California’s ADAP Seeks Price Cuts for Reyataz
California’s state controller has sent a letter to Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) urging the company to “reduce the cost of drugs to California,” The Sacramento Bee reports.
New Jersey ADAP Funding Restored
The nearly 1,000 HIV-positive people on New Jersey’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) who were going to lose their coverage as of August 1 because of state budget cuts will continue receiving their meds, The Associated Press (AP) reports.
New Campaign Promotes FC2 Female Condoms in DC
A new campaign promotes the FC2 female condoms in Washington, DC, as part of the city’s ongoing HIV prevention efforts, The Washington Post reports.
July 29, 2010
Study: HIV Meds Will Cost Global Fund Nearly $2B Yearly The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria will need to spend between $1.6 billion and $1.9 billion per year to provide ongoing support to the 2.5 million people it already provides with antiretroviral (ARV) therapy.
Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV Is Focus at African Union Improving maternal health, reducing child mortality and preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV were the major themes of the African Union summit held in Uganda from July 25 to 27.
July 28, 2010
AIDS2010:'Creative and Novel Ideas in HIV Research' Inaugural Grants
Ten recipients have been awarded the inaugural “Creative and Novel Ideas in HIV Research” grants. The grants are funded in partnership with the International AIDS Society (IAS), the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the Centers for AIDS Research, according to an IAS statement.
AIDS2010:HIV Researchers Honored at Vienna AIDS Conference
The International AIDS Society (IAS) and its partners honored 10 researchers with four scientific awards for their innovative global HIV/AIDS research; the awards were presented during the XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna, according to an IAS statement.
New Jersey HIV/AIDS Agency Not Receiving Funding
La Villa Agency, a Newark, New Jersey-based multi-service federally funded HIV/AIDS agency, can’t provide services because the city of Newark has yet to disburse its funding, My9News reports.
AIDS2010:International AIDS Society Honors Jack Whitescarver
The International AIDS Society (IAS) has presented its inaugural IAS Presidential Award to Jack Whitescarver, PhD, associate director for AIDS research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and director of the NIH Office of AIDS Research (OAR), according to an IAS statement.
AIDS Advocate Judith Peabody Dies
Judith Peabody—a well-known New York socialite, philanthropist and early AIDS advocate—died July 25 in her Fifth Avenue apartment in Manhattan as a result of a series of strokes in the last two years, The New York Times reports.
July 26, 2010
AIDS2010:Obama Recommits to HIV at Vienna AIDS Conference
President Barack Obama
recommitted his administration to the fight against HIV at the XVIII
International AIDS Conference (IAC) in Vienna, Reuters reports.
AIDS2010:HIV/AIDS Is a “Global Prison Crisis” “There is a global prison
crisis,” said Manfred Nowak, the top investigator on torture and punishment for
the United Nations, at the XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna, The
Associated Press (AP) reports.
U.S., Vietnam Partner Against HIV/AIDS
The United States and
Vietnam have agreed to a “partnership framework” to fight HIV/AIDS in Vietnam,
according to a State Department statement.
July 23, 2010
AIDS2010:New HIV/AIDS Policy Proposal for IV Drug Users A new report from the International AIDS Society (IAS) advocates for broader use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) among intravenous drug users, both for their own health and to restrict HIV transmission, according to an IAS statement.
Survey: Emotional Barriers to HIV Care Are Key
A
nationwide survey by Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) found significant disparities
between how health care providers and people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA)
perceive the obstacles to finding care, according to a BMS statement.
National AIDS Fund Receives $3.6M Innovation Award
The
National AIDS Fund (NAF) has received a $3.6 million grant from the federal
Corporation for National and Community Service’s new Social Innovation Fund,
according to an NAF statement.
July 22, 2010
AIDS2010:Male Circumcision Promoted for HIV Prevention in Africa
Leaders at the XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna are promoting male circumcision as a “proven, cost-effective method” for HIV prevention in Africa, according to a Population Services International (PSI) statement.
AIDS2010:Vienna AIDS Conference Backs Evidence-Based HIV Prevention
Leaders at the XVIII International AIDS Conference (IAC) in Vienna are calling for an end to the lack of access to scientifically proven interventions that prevent HIV cases in at-risk populations, according to an IAC statement.
AIDS2010:Advice on Speeding the Search for an HIV Vaccine
A new report by the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise (GHVE) outlines the challenges in developing an AIDS vaccine and recommends ways to accelerate research, according to a GHVE statement.
AIDS2010:Innovation Continues in Global AIDS Response
The expansion of HIV treatment access, the use of antiretrovirals to prevent HIV infections and the pursuit of a cure for HIV are three of the major themes emerging at the XVIII International AIDS Conference (IAC) in Vienna, according to an IAC statement.
Survey: Gulf Coast Oil Spill Affects HIV Services A HealthHIV survey found that 54 percent of HIV-positive people along the U.S. Gulf Coast have family and friends who have been affected by the oil spill, according to a HealthHIV statement.
AIDS2010:PEPFAR Saved $323M Using Generic HIV Drugs
The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) saved slightly more than $323 million from 2005 to 2008 by using generic HIV drugs to treat people living with the virus, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
July 20, 2010
AIDS2010:HIV March in Vienna Links Science and Human Rights
The HIV and Human Rights March during the XVIII International AIDS Conference (IAC) in Vienna is a call for human rights as a fundamental component of efforts to prevent new HIV cases and provide treatment for people living with the virus, according to an IAC statement.
AIDS2010:Leaders in Vienna Seek $20B for the Global Fund
Delegates and speakers at the XVIII International AIDS Conference (IAC) in Vienna are calling on global leaders to commit at least $20 billion to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria at the fund’s replenishment meeting in October, according to an IAC statement.
New Initiatives From ADAP Crisis Task Force and Merck The ADAP Crisis Task Force and pharmaceutical company Merck have agreed to a series of new initiatives that provide funding relief to state AIDS Drug Assistance Programs, according to a Merck statement.
New York State Can Try to Detain HIV-Positive Prisoner Who Served Time A judge has ruled that New York State can try to detain Nushawn Williams, a convicted HIV-positive sex offender, beyond his completed 12-year sentence using the state’s recently passed civil-confinement law, The Associated Press reports.
July 19, 2010
AIDS2010:Study: Global HIV Rates Among MSM Are Soaring
Global HIV rates among men
who have sex with men (MSM) are soaring, according to a Johns Hopkins/World
Bank study of HIV epidemics among MSM worldwide in 2010.
AIDS2010:CDC: HIV an Epidemic for Heterosexuals in Inner Cities
HIV prevalence among
heterosexuals in U.S. inner cities is 2.1 percent, according to a study by the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and reported by The Wall
Street Journal.
AIDS2010:Flat Funding for Global HIV/AIDS From Donor Nations in 2009
Funding by donor nations
for global HIV/AIDS efforts was flat in 2009 as a result of the global economic
crisis, according to a study from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) and the
Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).
July 16, 2010
AIDS2010:Global HIV/AIDS Funding Faces Scrutiny
As
a result of the global recession, HIV/AIDS funding worldwide is being
scrutinized for increased efficiencies, Reuters reports.
San Francisco AIDS Walk Criticized for Sending Funds Abroad
Critics of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation allege the group has misrepresented the benefits to local charities from funds raised through its annual AIDS Walk, The Bay Citizen reports.
July 15, 2010
Sex Ed, Condoms and Teenagers in Uganda In Uganda, HIV-positive teenagers who were born with the virus are now transmitting it sexually to HIV-negative teenagers.
PEPFAR Inspired the National HIV/AIDS Strategy The Obama administration’s new national HIV/AIDS strategy was inspired by the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) launched by George W. Bush in 2003.
New Trend Increases HIV Risk for Heroin Users
Heroin users in some African countries are injecting themselves with blood from other users to share the high from intravenous (IV) drug use or to curb withdrawal symptoms, The New York Times reports.
AIDS Hospice Favored by Princess Diana Transforms Mildmay Mission—the London AIDS hospice where Princess Diana eased the fears of hugging and shaking hands with people living with HIV/AIDS—is being demolished to make way for a new hospital, PinkPaper.com reports.
July 13, 2010
AIDS2010:White House Reveals National HIV/AIDS Strategy
The White House has released its national strategy to fight HIV/AIDS, which is aimed at reducing the number of new infections and providing high quality care for those living with the virus, The New York Times reports. (Watch video.)
New Jersey Cuts 950 People From ADAP New Jersey has changed income guidelines for its AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), resulting in 950 HIV-positive people being cut from ADAP as of August 1, NorthJersey.com reports.
AIDS Activists Question HIV Criminalization in Mexico In advance of the International AIDS Conference in Vienna, HIV/AIDS activists in Mexico are questioning their country’s HIV criminalization laws, the Individual.com reports.
Obama Administration Launches HealthCare.gov The Department of Health
and Human Services has launched HealthCare.gov, a website to help the public
understand the new health care reform law, Bloomberg reports.
New Privacy Rules Proposed for Health Care Partners A proposed federal rule
would subject billing companies, customer service contractors and other related
businesses that regularly handle private health records to severe fines for
unauthorized disclosure of patient information, Reuters reports.
July 09, 2010
ADAP Gets Additional $25M From Federal Government The Department of Health
and Human Services will provide an additional $25 million to supplement the
AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) until the end of the fiscal year on
September 30, The New York Times reports.
Gay Blood Ban Lawsuit Dismissed in China A court in China has
dismissed a lawsuit by a gay man against the Red Cross, AFP reports. The man
claimed that his blood donation was refused because he was gay.
July 08, 2010
Obama Appoints Medicaid and Medicare Administrator
President Obama has appointed Donald Berwick, a pediatrician and Harvard University professor, to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Study: More People on HIV Meds Saves Money Researchers say that increasing the number of HIV-positive people on antiretroviral (ARV) therapy could save British Columbia, Canada, about $900 million USD.
Namibia Lifts HIV Travel Ban Namibia lifted its travel ban against people living with HIV and other contagious diseases effective July 1.
July 07, 2010
Study: Poverty May Not Predict HIV Rates in Africa
Neither wealth nor poverty is a reliable predictor of HIV rates in African countries, according to a study published in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization and reported by PlusNews.
Story of Beheaded Man in Uganda a Hoax A lesson in not jumping to conclusions: A young man was indeed beheaded in Uganda, but he was not associated with Integrity Uganda, an Episcopalian LGBT group, the Box Turtle Bulletin blog reports.
Michigan AIDS Groups Unite for Better HIV Policy HIV advocacy groups in Michigan have formed the Michigan Coalition of AIDS, a new HIV policy lobbying group whose goal is to present a united voice to state lawmakers about HIV/AIDS legislation, The Michigan Messenger reports.
July 06, 2010
HIV Disclosure Lawsuit Wins $1.25M for Indiana Man An Indiana man was awarded a $1.25 million judgment against a collections agency that disclosed he was HIV positive, The Bilerico Project blog reports.
HIV Testing Expansion Bill Advances in New York A bill to expand HIV testing in New York has passed through the state legislature and awaits Governor David Patterson’s signature, the Housing Works blog reports.
ViiV Launches Positive Action U.S. Southern Initiative ViiV Healthcare has launched the Positive Action U.S. Southern Initiative to supplement services and programs that support linkages to care and treatment for people with HIV/AIDS, according to a ViiV Healthcare statement.
AIDS2010:Bill Clinton to Be Honored at Life Ball in Vienna
Actresses Elizabeth Hurley and Whoopi Goldberg along with former President Bill Clinton will be guests of honor at the 18th annual Life Ball in Vienna.
