2009

Heroin, HIV stalk tropical resort of Zanzibar: Reuters NewMedia - December 30, 2009; Katrina Manson; * Estimated 4,000-6,000 injecting drug users * HIV rates 26 pct among addicts, 1 pct for all islanders * New rehab sees 30-40 recovering addicts STONE TOWN, Zanzibar, Dec 30 (Reuters) - A Zanzibari man crouches in a half-built roofless building, struggling to find a vein in his arm, while his friend takes over and inje
Aid group lists Top 10 worst humanitarian crises: Reuters NewMedia - December 21, 2009; NEW YORK, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Governments around the world are blocking aid to trapped populations and people with HIV/AIDS are being turned away from health clinics because funding is lagging, Doctors Without Borders said in a bleak report outlining the world s 10 worst humanitarian crises. The international humanitari
Global Fund unblocks Philippine AIDS, malaria aid: Reuters NewMedia - December 21, 2009; * Four grants were suspended in September 2009 * Shifted from control of Tropical Disease Foundation GENEVA, Dec 21 (Reuters) - The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria said on Monday it has unblocked four grants to the Philippines that were suspended in September due to concerns about misdirected funds.
U.S. rolls back AIDS drug prevention trial in Botswana: Reuters NewMedia - December 17, 2009; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. officials said on Thursday they will give up on a trial in Botswana that was trying to show whether it is possible to prevent HIV infections by taking a daily pill because too few people are being infected. There are also problems keeping track of people enrolled in the trial, so it will be
United States Pledges $2.7 Billion For Kenya HIV Battle: Reuters NewMedia - December 16, 2009; NAIROBI (Reuters) - The United States committed $2.7 billion on Wednesday to help fight HIV infection in Kenya where more than a million people are living with the disease. The pledge is part of the largest U.S. foreign aid program devoted to a single disease -- the President s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief -- and has
Mugabe Backers Raped Opponents In Election - Report: Reuters NewMedia - December 10, 2009; JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Zimbabwe s 2008 elections were marred by the widespread rape of political opponents by President Robert Mugabe s supporters, according to a report released by an HIV/AIDS advocacy group on Thursday. Mugabe was outpolled by bitter rival Morgan Tsvangirai in a first round presidential vote, as hi
U.S. Medicare to pay for HIV testing: Reuters NewMedia - December 8, 2009; * Tests covered for those at increased risk * Medicare participants who seek screening also covered * Decision effective immediately NEW YORK, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Americans enrolled in the U.S. government-run Medicare health insurance program will now be covered for tests that screen for HIV, The Centers for Medicare and
WHO says 36 million cured of TB in last 15 years: Reuters NewMedia - December 8, 2009; Julie Steenhuysen; * Aggressive treatment approach has averted 8 mln deaths * More TB funding, research needed CHICAGO, Dec 8 (Reuters) - An aggressive treatment method has cured some 36 million people from tuberculosis over the past 15 years and averted up to 8 million deaths, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday. Since
Hopes of new drugs, vaccines for tuberculosis: Reuters NewMedia - December 7, 2009; Tan Ee Lyn; * TB has plagued humankind for thousands of years * TB kills a person every 20 seconds * Existing BCG vaccine is old and not very good * TB has resurged in the West because of AIDS CANCUN, Mexico , Dec 7 (Reuters) - In Uganda , health experts are getting laboratories ready and preparing villagers in two districts for a
Ancient HIV stowaway may hold clue to transmission: Reuters NewMedia - December 6, 2009; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An HIV genetic stowaway that may have come from a related cat virus could help the AIDS virus transmit and replicate in people, U.S. researchers reported on Sunday. Their finding, which has implications for designing new drugs or a vaccine against the fatal and incurable virus, may also shed ligh
FIFA uses World Cup to tackle HIV/AIDS: Reuters NewMedia - December 5, 2009; Agnieszka Flak; KHAYELITSHA, South Africa (Reuters) - On a brand-new soccer field in South Africa s second-largest township, teenage boys and girls kick balls and run round hurdles in games soccer authorities hope will help them avoid the scourge of AIDS. The center, officially launched by soccer s world governing body FIFA on Saturda
Dutch AIDS case shows how virus spreads early: Reuters NewMedia - December 4, 2009; WASHINGTON, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Newly infected AIDS patients rarely know they have the virus and can continue their high-risk behavior just when they are the most infectious, Dutch researchers reported. They said the case of a man freshly infected with the AIDS virus demonstrated the dangers of relying on quick HIV tests
US FDA: Glaxo warns of heart risk from HIV drug: Reuters NewMedia - December 3, 2009; WASHINGTON, Dec 3 (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline (GSK.L) has warned of a possible link between its HIV drug Lexiva and heart attacks in HIV-infected adults, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Thursday. The company said the drug has also been seen to raise cholesterol levels. It recommended doctors check cholest
RPT - More funds needed for TB tests, drugs, vaccines: Reuters NewMedia - December 3, 2009; Tan Ee Lyn, Asia Health and Science Correspondent; * Tuberculosis tests are old, unreliable * TB vaccine often fails to protect against bacteria CANCUN, Mexico , Dec 3 (Reuters) - Health experts on Thursday called for more research funding to develop better diagnostic tests, vaccines and drugs for tuberculosis, which killed 1.8 million people around the world last year
Tuberculosis cases in Britain highest since 1980s: Reuters NewMedia - December 2, 2009; Kate Kelland; * Health authorities say vigilance needed as TB cases rise * Most cases in urban city areas, 39 percent in London LONDON, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Cases of tuberculosis rose in Britain last year and the number of people infected reached its highest level since the late 1980s, the government s Health Protection Agency said.
Uganda set to pass anti-gay bill, appease donors: Reuters NewMedia - December 2, 2009; Jack Kimball; * Legislation to outlaw homosexuality * Bill likely to pass with some modifications * Donor influence seen on the decline KAMPALA, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Uganda is likely to pass a bill criminalising homosexuality in the east African nation and deal a blow to rights activists, but the act will have some changes to appease d
Argentine gay couple vows to reverse marriage ban: Reuters NewMedia - December 1, 2009; Luis Andres Henao; BUENOS AIRES, Dec 1 (Reuters) - A gay Argentine couple vowed to keep fighting for the right to get married after a last-minute court ruling dashed their plans to hold Latin America s first legal same-sex marriage on Tuesday. Alex Freyre, 39, and Jose Maria Di Bello, 41, were granted a marriage license by a city judge t
South Africa to Expand AIDS Treatment - Zuma: Reuters NewMedia - December 1, 2009; PRETORIA (Reuters) - South Africa , which has the world s highest HIV caseload, will roll out life-prolonging anti-retroviral drugs to significantly more people infected with the virus from next year, President Jacob Zuma said on Tuesday. Zuma announced a new era in the approach to AIDS in South Africa, where at least
HIV - Infected Chinese Children Struggle With Stigma: Reuters NewMedia - December 1, 2009; FUYANG, China (Reuters) - The second storey of this nondescript building in Fuyang city in China s central province of Anhui houses HIV-positive orphans, but unlike many other similar establishments, there are no signboards outside. Heavy stigma still surrounds the disease in China, and children -- probably the most vu
U.S. readies new phase of global AIDS assistance: Reuters NewMedia - November 30, 2009; Andrew Quinn; * U.S. to end 22-year ban on HIV-positive visitors * Officials commit to strengthen U.S. fight vs. HIV/AIDS * U.S. global AIDS assistance to enter new phase (Updates, adds quotes, background) WASHINGTON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - The United States is ready to shift the focus of its global AIDS programs from emergency medical
China AIDS Sufferers Face Widespread Discrimination: U.N.: Reuters NewMedia - November 27, 2009; BEIJING (Reuters) - People in China living with HIV and AIDS face widespread discrimination and stigma, with even medical workers sometimes refusing to touch them, according to a U.N. survey released on Friday. China s Health Ministry and UNAIDS estimate that the country has between 97,000 and 112,000 people infecte
Global Fund to spend $2.4 billion over two years: Reuters NewMedia - November 12, 2009; * Cash to be spent mostly in Africa * Financial crisis had threatened funding ADDIS ABABA, Nov 12 (Reuters) - The Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria said on Thursday it had secured $2.4 billion to combat the diseases over the next two years, despite the financial crisis threatening funding. Since its
FACTBOX - Differences between men's and women's health: Reuters NewMedia - November 9, 2009; (Reuters) - The World Health Organisation said on Monday women tend to receive poorer medical care than men. Following is a breakdown of the differences between male and female health in children, adolescents, adults and elderly people, according to the United Nations health agency s report: INFANTS AND CHILDREN --
Shrinking AIDS Funding Will Reverse Gains - MSF: Reuters NewMedia - November 5, 2009; JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Declining donor funding for HIV/AIDS could have catastrophic consequences for millions who need treatment and undo progress made in fighting the disease, aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said on Thursday. An estimated 33 million people around the world are HIV positive, the bulk of case
China's economy powering syphilis spread-WHO report: Reuters NewMedia - November 3, 2009; Laura MacInnis; * Number of reported syphilis infections triple since 2004 * Caseload increasing 30 percent per year across China GENEVA, Nov 3 (Reuters) - China is experiencing an epidemic of syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease that the country virtually wiped out in the 1960s, a senior public health official was quoted as sayin
Obama lifts ban on U.S. entry of those with HIV/AIDS: Reuters NewMedia - October 30, 2009; WASHINGTON, Oct 30 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama announced on Friday that a 22-year-old ban on allowing people infected with with the AIDS virus into the United States will be lifted on Monday. Obama made the announcement in signing an extension of the the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Act, which provides for educ
S.Africa's Zuma wins rare backing of AIDS activists: Reuters NewMedia - October 30, 2009; Michael Georgy; * Zuma wins rare praise from AIDS advocacy group * Group welcomes end of state-supported denial JOHANNESBURG, Oct 30 (Reuters) - A prominent AIDS pressure group praised South African President Jacob Zuma on Friday for ending the state-supported denial which had damaged efforts to beat the epidemic. South Africa s Treat
Size matters when it comes to AIDS defense - study: Reuters NewMedia - October 28, 2009; WASHINGTON, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Men with larger foreskins are more likely to become infected with the AIDS virus, researchers said on Wednesday in a finding that helps explain why circumcision can protect men. The study of 965 men in Uganda , all without AIDS at the start, showed those with larger foreskins were more li
U.S. aid saves lives but few know, Bill Gates says: Reuters NewMedia - October 28, 2009; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor; * Money spent on AIDS, malaria, vaccines pays off * Gates said bipartisan effort needs thanks * Website will tell success stories WASHINGTON, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Foreign aid may provide the best value for money spent by the U.S. government, Bill and Melinda Gates said on Tuesday, but few seem to know it. They launched
Vatican synod urges corrupt African leaders to quit: Reuters NewMedia - October 23, 2009; Philip Pullella; VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Roman Catholic bishops called on corrupt Catholic leaders in Africa on Friday to repent or resign for giving the continent and the Church a bad name. Around 200 African bishops, along with dozens of other bishops and Africa experts, also accused multinational companies in Africa of crimes again
Brief shocks may deliver AIDS vaccines better: Reuters NewMedia - October 22, 2009; Tan Ee Lyn; PARIS (Reuters) - Brief electric shocks may help the body better respond to certain kinds of experimental AIDS vaccines, U.S. researchers said on Thursday. They used a device that looks like a handgun to inject vaccine along with three brief electrical pulses to open up cell membranes so that the vaccine can get inside
Malawi drafts law to protect sex workers: Reuters NewMedia - October 22, 2009; Mabvuto Banda; * Law to help fight HIV/AIDS * Rights activist warns against legalising prostitution LILONGWE, Oct 22, (Reuters) - Malawi is preparing a law to protect sex workers against abuse by clients in a move that could help fight HIV/AIDS which has ravaged the southern African nation in the last two decades, a minister said on
Africa should protect children from AIDS - Machel: Reuters NewMedia - October 22, 2009; Peroshni Govender; * Greater commitment needed to protect children from AIDS * Spend more on health, less on defence JOHANNESBURG, Oct 22 (Reuters) - African leaders should be more serious about protecting the continent s children from AIDS and it is time for them to change state spending priorities, Nelson Mandela s wife Graca Machel sa
Experts study thriving HIV "controllers" in vaccine search: Reuters NewMedia - October 21, 2009; Tan Ee Lyn; PARIS, Oct 21 (Reuters) - AIDS researchers want to expand their study of a rare group of HIV-infected people, whose immune systems naturally and mysteriously prevent the virus thriving in their bodies, to span the globe. Studies of these elite controllers , which aim to find an AIDS vaccine, have so far concentrated on
Review confirms AIDS vaccine may have worked: Reuters NewMedia - October 20, 2009; Tan Ee Lyn; PARIS (Reuters) - Doctors who surprised the world of AIDS research with a study showing a vaccine prevented some HIV infections released details of their findings on Tuesday and said careful review showed they held up. Full details of the study, which showed the experimental vaccine prevented nearly one-third of infect
FACTBOX-Africa the worst hit by AIDS, by far: Reuters NewMedia - October 20, 2009; Oct 20 (Reuters) - AIDS vaccine researchers meeting in Paris this week said they are trying to figure out how and why a vaccine tested in Thailand appeared to have prevented about 31 percent of expected HIV infections. All agree a vaccine would be the best way to fight the pandemic, but none formulated yet has shown cl
Scientists glean lessons from stalled AIDS vaccine: Reuters NewMedia - October 20, 2009; Tan Ee Lyn; * STEP trial no longer shows heightened infection risk * Analysis may point to how to make better AIDS vaccines PARIS, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Merck and Co s (MRK.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) failed AIDS vaccine may not have worked, but it probably did not raise the risk of infection either, doctors said on Tues
Less money for AIDS research, treatment?: experts: Reuters NewMedia - October 19, 2009; Tan Ee Lyn; PARIS (Reuters) - The global financial crisis and a loss of interest in the AIDS epidemic may translate into less money in coming years for research, treatment and prevention of the virus, HIV experts said on Monday. They are especially concerned because a trial in Thailand has just shown it may be possible to make a v
Canada study finds link between smoking crack, HIV: Reuters NewMedia - October 19, 2009; Allan Dowd; * HIV may be spread via mouth wounds * Researchers say shows need for more treatment options * Risk of spread by drug injection was already known VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Smoking crack cocaine daily adds to the risk of spreading HIV, a Canadian study published on Monday says, although researchers acknowledge they
Pfizer HIV drug seems safe for new use-FDA staff: Reuters NewMedia - October 6, 2009; Susan Heavey; * FDA document says Selzentry well tolerated * FDA advisory panel to meet Thursday * Company: more HIV drugs needed WASHINGTON, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc s (PFE.N) HIV drug Selzentry appears to be safe for wider use in certain patients with the disease who have not yet begun taking any medications, U.
African farmers suffer hardship as climate worsens: Reuters NewMedia - October 5, 2009; Wendell Roelf; * Africa hardest-hit by global warming * Hunger, poverty leading to prostitution CAPE TOWN, Oct 5 (Reuters) - African farmers said on Monday floods and droughts expected to worsen with climate change have already brought poor harvests, and women workers are turning to prostitution and falling victim to HIV/AIDS. Te
Female Health's condom available, no US retail yet: Reuters NewMedia - October 1, 2009; Susan Heavey; * FC2 female condom available to health groups, states * To be sold in Washington-area CVS stores in December * In talks with several cos. for broader marketing (Adds details from company, background on product, byline, updates shares) WASHINGTON, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Female Health Co s new version of its female condom is
U.N. says millions still lack access to AIDS drugs: Reuters NewMedia - September 30, 2009; Kate Kelland; LONDON (Reuters) - More than half of the 9.5 million people who need AIDS drugs cannot get them and 33 million people across the world are still infected with the virus that causes it, a United Nations report said on Wednesday. Access to drugs, counseling and testing for AIDS has increased, but there were still 2.7 mil
FACTBOX: Key findings of United Nations AIDS report: Reuters NewMedia - September 30, 2009; (Reuters) - A United Nations progress report on AIDS on Wednesday showed that despite some progress, the goal of universal access to treatment for all those who need it is still a long way off. Following are details by region on access to testing and counseling services, and to antiretroviral treatment (ART). * Sub-Sah
ANALYSIS - AIDS vaccine works, but back to the drawing board: Reuters NewMedia - September 28, 2009; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor; * Scientists confused by AIDS vaccine results * Companies and non-profits want to analyze the data * Advocates see billion-dollar market for HIV vaccine WASHINGTON, Sept 28 (Reuters) - More than 25 years into the AIDS pandemic, scientists finally have a vaccine that protects some people -- but instead of celebrating, t
Thailand Wins Praise For AIDS Vaccine Trial: Reuters NewMedia - September 28, 2009; Hong Kong /Bangkok (Reuters) - An experimental AIDS vaccine that appears to be the first to protect people was mired for years in controversy, and credit for its success must go to Thailand where the trial was conducted, experts said. The trial was criticised five years ago by 22 prominen
AIDS Vaccine "Important Step" Against Disease: Reuters NewMedia - September 24, 2009; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An experimental AIDS vaccine made from two older versions has made major progress in finding an effective way to combat the illness, researchers said Thursday. But its application may be limited and a commercial vaccine may require more time. The health minister of Thailand , where
US should watch for animal disease, institute says: Reuters NewMedia - September 22, 2009; David Morgan; * Integrated surveillance system needed * USAID, State Department, WHO and FAO should lead WASHINGTON, Sept 22 (Reuters) - The United States needs to lead a global effort to protect people from new outbreaks of deadly infectious diseases that originate in animals, such as swine flu, AIDS and SARS, health experts said o
Malawi gets $30 mln from World Bank to fight AIDS: Reuters NewMedia - Saturday, September 19, 2009; * More than 800,000 AIDS victims since 1985 * Grant to help govt give more people treatment LILONGWE, Sept 19 (Reuters) - The World Bank granted Malawi $30 million on Saturday to fight HIV/AIDS which has ravaged the southern African nation in the last two decades. World Bank manager for Malawi, Timothy Gilbo, and the c
INTERVIEW-AIDS crisis threatens South Africa, singer says: Reuters NewMedia - September 19, 2009; Adrian Croft; LONDON, Sept 19 (Reuters) - South Africa s failure to fund an AIDS treatment programme is a disgrace and the country risks falling apart unless it tackles the AIDS crisis, campaigner and singer Annie Lennox says. South Africa has the world s largest AIDS epidemic. At least 5.7 million people are infected with HIV and A
FDA approves Abbott HIV screening test: Reuters NewMedia - September 18, 2009; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Abbott Laboratories won U.S. approval for a new screening test for the HIV virus that causes AIDS, U.S. health officials said on Friday. The Abbott Prism HIV O Plus can detect antibodies to HIV types found in the United States and parts of Africa and Europe, the Food and Drug Administration s
New compounds may destroy TB's defense mechanism: Reuters NewMedia - September 16, 2009; Julie Steenhuysen; * New compounds attack dormant TB in cells * May offer new approach for antibiotics CHICAGO, Sept 16 (Reuters) - U.S. researchers have found two compounds that can destroy a defense mechanism in the tuberculosis bacterium that allows it to remain dormant in infected cells, they said on Wednesday. The compounds, which w
INTERVIEW - S.Africa will miss AIDS drug roll-out target: Reuters NewMedia - September 15, 2009; Peroshni Govender; * South Africa lags own ARV targets * Refugees strain health budget PRETORIA, 15 Sept (Reuters) - South Africa will not meet a target of providing life-prolonging drugs to 80 percent of HIV/AIDS sufferers by 2011 due to logistical problems and a lack of personnel, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said on Tuesday.
Gay rights way to fight AIDS in Malawi-official: Reuters NewMedia - September 15, 2009; * More than 800,000 AIDS victims since 1985 * HIV prevalence among Malawi s gays at 25 percent LILONGWE, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Malawi must recognise the rights of its gay population to be able to step up its fight against AIDS, a senior government official said on Tuesday. In a first public government comment on homosexu
Elton John says wants to adopt Ukrainian baby: Reuters NewMedia - September 12, 2009; DONETSK, Ukraine , Sept 12 (Reuters) - British singer Elton John, visiting Ukraine with his AIDS charity foundation, said on Saturday he wanted to adopt a 14-month-old boy from an orphanage in the east of the country. Ukraine has the fastest rising HIV rates in Europe. Two years ago the singer gave a free concert on th
Needle Attacks And Rumors Spread In China's Xinjiang: Reuters NewMedia - September 10, 2009; BEIJING (Reuters) - Mysterious needle attacks have spread to new cities in China s restive far-western region of Xinjiang, the China Daily said on Friday, although once again the assaults appear to be a mix of real and imagined. Nearly 600 people in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, home to the native Muslim Uighurs, ha
India patent rejections welcomed by HIV/AIDS groups: Reuters NewMedia - September 9, 2009; Bappa Majumdar; NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India s rejection of patent applications on two life-saving HIV/AIDS drugs last week has been welcomed by health officials, who say it will ensure wider access to the medicines. India has the world s third highest caseload, with 2.5 million infections, behind Nigeria and
Hollywood gossip writer Army Archerd dies at 87: Reuters NewMedia - September 8, 2009; LOS ANGELES, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Hollywood gossip columnist Army Archerd, who covered movie stars and studio chieftains for trade paper Daily Variety for more than 50 years, died in a Los Angeles hospital on Tuesday, a spokeswoman said. He was 87. Archerd died of a rare form of mesothelioma cancer, thought to be the res
Ethiopians offered free AIDS tests by text message: Reuters NewMedia - September 8, 2009; ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopia is sending text messages to mobile phone users offering free HIV/AIDS tests ahead of New Year celebrations, in a drive to have more people checked in sub-Saharan Africa s second most populous nation. New Year! New Life! Test for HIV, test with your partner, get your children tested and
China's Urumqi still edgy after officials sacked: Reuters NewMedia - September 6, 2009; Lucy Hornby; * City uneasy despite doctors assurances on needle attacks * Protesters call for region s top official to step down * Urumqi party secretary, regional police chief sacked URUMQI, China , Sept 6 (Reuters) - Nerves remained raw in China s far western city of Urumqi, in turmoil over a wave of reported syringe attacks, and
Study finds potential way to make an AIDS vaccine: Reuters NewMedia - September 3, 2009; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The discovery of immune system particles that attack the AIDS virus may finally open a way to make a vaccine that could protect people against the deadly and incurable infection, U.S. researchers said on Thursday. They used new technology to troll through the blood of 1,800 people infected with t
J&J strengthens warning on HIV drug: Reuters NewMedia - August 26, 2009; * One fatality reported from skin reaction - company * Doctors advised to stop treatment if reaction seen WASHINGTON, Aug 26 (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson has strengthened a warning about serious skin reactions in patients treated with the company s HIV drug Intelence, U.S. regulators and the company said on Wednes
AIDS spreading rapidly among Canada's aboriginals: Reuters NewMedia - August 25, 2009; Rod Nickel; * Aboriginal share of AIDS cases doubles in 4 years * Drug use bigger cause of infection than unsafe sex WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Aug 25 (Reuters) - AIDS is spreading faster among Canada s aboriginal people than in the general population, and a strong cultural stigma and links to rising drug use make the problem difficult t
Leadership needed to fight South Africa violence - study: Reuters NewMedia - August 25, 2009; Peroshni Govender; * S.Africa government must fight violence * Female victims of violence killed by partners JOHANNESBURG, Aug 25 (Reuters) - South Africa s government must provide better leadership to ease high rates of violence and improve the healthcare system to fight AIDS and other diseases, a report released on Tuesday said. Wi
Helene Gayle to advise Obama on AIDS: Reuters NewMedia - August 24, 2009; WASHINGTON, Aug 24 (Reuters) - AIDS expert Dr. Helene Gayle, president and chief executive of the charity CARE USA, has been named to chair the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, the U.S. government said on Monday. Gayle, former head of AIDS research at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will
Porn studios denounced for not requiring condoms: Reuters NewMedia - Thursday, August 20, 2009; Steve Gorman; * AIDS group urges investigation by California * State agency promises swift action LOS ANGELES, Aug 20 (Reuters) - An AIDS advocacy group filed complaints against 16 adult-film studios in California on Thursday, accusing them of violating state workplace safety rules by failing to require porn actors to wear condoms.
U.S. rules aim to help dying patients access drugs: Reuters NewMedia - August 12, 2009; Lisa Richwine; * FDA seeks to ease access for unapproved drugs * Companies can get FDA approval to recoup costs * Patient advocates give mixed reaction WASHINGTON, Aug 12 (Reuters) - The U.S. government finalized rules on Wednesday meant to make it easier for seriously ill patients to gain access to unapproved medicines when they hav
Protesters seek cheaper drugs at HIV/AIDS meeting: Reuters NewMedia - August 12, 2009; Tan Ee Lyn; BALI, Indonesia , Aug 12 (Reuters) - A small band of protesters holding aloft a banner disrupted a large HIV/AIDS conference in Indonesia on Wednesday to demand access to drugs to treat HIV patients dying from Hepatitis C. The World Health Organisation says 4-5 million people living with HIV/AIDS around the world are a
Trafficked women face high HIV infection risk - study: Reuters NewMedia - August 12, 2009; Tan Ee Lyn; BALI, Indonesia , Aug 12 (Reuters) - Up to a quarter of a million women and girls in Southeast Asia, mostly adolescents, are forced into prostitution each year and face violence and the prospect of contracting HIV/AIDS, researchers said on Wednesday. The researchers, in a report documenting criminal activity in
INTERVIEW - G20 should join 'circle of donors', Global Fund says: Reuters NewMedia - August 11, 2009; Tan Ee Lyn; BALI, Indonesia , Aug 11 (Reuters) - China and other emerging powers should become bigger aid donors because the global financial crisis may reduce funds to fight some of the world s worst diseases, a senior Global Fund official said on Tuesday. Michel Kazatchkine, executive director of the Global Fund to fight HIV
50 mln women in Asia at risk of HIV infection - UNAIDS: Reuters NewMedia - August 11, 2009; Tan Ee Lyn; BALI, Indonesia , Aug 11 (Reuters) - Fifty million women in Asia are at risk of being infected with HIV because of the risky sexual behaviour of their husbands or boyfriends, leading health experts said in a report on Tuesday. More than 90 percent of the 1.7 million women now living with HIV in Asia became infected whi
Huge challenges ahead in fight against AIDS: experts: Reuters NewMedia - August 10, 2009; Tan Ee Lyn; BALI, Indonesia (Reuters) - Leading health experts on Monday called for repeal of outdated laws criminalizing prostitution and homosexuality so that people suffering from HIV/AIDS or at risk from the disease could get medical treatment. The main challenge is overcoming the whole issue of stigma and discrimination, repe
Somali Islamists pull teeth from "sinners"-residents: Reuters NewMedia - August 10, 2009; Abdi Sheikh; * Al Shabaab pull teeth, citing strict Islamic law * Resident says teeth removed by masked man * Doctors fear crude methods may spread disease MOGADISHU, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Somali Islamist group al Shabaab is forcibly removing gold and silver teeth from residents in southern Somalia because it says they contraven
Most drug-resistant TB cases go untested-Global Fund expert: Reuters NewMedia - August 10, 2009; Tan Ee Lyn; BALI, Indonesia , Aug 10 (Reuters) - Cases of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis are underdiagnosed around the world and even among those who have been diagnosed, only a fraction are being treated, a Global Fund official said on Monday. The Global Fund is funding about 25,000 to 30,000 patients but the estimated total n
Huge challenges ahead in fight against AIDS - experts: Reuters NewMedia - August 10, 2009; Tan Ee Lyn; BALI, Indonesia , Aug 10 (Reuters) - Leading health experts on Monday called for repeal of outdated laws criminalising prostitution and homosexuality so that people suffering from HIV/AIDS or at risk from the disease could get medical treatment. The main challenge is overcoming the whole issue of stigma and discriminat
Global Fund grants Zimbabwe $37.9 mln to fight AIDS: Reuters NewMedia - August 7, 2009; * Tsvangirai says grant sign of confidence in new govt * UN agency to manage funds * Funds will also go to malaria, TB programmes HARARE, Aug 7 (Reuters) - The Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria on Friday granted Zimbabwe $37.9 million, resuming support after getting assurances from the new unity gover
Clinton looks to better ties with South Africa: Reuters NewMedia - August 7, 2009; Sue Pleming; * S. Africa aware of the challenges because of refugees * Clinton visits AIDS clinic PRETORIA, Aug 7 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton encouraged South Africa on Friday to press for reform in Zimbabwe and said Washington would build closer ties with Pretoria after strains under the Bush administration
Bill Clinton, drugmakers announce cheaper HIV drugs: Reuters NewMedia - August 6, 2009; NEW YORK, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Bill Clinton and drugmakers Pfizer and Matrix Laboratories Ltd announced a deal on Thursday to lower the cost of treatments for patients with drug-resistant forms of HIV/AIDS. Second-line antiretroviral therapies and a drug used to treat tuberculosis for those with drug
New technique gives big picture of AIDS gene map: Reuters NewMedia - August 5, 2009; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor; * New method may help drug development * SiRNA approach especially promising WASHINGTON, Aug 5 (Reuters) - A new technique has given researchers a big picture look at the genome of the AIDS virus, the first time its entire gene map has been decoded. The technique may not only lead to new treatments against the fatal an
Malaria may have come from chimps - study: Reuters NewMedia - August 3, 2009; * DNA analysis shows chimpanzee parasite was source * Jump may have taken place only once WASHINGTON, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Malaria may have jumped to humans from chimpanzees much as AIDS did, U.S. researchers reported on Monday in a study they hope could help in developing a vaccine against the infection. They found evide
Gorillas may be a source of AIDS, researchers find: Reuters NewMedia - August 2, 2009; * Gorillas may be a source of HIV in people * Patient remains well WASHINGTON, Aug 2 (Reuters) - A woman from Cameroon has been found to be infected with an AIDS-like virus that came from gorillas, French researchers reported on Sunday. The woman, who has no symptoms of HIV infection, is well and was likely infected by
World Cup may increase HIV/AIDS - S.Africa minister: Reuters NewMedia - July 31, 2009; JOHANNESBURG, July 31 (Reuters) - HIV/AIDS infection rates may increase when South Africa hosts the 2010 World Cup, the country s health minister said on Friday. 2010 is going to come with good things but it may also come with dangerous things, SAPA news agency quoted Aaron Motsoaledi as saying after a meeting of the n
Getting personal: New tests aid drug performance: Reuters NewMedia - July 30, 2009; Julie Steenhuysen; * Report projects more drug-diagnostic alliances * Companion diagnostics trend on rise CHICAGO, July 30 (Reuters) - Better diagnostic tests and pressure to lower healthcare costs may finally usher in the era of personalized medicine, in which patients get drugs tailored to their genetic makeup, a new report suggests.
AIDS research targeted in one U.S. healthcare bill: Reuters NewMedia - July 24, 2009; WASHINGTON, July 24 (Reuters) - Should U.S. taxpayers be funding research involving Thai prostitutes? Republican Representative Darrell Issa does not think so. He announced on Friday he had amended one version of healthcare reform legislation to bar three projects to study AIDS transmission among Chinese and Thai prost
FACTBOX - Africa the worst hit by AIDS, by far: Reuters NewMedia - July 22, 2009; July 22 (Reuters) - Here are some facts about AIDS in Africa and worldwide. Sub-Saharan Africa remains the region most heavily affected by HIV, accounting for two thirds of all people living with HIV and 75 percent of AIDS deaths in 2007. * GLOBAL AIDS ROUNDUP: -- Global deaths from AIDS reached an estimated 2 million
AIDS prevention trial in Zimbabwe targets women: Reuters NewMedia - July 22, 2009; CAPE TOWN, July 22 (Reuters) - An AIDS prevention trial, evaluating both a microbicide and oral tablets in one study, starts soon in Zimbabwe as researchers seek to reduce the disease burden among women. About 5,000 sexually active women are expected to enrol at sites in Zimbabwe, Sout
FDA warns Abbott on Magic Johnson DVD for HIV drug: Reuters NewMedia - July 22, 2009; * FDA says promotional DVD contains serious violations * Seeks response with action plan from Abbott by July 28 * Abbott says Magic Johnson DVD no longer in use NEW YORK, July 22 (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration sent a warning letter to Abbott Laboratories , citing what it call
WHO may change ARV guidelines for pregnant mothers: Reuters NewMedia - July 21, 2009; Wendell Roelf; CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - International guidelines for mothers taking antiretrovirals (ARVs) may change, a senior WHO official said, with new evidence showing HIV infection rates among babies are significantly cut when mothers are given prolonged ARV treatment during breastfeeding. The World Health Organization is revi
Container AIDS labs could work across Africa-US co: Reuters NewMedia - July 21, 2009; CAPE TOWN, July 21 (Reuters) - A South African company s idea to convert shipping containers into high-tech AIDS laboratories should be copied across Africa, an executive for its U.S. medical equipment supplier said on Tuesday. A lack of quality laboratory services in the world s poorest continent hampers the battle ag
Earlier HIV treatment recommended in South Africa: Reuters NewMedia - July 20, 2009; Julie Steenhuysen; * U.S. study says 76,000 lives could be saved over 5 years * British team finds high gay male HIV rate in West Africa CHICAGO, July 20 (Reuters) - Earlier treatment for HIV infection in South Africa could prevent nearly 76,000 deaths and avert 66,000 opportunistic infections over the next five years, U.S. researchers s
Boehringer's HIV drug has edge over BMS's Reyataz: Reuters NewMedia - July 20, 2009; * Boehringer s Viramune as effective as BMS Reyataz-study * Cardiovascular risks lower under Viramune-study FRANKFURT, July 20 (Reuters) - Patients on Boehringer Ingelheim s HIV drug Viramune run a lower risk of cardiovascular disease than a rival drug sold by Bristol Myers Squibb (BMY.N), a study released on Monday sh
U.S. teens get sex education, but not from parents: Reuters NewMedia - July 16, 2009; WASHINGTON, July 16 (Reuters) - U.S. teens are getting sex education, but most are not learning about birth control from their parents, new government data showed on Thursday. And rates of infection with sexually transmitted diseases reflect this -- the annual rate of AIDS diagnoses for boys aged 15 to 19 years has nea
Glaxo investing $97 mln in AIDS drugs for Africa: Reuters NewMedia - July 14, 2009; * 50 mln pounds to help prevent mother-child transmission * 10 mln pounds for public-private partnership R&D * Free voluntary licence for abacavir granted to Aspen LONDON, July 14 (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline plans to invest up to 60 million pounds ($97 million) over 10 years to improve research, develo
Bono says Ghana "rebranding" Africa: Reuters NewMedia - July 10, 2009; Peter Cooney; WASHINGTON - When Barack Obama arrives in Ghana Friday for his first visit to sub-Saharan Africa as president, it will be the new face of America meeting the new face of Africa, says Irish rocker and anti-poverty activist Bono. In a New York Times column Friday hours before Obama arrives in Ghana, Bono wrote that if Am
House Democrats eye funding for needle exchanges: Reuters NewMedia - Friday, July 10, 2009; Jeremy Pelofsky; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday unveiled legislation to lift a ban on federal funding for needle exchange programs, a shift to try to reduce AIDS virus infections but one that likely will spark a fight. As part of a $160.7 billion measure to fund the Departments of Labor
FDA OKs widened use of Merck's Isentress HIV drug: Reuters NewMedia - Thursday, July 9, 2009; Ransdell Pierson; * Isentress approved for previously untreated patients * Merck says safety profile could be drawing card * Merck shares little changed in after-hours trade (Adds shares) NEW YORK, July 9 - Merck & Co on Thursday said U.S. regulators had widened the approved use of its Isentress HIV treatment to include patients who
India gay ruling boosts AIDS fight but stigma lingers: Reuters NewMedia - July 3, 2009; Matthias Williams; NEW DELHI, July 3 (Reuters) - An Indian court ruling to decriminalise gay sex will boost the fight against AIDS, but a powerful stigma against homosexuality and uneven quality of healthcare will still hamper efforts, a top AIDS worker said. The Delhi High Court on Thursday overturned a British colonial era law on gay s
Global Fund says faces about $3 bln aid shortfall: Reuters NewMedia - July 3, 2009; Laura MacInnis; * Financing shortfall threatens AIDS, TB, malaria programmes * Global recession pinches long-term public health campaigns * Fund needs $2.5-3 bln for 2010 programmes * Needs $170 mln for programmes Fund committed to in 2008 GENEVA, July 3 (Reuters) - The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is facing a b
Parkinson's drugs show promise in resistant TB: Reuters NewMedia - July 2, 2009; Julie Steenhuysen; * Drugs could be used to fight dangerous forms of TB * Compounds already proven in humans CHICAGO, July 2 (Reuters) - Drugs used to treat Parkinson s disease show promise as a new way to stem the rise of drug-resistant forms of tuberculosis, U.S. researchers said on Thursday. They said computer models and lab experimen
India court overturns ban on gay sex: Reuters NewMedia - July 2, 2009; NEW DELHI, July 2 (Reuters) - An Indian court on Thursday ruled gay sex was not a crime, a verdict that will bolster demands by gay and health groups that the government scrap a British colonial law which bans homosexual sex. In a country where public hugging and kissing even among heterosexuals invites lewd remarks an
Recession must not derail AIDS fight - UN official: Reuters NewMedia - July 1, 2009; Christian Lowe; * UNAIDS chief says worried funding commitments in jeopardy * World has moral obligation to help Africa fight AIDS * Official says Global Fund has $4 bln budget shortfall SIRTE, Libya , July 1 (Reuters) - The world s rich nations must not allow the global downturn to distract them from their commitment to help Africa s
Few sexually active teens in US get HIV test - CDC: Reuters NewMedia - June 25, 2009; CHICAGO, June 25 (Reuters) - Nearly half the HIV-positive U.S. adolescents and young adults are unaware of their infection, and less than a quarter of sexually active high school students are tested for the virus, U.S. health officials said on Thursday. Only 22 percent of sexually active high school students are tested
INTERVIEW - S.Africa rapes linked to macho culture - study author: Reuters NewMedia - June 19, 2009; Michael Georgy; * Study links rapes to macho culture * Improved criminal justice system not enough JOHANNESBURG, June 19 (Reuters) - South Africa must end a culture of male dominance to fight one of the world s highest rates of rape, according to the author of a study in which 28 percent of men interviewed admitted they had raped some
U.S. porn industry HIV cases prompt investigation: Reuters NewMeddia - June 18, 2009; Dan Whitcomb; * Investigators conduct surprise inspection of clinic * Undisclosed HIV cases raise porn industry concerns LOS ANGELES, June 18 (Reuters) - California health officials are investigating the Los Angeles clinic where a pornographic film actress recently tested positive for HIV, saying it has failed to alert local authori
S. African businessman Tannenbaum denies $1.2 bln fraud: Reuters NewMedia - June 12, 2009; Marius Bosch; * Says found himself in financial predicament * Says time will show had defrauded no-one JOHANNESBURG, June 12 (Reuters) - South African businessman Barry Tannenbaum, accused of defrauding hundreds of investors in what may be the country s biggest corporate fraud, denied any wrongdoing and blamed the economic crisis fo
U.S. porn industry had 16 unpublicized HIV cases: Reuters NewMedia - June 12, 2009; Dan Whitcomb; LOS ANGELES, June 12 (Reuters) - There have been 16 unpublicized cases of HIV among porn actors since a 2004 outbreak made headlines, Los Angeles health officials said on Friday, a disclosure that was likely to raise new concerns about AIDS in the adult film industry. The revelation came in response to a request for in
U.S. FDA releases list of potential drug risks: Reuters NewMedia - June 5, 2009; Lisa Richwine; * FDA at early stage of safety reviews for the drugs * Drugs for weight loss, sleep disorders on list * List does not mean problems were caused by drug -- FDA (Adds Glaxo, Bayer comment) WASHINGTON, June 4 (Reuters) - U.S. regulators on Thursday listed two dozen drugs, including weight-loss medicines and sleep disorder
South Africa leads hunt for killer TB vaccine: Reuters NewMedia - June 5, 2009; Wendell Roelf; * Trials for new TB vaccine to start in SAfrica in July * SAF with highest TB rate, reversing yrs of underinvestment * SAfrica government to target inequalities in health care WORCESTER, South Africa , June 5 (Reuters) - Baby Hisinawa is permanently semi-comatose after TB spread to his brain, his board-stiff body shive
Swazi MP apologises for HIV branding proposal: Reuters NewMedia - May 28, 2009; JOHANNESBURG, May 28 (Reuters) - A Swaziland parliamentarian has apologised after calling for HIV-positive people to be branded on the buttocks to stop the spread of the virus ravaging the country. Timothy Myeni drew widespread criticism after telling a parliamentarians workshop in Swaziland that the move would enable
Donors freeze aid to Zambia over corruption: Reuters NewMedia - May 28, 2009; LUSAKA, May 28 (Reuters) - The Netherlands and Sweden have frozen $33 million in aid for Zambia s fight against HIV/AIDS and other health programmes because of official corruption, ministers said on Thursday. Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane and Health Minister Kapembwa Simbao told a news conference the decision
Maternal and newborn survival rates not improving-WHO: Reuters NewMedia - May 21, 2009; Katie Reid; * Maternal and newborn health little improved since 1990 * One-third of child deaths occur in first month of life GENEVA, May 21 (Reuters) - Mothers and newborns are no more likely to survive today than two decades ago, with prospects worst in countries battling AIDS, conflict and poverty, the World Health Statistics 2
INTERVIEW - U.N. hopes to tap new sources of money for aid: Reuters NewMedia - May 19, 2009; Laura MacInnis; * Global downturn causes budget constraints, aid needs rise * U.N. seeks to harness more donations from individuals GENEVA, May 19 (Reuters) - The United Nations is trying to harness donations from individuals for its aid programmes that stand to attract less government money because of the economic downturn, a senior
Engineered antibodies fight AIDS virus in monkeys: Reuters NewMedia - May 17, 2009; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor; *Vaccine uses artificial DNA to make artificial antibody *Protected all tested monkeys from AIDS *Human version is years away from testing WASHINGTON, May 17 (Reuters) - Researchers may have discovered a technique that will eventually lead to a way to vaccinate against the AIDS virus, by creating an artificial antibody
Obama names New York health chief to head CDC: Reuters NewMedia - May 15, 2009; Matthew Bigg; * Frieden is New York City s top health official * Aggressively fought smoking, obesity in New York * Frieden says deeply honored by appointment * To head agency with budget of about $9 billion (Adds comment from Frieden, other reaction to appointment) ATLANTA, May 15 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Friday named
Zambia gets $174 mln donor funds for economy, AIDS: Reuters NewMedia - May 11, 2009; LUSAKA, May 11 (Reuters) - Western donors have given Zambia $174.1 million towards programmes aimed at stabilising its economy and to fight HIV/AIDS and poverty, Treasury spokesman Chileshe Kandeta said on Monday. (Western) partners have disbursed $96.2 million as budget support and a further $77.9 Million in project g
FACTBOX - Key issues in South Africa under Zuma: Reuters NewMedia - May 9, 2009; PRETORIA, May 9 (Reuters) - Jacob Zuma was sworn in as president of South Africa on Saturday after a remarkable political comeback, taking over a faltering economy plagued by crime, poverty and AIDS. Below are key issues in South Africa, the continent s biggest economy and a regional diplomatic power: ECONOMY -
Africa must manufacture own AIDS drugs: AU: Reuters NewMedia - May 7, 2009; Barry Malone; * Africa urged to manufacture generic medicine * Economies would benefit ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Africa must manufacture its own generic medicine if it is to continue to fight HIV/AIDS during the financial crisis and ensure its faltering economies can benefit from drug production, the African Union (AU) says. Afric
Obama unveils $63 billion global health initiative: Reuters NewMedia - May 5, 2009; WASHINGTON, May 5 (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday announced a $63 billion, six-year health initiative to help people in the world s poorest countries, most of it to bolster existing programs. We cannot simply confront individual preventable illnesses in isolation. The world is interconnected, and tha
HIV patients at higher risk from flu, WHO says: Reuters NewMedia - May 2, 2009; Laura MacInnis; * HIV patients at high risk from flu, need antivirals most * WHO fears complications if HIV and H1N1 viruses combine GENEVA, May 2 (Reuters) - People with HIV are at high risk from the new flu strain that the World Health Organisation said is on the verge of a pandemic, the WHO said on Saturday. The United Nations agen
Swine flu could threaten millions with other diseases: Reuters NewMedia - April 29, 2009; Laura MacInnis; * Swine flu could threaten millions with HIV, tuberculosis * Immune-weakened people may struggle to fight new virus * WHO appeals for continued attention to other diseases GENEVA, April 29 (Reuters) - The swine flu outbreak, which has killed up to 160 people, could be especially dangerous for millions of people already
FACTBOX - The world's largest disease outbreaks and threats: Reuters NewMedia - April 29, 2009; April 29 (Reuters) -The new swine flu virus that has killed up to 159 people in Mexico and one Mexican baby in the United States remains tiny in scale compared to other global epidemics. Following are details of the some of the world s largest disease outbreaks and threats: * HIV/AIDS: -- An estimated 33 millio
Obama to name Goosby as US global AIDS coordinator: Reuters NewMedia - April 27, 2009; WASHINGTON, April 27 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Monday he would nominate Dr. Eric Goosby as the U.S. global AIDS coordinator, picking a former Clinton AIDS official to run one of President George W. Bush s most successful programs. As ambassador at large and global AIDS coordinator, Goosby would direct
World Bank triples funds for healthcare amid crisis: Reuters NewMedia - April 25, 2009; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The World Bank is set to triple healthcare spending in developing countries to $3.1 billion this year amid signs governments are cutting funding in the midst of a global economic crisis. A new World Bank report said it would increase its healthcare funding from $1 billion last year, with evidence
Drug users drive AIDS in southern China - report: Reuters NewMedia - April 24, 2009; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Drug users appear to drive the AIDS epidemic in China s southern Guangdong province, Chinese and U.S. researchers reported on Thursday. They found a sharp increase in the number of HIV infections in the 10 years between 1997 and 2007, but said it was likely due to better surveillance. They found
Africa must manufacture own AIDS drugs: U.N.: Reuters NewMedia - April 22, 2009; ADDIS ABABA, April 22 (Reuters) - Africa must manufacture its own generic drugs if it is to fight HIV/AIDS and ensure the financial crisis does not stop patients from getting treatment, the new head of the U.N. s AIDS agency said on Wednesday. We should facilitate a discussion around how we can build a business case fo
AIDS treatment still eludes Chinese children - report: Reuters NewMedia - April 20, 2009; BEIJING, April 20 (Reuters) - Chinese children with AIDS, especially from rural families, are going without treatment because their families are too poor to afford it, despite a government policy of free treatment, an activist group said on Monday. Some families don t even know AIDS treatment programmes exist, it said.
Senegal overturns jail sentences for 9 gay men: Reuters NewMedia - April 20, 2009; DAKAR, April 20 (Reuters) - Senegal s court of appeal has overturned the jail sentences of nine homosexuals arrested in December, according to a statement released by UNAIDS on Monday. The nine men had been sentenced to eight-year prison terms in January for acts against nature and the creation of an association of cri
FEATURE - Young South Africans see little hope from vote: Reuters NewMedia - April 20, 2009; Zimkhitha Sulelo and Alison Raymond; * Apathy among new generation of voters * Liberation heroes hold little appeal * Discouragement puts ANC s long term hold in doubt JOHANNESBURG, April 20 (Reuters) - A new generation of South African voters with little memory of apartheid doubts Wednesday s election will meet hopes of change in a country where some lea
Vatican deplores Belgian censure of pope on condoms: Reuters NewMedia - April 17, 2009; Philip Pullella; * Vatican says criticism inappropriate, out of context * Belgium condemned papal remark on condoms * Groups trying to intimidate pope, Vatican says VATICAN CITY, April 17 (Reuters) - The Vatican on Friday deplored a Belgian parliamentary resolution condemning Pope Benedict for saying that the use of condoms could worse
Generics deal cuts cost of AIDS drugs further: Reuters NewMedia - April 17, 2009; LONDON, April 17 (Reuters) - The cost of AIDS medicines in poor countries is to come down further, following a new bulk purchase arrangement negotiated with a group of generic drug manufacturers. The Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative and the international drug-purchasing consortium Unitaid said on Friday they had
African first ladies harness Hollywood star power: Reuters NewMedia - April 16, 2009; Jill Serjeant; BEVERLY HILLS, California (Reuters) - The first ladies of 15 African nations will gather in Los Angeles next week to promote their work in improving the health and education of women and girls in a continent ravaged by AIDS, poverty and a scarcity of clean water. The two-day meeting, billed as the first such summit by
UN: Poor prisons creating health, social time-bomb: Reuters NewMedia - April 16, 2009; Sylvia Westall; * Spread of HIV via drug abuse in jail poses big health risk * Crowded jails are social disaster, econ crisis won t help * Alternatives to jail, for some crimes, needed VIENNA, April 16 (Reuters) - HIV spread through drug abuse is rampant in overcrowded prisons across the world, posing a health risk to society when inf
Glaxo and Pfizer pool AIDS drugs in new company: Reuters NewMedia - April 16, 2009; Ben Hirschler; * Equity split: 85 pct Glaxo, 15 pct Pfizer * Scope for cost savings, little near-term earnings impact * Glaxo CEO says tie-up indicative of future deals LONDON (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline Plc and Pfizer Inc, two leading developers of AIDS drugs, are merging their HIV operations into a new company that will hold nearly
FACTBOX-Key issues ahead of South Africa election: Reuters NewMedia - April 15, 2009; April 15 (Reuters) - South Africa s ruling African National Congress (ANC) is widely expected to win a general election on April 22 with party leader Jacob Zuma becoming the country s next president. Below are key issues in South Africa, the continent s biggest economy and a regional diplomatic power. ECONOMY -- The
Abbott loses sales momentum: Reuters NewMedia - April 15, 2009; Ransdell Pierson; NEW YORK (Reuters) - Abbott Laboratories Inc on Wednesday reported lower-than-expected quarterly sales and gave a cautious forecast for its blockbuster arthritis drug, Humira, sending shares sharply lower. Abbott s traditionally strong sales momentum faltered in the first quarter as negative foreign exchange factors ba
U.S. launches AIDS campaign aimed at most affected: Reuters NewMedia - Wednesday, April 8, 2009; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. officials launched a AIDS awareness campaign on Tuesday they said would focus on the groups most likely to be infected, starting with black men and women and later targeting Latinos and others. Several studies have shown that AIDS prevention messages are not getting through to the people who
HIV treatment should start earlier, experts say: Reuters NewMedia - April 8, 2009; Ben Hirschler; LONDON, April 8 (Reuters) - Patients should start taking taking drugs for the AIDS virus earlier to have the best chance of survival, researchers said on Thursday. An analysis of more than 45,000 people with HIV in Europe and North America found they were 28 percent more likely to develop full-blown AIDS or die if they
Bill Clinton to attend AIDS charity gala in Cannes: Reuters NewMedia - Monday, April 6, 2009; LONDON (Reuters) - Former President Bill Clinton will address the annual amfAR charity gala that raises money for AIDS research during the Cannes film festival on France s southern coast. The event on May 21, to be hosted by actress Sharon Stone and movie producer Harvey Weinstein, will include the traditional auction
U.S. AIDS program saved million African lives: study: Reuters NewMedia - Monday, April 6, 2009; Julie Steenhuysen; CHICAGO (Reuters) - A U.S. program launched during the Bush administration has cut AIDS deaths by 10 percent in targeted African nations compared to their neighbors and saved more than a million lives, U.S. researchers said on Monday. The study tracked AIDS deaths and HIV infections in 12 African countries getting aid
Vatican rejects Belgian censure of pope on condoms: Reuters NewMedia - Friday, April 3, 2009; Phil Stewart; *Vatican defends pope s remarks on condoms and AIDS *Belgian criticism closest yet to diplomatic incident VATICAN CITY, April 3 (Reuters) - The Vatican on Friday rejected a resolution passed by the Belgian parliament condemning Pope Benedict for saying that the use of condoms could worsen the spread of AIDS. The pope
Bed bug's bite no picnic, but not dangerous-study: Reuters NewMedia - Tuesday, March 31, 2009; Andrew Stern; * Bed bugs make comeback after 50-year hiatus * Bites can cause reactions, but don t transmit disease CHICAGO, March 31 (Reuters) - Bed bugs may be a growing nuisance, lurking in mattresses and other hiding places until emerging to seek blood for their meal, but their bites do not appear to transmit disease, researcher
Medical journal says Pope distorting condom facts: Reuters NewMedia - March 27, 2009; LONDON, March 27 (Reuters) - A prestigious medical journal on Friday accused Pope Benedict of distorting scientific evidence to promote Catholic doctrine by saying that condoms increase the spread of AIDS. The Lancet in an editorial called on the Pope to retract the comments made last week, saying anything less would b
French bishop forced to retract condom safety comment: Reuters NewMedia - March 27, 2009; ORLEANS, France , March 27 (Reuters) - A French bishop who demanded condoms carry a health warning because they did not reliably protect users against AIDS was forced to retract some of his comments on Friday. Adding to a controversy over the Catholic Church s stance on condoms, Andre Fort, the Bishop of Orleans, told
Male circumcision cuts risk of cancer-causing virus: Reuters NewMedia - March 25, 2009; Michael Kahn; * Male circumcision cuts cancer-causing virus risk * Findings come as circumcision rates decline * Practice could have big impact in places like Africa LONDON, March 25 (Reuters) - Circumcision protects men from genital herpes and a virus that causes genital warts and cancer but it does not appear to guard against syph
Let sunshine in to fight tuberculosis, WHO says: Reuters NewMedia - March 24, 2009; Laura MacInnis; GENEVA (Reuters) - Ventilation and some sunshine could go a long way to reduce tuberculosis risks in hospitals and prisons, two strongholds of the contagious lung disease, the World Health Organization said. In its latest Global Tuberculosis Control report, released on Tuesday, the United Nations agency also doubled it
Glaxo cuts drug prices in poor countries: Reuters NewMedia - March 24, 2009; Ben Hirschler; GlaxoSmithKline will share more than 800 drug patents with others hunting new cures for neglected tropical diseases, in an unusual departure for an industry famous for protecting its intellectual property. The world s second-largest drugmaker also said Tuesday it was cutting the cost of 110 patented medicines -- for
Q+A-What can be done about drug-resistant TB?: Reuters NewMedia - March 24, 2009; March 24 (Reuters) - The World Health Organisation on Tuesday reported that extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB), a lethal strain of the contagious lung disease, has spread to 55 countries and territories worldwide. ] The emergence and spread of drug-resistant germs makes it harder and more expensive to tre
FACTBOX-U.N. revisions to global disease tolls: Reuters NewMedia - March 24, 2009; March 24 (Reuters) - The World Health Organisation on Tuesday doubled its estimate of the number of HIV-positive people who catch and die from tuberculosis, the latest in a series of major revisions of global disease tolls. Such revisions have direct implications for the Western governments who have provided billions o
Lax controls, urbanisation fan disease outbreaks: Reuters NewMedia - March 19, 2009; Noppporn Wong-Anan; SINGAPORE, March 19 (Reuters) - Infectious diseases are on the rise and killing more people worldwide because of unruly urbanisation and the failure of governments to control mosquito populations in tropical regions, a WHO expert said on Thursday. Duane Gubler, a World Health Organization (WHO) adviser, said greate
U.S. tuberculosis rate hits all-time low, CDC says: Reuters NewMedia - March 19, 2009; * Despite fall, rate of decline has hit plateau * TB infection rate highest among Asians, data show WASHINGTON, March 19 (Reuters) - The U.S. tuberculosis rate hit an all-time low in 2008, but the infection continues to disproportionately affect minorities and immigrants, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Preven
Vatican defends pope condoms stand, criticism mounts: Reuters NewMedia - March 18, 2009; Philip Pullella; * Germany , France , Belgium join in official criticism * Vatican spokesman defends pope * Scientists, activists say position counter-productive * German Catholic bishop shows signs of dissent (Recasts with criticism from German government, background) YAOUNDE, March 18 (Reuters) - The Vati
France condemns Pope's remarks on condoms in Africa: Reuters NewMedia - March 18, 2009; PARIS, March 18 (Reuters) - Senior French politicians of all colours roundly criticised Pope Benedict on Wednesday for saying the use of condoms was complicating the fight against AIDS. Benedict made the comment on Tuesday as he was travelling to Africa, re-affirming the Roman Catholic Church s opposition to condoms. B
Washington struggles to contain HIV epidemic: Reuters NewMedia - March 17, 2009; Will Dunham; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Who s next for testing? Nathalie Boittin asked on Tuesday in a crowded waiting room at the Whitman-Walker Clinic in northwest Washington. A young black man rose and Boittin, a community health educator, led him to get tested for the AIDS virus. Testing has spiked at this clinic and others in the
Pope in Africa reaffirms "no condoms" against AIDS: Reuters NewMedia - March 17, 2009; Philip Pullella and David Lewis; * Pope insists on controversial anti-condom policy * Says world economic crisis due to deficit of ethics * Africa suffering disproportionately from global crisis YAOUNDE, March 17 (Reuters) - Pope Benedict on Tuesday reaffirmed the Roman Catholic Church s opposition to the use of condoms in the fight against AIDS as he
INTERVIEW - Obama drug policy to do more to ease health risks: Reuters NewMedia - March 16, 2009; Mark Heinrich; * U.S. drug policy to pay more attention to health risks * Obama backs federally funded needle exchanges VIENNA, March 16 (Reuters) - The Obama administration will broaden U.S. anti-drug policy, paying more attention to minimising health risks in a shift from focusing on prohibition and punishment in the past, a senior
Kenyan govt fears reports could hurt HIV testing: Reuters NewMedia - March 16, 2009; Alison Bevege; NAIROBI, March 16 (Reuters) - Kenya s Health Minister expressed concern on Monday that people could be put off from taking AIDS tests because of reports that high error rates meant some people had been wrongly diagnosed as carrying the virus. The media reports stemmed from an October study which found a high error rate
U.N. members differ on way ahead in drugs wars: Reuters NewMedia - March 12, 2009; Mark Heinrich; VIENNA (Reuters) - U.N. member states agreed on Thursday to pursue a war on drugs policy for 10 more years despite critics protests that the strategy had allowed drug cartels to flourish and helped spread HIV. The goal remained to eliminate or reduce significantly the flow of heroin, cocaine and cannabis, a declaration
New, cheaper female condom wins U.S. approval: Reuters NewMedia - March 11, 2009; Susan Heavey; * New female condom to cost less * Female Health Co shares close up 22 pct * FC2 available immediately for U.S. health organizations * Delay seen for U.S. retail consumers WASHINGTON, March 11 (Reuters) - Female Health Co has won U.S. approval to market its newer, less expensive female condom, which could help it win o
Drug policy groups decry fresh UN anti-drug strategy: Reuters NewMedia - March 10, 2009; Luke Baker; LONDON, March 10 (Reuters) - U.N. members are expected to sign a declaration this week extending for another 10 years a war on drugs policy critics say is flawed and only feeds organised crime, helps spread HIV and undermines governments. The U.N. drug strategy declaration, due to be signed in Vienna on Wednesday or Th
Common ingredient offers AIDS protection - study: Reuters NewMedia - March 4, 2009; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor; * Gel prevents AIDS-like infection in monkeys * Ingredient used safely in food and cosmetics * Costs pennies a dose WASHINGTON, March 4 (Reuters) - A cheap ingredient used in ice cream, cosmetics and found in breast milk helps protect monkeys against infection with a virus similar to AIDS and might work to protect wome
Older people face greater HIV infection risks - study: Reuters NewMedia - March 3, 2009; Laura MacInnis; * Doctors failing to screen for HIV in older patients * HIV progresses faster to AIDS in those aged 50-plus * Older people more likely to risk unprotected sex GENEVA, March 3 (Reuters) - Doctors are failing to diagnose HIV in older patients, who are exposed to greater risk of infection as erectile dysfunction drugs ext
Scientists make HIV strain that can infect monkeys: Reuters NewMedia - March 2, 2009; Will Dunham; WASHINGTON - Scientists have created a strain of the human AIDS virus able to infect and multiply in monkeys in a step toward testing future vaccines in monkeys before trying them in people, according to a new study. This strain of HIV, the human immunodeficiency virus, was developed by altering a single gene in the hu
White House names new head of AIDS policy office: Reuters NewMedia - Thursday, February 26, 2009; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama named a Georgetown University health policy expert to head the White House AIDS policy office and coordinate efforts to reduce new HIV infections in the United States , officials said on Thursday. Jeffrey Crowley, who previously worked for the National Association of People
HIV quickly evolving among large groups - study: Reuters NewMedia - February 25, 2009; Michael Kahn; LONDON, Feb 25 (Reuters) - The AIDS virus is quickly adapting across large groups of people to avoid triggering the human immune system, posing another challenge in the search for a potential vaccine, researchers said on Wednesday. Scientists know the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, constantly mutates within indi
Prison release risky time for HIV-infected inmates: Reuters NewMedia - February 24, 2009; CHICAGO, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Prison inmates infected with the AIDS virus often stop taking life-saving drugs after being released, raising health risks for them and their communities, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday. The researchers said the U.S. prison system has become an important front in efforts to curb the spread
INTERVIEW - African street children rise as recession bites: Reuters NewMedia - February 20, 2009; Henrique Almeida; LUANDA, Feb 20 (Reuters) - The global financial crisis is choking aid to Africa and government spending on social programmes, forcing millions of children onto the streets of the world s poorest continent, the Christian Children s Fund said on Friday. Usually associated with the slums of Latin America and the Indian su
HIV rates soar among gay men in Asia: Reuters NewMedia - February 20, 2009; HONG KONG (Reuters) - Unprotected sex among gay and bisexual men is fuelling the spread of HIV/AIDS in Asia, public health experts said urging governments to do more to fight the problem. Discriminatory laws criminalising certain sexual behaviours, such as sodomy, ought to be repealed so these men can more easily obtai
U.S. AIDS cases cluster in cities, report finds: Reuters NewMedia - February 20, 2009; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Most Americans infected with the AIDS virus live in cities, with 10 states accounting for 71 percent of cases, according to new data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC breakdown shows that 85 percent of all reported cases of HIV infection were in large U.S. metropol
AIDS top killer disease in China last year - govt: Reuters NewMedia - February 17, 2009; BEIJING, Feb 17 (Reuters) - The AIDS virus became the top deadly infectious disease in China last year for the first time, killing 6,897 people in the first nine months of 2008, the official news agency Xinhua said on Tuesday. The number of people infected with the HIV/AIDS virus doubled during that period, Xinhua said
China launches campaign to break sex taboos: Reuters NewMedia - February 15, 2009; Ben Blanchard; BEIJING, Feb 15 (Reuters) - China on Sunday launched a national sex education campaign aimed at breaking traditional taboos and getting more people to seek treatment for sexually transmitted diseases and infertility. Just seven percent of women and slightly more than eight percent of men seek immediate medical help for
Cold's "family tree" may lead to cure - study: Reuters NewMedia - February 12, 2009; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor; WASHINGTON, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Researchers who mapped the DNA of more than 100 different cold viruses said on Thursday they discovered a shortcut in their life cycle, which may explain why they can inflict misery so quickly. They also believe they may find ways to design drugs to fight the rhinoviruses, which use their
More effort needed to curb hepatitis - experts: Reuters NewMedia - February 12, 2009; Tan Ee Lyn; HONG KONG, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Governments must do more to raise awareness and curb rising incidences of chronic hepatitis B and C, diseases that affect more than 500 million people in the world, a leading expert on the disease said on Thursday. Both can cause permanent damage to the liver, including cirrhosis, or scarr
FACTBOX - Africa the worst hit by AIDS, by far: Reuters NewMedia - February 10, 2009; Feb 10 (Reuters) - World leaders must not let the global financial crisis distract them from fighting HIV/AIDS, the United Nations top AIDS official said on Tuesday. Following are some key details about AIDS in Africa, the region most affected by the pandemic: * SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: -- Sub-Saharan Africa remains the reg
Financial crisis must not eclipse AIDS fight-U.N.: Reuters NewMedia - February 10, 2009; KHAYELITSHA, South Africa , Feb 10 (Reuters) - World leaders must not let the global financial crisis distract them from a moral responsibility to fight HIV/AIDS, the United Nations top AIDS official said on Tuesday. Health analysts and government officials fear the global credit crunch could prompt rich nations to cut
AIDS gels may work, but weakness seen in cocktails: Reuters NewMedia - February 9, 2009; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor; WASHINGTON, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Researchers trying to find a way to protect women from the AIDS virus said on Monday they had the first evidence that protective gels might work. But two studies show that men who take powerful anti-HIV drug cocktails may still pass the virus on in their semen, even if it cannot be found b
U.S. businessman donates $100 mln to AIDS research: Reuters NewMedia - February 4, 2009; BOSTON, Feb 4 (Reuters) - A Massachusetts businessman has donated $100 million to fund research into the development of an AIDS vaccine, according to Massachusetts General Hospital, which received the gift. Phillip T. Ragon, provider of the gift, is the chief executive of a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based software compa
More funds needed for lesser known tropical diseases: Reuters NewMedia - February 4, 2009; HONG KONG, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Around $2.5 billion was spent globally in 2007 on research and developing drugs for tropical diseases endemic in developing countries, with HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria accounting for 80 percent of the amount, a report says. In an article published in PLoS Medicine, researchers from The George
World crisis to cut Africa social spending - Oxfam: Reuters NewMedia - February 3, 2009; NAIROBI, Feb 3 (Reuters) - African governments and their donors will be forced to cut social spending in 2009 as a result of the global financial squeeze, British charity Oxfam said on Tuesday. Analysts say initial hopes that Africa might avoid the worst of the credit crunch were premature, and that it will be hit hard
New AIDS approach disrupts patient's DNA: Reuters NewMedia - February 2, 2009; WASHINGTON, Feb 2 (Reuters) - California biotechnology company Sangamo BioSciences Inc. said on Monday it will start human testing of a new approach to treating the AIDS virus that involves deliberately damaging the patient s DNA. The approach is based on research that has long shown that people with a certain mutation
Congo children branded as witches, abducted - U.N.: Reuters NewMedia - January 30, 2009; GENEVA, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Growing numbers of children in the Democratic Republic of Congo are being labelled as witches, and others face abduction by armed groups for use as soldiers, a United Nations watchdog said on Friday. The U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child called on Congolese authorities to better prote
UN family planning agency looks to new US funding: Reuters NewMedia - January 27, 2009; Patrick Worsnip; UNITED NATIONS, Jan 27 (Reuters) - The U.N. family planning agency could see the United States pay at least 10 percent of its budget following U.S. President Barack Obama s decision to restore funding, the agency s head said on Tuesday. Obama announced the decision on Friday, reversing a policy of his predecessor Georg
HIV drug sales drive Gilead profit higher: Reuters NewMedia - January 27, 2009; Bill Berkrot; * Gilead 4th-quarter EPS 60 cents * Product sales rise 35 pct to $1.39 bln * Sees 2009 product revenue $5.9 bln to $6.0 bln * Shares fall 2 pct (Adds analyst comment) NEW YORK, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Gilead Sciences Inc (GILD.O) on Tuesday reported fourth-quarter profit rose 41 percent on increased sales of its drugs to tr
Gates Foundation loses money, still ups spending: Reuters NewMedia - January 26, 2009; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor; WASHINGTON, Jan 26 (Reuters) - The Gates Foundation has lost about 20 percent of its assets in the economic recession but will still increase spending on global health, education and other causes, Microsoft founder Bill Gates said on Monday. He said it was more important to help society than to maintain the non-profit,
Facts about U.S. foreign assistance: Reuters NewMedia - January 26, 2009; Jan 26 (Reuters) - There is growing support for an overhaul of the way the United States distributes foreign assistance as President Barack Obama seeks to rebuild America s global leadership. Leading Democrats and Republicans say they want to rewrite legislation governing foreign aid that dates back nearly 50 years.
Africa's Standard Bank to help HIV grant recipients: Reuters NewMedia - January 26, 2009; GENEVA, Jan 26 (Reuters) - South Africa s Standard Bank (SBKJ.J) will provide free advisory help to countries receiving grants to tackle HIV and other diseases, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria said on Monday. Under the pilot partnership, Standard Bank, the largest in Africa by assets, will help
Obama lifts restrictions on abortion funding: Reuters NewMedia - January 23, 2009; Jeff Mason and Deborah Charles; WASHINGTON, Jan 23 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Friday lifted restrictions on U.S. government funding for groups that provide abortion services or counseling abroad, reversing a policy of his Republican predecessor George W. Bush, a spokesman said. The Democratic president s decision was a victory for advocate
Q+A -What is the Mexico City Policy or Global Gag Rule?: Reuters NewMedia - January 23, 2009; U.S. President Barack Obama lifted restrictions on Friday on U.S. government funding for clinics or groups which provide abortion services or counseling for the procedure overseas. The restrictions have been dubbed the Global Gag Rule by critics. Q: WHAT IS THE MEXICO CITY POLICY/GLOBAL GAG RULE? A: Under the rule, no
New cream disables herpes virus - U.S. study: Reuters NewMedia - January 21, 2009; WASHINGTON, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Researchers say they have developed a cream that might prevent herpes infection for as long as a week -- a potentially big step in protecting women from the sexually transmitted infection. The cream uses a new kind of therapy called RNA interference to turn off genes that the virus uses t
Clinton nears confirmation as top U.S. diplomat: Reuters NewMedia - January 21, 2009; John Whitesides; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hillary Clinton headed toward confirmation as U.S. secretary of state on Wednesday despite renewed Republican concerns about potential conflicts of interest raised by her husband s foreign fundraising. Clinton s nomination by President Barack Obama to be the top U.S. diplomat was on track for eas
Quincy Jones joins Bono as newspaper columnist: Reuters NewMedia - January 19, 2009; NEW YORK (Reuters) - Quincy Jones, the Grammy Award-winning producer and composer, is following the lead of U2 frontman Bono by becoming a guest columnist as newspapers look for new ways to entice readers and survive an advertising slump. Jones, 75, one of the three biggest Grammy winners of all time with 27 to his nam
China rolls out two HIV drugs to tackle resistance: Reuters NewMedia - January 19, 2009; BEIJING (Reuters) - China will provide two imported HIV drugs to patients who develop resistance to cheaper, domestic alternatives, state media said on Monday, going some way to meeting a key demand of AIDS treatment activists. The decision to hand out the new drugs means that nine of 20 drugs to combat AIDS are now av
Iran names two brothers in U.S.-backed plot: report: Reuters NewMedia - January 19, 2009; Hossein Jaseb and Fredrik Dahl; TEHRAN (Reuters) - Two Iranian brothers, whose arrests last year sparked concern in the West, are among people accused of involvement in a U.S.-funded plot to overthrow the Islamic system of government, Iranian media said on Monday. Iran s judiciary last week said four Iranians had been detained in connection with a U.
Editorials worldwide pillory Bush one final time: Reuters NewMedia - January 19, 2009; Erik Kirschbaum; BERLIN (Reuters) - Editorial writers around the world have been taking their final printed whacks at George W. Bush, accusing the president of tarnishing America s standing with what many saw as arrogant and incompetent leadership. Some newspaper editorials, for all their criticism, suggested historians might just be k
Study urges Obama to forge stronger U.S.-India ties: Reuters NewMedia - January 16, 2009; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The incoming Obama administration should forge a strong partnership with India to tackle common problems such as terrorism and the global financial crisis, an Asia Society task force said on Friday. India matters to virtually every major foreign policy issue that will confront the
Urgent action needed to cut maternal deaths-UNICEF: Reuters NewMedia - January 15, 2009; Paul Simao; JOHANNESBURG, Jan 15 (Reuters) - A global effort to reduce deaths during pregnancy and childbirth is likely to fail unless action is taken to improve health care in the developing world, the United Nations Children s Fund said on Thursday. More than half a million expectant and new mothers die each year, most in Africa
High-level talks on Zimbabwe to resume on Monday: Reuters NewMedia - January 15, 2009; The presidents of regional powers South Africa and Mozambique will meet political parties in Zimbabwe Monday, in a new regional push to break a deadlock in power-sharing talks, South Africa said Thursday. Those talks will be followed by meetings of Zimbabwean negotiators on issues holding back t
Husband's charity clouds Clinton nomination: Reuters NewMedia - January 14, 2009; Arshad Mohammed and John Whitesides; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Concerns about her husband s foreign fund-raising cast a shadow over Sen. Hillary Clinton s nomination as U.S. secretary of state when Republicans on Tuesday pressed her to do more to avoid conflicts of interest. Clinton is expected to easily win confirmation as President-elect Barack Obama s top
Sexually transmitted diseases soar in US, CDC says: Reuters NewMedia - January 13, 2009; Will Dunham; WASHINGTON, Jan 13 (Reuters) - U.S. syphilis rates rose for a seventh year in 2007, driven by gay and bisexual men, while chlamydia reached record numbers and gonorrhea remained at alarming levels -- especially among blacks, health officials said on Tuesday. Blacks make up 12 percent of the U.S. population, but account
Senegal jails young rioters who protested overjobs: Reuters NewMedia - January 10, 2009; Diadie Ba; DAKAR, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Eighteen young Senegalese have been jailed for between five and 10 years for taking part in riots triggered by unemployment and anger over local mining projects, officials said on Saturday. At least one person was shot and killed and 35 wounded in street protests in the southeastern town of Ke
China officials apologise for attack on journalists: Reuters NewMedia - January 9, 2009; BEIJING, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Chinese officials have apologised to a Belgian journalist who was beaten while trying to report on AIDS in central Henan province and offered some compensation for damaged and stolen possessions, his television station said. Tom van de Weghe said he was forced from a car at night and hit over
China officials apologise for attack on journalists: Reuters NewMedia - January 9, 2009; BEIJING, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Chinese officials have apologised to a Belgian journalist who was beaten while trying to report on AIDS in central Henan province and offered some compensation for damaged and stolen possessions, his television station said. Tom van de Weghe said he was forced from a car at night and hit over
PNG woman lashed to pole and burnt to death-media: Reuters NewMedia - January 7, 2009; PORT MORESBY, Jan 7 (Reuters) - A young Papua New Guinea woman was lashed naked to a pole and burnt to death in what authorities fear may be another sorcery killing in the jungle interior of the country, local media reported on Wednesday. Black magic is still practiced in the highlands of Papua New Guinea and women

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