Feeds
356638 items (356638 unread) in 46 feeds
World Health Organization
(804 unread)
-
WHO news (383 unread)
-
Media
(277672 unread)
-
Reuters Health eLine
(11480 unread)
-
CNN Health (4229 unread)
-
NPR Health and Science (5590 unread)
-
ABC News: Health (9099 unread)
-
CBSnews.com: Health News (10862 unread)
-
BBC Health News (8289 unread)
-
CBC Health and Science News (8089 unread)
-
Australia ABC News: Health
(16314 unread)
-
China Xinghua Health News
(8874 unread)
-
New York Times: Health
(14782 unread)
-
USATODAY.com Health - Top Stories (6067 unread)
-
The Seattle Times: Health (6445 unread)
-
International Herald Tribune: Health and Science (6416 unread)
-
HeraldToday.com: Health
(2842 unread)
-
WebMD Health Headlines
(7711 unread)
-
MedicineNet Daily News (16107 unread)
-
Medical News Today
(86181 unread)
-
iVillage Health
(956 unread)
-
Topix.net - Health (7108 unread)
-
Newsvine - health
(40231 unread)
Bird Flu
(5952 unread)
-
MSNBC.com: Bird Flu (171 unread)
-
-
Medical News Today - Bird Flu/Avian Flu
(753 unread)
-
Diabetes
(13143 unread)
-
-
Medical News Today - Diabetes
(4570 unread)
-
Cholesterol
(5074 unread)
-
Topix.net - Cholesterol
(2208 unread)
-
Medical News Today - Cholesterol
(707 unread)
-
Cancer
(26783 unread)
-
-
-
Medical News Today - Breast Cancer News
(3483 unread)
-
Medical News Today - Cancer/Oncology News
(12083 unread)
-
HIV
(14516 unread)
-
-
Medical News Today - HIV/AIDS News
(7781 unread)
-
Women
(9799 unread)
-
-
Medical News Today - OBGYN News
(6558 unread)
-
Men
(2895 unread)
-
-
Medical News Today - Men's health News
(1246 unread)
-
Partners Site
NewMesotheliomaInformation.org
Health Link Exchange Directory
Sponsors
Medical News Today - HIV/AIDS News (111 unread)
-
State Roundup: Romney On Mass. Care, Kansas Rx Costs, Colorado Insurance Costs
Posted: March 31st, 2010, 6:00am CDT
The Boston Globe, on former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney's reaction to the new federal health law: "The former governor, who has been mentioned as a possible candidate again for president in 2012, had labeled Obama's bill 'unhealthy for America' and has called for its repeal, even as conservative critics say it was modeled on Romney's policy... -
Daily Nation Examines Fundraising Efforts In Kenya To Support Patients Living With HIV/AIDS
Posted: March 31st, 2010, 6:00am CDT
The Daily Nation examines efforts underway in Kenya to raise money for patients living with HIV/AIDS who are in need antiretroviral (ARV) therapy... -
Also In Global Health News: Asia's 'Double Burden'; Guinea Worm Eradication; ARV, Antibiotic Treatment; Sierra Leone's Medical Workers; More
Posted: March 31st, 2010, 6:00am CDT
Asians Facing 'Double Burden' Of Disease, Health Experts Warn During a two-day healthcare conference in Asia, health experts on Monday encouraged the governments of Asian countries to draft plans to tackle the long-term costs associated with chronic illnesses, Reuters reports. "Asia is facing a double burden," of disease, said Bruce Neal of the University of Sydney... -
Predictors Of Loss Of Hepatitis B Surface Antigen In Patients Co-infected With HIV And HBV
Posted: March 31st, 2010, 6:00am CDT
Co-infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) poses a treatment challenge. In Western Europe and the United States, chronic HBV infection has been found in 6% of HIV-positive patients and this co-infection is well known to be associated with increased liver-related morbidity and mortality... -
GeoVax Labs Granted Allowance By FDA To Start Phase 1 Clinical Trial For HIV/AIDS Therapeutic Vaccine
Posted: March 31st, 2010, 3:00am CDT
GeoVax Labs, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: GOVX), a biotechnology company that creates, develops, and tests innovative HIV/AIDS vaccines, is now allowed by the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) to begin a phase 1 clinical trial for GeoVax's therapeutic vaccine, which is intended as a treatment for individuals infected with HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)... -
Expert Available For Comment: CMS To Cover Injections For HIV-Associated Facial Lipoatrophy
Posted: March 30th, 2010, 11:00am CDT
In a landmark decision, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced it will now cover the use of FDA-approved dermal fillers for the treatment of HIV-associated facial lipoatrophy (LA), severely hollowed cheeks and changes to the face's appearance resulting from HIV treatments... -
Wall Street Journal Examines Fundraising Efforts By GAVI, Global Fund
Posted: March 30th, 2010, 5:00am CDT
The GAVI Alliance and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria "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 Wall Street Journal reports... -
UNAIDS Executive Director Calls For Continued Investment In HIV/AIDS Prevention, Treatment And Removal Of Travel Bans
Posted: March 30th, 2010, 5:00am CDT
During a meeting of lawmakers from 150 countries in Bangkok, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe on Sunday warned that the global economic crisis could reverse recent gains in the fight against HIV/AIDS, Reuters reports. An estimated 33.4 million people in the world are living with HIV/AIDS, the news service notes. "This is no time to stop... -
Affordable Antibiotic Halves The HIV Death Rate On Treatment, DART Trial Shows
Posted: March 30th, 2010, 5:00am CDT
A safe, cheap and widely available antibiotic could save the lives of thousands of people starting anti-retroviral treatment for HIV in Africa and other developing countries. The findings come from a new analysis of the Medical Research Council's (MRC) Developing Antiretroviral Therapy in Africa (DART) trial... -
Computer Models Could Personalize Medicine To Prevent Pandemics
Posted: March 30th, 2010, 5:00am CDT
What makes some viral infections fatal and others much less severe is largely a mystery. It is thought that a part of the variability can be attributed to differences in how individuals respond to infection... -
Africa Not On Track To Halve Poverty By 2015, Economic Commission For Africa Head Says
Posted: March 29th, 2010, 3:00am CDT
U.N. Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Executive Secretary Abdoulie Janneh said the global economic downturn will keep Africa from meeting the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of halving poverty by 2015, Reuters reports... -
Event Addresses How TV Can Raise Awareness Of Global Health Issues
Posted: March 29th, 2010, 3:00am CDT
At an event in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday sponsored by the Hollywood, Health & Society (HH&S) program of the University of Southern California, panelists discussed how television storylines can raise the American public's awareness of global health issues, the Washington Examiner's blog, "Yeas & Nays," reports (Schwab/Palmeri, 3/25)... -
Recent Releases In Global Health
Posted: March 29th, 2010, 3:00am CDT
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Article Examines Relationship Between Malnutrition, HIV Progression In Sub-Saharan Africa "Sub-Saharan Africa is affected by a disproportionately high prevalence of both HIV infection and food scarcity," write the authors of an American Journal of Clinical Nutrition article on the relationship between malnutrition and the pro... -
State HIV Programs Face Cuts, CDC Notes High Prevalence In Young African-Americans, Gay Men
Posted: March 29th, 2010, 2:00am CDT
NPR's Shots blog: "As states struggle with budget shortfalls, many are looking to trim costs by chopping health spending. And funding for HIV/AIDS programs has been a prime target. A proposed budget in South Carolina would eliminate funding for HIV/AIDS prevention and for help with buying drugs to treat the disease... -
High Rate Of HIV Among Men Who Have Sex With Men In China
Posted: March 28th, 2010, 4:00am CDT
Increasing rate of HIV/STD disease is being reported among 'men who have sex with men' with high risk behaviors in Africa and Asia, according to a groundbreaking paper in the April issue of Sexually Transmitted Diseases Sexually Transmitted Diseases , official journal of the American Sexually Transmitted Diseases Association... -
Windsor Rosewood Care Center To Provide Individuals With HIV/AIDS Equal Access To Nursing Home Care
Posted: March 28th, 2010, 2:00am CDT
The Windsor Rosewood Care Center, LLC (WRCC), located in Contra Costa County, Calif., has agreed to provide individuals with HIV/AIDS equal access to its skilled nursing facility, as required by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, under a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Settlement Agreement... -
New Data Demonstrate SMARTube Technology May Provide Basis For Creation Of An Index To Estimate The Rate Of Spread Of HIV In High-Risk Populations
Posted: March 27th, 2010, 3:00am CDT
New data presented at the Center for Disease Control (CDC)-sponsored 2010 HIV Diagnostics Conference suggests that an assay based on SMARTube™ technology may prove useful in developing a standardized measure for estimating what proportion of those infected with HIV have become recently infected. These results indicate that using the SMARTube technology, developed by SMART Biotech, Ltd... -
Medicare Roundup: Changes From Health Reform, Payments For HIV Patients
Posted: March 26th, 2010, 8:00am CDT
USA Today: "Perhaps the biggest factor in whether your Medicare costs will rise or fall depends on your Medicare plan. There are two: a traditional Medicare plan run by the federal government and Medicare Advantage, which is run by private insurance companies. Medicare Advantage costs more than the traditional plan, but provides more generous benefits. There are 10... -
World TB Day Coverage: Lesotho, Armenia, Drug Resistance, HIV Coinfection
Posted: March 26th, 2010, 8:00am CDT
"To mark World [Tuberculosis] Day on Wednesday, Medecins Sans Frontieres [MSF] drew attention to Lesotho, which has the world's third-highest prevalence of HIV ... and the fourth-highest prevalence of tuberculosis," the Associated Press reports. The average life expectancy in the country is just 36 years, according to the AP... -
Civil Society Groups Urge G8 To Follow Through With AIDS Funding Commitments
Posted: March 26th, 2010, 7:00am CDT
"Civil society organisations from around the world on Wednesday made a coordinated appeal to the Canadian government to help pressure the Group of Eight (G8) into fulfilling its aid commitments in the fight against AIDS," which are predicted to be over $20 billion short of commitments pledged by the G8 during the Gleneagles summit in 2005, the Mail & Guardian reports... -
Religious Groups Sign Statement Against Stigmatization Of HIV/AIDS
Posted: March 26th, 2010, 6:00am CDT
Acknowledging that some faiths have in the past contributed to stigma toward people living with HIV/AIDS, representatives of 40 international religious groups on Tuesday issued a joint statement pledging to prevent further stigmatization, the AP/USA Today reports. The signing of the statement by Christian, Jewish, Islamic, Hindu and Buddhist leaders capped a two-day retreat in the Netherlands... -
Also In Global Health News: Bird Flu; Burundi's Global Fund Grant; Maternal Mortality In Ghana; Food Security In Africa; More
Posted: March 26th, 2010, 6:00am CDT
WHO Warns Bird Flu Continues To Pose Threat Despite a reduction in the number of cases of avian flu (H5N1) since its peak in 2006, the WHO said in a statement Wednesday that "the newly confirmed human and poultry cases of avian influenza this year are a reminder that the virus poses a real and continuous threat to human health," Agence France-Presse reports (3/24)... -
Clinic-Based HIV Prevention Is Effective In Reducing Risk Behaviors: UCSF Study
Posted: March 26th, 2010, 3:00am CDT
UCSF researchers have shown that delivering HIV prevention services to people living with HIV in clinical settings can sharply reduce their sexual risk behaviors. The findings are available now in the online edition of the journal AIDS and Behavior and are scheduled for publication in an upcoming print issue... -
Circumventing The Immune System's "Brakes" May Help Improve HIV Therapeutic Vaccines
Posted: March 26th, 2010, 3:00am CDT
Like a skittish driver slamming the brakes, a special class of T cells may be limiting the effectiveness of therapeutic vaccines for HIV by slowing the immune system response too soon, report University of Pittsburgh health science researchers in the current issue of PLoS ONE... -
Financial Times Opinions On World TB Day
Posted: March 25th, 2010, 7:00am CDT
Private Sector Should Play A Role In TB Control "Governments and their international partners must recognise that health is an investment... -
Also In Global Health News: Child, Maternal Mortality; AIDS 2010; Food Aid To N. Korea; Millennium Challenge Corporation; Family Planning Conference;
Posted: March 25th, 2010, 7:00am CDT
AU Summit To Examine Progress Toward Child, Maternal Mortality MDGs When leaders of African states gather for the African Union summit in Kampala, Uganda, in July, they will assess the continent's progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals relating to child and maternal mortality, Isaac Musumba, Uganda's state minister for foreign affairs said M... -
Religious Leaders Vow To Fight HIV/AIDS Stigma, Discrimination
Posted: March 25th, 2010, 6:00am CDT
A two-day gathering in The Hague, Netherlands, of religious leaders to discuss the role people of faith can play in the fight against HIV/AIDS concluded Tuesday with a pledge to prevent discrimination against those living with the disease, the Associated Press reports... -
THT Gives Africans The Facts On PEP, A Treatment To Prevent HIV After The Virus Enters The Bloodstream, UK
Posted: March 25th, 2010, 4:00am CDT
HIV and sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) is launching a new guide for African communities with information on PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis). PEP is a month long course of treatment that may prevent HIV infection even after the virus has entered the body. The guide has been funded by the Pan-London HIV Prevention Programme to tackle high rates of HIV among Africans... -
Older People And Those With HIV Are More Vulnerable To Tuberculosis
Posted: March 25th, 2010, 4:00am CDT
A study by the Barcelona Public Health Agency has revealed those sections of the population that are most vulnerable to tuberculosis. The research, published in the journal Respiratory Research, shows that the highest death rates from this disease are among those aged over 50 or infected with HIV... -
Chembio's DPP(R) Oral Fluid HIV Test Approved By USAID
Posted: March 25th, 2010, 3:00am CDT
Chembio Diagnostics, Inc. (OTCBB: CEMI), which develops, manufactures, markets and licenses point-of-care diagnostic tests, announced that its DPP® Oral HIV 1&2 Screen Assay for use with oral fluid or blood samples has been approved by the U.S. Agency for International Development ("USAID") for inclusion on the list of approved rapid HIV tests... -
CA-MRSA Infection Rates Are 6 Times Greater In HIV Patients
Posted: March 25th, 2010, 2:00am CDT
HIV-infected patients are at a markedly increased risk for community acquired Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) infections according to a new study by researchers at John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County and Rush University Medical Center... -
8 Million GBP Will Support The Fight Against Tuberculosis: UK Government Announcement
Posted: March 25th, 2010, 2:00am CDT
Global efforts to combat tuberculosis gained momentum when the government of the United Kingdom announced generous funding to the Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation. The first-ever grant of 8,000,000 pounds (approximately US$ 13 million) is a significant show of support for Aeras in its mission to develop new TB vaccines... -
Siemens Launches HIV Combo Test On ADVIA Centaur Immunoassay Systems
Posted: March 24th, 2010, 7:00pm CDT
Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics received CE marking approval to sell the HIV Antigen/Antibody (Ag/Ab) Combo Assay for use on the ADVIA Centaur® and ADVIA Centaur® XP Immunoassay Systems, which now offer a complete HIV screening test menu allowing clinical laboratories in Europe to further consolidate infectious disease testing with other routine immunoassays... -
Medicare Expands Coverage For Treating Facial Lipodystrophy Syndrome In People Living With HIV
Posted: March 24th, 2010, 1:00pm CDT
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced its decision to cover facial injections for Medicare beneficiaries who experience symptoms of depression due to the stigmatizing appearance of severely hollowed cheeks resulting from the drug treatment for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Today's decision is effective immediately... -
Opinion: Expanding Global Fund; Repurposing Wastewater; Financing Global Health Needs
Posted: March 24th, 2010, 8:00am CDT
Opinion Piece Outlines Challanges Facing Global Fund In an Economic Times opinion piece, Jeffrey Sachs of the Earth Institute at Columbia University outlines what he sees as "two huge challenges facing" the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria: "The first is lack of financing. ... -
Also In Global Health News: Smart Global Health Policy Report; Cardiovascular Disease In Developing Countries; Global Health In Washington State; More
Posted: March 24th, 2010, 8:00am CDT
VOA News Interviews CSIS Global Health Policy Center Director About Smart Global Health Policy Report VOA News features an interview with J. Stephen Morrison, the director of the CSIS Global Health Policy Center, about the final report by the CSIS Commission on Smart Global Health Policy... -
Rise In Syphilis Cases, Cuts In HIV/AIDS Funding Concern Philadelphia Public Health Officials
Posted: March 24th, 2010, 5:00am CDT
In Philadelphia, a 45% increase in syphilis cases last year and steep cuts in state funding for HIV/AIDS are creating challenges for public health workers in the city, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Since 2008, the most recent year for which data are available, Philadelphia's syphilis rates have increased across all groups, according to the Inquirer... -
Community Acquired MRSA Infection Rates Are Six Times Greater In HIV Patients
Posted: March 24th, 2010, 4:00am CDT
HIV-infected patients are at a markedly increased risk for community acquired Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) infections according to a new study by researchers at John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County and Rush University Medical Center... -
Administration Official Discusses Obama's Commitment To Africa's Food Security In Reuters Interview
Posted: March 23rd, 2010, 5:00am CDT
Food security is central to President Barack Obama's Africa policy, "the administration's top official for Africa," Assistant Secretary of State Johnnie Carson, said in an interview with Reuters. "We want to see the food security initiative take on greater momentum as more African countries are drawn into this program," Carson said. The U.S. has committed $3... -
Also In Global Health News: Eradicating Disease; ARV Treatment In Malawi; HIV/AIDS Meeting In Lisbon
Posted: March 23rd, 2010, 5:00am CDT
Telegraph Examines Efforts To Eradicate Guinea Worm, Other Diseases The Telegraph examines how recent efforts to contain the Guinea worm have led to reductions in the number of cases of the disease worldwide and hopes that the disease will soon be eradicated. The piece also explores scientific efforts to fight other diseases, such as polio, malaria and HIV (Thornton, 3/19)... -
Modern Medicine Conquers Witchcraft
Posted: March 23rd, 2010, 3:00am CDT
Seen through western eyes, beliefs in supernatural forces are common in Ghana and other African countries. Death, suffering and diseases are often attributed to witchcraft. Over thirty per cent of its inhabitants believe such evil forces could be responsible for the spread of HIV/AIDS... -
The Control Of HIV, A Highly Promising Compound
Posted: March 23rd, 2010, 3:00am CDT
A compound that can inhibit the transfer of HIV from one cell to another has been developed by researchers at the Institut de Biologie Structurale Jean-Pierre Ebel (CNRS/Université Joseph Fourier/CEA). It acts by saturating a receptor called DC-SIGN, which is used by HIV to ensure its transmission throughout the body... -
Two Leading Organizations Dedicated To Reducing Health Care-Associated Infections Worldwide Issue Inaugural Partnership In Prevention Award
Posted: March 22nd, 2010, 4:00am CDT
During the Fifth Decennial International Conference on Healthcare-Associated Infections, the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) and the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) awarded their first Partnership in Prevention Award to the National Guard Health Affairs in Saudi Arabia... -
New York Times Examines Lifting Of Ban On Immigrants With HIV
Posted: March 22nd, 2010, 3:00am CDT
The New York Times on Friday examined a 22-year-old federal ban on visitors and immigrants who test positive for HIV from entering or living in the U.S. and the impact of President Obama's decision to lift the ban in January... -
Recent Releases In Global Health
Posted: March 22nd, 2010, 3:00am CDT
Lancet Study Finds Level Of HIV Services For IDUs 'Is Poor In Many Countries' A Lancet study performed a systematic review of HIV prevention and treatment services targeting injecting drug users (IDUs) globally based on the availability of "core interventions for IDUs: needle and syringe programmes (NSPs), opioid substitution therapy (OST) and other drug treatment... -
Acne Drug Prevents HIV Breakout
Posted: March 19th, 2010, 4:00pm CDT
Johns Hopkins scientists have found that a safe and inexpensive antibiotic in use since the 1970s for treating acne effectively targets infected immune cells in which HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, lies dormant and prevents them from reactivating and replicating... -
Lawsuit Shows Insurer Targeted HIV Patients For 'Rescission'
Posted: March 19th, 2010, 7:00am CDT
A court case has revealed that the insurer Fortis, now called Assurant Health, automatically targeted customers diagnosed with HIV for fraud investigations geared toward finding reasons to revoke their coverage, Reuters reports... -
Opinions: U.S. Foreign Aid Effectiveness; Faith-Based Groups' Work Abroad
Posted: March 19th, 2010, 7:00am CDT
Foreign Aid Is A Smart Investment Although "foreign assistance is a very small proportion of the overall budget, its effectiveness is both measurable and priceless," Sheila Nix, the executive director of ONE, writes in a Roll Call opinion piece... -
Idaho, Virginia Gear Up For Fight To Defeat Individual Mandate; NY Law Sets Procedure For Decisions For Unresponsive Patients
Posted: March 19th, 2010, 6:00am CDT
The Associated Press: "Idaho is leading the charge in a states-rights push to defeat a proposal in Congress that would require people to buy health insurance, a key piece of reforms being pushed by President Barack Obama. Republican Gov. C.L... -
FDA Drafts New Rules For Testing, Approving Drug Cocktails; Public-Private Partnership For TB Treatment Development Launched
Posted: March 19th, 2010, 6:00am CDT
The FDA is drafting new guidelines for testing and approving multidrug cocktails for life-threatening diseases, the Wall Street Journal reports. "Many diseases, such as AIDS, tuberculosis and cancer, require multidrug combinations... -
U.N. Secretary-General Launches Report Aimed At Meeting MDGs By 2015
Posted: March 18th, 2010, 8:00am CDT
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon "warned on Tuesday that failure to meet" Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets by the 2015 deadline could result in "increased instability, violence, epidemic diseases and overpopulation," Agence France-Presse/Mail & Guardian reports (3/17). At a U.N... -
NIH Partners With PEPFAR To Strengthen Medical Education In Africa
Posted: March 18th, 2010, 5:00am CDT
The National Institutes of Health has announced a new initiative to strengthen medical education in Sub-Saharan Africa, in collaboration with the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, known as PEPFAR. The program, called the Medical Education Partnership Initiative, is a joint effort of the Office of the U.S... -
New Path To Therapeutic HIV Vaccine Discovered By Studying Immunologic Profile Of Rare HIV Controllers
Posted: March 18th, 2010, 5:00am CDT
Based on encouraging results from pre-clinical research, Bionor Immuno AS today announced intentions to take the therapeutic and potentially preventative HIV-vaccine candidate Vacc-C5 into a Phase I/II clinical trial. The research results indicate that Vacc-C5 may induce a protective antibody response in HIV patients similar to that found in patients with slow or non-progressing disease... -
WPIC Receives Federal Stimulus Funding To Assess The Benefits Of Counseling With HIV Screening
Posted: March 18th, 2010, 3:00am CDT
Does rapid HIV testing and counseling produce healthier results for those who test negative for the virus than testing alone? That's the question that will be studied by researchers at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic (WPIC) of UPMC and the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Program and Clinic, as part of a $12... -
New Research By VGTI Florida Science Director Demonstrates How HIV Disables The Immune System
Posted: March 18th, 2010, 3:00am CDT
New research conducted by the scientific director for VGTI Florida and his colleagues at the University of Montreal, in collaboration with scientists from the NIH and the McGill University Hospital center, may soon lead to an expansion of the drug arsenal used to fight HIV... -
Sidibe Calls For A 'Prevention Revolution' To Fight HIV/AIDS
Posted: March 17th, 2010, 7:00am CDT
UNAIDS head Michel Sidibe on Monday called for a "prevention revolution" to fight HIV/AIDS and addressed laws he says make high-risk groups more vulnerable to the disease, the Associated Press reports... -
EU-India Free-Trade Negotiations Could Limit Access To Affordable, Generic Drugs, Advocacy Group Says
Posted: March 17th, 2010, 7:00am CDT
The advocacy group Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) recently warned that free-trade negotiations between the EU and India could limit access to "affordable generic drugs" for people in India and the rest of the developing world, Reuters reports... -
Also In Global Health News: Profiles Of CDC, USAID Leaders; HIV/AIDS In Kenya; Food Aid In Tanzania; Hunger In North Korea; More
Posted: March 17th, 2010, 7:00am CDT
New York Times Features Profiles Of USAID's Shah, CDC's Frieden The New York Times examines the recent changes at the CDC - "considered one of the world's premier public health agencies, responsible for tracking the spread of infectious disease, distributing vaccines and monitoring the causes of sickness and deaths" - since Director Thomas Frieden took ove... -
Swiss Condom For Boys Could Be Used In U.S. Sex Education Efforts, Columnist Wetzstein Says
Posted: March 17th, 2010, 6:00am CDT
Although the recently released "Hotshot" condom in Switzerland "has already launched a thousand jokes," the condom designed specifically for sexually active boys ages 12 to 14 "could become part of the sex-education toolbox," Washington Times columnist Cheryl Wetzstein writes... -
It's Time To Reassess Where We Stand With An HIV Vaccine As Numbers Infected Rise In UN Study
Posted: March 17th, 2010, 5:00am CDT
According to a recent United Nations study, HIV infection rates among high-risk groups such as gays, drug users and sex workers are on the rise around the world. U.N. AIDS agency chief Michel Sidibe is saying the increase may be due to worsening discrimination against these groups in certain countries. In the U.S... -
HIV Vaccine Strategy Expands Immune Responses
Posted: March 17th, 2010, 5:00am CDT
Two teams of researchers including Los Alamos National Laboratory theoretical biologists Bette Korber, Will Fischer, Sydeaka Watson, and James Szinger have announced an HIV vaccination strategy that has been shown to expand the breadth and depth of immune responses in rhesus monkeys. Rhesus monkeys provide the best animal model currently available for testing HIV vaccines... -
Experts Discuss PEPFAR Funding In Congressional Hearing
Posted: March 16th, 2010, 5:00am CDT
At a recent hearing of the House Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, "[i]nternational health organisations working to help check the spread of AIDS in Africa said meagre increases in funds from the U.S. government this year would be a step backwards. Some experts also emphasised that prevention must get appropriate attention in any fight against the disease," Inter Press Service reports... -
Scientists Identify Chemical In Bananas As Potent Inhibitor Of HIV Infection
Posted: March 16th, 2010, 2:00am CDT
A potent new inhibitor of HIV, derived from bananas, may open the door to new treatments to prevent sexual transmission of HIV, according to a University of Michigan Medical School study published this week. Scientists have an emerging interest in lectins, naturally occurring chemicals in plants, because of their ability to halt the chain of reaction that leads to a variety of infections... -
People Living With HIV/AIDS: India Must Not Sacrifice Us In Trade Agreement With Europe
Posted: March 15th, 2010, 4:00am CDT
As the final round of closed-door negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and the European Union (EU) is about to start this month, people living with HIV/AIDS are protesting to ensure Indian negotiators do not give in to pressure to accept terms that will seriously hamper access to medicines for millions of people living in the developing world... -
Recent Releases In Global Health
Posted: March 15th, 2010, 2:00am CDT
Lancet Comment Asks: What's Next For Global Fund? Reflecting on the recent annual report by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, a Lancet comment writes, "Two big challenges remain [for the Global Fund]: first, to show, reliably and independently, that the Fund's investments have delivered the benefits that it claims; and second, on the basis o... -
A Novel Mechanism Of Drug Delivery - PEGylated Dendrimers
Posted: March 13th, 2010, 2:00am CST
Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Science (MIPS) researchers, in collaboration with the biotechnology company Starpharma Holdings Ltd (ASX:SPL) have developed a new method to deliver medications that may benefit thousands of patients with particular types of cancer, HIV and lymphatic conditions world-wide... -
HIV/AIDS Researcher Honored With BMJ's Junior Doctor Of The Year Award
Posted: March 13th, 2010, 2:00am CST
BMJ Group, publisher of the British Medical Journal (BMJ), has recognized University of British Columbia Clinical Associate Prof. Evan Wood with its first annual Junior Doctor of the Year honour... -
Former President Clinton, Bill Gates Encourage U.S. Global Health Investment At Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing
Posted: March 12th, 2010, 6:00am CST
Former President Bill Clinton and Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, said Wednesday at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing "that U.S. investments in fighting [HIV/]AIDS, malaria and other diseases in underdeveloped nations save lives and play a vital role in improving America's image abroad," the Associated Press reports... -
AIDS 2010 To Highlight Epidemic In Eastern Europe, Central Asia Regions
Posted: March 12th, 2010, 6:00am CST
AIDS 2010, the International AIDS Conference to be held July 18-23 in Vienna, Austria, will "highlight the situation in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, regions experiencing fast growing [HIV/AIDS] epidemics largely through unsafe injecting drug use," conference organizers announced Wednesday, Agence France-Presse reports... -
Also In Global Health News: WFP In Somalia; South Africa's HIV/AIDS Plan; Zimbabwe's Food Needs; Medical Personnel, Vaccines In Bangladesh; More
Posted: March 12th, 2010, 6:00am CST
WFP Agrees To Cooperate With Probe Of Its Operations In Somalia The World Food Program (WFP) "said Thursday it will cooperate with any independent probe into its food operations in Somalia, after a report found that up to half the food aid intended for the nation's hungry people does not reach its destination," the Associated Press reports... -
Newsweek Examines Role Of New Female Condom In Efforts To Combat Spread Of HIV In D.C.
Posted: March 12th, 2010, 5:00am CST
Women's health experts are watching closely to see whether a recent grant to provide no-cost female condoms in Washington, D.C., will "really make a difference" in the area's HIV/AIDS rate among women, Newsweek's Kate Dailey writes. The goal of the program is to empower women to take control of their own health and safety... -
British Government, HIV/AIDS Advocates Warn Decreased Aid Budgets Could Lead To Reversals In HIV/AIDS Treatment Progress
Posted: March 11th, 2010, 7:00am CST
Recent gains in the global fight against HIV/AIDS could be reversed as the "global economic downturn pinches poor countries' budgets and donors show signs of backing away from their promise to provide universal access to AIDS treatment," the British government together with Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) warned Tuesday, Reuters AlertNet reports... -
Congress Works On Tariff-Lowering Legislation For Haiti As Preval Meets With U.S. Leaders In Washington
Posted: March 11th, 2010, 7:00am CST
The Senate Finance Committee's chair, Max Baucus (D-Mont.), and top Republican, Charles Grassley (Iowa), are working with colleagues in the House on legislation that would lower tariffs in an effort to help Haiti's apparel industry and help the country recover from the major January earthquake, CQ Politics reports... -
How To Fortify The Immunity Of HIV Patients
Posted: March 11th, 2010, 3:00am CST
New findings from a Université de Montréal and the Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute of Florida (VGTI) study, in collaboration with scientists from the NIH and the McGill University Hospital Center, may soon lead to an expansion of the drug arsenal used to fight HIV. The Canada-U.S... -
Global Training Of HIV/AIDS Caregivers Assisted By Positive Prevention Toolkit
Posted: March 11th, 2010, 2:00am CST
UCSF prevention experts have released the Positive Prevention Toolkit, a collection of resources designed to enable HIV/AIDS caregivers to provide prevention messages when interacting with HIV-positive patients. The goal is to help patients modify their behavior to reduce risk and decrease the spread of HIV... -
UNAIDS Director Cautions Against Funding Cuts To Global Fund
Posted: March 10th, 2010, 5:00am CST
During an appeal to government and private donors to pledge money to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria on Monday, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe warned of the repercussions tightening budgets could play in the global fight against HIV/AIDS, the Associated Press reports... -
Opinions: Don't Slow Fight Against HIV, TB, Malaria; U.S. Focus On Women, Girls
Posted: March 10th, 2010, 5:00am CST
2010 To Be 'Decisive Year' For Global Health, Global Fund Director Says In a BusinessDay opinion piece, Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Michel Kazatchkine reflects on the organization's progress and impact on global health outcomes since its creation in 2002, as detailed in the organizations' 2010 annual report... -
Also In Global Health News: Leishmaniasis Treatment; China's National Health Plan; Zimbabwe Food Security; HIV/AIDS Spending In India
Posted: March 10th, 2010, 5:00am CST
Heating Device Effectively Treats Cutaneous Leishmaniasis, Study Says "A heating device that uses radio frequency energy to heat parasites and kill them could provide a new way to treat ... cutaneous leishmaniasis in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, military researchers reported Monday," the Los Angeles Times' blog "Booster Shots" reports... -
AIDS Care Gap Between Wealthy And Developing Countries Risks Becoming A Chasm
Posted: March 10th, 2010, 2:00am CST
AIDS leaders gathering in London today face the daunting challenge of implementing new World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations for earlier treatment with better AIDS drug cocktails at a time when donors are backing away from the promise of "universal access," said Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)... -
Washington, D.C., To Become First U.S. City To Distribute Free Female Condoms
Posted: March 9th, 2010, 6:00am CST
Washington, D.C., soon will become the first city in the U.S. to distribute female condoms at no charge, the Washington Post reports... -
Infectious Virus Hidden In Chromosomes During Latency Can Be Passed From Parents To Children
Posted: March 9th, 2010, 6:00am CST
Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) infects nearly 100 percent of humans in early childhood, and the infection then lasts for the rest of a person's life... -
Fortifying The Immunity Of HIV Patients
Posted: March 9th, 2010, 5:00am CST
New findings from a Universite de Montreal and the Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute of Florida (VGTI) study, in collaboration with scientists from the NIH and the McGill University Health Center, may soon lead to an expansion of the drug arsenal used to fight HIV. The Canada-U.S... -
Washington Post Opinion Piece Draws Attention To Breast Ironing In Cameroon
Posted: March 9th, 2010, 4:00am CST
In a Washington Post opinion piece on Sunday, freelance writer Jamie Rich examined the Cameroonian practice of breast ironing, in which women use heated plantain leaves or hot stones to "flatten adolescent girls' developing breasts, intending to protect the girls from the dangers of sex, consensual or otherwise... -
Global Fund Releases Latest Impact Data, Projections For Improving Global Health In Next Decade
Posted: March 9th, 2010, 4:00am CST
By 2015, mother-to-child HIV transmission will be virtually eliminated and deaths from malaria and tuberculosis will continue to decline if health investments for the diseases are maintained or scaled up, according to an annual results report published Monday by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Agence France-Presse/Africasia.com reports (3/8)... -
Also In Global Health News: HIV Study; Health Access, Hunger In Sudan; HIV/AIDS In Guyana; Malaria Deaths In Malawi; North-South Korea Health Program
Posted: March 9th, 2010, 4:00am CST
HIV Hides Outs In Bone Marrow, Study Finds HIV "can hide in the bone marrow, avoiding drugs and later awakening to cause illness, according to new research that could point the way toward better treatments for the disease," the Associated Press reports (Schmid, 3/7)... -
HIV Hides In Bone Marrow Say Researchers
Posted: March 8th, 2010, 1:00pm CST
Researchers in the US have discovered that a latent form of HIV hides in progenitor cells in bone marrow, avoids detection by the immune system and retains the ability to reproduce and spread when the coast is clear (eg when treated people stop taking anti-HIV drugs)... -
Scientists Discover Reservoir Where HIV-Infected Cells Can Lay-In-Wait
Posted: March 8th, 2010, 5:00am CST
University of Michigan scientists have identified a new reservoir for hidden HIV-infected cells that can serve as a factory for new infections. The findings, which appear online March 7 in Nature Medicine, indicate a new target for curing the disease so those infected with the virus may someday no longer rely on AIDS drugs for a lifetime... -
Senators To FDA: Lift Ban On Gays Donating Blood
Posted: March 8th, 2010, 3:00am CST
The Associated Press: "The time has come to change a policy that imposes a lifetime ban on donating blood for any man who has had gay sex since 1977, 18 senators said Thursday. ... The lawmakers stressed that the science has changed dramatically since the ban was established in 1983 at the advent of the HIV-AIDS crisis... -
Study, Conference Highlight Risks Associated With Migrant Workers' Limited Access To Health Services
Posted: March 8th, 2010, 3:00am CST
Despite being at high-risk for HIV infection, migrant workers in Southern Africa have a challenging time accessing HIV prevention and treatment services, according to a new study by the International Office of Migration (IOM), PANA/Afrique en ligne reports... -
Periodontal Pathogens Enhance HIV-1 Promoter Activation In T Cells
Posted: March 8th, 2010, 2:00am CST
During the 39th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental Research, convening at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC, lead researcher O.A. Gonzalez (University of Kentucky, Lexington) presented a poster of a study titled "TLR2 and TLR9 Activation by Periodontal Pathogens induce HIV-1 Reactivation." Although oral co-infections (e.g... -
Ban, Clinton Launch Initiative Allowing Travelers To Donate To Global Health
Posted: March 8th, 2010, 2:00am CST
Former President Bill Clinton and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in New York on Thursday launched MASSIVEGOOD - an initiative that allows travelers to make a $2 donation "to fight deadly diseases whenever they buy a plane ticket, book a hotel room or rent a car," Bloomberg/BusinessWeek reports (Varner, 3/4)... -
Argos Therapeutics Publishes Positive Immune Response, Safety And Manufacturing Data For Its Arcelis™ HIV Program In Clinical Immunology
Posted: March 7th, 2010, 2:00am CST
Argos Therapeutics announced the publication of a manuscript in the February edition of Clinical Immunology, detailing positive immune response, safety and manufacturing data for its AGS-004 immunotherapy for HIV... -
UNITAID Statement On Launch Of MASSIVEGOOD
Posted: March 7th, 2010, 2:00am CST
UNITAID welcomes the announcement today of the MASSIVEGOOD initiative, established to provide additional funding for UNITAID's work in expanding access to treatment for HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis... -
Study Finds Pfizer's Pneumonia, Meningitis Vaccine Protects Against Recurrent Pneumonia In HIV Patients
Posted: March 5th, 2010, 8:00am CST
Pfizer's Prevnar 7 vaccine, which protects against pneumonia and meningitis, has been shown to reduce the risk of recurrent pneumococcal infection in patients living with HIV in Malawi, according to a study published Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine, Reuters reports... -
Also In Global Health News: HIV In Philippines; Birth Control, Child Health In Afghanistan; Guatemala's Progress On MDGs
Posted: March 5th, 2010, 8:00am CST
Philippines' Health Secretary Seeks To Boost Condom Distribution After Increase In HIV Diagnoses The Philippines' Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral on Thursday announced she would seek additional public funds to support the distribution of condoms among high-risk groups, after the country recorded 143 new cases of HIV in January - its highest number of diagnoses i... -
Prestigious Thomas Parran Award Won By Dr. Hunter Handsfield For 'Long And Distinguished' Contributions To STD Prevention
Posted: March 5th, 2010, 4:00am CST
University of Washington's Dr. H. Hunter Handsfield, a long-time trailblazer in sexually transmitted diseases (STD) research, will receive the nation's highest honor in the STD field during the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 2010 National STD Prevention Conference in Atlanta, March 8-11. Handsfield is the 2010 recipient of the Thomas Parran Award, named for Dr. Thomas Parran, Jr... -
Pneumococcal Vaccine Offers Protection To HIV-infected African Adults In Clinical Trial
Posted: March 5th, 2010, 2:00am CST
A clinical trial of a vaccine against a major cause of pneumonia and meningitis has shown that it can prevent three out of four cases of re-infection in HIV-infected adults in Africa. The trials, conducted in Malawi and funded by the Wellcome Trust, studied the efficacy of a vaccine against infection with the Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria... -
UNAIDS Launches Plan To Address Gender Equality, HIV/AIDS
Posted: March 4th, 2010, 8:00am CST
UNAIDS on Tuesday launched a five-year initiative to help tackle gender inequalities and human rights violations that increase the vulnerability of women worldwide to HIV/AIDS, BBC reports (3/3)... -
Meeting Addresses How To Improve HIV/AIDS Surveillance In Asia
Posted: March 4th, 2010, 8:00am CST
A five-day workshop that opened Monday in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, will address ways to improve HIV/AIDS surveillance in the Asia region, Viet Nam News reports. The workshop has brought together "surveillance technical staff from government departments, non-governmental organisations and U.S... -
Also In Global Health News: U.S. Ambassador To U.N.; Male Circumcision; River Blindness In Ecuador; Nursing Shortage In Caribbean; Maternal Health
Posted: March 4th, 2010, 8:00am CST
U.S. Ambassador To U.N. In Geneva Assumes Position, Ending 13 Month Vacancy Betty King reported to her new position as U.S. ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva on Wednesday, the Associated Press reports. "Washington's Geneva mission had been without an ambassador since Warren W. Tichenor left his post on Jan... -
Mosaic Vaccines Show Promise In Reducing The Spread Of HIV
Posted: March 4th, 2010, 8:00am CST
Two teams of researchers - including Los Alamos National Laboratory theoretical biologists Bette Korber, Will Fischer, Sydeaka Watson, and James Szinger - have announced an HIV vaccination strategy that has been shown to expand the breadth and depth of immune responses in rhesus monkeys. Rhesus monkeys provide the best animal model currently available for testing HIV vaccines... -
25th Anniversary Of Anti-AIDS Drugs
Posted: March 4th, 2010, 6:00am CST
Elsevier, the world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, released a special issue of the journal Antiviral Research, marking the 25th anniversary of antiretroviral drug development. The guest editors, José Esté from Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Barcelona, Spain and Tomas Cihlar, from Gilead sciences Inc... -
State Roundup: Mass. Hospital Controversy, Iowa And Utah Consider Coverage Expansions
Posted: March 3rd, 2010, 8:00am CST
The Boston Globe: "The state appealed to the federal government yesterday to help Massachusetts hospitals that care for disproportionately high numbers of lower-income patients who receive state-sponsored health insurance... -
HIV, NCDs Impact Achievement Of MDGs, Study Says
Posted: March 3rd, 2010, 8:00am CST
Unequal progress in achieving U.N. Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for tuberculosis and child mortality in low-income countries is related to the countries' burdens of HIV and non-communicable diseases (NCD), according to a study published Tuesday in the journal PLoS Medicine, Reuters reports (Kelland, 3/2)... -
Also In Global Health News: Potential Roundworm Treatment; Opposition To Uganda's Anti-Gay Bill; Low-Cost Toilets; ARV Treatment During Emergencies
Posted: March 3rd, 2010, 8:00am CST
Bacterial Protein Kills Intestinal Roundworms In Mice, Could Lead To Human Treatment Researchers have discovered that a "bacterial protein used in a common pesticide kills intestinal parasitic roundworms in mice," which may pave a way for treatment in humans, Nature News reports (Fang, 3/2)... -
UNAIDS Takes Action To Empower Women And Girls To Protect Themselves From HIV
Posted: March 3rd, 2010, 4:00am CST
UNAIDS, together with celebrated artist and activist for women and HIV, Annie Lennox, has launched an Agenda for Accelerated Country Action for Women, Girls, Gender Equality and HIV (2010 - 2014), which has been developed to address gender inequalities and human rights violations that continue to put women and girls at risk of HIV infection... -
Joint Chiefs Chair Visits Haiti To Examine Aid Response
Posted: March 2nd, 2010, 5:00am CST
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Mike Mullen, who is President Barack Obama's top military adviser, visited Haiti over the weekend to examine relief and rebuilding efforts and meet with local leaders, Agence France-Presse reports. It was his first visit to the country after the earthquake, according to AFP... -
Study Finds Most HIV Prevention, Treatment, Care Efforts Overlook IDUs
Posted: March 2nd, 2010, 4:00am CST
A systematic review of HIV prevention, treatment and care for injecting drug users (IDUs) throughout the world, published Monday in the journal Lancet, found that international efforts to fight the disease are largely overlooking this population, the Australian Associated Press/Sydney Morning Herald reports (Rose, 3/1)... -
News Outlets Examine Development Of Low-Cost Diagnostic Tool, Infectious Disease Surveillance
Posted: March 1st, 2010, 4:00am CST
CNN examines the work of a Harvard University chemistry professor to "shrink a medical laboratory onto a piece of paper that's the size of a fingerprint and costs about a penny." According to George Whitesides, who created a prototype of the inexpensive paper "chip," the technology could be used to diagnose such diseases as HIV, malaria and tuberculosis in developing countries... -
Health Policy Research Roundup: Length Of Hospital Stays, Analyses Of Obama's Reform Proposals
Posted: March 1st, 2010, 3:00am CST
Archives Of Internal Medicine: Hospital Cost Of Care, Quality Of Care, And Readmission Rates - This study compares patients treated for pneumonia and congestive heart failure (CHF) and finds that high-cost hospitals don't always deliver better care... -
Also In Global Health News: Rwandan Nurses; AIDS 2010; Uzbek AIDS Advocate; Child Mortality In Mozambique; Meningitis Belt
Posted: March 1st, 2010, 3:00am CST
Rwandan Nurses To Give ART To Expedite Delivery Rwanda's Ministry of Health will soon give nurses the authority to give antiretroviral therapy (ART) to HIV-positive patients, IRIN reports...