2010

Authors in Dickens Marathon: Wall Street Journal - December 21, 2010; Lizzie Simon; This weekend, Housing Works Bookstore Cafe on Crosby Street hosted What the Dickens? a three-hour rendition of A Christmas Carol with almost 30 volunteer authors reading for six minutes each. Charles Dickens is sort of hot right now, considering Oprah Winfrey chose Great Expectations and A Tale of Two Cities as her ne
Training AIDS Patients for Careers: Wall Street Journal - December 21, 2010; Shelly Banjo; Jamie Drake wants to give people living with HIV and AIDS an entry into design. The interior designer is giving $10,000 to the Alpha Workshops, a New York City-based nonprofit that trains and employs people living with HIV or AIDS in the decorative arts. Created by its executive director Kenneth Wampler in 1995 to impr
New Details Reveal More About Problems Assange Faces: Wall Street Journal - December 19, 2010; Jeanne Whalen And Paul Sonne; New details of the Swedish sexual-misconduct accusations against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange shed more light on the deepening and complex legal problems he faces over his conduct with two women during a short stretch in August. Mr. Assange was released on bail in the U.K. last week following his Dec. 7 arrest on a
Gay Groups Blast City-Sponsored HIV Ad: Wall Street Journal - December 13, 2010; Sumathi Reddy; Two leading gay and lesbian advocacy groups want a new city-sponsored public service announcement about HIV pulled off the airwaves, calling the television commercial sensational and stigmatizing. The graphic ad, which began airing last week, warns of the other health problems such as anal cancer and
Decking the Halls With Dolly: Wall Street Journal - December 8, 2010; Marshall Heyman; Well, Hello Dolly! This holiday season, via Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, you can hang Carol Channing, dressed for her most iconic role, on your tree. She is the third - after Angela Lansbury as Mame and Chita Rivera as Anita in West Side Story - in the organization s Broadway Legends Christmas ornament series. Th
Opinion: Blood Debts in China: Wall Street Journal - December 2, 2010; A former health official deserves praise for pointing the finger at Chinese Politburo members who covered up the spread of AIDS. China marked World AIDS Day yesterday by opening up a bit more about its troubled history with the HIV virus. State media reported that the Health Ministry revised upward - without explanatio
Vatican Moves to Refine Pope's Views on Condoms: Wall Street Journal - November 24, 2010; Stacy Meichtry and Nathania Zevi; Pope Benedict XVI views the use of condoms among both homosexuals and heterosexuals as preferable to risking HIV infection, the Vatican said Tuesday, raising questions about whether the Vatican was relaxing its longstanding condemnation of condom use in general or only in a limited set of circumstances, such as when co
Daily Pill Slashes Risk of HIV Infection in Study: Wall Street Journal - November 23, 2010; Betsy Mckay And Amy Dockser Marcus; A study released Tuesday shows an existing antiretroviral drug can also ward off HIV infections in what researchers call a major advance in the quest to find medicines that prevent rather than simply treat AIDS. The study of nearly 2,500 gay and bisexual men on four continents follows two other recent breakthroughs in
Seeking New Blood-Supply Test: Wall Street Journal - November 23, 2010; Amy Dockser Marcus; Scientists are racing to develop tests for a retrovirus called XMRV, which could be used to determine if the blood supply is tainted and to assess how many people may be infected. The impetus behind the drive is a paper published in the journal Science last year that reported a link between XMRV and chronic fatigue syn
Pope Says Vatican Condom Ban May Not Be Absolute: Wall Street Journal - November 22, 2010; Stacy Meichtry; VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI said there may be special cases in which the use of condoms can be considered a first step in the direction of moralization --the first time a pope has ever suggested that the Roman Catholic Church s ban on condoms is not absolute. The pope made the comments in a book-length interview i
Vatican Rushes to Clarify Pope's Comments in Book: Wall Street Journal - November 21, 2010; Stacy Meichtry; VATICAN CITY - The Vatican on Sunday rushed to clarify a recent interview by Pope Benedict XVI, in which the pontiff states for the first time that there may be some cases in which the Roman Catholic Church s ban on condoms isn t absolute. The pope made the comments in a book-length interview over the summer with the G
Getting Life Insurance: Wall Street Journal - November 21, 2010; M.P. McQueen; Your health greatly affects the rates you ll pay for life insurance -- or if a particular insurer will cover you at all. But you may be able to find coverage even if you ve battled cancer or heart disease. Life insurers charge more for a new policy as you age, naturally, because of increasing mortality risk. And smoker
City Restores HIV/AIDS Cut: Wall Street Journal - October 23, 2010; Michael Howard Saul; -- Quinn, Advocates Fault Delay in Move Mayor Michael Bloomberg s administration agreed to restore three quarters of a $1.88 million budget cut to housing programs serving New Yorkers with HIV/AIDS, but City Council Speaker Christine Quinn criticized the administration for failing to reinstate the funding sooner. Ad
Glaxo Is Subpoenaed Over Avandia: Wall Street Journal - October 21, 2010; Jeanne Whalen; LONDON - GlaxoSmithKline PLC said net profit fell 3.5% in the third quarter due to frugal government health-care spending and other factors, and disclosed that it has been subpoenaed by U.S. authorities examining its diabetes drug Avandia. Glaxo s earnings were hurt by U.S. health-care reform and European price cuts th
Sorry for Rough Landing: JetBlue Attendant Who Left Flight Via Escape Chute Pleads Guilty, Apologizes: Wall Street Journal - October 20, 2010; Tamer El-Ghobashy; JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater had his moment of fame last summer when he ditched his job by launching into a profanity-laced tirade over the P.A. before taking a joyride down the jetliner s emergency chute, a beer in each hand. Mr. Slater was more contrite in court Tuesday, entering a guilty plea to two counts
AIDS Fight Starts at Home: Wall Street Journal - October 19, 2010; Shelly Banjo; In 1991, Bill and Susan Belfiore took four HIV-positive toddlers from Romania into their Princeton, N.J., home. Fighting initial discrimination within their community, they turned to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation for help: The Foundation, started by activist Elizabeth Glaser after she contracted HIV vi
Games Village Gets Condom Refill: Wall Street Journal - October 13, 2010; Linda Blake; Commonwealth Games athletes have been engaging in a very different kind of activity in the Games Village than in the stadiums, according to reports. And safe-sex advocates are expecting more after Thursday night s closing ceremony in New Delhi, as 7,000 sportsmen and women celebrate the end of the event. In anticipatio
Research Into Human Sexuality Leaves a Lot to Be Desired: Wall Street Journal - October 9, 2010; Carl Bialik; Let s talk about sex. Nearly 6,000 people between the age of 14 and 94 did so at the behest of Indiana University researchers, who this week published results from their national survey. These respondents said, among other things, how often they have sex with people of the same or opposite genders; which sexual practic
Trio Shares Chemistry Prize for Imitating Life: Wall Street Journal - October 6, 2010; Gautam Naik; Ei-ichi Negishi of Purdue University speaks with the media on the phone after winning the 2010 Nobel Prize for chemistry, at his home in West Laffayette, Ind. The Nobel Prize for Chemistry was awarded to a trio of scientists who came up with an elegant way to mesh together stubborn carbon atoms, an approach vital for t
U.S. Will Increase AIDS Fund Donation: Wall Street Journal - October 5, 2010; Betsy McKay; The Obama administration is expected on Tuesday to announce a large increase in its pledge to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and to call for reform of the organization. The pledge of $4 billion over the next three fiscal years to the Geneva-based organization comes as governments and donors ar
Singer Sets $1 Million Target for Her AIDS Charity: Wall Street Journal - September 30, 2010; Shelly Banjo; To Alicia Keys, celebrities have become commodities that can be tapped for good. To that end, the Brooklyn native will Thursday announce a new campaign to raise more than $1 million for her AIDS charity, Keep a Child Alive, at its annual Black Ball New York charity event. Deemed Buy Life, the organization will recruit
China Sees Challenge On Health System: Wall Street Journal - September 24, 2010; Shirley S. Wang; NEW YORK - The ambitious overhaul of the Chinese health-care system is a challenge that won t be solved by money alone, says China s minister of health, Chen Zhu. Now in the first phase of its $125 billion plan to provide affordable medical care for the entire population by 2020, China is striving by the end of next ye
Training Experts to Find and Fight Epidemics: A U.S.-Funded Program Helps Health Workers in Developing Countries Track Disease And Speed Response To Outbreaks: Wall Street Journal - September 22, 2010; Betsy Mckay; Nigeria , Vietnam and dozens of other countries are stepping up efforts to respond to disease threats, as epidemics add to the burden on their health-care systems and new pathogens spread around the globe. To fight Nigeria s worst cholera epidemic in nearly two decades, an outbreak of lead poisoning that has killed m
Paterson Veto Blocks a Cap On Rent for Ill: Wall Street Journal - September 20, 2010; Michael Howard Saul; Gov. David Paterson vetoed legislation late Saturday night that would have capped the percentage of income that people on public assistance who are infected with HIV pay for rent, eliciting a strong rebuke from AIDS advocates. The governor said the veto allows him to keep his promise not to impose unfunded mandates on
HIV Fighters Gain Speed: Wall Street Journal - August 30, 2010; Suzanne Sataline; A new generation of HIV tests requiring just a swish of a plastic stick around the gums or a finger prick is being offered throughout the city, providing patients with fast results and giving health officials better hope that they can stop the spread of AIDS. The tests for the presence of HIV antibodies produce results
Study Finds Retroviruses in Chronic Fatigue Sufferers: Wall Street Journal - August 23, 2010; Amy Dockser Marcus; Researchers said Monday they have identified a family of retroviruses in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, a finding that is likely to spur patients with the condition to seek treatment with drugs used to fight HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The report, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sc
What It Takes to Become a Living Donor: Wall Street Journal - August 3, 2010; Melinda Beck; More than 3,000 people have signed up to be potential bone-marrow donors since word spread that 11-year-old Shannon Tavarez, one of the child stars of The Lion King on Broadway, needed a transplant to combat her acute myelogenous leukemia. Hundreds more have joined bone-marrow registries in hopes of helping 22-year-old
Donating Beyond Bone Marrow: Wall Street Journal - August 3, 2010; Melinda Beck; As of 6 p.m. on August 2, 2010, 107,808 Americans were waiting for organ transplants, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing. Living donors who are willing to spare a kidney, a portion of a liver or other organs, are helping to ease the shortage every day. Being a living organ donor is a far bigger commitmen
Donor of the Day: Children's Author Makes $1 Million Memorial Gift: Wall Street Journal - July 26, 2010; For some donors, it s partly guilt that compels them to give. Maurice Sendak, the 82-year-old author of children s classic Where the Wild Things Are says there s a certain amount of guilt that goes with living what he calls a privileged life. Says Mr. Sendak: Me, I m just an easygoing charity-giver... if it s money and
Experts Urge Earlier AIDS Treatment: Wall Street Journal - July 22, 2010; Ron Winslow; VIENNA - Despite its notorious reputation, the virus that causes AIDS doesn t infect the human body easily, and the difficulties HIV has point to potential new prevention and treatment methods, according to a growing body of research. The science, some of which was presented this week at the XVIII International AIDS Co
OPINION: Aid and AIDS in Malawi: Wall Street Journal - July 22, 2010; -- Handouts improve health outcomes, but lasting well-being requires self-sufficiency. A World Bank study published on Sunday finds that young women in Malawi who received monthly cash payments were less than half as likely to contract HIV as those who were paid nothing. At this week s International AIDS Society summit
Guidelines Issued to Shield Babies from AIDS: Wall Street Journal - July 21, 2010; Ron Winslow; -- World Health Organization Aims to Strengthen Outreach to Pregnant Women and Improve Care for Children Born With HIV VIENNA - The World Health Organization issued new guidelines aimed at strengthening efforts to prevent pregnant women from transmitting the AIDS virus to their babies and improving care for infants who
New Gel Cuts Risk of HIV Infection: Wall Street Journal - July 20, 2010; Mark Schoofs And Peter Wonacott; In a potential breakthrough that opens a new way to protect against HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, researchers found that a gel applied by women before and after sex cut the chance of acquiring the AIDS virus by 39% and the genital herpes virus by 51%. In what could be a major breakthrough in the preventi
At 10, Portugal's Drug Law Draws New Scrutiny: Wall Street Journal - July 20, 2010; Susana Ferreira; PORTO, Portugal - This country s move to decriminalize illicit substances - Europe s most liberal drug legislation - turns 10 years old this month amid new scrutiny and plaudits. Portugal s decriminalization regime has caught the eye of regulators in Europe and beyond since it was implemented in 2001.
Gates, Clinton Call For Cost-Effective Strategies in AIDS Fight: Wall Street Journal - July 19, 2010; Ron Winslow; VIENNA - Bill Gates and Bill Clinton called for a new emphasis on cost-effective strategies in the global fight against AIDS as governments scale back contributions that have significantly expanded access to treatment in the developing world. In speeches Monday, at the XVIII International AIDS Conference here, the foun
AIDS Funding Flat in 2009: Wall Street Journal - July 18, 2010; Ron Winslow; VIENNA - Global funding to combat HIV/AIDS essentially flattened in 2009 as the economic crisis forced governments in major industrialized countries to scale back their contributions, according to a new report. The Group of Eight nations, the European Commission, and other donor governments donated $7.6 billion for AID
Study Looks at HIV and Poverty: Wall Street Journal - July 18, 2010; Ron Winslow And Betsy Mckay; VIENNA - The prevalence of HIV infection among heterosexuals in U.S. inner cities constitutes a generalized epidemic, a new U.S. study says. The report, based on interviews of more than 9,000 people not considered at high risk of HIV/AIDS who live in high-poverty areas of 23 U.S. cities, found that 2.1% of that populat
Global AIDS Fight Shifts Toward Prevention: Wall Street Journal - July 17, 2010; Betsy Mckay And Robert A. Guth; The global fight against HIV and AIDS is moving into a new phase as the high cost of treating millions of people is forcing governments and donors to focus more aggressively on the difficult challenge of prevention. That transition, already contentious, will be the crux of discussions next week in Vienna where governme
White House Unveils Free Preventative Services: Wall Street Journal - July 15, 2010; Janet Adamy; WASHINGTON - Treatments for the prevention of alcohol abuse, depression and obesity are among the services that will be free to consumers with new insurance plans starting in September. As part of the new health law, the Obama administration on Wednesday released rules specifying which preventive health services insure
Advance in Quest for HIV Vaccine: Wall Street Journal - July 9, 2010; Mark Schoofs; HIV research is undergoing a renaissance that could lead to new ways to develop vaccines against the AIDS virus and other viral diseases. In the latest development, U.S. government scientists say they have discovered three powerful antibodies, the strongest of which neutralizes 91% of HIV strains, more than any AIDS an
Antibody Kills 91% of HIV Strains: Wall Street Journal - July 8, 2010; Mark Schoofs; In a significant step toward an AIDS vaccine, U.S. government scientists have discovered three powerful antibodies, the strongest of which neutralizes 91% of HIV strains, more than any AIDS antibody yet discovered. Looking closely at the strongest antibody, they have detailed exactly what part of the virus it targets a
An HIV Balm in Gilead: How firms are cooperating to deliver drugs to Africa, for private gain and public good: Wall Street Journal - June 21, 2010; Roger Bate*; Dar es Salaam, Tanzania HIV patients in Tanzania are as hooked on the World Cup as the rest of the continent. My companion in front of a restaurant television, 35-year-old electrician Abasi Mkapa, was impressed by the German performance against Australia and had views on who might win the Cup.
New Ads Try to Shock Men Into Going to See the Doctor - Public Health Push Strikes Darkly Humorous Tone to Attack Problem: Men Avoid Care That Could Prevent Future Ills: Wall Street Journal - June 15, 2010; Laura Landro; When it comes to their health, men are the weaker sex: They don t get checkups as often as women, are hospitalized more often with preventable illnesses, and they die younger. Now, just in time for Father s Day, public-health officials are trying to change that. A darkly humorous ad campaign being launched this week ai
AIDS Budget Faces Reduction: Prevention Efforts by Community Groups Face Cuts: Wall Street Journal - June 8, 2010; Suzanne Sataline and Shelly Banjo; New York City s efforts to stem the spread of HIV/AIDS could shrink under the proposed cuts in the city budget, as the total number of new cases has been declining. But health officials are worried about a rise in HIV diagnoses among men who have sex with men. Mayor Michael Bloomberg s budget proposal for the new fisca
Gates Foundation Signals New Focus on Maternal, Child Health: Wall Street Journal - June 7, 2010; Miriam Jordan; WASHINGTON -- The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation said it will spend $1.5 billion over the next five years on maternal and child health, family planning and nutrition in developing countries, a pledge that signals a new focus for the foundation known for concentrating on vaccines and AIDS. Melinda Gates said the foun
Child Deaths Decline Amid Better Care: Wall Street Journal - May 24, 2010; Betsy Mckay; Deaths among children under five years old have dropped more than previously thought and the declines are accelerating in several developing countries, reflecting significant improvements in care, according to a new study. About 7.7 million deaths in infants and young children are expected globally in 2010, compared wi
Black Keys Bring Rock - and a Pop-up Store - to Housing Works: Wall Street Journal - May 19, 2010; Matthew Oshinsky; Rock stars are popping-up all over the city. A week after the Brooklyn-based band the National opened a temporary retail outlet on East 3rd Street to promote its new album, Ohio rockers the Black Keys have followed suit with a merchandise outpost in the Housing Works Bookstore Cafe on Crosby Street. The duo - guitarist
AIDS Group Divided Over Planned Move: Wall Street Journal - May 13, 2010; Suzanne Sataline; A plan to move Gay Men s Health Crisis from its Chelsea home has split the AIDS advocacy group, pitting longtime activists against the board and its executive director. With the nonprofit s rent rising on its home of nearly 15 years, GMHC is negotiating to lease space on the West Side, near Hudson Yards. The new buildi
Blueberries Slow Tumor Growth: Wall Street Journal - April 20, 2010; Jeremy Singer-Vine; Blueberry extract slows the spread of a difficult-to-treat form of breast cancer, according to a small study of mice in Cancer Research. So-called triple-negative breast cancers, which account for 10% to 15% of all breast-cancer cases, lack the three receptors that most cancer drugs target. In a preliminary test-tube e
Bushmeat Presents Latest Food Scare: Researchers Find Strains of a Virus Related to HIV in Illegal Imports of Primate Flesh, a Delicacy to Some Africans: Wall Street Journal - April 14, 2010; Joel Stonington; Researchers testing bushmeat smuggled into the U.S. have found strains of a virus in the same family as HIV, according to preliminary findings to be released Wednesday. For years, authorities have tried to crack down on the smuggling of meat from certain animals, such as bats, monkeys and rodents, which some people con
Potential Risk to Blood Supply Probed: XMRV Virus Gets Attention of Health Officials, but It's Unclear if There Is Any Danger: Wall Street Journal - April 4, 2010; Amy Dockser Marcus; An infectious virus linked to two diseases is drawing the attention of public-health officials, who are investigating the potential threat to the nation s blood supply. It isn t clear if the virus, known as XMRV, poses a danger, and public-health officials say there isn t evidence of spreading infection. But because of
Two Groups Push for Health Funds: Wall Street Journal - March 29, 2010; Robert A. Guth; Two global health organizations on Friday began an effort to raise as much as $24 billion from members of the Group of 20 nations that will test whether a major push begun a decade ago against infectious diseases can survive the global recession. The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations and the Global Fund to
Bangkok Under Fire on Immigration Policy: Wall Street Journal - March 1, 2010; Patrick Barta; -- New Rules, Which Demand Compliance by March 2, Could Cause Massive Deportation of Migrant Workers Pressure is mounting on Thai authorities to rescind or delay new immigration rules that could cause hundreds of thousands of migrant workers to face deportation and drive up business costs in one of Southeast Asia s mos
Mobile Ad Model Works With Low Income Users: Tech4Society: Wall Street Journal - February 13, 2010; When trying to reach the miserly masses through mobile, don t be afraid to use commercials. Hilmi Quraishi, co-founder of ZMQ Software Systems, which builds cell phone applications to educate the poor, was reaching out to low-income cell phone users long before it became big business. His cell phone games which teach u
Drug Makers Decry Indian Patent Law: Wall Street Journal - February 11, 2010; Geeta Anand; MUMBAI - Multinational drug companies have pushed big-time into India in recent years after the country agreed to respect intellectual property rights for pharmaceutical products. But India s patent office and courts have repeatedly declined to defend patents widely accepted in many other countries on some of the world
Zuma Apologizes for Fathering Child Out of Wedlock: Wall Street Journal - February 8, 2010; Peter Wonacott; JOHANNESBURG - South African President Jacob Zuma, reacting to a firestorm of criticism, has apologized for fathering a child with a woman who wasn t one of his wives. In a statement Saturday, the 67-year-old president said the birth has put pressure on his family and his political organization, the African National Co
White House Proposes 9% Increase in Global-Health Funding: Wall Street Journal - February 1, 2010; Betsy Mckay; The Obama administration proposed a 9% increase in funding for global health needs in its fiscal 2011 budget, pledging to spend more to combat preventable diseases and reduce deaths among women and children at a time when it is tightening its belt elsewhere. The proposal was accompanied by the release of a set of ambit
White House Aims to Broaden Approach to Global Health: Wall Street Journal - January 31, 2010; Betsy Mckay; The Obama administration is expected to propose in its fiscal 2011 budget Monday new funding to combat preventable and tropical diseases, malnutrition and other conditions afflicting the world s poor, as part of a strategy to broaden its approach to global health. The new policy, details of which the administration pla
War on AIDS Hangs in Balance as U.S. Curbs Help for Africa: Wall Street Journal - January 30, 2010; Michael Allen; KAMPALA, Uganda-Ninsiima Agatha, a 20-year-old mother of two, showed up at a medical clinic here last month, weak, coughing, and desperate to save herself and her two children. She had just discovered that her husband was infected with HIV - and now she had the virus too. If she didn t get access to life-saving drugs q
Haitian AIDS Clinic Regroups: Wall Street Journal - January 27, 2010; Ianthe Jeanne Dugan; PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - At the world s first AIDS clinic, a half-mile from the wrecked national palace, director Jean Bill Pape is racing to rebuild one of Haiti s few world-class institutions after the Jan. 12 earthquake killed workers, destroyed buildings and suspended research. But first, Dr. Pape is treating mo

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