Helping Our Own Destiny -- a not-for-profit group in Fresno, Calif. -- this month is launching a new HIV/AIDS awareness campaign aimed at black teenagers, the Fresno Bee reports. For the campaign's launch on Feb. 28, the group plans to host a conference for about 500 students at a local high school.
The conference will feature speakers, workshops and a dance party afterward.
Participating teenagers also will have the opportunity to enroll in a database Helping Our Own Destiny plans to use to keep track of the teens.
In Fresno County, about 6% of the population is black. Blacks in the county make up 20% of AIDS cases and 14% of HIV cases, according to Jena Adams, a communicable-disease specialist with the county Department of Health.
Paul Copeland, president and founder of Helping Our Own Destiny, said, "Our objective is to take a proactive approach toward getting the information out there. Right now, they leave brochures, but students don't respond." He added, "There's still a stigma that [HIV/AIDS is] a gay issue. In the black community, there's a lot of stigmas. We know there's kids being affected" (Colon, Fresno Bee, 2/19).
Saturday, February 28, 2009
South Carolina ADAP gets a boost
The South Carolina House Ways and Means Committee on Thursday approved a proposed budget plan that would use federal stimulus funding to continue HIV/AIDS services and other health programs, the AP/Columbia State reports. The $5.6 billion budget would restore some funding that was cut in July 2008 to health care, schools and colleges, according to the AP/State. The budget includes $1 million for an HIV prevention program that funds 39 church-based education initiatives, as well as $2.4 million for South Carolina's AIDS Drug Assistance Program. South Carolina HIV/AIDS Council Executive Director Bambi Gaddist said that she had been "deeply concerned" that the funds would be eliminated. "We're elated about their incorporation," she said, adding, "We've got to have $2.4 million just to keep a lid on the epidemic. You want [HIV-positive people] to be well, working and contributing to the economy, not sick and dependent on Medicaid."
The budget plan, which health officials said would prevent more service cuts, now goes to the full House for consideration. "This is not what we'd like to have, but it's the best we can do in the circumstances," House Ways and Means Chair Dan Cooper (R) said, adding, "We're not planning to raise taxes" (Adcox, AP/Columbia State, 2/20).
For a quick link to ADAP information by state, please visit: AIDS-drugs-online.com
The budget plan, which health officials said would prevent more service cuts, now goes to the full House for consideration. "This is not what we'd like to have, but it's the best we can do in the circumstances," House Ways and Means Chair Dan Cooper (R) said, adding, "We're not planning to raise taxes" (Adcox, AP/Columbia State, 2/20).
For a quick link to ADAP information by state, please visit: AIDS-drugs-online.com
HIV/AIDS Funding Cuts in Connecticut
The Connecticut AIDS Resource Coalition on Friday held a press conference to protest a proposed $2.7 million cut to state programs that provide HIV/AIDS services, the New Haven Register reports. Gov. M. Jodi Rell's (R) budget proposal for fiscal years 2009-2011 would allocate $4.95 million annually over the next two years to HIV/AIDS services, a 40% decrease from FY 2008-2009 funding levels. Jeffrey Beckham, spokesperson for the state Office of Policy and Management, said the proposed cuts would reverse an additional $2.51 million in FY 2007-2008 and $3.09 million in FY 2008-2009 in state HIV/AIDS funding following a $3.3 million reduction in federal Ryan White CARE Act funding.
Beckham said, "We're more or less at a constant base amount for this AIDS services account for the last several years," adding the proposal brings HIV/AIDS funding back to traditional levels. Leif Mitchell, co-chair of CARC's AIDS Legislative Initiative and Funding Effort, said that a 40% reduction in funding is "absolutely unacceptable," adding that HIV advocates in the state had said they were "willing to suffer a 10% cut." Christopher Cole, executive director of AIDS Project New Haven, said the agency could lose about 6% of its budget, or $66,000, that will affect transportation, mental health and substance abuse programs for HIV-positive people.
According to CARC, about 10,860 people are living with AIDS in the state. In addition, there are more AIDS cases among injection drug users in Connecticut than in any other state, the Register reports (Stannard, New Haven Register, 2/21).
When HIV Funding services are cut and alternative treatment methods are required, please visit www.aids-drugs-online.com for other treatment options.
Beckham said, "We're more or less at a constant base amount for this AIDS services account for the last several years," adding the proposal brings HIV/AIDS funding back to traditional levels. Leif Mitchell, co-chair of CARC's AIDS Legislative Initiative and Funding Effort, said that a 40% reduction in funding is "absolutely unacceptable," adding that HIV advocates in the state had said they were "willing to suffer a 10% cut." Christopher Cole, executive director of AIDS Project New Haven, said the agency could lose about 6% of its budget, or $66,000, that will affect transportation, mental health and substance abuse programs for HIV-positive people.
According to CARC, about 10,860 people are living with AIDS in the state. In addition, there are more AIDS cases among injection drug users in Connecticut than in any other state, the Register reports (Stannard, New Haven Register, 2/21).
When HIV Funding services are cut and alternative treatment methods are required, please visit www.aids-drugs-online.com for other treatment options.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Higher Mortality Seen Among HIV-Positive People Who Miss Clinic Appointments
People living with HIV who do not go to scheduled clinical appointments during their first year of treatment are more likely to die over the long term than people with perfect attendance, according to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Alabama-Birmingham and recently published in Clinical Infectious Diseases, Reuters reports. The study involved 543 HIV-positive people who began outpatient care between 2000 and 2005, of whom 60% missed scheduled office visits during the first year. After controlling for initial immune system function and drug therapy during the first year of care, the study found that the mortality rate for people who missed visits in the first year was 2.3 deaths per 100 people annually, compared with one death per 100 people annually for those who attended all scheduled visits. A similar increased risk of death occurred whether people missed only one or two or more visits.
Michael Mugavero, lead study author, said that missed visits shortly after beginning outpatient care can give providers a "marker indentifying patients at higher risk for poor clinical outcomes -- patients who may require closer monitoring." He also said the "extrapolation of our findings to the general population level has profound public health implications," particularly when considering the number of annual new HIV infections in the U.S. (Douglas, Reuters, 2/11).
Michael Mugavero, lead study author, said that missed visits shortly after beginning outpatient care can give providers a "marker indentifying patients at higher risk for poor clinical outcomes -- patients who may require closer monitoring." He also said the "extrapolation of our findings to the general population level has profound public health implications," particularly when considering the number of annual new HIV infections in the U.S. (Douglas, Reuters, 2/11).
Chicago Hospital Continues Program Offering No-Cost HIV Tests
Advocate Trinity Hospital in Chicago will continue a program offering no-cost oral HIV tests to patients waiting to be seen in its emergency department, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. The hospital launched the program in May 2008 with a $150,000 grant from CDC and received an additional $180,000 this year to continue the program.
According to the Sun-Times, Trinity offers the program to all ED patients between ages 14 and 64. Of the patients offered the test, less than 20% decline to take it, Donna Sinclair, HIV coordinator for the hospital's ED, said. Health workers administer the tests in a private area, and patients receive results in about 20 minutes. More than 5,000 people have taken the no-cost tests since the program's launch. However, data on the number of positive test results are not available, the Sun-Times reports.
According to the Sun-Times, Trinity's efforts are part of an "unusual program" aimed at encouraging more people to take HIV tests. "We don't wait for patients to come to us," Sinclair said, adding that Trinity's "health educators go to each patient awaiting treatment and provide them with a wealth of information -- everything from how the virus is spread, to who is at risk, to what they need to know about the test." According to Andrea Poicus, Trinity spokesperson, the hospital received funding for the program because it is located in an area with a high HIV prevalence. In addition, most of Trinity's patients are black, which is a group that has been disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS, the Sun-Times reports (Thomas, Chicago Sun-Times, 2/13).
According to the Sun-Times, Trinity offers the program to all ED patients between ages 14 and 64. Of the patients offered the test, less than 20% decline to take it, Donna Sinclair, HIV coordinator for the hospital's ED, said. Health workers administer the tests in a private area, and patients receive results in about 20 minutes. More than 5,000 people have taken the no-cost tests since the program's launch. However, data on the number of positive test results are not available, the Sun-Times reports.
According to the Sun-Times, Trinity's efforts are part of an "unusual program" aimed at encouraging more people to take HIV tests. "We don't wait for patients to come to us," Sinclair said, adding that Trinity's "health educators go to each patient awaiting treatment and provide them with a wealth of information -- everything from how the virus is spread, to who is at risk, to what they need to know about the test." According to Andrea Poicus, Trinity spokesperson, the hospital received funding for the program because it is located in an area with a high HIV prevalence. In addition, most of Trinity's patients are black, which is a group that has been disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS, the Sun-Times reports (Thomas, Chicago Sun-Times, 2/13).
Latin America Media Companies Announce HIV/AIDS Partnership
"Iniciativa de Medios Latinoamericanos Sobre el SIDA," Global Media AIDS Initiative/Kaiser Family Foundation: Executives from leading media companies in Latin America recently announced the Iniciativa de Medios Latinoamericanos Sobre el SIDA, or IMLAS -- the first Latin American HIV/AIDS media partnership. The announcement follows a meeting last month held in conjunction with the National Association of Television Program Executives Conference. IMLAS was organized in response to the Global Media AIDS Initiative -- a United Nations-supported effort launched in 2004 by the Kaiser Family Foundation together with UNAIDS to mobilize media around the world in response to the pandemic. The new partnership promotes collaboration and leverages resources among media across the region to increase knowledge and reduce stigma (GMAI/Kaiser Family Foundation release, 2/18).
GSK Announces Plan To Reduce Drug Prices in Developing Countries
GlaxoSmithKline CEO Andrew Witty on Friday announced a plan to reduce the prices of several of its patented medications in 50 of the lowest-income countries worldwide and invest 20% of its profits from low-income countries into health clinics and other infrastructure, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Under the plan, GSK will reduce the price of its patented medications for some diseases -- including asthma, hepatitis B and malaria -- to no more than 25% of the price of such medications in developed countries. According to a GSK spokesperson, GSK's antiretroviral drugs already are sold at reduced prices in developing countries; however, the cost of such drugs will be reduced further if they currently are priced higher than 25% of the price in developed countries (Whalen, Wall Street Journal, 2/14). The plan also would make GSK's drugs more affordable in middle-income countries such as Brazil and India. In addition, GSK will invite scientists from other companies, nongovernmental organizations and governments to conduct research on treatments for tropical diseases at its facility in Tres Cantos, Spain (Boseley, Guardian, 2/14).
Witty also proposed the creation of a voluntary patent pool to fuel development of new treatments for neglected diseases and said that GSK would contribute its patents that could lead to the development of new treatments for malaria, tuberculosis and other diseases. He called on other pharmaceutical companies to make patents available to third-party researchers working on treatments for neglected diseases. According to Reuters, GSK did not include its HIV/AIDS research in the patent pool. Witty said the intent of the patent pool is to focus on diseases that do not have treatments and that other efforts are addressing the need for antiretrovirals (Richwine, Reuters, 2/13).
Witty in an interview before the announcement said the price reductions and investments in infrastructure would not cost much for the company. According to the Journal, GSK's total sales in the lowest-income countries are about $43 million annually. Witty said that 20% of the company's profits from developing countries likely would be about $1.4 million to $2.8 million per year (Wall Street Journal, 2/14).
Under the plan, GSK will reduce the price of its patented medications for some diseases -- including asthma, hepatitis B and malaria -- to no more than 25% of the price of such medications in developed countries. According to a GSK spokesperson, GSK's antiretroviral drugs already are sold at reduced prices in developing countries; however, the cost of such drugs will be reduced further if they currently are priced higher than 25% of the price in developed countries (Whalen, Wall Street Journal, 2/14). The plan also would make GSK's drugs more affordable in middle-income countries such as Brazil and India. In addition, GSK will invite scientists from other companies, nongovernmental organizations and governments to conduct research on treatments for tropical diseases at its facility in Tres Cantos, Spain (Boseley, Guardian, 2/14).
Witty also proposed the creation of a voluntary patent pool to fuel development of new treatments for neglected diseases and said that GSK would contribute its patents that could lead to the development of new treatments for malaria, tuberculosis and other diseases. He called on other pharmaceutical companies to make patents available to third-party researchers working on treatments for neglected diseases. According to Reuters, GSK did not include its HIV/AIDS research in the patent pool. Witty said the intent of the patent pool is to focus on diseases that do not have treatments and that other efforts are addressing the need for antiretrovirals (Richwine, Reuters, 2/13).
Witty in an interview before the announcement said the price reductions and investments in infrastructure would not cost much for the company. According to the Journal, GSK's total sales in the lowest-income countries are about $43 million annually. Witty said that 20% of the company's profits from developing countries likely would be about $1.4 million to $2.8 million per year (Wall Street Journal, 2/14).
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