world s wealthiest nations for failing to contribute the billions of dollars necessary to run the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The Global Fund is facing, once again, a fiscal emergency because donor countries have refused to pay their fair share and commit
India to Get More Funds to Fight AIDS: Wall Street Journal (10.14.03) - Tuesday, October 14, 2003; Marilyn Chase; Yesterday in New Delhi, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced it would double its commitment to fighting AIDS in India to $200 million. Last year, Bill Gates visited India and pledged $100 million to fight the disease on the subcontinent. A 2002 National Intelligence Council report to the Central Intelligence
State Fears Malpractice Insurer Won't Stick with Hepatitis Lawsuits: Associated Press (10.09.03) - Tuesday, October 14, 2003; Kevin O'Hanlon; Nebraska Department of Insurance officials are worried that a medical malpractice insurance company might try to get out of paying claims that could arise from the Fremont hepatitis C outbreak. The department has asked a judge to rule that Medical Protective Co. (MPC) must defend Dr. Tahir Javed, who is accused of usin
Workers Say State Should Have Done More to Prevent Infection: Associated Press (10.12.03) - Tuesday, October 14, 2003; Three retired prison employees infected with hepatitis C maintain the Michigan Department of Corrections has long known that HCV has spread among inmates, but has not warned workers of infection risks. The retired workers - Dee Reeder, a captain at Riverside Correctional Facility in Ionia; Carol Lee Williford-Hoy, a gu
Getting Involved: Action Plan Sought for AIDS Prevention: Seattle Post-Intelligencer (10.13.03) - Monday, October 13, 2003; Brad Wong; Following Seattle s recent forum about the increasing number of HIV cases among gay and bisexual men, Gay City Health Project will hold another town hall meeting tonight at 7 p.m. at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center, 1115 E. Pike St. GCHP will take suggestions on curbing the spread of AIDS, p
AIDS Walk Raises More Than $500,000 Despite Blustery Weather: Associated Press (10.13.03) - Monday, October 13, 2003; In Seattle Sunday, about 2,500 participants braved windy, rainy weather to raise more than $500,000 in the city s annual AIDS Walk. The five-mile walk is the biggest fundraiser for the Lifelong AIDS Alliance, which provides nutrition, counseling, housing, transportation, education and emergency assistance for 8,400 AID
Emory Science Team Receives $200,000 to Make HIV Measuring Tools Affordable for Poor Countries: Associated Press (10.11.03) - Monday, October 13, 2003; The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation has awarded an Emory University science team about $200,000 to develop medical tools to care for AIDS patients in countries lacking medical resources. Researchers will work with Ethiopian AIDS researchers to simplify and reconfigure commonly used tests to make them more affordable f
500 to Attend Conference on HIV: Post and Courier (Charleston, S.C.) (10.12.03) - Monday, October 13, 2003; About 500 people are expected to gather in North Charleston for the 2003 South Carolina HIV/STD Conference this Wednesday through Friday at the Embassy Suites Hotel Charleston Convention Center. The conference will feature several keynote speakers and a large number of concurrent sessions on new developments in HIV and
Patterns of Adherence to Antiretroviral Medications: The Value of Electronic Monitoring: AIDS (08.15.03) Vol. 17; No. 12: P.1763-1767 - Monday, October 13, 2003; JoCarol J. McNabb; David P. Nicolau; Julie A. Stoner; Jack Ross; The authors conducted a prospective, observational, three- month study of adherence to antiretroviral therapy in 40 HIV- positive subjects at an inner-city clinic between February 1999 and August 1999. They monitored HAART adherence using medication event monitoring system (MEMS) caps on each medication in the regimen,
AIDS Funds 'Missing Target': Namibian (10.09.03) - Monday, October 13, 2003; Tangeni Amupadhi; HIV/AIDS patients in Namibia may be losing out as the number of community-based and nongovernmental organizations representing them continues to increase. Umbrella organizations worry that as a result, funds rarely filter down to remote parts of the country where a large proportion of HIV/AIDS patients live. With h
India Must Act Quickly to Avoid Full Blown Emergency on AIDS Front: Associated Press (10.13.03) - Monday, October 13, 2003; Ashok Sharma; If India does not educate its 1 billion people about HIV/AIDS, millions of people will be infected and every infected person will die, even with treatment, Richard Holbrooke, head of the Global Business Coalition for HIV/AIDS, said Monday at a New Delhi conference organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry. Thi
One-Third of British Columbia Residents Who Died of HIV Causes Didn't Get Treatment: Vancouver Sun (10.09.03) - Monday, October 13, 2003; Canadian Press; One-third of British Columbia residents who died of HIV- related causes did not access life-saving treatment, according to a new study by researchers at the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS. People who did not get treatment - although drugs are free - were most likely First Nations, female, poor and/or living in
Cardinal's Comments on AIDS and Condoms Draw Criticism from UN Health Agency: Associated Press (10.10.03) - Monday, October 13, 2003; Tom Rachman; On Friday, World Health Organization spokesperson Fadela Chaib criticized as totally wrong a top Vatican cardinal s claim that condoms do not protect against HIV. Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, head of the Pontifical Council for the Family, told the documentary Panorama - Sex and the Holy City that HIV is small enou
Africa to Get Lion's Share of Bush's AIDS Pledge: US Official: Agence France Presse (10.10.03) - Monday, October 13, 2003; Randall Tobias said in Botswana s capital Gaborone on Friday that Africa is to receive the bulk of President Bush s $15 billion pledge to fight HIV/AIDS. Tobias, appointed by Bush in July to coordinate the US global effort to fight AIDS, said he selected Botswana - with an adult HIV infection rate near 40 percent - to
New Needle Exchange Bill Vetoed: Sacramento Bee (10.12.03) - Monday, October 13, 2003; Jim Sanders; On Saturday, Gov. Gray Davis vetoed legislation to make it easier for California cities and counties to develop needle exchange programs for intravenous drug users. With more than 200 bills pending action over the weekend, Davis signed nine measures and vetoed five including the needle exchange proposal, AB 946. Davis
New Law Requires That HIV Test Be Offered to Pregnant Women: Los Angeles Times (10.11.03) - Monday, October 13, 2003; Steve Hymon; On Friday, outgoing Gov. Gray Davis signed a bill requiring that all pregnant women in California be offered an HIV test. Written by Assemblymember John Dutra (D-Fremont), the bill was supported by health advocates who say the testing will lead to less mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Under the new law, doctors wil
100 TAC Leaders Die in Four Months: Mail & Guardian (South Africa) (10.09.03) - Friday, October 10, 2003; Zackie Achmat, chair of South Africa s Treatment Action Campaign, said the drug activist organization lost 100 of its leaders to AIDS between March 20 and July 31, 2003. Most of those who died were women under age 24, he told Pretoria Technikon students after accepting a communicator of the year award. Only one of the
Chlamydia Cases Rise by Nearly 200: Frontiersman (Wasilla, Alaska) (10.03.03) - Friday, October 10, 2003; Jen Ransom; Of all infectious diseases in Alaska, chlamydia again ranks the highest - up from 1,753 cases in 2002 to 1,937 in 2003, from January to June - according to the 2003 semi-annual report by the state Division of Public Health Section of Epidemiology. Also noted in the report were 493 cases of hepatitis C (representing pre
Tanox's HIV Drug Is Put on Fast Track by Regulators: Associated Press (10.09.03) - Friday, October 10, 2003; Houston-based Tanox Inc. said Thursday that its experimental HIV drug was granted fast track status by the Food and Drug Administration. The drug, TNX-355, is designed to help HIV patients who do not benefit from standard medication. Unlike other HIV drugs, TNX-355 works by blocking the spot on blood cells where HIV no
Human Rights Group Says Chinese Health Official Who Publicized AIDS Scandal Might Still Be Awaiting Verdict: Associated Press (10.09.03) - Friday, October 10, 2003; US-based Human Rights Watch said Thursday that a Chinese health official, who reportedly was sentenced to prison for publicizing a report about unsanitary blood-selling in Henan, China , might still be awaiting trial. The group had said Tuesday that the Henan health department official, Ma Shiwen, was convicted of disc
No-Sex Education; Newark Schools to Try Abstinence-Only Course: Record (Bergen County, N.J.) (10.06.03) - Friday, October 10, 2003; Ruth Padawer; Next month, Newark public schools plan to roll out a sex education program for ninth-graders that will only teach abstinence, without mentioning condoms or other contraception. And as a departure from most sex-ed classes in New Jersey public schools, the new program will urge students to sign a promise of chastity to b
Agency Found to Administer AIDS Grant Funds: Virginian-Pilot (10.10.03) - Friday, October 10, 2003; Liz Szabo; Norfolk, Va., expects to hand over management of a federal AIDS treatment grant to the Planning Council, a private, nonprofit human services provider, officials said Thursday. The city s search for an outside agency to administer its Ryan White funds began this spring after years of complaints. Norfolk has one of the w
Uncircumcised Men Have Higher HIV Risk - Study: Reuters (10.10.03) - Friday, October 10, 2003; Circumcised male patients had an eight-fold reduction in HIV-1 risk compared to uncircumcised patients in a study of 2,300 men at three STD clinics in Pune, India , released on Thursday. The incidence of diseases such as syphilis, gonorrhea and genital herpes was slightly higher among uncircumcised men, but the dif
Study: AIDS Drugs After Birth Block Infection: Reuters (10.10.03) - Friday, October 10, 2003; Doctors at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore found that giving nevirapine and AZT to newborn babies of HIV-positive mothers reduces mother-to-child transmission of the disease by 36 percent. Normally, pregnant HIV-positive women receive treatment during pregnancy, and their babies are
Keeping Lesbians in the Loop for Pap Smears: Sydney Morning Herald (09.25.03) - Friday, October 10, 2003; Ruth Pollard; Current Australian medical guidelines recommend that women ages 18-70 should have a Pap smear every two years to detect early warning signs of cervical cancer. A recent study concludes that non- heterosexual women access screening less frequently, delay treatment and are less likely to have a regular general practition
Traffickers Thrive Selling Young Nepalese Girls to Brothels in Neighboring India: Associated Press (10.07.03) - Friday, October 10, 2003; Beth Duff-Brown; In 1993, Anuradha Koirala, a former schoolteacher and government minister, founded Maiti Nepal , an activist group that rescues and rehabilitates Nepalese women sold into Indian brothels. In 1992, Nepalese officials estimated that 200,000 Nepalese women and girls - some as young as seven - were working in Indian brothe
State Considers Cuts to AIDS Program: Southern Voice (Atlanta) (10.10.03) - Friday, October 10, 2003; Ryan Lee; The board of Georgia s Department of Human Resources will meet October 15 to consider cutting the state s AIDS Drug Assistance Program s $13.88 million budget by $1.5 million in 2004 - a reduction of almost 11 percent. If approved, the cut will force ADAP to remove at least 438 of its 4,545 clients in fiscal year 2004.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases Up by 10 Percent: Irish Examiner (10.07.03) - Thursday, October 09, 2003; According to figures released by Ireland s National Disease Surveillance Centre, the number of people who contracted an STD jumped by 9.4 percent in 2001. This included increases in hepatitis B, genital herpes , chlamydia and gonorrhea, and a significant increase in syphilis. NDSC s Dr. Mary Cronin is appealing to sexu
A Look Ahead: Seattle Times (10.08.03) - Thursday, October 09, 2003; Dr. Robert Scott, co-founder of the AIDS Project of the East Bay in Northern California and the first African-American AIDS physician licensed to practice in Zimbabwe , will speak to Seattle area African-American clergy and community leaders about issues surrounding HIV/AIDS in the African-American community. The publi
Smugglers Selling Dubious AIDS Drugs in Ethiopia: Officials: Agence France Presse (10.07.03) - Thursday, October 09, 2003; Ethiopian authorities have warned the public against buying illegally imported concoctions that smugglers are passing off as antiretroviral drugs. Illegally imported drugs of unauthorized quality and unpredictable effects are currently under distribution in the name of antiretrovirals [ARVs], said Haileselassie Bihon,
HIV-Positive Stroke Patient Enters Nursing Home Near Home: Associated Press (10.08.03) - Thursday, October 09, 2003; A nursing home that had rejected a stroke patient with HIV has accepted him, so the gay rights group Lambda Legal Defense & Education Fund plans to drop a federal discrimination complaint against it. Cecil Little, 50, who had been forced to live in a nursing home 80 miles from his family in the Kentwood, La., area,
Teen Project Aims to Halt HIV-AIDS: Toledo Blade (10.06.03) - Thursday, October 09, 2003; Clyde Hughes; When Jesse Torrence discovered that Lucas County, Ohio, had the highest HIV/AIDS infection rate among people in their 20s statewide - hitting many in the Latino and African-American communities - the 23-year-old Monclova Township native decided to do something about it. Using a $35,000 grant from the Toledo-Lucas Count
Tuberculosis Concerns Are Exaggerated, Night Shelter and Health Officials Maintain: Fort Worth Star-Telegram (10.09.03) - Thursday, October 09, 2003; Peyton D. Woodson; Presbyterian Night Shelter volunteers, tour groups and at least one vendor have become hesitant to visit the facility after learning the results of yearlong mandatory tuberculosis testing for shelter residents. Shelter employees and county health officials said the fears are exaggerated and that positive TB cases remai
AEF Removes Client Caps: Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) (10.02.03) - Thursday, October 09, 2003; Matthew S. Bajko; After capping the number of people who could access its services last January, San Francisco s AIDS Emergency Fund has reversed course. AEF announced that effective Oct. 1, clients who were denied renewed assistance from Jan. 1 to Sept. 30 this year could reapply for assistance if they meet all other eligibility guidel
Manifesto Calls for Safer Sex to Curb Rise in HIV: Seattle Times (10.08.03) - Thursday, October 09, 2003; Warren King; A 40-member task force comprising HIV-prevention workers, AIDS service organization representatives, public health employees and gay community activists released a strongly worded manifesto on October 7, encouraging gay and bisexual men to behave more responsibly and make greater efforts to stop a steady increase in HI
Viral Hepatitis: Chronic Hepatitis B Therapy Flare Fails Due to Hepatitis D Coinfection: Hepatitis Weekly (09.08.03) - Thursday, October 09, 2003; Researchers in Japan recommended that physicians should consider coinfection with hepatitis delta virus a possibility in cases of hepatitis B in which lamivudine therapy does not improve liver injury. In 1997, a 27-year-old homosexual man contracted acute hepatitis B that developed into chronic hepatitis, R. Joh and c
Mortality in the Swiss Cohort Study (SHCS) and the Swiss General Population: Lancet (09.13.03) Vol. 362; No. 9387:P. 877-78 - Thursday, October 09, 2003; Christian Jaggy; Jan von Overbeck; Bruno Ledergerber; Claude Schwarz; Matthias Egger; Martin Rickenbach; Hans-Jakob Furrer; Amalio Telenti; Manuel Battegay; Markus Flepp; Pietro Vernazza; Enos Bernasconi; Bernard Hirschel; Swiss HIV Cohort Study; Because of high HIV/AIDS death rates in the past, before the advent of HAART, HIV-1-infected patients cannot obtain life insurance. The present study measured mortality rates in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study (SHCS)- an ongoing study of HIV- positive patients from seven large hospitals in Switzerland , with follow-
Doctor Helps Troubled Girls in Roppongi: Daily Yomiuri (Tokyo) (10.04.03) - Thursday, October 09, 2003; Mami Tsukahara; There are too many girls who don t realize the kind of tragedies that can result from unprotected sex, such as sexually transmitted diseases, AIDS and unwanted pregnancies, said Tsuneo Akaeda, a 59-year-old obstetrician and gynecologist who has operated a clinic in Tokyo s Roppongi area since 1977. Akaeda began offeri
Catholic Churches Say Condoms Don't Stop AIDS - BBC: Reuters (10.09.03) - Thursday, October 09, 2003; A British TV program is reporting that the lives of Roman Catholics in some of the countries worst-hit by AIDS are being put at greater risk by advice from their churches that condoms do not prevent transmission of HIV. The Roman Catholic Church opposes any form of artificial contraception, particularly condoms, which
HMO Approves Kidney Transplant for HIV Patient: Associated Press (10.08.03) - Thursday, October 09, 2003; Dan D'Ambrosio; Kaiser Permanente - one of the largest US health maintenance organizations - approved a kidney transplant for a Denver man with HIV on Wednesday, reversing an earlier decision. In September, Kaiser had rejected John Carl s request for a new kidney, calling a transplant on someone with HIV or AIDS too risky because drug
Radio Program to Spread Message on STDs: Ledger (Lakeland, Fla.) (10.06.03) - Wednesday, October 08, 2003; Margarita Martin-Hidalgo; Spanish-speaking residents of Polk County, Fla., tuning in to local radio station WSIR this Thursday evening will get an earful about HIV and other STDs. County Health Department officials hope to reach as many people as possible - particularly Polk s farm workers - by taking their prevention messages to the airwaves i
Meharry Receives $27 Million in Federal Grants: Associated Press (10.03.03) - Wednesday, October 08, 2003; The National Institutes of Health recently awarded $27 million in grants to Meharry Medical College of Nashville, Tenn., to foster research of racial health disparities, the college announced on Oct. 2. Among the grants, $7.7 million goes to create a center and recruit scientists to study HIV/AIDS health disparities. T
AIDS Killed 222,000 in China in the First Six Months of 2003: Agence France Presse (10.04.03) - Wednesday, October 08, 2003; Citing Ministry of Health data, China s state-controlled Beijing Youth Daily reported Saturday that AIDS killed 222,000 people in the nation during the past year, and the number of AIDS patients rose 140 percent. The official number of HIV- positive people also rose in the first six months to 840,000, up 20.3 percent y
US, Mexico Back Canada on Plan to Export Cheap AIDS Drugs: Agence France Presse (10.08.03) - Wednesday, October 08, 2003; On Tuesday, the United States and Mexico gave support to Canada for its plan to alter its legislation to allow exports of generic AIDS drugs to developing nations. Canadian Trade Minister Pierre Pettigrew met in Montreal with his American and Mexican counterparts, Robert Zoellick and Fernando Canales, and assu
HIV Help Gap Plugged: Melbourne/Yarra Leader (Australia) (10.06.03) - Wednesday, October 08, 2003; Rachel Kleinman; In two months, Victoria s first multicultural HIV/AIDS service will open. The $360,000 service, based at the North Richmond Community Health Centre, will treat Thai, Vietnamese, Arabic and African people with HIV, other STDs and hepatitis C. The community center and Prahran s Alfred Hospital, which specializes in AIDS-
Shelter Had 25 Active TB Cases in Past Year: Fort Worth Star-Telegram (10.06.03) - Wednesday, October 08, 2003; Peyton D. Woodson; Twenty-five cases of tuberculosis have been diagnosed among residents at the Presbyterian Night Shelter since Fort Worth County health officials began screening for the disease in 2002, the first time mandatory tests were given at a county shelter. More than 1,700 chest X-rays have been taken since September 2002, acco
Shanti Hopes Layoffs Will Avoid Budget Crisis: Bay Area Reporter (10.02.03) - Wednesday, October 08, 2003; Matthew S. Bajko; Shanti, a San Francisco AIDS agency, is laying off nearly a dozen employees and instituting a restructuring plan in an effort to head off a budget crisis. The two-year restructuring plan, according the agency, will consolidate parallel functions and modernize fiscal and administrative systems to create sustaining opera
Immunology: Biologist Finds HIV Gene Makes a Human Gene Turn Bad: AIDS Weekly (09.08.03) - Wednesday, October 08, 2003; A recent study by researchers in New York and Utah discovered how a gene in the AIDS virus hijacks a human gene that normally prevents the replication of damaged cells. The new study puts us a big step closer to understanding how HIV dismantles the immune system, said molecular biologist Vicente Planelles, associate pr
HIV/AIDS Therapy: Anti-Nerve Growth Factor Antibody Shows Promise for HIV Control: AIDS Weekly (09.15.03) - Wednesday, October 08, 2003; Infection by HIV-1 causes persistent, long-term high virus production in macrophages, E. Garaci and coauthors at the University of Rome Tor Vergeta wrote in a recent research report. Major evidence, both in humans and in primate models, shows the crucial role of macrophages in sustaining virus production and in mediat
A Fifth of South Africa's Military Infected with HIV; Minister Says He's Not Alarmed: Associated Press (10.07.03) - Wednesday, October 08, 2003; Elliott Sylvester; On Tuesday, South African Defense Minister Mosiuoa Lekota said that at least one-fifth of his nation s military is infected with HIV, but he dismissed concerns about any impact the disease may have on the armed forces. Lekota said 20-22 percent of the military is infected with HIV, a figure in line with earlier finding
'Urgent' Attention to World's Youth Needed to Curb Poverty, AIDS: UN: Agence France Presse (10.08.03) - Wednesday, October 08, 2003; If countries want to break the cycle of AIDS and poverty, then meeting the needs of the world s 1.2 billion adolescents, especially in terms of sex education, will be an urgent priority, said a UN Population Fund report released today. Nearly half of all people are under the age of 25. About 20 percent are adolescents
Group Seeks Injunction Over Requiring Reports of Minors' Sex: Associated Press (10.07.03) - Wednesday, October 08, 2003; In a class-action lawsuit filed Monday in US District Court in Wichita, health care workers and other youth counselors asked a judge to bar enforcement of a Kansas law requiring them to report the sexual activity of persons under age 16 as evidence of child abuse. A June opinion by Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline l
2nd Public Session on HIV Infection Rate: Seattle Post-Intelligencer (10.03.03) - Tuesday, October 07, 2003; Following a well-attended Town Hall meeting last month, Gay City Health Project will host a second gathering to encourage discussion about increasing rates of HIV infection in King County. More than 250 people went to the first meeting, where public health experts led a panel discussion. Organizers say the second meeti
Bill Would Allow More HIV Tests: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (10.01.03) - Tuesday, October 07, 2003; Steven Walters; On Oct. 1, the Wisconsin Senate voted to add teachers, school district employees and social workers to the list of medical and emergency personnel who can have blood they come in contact with on the job tested for HIV. Senators supporting the bill said more professionals should be able to require that blood be tested t
Ukraine Gets US$6 Million from UN Fund to Fight AIDS: Associated Press (10.04.03) - Tuesday, October 07, 2003; Ukraine has received $6 million from the UN Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. It is the former Soviet republic s second infusion of funding from the agency, and it will be used primarily to buy medicine for some 6,000 patients with HIV/AIDS, according to the Health Ministry. Ukraine has the fastest-growing i
Anglo American to Fund AIDS Fight: Financial Times (10.07.03) - Tuesday, October 07, 2003; John Reed; South African mining giant Anglo American has announced an initiative to fight HIV/AIDS in communities where it does business. The project is believed to be the first big effort by a South African company to extend HIV/AIDS programs for employees into surrounding communities. CEO Tony Trahar said Monday that Anglo woul
Trends and Measurement of HIV Prevalence in Northern Malawi: AIDS (08.15.03) Vol. 17; No. 12: P. 1817-1825 - Tuesday, October 07, 2003; Amelia C. Crampin; Judith R. Glynn; Bagrey M.M. Ngwira; Frank D. Mwaungulu; J�rg M. P�nninghaus; David K. Warndorff; Paul E.M. Fine; Most data on HIV prevalence in Malawi come from antenatal clinic (ANC) surveillance, so they are subject to bias. Since HIV is associated both directly and indirectly with lower fertility, ANC sources tend to underestimate HIV prevalence. Pregnant women who attend an ANC, especially the larger clinics where most survei
Virus Starts to Hit the Shopfloor: Financial Times (United Kingdom) (10.06.03) - Tuesday, October 07, 2003; John Reed; The AIDS pandemic is beginning to hit home for South African businesses, as more HIV-infected workers become ill with AIDS. Nearly 5 million of South Africa s 44 million people are HIV- positive. Those infected are mostly young and middle-aged, and their illness disproportionately affects the workforce. Companies are r
South Africans Pin Hopes on AIDS Project; Government Likely to Fund Treatment: Chicago Tribune (10.06.03) - Tuesday, October 07, 2003; Laurie Goering; Last week, a national AIDS task force presented a proposed countrywide treatment plan to South Africa s Cabinet, which is expected to turn the plan over to the nation s legislature this month for approval. Doctors and activists hope distribution of the first government-provided antiretrovirals could begin by November o
US, Mexico Could Block Ottawa's Plan to Export AIDS Drugs to Poor Countries: Canadian Press (10.07.03) - Tuesday, October 07, 2003; Today, Canada s government will seek assurances from Mexico and the United States that they will not use the North American Free Trade Agreement to obstruct Ottawa s plan to allow Canadian companies to export generic AIDS drugs to poor countries, the Globe and Mail reported. Senior officials said Monday that Intern
Human Rights Watch: Chinese Official Jailed for Distributing Information on AIDS Scandal: Associated Press (10.06.03) - Tuesday, October 07, 2003; Ted Anthony; Human Rights Watch is demanding that China release Ma Shiwen, a health official reportedly convicted of circulating a restricted government report on the blood selling practices that spread AIDS in China s Henan province. The report blamed national authorities for the scandal, which involved dealers in the 1990s buying
'Bush Bashing' Spoils AIDS Conference: Washington Times (10.07.03) - Tuesday, October 07, 2003; Robert Stacy McCain; Last month s US Conference on AIDS in New Orleans, which was sponsored in part by nine federal agencies, was marred by Bush bashing, according to David Miller, a founding member of ACT- UP/New York. It was extremely graphic, Miller said of a song performed by singer-actress Jenifer Lewis during the closing plenary lunc
Those with Hepatitis C Still Face Long Odds: New York Times (10.07.03) - Tuesday, October 07, 2003; Jane E. Brody; There is finally some good news to report about hepatitis C, the debilitating liver disease that has infected 4 million Americans and 170 million people worldwide. New cases of HCV have declined 80 percent since the virus was identified in 1988 and blood banks began screening for contaminated donations four years later
WVU Gets Funding for AIDS Prevention and Care: Associated Press (10.02.03) - Monday, October 06, 2003; West Virginia University has received a $450,000 federal grant to help treat low-income HIV/AIDS patients and those at- risk. The grant, one of 27 nationwide totaling more than $10.9 million, came through the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act. The funds can be applied to counseling, testing, medical
Former Health Official Freed Without Bail: San Francisco Chronicle (10.03.03) - Monday, October 06, 2003; Jaxon Van Derbeken; On Thursday, San Francisco Judge Kay Tsenin freed former city Health Commissioner Ronald Hill from jail without bail on a supervised release program on the condition that he not use sex personal sites on the Internet. Hill was arrested last month after a grand jury indicted him for allegedly engaging in a pattern of so
Davis Signs Bills: Los Angeles Times (10.03.03) - Monday, October 06, 2003; Evan Halper; Among the several bills signed by California Gov. Gray Davis during the run-up to the state s recall election were a provision protecting hospitalized females and a measure standardizing sex education. The first legislation bans teaching hospitals from performing invasive pelvic exams on women unconscious in hospital b
Senate Confirms Tobias as White House AIDS Coordinator: Associated Press (10.03.03) - Monday, October 06, 2003; By a voice vote on Friday, the Senate confirmed Randall Tobias to be the White House s coordinator in the international battle against AIDS. The former CEO of Eli Lilly & Co. will coordinate international HIV/AIDS activities for all government departments and agencies, as well as religion- affiliated groups. The US
Killer of Dreams: New York Times (10.04.03) - Monday, October 06, 2003; Nicholas D. Kristof; One of the great mysteries to me about AIDS in Africa has been this: Why do people not take precautions during sex even when they see friends and relatives dying? ...The reasons for reckless promiscuity go beyond hormones, and I came to understand them better near this town of KwaMhlanga in the northeastern part of
AIDS Conference to Discuss Effects on Latinos: Express-Times (New Jersey) (10.06.03) - Monday, October 06, 2003; Nick Falsone; Though Latinos make up less than 20 percent of the population in Bethlehem, Pa., they constituted slightly more than 60 percent of its reported AIDS cases, according to the Bethlehem Health Bureau. In an effort to address that disparity, BHB members have organized the First Annual Latino AIDS Awareness Day Conference,
AIDS Walk Returns to Health: Washington Post (10.05.03) - Monday, October 06, 2003; Carol D. Leonnig; Organizers of Washington s 17th AIDS Walk declared that a strong turnout Saturday shows that the Whitman-Walker Clinic fundraiser has rebounded after two consecutive rough years. Nearly 6,000 people participated in the 5-kilometer walk around Washington s monuments to raise HIV/AIDS awareness and money for WWC, the pri
Prevalence of HIV and Other Sexually Transmitted Infections, and Risk Behaviors in Unregistered Sex Workers in Dakar, Senegal: AIDS (08.15.03) Vol. 17; No. 12: P. 1811-1816 - Monday, October 06, 2003; Christian Laurent; Karim Seck; Ndeye Coumba; Tour� Kane; Ngon� Samb; Abdoulaye Wade; Florian Li�geois; Souleymane Mboup; Ibrahima Ndoye; Eric Delaporte; HIV prevalence in Senegal remains low (about 1.8 percent in the general adult population), but the government has long been concerned with the control of sexually transmitted infections (STI) among female sex workers. Since 1969, the government has officially tolerated prostitution among women over 21 who register and
Lithuania's Government Approves HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Program: Baltic News Service (10.01.03) - Monday, October 06, 2003; According to a Lithuanian government press report issued on October 1, the nation has instituted a National HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Program for 2003-2008. The new program reflects essential priorities in response to a rapidly changing epidemiological situation in Lithuania and neighboring countries, and it exte
AIDS Treatment Plan Targets 3 Million Poor: Boston Globe (10.03.03) - Monday, October 06, 2003; John Donnelly; Officials of the World Health Organization and doctors in Asia and Africa have begun to identify strategies for treating 3 million poor people with complicated AIDS therapies within the next two years, a feat that would be unparalleled in scope in the history of public health. WHO s goal to increase tenfold the number
AIDS Vaccines Still Elusive, But Trials Now Include Humans: Associated Press (10.02.03) - Monday, October 06, 2003; Paul Elias; HIV/AIDS is notoriously successful at beating the human body s immune system. So far, the virus has survived every drug used to combat it. In February 2003, VaxGen Inc. reported that a human vaccine trial involving 5,000 volunteers had failed. Nevertheless, there was reason for optimism at the recent AIDS Vaccine confe
Free Health Clinic to Offer Quick HIV Test to Inner City Neighborhoods: Associated Press (10.01.03) - Friday, October 03, 2003; The Kansas City Free Health Clinic of Kansas City, Mo., plans to buy a specially equipped van to offer quick HIV blood tests for members of racial and ethnic minorities who have been reluctant to seek HIV testing. The program is funded by a $669,000 grant from CDC, as part of three new federal grants totaling approxima
Barbados Launches Anti-AIDS Campaign Targeted at Women: Associated Press (10.01.03) - Friday, October 03, 2003; Barbados has launched a mass media campaign aimed at reducing HIV/AIDS prevalence among women. The campaign began Tuesday with ads appearing on television, radio and newspapers in Barbados. Targeting women between the ages of 20 and 70, the ads use reggae-style jingles, comics and soap operas. Due to their economic,
Get a Life: Fight AIDS One Step at a Time: Dallas Observer (10.02.03) - Friday, October 03, 2003; The AIDS Arms LifeWalk, which will take place in Dallas on Saturday, October 4, needs runners and walkers to collect pledges from sponsors. Now in its 13th year, the LifeWalk raises money to benefit three local organizations - AIDS Services of North Texas, the Dallas Urban League s Health and Human Services Division, a
Malawi Lawmakers Challenged to Get AIDS Test: Associated Press (10.02.03) - Friday, October 03, 2003; In a bid to boost awareness of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Malawi , the Health Committee of the southern African country s parliament proposed Thursday that all lawmakers take HIV tests. We are the ones making laws and therefore crucial in formulating HIV/AIDS policy as such we have to lead by example, said Committee Cha
Panel OKs Ex-Lilly Chief to Head Up AIDS Program: Indianapolis Star (10.03.03) - Friday, October 03, 2003; Randall Tobias won unanimous approval from a Senate committee Thursday to head President Bush s global AIDS initiative. A full Senate could vote on the nomination Friday. If approved, the former head of Eli Lilly and Co. would carry the rank of ambassador and lead the US effort to spend $15 billion over five years to f
HELP Is Now on the Beach - Literally: Miami Herald (10.02.03) - Friday, October 03, 2003; The HIV Education and Law Project, which operated for years in downtown Miami, relocated in July to new offices at 1210 Washington Ave. in Miami Beach. Founded in 1994, the full- service nonprofit legal clinic provides legal help for indigent Miami- Dade residents with HIV/AIDS. We re at the epicenter of the virus here
New Web Site for HIV-Positive Women: Women's Health Weekly (10.02.03) - Friday, October 03, 2003; The Well Project, an initiative by and for women living with HIV/AIDS, has launched a new Web site to serve as a comprehensive woman-specific HIV resource offering the latest information on managing the disease for infected women, health care providers, and advocates. Women are the fastest growing population of newly H
Serving Body and Soul with Music, Games and Art, Magnet Adds a Touch of Fun to Health Checkups: San Francisco Chronicle (09.28.03) - Friday, October 03, 2003; Christopher Heredia; The holistic gay men s health movement is growing, with a handful of health centers in places such as Seattle, Philadelphia and more recently Tucson. Near 18th and Castro streets in San Francisco, Magnet is both a health clinic and social venue, and an example of a gay community movement switching its health concentrat
Project Focuses on Blacks with HIV/AIDS: Times Union (Albany, N.Y.) (10.01.03) - Friday, October 03, 2003; Breea Willingham; Representatives of several Albany, N.Y., community organizations announced Tuesday the formation of Capitalize on Community, a new HIV/AIDS prevention project. The goal of the initiative is to develop and maintain relationships within predominantly black communities to promote HIV/AIDS prevention, as well as raise fund
Bacterial Vaginosis May Heighten the Risk for Acquiring Herpes Simplex Virus-2: Women's Health Weekly (09.18.03) - Friday, October 03, 2003; A study conducted by T.L. Cherpes and colleagues at the University of Pittsburgh, Medical Center, discovered that bacterial vaginosis may heighten the risk of acquiring herpes simplex virus-2. The researchers conducted a longitudinal cohort study of sexually active women ages 18-30 to identify variables associated with
NRTI Emtriva Receives FDA Approval: AIDS Alert (10.01.03) - Friday, October 03, 2003; The Food and Drug Administration based its July approval of Emtriva for use in combination with other antiretroviral agents on data from two 48-week clinical trials. The nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor Emtriva may be considered for antiretroviral treatment-experienced adults 18 and older with HIV strains tha
Bangladeshi Prostitutes Take Up Condom Campaign in Fight Against AIDS: Agence France Presse (09.30.03) - Friday, October 03, 2003; Nadeem Qadir; Despite its porous border with India , Bangladesh has been relatively spared from the HIV/AIDS epidemic. A January 2002 UNAIDS study found Bangladesh had 13,000 people living with HIV; the country s population is 130 million. Some Bangladeshi sex workers have become AIDS activists, distributing condo
Viacom Takes HIV Project to UK: Financial Times (London) (10.01.03) - Friday, October 03, 2003; Tim Burt; Viacom, the world s largest media company that pledged $120 million of advertising space for a US HIV/AIDS awareness campaign, announced on Thursday plans to extend the campaign to Britain, followed by other European countries. Viacom will promote the campaign through outlets including MTV, Paramount, Nickelodeon and S
Women Urged to Take Papillomavirus Test; Procedure Helps Detect Cervical Cancer Risk: Hartford Courant (Connecticut)(10.01.03) - Friday, October 03, 2003; John A. McDonald; A new DNA test for human papillomavirus (HPV) gives doctors an earlier warning than the Pap test that their patients may harbor the virus that causes most cervical cancer. On Tuesday, the American Cancer Society, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Association of Reproductive Health Professi
TB Tests Offered at Two Nappanee Bars After Patron Becomes Ill: Associated Press (10.01.03) - Thursday, October 02, 2003; Health officials offered free tuberculosis tests to patrons and employees of two Nappanee, Ind., bars frequented by a local resident who has developed the disease. Elkhart County Health Department nurses plan to offer skin testing Friday afternoon, October 3, at Duke s Tavern and Hunter s Hideaway in Nappanee, a town a
TB Tests Turning Up Negative in Two Counties: Associated Press (10.01.03) - Thursday, October 02, 2003; More than 60 people from Cass and Grand Forks counties in North Dakota have tested negative for tuberculosis in recent weeks, according to health officials. Those tested had contact with a North Dakota State University student who developed TB in September. Dr. John Baird of the Fargo-Cass Public Health Agency said a f
Officials Suspect Four Poultry Processing Plant Workers Have TB: Associated Press (10.02.03) - Thursday, October 02, 2003; Four workers at a Stillmore, Ga., poultry processing plant probably have active cases of tuberculosis, health officials determined. The workers were sent home. Public health nurse Molly Diggs said the workers chest X-rays suggest active TB, but blood tests will confirm the diagnosis. The workers are among 277 people at
Palm Beach Lakes High Student Is Diagnosed with Tuberculosis: South Florida Sun-Sentinel (10.01.03) - Thursday, October 02, 2003; Nancy McVicar; Palm Beach County, Fla., health officials are preparing to test about 150 students and teachers who regularly shared classrooms with a Palm Beach Lakes High School student who has been hospitalized with an active case of tuberculosis. Tim O Connor, spokesperson for the health department, said the case is unrelated to a
AIDS Activist Group Lambastes Specter on Funding Support: Associated Press (10.02.03) - Thursday, October 02, 2003; ACT-UP Philadelphia sent Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) a funeral wreath Wednesday, lambasting the senator for not including $1 billion for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in a bill he shepherded through the Senate last month. Specter has apparently decided to stop supporting AIDS funding, said ACT-
Nebraska Revokes License of Doctor in Hepatitis Outbreak: Associated Press (10.01.03) - Thursday, October 02, 2003; Kevin O'Hanlon; On Wednesday, the state of Nebraska revoked the license of Dr. Tahir Javed, who is accused of causing one of the nation s largest hepatitis C outbreaks, in which 99 patients were infected. One patient has died. Javed, who returned to his native Pakistan a year ago, around the time the first hepatitis cases were detecte
Peptide T Holds Promise in Fight Against AIDS: Wall Street Journal (09.29.03) - Thursday, October 02, 2003; Marilyn Chase; An elusive goal of HIV/AIDS researchers has long been to find a way to flush the virus out of latently infected cells so that it can be attacked by antiviral regimens. Recently, scientists at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., the National Cancer Institute in Frederick, Md. and St. Francis Memorial Hospital in
Plan for HIV Coverage at UN Stalls: Boston Globe (09.29.03) - Thursday, October 02, 2003; John Donnelly; At the UN s regional headquarters in Kenya , subcontractors performing tasks such as cleaning toilets and groundskeeping have asked for medical benefits - including AIDS coverage. After 10 months of negotiations, UN officials in Kenya declared the matter solved in July. Starting in 2004, they said, all new contracts wi
Sex Begins at Younger Age and Spreads More Disease: Edmonton Journal (10.02.03) - Thursday, October 02, 2003; Canadian Press; The Women s Health Surveillance Report, a new study described as the most comprehensive report on women s health in Canada , says the average age of first intercourse for Canadian girls is 16.8 years. The average age for boys is 16.7 years. Girls used to wait considerably longer than boys to become sexually active, but
Research Links More African AIDS Cases to Needles: Christian Science Monitor (10.02.03) - Thursday, October 02, 2003; Mike Crawley; According to World Health Organization estimates, 90 percent of HIV infections in sub-Saharan Africa are contracted heterosexually; unsafe injections account for 2.5 percent of cases; and the rest spread vertically or by IV drug use, homosexual sex and tainted blood transfusions. But controversial research by David Gis
Big Drug Companies Embrace AIDS Plan: Globe and Mail (Canada) (10.02.03) - Thursday, October 02, 2003; Heather Scoffield; Paul Knox; Saying they will work with Ottawa to allow generic drug makers to produce patented medicines for AIDS-stricken areas, brand- name pharmaceutical companies in Canada removed a significant barrier to a plan to provide life-saving drugs to poor countries. Canada s Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies, a lobby group for
New Skills Required to Operate in the World of Cybersex: Research Suggests Internet Increases Risk: AIDS Alert (10.01.03) - Thursday, October 02, 2003; Research results presented at the 2003 National HIV Prevention Conference, held in July in Atlanta, suggest that community- based organizations; health care, treatment and prevention clinics; and other public health organizations should consider outreach programs to reach MSM who use the Internet to meet anonymous sexu
HIV Hasn't Kept Morrison from Becoming a Father Again: Kansas City Star (10.01.03) - Wednesday, October 01, 2003; Jeffrey Flanagan; Tommy Morrison, whose boxing career crumbled after he tested HIV-positive, and his wife, Dawn, three weeks ago became the parents of a seven-pound, 13-ounce boy. The Morrisons quest to have a baby led them to the Bedford Research Foundation outside Boston, where Dr. Ann Kiessling explained a technique in which Tommy wo
UN Warns of 20 Million AIDS Orphans in Africa: Agence France Presse (09.30.03) - Wednesday, October 01, 2003; On Tuesday, at the 3rd Tokyo International Conference on African Development, UN World Food Program Executive Director James Morris said there are already 11 million African AIDS orphans, and the number could rise to 20 million by 2010. Orphans go to school less often, orphans are more poorly nourished, have worse heal
As AIDS Cases Increase, Health Experts Warn Against Missed Prevention Opportunities: Journal of the American Medical Association (09.10.03) Vol. 290; No. 10: P.1304-1306 - Wednesday, October 01, 2003; Rebecca Voelker; At CDC s National HIV Prevention Conference in Atlanta in July, Mark Thrun, MD, of Denver spoke about missed opportunities for HIV prevention counseling in which physicians ask patients about specific behaviors that increase their risk of transmitting HIV or being reinfected with a different strain. A key theme of the
India Making 'Exemplary' Progress in Tuberculosis Battle: WHO: Agence France Presse (09.27.03) - Wednesday, October 01, 2003; On Sept. 27, Leopold Blanc, coordinator of the tuberculosis operations and strategy cell of the World Health Organization , commended India for its remarkable advancement in fighting TB. WHO s 40-member team of experts found that India s TB control program had achieved the fastest expansion with quality in the world.
Martin Backs Plan for Generic AIDS Drugs: CTV News (10.01.03) - Wednesday, October 01, 2003; Canadian Press; Yesterday, Paul Martin, who is set to become Canada s next prime minister, announced that the government would proceed with current plans to allow generic drug manufacturers to supply cheap medicine to AIDS-ravaged countries. Martin said he would follow through with current plans to excuse poor countries from patent ru
Plan to Distribute AIDS Drugs Presented to Health Minister: Associated Press (09.30.03) - Wednesday, October 01, 2003; Elliott Sylvester; On Tuesday, a task team presented South African Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang with a national plan to distribute AIDS drugs through the public health system. The report comes a month after the government, under pressure to fight AIDS in the country, ordered the ministry to draft a distribution plan by the en
Interventions Can Ease Dangers of Cybersex: Counselors Educate While in Chatrooms: AIDS Alert (10.01.03) - Wednesday, October 01, 2003; Two successful Internet prevention programs targeted at MSM who use the Internet to meet anonymous sex partners could easily be replicated. Each site compiled a database on HIV/AIDS resources and facts that allows it to quickly answer questions, make referrals, and communicate safe sex messages. Prevention Organization
Prisons Acting as an Incubator for Hepatitis C Virus: Associated Press (09.28.03) - Wednesday, October 01, 2003; Hepatitis C is spreading in Michigan s prisons, threatening the lives of inmates and the public as released prisoners spread the virus to families, friends and others. Between 12,000 and 18,000 of the state s 48,800 prisoners are believed to have HCV, which by 2010 will cause more deaths in the United States t
Tobias Says Ties to Industry Won't Affect AIDS Job: Indianapolis Star (10.01.03) - Wednesday, October 01, 2003; Maureen Groppe; On Tuesday, former Eli Lilly and Co. CEO Randall Tobias told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that his ties to the drug industry will not cause a conflict for him if he is confirmed to lead President Bush s global AIDS initiative. Some AIDS groups are concerned that, in order to protect industry profits, Tobias w
Profile in Courage: Washington Blade (09.26.03) - Tuesday, September 30, 2003; Brian Moylan; If you live in a community, you should give back to the community, says Wallace Corbett, the founder of Brother-to- Brother, Sister-to-Sister United, a D.C. area group that recruits bike riders from the African-American community to participate in charitable events. Corbett is also this year s winner of the Courage Aw
County Approves AIDS Research: San Diego Union-Tribune (09.24.03) - Tuesday, September 30, 2003; On September 23, San Diego County s Board of Supervisors agreed to a pilot program to reduce the spread of AIDS on both sides of the US- Mexico border, conducted with help from the University of California s Universitywide AIDS Research Program. Health officials, with assistance from community groups, will interview mi
Pennsylvania Business News in Brief: Associated Press (09.29.03) - Tuesday, September 30, 2003; Bethlehem, Pa.-based OraSure Technologies Inc. said it was applying Monday to the US Food and Drug Administration for pre- market approval of its OraQuick rapid test for use in detecting HIV antibodies in saliva or plasma samples. This filing is the next major step in our efforts to expand the versatility of the OraQui
Big Increase Seen in People Lacking Health Insurance: New York Times (09.30.03) - Tuesday, September 30, 2003; Robert Pear; The Census Bureau reported Tuesday that the number of Americans without health insurance grew by 2.4 million last year, the largest increase in a decade, as health costs soared and many workers lost coverage provided by employers. The increase brought the proportion of uninsured people to 15.2 percent, up from 14.6 per
City Seeks Volunteers for HIV Group: Chicago Free Press (09.24.03) - Tuesday, September 30, 2003; Gary Barlow; On September 18, Chicago s top AIDS officials announced that two planning and oversight groups - the HIV Prevention Planning Group and the Chicago-area HIV Services Planning Council - are seeking applicants to serve two-year terms. HPPG, with 35 volunteer members, meets monthly to assess the state of HIV prevention in
Women's Health: HIV-Related Mortality Rate Rising for Pregnant Women in South Africa: Women's Health Weekly (09.11.03) - Tuesday, September 30, 2003; A recent study investigated maternal mortality at the Johannesburg Hospital, a 1,100-bed academic facility in South Africa . Physicians assessed patient records over two time periods: 1995-1996 and 2000-2001. Causes of death were noted and compared with national data, wrote A.M. Kruger and coauthors. The two time peri
Department of Health Notes Rise in Sex Diseases: Philippine Daily Inquirer (09.30.03) - Tuesday, September 30, 2003; Jerome Aning; Philippine Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit expressed concern yesterday about the possibility of a national AIDS epidemic, citing reports of increasing sexually transmitted infections among Filipinos. Most of these STIs are transmitted in the same manner as [HIV]... so where there is an epidemic of STIs, AIDS cannot be f
India's Health Minister Embraces Children with HIV, Saying Nation Must Learn About Virus: Associated Press (09.29.03) - Tuesday, September 30, 2003; India s health minister has publicly embraced a pair of ostracized HIV-infected siblings, saying the nation must learn that HIV is not spread through casual contact. Health Minister Sushma Swaraj spent time Sunday with 8-year-old Bency Chandy and her brother Benson, 6, in Kaithakuzi, a village in the southern state of
The Internet's Role as Modern Bathhouse Is Being Scrubbed: On- Line Hookups Increasingly Popular Among MSM: AIDS Alert (10.01.03) - Tuesday, September 30, 2003; New epidemiological data, combined with anecdotal evidence and research, show that men who have sex with men (MSM) are increasingly using Internet chat rooms to schedule real time sexual encounters. According to researchers and prevention counselors, the online venues for meeting sexual partners work nearly as fast as
Proposal for List of HIV Patients Meets Little Fight: Augusta Chronicle (09.27.03) - Tuesday, September 30, 2003; Brian Basinger; A proposal to track positive HIV tests in Georgia using the names and addresses of patients has generated a surprisingly low volume of objections, according to Dr. Luke Shouse, HIV/AIDS surveillance coordinator for the Georgia Division of Public Health. GDPH began a month-long period of public comment Sept. 17, and has
Novavax Gets $19 Million to Develop HIV Vaccine: Washington Post (09.30.03) - Tuesday, September 30, 2003; Michael Barbaro; On Monday, the biotechnology company Novavax Inc. received a $19 million grant from the $81 million in funding that the National Institutes of Health announced in four awards to advance HIV vaccine research. Novavax will use the grant to develop a new class of HIV vaccines for human testing. It will serve as the prime
Thousands Fall in Step for AIDS: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (09.28.03) - Monday, September 29, 2003; Annysa Johnson; In Milwaukee on Sunday, 3,452 walkers participated in the 14th annual AIDS Walk Wisconsin, raising $502,280 for Wisconsin organizations that provide AIDS prevention, education, health and social services and HIV drug trial research, said Kate Venne, spokesperson for the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin. That figure is
Thailand to Give Myanmar 1 Million Condoms, AIDS Medicine: Agence France Presse (09.29.03) - Monday, September 29, 2003; Thai Health Minister Sudaret Keyurphan announced Monday that Thailand will give Myanmar 1 million condoms and HIV/AIDS medicine worth 1 million baht (US$24,900) to help fight the disease. Sudaret met Sunday with her Myanmar counterpart, Kyaw Myint, in Thailand s Chiang Rai province to discuss health conditions in the t
Dr. Peter Centre Opens: CBC News (09.25.03) - Monday, September 29, 2003; In Vancouver Thursday, hundreds were on hand for the official opening of the new, expanded Dr. Peter Centre. Providing residential and day care services for people with HIV/AIDS, the center is the first of its kind in Canada and is the culmination of a dream of Dr. Peter Jepson-Young, who died of AIDS 11 years ago. The
Reports: Koizumi to Pledge US$1 Billion for Africa at Aid Conference: Associated Press (09.27.03) - Monday, September 29, 2003; Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will pledge $1 billion for the treatment of AIDS and other diseases and education and health care projects in Africa, Tokyo media reported Saturday. According to the reports, Koizumi is expected to announce the assistance at the Tokyo International Conference of African Develop
Flag Puts AIDS in Focus: Awareness Campaign Launched: Calgary Herald (09.23.03) - Monday, September 29, 2003; Mario Toneguzzi; AIDS Calgary has launched a prayer flag project to remind Calgarians that the disease still exists and affects everyone in the city, AIDS Calgary marketing volunteer Randall Shirley said Monday during a news conference at Canada Olympic Park. Honoring those affected by HIV/AIDS, the flags will carry personal messages o
Hooking Up on the Internet: Chicago Tribune (09.28.03) - Monday, September 29, 2003; Candace Purdom; Health officials expect the rates of sexually transmitted diseases to rise as more people use the Internet to meet for casual sex. Chicago is among several US cities now using the Internet for health interventions. Andy Delicata, a disease intervention specialist at Chicago s Howard Brown Health Center, uses the Intern
Monitoring Socioeconomic Inequalities in Sexually Transmitted Infections, Tuberculosis, and Violence: Geocoding and Choice of Area-Based Socioeconomic Measures - The Public Health Disparities Geocoding Project (US): Public Health Reports (05-06.03); Vol. 118; P. 240-260 - Monday, September 29, 2003; Nancy Krieger, PhD; Pamela D. Waterman, MPH; Jarvis T. Chen, ScD; Mah- Jabeen Soobader, PhD; SV Subramanian, PhD; The current study employed cross-sectional analysis of public health surveillance data, geocoded and linked to area- based socioeconomic measures (ABSMs) generated from 1990 census tract, block group, and ZIP code data, to determine which ABSMs, at which level of geography, are suitable to monitor socioeconomic inequal
AIDS Exacerbates African Food Crises - Aid Agencies: Reuters (09.28.03) - Monday, September 29, 2003; Ben Harding; As the HIV epidemic and conditions placed on Western aid hobble southern Africa s ability to fight drought, food shortages will be a recurring problem, aid agencies said on Sunday. We are in a downward spiral. The region as a whole is much more vulnerable to minor shocks than it ever has been before, said Greg Ramm, so
Africa Wrestles with AIDS Stigma; Official's Death Stirs Debate: Boston Globe (09.28.03) - Monday, September 29, 2003; John Donnelly; Panelists at last week s international AIDS conference in Nairobi repeatedly called for fighting the stigma associated with the incurable virus, but the appeal had a hollow ring. A senior Kenyan official had died recently; the cause was thought to be AIDS, and no one in the government was saying a word. Activists and o
Rapid HIV Test Yields Counseling, Referrals: Clients Report Satisfaction with Rapid Test: AIDS Alert (10.01.03) - Monday, September 29, 2003; Recent studies of the OraQuick rapid HIV test show it can be a valuable tool when combined with counseling in intervention programs because the percentage of people who stay to get their results is very high. In addition, the test has increased demand for HIV testing and counseling in communities that may otherwise be
Prevention Effort on HIV Transfers Focus to Carriers: Los Angeles Times (09.29.03) - Monday, September 29, 2003; Daniel Costello; For two decades, health officials focused most HIV prevention efforts on keeping high-risk groups from being infected. However, in a strategic shift last year, California s Office of AIDS redirected up to 25 percent of the state s annual prevention budget to prevention for positives programs. In April, CDC announced it
Hepatitis Threatens Two Amazon Tribes: USA Today (09.24.03) - Friday, September 26, 2003; The UN has launched a vaccination drive to save the Sharpas and Candoshi, two tribes in the Peruvian Amazon that are threatened with extinction by a hepatitis B outbreak. Local leaders warned that [the two tribes] could face extinction within 10 to 12 years, UNICEF said in a statement. Peru asked for help after 40 Cand
AIDS War Gets Thousands on Their Feet: Sunday Oregonian (09.21.03) - Friday, September 26, 2003; Don Colburn; Some 5,000 people walked through downtown Portland, Ore. on Saturday, Sept. 20, to bring money and attention to a resurgent AIDS epidemic. The 17th annual Portland AIDS Walk raised a record $235,000 for Cascade AIDS Project, a nonprofit support agency for people with HIV/AIDS. The slogan of this year s AIDS Walk was It
Lakefront Walk Raises HIV/AIDS Funds: Chicago Free Press (09.24.03) - Friday, September 26, 2003; Gary Barlow; On Sept. 20 in Grant Park, Chicagoans affected by AIDS joined together for the AIDS Foundation of Chicago s annual AIDS Run & Walk. It s one of the most diverse events we do in the community, said AFC Executive Director Mark Ishaug. Funds raised by the event support grants to HIV/AIDS organizations throughout Chica
Former San Francisco Health Commissioner Pleads Innocent to Spreading HIV: Associated Press (09.25.03) - Friday, September 26, 2003; Mielikki Org; Former San Francisco Health Commissioner Ronald Gene Hill, 46, on Thursday pleaded innocent to deliberately exposing two people to HIV. Hill was arrested and jailed on $100,000 bond on Sept. 17, five days after a grand jury indicted him. Hill s former lover, Thomas Lister, 38, sued Hill in 2001 for lying about his HIV-
HIV/AIDS Deaths Rise in State, County: Ledger (Lakeland, Fla.) (09.25.03) - Friday, September 26, 2003; Robin Williams Adams; After a slight decrease in HIV/AIDS deaths from 2000 to 2001, Florida and Polk County both reported an increased death toll for 2002. Statewide, 1,714 people died of HIV/AIDS in 2002, slightly more than the 1,658 deaths in 2001 but less than the 1,809 deaths in 2000. Polk County had 37 HIV/AIDS deaths in 2002, up from
Syphilis Epidemic Getting Much Worse in San Francisco: Associated Press (09.25.03) - Friday, September 26, 2003; Elizabeth Lydon; San Francisco s syphilis epidemic is continuing to spread, with the city expecting to report 750 new cases by the end of the year, up 50 percent from 2002, the city s public health department announced Thursday. Most of the cases occur among gay and bisexual men who have had unprotected sex with multiple male and femal
PET Scans Used to Detect HIV Progression: Reuters (09.18.03) - Friday, September 26, 2003; Patricia Reaney; Positron emission tomography (PET) scans can track the progression of HIV and could lead to new treatment options and the development of the next generation of AIDS drugs, according to two recent studies. PET scans, usually used to identify cancerous tumors, could help fight AIDS by identifying the virus impact on lymp
Survey Exposes Deadly Ignorance of Sex Workers: South China Morning Post (09.20.03) - Friday, September 26, 2003; Josephine Ma; The World Health Organization estimates that more than 6 million women in mainland China engage in prostitution. The first in-depth study of the mainland sex trade found striking misconceptions among prostitutes about sex, AIDS and other STDs. More than 42 percent say they ask clients to wear condoms, but if the clien
Armed Forces Should Be Mobilized in War Against AIDS: UN: Agence France Presse (09.25.03) - Friday, September 26, 2003; Uniformed services can be successfully engaged in the fight against HIV/AIDS, even in the challenging context of post- conflict recovery, the UN said in a report released Thursday. The account, Fighting AIDS - HIV/AIDS Prevention and Care Among Armed Forces and UN Peacekeepers, disclosed a groundbreaking experiment in
In the Battle Against AIDS in Africa, Treating the Sick Is Proving More Complicated Than Handing Out Pills: Associated Press (09.25.03) - Friday, September 26, 2003; Chris Tomlinson; The availability of drugs to a small number of African AIDS patients in experimental programs has dramatically increased demand for treatment, but the biggest problem now is a shortage of clinics, trained doctors and pharmacists, according to doctors. Many top AIDS experts in Africa discussed their experiences at the 1
Minority Groups Rise to Meet Needs of Communities: AIDS Policy and Law (09.12.03) - Friday, September 26, 2003; Several groups have joined to fight AIDS in black and Latino populations. Some 250 celebrities and entertainment executives responded to a call for action at the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS during its annual benefit gala, Choose Life. HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of death for African-Americans ages 25
Changes in AIDS Battle May Affect Outreach, Prevention Efforts: Associated Press (09.25.03) - Friday, September 26, 2003; CDC has asked centers receiving federal funds to focus more on HIV-infected people. The goal is to teach those with the disease about the risks of transmission, said Jackie Long, spokesperson for Colorado AIDS Project. But, Long said, the government is not giving local health authorities more money for the new task. Sh
State African-American HIV/AIDS Council Uses Forum for Education: Times and Democrat (Orangeburg, S.C.) (09.22.03) - Thursday, September 25, 2003; Dionne Gleaton; Officials from the SC African-American HIV/AIDS Council say far too few people are paying attention to the epidemic, which is particularly ravaging the black population. Our people perish for lack of knowledge, said Dr. Bambi Sumpter-Gaddist, the organization s executive director. SCAAHAC, in collaboration with corpora
Gates Urges AIDS Victims in Botswana to Take Advantage of Free Treatment: Associated Press (09.25.03) - Thursday, September 25, 2003; Sello Motseta; The government of Botswana , with the financial support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Merck & Co. , has adopted one of Africa s most aggressive AIDS-fighting efforts, including the promise of AIDS drugs for all who need them. Yesterday in Gaborone, Gates said he is baffled that more people are not
South African Leader Defends Delay in Offering AIDS Drugs: New York Times (09.25.03) - Thursday, September 25, 2003; Felicity Barringer; It s incorrect merely to say: Distribute antiretroviral drugs, problem solved, South African President Thabo Mbeki said yesterday in defending his government s decision to delay AIDS drug distribution until the end of the year. You ve got to come at it in a more comprehensive way. It has been necessary to create a cri
HIV Cases Climb in Dallas County: Dallas Morning News (09.23.03) - Thursday, September 25, 2003; Laura Beil; The number of new HIV infections in Dallas County, Texas, has increased each year since 1999, according to new figures released Monday by county health authorities. We have HIV and AIDS still here in Dallas County. Even in 2003, we still have over 600 new infections, Dr. Assefa Tulu, the county s chief epidemiologist,
Pneumocystis carinii Pneumonia in HIV-Infected Patients in the HAART Era: AIDS Patient Care and STDs (06.03) Vol. 17; No. 6: P. 261-265 - Thursday, September 25, 2003; Joseph Pulvirenti, MD; Patricia Herrera, MD; Priya Venkataraman, MD; Nooruzsabha Ahmed, MD; Since the advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), reported incidence of opportunistic infections (OI) in HIV patients has markedly decreased. And yet, the authors found large numbers of Pneumocystis carinii Pneumonia (PCP) cases at Chicago s Cook County Hospital, a medical facility serving a mostly poor
AIDS Fight May Be Changed by Religious Care for Orphans: Boston Globe (09.24.03) - Thursday, September 25, 2003; John Donnelly; A survey of 505 religious organizations operating in six African nations showed that 95 percent support orphans, working almost entirely without outside funds, a finding that UNICEF officials said could alter the way the world fights AIDS by encouraging more funding for small congregations. The joint UNICEF and World C
Study: US Abortion Policy Closes African Clinics: Reuters (09.24.03) - Thursday, September 25, 2003; Maggie Fox; President Bush s anti-abortion policy has forced family planning clinics in poor countries to close, leaving some communities without health care, according to a report issued yesterday. The policy, known as the Mexico City rule by supporters or the Global Gag rule by opponents, states that foreign family planning agen
WHO to Provide HIV/AIDS Treatment for 3 Million: Voice of America (09.24.03) - Thursday, September 25, 2003; Cathy Majtenyi; The World Health Organization has repeated a commitment to provide antiretroviral treatment to 3 million people with HIV/AIDS around the world by 2005 - a daunting task. WHO s HIV/AIDS Program Director Dr. Paulo Teixeira told reporters the failure to provide antiretroviral treatment to the millions who need it can be c
Gov. Davis Pressed to Sign Clean Needle Bill: Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) (09.18.03) - Thursday, September 25, 2003; Matthew S. Bajko; AIDS activists are lobbying Gov. Gray Davis to sign into law a bill that will impact how California addresses its AIDS epidemic. The bill, SB774, would allow pharmacists to sell hypodermic needles or syringes to a person without a prescription under specified conditions. The harm reduction measure is an attempt to get
Rapid Tests Could Mean Trouble for ADAPs: Increased HIV Testing Could Flood System: AIDS Alert (10.01.03) - Thursday, September 25, 2003; How would the states and AIDS Drug Assistance Programs handle a large influx of new HIV/AIDS patients if CDC succeeds in significantly increasing HIV testing rates? Considering estimates that 200,000-300,000 persons in the United States are HIV- positive and do not know it, a big increase in HIV testing could bring man
Programs Urged for HIV/AIDS Inmates: Birmingham News (09.23.03) - Thursday, September 25, 2003; Stan Bailey; Alabama s HIV Commission for Children, Youth and Adults recently reported to Gov. Bob Riley that the state s policy of excluding inmates with HIV/AIDS from educational, vocational, rehabilitative, or community-based corrections programs, simply on the basis of HIV status, has no public health or correctional justificat
Aetna to Cover Digene's New Cervical Cancer Test: Washington Post (09.24.03) - Wednesday, September 24, 2003; Bill Brubaker; The health insurer Aetna Inc. will cover Digene s DNA-based cervical cancer test as a primary screening tool for women 30 and older, the medical diagnostic product maker announced Tuesday. The decision by Aetna, which has 13 million members across the country, could trigger broader insurance coverage for the DNA test,
170 Employees at Poultry Plant Test Positive for Latent TB: Associated Press (09.24.03) - Wednesday, September 24, 2003; Roughly 170 workers at a poultry processing plant in Stillmore, Ga., tested positive for TB after a former employee who now lives in Tennessee was diagnosed with the disease. Emanuel County public health workers said Tuesday that none of the Crider poultry plant workers is sick and none is infectious. Many people with
Kenya Government Drafts Law to End Discrimination Against HIV/AIDS Sufferers: Agence France Presse (09.24.03) - Wednesday, September 24, 2003; The Kenyan government has drafted a law outlawing discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS, a junior minister said today. The draft will make it a criminal offense to discriminate against anyone on the basis of their HIV status, said Robinson Githae, the assistant minister in the Ministry of Justice. Githae said the
Rowdy Protest Disrupts AIDS in Africa Conference: Agence France Presse (09.24.03) - Wednesday, September 24, 2003; Today in Nairobi, at the International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa, several dozen demonstrators demanding swift access to antiretroviral drugs for HIV-infected Africans staged a noisy protest. Holding signs with the words, Guilty, You Talk, We Die, and Keep Your Promises, they demon
HIV Houses Bring Hope to Inner City: Award-Winning Program Ensures Patients Get Their Medicine: Edmonton Journal (09.21.03) - Wednesday, September 24, 2003; Dan Lazin; Edmonton, Alberta s Boyle McCauley Health Center is operating a project it calls DOT for HAART, or directly observed therapy for highly active antiretroviral therapy. In the past 18 months, the program has grown to fill its inner-city house and now encompasses a second house as well. Its nearly 60 patients are mostly n
HIV Progression: Six Months After Start of Treatment Could Be Optimum Time for Making Prognosis: AIDS Weekly (09.15.03) - Wednesday, September 24, 2003; An international study suggests that six months after beginning HAART may be the optimum time for determining an HIV-1 patient s prognosis, rather than before the start of treatment. Matthias Egger of the University of Bern, Switzerland , and colleagues analyzed 13 follow-up studies from Europe and North America, with
WHO Underplays HIV/AIDS Needles Threat, Campaigner Says: Reuters (09.23.03) - Wednesday, September 24, 2003; The World Health Organization seriously underestimates needle re- use as a risk for HIV/AIDS in Africa, focusing instead on the role of sexual transmission, Lillian Salerno, director of the International Association of Safe Needle Technology, told a conference on the epidemic Tuesday. This is not only misleading,
African Clerics Rethink AIDS Stance: Christian Science Monitor (Boston) (09.24.03) - Wednesday, September 24, 2003; Mike Crawley; Botswanan theology Professor Musa Dube designed a simple yet groundbreaking service: participants would light a candle and name a loved one who had died of AIDS. People came up to me with tears in their eyes and said, Thank you, it meant so much to me to be able to do that in church, Dube said. Dube s service signals a
World Council of Churches Will Increase Its Efforts to Treat the AIDS Pandemic in Africa as a Priority: Associated Press (09.23.03) - Wednesday, September 24, 2003; Tom Maliti; The World Council of Churches will increase its efforts to tackle the AIDS pandemic in Africa, making it a top priority since the continent is the worst affected in the world. The Rev. Dr. Samuel Kobia, the organization s new general secretary, said that in Africa, AIDS is not just a health issue but also an environmen
Shift in AIDS Prevention Strategy; Emphasis Now on Accountability of Those Infected: San Francisco Chronicle (09.21.03) - Wednesday, September 24, 2003; Sabin Russell; The arrest last week of former San Francisco Health Commissioner Ronald Gene Hill on charges he lied about his HIV-positive status to his sexual partners underscores a growing trend in AIDS prevention: holding those already infected responsible for the health of people with whom they have consensual sex. While prosecut
Bill Targets Transfer of HIV to Infants: Los Angeles Times (09.24.03) - Wednesday, September 24, 2003; Steve Hymon; Under a bill the California Legislature sent to Gov. Gray Davis earlier this month, doctors would be required to offer a voluntary HIV test to all pregnant women in the state. The bill, AB1676, aims to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission, and if it becomes law, all pregnant women must be offered an HIV test and co
Calendar: AIDS Policy and Law (09.12.02) - Tuesday, September 23, 2003; The CDC/Health Resources and Services Administration Advisory Committee on HIV and STD Prevention and Treatment, Ryan White CARE Act Reauthorization Workgroup will hold public meetings to learn public opinion concerning the future direction of HIV/AIDS care and treatment issues related to the upcoming third Congression
Sweden Appoints Special Ambassador to Oversee Fight Against AIDS: Associated Press (09.22.03) - Tuesday, September 23, 2003; Sweden on Monday appointed a special ambassador to oversee the country s role in fighting HIV/AIDS at home and abroad, and pledged to give more money to UNAIDS . Lennart Hjelmaaker, head of the Foreign Ministry s global development office, was named to be the country s new AIDS leader. Sweden will increase its annual
Researcher Says AIDS Tough Enemy: Advocate (Baton Rouge, La.) (09.19.03) - Tuesday, September 23, 2003; Joe Gyan Jr.; The absence of an AIDS vaccine is not due to a lack of effort from the scientific community, renowned scientist and AIDS researcher Dr. David Ho said Thursday. Speaking at the 2003 US Conference on AIDS in New Orleans, Ho, the founding scientific director and CEO of the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center at Rockefeller
Prospective Evaluation of the Effects of Antiretroviral Therapy on Body Composition in HIV-1 Infected Men Starting Therapy: AIDS (05.02.03) Vol. 17: P.971-979 - Tuesday, September 23, 2003; Patrick W.G. Mallon; John Miller; David A. Cooper; Andrew Carr; HIV-associated lipodystrophy (HIVLD) is a general heading referring to side effects of antiretroviral therapy such as peripheral lipoatrophy, gain in visceral fat, hyperlipidemia and insulin resistance. To study the natural history of HIVLD in individuals beginning their first antiretroviral regimen, the authors design
Mandela, Gates Appeal to South African Youth to Fight AIDS: Associated Press (09.23.03) - Tuesday, September 23, 2003; Dina Kraft; In Johannesburg Monday, former South African President Nelson Mandela and Microsoft founder Bill Gates appealed to South Africa s youth to fight AIDS as previous generations battled apartheid. The fight against AIDS will indeed require another social revolution, Mandela told a gathering of university students he hosted
Helping Women Is Key to Tackling Africa's AIDS Disaster, Forum Told: Agence France Presse (09.22.03) - Tuesday, September 23, 2003; Richard Ingham; Grassroots workers at the International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa in Nairobi said Monday that abuse against women and girls is one of the biggest barriers to tackling Africa s pandemic. Raped or coerced into unprotected sex, denied rights by law or tribal practice, lacking access
Nations That Have Suspended Patents for AIDS Drugs Show Some Success, but Not Enough: Associated Press (09.22.03) - Tuesday, September 23, 2003; Chris Tomlinson; Poor nations that have suspended patents on AIDS drugs to allow the use of generic equivalents have shown greater success in treating those with HIV/AIDS, a medical aid agency said Monday. Doctors Without Borders released a report contracted by the World Health Organization on how DWB has used generic drugs to treat AI
Global Fund to Treat AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Seeks to Raise Profile: Associated Press (09.22.03) - Tuesday, September 23, 2003; Theresa Agovino; A rock concert featuring U2 singer Bono is being planned as part of a campaign to raise the profile of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, executives from the fund said Monday. Since May, it has been working with the Publicis Group, a huge advertising conglomerate, to develop a public image so it c
Countries Receive a Low Score from the UN in Its Worldwide Fight Against AIDS: New York Times (09.23.03) - Tuesday, September 23, 2003; Lawrence K. Altman; At the UN General Assembly s special session on AIDS in June 2001, members agreed that defeating AIDS would take commitment, resources and action. But the first report card on that effort, issued Monday and based on information provided by 103 governments, shows that the action is still far short of what is needed, sai
CDC Director Alarmed About HIV Ignorance: Times-Picayune (New Orleans) (09.20.03) - Tuesday, September 23, 2003; John Pope; Despite 22 years of AIDS awareness messages, as many as 280,000 Americans are unaware of their HIV-positive status, CDC s director said Friday. In 1981, that would have been a tragedy, but in 2003 it s unconscionable, said Dr. Julie Gerberding, garnering applause at the US Conference on AIDS in New Orleans. Drawing fro
Powell Says US Leading Effort on AIDS: Washington Post (09.23.03) - Tuesday, September 23, 2003; Glenn Kessler; Rob Stein; In an address Monday to the UN General Assembly, Secretary of State Colin Powell defended the Bush administration s efforts to combat AIDS. Powell said, AIDS is more devastating than any terrorist attack, any conflict or any weapon of mass destruction. It kills indiscriminately, and without mercy. Powell said the Bush
B.C. AIDS Walk Raises $420,000 from Last Minute Entries: Associated Press (09.21.03) - Monday, September 22, 2003; British Columbia Premier Gordan Campbell joined a crowd of about 7,000 people on Sunday for the 18th annual AIDS Walk. Held in Vancouver s Stanley Park, the event raised around $420,000 (US$312,000), a $20,000 (US$15,000) increase from last year s total, which organizers attributed to a last minute surge in the number
AIDS Walk Detroit: Raising Money, Hope in Royal Oak: Detroit Free Press (09.22.03) - Monday, September 22, 2003; Bill Laitner; An estimated 8,000 people turned out in Royal Oak, Mich., on Sunday for the 13th annual AIDS Walk Detroit. This year s 5K walk raised more than $300,000 and drew about 800 more registered walkers than last year s turnout of 5,200, said officials. In a show of the cause s broad appeal, the walk drew those with HIV/AIDS,
Retailer Betting Condom Line Available in 55 Sizes Will Be a Hit: Associated Press (09.16.03) - Monday, September 22, 2003; Alex Veiga; Billed as a better way to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and reduce unwanted pregnancies, an Internet retailer has begun offering 55 sizes of condoms. Los- Angeles- based Condomania says the They-Fit condoms offer a more comfortable fit than other brands. A better fit should lead to fewer tears and
Merck Starts Global Human Trial of HIV Vaccine: Associated Press (09.19.03) - Monday, September 22, 2003; On Friday, Merck & Co. said it has started the first global human trials of an experimental AIDS vaccine, working with Seattle s HIV Vaccine Trials Network. The experiment will include about 435 adult volunteers not infected with HIV, in an effort to determine whether the vaccine candidate is safe, has tolerable si
Turning the Tide: Washington Post (09.22.03) - Monday, September 22, 2003; Lee Jong Wook; Peter Piot; ...Today, at a special session of the United Nations General Assembly, the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNAIDS will announce plans to work with key partners... to meet the goal of delivering antiretroviral treatment by the end of 2005 to 3 million people living with HIV in developing countries.
HIV Risk in Relation to Marriage in Areas with High Prevalence of HIV Infection: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (04.15.03) Vol. 33; P. 526-535 - Monday, September 22, 2003; Judith R. Glynn; Michel Cara�l; Anne Buv�; Rosemary M. Musonda; Maina Kahindo; Study Group on the Heterogeneity of HIV Epidemics in African Cities; In many parts of Africa, women are more likely than men to be HIV-infected when they marry. Scholars have postulated that men in such populations are predominantly infected by their wives, then go on to infect younger unmarried women. If women are more likely than men to be HIV-infected at the time of marriage and male
UN Official: Greater Democracy is Key to Fighting HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Ukraine, Russia: Associated Press (09.21.03) - Monday, September 22, 2003; Tim Vickery; On Sunday, Kalman Mizsei, regional director for the UN Development Program, said stronger democracy is the key to fighting AIDS in the former Soviet republics, where HIV infection rates are growing faster than anywhere in the world. Mizsei said widespread public cynicism about the government was a major contributor to
More Africans Getting AIDS Drugs, Companies Say: Reuters (09.22.03) - Monday, September 22, 2003; Ben Hirschler; Pharmaceutical companies are to present industry data at a special UN General Assembly meeting today showing that drug makers have doubled the supply of AIDS medicine to Africa in the past year, while admitting the care gap remains unacceptable. The data will show at least 76,300 Africans were receiving cut- price HIV
AIDS Funding Is Still Insufficient, UN Says: Washington Post (09.22.03) - Monday, September 22, 2003; Rick Weiss; Despite recent increases in spending to fight AIDS in Africa, anticipated funding will be only half of what is needed by 2005, according to a UNAIDS report released Sunday. The problem is surmountable, but without more funding from the world s richer nations - and improvements in Africa in terms of reduced gender dispa
Musicians Encourage Frist to Back Bush's AIDS Funding: Associated Press (09.19.03) - Monday, September 22, 2003; Amber McDowell; Half a dozen Christian and rock musicians and producers met Friday with Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist s Nashville staff to seek his support for full funding of President Bush s $15 billion global AIDS relief package. The musicians lobbied the senator s staff during a 20-minute private meeting as part of the nationa
AIDS Chief Calls for More Vaccine Cooperation: Reuters (09.22.03) - Monday, September 22, 2003; Maggie Fox; Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, called on Friday for an international network to share information in developing an AIDS vaccine, including government, industry and nonprofit vaccine groups. What we would like to do is create an atmosphere of cooperation and collabo
North Dakota State Summer School Student Diagnosed with Tuberculosis: Associated Press (09.18.03) - Friday, September 19, 2003; About 50 people in Fargo, N.D., may be tested for TB because of possible contact with a North Dakota State University summer school student who has the disease. NDSU officials said Thursday that the unidentified student is at home in Grand Forks County while receiving treatment. This is the second case of TB at NDSU in
HIV Reporting Plan Goes Public: Southern Voice (Atlanta) (09.19.03) - Friday, September 19, 2003; Laura Douglas-Brown; On Sept. 17, Georgia s Department of Human Resources published a draft proposal to report state HIV cases using names, starting a 30-day period of public comment. Georgia is currently the only state with no system of reporting HIV, which will cost the state funding for HIV programs beginning in 2005, according to DHR,
Guyana's President, Bush to Meet Privately During UN General Assembly Meeting: Associated Press (09.18.03) - Friday, September 19, 2003; President Bharrat Jagdeo of Guyana and US President Bush will have breakfast Sept. 24 on the final day of the two-day UN General Assembly meeting in New York, Jagdeo s office said. The leaders will discuss bilateral trade relations, aid to Guyana, and help in combating HIV/AIDS in the South American country of 700,000.
Boynton Students, Teachers Tested for Tuberculosis After 9th Grader Is Diagnosed: South Florida Sun-Sentinel (09.17.03) - Friday, September 19, 2003; Scott Travis; Nancy McVicar; Health workers tested dozens of Boynton Beach, Fla., High School students and teachers Tuesday for TB exposure, and more screenings are planned. A Boynton Beach student who was a ninth grader last year was diagnosed with the disease in August. The student is not in school and has not been in school since classes resume
Miami Reopens Housing Program: Miami Herald (09.19.03) - Friday, September 19, 2003; Carolyn Salazar; Today, the city of Miami reopens a waiting list for a program that offers housing assistance to people with AIDS, following a three-year freeze. At a press conference at Jackson Memorial Hospital, the city, which administers the AIDS housing assistance program for Miami-Dade County, will reopen the list, allowing thous
D.C. Clinic Will Start to Charge Its Clients; Whitman-Walker Also to Sell Property: Washington Post (09.19.03) - Friday, September 19, 2003; Jacqueline L. Salmon; Facing a $800,000 deficit by year s end and falling cash reserves, the D.C.-based Whitman-Walker Clinic plans to begin charging for services and to sell off property to cope with plunging donations and rising costs. The nonprofit organization, which provides HIV/AIDS and related health services to thousands of low-inco
New Treatment May Flush Out Hidden AIDS Virus: Reuters (09.16.03) - Friday, September 19, 2003; Maggie Fox; Researchers reported on Tuesday that a two-step approach could offer the first hope for controlling a lifelong AIDS infection. Dr. Jerome Zack, an associate director of basic sciences for the University of California-Los Angeles AIDS Institute, and colleagues experimented with a technique to locate and kill dormant HIV
Drug Roll-Out Spurs Rise in HIV Testing: allAfrica.com (09.14.03) - Friday, September 19, 2003; Sunday Times (South Africa); Preparations for AIDS treatment in South Africa have sparked an upsurge in HIV testing among villagers in Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape. Doctors Without Borders - which set up a successful pilot treatment project in Khayelitsha in Cape Town - has been working in Lusikisiki with 11 clinics and local organizations since
Official Defends Order for Flavored Condoms for Jails: National Post (Canada) (09.18.03) - Friday, September 19, 2003; Siri Agrell; Prisoners rights advocates defended a Manitoba government order for 40,000 flavored condoms that was cancelled following a public outcry. The fact of the matter is that sexual activity takes place in prison facilities whether politicians like talking about it or not, said Graham Stewart, executive director of the John
African AIDS Campaigners Want More Money, Even Cheaper Drugs: Agence France Presse (09.19.03) - Friday, September 19, 2003; Jan Hennop; More than 3 million people, including 600,000 children, died of AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa last year, according to UN figures. Activists speaking before the Sunday opening of the 13th International Conference on HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Nairobi welcomed the recent World Trade Organization agreement
Researchers Optimistic About an AIDS Vaccine... Eventually: Agence France Presse (09.19.03) - Friday, September 19, 2003; Pascal Barollier; Researchers, World Health Organization officials, government officials and representatives of non-governmental organizations gathered in New York yesterday for the four-day AIDS Vaccine 2003 Conference. The conference, held every two years, gathers experts from approximately 50 countries to deliver the results of about
Son Lost to AIDS Spurs On Woman; Ryan White's Mother Speaks in New Orleans: Advocate (Baton Rouge, La.) (09.18.03) - Friday, September 19, 2003; Joe Gyan Jr.; Jeanne White-Ginder told attendees at this week s 2003 Southern AIDS Conference in New Orleans to energize themselves to be leaders to speak out on behalf of those with AIDS. In her address Wednesday, the mother of Ryan White - the Indiana teen whose battle against AIDS and discrimination ended with his death - urged h
British Doctors Propose Anti-Drug Program to Russia: ITAR-TASS (09.18.03) - Thursday, September 18, 2003; Anna Bazhenova; Natella Starodubtseva; Britain s Family Health, a non-governmental organization, has proposed a drug harm-reduction program to Russian health officials. Jeffrey Monahan, the group s international project manager, told a news conference today that the program, currently in use in Britain, distributes free syringes and one drug dose to addicts
Kenyan Firm Plans to Produce Generic AIDS Drugs: Reuters (09.17.03) - Thursday, September 18, 2003; A Kenyan drug company plans to begin producing antiretroviral drugs for HIV/AIDS patients next month, becoming the first African company outside South Africa to do so, the company said Wednesday. Pending approval by the Kenyan government, Cosmos Pharmaceuticals will produce AIDS medicines with the brand names Neviriv,
Merck, Aventis Begin Trials of Combo AIDS Vaccine: Reuters (09.17.03) - Thursday, September 18, 2003; Drug makers Merck & Co. and Aventis said Wednesday they have begun human clinical trials of a novel combination AIDS vaccine. The trials hope to assess whether the addition of a vaccine made by Aventis to Merck s vaccine candidate will prove more effective than either alone. Merck began human testing of its HIV vac
Baltimore Health Clinic Turns 25: Washington Blade (09.12.03) - Thursday, September 18, 2003; Bryan Anderton; In 1978, Chase Brexton Health Services opened in Baltimore to stem the spread of STDs. Back then, it was known as the Gay Health Clinic for Venereal Diseases. It has since expanded its services to include primary and mental health care for gay as well as non-gay patients. In recent years, CBH has become a full service
Hepatitis Outbreak Slows: Casper Star-Tribune (09.11.03) - Thursday, September 18, 2003; Matthew Van Dusen; Casper, Wyo., residents watching late-night MTV might recognize Dr. Mark Dowell in an advertisement telling people to get tested for hepatitis and avoid risky behavior. Hepatitis is not something to mess around with, says the Casper-Natrona County health officer in the ad, which runs on cable channels. The advertisemen
Exposure to Antiretroviral Therapy in Utero or Early Life: the Health of Uninfected Children Born to HIV-Infected Women: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (04.01.03) Vol. 32; No. 4: P. 380-387 - Thursday, September 18, 2003; European Collaborative Study; The risk of vertical HIV-1 transmission is significantly reduced by prophylactic ART before, during and after delivery. HIV-infected pregnant women are increasingly being treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) for their own health and to reduce vertical transmission. However, medium- to long-term fol
As AIDS Rages in Asia and Russia, Experts Fear New Funds Are Too Little, Too Late: Associated Press (09.17.03) - Thursday, September 18, 2003; Mort Rosenblum; The UN General Assembly gathers Monday for a one-day special session on AIDS, brightened by the prospect of infusions of money, primarily President Bush s promised $15 billion. Yet among dozens of specialists, the consensus is that the money will not help much unless countries substitute denial with cooperation. AIDS,
Former San Francisco Health Commissioner First Person to Be Prosecuted for HIV Infection: Associated Press (09.18.03) - Thursday, September 18, 2003; Kim Curtis; A former San Francisco health commissioner who allegedly lied to an ex-boyfriend about his HIV status is the first person charged under a California law against intentionally exposing another person to the virus, according to prosecutors. Following an indictment by a grand jury last week, Ronald Gene Hill, 46, was arre
Nevada Agency's Abstinence Ad Pulled from Radio: Associated Press (09.16.03) - Thursday, September 18, 2003; Nevada s Health Division has pulled a public service radio announcement that suggested teenage girls will feel dirty and cheap if they have sex with their boyfriends. Health Division spokesperson Martha Framstad said the radio spot was suspended because the language was not appropriate for the 9- to 14-year old girls t
N.C. Aid for HIV Will Run Short: News-Observer (Raleigh, N.C.) (09.16.03) - Thursday, September 18, 2003; Sarah Avery; Poor HIV/AIDS patients in North Carolina will once more be put on a waiting list for the state AIDS Drug Assistance Program that pays for medications for those without insurance, state health officials announced Monday. AIDS activists worry that federal support for such programs is not keeping pace with rising infectio
Activists Say AIDS Funds Low in South; Federal Agency: 'No Discrepancy': Florida Times-Union (09.17.03) - Thursday, September 18, 2003; Brian Basinger; The Southern AIDS Coalition is hosting the Southern AIDS Conference, a two-day meeting for more than 150 health officials and community service providers that began Wednesday in New Orleans. Leaders hope to kick off a grass-roots campaign to obtain more health funding for Southern states, where new HIV infections have
Patients, Doctors Cool to Fuzeon: News & Observer (Charlotte, N.C.) (09.16.03) - Wednesday, September 17, 2003; Sabine Vollmer; Fuzeon, the revolutionary AIDS drug that inhibits HIV from infecting a cell, is running into resistance from doctors and patients. The drug s demand has slowed in part because patients must inject Fuzeon twice daily into their abdomens. According to company spokesperson Robin Fastenau, Trimeris, Fuzeon s creator, plans
Kenya Conference to Examine Role of Elderly in Caring for AIDS Orphans: Agence France Presse (09.16.03) - Wednesday, September 17, 2003; Health workers from across Africa and Britain are gathering Wednesday for a three-day conference in Nairobi to discuss older people s role in caring for HIV/AIDS-infected orphans. The number of AIDS orphans is rising drastically as the pandemic continues to claim millions of young adults all over Africa, said HelpAge I
World Bank Warns of AIDS Epidemic in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Launches Strategy to Combat Spread: Associated Press (09.16.03) - Wednesday, September 17, 2003; World Bank experts on Tuesday warned that certain regions of Eastern Europe and Central Asia face a fast-growing AIDS epidemic that imperils the region s economic progress. Among the more severely effected parts are the Baltic States, the Russian Federation, Moldova and
Bone Thinning in HIV Patients Not Tied to Therapy: Reuters Health (09.08.03) - Wednesday, September 17, 2003; New research shows that the type of drugs given HIV/AIDS patients does not influence their risk of bone thinning. Dr. Dario Bruera, from the National University of Cordoba in Argentina , and colleagues compared bone density in 111 HIV patients and 31 healthy subjects. The patients included 33 never treated with AIDS dr
Drugs Alone Can't Control HIV Epidemic: Reuters Health (09.11.03) - Wednesday, September 17, 2003; Will Boggs, MD; New research suggests that AIDS drugs alone cannot control the spread of HIV in established epidemics. Dr. Ronald H. Gray of Johns Hopkins University and colleagues used data from studies in Uganda to develop a model to predict the impact of AIDS drugs or an HIV vaccine on the course of the HIV epidemic in the Rakai di
Experimental Vaccine Against Cervical Cancer Said Promising: Agence France Presse (09.17.03) - Wednesday, September 17, 2003; Louise Daly; In preliminary trials, an experimental vaccine against two human papillomaviruses most commonly associated with cervical cancer has yielded extremely encouraging results. The vaccine breaks new ground in the battle to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, said John Schiller, a researcher with the Nationa
Group Helping to Fight TB in Iraq: Baltimore Sun (09.16.03) - Wednesday, September 17, 2003; Mary Gail Hare; Hoping to prevent a potential tuberculosis epidemic in Iraq , a New Windsor, Md., relief organization made $100,000 available to buy antibiotics for the disease. Interchurch Medical Assistance, a nonprofit association of 12 Protestant relief agencies, provided the medicine for 6,000 Iraqi TB patients to continue treatm
UN Establishes New Commission to Study Impact of AIDS on Governance: Associated Press (09.17.03) - Wednesday, September 17, 2003; Anthony Mitchell; The UN today announced the launch of a special commission to study the impact of AIDS on Africa s economic, social and political stability. The 20-member commission brings together global AIDS experts and government officials, including one commissioner who is HIV- positive. The body will advise governments on specific
GMU, GW in Patent, Ethics Dispute: Washington Post (09.17.03) - Wednesday, September 17, 2003; Avram Goldstein; A study suggesting that smallpox vaccination might also confer HIV immunity has created an ethics and patent dispute between Washington area research partners George Mason University (GMU) and George Washington University (GW). GW scientists are seething because GMU issued a news release on the study last week - even t
List of States with ADAP Restrictions Continues to Grow: AIDS Policy and Law (09.12.03) - Wednesday, September 17, 2003; The National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors September ADAP Watch noted that 15 ADAPs have closed enrollment or restricted access to antiretrovirals, with four others expected to do so soon. Nationwide, 726 people await drugs from ADAP programs, a number recently adjusted to reflect the deaths in West
NASTAD: Restrictions on Drug Assistance Create Crisis: AIDS Policy and Law (09.12.03) - Wednesday, September 17, 2003; According to the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors, more than one-third of US states and territories have implemented restrictions on AIDS Drug Assistance Programs. NASTAD s latest ADAP Watch, which lists state and territorial programs with restricted ADAP services, shows 15 states with current
Bono Recounts 'Row' with President over AIDS Funds: Washington Post (09.17.03) - Wednesday, September 17, 2003; Mike Allen; Yesterday in the Oval Office, Irish rock star Bono confronted President Bush regarding what AIDS activist say is a significant gap between the funding Bush called for in his State of the Union address and the actual money headed for Africa. Bono said he felt depressed after his meeting and that he and Bush had a good o
TV Outlook: Associated Press (09.10.03) - Tuesday, September 16, 2003; Frazier Moore; The AIDS crisis in South Africa is the subject of the next edition of P.O.V. State of Denial, by South Africa native Elaine Epstein, examines a nation reeling from disease and years of government inaction. Featured are patients, journalists and health care professionals struggling against the odds to obtain treatment a
Walkers Set to Hit Streets for AIDS: Record (Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario) (09.16.03) - Tuesday, September 16, 2003; The annual Waterloo Region AIDS Walk will take place on Sunday, Sept. 21, to benefit the AIDS Committee of Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo and Area. The group provides support and services to those infected or affected by HIV/AIDS, and community outreach and education. The walk starts at 11 a.m. at the Renison College C
City Health Officials Report Syphilis Cases in Canton: Akron Beacon Journal (09.13.03) - Tuesday, September 16, 2003; Health officials in Canton, Ohio, on Friday reported diagnosing two cases of primary syphilis, both apparently related to prostitution. Canton Health Commissioner Robert Pattison said the cases are the first reported instances of primary syphilis in five years. I strongly encourage anyone at risk to seek medical treatm
New HIV Test Is Available at County Clinics: Arizona Republic (09.14.03) - Tuesday, September 16, 2003; Meagan Pollnow; A new 30-minute HIV test available in five Maricopa County clinics is expected to increase the number of HIV cases discovered in Arizona. The Food and Drug Administration approved the OraQuick rapid blood test last November, and in May it became available for free to the public in five Phoenix clinics. The new test is
Clinic Bolsters AIDS Care Capability: Chattanooga Times Free Press (09.14.03) - Tuesday, September 16, 2003; Edward Lee Pitts; The building that houses Chattanooga Cares, an HIV/AIDS community-based organization, does not have a sign out front, because people don t want those who are bringing them here to know what it is for, said W. Steven White, executive director. Such persistent stigma demonstrates the need for the organization s newest se
HIV Drug Kaletra Proves Effective in 5-Year Study: Chicago Sun-Times (09.16.03) - Tuesday, September 16, 2003; Francine Knowles; In a five-year study, most patients using Abbott Laboratories HIV drug Kaletra achieved and maintained undetectable viral levels and did not develop drug resistance. In releasing the study Monday in Chicago at a conference of the American Society of Microbiology, Abbott said the data demonstrate that undetectable viral
Intrapartum and Neonatal Single-Dose Nevirapine Compared with Zidovudine for Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV- 1 in Kampala, Uganda: 18-Month Follow-Up of the HIVNET 012 Randomized Trial: Lancet (09.13.03) Vol. 362; No. 9387:P.859-868 - Tuesday, September 16, 2003; J. Brooks Jackson; Philippa Musoke; Thomas Fleming; Laura A. Guay; Danstan Bagenda; Melissa Allen; Clemensia Nakabiito; Joseph Sherman; Paul Bakaki; Maxensia Owor; Constance Ducar; Martina Deseyve; Anthony Mwatha; Lynda Emel; Corey Duefield; Mark Mirochnick; Mary Glenn Fowler; Lynne Mofenson; Paolo Miotti; Maria Gigliotti; Dorothy Bray; Francis Mmiro; In 2002, more than 800,000 children developed HIV-1 through mother-to-child transmission; 90 percent lived in resource- poor countries. In more developed countries, mother-to-child transmission has been drastically curtailed through the Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trials Group (PACTG) 076 zidovudine regimen, given to the m
HIV Diagnosis 'Leads to Poverty': BBC News (09.16.03) - Tuesday, September 16, 2003; As a result of their diagnosis, people with HIV/AIDS face living in poverty, losing their home to debt, and depression, the British charity organizations Crusaid and Terrence Higgins Trust said recently. Small but significant changes to the law and government regulations could reduce the problem, the groups said. The a
North America's First Supervised Heroin Injection Site Opens: Agence France Presse (09.15.03) - Tuesday, September 16, 2003; Deborah Jones; The first supervised heroin injection site in North America officially opened Monday in Vancouver. Organizers estimate that as many as 800 addicts a day will go to the site to shoot up instead of using back alleys, thus helping reduce overdose deaths as well as AIDS and hepatitis infections among injection drug users.
Bono Wants More Spent on AIDS: USA Today (09.16.03) - Tuesday, September 16, 2003; Mark Memmott; The Irish rock star Bono today will urge President Bush to spend $1 billion more in the first year of Bush s five-year plan to combat AIDS in Africa and the Caribbean. Bono, of the band U2, has long been an activist on issues related to Africa and is to meet with Bush today at the White House. At issue is whether the
AIDS Deaths Decline in Prison: Boston Globe (09.15.03) - Tuesday, September 16, 2003; Farah Stockman; Since 1995, the annual number of prison deaths in Massachusetts declined from 36 to 18, while AIDS-related deaths dropped from 14 to two in the same period, according to the Department of Corrections and Bureau of Justice Statistics, a branch of the US Department of Justice. The provision of AIDS drugs is by far the la
Man Mistakenly Told He Was HIV Positive Sues Laboratory: Associated Press (09.12.03) - Monday, September 15, 2003; In a lawsuit filed Thursday, a Granite City, Ill., man is suing a medical laboratory for mistakenly informing him he was HIV-positive. Brett Bareford, 45, was wrongly informed he was HIV-positive after he submitted blood samples for testing during a physical examination on June 25, 2002, said Rhonda Jenkins, Bareford s
New AIDS Initiative for Africa to Be Launched Wednesday: Agence France Presse (09.14.03) - Monday, September 15, 2003; The UN Economic Commission for Africa will officially launch a new commission to help address the devastating effects of HIV/AIDS on the continent, according to a statement released Sunday. By complementing vital work on HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention in Africa, the new commission will attempt to buffer the socio
Sex for Groceries in Hungry Zimbabwe: Report: Agence France Presse (09.14.03) - Monday, September 15, 2003; Teenagers are selling sex for groceries in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe , as rampant inflation - running at more than 426 percent - and cash and food shortages make survival a challenge. Desperate girls offer sex, according to the Standard newspaper, for groceries and other basic commodities that are in short supply. Fifteen-ye
HIV Testing Bill OK'd, Goes to Governor: Oakland Tribune (09.13.03) - Monday, September 15, 2003; Legislation that passed the state Assembly on September 12 would make HIV testing a routine aspect of prenatal care for pregnant women in California. The bill, headed for the governor s desk, was introduced by Assemblymember John Dutra (D-Fremont). The law does not mandate an HIV test but includes it in the battery of
AIDS Ride Returns on Different Course: Boston Globe (09.14.03) - Monday, September 15, 2003; Megan Tench; Approximately 60 bicyclists turned out for a bike ride for AIDS on Saturday. The new ride, from Boston to Provincetown, began at 6 a.m. in front of Club Caf�. So far, the riders have raised $125,000 for HIV/AIDS research and outreach. Last year, the popular Boston-to-New York fundraising ride shut down amid a swirl of
AIDS Agency Rebuilds Eyesore into Office: Buffalo News (09.13.03) - Monday, September 15, 2003; Jay Rey; The Buffalo, N.Y., nonprofit AIDS Community Services of Western New York opened its fifth and newest local office at 200 South Elmwood Ave. with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday. The old brick home was a vacant, dilapidated eyesore for the neighborhood a few years ago, but it is now a sparkling jewel after a more than
Mayor: Provide Condoms to Teens: Macon Telegraph (09.11.03) - Monday, September 15, 2003; Gray Beverley; Macon, Ga., Mayor Jack Ellis, recently back from a five- nation tour of Africa, said he wants to apply lessons he learned there. He plans to talk to public school officials about improving sex education, including passing out condoms to students. I learned as much as I shared, Ellis said at a Wednesday afternoon news c
Regional Differences in HIV Trends in The Gambia: Results from Sentinel Surveillance Among Pregnant Women: AIDS (08.15.03) Vol. 17; No. 12; P.1841-1846 - Monday, September 15, 2003; Maarten F. Schim van der Loeff; Ramu Sarge-Njie; Saihou Ceesay; Akum Aveika Awasana; Pa Jaye; Omar Sam; Kebba O. Jaiteh; David Cubitt; Paul Milligan; Hilton C. Whittle; The current study compared the seroprevalence of HIV-1 and HIV-2 in pregnant women in The Gambia between May 2000 and August 2001 with the seroprevalence of the viruses in 1993- 1995. The earlier survey found HIV-1 at 0.6 percent and HIV-2 at 1.1 percent among pregnant women who visited eight antenatal clinics througho
College-Age Population at Risk for Chlamydia: Daily Trojan (University of Southern California-Los Angeles) (09.10.03) - Monday, September 15, 2003; Sherry Anne Rubiano; Although chlamydia is the most common bacterial STD in the United States according to CDC, many people infected are unaware of it. No symptoms present in about 75 percent of women and 50 percent of men. If they don t know they have an infection, they might pass it on, said Chi-Wai Au, communications coordinator of the
OraQuick Gets OK for Hospital Use: Morning Call (Allentown, Pa.) (09.10.03) - Monday, September 15, 2003; Sam Kennedy; The Food and Drug Administration has approved the 20-minute OraQuick HIV test for expanded use in hospitals, test maker OraSure announced on Sept. 9. The test can be used on blood drawn intravenously and stored in a tube; previously, the test could be used only with fresh blood drawn from a finger prick, a method bette
Planned Parenthood Sues over Loss of State Grant: Associated Press (09.14.03) - Monday, September 15, 2003; The Nebraska chapter of Planned Parenthood has filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking to reinstate a state grant the agency had anticipated using to fund a teen outreach program. Earlier this summer, Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning issued an opinion maintaining the $100,000 grant violated a state law that forbi
Shorter Turn-Around Time on HIV Testing for Newborns Mandated: Associated Press (09.14.03) - Monday, September 15, 2003; Joel Stashenko; Under a new requirement for birth centers to take effect Nov. 1, the New York Health Department is mandating that newborns blood test results be returned within 12 hours. The current limit, set by the state in 1999, is 48 hours - too late, health officials say, to give drug therapy to prevent mother- to- child HIV tran
Arson Blaze Damages North Side Office Building; AIDS Group's Headquarters Hit: Chicago Tribune (09.10.03) - Friday, September 12, 2003; Joshua S. Howes; A gasoline fire set on a North Side Chicago rooftop around 5:30 a.m. Tuesday caused part of the ceiling to collapse in a one-story building that houses the offices of Test Positive Awareness Network, an AIDS advocacy group, and the offices of US Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.). Police said an offender poured gasoline down
African Development Bank Grants $8.3 Million to Central Africa for AIDS: Agence France Presse (09.11.03) - Friday, September 12, 2003; The African Development Bank (AfDB) on Thursday announced an $8.3 million dollar grant to help the Central African Republic , Chad , the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Congo in their joint efforts to fight the AIDS pandemic. These countries have significant cross-border migration and must coordinate their strategies
EU Urged to Pour More Money into Anti-AIDS Projects: Agence France Presse (09.11.03) - Friday, September 12, 2003; On Thursday, international leaders urged the European Union to commit more money to fighting AIDS in Africa to avoid murder by silence. The EU must do much more in the battle against AIDS, said Jan Nico Scholten, president of the Association of Western European Parliamentarians for Africa. The situation in Africa is aw
Researchers: Smallpox Vaccines May Protect Against HIV: Associated Press (09.11.03) - Friday, September 12, 2003; Matthew Barakat; Smallpox vaccinations may also provide protection against HIV, according to researchers at George Mason University. The findings are preliminary, based on a study of 10 vaccinated blood samples and 10 controls. However, the results were statistically significant despite the small sample size, said Ken Alibek, director
Bacteria May Show Promise in AIDS Fight: Associated Press (09.08.03) - Friday, September 12, 2003; Randolph E. Schmid; An engineered form of the lactobacillus bacteria normally present in the vagina may one day be used to protect women from HIV, according to new research. Researchers used a strain of Lactobacillus jensenii, generally abundant in mucus secreted by the mucous membrane lining of a healthy vagina. The bacteria were modifie
Rapid HIV Test During Labor Gives Accurate Results: Reuters Health (09.12.03) - Friday, September 12, 2003; Megan Rauscher; According to research published by CDC, rapid HIV-1 testing performed at the bedside in labor wards by non-laboratory hospital staff gives accurate results much faster than lab testing, meaning that HIV drugs can be given to the mother and newborn in time to reduce the baby s chances of infection. Conducted during the
Teens Know Less About Sex Risks: Edmonton Journal (09.10.03) - Friday, September 12, 2003; Allison Lampert; Despite years of public health campaigns, a new study shows Canadian teenagers know less about safe sex now than they did in 1989. We would have hoped that today, in 2003, teens would know more about [sexually transmitted] diseases. But despite all the information available, we re realizing that teens aren t necessaril
Human Papillomavirus: National HPV Co-Infection Group Formed to Raise Public Awareness: Women's Health Weekly (08.21.03) - Friday, September 12, 2003; Cel-Sci Corporation has joined several AIDS organizations and advocacy groups, the HPV Foundation and Chronimed to create the National HPV Co-Infection Alliance. The group formed to address the growing epidemic of HPV among HIV-infected patients. HPV, the world s leading sexually transmitted virus, is also a growing pr
Research Funding: HRSA Awards $600,000 'Twinning' Grant to Fight HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean: AIDS Weekly (09.08.03) - Friday, September 12, 2003; The Health Resources and Services Administration has announced a $600,000 Caribbean twinning program grant to Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. This grant will support and foster the transfer and sharing of technology, skills and information on HIV/AIDS between the United States and the Caribbean, said US
Democrats Question Changes to HIV/AIDS-Prevention Program Guidelines: Associated Press (09.11.03) - Friday, September 12, 2003; Mary Dalrymple; On Thursday, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and Rep. Henry Waxman (D- Calif.) asked Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson to reconsider new rules for HIV/AIDS prevention programs receiving federal funds. In July, HHS announced that a state or local he
AIDS Network Takes Fiscal Reins: Capital Times (Madison, Wis.) (09.06.03) - Thursday, September 11, 2003; Judith Davidoff; AIDS Network, which provides HIV/AIDS prevention and case management services to 13 counties in south central Wisconsin, will hold its first fund-raising walk in Madison on September 27. We needed to take the driver seat in controlling our financial future, which includes doing our own fund-raising events, said Executi
Some 27 First Ladies to Join 10,000-Strong African Women's AIDS Run: Agence France Presse (09.08.03) - Thursday, September 11, 2003; Twenty-seven African first ladies will join 10,000 women September 20 for the 10-kilometer first International Women s AIDS Run in Nairobi, Kenya . The event will recognize African women s role in caring for people with HIV/AIDS and AIDS orphans. Participants will include Kenyan marathon gold medalist Catherine Ndereva
Russia Reports Rise in HIV Cases: Associated Press (09.10.03) - Thursday, September 11, 2003; The number of Russians registered as HIV-positive has reached 250,000, and efforts to stem the disease s rapid spread have failed, officials said Wednesday. The proportion of HIV patients who contracted the virus through sexual contact doubled from 6 percent in 2001 to 12 percent last year, according to Russia s chief
Palm Beach County Selected for AIDS Project: South Florida Sun-Sentinel (09.09.03) - Thursday, September 11, 2003; Nancy McVicar; Palm Beach County is one of four US locations selected for a two-year pilot project aimed at finding those in minority communities who have been diagnosed with HIV or AIDS but are not receiving care. The project is a spin-off from the earlier, federally funded program Rapid Assessment Response and Evaluation project -
Survival Benefit from Non-Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy in a Resource-Constrained Setting: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (02.01.03) Vol. 32: P.157-160 - Thursday, September 11, 2003; Panita Pathipvanich; Koya Ariyoshi; Archawin Rojanawiwat; Suchint Wongchoosie; Pipat Yingseree; Junito Yoshiike; Paijit Warachit; Pathom Sawanpanyalert; Triple ARV drug therapy can greatly improve the quality and length of an HIV patient s life. However, such therapy is not always available in the developing world. In Thailand , the government only recently initiated a policy of providing triple therapy to HIV-1 infected individuals on a select basis. Before that polic
WTO Deal Paves Way for Cheaper Drugs: Africa News (09.09.03) - Thursday, September 11, 2003; Business Day (South Africa); South Africa will not immediately benefit from last month s World Trade Organization agreement allowing nations access to cheap generic drugs, according to the nation s pharmaceutical companies. If this had happened two years ago, we would have said pop the champagne corks, said Linda Philip, group chief operating of
Schools to Test for Sex Diseases: Pilot Scheme Follows Sharp Rise in Infection Rate: Guardian (London) (09.11.03) - Thursday, September 11, 2003; James Meikle; As part of a national effort to curb sharply rising chlamydia infection rates, secondary school students in York, England, will be tested for the STD. Testing of teenagers for chlamydia, an infection thought to occur in one in 10 sexually active British women, will be offered in two mixed schools in York in a plan that
West Cape HIV Rate Tops 10%: allAfrica.com (09.10.03) - Thursday, September 11, 2003; Cape Argus (South Africa); HIV prevalence in the Western Cape, normally the lowest in South Africa , has jumped higher than 10 percent for the first time. Dr. Fareed Abdullah, head of the Western Cape s AIDS program, is very worried about the figure from the 2002 national HIV antenatal survey, released Tuesday. The survey, widely accepted as a r
UN Envoy Asks Asia to Act Now on AIDS or Face Dire Consequences: Agence France Presse (09.11.03) - Thursday, September 11, 2003; P. Parameswaran; Today, Joy Phumaphi, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan s HIV/AIDS commissioner, told the World Health Organization Western Pacific annual meeting in Manila that immediate wide- ranging action is needed to prevent Asia from emerging as the epicenter of a global HIV/AIDS pandemic in the next decade. You have to have a
TB, South Africa's Number One Killer of AIDS Sufferers: Expert: Agence France Presse (09.10.03) - Thursday, September 11, 2003; Jan Hennop; Tuberculosis is the number one killer among South Africans with HIV/AIDS, an international expert said Wednesday after a three-day meeting seeking to create awareness of TB. Patrick Bertrand, regional coordinator of the Swiss-based Massive Effort Campaign, a nonprofit organization specializing in fusing efforts to comb
The Changing Face of AIDS in the US: Wall Street Journal (09.11.03) - Thursday, September 11, 2003; Michael Waldholz; African Americans accounted for 54 percent of the approximately 43,000 new US HIV infections last year, up from 35 percent of new cases in 1993, according to CDC. In 1998, the number of African Americans with AIDS surpassed that of whites for the first time. In 2001, AIDS became the leading cause of death for African-A
WHO Warns Asia of Wider HIV/AIDS Epidemic: Associated Press (09.10.03) - Wednesday, September 10, 2003; A rise in sexually transmitted diseases, particularly among young adults, could widen an HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Asia- Pacific region, the World Health Organization warned today. High- risk behavior is on the rise and there are more STDs, notably in Mongolia , the Philippine
Ireland's HIV Cases Rose by 22 Percent Last Year: Agence France Presse (09.09.03) - Wednesday, September 10, 2003; The number of HIV diagnoses in Ireland rose by 22 percent in 2002, the country s National Disease Surveillance Center said Tuesday. According to NDSC, there were 364 new cases last year, with over half of them involving immigrants born in sub- Saharan Africa. The figures highlight the continuing need for appropriate p
Center of AIDS Controversy Dies at 23: Associated Press (09.09.03) - Wednesday, September 10, 2003; Jason Robertson, 23, died Thursday in Granite City, Ill. At age 5, Robertson was diagnosed with HIV; he contracted the virus through hemophilia blood products. At his mother s suggestion, the Granite City School District used a special classroom trailer to shield him from controversy. But when he became lonely, his mot
Cancer Screening: Most Women Can Skip Pap Smears After Hysterectomy, Study Finds: Women's Health Weekly (08.14.03) - Wednesday, September 10, 2003; New research by University of Michigan Health System physicians finds that most women who have had a hysterectomy for a non-cancerous disease can forgo annual Pap smear exams. Its authors found that even in the best conditions, women only add three weeks to their lives through regular screenings. The cost of these scre
Cancer Risk Factors: Scottish Study Reveals Cancer Risk of HIV: AIDS Weekly (08.18.03) - Wednesday, September 10, 2003; Before the advent of antiretroviral drugs, HIV patients were at 11 times greater risk than the general population for all cancers combined, and more than 100 times more likely to develop certain kinds of cancers, according to a Scottish study. AIDS- defining malignancies such as Kaposi s sarcoma and non-Hodgkin lymphom
Funding Boost Urged for Needle Exchange: Standard (St. Catharines, Ontario) (09.09.03) - Wednesday, September 10, 2003; Kalvin Reid; Canada s Niagara region is considering an additional $50,000 (US$36,600) for StreetWorks, a regionally funded program of AIDS Niagara providing clean syringes to drug users in an effort to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C. StreetWorks is expected to use the money to ensure its survival. This program is cur
Sex Education Course to Be Abolished: Province's Changes to Curriculum Affect Discussions of Sexuality in Schools: Gazette (Montreal, Quebec) (09.10.03) - Wednesday, September 10, 2003; Allison Lampert; When Quebec s reform of the school curriculum takes full effect in 2005, students will no longer be required to take a class that includes a sex education unit. Johanne Methot, a spokesperson for Quebec s Education Department, said information on sexually transmitted diseases would instead be integrated into regular cl
Finding the Right Combination to Fight Hepatitis C: Los Angeles Times (09.01.03) - Wednesday, September 10, 2003; Linda Marsa; Just half of the millions of Americans infected with hepatitis C respond to treatment, while others who are infected live with the constant threat that their health could suddenly, and fatally, deteriorate. But a new drug could help improve these odds. When used with the antiviral drug interferon, the drug Zadaxin coul
Police Accused of Interfering with Needle-Exchange Efforts: Los Angeles Times (09.10.03) - Wednesday, September 10, 2003; Steve Hymon; New York-based Human Rights Watch on Tuesday accused police in California of interfering with legitimate needle exchange programs intended to slow the spread of HIV and hepatitis C. By arresting or harassing patrons of locally approved exchange programs throughout the state, police are discouraging people from using a
Assembly Approves Changes to Sex Education in Public Schools: Associated Press (09.09.03) - Wednesday, September 10, 2003; Jennifer Coleman; The California Assembly approved a bill Tuesday that would streamline the process for allowing students to attend sex education classes, over Republicans objections that it would weaken parental authority. Sponsored by Sen. Shelia Kuehl (D-Santa Monica), the bill would require schools to send notices at the beginning o
Meeting to Focus on AIDS, Blacks: Lexington Herald Leader (09.03.03) - Tuesday, September 09, 2003; The African-American Leadership Conference on HIV/AIDS will be held Sept. 12-13 at the Holiday Inn North in Lexington, Ky. The Kentucky Department for Public Health HIV/AIDS Branch will sponsor the conference, which is being held in conjunction with the Roots & Heritage Festival. In Kentucky, black people make up 7
South Africa Plans Phased AIDS Drug Roll-Out: Reuters (09.05.03) - Tuesday, September 09, 2003; South Africa s first phase of its effort to nationally distribute antiretroviral drugs to those with HIV will probably begin by the end of this year, a senior health official said Friday. Anthony Mbewu, head of the team set up to produce a detailed plan for rolling out the drugs, said comprehensive HIV/AIDS treatment a
Women's Clinic Will Target HIV and AIDS: Orlando Sentinel (09.04.03) - Tuesday, September 09, 2003; Andrea Perera; The Lake County, Fla., Health Department is partnering with Community Medical Care Center to offer a women s health clinic on Friday afternoons. CMCC will offer gynecologic and HIV treatment, and testing for STDs, HIV and pregnancy from 1-5 p.m. The clinic will charge a sliding fee and will accept Medicaid and private
Health Literacy in Low-Income Latino Men and Women Receiving Antiretroviral Therapy in Community-Based Treatment Centers: AIDS Patient Care and STDs (06.03); Vol. 17; No. 6: P. 283-298 - Tuesday, September 09, 2003; Gwen Van Servellen, RN, PhD; Jean S. Brown, RN, MSN; Emilia Lombardi, PhD; Gilberto Herrera, FMG; The current study describes deficits in health literacy in a sample of 90 low-income HIV-positive Latino men and women having problems with treatment adherence. Some HIV/AIDS populations, including certain underserved ethnic minority groups seeking community-based treatment services, are reported to have low levels of
AIDS Could Lead to Wars in Africa: General: Agence France Presse (09.08.03) - Tuesday, September 09, 2003; The African AIDS pandemic could be a source for intra- and inter-state conflict, said Major General Bakwena Oitsile. The Botswanan army general spoke before Africa s first military conference on the epidemic, attended by representatives of military forces in sub-Saharan countries. If the security forces become weaker d
140 Community Leaders Living with HIV/AIDS Gather in Thailand: Agence France Presse (09.09.03) - Tuesday, September 09, 2003; Some 140 community leaders living with HIV/AIDS gathered Tuesday in Thailand to build self-empowerment and create new battle strategies in the fight against the epidemic, the UN and activists reported. Involving people from 21 nations, the four- day program at the Pattaya beach resort south of Bangkok is billed as the
South African AIDS Activist Starts Antiretroviral Treatment: Agence France Presse (08.09.03) - Tuesday, September 09, 2003; South Africa s most prominent AIDS activist Zackie Achmat said Monday he had taken his first antiretroviral drugs, ending his previous refusal to do so until the government committed to a national AIDS plan. That s what I have to take to keep me alive; I hope for the next 20 years, said Achmat, as he held up a package
Ethiopia Receives US$5 Million to Prevent HIV Transmission from Mother to Child: Associated Press (09.08.03) - Tuesday, September 09, 2003; Anthony Mitchell; Ethiopia has received $5 million to build a network to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission, health officials said yesterday. The funding is part of a $15 billion program launched earlier this year by President George W. Bush to fight the AIDS pandemic in Africa and the Caribbean. The tragedy of HIV/AIDS is
Doctor Denies Blame in Hepatitis C Outbreak: Associated Press (09.09.03) - Tuesday, September 09, 2003; Phil Rooney; Dr. Tahir Javed, who is accused of using unsanitary practices that caused the hepatitis C infections of 99 patients at his Nebraska cancer clinic has denied any wrongdoing. The patients, who were receiving treatment at Javed s Fremont Cancer Clinic, contracted hepatitis C between March 2000 and December 2001. One of th
Head of US Conference of Mayors Urges Action on AIDS: Associated Press (09.08.03) - Tuesday, September 09, 2003; Returning from a two-week visit to Africa, James Garner, the president of the US Conference of Mayors, urged the world s mayors to unite to help fight the AIDS epidemic in Africa. Garner spoke Monday about the trip, on which he joined nine other US mayors to visit South Africa , Namibi
Botswana Holds Pageant for HIV-Positive: Associated Press (09.07.03) - Monday, September 08, 2003; Sello Motseta; Botswana , which has the highest HIV infection rate in the world, on Saturday held a beauty pageant for HIV-positive women and their relatives. The organizers of the Miss HIV Stigma-Free pageant said they hoped the contest would show the disease does not have to prevent women from being vibrant and beautiful. Winner
Libyan Prosecutor Demands Death Sentences for Six Bulgarian Medics: Associated Press (09.08.03) - Monday, September 08, 2003; A Libyan prosecutor demanded death sentences Monday for six Bulgarian medics charged with deliberately infecting about 400 Libyan children with HIV through blood transfusions, Bulgarian state radio reported. The demand came just days after Dr. Luc Montagnier, the co-discoverer of HIV, testified that poor hygiene likely
Three More Iowa City Students Test Positive for TB: Associated Press (09.06.03) - Monday, September 08, 2003; Three more Iowa City, Iowa, students have tested positive for TB, bringing the number of students who had positive skin tests after coming in close contact with an ill student at West High School up to 10. The Johnson County Health Department conducted follow-up testing at the school, including retesting 123 of the ori
Project Is Home for AIDS Patients: Contra Costa Times (09.04.03) - Monday, September 08, 2003; Jose A. Lopez; Three years in the making, Alvarez Court, a 19-unit affordable housing apartment complex for people with HIV/AIDS in Pinole, Calif., held its grand opening Thursday. The apartments feature bright yellow-and-gold facades, patios on some units and wheelchair accessibility. For Patricia Price, who is HIV- positive and has
Non-Profit Organization Advocates Abstinence to High School Teens: South Florida Sun-Sentinel (09.07.03) - Monday, September 08, 2003; Karen L. Fede; Since 1992, the nonprofit organization Be the One has conducted age-specific abstinence programs - including interactive classroom presentations, after-school clubs and youth rallies - for middle and high schools students across the country. Last year, the group received a $2.4 million federal grant to focus efforts on
1,000 at High School Face TB Tests: Arizona Republic (09.06.03) - Monday, September 08, 2003; Anne Ryman; Christina Lucarotti; The Maricopa County, Ariz., Department of Public Health is advising a tuberculosis tests for over 1,000 students, teachers and staff who were at Coronado High School last spring. After active TB was diagnosed in one Coronado High student in May, county health care workers gave the TB tests as part of a three- month fol
Age Differences in Sexual Partners and Risk of HIV-1 Infection in Rural Uganda: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (04.01.03) Vol. 32; No. 4: P. 446-451 - Monday, September 08, 2003; Robert J. Kelly; Ronald H. Gray; Nelson K. Sewankambo; David Serwadda; Fred Wabwire-Mangen; Tom Lutalo; Maria J. Wawer; The current study is an observational analysis of the sexual behavior characteristics of adolescents in Rakai District, Uganda , to assess the degree to which age differences between sexual partners affect the risk of HIV infection. During a randomized community-based trial the researchers conducted in 56 communities o
Disease Prevention: Zimbabwean Women Value Diaphragm as Clandestine Method to Possibly Prevent HIV: Women's Health Weekly (08.21.03) - Monday, September 08, 2003; A University of California-San Francisco study found that almost half the Zimbabwean women surveyed said the ability to use a diaphragm clandestinely was very or extremely important. The percentage rose to 80 percent if their partners had other sexual partners or if it was difficult to get their partners to use condoms
Project an Outlet for Those with AIDS: Columbus Dispatch (09.07.03) - Monday, September 08, 2003; Dana Wilson; The US AIDS population is aging, and a gap in care that meets older HIV-positive adults needs often means those over 50 are going without valuable support and coping skills. But Project Empower, a study conducted by Ohio University health psychologist Timothy Heckman and colleagues, is evaluating whether telephone supp
DeWine Struck by Magnitude of AIDS Crisis After Africa Trip: Columbus Dispatch (09.07.03) - Monday, September 08, 2003; Jonathan Riskind; His deeply troubling, gut-wrenching trip to southern Africa in August showed Sen. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) the importance of acting quickly but wisely in spending US dollars to battle AIDS there. DeWine s Sept. 2 speech on the Senate floor followed his trip to Botswana , Mozambique ,
Boxing Great Roy Jones in Kenya to Promote Anti-AIDS War: Agence France Presse (09.04.03) - Friday, September 05, 2003; US boxing great Roy Jones Jr. arrived in Kenya on Thursday to promote the fight against HIV/AIDS, which has infected at least 2 million of that nation s 32 million people. I am here because I know the people of Kenya are suffering because of the AIDS epidemic, Jones told a press conference in Nairobi. Kenyan Junior Spo
Health Officials Search for Source of Parasite Outbreak: Associated Press (09.04.03) - Friday, September 05, 2003; Officials in Lawrence, Kan., are assuring residents the city water supply is safe, but they still have not determined the source of a cryptosporidium outbreak. There have been 23 confirmed cases since the first was reported Aug. 22, and health officials believe there probably will be more. The diarrhea- causing parasit
Bill Would Allow Purchase of up to 30 Needles Without Prescription: Associated Press (09.04.03) - Friday, September 05, 2003; On Thursday, the California Senate passed (21-10) without debate legislation designed to reduce the number of AIDS cases by allowing adults to buy up to 30 hypodermic needles at a time without a prescription. The bill, sponsored by John Vasconcellos (D-Santa Clara), is intended to reduce the sharing of needles by drug
Funding the AIDS Fight: Southern Voice (Atlanta) (08.29.03) - Friday, September 05, 2003; Van Gower; The Atlanta AIDS Partnership Fund recently awarded more than $536,000 in grants to 26 metro area HIV/AIDS service organizations. The funds come as a welcome boost for groups such as Project Open Hand-Atlanta, which delivers some 3,000 meals daily to persons with HIV/AIDS, cancer and diabetes. Our priority is of course
Youth Voice Concerns at Hearing on HIV: Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) (08.28.03) - Friday, September 05, 2003; Matthew S. Bajko; San Francisco needs to improve its health care services for young people, and its gay community needs to be more welcoming to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth who come to the city seeking acceptance, speakers said at a recent forum on HIV and youth. District 8 Supervisor Bevan Dufty convened the
Project Studies AIDS Impact: Bradenton Herald (08.31.03) - Friday, September 05, 2003; Donna Wright; The Manatee County, Fla., health department has received a $15,000 US Department of Health and Human Services grant to conduct a four-month project designed to address the disproportionate HIV infection rate among minority populations. Prevention efforts have not slowed Manatee s HIV infection increase among heterosexu
HIV/AIDS Task Force Sought: Charlotte Observer (09.04.03) - Friday, September 05, 2003; Howie Paul Hartnett; Following months of discussions about the growing number of HIV/AIDS cases in Mecklenburg County, N.C., commissioners directed County Manager Harry Jones to appoint an HIV/AIDS task force, but it remains to be seen how comprehensive that group s recommendation will be. Most commissioners and members of the public who t
Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Sexually Active Young Women Often Underestimate STD Risk: Women's Health Weekly (08.21.03) - Friday, September 05, 2003; Most sexually active single women believe they are at low risk for contracting STDs, but a study, Factors Associated with Condom Use Among At-Risk Women Students and Nonstudents Seen in Managed Care, published in Preventive Medicine (2003;37;(2):163- 170), says otherwise. According to the research, the group s risk pro
Brazil to Stir Up AIDS-Drug Battle: Wall Street Journal (09.05.03) - Friday, September 05, 2003; Miriam Jordan; On Friday, Brazil is expected to issue a decree allowing imports of generic copies of patented AIDS drugs that the country says it can no longer afford. Brazil has been in negotiations with drug companies for weeks demanding at least a 40 percent cut in the price of three drugs: Abbott Laboratories
AIDS Patients Put on Waiting Lists Due to Shortage of Federal Funds: South Florida Sun-Sentinel (09.04.03) - Friday, September 05, 2003; Bob LaMendola; As the number of HIV/AIDS patients grows faster than federal funding, agencies say the waiting lists now seen in three South Florida counties have never been so widespread or long- lasting. Last year, new HIV cases jumped by 44 percent to 519 in Palm Beach County, by 30 percent to 1,086 in Broward, and by 18 percent to
Prominent French Doctor Says Bulgarians Didn't Cause HIV Contagion in Libyan Hospital: Associated Press (09.03.03) - Thursday, September 04, 2003; Luc Montagnier, the scientist who first identified HIV, said Wednesday that five Bulgarian health care workers on trial in Libya did not infect hundreds of children with the virus. The Bulgarians - five nurses and a doctor - were arrested in February 1999 and charged with infecting 393 Libyan children through blood tra
US, Netherlands Sign Accord on Fight Against AIDS: Agence France Presse (09.04.03) - Thursday, September 04, 2003; On Wednesday in Washington, US President George Bush and Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende agreed that progress in fighting the global tragedy of HIV/AIDS requires more and better coordination among donor and recipient governments, international organizations, NGOs and the private sector, according to a joint s
China Defends AIDS Policy, Says It Is Determined to Address Epidemic: Agence France Presse (09.04.03) - Thursday, September 04, 2003; China on Thursday slammed New York-based Human Rights Watch for falsely blaming government policy for a massive AIDS outbreak and said it is determined to care for those infected. Released Wednesday, the 94-page report Locked Doors: The Human Rights of People Living with HIV/AIDS in China, charged the government wit
New HIV Test Cuts Wait Time for Results: Times-Picayune (New Orleans) (08.31.03) - Thursday, September 04, 2003; John Pope; For the past month, three New Orleans sites have offered HIV testing using a recently approved blood test that delivers results in just 20 minutes. As part of a national initiative sponsored by CDC, the OraQuick Rapid HIV-1 Antibody Tests have been given free on an anonymous basis, with pre- and post-test counseling. T
Forum Will Discuss Sharp Increase in HIV Cases: Seattle Post-Intelligencer (09.03.03) - Thursday, September 04, 2003; Public health officials have spotted striking increases in HIV among gay and bisexual men in King County, Wash., as well as rises in gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis. Last year, 94 new HIV infections were diagnosed at county public clinics. If the trend continues, officials expect a 60 percent jump by the end of this
Safety of Longer Intervals Between Pap Tests Debated: American Medical News (08.18.03) Vol. 46; No. 31 - Thursday, September 04, 2003; Susan J. Landers; Some medical groups caution that annual Pap tests using liquid preparations approved by FDA in the 1990s are unnecessary for many women. The increased sensitivity of the new tests, they maintain, results in the detection of more abnormalities that ultimately prove to be harmless. Less-frequent testing could mean fewer
Canadians Ignorant About AIDS, Poll Reveals: Ottawa Citizen (09.01.03) - Thursday, September 04, 2003; Jack Aubry; One in four Canadians believe they can contract HIV/AIDS through kissing and mosquito bites, and nearly 20 percent believe AIDS can be cured if treated early, according to a new national survey commissioned by Health Canada . The poll indicated complacency setting in among Canadians toward the global epidemic. HIV/AID
Disease Rising in Pregnant Women: Papua New Guinea Post-Courier (09.04.03) - Thursday, September 04, 2003; HIV/AIDS cases among pregnant women in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea , have increased tenfold since 1994, rising from 0.08 percent to 0.8 percent in 2002. This was the grim message from Professor Glen Mola of the University of PNG at a weeklong medical symposium in Mt. Hagen. Citing the epidemic s spread in sub-Sahara
Asia's Tough Line on Drugs, Prostitution Hinders AIDS Fight: Australian Associated Press (09.04.03) - Thursday, September 04, 2003; Ron Corben; Asia needs to introduce measures such as needle exchange and soften its tough stance against narcotics, prostitution and homosexuality if it is going to combat HIV/AIDS, Dr. Nafis Sadik, the UN Special Envoy on AIDS, said in Bangkok this week. Efforts by nongovernmental organizations to work with drug users, prostitute
AIDS Scourge Grows 'Relentlessly' in Africa: Washington Times (09.04.03) - Thursday, September 04, 2003; Fienie Grobler; Approximately 99 percent of Africans needing life-saving treatment for AIDS lack access to antiretroviral therapy, the World Health Organization said in its annual report. Issued at an ongoing five-day meeting of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa in Johannesburg, the report noted the HIV/AIDS epidemic continues to
Chlamydia: Infection Prevalent Among Female Army Recruits: Women's Health Weekly (09.04.03) - Thursday, September 04, 2003; Nearly 10 percent of female US Army recruits tested positive for the bacterium that causes the STD chlamydia, according to a new study. Researchers from the Department of Defense, the Army and Johns Hopkins University also discovered that the number of recruits testing positive for the STD increased over duration of th
US, Virginia Inmate AIDS Cases Down: Richmond Times-Dispatch (09.02.03) - Wednesday, September 03, 2003; A Virginia Department of Corrections spokesperson said that as of April, 420 state inmates were known to be HIV-positive. In 2000, the state had 550 known HIV-positive inmates, or just under 2 percent of its 30,000 inmates. The national prison average for that year was 2 percent, which is about four times higher than t
Assembly OKs Bill to Let Pharmacies Sell Needles Without Prescriptions: Associated Press (09.02.03) - Wednesday, September 03, 2003; On Tuesday, California s Assembly approved (41-31) a bill that would allow pharmacies to sell up to 30 hypodermic needles to an adult without a prescription. The legislation, which aims to reduce needle-sharing by drug addicts, covers pharmacies that agree to participate with state and local health officials in evaluat
Teens Battle Complacency on Education About AIDS: Boston Globe (08.28.03) - Wednesday, September 03, 2003; Emily Sweeney; In 1995, Richard M. Marchand was teaching a health class at Shrewsbury High School in Shrewsbury, Mass., when some 10th graders shared a disturbing anecdote with him: They had met students from another local high school who had never been taught about HIV/AIDS. In response, Marchand and his students began the Dream Tea
Looking for Funding to Save a Lifesaving Program: Boston Globe (08.28.03) - Wednesday, September 03, 2003; Emily Sweeney; An AIDS prevention program at the MetroWest Latin American Center in Framingham, Mass., is once again struggling to stay afloat. The program, Teens Talking About Preventing AIDS, nearly sank when its state funding was cut in January 2002. Meanwhile, the state reports an increase in the number of HIV/AIDS cases among yo
Functional Status and Overall Quality of Life in a Multiethnic HIV-Positive Population: AIDS Patient Care and STDs (04.03); Vol. 17; No. 4; P. 187- 197 - Wednesday, September 03, 2003; Damon J. Vidrine, DrPH; Benjamin C. Amick III, PhD; Ellen R. Gritz, PhD; Robert C. Arduino, MD; The current study examines the numerous sociodemographic and behavioral variables associated with quality of life among multiethnic, economically disadvantaged HIV/AIDS patients. The researchers collected data in fall 2000 from 348 patients visiting the Thomas Street Clinic of the Harris County Hospital District in Hou
Large Gathering to Talk on AIDS: Papua New Guinea Post Courier (09.02.03) - Wednesday, September 03, 2003; More than 500 health professionals and researchers from Papua New Guinea and overseas are in Mt. Hagen for the 39th Medical Symposium, which began Monday. The PNG Medical Society is hosting the gathering, whose theme is The HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Papua New Guinea. Professor Mathias Sapuri, president of the PNG Medic
South Africa's Plan to Fight AIDS Poses Risks: San Francisco Chronicle (08.29.03) - Wednesday, September 03, 2003; Gavin du Venage; In August, South Africa s government announced it would finally begin offering antiretroviral (ARV) drugs to its citizens with AIDS, but some experts warn that drug-resistant strains of HIV may proliferate if the program is not managed properly. Dr. Robert Gallo, the co-discoverer of HIV, said: The attitude seems to be
Africans Outdo US Patients in Following AIDS Therapy: New York Times (09.03.03) - Wednesday, September 03, 2003; Donald G. McNeil Jr.; Some doctors, politicians and pharmaceutical executives have argued that it is unsafe to send antiretroviral drugs to Africa, for fear that low adherence would speed drug-resistant HIV that could spread worldwide. But recent surveys in Botswana , Uganda , Senegal and
Human Rights Watch Calls for Full Investigation into China AIDS Scandal: Agence France Presse (09.03.03) - Wednesday, September 03, 2003; Martin Parry; In a report released today, New York-based Human Rights Watch called on the Chinese government to launch a full and impartial investigation into the blood collection scandal that infected millions of people with HIV. And if Beijing is unable to investigate the matter, the UN should be invited to establish the facts, HR
State Budget Cuts Include HIV Program: Southern Voice (Atlanta) (08.29.03) - Wednesday, September 03, 2003; Christopher Seely; Prompted by Gov. Sonny Perdue s call for each state agency to reduce its annual budget, the Georgia Department of Human Resources made a preliminary proposal to trim its HIV/AIDS program by about 10 percent. DHR Commissioner Jim Martin said the department needs to reduce its total budget in all programs by $140 million
WHO Head Welcomes Decision to Let Poor Countries Import Cheap Drugs to Fight Killer Diseases: Associated Press (09.01.03): Sharon Golan - Tuesday, September 02, 2003; On Monday, World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Jong Wook-Lee welcomed the relaxation of trade laws to allow poor African countries fighting AIDS and other killer diseases access to cheaper medicines. Jong-Wook called the move a good step forward. Based on this, we can work further, so every person who needs
Lee Visits AIDS Center in Africa: Oakland Tribune (08.30.03) - Tuesday, September 02, 2003; US Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) met with Zambian Vice President Nevers Mumba and visited an HIV/AIDS prevention program, a conservation farming project and other sites during a three- day congressional delegation trip. Accompanying Lee was Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) and US Virgin Islands delegate Donna Christ
Marked Improvement in Survival Following AIDS Dementia Complex in the Era of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy: AIDS (07.04.03) Vol. 17; No. 10: P.1539-1545 - Tuesday, September 02, 2003; Gregory J. Dore; Ann McDonald; Yueming Li; John M. Kaldor; Bruce J. Brew, for the National HIV Surveillance Committee; The current study examined the effect of the introduction of HAART on survival following AIDS dementia complex (ADC). The researchers examined Australian AIDS notification data pre- HAART (1993-1995) and HAART (1996-2000). They used Kaplan- Meier estimates, with examination of factors influencing survival in a Cox prop
Silence over HIV/AIDS Driving Millions to Their Graves in Ethiopia: Agence France Presse (08.29.03) - Tuesday, September 02, 2003; Abraham Fisseha; Ethiopia s conservative society is hampering efforts to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS, which is silently ravaging the country. The age-old tradition of male domination has crippled open discussion on the gravity of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, a situation compounded by unwarranted sexual practices within the rigidly conserv
Asia Leaders Ignore Looming AIDS Crisis - UN Envoy: Reuters (09.02.03) - Tuesday, September 02, 2003; Darren Schuettler; An impending African-style AIDS crisis that threatens Asia s economic and social development is being ignored by regional leaders, a UN special envoy said today in Bangkok. Some leaders have buried themselves in the illusion that HIV/AIDS is not really an Asian problem - that the infection will somehow restrict itself
WTO Seals Deal to Let Poor Countries Import Cheap Drugs to Fight Killer Diseases: Associated Press (08.30.03) - Tuesday, September 02, 2003; Naomi Koppel; Heeding urgent appeals from African countries beset with AIDS, the World Trade Organization in Geneva agreed Saturday to allow poor countries to import cheap generic copies of patented drugs. Member nations had approved the idea in principle Thursday night but kept haggling over an accompanying statement meant to addre
Syphilis on Rise in New Mexico: Associated Press (09.01.03) - Tuesday, September 02, 2003; Offering food, cash and other freebies, public health workers set up an RV in downtown Albuquerque and waited for people to show up for syphilis tests. In the past few years, New Mexico has seen a steady rise in syphilis. Though the numbers are not high, the increase is. The state reported about 20 syphilis cases in 19
Merck Testing AIDS Vaccine on Humans: Associated Press (09.02.03) - Tuesday, September 02, 2003; Scientists at Merck & Co. s vaccine research headquarters in suburban Philadelphia are testing two experimental AIDS vaccines in early human trials. In earlier tests, the vaccines prevented laboratory monkeys from acquiring fully developed AIDS, although they contracted a version of HIV. The company is conducting 1
Herpes Treatment Approved to Reduce Infection's Spread, Too: Associated Press (08.29.03) - Tuesday, September 02, 2003; The widely used genital herpes drug Valtrex (valacyclovir) can now be advertised as helping to prevent the spread of herpes simplex virus type 2, the Food and Drug Administration ruled Friday. Until now, the only advice for not transmitting genital herpes has been to use condoms and avoid sexual contact during the infe
Bush Broadens Global Gag Rule on Abortion: Associated Press (08.29.03) - Tuesday, September 02, 2003; Darlene Superville; On Friday, President Bush ordered the State Department to withhold US family planning help from overseas groups that promote or perform abortions with their own money. The decision expands an order issued two years ago that applied only to family planning money administered by the US Agency for International Developmen
Vietnam Government Delegation to Head to US for HIV/Drugs Study Tour: Agence France Presse (08.28.03) - Friday, August 29, 2003; A Vietnamese government delegation will travel to the United States Sept. 3-14 to study HIV prevention among drug addicts, according to the US embassy. The 12-person delegation will be led by Deputy Health Minister Pham Manh Hung and includes officials from the public security, justice and labor ministries. CDC is spon
Cuba to Support Creation of Anti-AIDS Center in Africa: Xinhua News Agency (08.28.03) - Friday, August 29, 2003; Cuba will help establish a regional HIV/AIDS and STD prevention center in Africa, according to a report on August 27. Cuban expert Yoire Ferrer said the program will start by the end of this year, with Cuban specialists working for six months to open and organize the center. It will focus on training personnel to cop
World Bank Releases Funds for Zambia's AIDS Project: Xinhua News Agency (08.28.03) - Friday, August 29, 2003; The World Bank has released $42 million grant money to support Zambia s multi-sectoral crusade against HIV/AIDS, the local Daily Mail reported. The Zambian Finance and National Planning Ministry will administer the funds through the Zambia National Response to HIV/AIDS project (ZANARA). Zambian Finance Minister Peter M
School Board Says HIV Education Is Lacking: Contra Costa Times (08.28.03) - Friday, August 29, 2003; Theresa Harrington; A health education task force has found weaknesses in the way sex and HIV/AIDS instruction is delivered in the Mt. Diablo school district in Concord, Calif. Curriculum specialist Sue Chambers said the current curriculum, developed in 1986, is outdated and is not implemented consistently. The task force found that teach
Vitamins May Have Down Side for HIV Patients: Reuters Health (08.21.03) - Friday, August 29, 2003; Megan Rauscher; A pilot study of two women and eight men with HIV-related lipodystrophy revealed that antioxidants appear to improve cholesterol levels and midriff weight gain, but may have a negative impact on blood sugar levels. The ten study participants took 800 IU of vitamin E and 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C a day, and 600 mill
Brazil Threatens to Produce AIDS Drugs if Companies Don't Reduce Prices: Associated Press (08.28.03) - Friday, August 29, 2003; Alan Clendenning; Brazil is threatening to break patents on three AIDS drugs because negotiations this month to lower their prices have so far failed to produce any meaningful reductions, said Brazilian Health Ministry spokesperson Marcia Lage. Health Minister Humberto Costa issued an ultimatum to the drugs manufacturers: If no accep
World Trade Organization Diplomats Try Again to Seal Drug Pact: Associated Press (08.29.03) - Friday, August 29, 2003; Naomi Koppel; On Friday, World Trade Organization diplomats made another attempt to make a deal allowing poor countries to import cheap copies of patented drugs for diseases like AIDS, TB and malaria. They had nearly reached an agreement by 1 a.m. Friday following a marathon session, but minutes later it fell through. The failure ca
AIDS Drug's Promise and Price Collide: Denver Post (08.22.03) - Friday, August 29, 2003; Marsha Austin; Thousands of kilos of the new AIDS drug Fuzeon (T-20) leave Roche Colorado s Boulder manufacturing plant each month, headed for clinics worldwide. But many AIDS patients with HIV resistant to older drugs go without T-20 because it is too expensive. The slumping economy has drained government-funded drug assistance prog
West Virginia AIDS Drug Program Overburdened with Need, Low on Funds: Associated Press (08.28.03) - Friday, August 29, 2003; West Virginia s AIDS Drug Assistance Program stopped taking new patients almost seven months ago. Since then, three patients have died waiting to get the free HIV/AIDS drugs provided by the federally funded ADAP, a drug program for low- income patients who do not qualify for Medicaid or other drug programs. Another 14
Coleman Says He'll Push for More Africa AIDS Funding: Associated Press (08.28.03) - Friday, August 29, 2003; Frederic J. Frommer; Thursday, on his return from a weeklong trip to Africa, Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) vowed to work for President Bush s package to fight AIDS and to seek additional funding to provide safe drinking water. Coleman was among six senators who traveled to Africa on a trip organized by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Te
Officials Target Spermicide in Condoms: Los Angeles Times (08.28.03) - Friday, August 29, 2003; Lisa Richardson; Behind-the-scenes efforts to persuade some of the largest condom manufacturers to stop using a spermicide that may increase the risk of HIV and urinary tract infection have failed, so several California legislators, AIDS activists and women s groups set out Wednesday to shame them into it. At a news conference in Sacra
AIDS Council Director Replaced: allAfrica.com (08.27.03) - Thursday, August 28, 2003; Nation (Nairobi); Dr. Margaret Gachara, the suspended chief of Kenya s National AIDS Control Council, has been replaced by Dr. Patrick Orege, 51, previously the council s deputy director of operations. An epidemiologist, Orege worked at the Kenya Medical Research Institute for 22 years before joining NACC. Gachara was suspended on Augus
30,000 Teachers a Year Needed in South Africa: Business Day (South Africa) (08.28.03) - Thursday, August 28, 2003; The South African Teachers Union estimated that there is a shortage of 35,000 teachers in the country because of AIDS. A survey by the South Africa Institute of Race Relations found that South Africa needs to produce 30,000 teachers a year over the next 10 to 15 years to meet the demand from increasing pupil figures. P
Accrued HIV Evidence Turns Treatment Dogma on Its Head: Nature (08.21.03) Vol. 424; No. 6951: P. 866 - Thursday, August 28, 2003; Erika Check; A series of studies have dispelled the notion that patients who do not take every dose of their HIV medication create a public health risk by helping to nurture drug-resistant HIV strains. Drug companies, in particular, have often argued that HIV patients in poor countries were likely to be less adherent than those in
Study Finds 'Drug Holidays' May Harm AIDS Patients: San Francisco Chronicle (08.28.03) - Thursday, August 28, 2003; Sabin Russell; A nationwide study led by University of California-San Francisco researchers appears to have dashed hopes that a strategy of allowing four-month drug holidays for AIDS patients would help restore the usefulness of antiviral medications for those with drug-resistant HIV. The study subjects who stopped taking their AIDS
Disbelief in AIDS Hampers Prevention Efforts in Mali: AIDS Weekly (07.14.03) - Thursday, August 28, 2003; Researchers from England found that widespread skepticism about the existence of AIDS hampers prevention efforts in Mali . S. Castle and colleagues at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine wrote that qualitative research was carried out in the Malian cities of Sikasso and Bamako with a view to setting up H
Critics Say Bush Choice for Panel Advocates Abstinence: Southern Voice (Atlanta) (08.22.03) - Thursday, August 28, 2003; Lou Chibbaro Jr.; In July, President Bush appointed three new members to the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, and some advocates are concerned as to their effect on HIV/AIDS programs. Appointee Edward C. Green is a senior research scientist at the Harvard University School of Public Health and a medical anthropologist. Green i
Higher Rates of AIDS and HIV Among Blacks Cause Growing Alarm: St. Louis Post-Dispatch (08.24.03) - Thursday, August 28, 2003; Deborah L. Shelton; In Missouri, blacks represented about 12 percent of the population in 2002 but accounted for 44 percent of AIDS cases and 57 percent of AIDS-related deaths. Deaths among blacks with AIDS rose a slight 3 percent between 2001-2002, although deaths among whites plummeted 39 percent. The glaring racial disparity worries pe
US Reaches Patent Compromise to Provide Drugs to Poor Nations: Wall Street Journal (08.28.03) - Thursday, August 28, 2003; Scott Miller; Scott Hensley; Matthew Newman; In World Trade Organization negotiations, the United States and a small group of nations struck an agreement that would relax patent regulations in order to allow low-cost producers to export generic versions of trade-name drugs to poor countries. It had previously been opposed by US pharmaceutical companies, which fea
'Medical Failure' Blamed in HIV Inmate Deaths: Birmingham News (08.28.03) - Thursday, August 28, 2003; Carla Crowder; A report filed on August 26 in a federal lawsuit against the Alabama Department of Corrections and Birmingham-based Naphcare Inc. alleges that conditions at Alabama s Limestone prison s HIV unit are unsafe for prisoners and staff. Naphcare Inc. is the prison s medical contractor. Dr. Stephen Tabet, an infectious diseas
McConnell Pledges Support to Ministry's Fight Against AIDS: Associated Press (08.26.03) - Wednesday, August 27, 2003; Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) praised a black Baptist ministry s effort to fight AIDS in Africa and promised his continued support. I just wanted to come by and say amen to the great work you are doing throughout the world, said McConnell to the 1,600 people gathered for the opening of the 106th annual Lott Carey Baptis
CDC: No Flu Shot Shortages Expected This Season: Associated Press (08.26.03) - Wednesday, August 27, 2003; This flu season s supply of influenza shots is expected to be plentiful, and those wishing to be vaccinated should be able to do so when the flu vaccine becomes available in October, according to CDC. Once the vaccine becomes available, CDC strongly recommends influenza vaccination to anyone age six months or older who
Tuberculous Meningitis: Multidrug-Resistant Disease Characterized in AIDS Patients: TB & Outbreaks Week (05.27.03) - Wednesday, August 27, 2003; A report from University of Athens- Greece , has described the clinical manifestations, bacteriologic characteristics, and outcomes for eight patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculous meningitis and AIDS. Despite receiving TB treatment, the patients, all diagnosed with MDR-TB, developed meningitis as a terminal co
Urine Test for Cervical Virus Seen as Promising: Reuters Health (08.25.03) - Wednesday, August 27, 2003; Nearly all cases of cervical cancer are caused by infection with specific types of human papilloma virus. Regular Pap smear screening is the most reliable way to detect cervical cancer, but such screening is not available in all parts of the world. Recent research has shown that testing urine can show what types of HPV
TB Soars Among Young Black Africans in UK: Daily Telegraph (London) (08.25.03) - Wednesday, August 27, 2003; Celia Hall; TB rates in children of black African origin have risen fivefold in the last decade in England and Wales, according to a new study. Though TB is uncommon in children in Britain, with overall rates changing little from 1988-1998, TB rates rose substantially in black African children and those born abroad, according to t
Trials for AIDS Vaccine Approved: Business Day (South Africa) (08.26.03) - Wednesday, August 27, 2003; Tamar Kahn; South Africa s Medical Research Council has approved human trials of a second HIV/AIDS vaccine, HIVA.MVA, that scientists hope will offer protection against the A-strain of HIV common to east Africa. The MRC approved South Africa s first human trials of an AIDS vaccine, Alphavax AVX101, in June 2003. Alphavax, de