Some 30 years into the HIV/AIDS epidemic, stigma and discrimination continue to take a toll. For example, in South Africa, some young, HIV positive mothers can find themselves homeless and shunned by their families. But there is a place where they can find shelter.
The group Aids-Free World says there's a wave of "homophobia sweeping across Africa." It's calling on the African Union to take urgent measures to stop "a growing and insidious contagion."
In Malawi, the Call to Action project is working to eliminate HIV infection in unborn babies. It's designed to give hope to women infected with the HIV-virus that they can give birth to healthy children. The project is funded by USAID and run by an American charity, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.
Researchers call it the Lazarus effect - the dramatic beneficial changes that antiretroviral drugs - ARVs - can bring to HIV/AIDS patients and their families. The drugs are changing lives.
The World Health Organization is endorsing a new, rapid test for tuberculosis that it says could revolutionize TB care with an accurate diagnosis in about 100 minutes. The current tests can take up to three months to show results.
The United States and South Africa have agreed to co-host a summit on microbicides next year. The meeting follows this year's successful trial of CAPRISA 004, a gel containing the antiretroviral Tenofovir, which was shown to protect women against HIV infection. The research on CAPRISA 004 was conducted in South Africa.
International leaders in the fight against HIV/AIDS marked World AIDS Day on Wednesday with a call for countries to do more to prevent and treat the virus.
A new study says delaying treatment for people infected with HIV can have long-term health and financial consequences. The findings add to the debate over when anti-retroviral treatment should begin.
United Nations agencies say millions of health workers around the world are at risk of becoming infected with HIV and tuberculosis while treating the sick. New guidelines developed by the International Labor Organization, World Health Organization and UNAIDS aim to protect health workers from these occupational hazards.
A daily dose of an antiretroviral drug used to treat AIDS patients reduced the risk of HIV transmission by nearly 44 percent in a large international study of uninfected homosexual men and transgender men who have sex with men. Scientists say that although the results are very encouraging, more studies are needed to confirm the findings among other high risk populations.
World Team Tennis held its 18th annual Smash Hits fundraising event on November 15, co-hosted by British pop singing star Elton John and U.S. tennis legend Billy Jean King. And for the first time, Washington served as center court.
To ensure food security for a rapidly growing global population, governments are investing heavily in agriculture. But food policy experts say that investment must include HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.
The doctor who helped pioneer the "treatment as prevention" approach in the fight against HIV/AIDS will receive the Albert Einstein World Award of Science. Dr. Julio Montaner chaired the 18th International AIDS Conference in Vienna last July.
The Strengthening Private Sector Services for Health program seeks to leverage government and non-governmental resources and activities to counter the still-devastating HIV/AIDS epidemic
Scientists believe they have discovered why some people who are infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, can survive for decades without treatment. The research could open up new avenues to an AIDS vaccine.
Zambia has launched a ten-year program to circumcise more than 2.5 million men in an effort to curb HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. But the effort faces challenges from religious groups and others who say there's not enough evidence to support that circumcision curbs AIDS.
Some Zimbabweans have no choice but to buy antiretroviral drugs from pharmacies while meeting the many other costs related to continuing HIV treatment, such as doctor visits, lab tests, drugs for related illnesses and vitamins
In the Kibera section of Kenya's capital, Nairobi, a 25-member youth group is transforming the community, which is commonly plagued by a host of social problems. The young people act, sing, dance, recite poetry and do other things to get residents to think about, and change, destructive behaviors. The street theatre performances tackle such issues as drug and alcohol abuse, HIV infection, and sexual violence - with positive results.
"While we can't pinpoint the exact day and time I think the scientific breakthroughs over the last 18 months have really showed us that scientifically, the development of a preventative HIV vaccine is possible."
Swaziland has one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the world - 26 percent for those between the ages of 15 and 29. But to deal with the epidemic, health officials must do more than increase treatment, care and prevention efforts. They must also address another disease that's targeting HIV-positive people more and more often - tuberculosis.
New research suggests brief sex education courses reduce risky sexual behaviors - and the threat of sexually transmitted disease - among South African sixth graders.
UN agencies report that a decline in donor support, due to the current economic downturn, may compromise crucial programs for HIV/AIDS. The report was released before a meeting this week of major donors to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Experts argue that unless more funds are committed, progress on HIV/AIDS will stall or even reverse.
Scientists from around the world are meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, this week at the AIDS Vaccine 2010 conference. Besides discussing the latest research, they're looking for ways to do a better, faster job of finding an effective vaccine to end the pandemic.
President Robert Mugabe said in an interview with Chinese state television that compulsory HIV tests could help curb the spread of the deadly disease, a point of view that drew objections from many Zimbabweans.
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria said Thursday that 5.7 million lives have been saved during the decade due to its financing of programs in more than 140 developing countries.
Child trafficking is one of the fastest growing crimes in the world - an underground business, often conducted on the internet, and driven by enormous profits. According to UNICEF, an estimated 2.5 million children, the majority of them girls, are sexually exploited in the multibillion-dollar commercial sex industry.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is reporting what officials call an unusual spike in the number of new cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
A new strategic plan for AIDS vaccine research was unveiled Tuesday. It's the culmination of an 18-month effort that included the input of 400 scientists worldwide.
UNAIDS and the World Health Organization have agreed to hold two further clinical trials on a vaginal gel, which shows promise in reducing the risk of HIV. Experts attending a meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa last week decided new trials should be conducted as quickly as possible to confirm preliminary hopeful results.
Health experts in South Africa say many HIV-positive people in the country could get very sick and even die as a result of the strike by 500,000 to one million public service workers, including state nurses and pharmacists. The workers are demanding higher wages and improved benefits.
At the White House on Tuesday, President Barack Obama is scheduled to host an extraordinary meeting of more than 100 young leaders from more than 40 African nations. What is being called the President's Forum with Young African Leaders is part of observances marking 50 years of independence for 17 sub-Saharan African countries.
As the HIV/AIDS epidemic continues to spread, new research shows it's taking an increasing toll on men-having-sex-with men or MSM. The issue was addressed at the 18th International AIDS conference in Vienna, with calls for greater funding and human rights efforts.
The goal of rapid HIV testing in emergency rooms is to save lives and prevent the spread of HIV. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommends routine HIV screening of patients admitted to hospital emergency rooms, unless the patient refuses or opts-out of the test. But, a study on the testing did not produce the results doctors expected.
The International AIDS Conference wrapped up in Vienna Friday, with the first African president taking the helm of the International AIDS Society. Dr. Elly Katabira of Uganda said he will press rich countries to fulfill promises of funding for universal access to care for people living with HIV.
At the 18th International AIDS Conference in Vienna, young people spoke out about how they’re affected by the pandemic and what they’re doing about it.
A little more than a year after the Kenyan and U.S. governments launched a nationwide HIV home testing program in Kenya, some counselors in the program say they are feeling overwhelmed. They cite harsh conditions in the field, conflicts in the homes of people being tested and the stress of delivering bad news on a daily basis as contributing factors.
The 18th International AIDS conference is underway in Vienna with the announcement of a new U.N. initiative that aims to simplify the way HIV treatment is provided so it can reach more people. AIDS activists and supporters gathered in the Austrian capital to celebrate on the eve of the meeting.
International organizations that work with HIV/AIDS issues say unless more money is provided for programs in developing countries, the campaign to eradicate the disease will suffer a 20-year set back.
A quarter century after the first HIV cases were detected in India, efforts to halt the spread of the virus are making headway in South Asia. But ignorance and stigma surrounding the disease still remain major stumbling blocks in a region where poverty and illiteracy are widespread.
There's good news in the latest report from UNAIDS. It says there's been a 25 percent drop in HIV prevalence among young people in 15 of the most severely affected countries.
In what could be a major breakthrough in the quest for an effective AIDS vaccine, researchers at a U.S. government laboratory reported Thursday the discovery of two powerful antibodies that can prevent most strains of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, from infecting human cells.
For years, the lack of reliable data on HIV/AIDS in the Middle East and North Africa led regional governments to believe they had somehow managed to escape the epidemic. But a new United Nations report shows that numbers are on the rise: more than 400,000 people are currently living with HIV across the Middle East and North Africa region, or MENA. Of those, 68,000 need anti-retroviral treatment, but only 14 percent are actually getting it. The rest may not even know they are infected.
A top U.S. health official says the first few minutes after HIV infection may be a window of opportunity to prevent the AIDS virus from firmly taking hold in the body.
Tuberculosis infects nearly ten million people each year and kills nearly two million. It is primarily a lung disease that spreads easily among people with weakened immune systems. Sub-Saharan Africa is still the epicenter of the HIV/AIDS disaster, but it is also becoming the epicenter of tuberculosis.
Health officials in Asia say harsh legal penalties against drug trafficking and abuse may increase the rate of HIV infection among drug users. Health experts are now urging governments to use of so-called harm reduction strategies to combat drug abuse and stem the rise in AIDS infection.
The cost of preventing and treating AIDS in the workplace can be prohibitively expensive, especially for small and medium-sized businesses. At the same time, the cost of doing nothing can be even more expensive. Redpeg is a private organization that designs comprehensive HIV/AIDS programs for small and medium-sized businesses.
According to the findings of two new studies, mother-to-child transmission of HIV during breastfeeding could be virtually eliminated through the timely use of anti-retroviral drugs.
HIV/AIDS is having a devastating impact on businesses in South Africa. One out of four South Africans of working age is HIV-positive. Anglo American, one of the world's largest diversified mining companies, recognized the toll HIV was taking on its employees and its business. In 2002, it introduced a comprehensive prevention program in the workplace, the first of its kind in South Africa.
African gay activists in Africa and in the diaspora are increasingly using the Internet to have their voices heard, while still trying to figure out how to advance homosexual rights on the continent.
About 5.7 million people in South Africa are living with HIV, including approximately 280,000 children under the age of 15. In addition, between 1.5 and three million so-called AIDS orphans have lost one or both parents to this disease. South Africa runs several HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns and some are specifically targeted to children.
A new study has found a higher incidence of tuberculosis among coal miners in sub-Saharan Africa, the result of close living quarters, infections with HIV-AIDS and the inhalation of mineral dust inside mines.
Tuberculosis is the leading cause of death in South Africa. A more dangerous form of the disease, multi-drug resistant tuberculosis is gaining ground in the country. The World Health Organization reports an estimated 440,000 MDR-TB infections occurred around the world in 2008 and one-third of those infected died. Lisa Schlein has this report for VOA from the King George Hospital in Kwazulu Natal, a leading center of MDR-TB expertise.
South African AIDS organizations have had limited success in getting FIFA to allow them to distribute condoms and HIV education materials during the World Cup.
A new study conducted in Africa has found that treating HIV-positive individuals with anti-retroviral drugs reduces the risk of them transmitting the disease to their heterosexual partners by more than 90 percent.
While much attention is being paid to South Africa as the host of Africa's first World Cup, the nation also made history 10 years ago when it hosted the 13th International AIDS Conference. It was the first time the world's largest AIDS gathering was held in a developing country and it changed the way future conferences would be held.
Ten years ago, South Africa hosted the world's largest AIDS conference - the first time the event was held in a developing country. The meeting was marked by both hope and controversy and set standards that future such events would strive to meet.
In Botswana, community-based home care is the preferred method of assisting people living with HIV/AIDS. However, a study shows many of the caregivers are suffering economically and emotionally as a result.
Scientists have discovered why some people who are infected with HIV progress to AIDS very slowly, if ever. They possess a gene that produces a potent immune response that keeps the infection at bay. Researchers say their finding might someday lead to an AIDS vaccine.
The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria says unprecedented progress has been made in combating these three major killers in the developing world.
South African leaders are praising President Jacob Zuma's new campaign to test nearly one-third of the population for HIV/AIDS in a country with the highest number of HIV victims in the world.
It's estimated that 15 million children have lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDS. But research shows the death of the mother to the disease can have a much greater and longer lasting effect on a child than the death of the father.
HIV-positive people in Liberia say they are being discriminated against in the workplace. AIDS counselors say that is adding to depression and isolation.
Over the years, there's been debate over when to start HIV-positive patients on anti-retroviral drugs, or ARVs. At first the standard practice was to wait until a person's immune system had nearly collapsed. But a growing body of research shows there may be many benefits to starting treatment much earlier.
Researchers say maternal mortality has dropped significantly in developing countries thanks to concerted efforts by nations to drive down the number of mothers who die of pregnancy-related complications. At the same time, a new report says maternal mortality has risen in some developed countries.
While Ghana has one of Africa's lowest HIV infection rates, prejudice and poverty compound the difficulties facing those who have the virus that causes AIDS. One Christian ministry that is helping those living with HIV/AIDS.
Over the last six months, scientists have revealed they've learned a lot more about human anti-bodies, which could lead to a better designed AIDS vaccine candidate.
Because drug users often engage in dangerous behaviors like sharing dirty needles, they are at more risk of becoming infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Many of those infected struggle to cope with not only addiction and HIV treatment, but also with the social stigma associated with AIDS. VOA profiles Indonesian activist Ginan Koesmayadi, who takes a different approach to rehabilitation, using soccer to help HIV-infected addicts stay clean and show the world they can lead normal lives in this installment of Making a Difference.
The World Health Organization says despite continuing efforts against tuberculosis, one-third of the world's population is infected with tuberculosis germs and up to 10 percent of them will become sick or infectious.
In July, the world's largest AIDS conference will be held in Vienna, Austria. About 25 thousand people are expected to attend the meeting, which will focus on HIV/AIDS in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
South Africa continues to be in a health care crisis. Doctors and nurses are leaving the country. Equipment, supplies and hospitals are inadequate. And, there are charges that the health care system is rife with fraud and mismanagement.
A government hearing on U.S. trade policy has produced more than 700 recommendations to help developing countries purchase affordable, life-sustaining medicines to fight AIDS and other afflictions.
“It means Canada goes to the summit with empty hands. It means that Canada as the host comes to the summit having cut back drastically on foreign aid..."
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria reports nearly 5 million lives have been saved since 2002 through programs it has supported for the treatment of these three killer diseases. A new report shows the fund's multi-billion dollar investment is paying big dividends in improving the health of millions of people in developing countries.
People in Ivory Coast are facing a nutritional crisis. Even in the best of times, the World Food Program (WFP) says children do not get enough to eat. And, now they will be getting even less.
Travelers in the United States will now be able to help reduce health problems - including malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS - around the world with a simple $2 donation when they purchase plane tickets, rent a car or book a hotel room. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched the unique initiative on Thursday.
A foster home for HIV/AIDS orphans in Ghana has launched a school and other business ventures to support its work, thanks to a partnership with an American university.
The United Nations AIDS agency says in many societies young women and girls face discrimination and gender inequalities that can make them more vulnerable to HIV infection. The agency launched a new initiative Tuesday to reverse that trend and put women at the center of national and local AIDS response.
-- Critics say bill's passage could set precedent for other African countries, which have criminalized homosexuality, homosexual behavior in recent years
As the world focuses on the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, an athlete-based, international humanitarian organization is using the spotlight to help promote sports in the poorest parts of the planet. The organization, called Right To Play, helps more than one million children around the world.
A United Nations agency is calling for action to prevent the spread of the AIDS virus in earthquake-stricken Haiti. A study by UNAIDS warns of a substantial risk of the spread of the deadly virus in overcrowded camps for Haitian survivors of the disaster.
A recent study shows that medical students and hospital interns often fail to report self-inflicted needlestick injuries when treating patients. That is a major worry if the patient or the health care worker carries an infectious disease, such as HIV-AIDS or hepatitis.
U.S. President Barack Obama has sharply criticized an anti-gay bill in Uganda that would impose the death penalty in some cases. Other western governments and gay rights activists also have criticized the legislation. Supporters accuse the U.S. and other western nations of interfering in Uganda's internal affairs.
A high court judge's denial of bail to Malawi's first openly gay couple as their trial in Blantyre enters its final phase continues to draw international attention from gay rights advocates. Homosexuality is illegal in Malawi, and the couple, Steven Monjeza, 26, and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, 20, who staged a traditional wedding ceremony in December, could face up to 14 years in jail if convicted.
The Ugandan foreign minister denies the government is backing away from proposed anti-gay legislation because of foreign policy implications, saying the government is still discussing its position on the issue. Gay rights activists express caution over reports the president has backed away from the bill.
A controversial bill under consideration in Uganda's parliament is being challenged by President Yoweri Museveni on foreign policy grounds. The 23-year incumbent says the measure, which would make some homosexual acts punishable by death and others by life imprisonment, would discourage foreign investment and might infringe on obligations to protect human rights defenders and medical personnel who treat Ugandan HIV and AIDS patients.
Three Malawi human rights activists are free on bail after being arrested for helping to defend a gay male couple that held a same-sex engagement ceremony in Malawi on December 26.
A team of American scientists has discovered a molecule that could block transmission of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Researchers say the preventive agent might someday be used in a topical cream to help prevent infection with the deadly virus.
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