2002

AIDS Foundation Closed Because of Money Problems Burglarized: Associated Press (12.31.02) - Tuesday, December 31, 2002; The Coastal Bend AIDS Foundation, which was forced to stop serving its 400-plus clients in Corpus Christi, Texas, because of a funding shortfall, has been burglarized. CBAF was forced to close after it could no longer pay the bills and care for clients - problems stemming from an ongoing dispute over a $300,000 contrac
Fighting AIDS: Indianapolis Star (12.26.02) - Tuesday, December 31, 2002; The Indiana AIDS Fund has awarded $117,000 in grants to five Indianapolis social service organizations. Damien Center received $44,000 for prevention programming for women of color. Concord Center Association received $10,000 for a program to facilitate risk-reduction behaviors by high-risk clients. The Indiana Youth G
Orphans to Reach Peak in Three Years: Nation (Thailand) (12.28.02) - Tuesday, December 31, 2002; Thailand s national committee on HIV/AIDS said last week that the problem of AIDS orphans is expected to peak in the next three years. Thailand had the highest number of AIDS orphans in Asia in 2001 - approximately 289,000 - and that number is forecast to continue rising, reaching 380,000 in 2005, said committee Chair
Lee Urges United States to Fight Global AIDS Scourge: Oakland Tribune (12.30.02) - Tuesday, December 31, 2002; Lisa Friedman; Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) is leading a charge for a major new US initiative to fight the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. In a letter to President Bush last week, Lee and 31 other members of the Congressional Black Caucus called for $2.5 billion toward global AIDS programs in 2004. In early 2002, the Bush administration mad
In Africa, AIDS Has a Woman's Face: New York Times (12.29.02) - Tuesday, December 31, 2002; Kofi A. Annan; A combination of famine and AIDS is threatening the backbone of Africa - the women who keep African societies going and whose work makes up the economic foundation of rural communities. ... In famines before the AIDS crisis, women proved more resilient than men. ...Because droughts happened once a decade or so, women
Help for Residents with HIV: Boston Globe (12.26.02) - Tuesday, December 31, 2002; John Laidler; Two Gloucester-based nonprofit groups, Action Inc. and North Shore AIDS Health Project, have joined forces to provide affordable housing and other services to low-income Essex County, Mass., residents with HIV/AIDS. The project, funded in part by a US Department of Housing and Urban Development $1.3 million grant to Ac
St. Mary's/Duluth Clinic Doctor Has Tuberculosis: Duluth News Tribune (12.28.02) - Tuesday, December 31, 2002; Melanie Evans; A St. Mary s/Duluth Clinic doctor diagnosed with tuberculosis may have exposed patients and health care workers to the disease, Minnesota health officials said Friday. The doctor s name was not released. Patients hospitalized at two hospitals in Duluth, Minn. - St. Mary s and Miller-Dwan - between Nov. 1 and Dec. 3 may
Effect of a Clinical Practice Improvement Intervention on Chlamydial Screening Among Adolescent Girls: Journal of the American Medical Association (12.11.02) Vol. 288: P. 2846-2852 - Tuesday, December 31, 2002; Mary-Ann B. Shafer, MD; Kathleen P. Tebb, PhD; Robert H. Pantell, MD; Charles J. Wibbelsman, MD; John M. Neuhaus, PhD; Ann C. Tipton, MD; Sharon Brown Kunin, MS; Timothy H. Ko, DrPH, MPH; David M. Schweppe, MPH; David A. Bergman, MD; Chlamydia trachomatis is the most commonly reported bacterial STD in the United States . Three million to four million cases occur annually, disproportionately among adolescent girls. The disease is asymptomatic in more than 75 percent of cases, and an untreated infection may lead to severe reproductive morbidity. Chla
Chlamydia Eyed for Hit List: New Zealand Herald (12.26.02) - Tuesday, December 31, 2002; Bridget Carter; As part of a major review of New Zealand s Health Act, health officials hope to reclassify chlamydia, one of the country s most common STDs, as a notifiable infection. If they succeed, people diagnosed with chlamydia would, by law, have to identify recent partners who would be contacted, and doctors would have to repor
As Rates Decline, TB Doctors Worry About Being a 'Victim of Success': Associated Press (12.30.02) - Tuesday, December 31, 2002; Daniel Yee; Tuberculosis cases are declining in Georgia, falling 17 percent between 2000 and 2001, according to a report released earlier this month by Georgia s Division of Public Health. There were 575 cases in 2001 and 696 cases in 2000. Despite the decrease, health groups worry that the state s TB programs will deteriorate as
FDA Inspection Finds Safety Lapses in Nation's Blood Supply: USA Today (12.31.02) - Tuesday, December 31, 2002; Rita Rubin; The American Red Cross failed to investigate 134 cases of patients diagnosed with hepatitis after receiving blood it distributed, according to a 45-page report released Dec. 20 by the Food and Drug Administration. After a months-long investigation, the FDA found more than 200 violations of its laws and regulations.
HIV Captured on Film in Earliest Stages: United Press International (12.12.02) - Monday, December 30, 2002; Ellen Beck; University of Illinois-Chicago researchers have captured for the first time the very earliest stages of HIV infection in living cells. Using protein dyes from jellyfish and time- elapsed microscopy, they saw color images of individual HIV particles traveling to the nucleus of a human cell and beginning the takeover of
Singapore to Give Out Condoms to Male Travelers: AIDS Weekly (12.23.02) - Monday, December 30, 2002; Singapore plans to distribute HIV prevention packs containing condoms to male travelers heading to what it deems high-risk destinations, the Straits Times reported. The Health Promotion Board will distribute the packs, which will also contain information on the dangers of casual sex, through local travel agents. The
Citing Bias, Parent Files Complaint over Sex Education Program: Contra Costa Times (12.25.02) - Monday, December 30, 2002; Suzanne Pardington; A Concord, Calif. mother has called for the end of a sex education program promoting abstinence, saying it gives students biased and graphic information about abortions. Renee Walker wrote a letter of complaint to the Mt. Diablo district and the state superintendent after discovering the eight-day CryBabies curriculum
Primary HIV-1 Infection in African Children Infected Through Breastfeeding: AIDS (11.22.02) Vol. 16: P. 2303-2309 - Monday, December 30, 2002; François Rouet; Narcisse Elenga; Philippe Msellati; Crépin Montcho; Ida Viho; Charlotte Sakarovitch; Christine Danel; Christine Rouzioux; Valériane Leroy; François Dabis, for the ANRS 049 Abidjan DITRAME Study Group; Little is known about primary HIV infection (PHI) in children. In industrialized countries, infants are infected in utero or perinatally, making it difficult to assess the clinical picture of an acute illness associated with HIV seroconversion. However, in sub-Saharan Africa, where more than 90 percent of infected chil
Hong Kong Experts Help Tackle Mainland China's Growing HIV/AIDS Problem: Lancet (12.14.02) - Monday, December 30, 2002; Mary Ann Benitez; Hong Kong s HIV/AIDS groups are gearing up to help mainland China tackle its AIDS epidemic. Next April, Hong Kong s methadone treatment for HIV-positive intravenous drug users will be discussed at a UNAIDS training workshop for experts in the mainland, Ind
African AIDS Pills Hit Black Market: Washington Times (12.30.02) - Monday, December 30, 2002; Rajeev Syal, London Sunday Telegraph; Medicines provided cheaply to treat AIDS patients in Africa are being smuggled back to Britain and sold on the black market, and British police believe African officials are making tens of millions of dollars a year on the drugs. British investigators have smashed a smuggling ring in Senegal , West Africa, where a g
Iranian Doctors Ordered Not to Turn Away AIDS Patients: Agence France Presse (12.30.02) - Monday, December 30, 2002; Doctors in Iran have received a health ministry directive not to turn away patients with HIV/AIDS as part of a new effort to control the spread of the disease, medical workers said Monday. Doctors consulted by people with HIV or AIDS-related illnesses have been ordered to catalog the cases and provide immediate treatme
Comedy Show Tackles Risky Subject Matter: Baltimore Sun (12.22.02) - Monday, December 30, 2002; David Zurawik; On the same early December day that Baltimore Mayor Martin O Malley declared a state of emergency in the battle against HIV/AIDS, a group of Hollywood writers and producers finalized a script for One on One, a prime-time television show set in Baltimore, that will treat the HIV/AIDS crisis as an integral fact of life.
Arkansas Sees Drop in Teen Birthrate: Associated Press (12.29.02) - Monday, December 30, 2002; The teen birthrate in Arkansas has reached its lowest level in more than 33 years, but the majority of Arkansas teens say they are sexually active. About 33 out of every 1,000 Arkansas 15- to 17-year-old girls gave birth during 2001, a 10 percent drop from 2000, according to new data from CDC. During the past decade, t
A Dark Christmas for AIDS Patients in South Africa: Times of India (12.25.02) - Friday, December 27, 2002; In South Africa , the National Association of People Living with AIDS declared the holiday season Black Christmas to highlight the plight of nearly 5 million South Africans living with the disease. We have a lot of people who are suffering from the disease but yet most of them cannot obtain antiretroviral drugs, said
Scouts to Get Free Condoms at International Jamboree: Associated Press (12.23.02) - Friday, December 27, 2002; Scouts attending the 20th World Scout Jamboree in Thailand will be provided with free condoms on request, Dr. Pipat Yingseri of the Public Health Ministry said Tuesday. Yingseri said condoms would be supplied at the event because reports of participants engaging in sex had emerged from past scout gatherings. About 20,0
New California Law to Require Referrals to HIV Specialists: Reuters Health (12.26.02) - Friday, December 27, 2002; A California law requiring HMOs to refer HIV-infected patients to AIDS specialists is slated to take effect in mid- January. Gov. Gray Davis signed the legislation in September 2000, but its implementation was delayed as the state and California physicians worked to craft a definition of what constitutes an HIV/AIDS sp
First Healthcare Center Targeted to Injection Drug Users Opens in New York: TB & Outbreaks Week (12.24.02) - Friday, December 27, 2002; Positive Health Project, a New York syringe exchange program, and Diversified Health Systems Management Inc. recently announced the opening of Positive Health Care, the nation s first comprehensive health care center targeting high-risk clients, including current and former injection drug users. Although New York City
Syphilis Outbreak in Los Angeles County Leads to Calls for More Testing: Associated Press (12.27.02) - Friday, December 27, 2002; In Los Angeles, a 62 percent increase in syphilis cases reported by gay men countywide has prompted health advocates to call for more outreach and testing programs. The increase represents about 360 new cases reported this year. It alarms health advocates because many of the syphilis patients were already diagnosed wit
Recreational Drugs Can Reduce Safety, Efficacy of Antiretroviral Agents: Drug Week (12.20.02) - Friday, December 27, 2002; Michael Greer; Canadian researchers warn that illicit drugs can trigger potentially lethal side effects in HIV patients on antiretroviral therapy. Tony Antoniou and colleagues at Toronto General Hospital conducted a study to summarize existing data regarding potential interactions between recreational drugs and drugs commonly used in
Therapeutic AIDS Vaccine Said Promising: Associated Press (12.22.02) - Friday, December 27, 2002; Randolph E. Schmid; An experimental vaccine against simian immunodeficiency virus sharply reduced but did not eliminate the amount of SIV in the blood of test animals. Evidence of SIV in the blood of macaques dropped 50-fold, and its evidence in plasma fell 1,000- fold in a 10-month test, said lead researcher Wei Lu of Rene Descartes Univ
First Safe Injection Site to Open by March: Vancouver Sun (12.18.02) - Friday, December 27, 2002; Frances Bula; Vancouver Mayor Larry Campbell said Canada s first safe injection site for drug addicts will be opened with federal approval in Vancouver by late February or early March. Campbell made the comment after a two-day meeting with Health Canada officials to discuss draft guidelines for what would be the first safe injection
Report: China Plans to Mass-Produce Four AIDS Drugs: Associated Press (12.27.02) - Friday, December 27, 2002; China plans to make four types of low-cost AIDS drugs, the official Xinhua News Agency reported Thursday, citing Health Minister Zhang Wenkang. The news agency did not say which drugs would be made or whether all four would be mass- produced, but it did say the price would be about one-tenth that of imported drugs, w
Catholics to Take on AIDS: Chicago Daily Herald (12.23.02) Teresa Mask - Friday, December 27, 2002; Roman Catholic churches are urging parishioners to respond to the AIDS and poverty crises in Africa. Catholics should also do their part in the United States , Bishop Howard J. Hubbard, episcopal moderator for the National Catholic AIDS Network, said in a letter to US bishops last month. The US Council of Catholic Bish
Non UN-Member Taiwan Makes Donation to Global Fund for AIDS: Agence France Presse (12.17.02) - Thursday, December 26, 2002; Taiwan , a non-member of the UN, has donated EUR1 million (US$1.03 million) to the UN-initiated Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Taiwan s cultural and economic delegation announced in Geneva recently. Through this donation, Taiwan is showing once again its commitment in the area of world health, c
Simpler Therapy Can Help HIV Patients: Washington Times (12.25.02) United Press International - Thursday, December 26, 2002; A new study concludes that HIV patients with cognitive impairment need simpler drug therapies to prevent them from failing to take their medications, which can lead to the development of drug-resistant strains of the virus. A three- times-daily medication regimen, which is often prescribed for HIV patients, caused pati
Bangladeshi Schools to Have Sex Education from 2004: Agence France Presse (12.25.02) - Thursday, December 26, 2002; On Wednesday, the newspaper Bangladesh Today quoted Education Secretary Mohammad Shahidul as saying the nation will introduce sex education in schools beginning in 2004 in the hope of stemming the spread of STDs. With the alarming rise in incidences of sexually transmitted diseases and the emergence of [the] AIDS pande
Two Groups Seek to Direct AIDS Care: Buffalo News (12.22.02) - Thursday, December 26, 2002; Thomas J. Prohaska; Niagara County, N.Y. s AIDS case management program has been cut out of the 2003 county budget. Two agencies - AIDS Community Services of Western New York and Circle of Hope - have expressed interest in taking over the service. The first group is Buffalo- based; the second a subsidiary of Lockport- based Niagara Hospic
A Day Off Becomes a Day of Charity: Baltimore Sun (12.26.02) - Thursday, December 26, 2002; Stephanie Desmon; On Christmas Day, volunteers from Temple Beth El in Baltimore County, Md., packed and delivered meals for Moveable Feast so that regular volunteers could spend Christmas with their families. Moveable Feast, started in one man s kitchen in 1989, is a nonprofit outreach group that provides meals and groceries for 600 poo
Tenofovir Potent Anti-Hepatitis B Treatment for HIV-Coinfected Patients: Reuters Health (12.16.02) - Thursday, December 26, 2002; The nucleotide analog tenofovir disoproxil fumarate exhibited potent activity against chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in patients coinfected with HIV in a prospective pilot study reported by physicians at the Washington University School of Medicine. Dr. Pablo Tebas and colleagues report on results in six suc
Public Health Impact of Targeted Tuberculosis Screening in Public Schools: American Journal of Public Health (12.02) No. 12; Vol. 92: P. 1942-1945 - Thursday, December 26, 2002; Soju Chang, MD, MPH; Lani S.M. Wheeler, MD, FAAP; and Katharine P. Farrell, MD, MPH; People born where TB is prevalent are at higher risk of contracting the disease. In Anne Arundel County, Md., where only 3 percent of the population is foreign-born, foreign-born persons comprised 40 percent of active TB cases in 1998. In 1987, two foreign-born students in the Anne Arundel County public school system c
Oprah Winfrey Moved to Expose the Plight of AIDS Victims in Africa: Associated Press (12.21.02) - Thursday, December 26, 2002; Oprah Winfrey, who has been traveling in South Africa for the last three weeks, vowed to use her name to help humanize the AIDS pandemic ravaging sub-Saharan Africa. Cuddling children who had lost parents to the disease, Winfrey said in a Saturday Star interview that she feels a higher calling to raise international a
TV Teaches Teenagers About Sex - Media Project Teaches TV: Associated Press (12.20.02) - Thursday, December 26, 2002; Lynn Elber; Without a direct hand in creating or writing any TV series, the Media Project, a nonprofit advisory group, has helped shape the media s handling of sexual topics - particularly those concerning teenagers. Media Project Director Robin Smalley said like it or not, Hollywood serves as a sex education counselor for many yo
AIDS Group Seeks Rejection of Money: Seattle Times (12.23.02) - Thursday, December 26, 2002; Warren King; Washington state s Governor s Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS has written a letter asking Gov. Gary Locke to reject federal money for educational programs that emphasize abstinence as the only prevention for STDs and pregnancy. Such programs do not give students complete information that they need to help them make respon
Sex Education Program Becomes Tongue-Tied: Reuters Health (12.20.02) - Monday, December 23, 2002; Teachers in Texas Leander Independent School District want to be able to answer students questions about the risks of oral and anal sex but they dare not speak the words in the classroom because of parental objections. Educators became concerned after students submitted anonymous questions to their health teachers aski
Unsafe Sex on the Rise: Australian (12.11.02) - Monday, December 23, 2002; Misha Schubert; Sexually transmitted infections in Australia have doubled in five years as young people ignore calls for them to abstain or practice safer sex, according to Sexual Health and Family Planning Australia. A lot of young people who become sexually active are often under the wrong impression that if they have the same partn
Tanzania Urges Clear Vision on Fighting AIDS: Xinhua News Agency (12.16.02) - Monday, December 23, 2002; While officially opening the 2nd National Mutisectoral AIDS conference in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania , Vice President Ali Mohammed Shein criticized some regions for not making progress on reducing the number of HIV/AIDS patients under the circumstances of fast development of medical knowledge, technology and skills. He sa
Sweden Donates Child-Protection Fund to South Nigeria: Xinhua News Agency (12.12.02) - Monday, December 23, 2002; The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency has decided to donate $900,000 to UNICEF s model youth resource learning center in southern Nigeria . Birgitta Alani, Swedish Ambassador to Nigeria, has said the project is part of Sweden s decision to support ongoing efforts in West Africa, and especially in Nig
Singing Group United in Voices, Spirit: Dallas Morning News (12.20.02) - Monday, December 23, 2002; Frank Trejo; At the Turtle Creek Chorale s annual holiday concert in Dallas, Texas, 138 poinsettias decorated the stage. The plants honor each member the group has lost to HIV/AIDS since 1986, when the tradition began. Founded in 1980, Turtle Creek Chorale has become one of the foremost male choral groups in the country. It has mor
Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Report Shows Condoms Provide Inadequate Risk Reduction for STDs: Virus Weekly (12.17.02) - Monday, December 23, 2002; A new scientific report, Sex, Condoms, and STDs: What We Now Know, released by the Medical Institute for Sexual Health, reveals that condoms, even when used 100 percent of the time, fail to reduce the risks of some of the most common STDs to an acceptable level. The report reviewed findings of all significant research
Willingness to Participate and Enroll in a Phase 3 Preventive HIV-1 Vaccine Trial: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (12.15.02) Vol. 31, No. 5, P. 521-528; Jacqueline M. O'Connell; Robert S. Hogg; Keith Chan; Steffanie A. Strathdee; Nancy McLean; Steve L. Martindale; Brian Willoughby; Robert Remis - Monday, December 23, 2002; Characterizing high-risk populations who are willing to participate (WTP) in HIV vaccine trials is important for assessing the feasibility of large-scale efficacy trials. This study examined WTP in an HIV vaccine trial among participants in an ongoing prospective study of HIV incidence and risk behaviors among young ga
A Way to Foster Employee Health: Los Angeles Times (12.20.02) - Monday, December 23, 2002; Solomon Moore; A UN report released last month names sub-Saharan Africa as the focal point of the pandemic. Stephen Lewis, UN special envoy for HIV/AIDS for Africa, said the disease has devastated the area s agricultural sector and driven a severe food shortage. Businesses suffer from increased absenteeism and rising recruitment and
A Haitian Doctor's Success in the Fight Against Disease: New York Times (12.22.02) - Monday, December 23, 2002; David Gonzalez; Hope is an elusive commodity in Haiti . But Dr. Jean W. Pape has managed to slow the HIV/AIDS epidemic, by nimbly adapting his medical techniques to the country s political upheaval, withering poverty and crumbling infrastructure. Pape has been so successful that Haiti is the first country in the Western Hemisphere to
FDA Faults Red Cross' Handling of Blood Supply: Los Angeles Times (12.21.02) - Monday, December 23, 2002; Charles Ornstein; Megan Garvey; US Food and Drug Administration regulators on Friday disclosed widespread problems with the screening, storage and distribution of blood by the American Red Cross, calling into question the safety of the nation s blood supply. The FDA cited more than 200 safety violations and deficiencies in its preliminary inspection
U.S. Eases Drug-Patent Rules: Wall Street Journal (12.23.02) - Monday, December 23, 2002; Michael M. Phillips; The Bush administration scrambled to undo the public relations damage caused when it blocked an international agreement to allow developing countries easier access to generic versions of prescription drugs to combat AIDS, malaria, cholera and other infectious diseases. Just hours after World Trade Organization talks in
Mandela Song to Highlight AIDS Benefit Concert: New York Times (12.19.02) - Friday, December 20, 2002; Reuters; Nelson Mandela will be just another prison number again when he hosts an HIV/AIDS benefit concert on Robben Island, South Africa , where he spent 18 of his 27 years in apartheid jails. The Feb. 2 concert - featuring U2 s Bono, Shaggy, Queen, and Macy Gray - will be held within the walls of the island prison, which is n
Hollywood Actor Richard Gere Organizes Celebrity Fundraiser to Fight AIDS in India: Associated Press (12.20.02) - Friday, December 20, 2002; Hollywood actor Richard Gere was in Bombay Friday to host a carnival with actors from India s film industry to raise awareness and funds to help prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission. Gere, who often calls India his second home, has been campaigning against the spread of AIDS in South Asia. Gere s charity also suppo
310 Bangladeshi Children Have HIV: UNICEF: Agence France Presse (12.18.02) - Friday, December 20, 2002; State of the Children Report 2003, a study released by UNICEF in Dhaka this week, reported that at least 310 Bangladeshi children have HIV, and another 2,100 children have been orphaned by the disease. Earlier this month, Bangladesh released official figures saying that 248 people in the nation have HIV, and 20 have d
AIDS Activists Drop Off Condoms at State Prison: Times Union (Albany, N.Y.) (12.18.02) - Friday, December 20, 2002; Brendan Lyons; In Coxsackie, N.Y., Tuesday, several AIDS activists marched to the gates of Coxsackie Correctional Facility and dropped 2,000 condoms at the feet of corrections officers. New York state prohibits inmates from having condoms, and officials say sex between inmates is illegal. But members of ACT UP-NY claim state official
AIDS Housing Coalition Reorganizes: Houston Voice (12.13.02) - Friday, December 20, 2002; Penny Weaver; The nonprofit AIDS Housing Coalition Houston Inc. has reorganized in its attempts to assist people with HIV/AIDS. Executive Director Matt Locklin said organization volunteers recently elected officers for 2003-2004, and these incoming leaders have decided to direct AHCH resources to a new emergency- based housing initi
Surfactant Protein A Heightens Macrophage Mannose Receptor Activity: TB & Outbreaks Week (12.17.02) - Friday, December 20, 2002; Michael Greer; US researchers have shed new light on the early immune response to M. tuberculosis and other bacterial pathogens. Inhaled particulates and microbes are continually cleared by a complex array of lung innate immune determinants, including alveolar macrophages (AMs), explained Alison A. Beharka and colleagues at the Unive
University of Pittsburgh Findings Illustrate How Kaposi Sarcoma- Associated Herpesvirus Causes Cancer: Cancer Weekly (12.10.02) - Friday, December 20, 2002; Findings by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute illustrate how Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus inhibits the body s immune response and causes cancer cells to grow through a technique called immune evasion. KSHV causes Kaposi Sarcoma, a cancer of the blood vessel cells that often occurs in
Can a Film Romance Persuade Nigerians to Practice Safe Sex?: Wall Street Journal (12.20.02) - Friday, December 20, 2002; Michael M. Phillips; The US government, Western aid agencies and two local filmmakers are trying to deliver an anti-AIDS message by combining Nigerians taste for soap-operatic movies with their flair for copyright piracy. The result: a religiously palatable feature film that they hope will persuade Nigerians to avoid risky sex. In just fou
South African Party Now Says AIDS to Top Its Agenda: Reuters (12.19.02) - Friday, December 20, 2002; Manoah Esipisu; The African National Congress, South Africa s ruling party, put AIDS at the top of its development agenda in a statement delivered at a party conference in the university town of Stellenbosch. The move represents a policy shift after what detractors claim has been years of neglect of the deadly pandemic. President Thab
Young Girls, Older Partners Leads to High STD Risk: Reuters Health (12.18.02) - Friday, December 20, 2002; Alison McCook; New research demonstrates that teenage girls who have older partners are more likely than girls their same age with younger partners to report high-risk behaviors that can lead to STDs. Elin Begley of Emory University in Atlanta found that teens who said they were dating someone at least two years older were half as li
AIDS Group Asks Court to Stop AZT Patent Defense: Reuters (12.19.02) - Friday, December 20, 2002; Doug Macron; The AIDS Healthcare Foundation announced Thursday that it has asked a US federal court to stop British drug company GlaxoSmithKline from defending its patent on AZT . AHF has filed a lawsuit against the company alleging patent fraud and price gouging. The largest provider of AIDS care in the
New AIDS Drug Likely to Fall Short of 2003 Demand: Reuters (12.19.02) - Thursday, December 19, 2002; A new AIDS drug will be available to only about 15,000 patients by the end of 2003. Roche Holding AG, a Swiss healthcare group, said its manufacturing plant in Boulder, Col. has been working to meet the challenges to making the complex drug Fuzeon, but initial yields had been lower and cycle times longer than projected
4 Agencies in the City Get HIV/AIDS Funding: Indianapolis Star (12.19.02) - Thursday, December 19, 2002; The Indiana AIDS Fund awarded $85,000 for 13 agencies across the state to provide emergency housing, transportation, food and/or medical care to people with HIV/AIDS. Four Indianapolis agencies will share the grants. This is the second year the fund has awarded the Gregory R. Powers Direct Emergency Financial Assistanc
Housing Education Grant Awarded to AIDS Legal Referral Panel: Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) (12.12.02) - Thursday, December 19, 2002; Zak Szymanski; The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded a grant to help the AIDS Legal Referral Panel fight illegal housing discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS. The grant, the second ALRP has received from HUD, consists of $68,000 over 18 months. Certainly having one of [the] tightest housing market
13 Airport Workers Test Positive for TB, but May Not Be Infected: Associated Press (12.19.02) - Thursday, December 19, 2002; Thirteen Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport workers have tested positive for TB, and another 28 workers asked to be tested for the disease, Manatee County health officials said. County epidemiologist Dr. James Ogedegbe said Wednesday the 13 positive tests were not alarming given that 299 employees have been teste
Helping Hands Reach Out to Patients with AIDS: Associated Press (12.14.02) - Thursday, December 19, 2002; Dann Denny; When Sierra Launer was in the first grade, she was taking pills five times daily to help manage HIV, with which she was born. She had trouble remembering to take them when I wasn t with her, said Debra Launer, who adopted Sierra as an infant. So when Debra learned of a project called Secret Santa, in which donors anony
HIV Infections Down 24 Percent Since 1999 in West Baltimore: Baltimore Sun (12.19.02) - Thursday, December 19, 2002; Jonathan Bor; State health officials yesterday declared a possible turning point in Maryland s fight against AIDS: The rate of new infections is declining in a wide swath of West Baltimore, the only area in the state where the infection rate had been rising. The three-year decline in an area riddled with poverty, crime and drug abus
Increasing Hepatitis B Vaccination Among Young African- American Men Who Have Sex with Men: Simple Answers and Difficult Solutions: AIDS Patient Care and STDs (11.02) Vol. 16; No. 11: P. 519-524 - Thursday, December 19, 2002; Scott D. Rhodes, PhD, MPH; Kenneth C. Hergenrather, PhD, MRC, MSEd; Leland J. Yee, MPH; Hepatitis B virus infection continues to be one of the most frequently reported preventable diseases in the United States , despite the licensure of a vaccine in 1982. Currently, an estimated 1.25 million individuals are chronically infected with HBV in the United States. HBV can be spread both parenterally and through
Sex Museum Aims to Break Indian Taboo: South China Morning Post (12.17.02) - Thursday, December 19, 2002; Amrit Dhillon; The organizers of India s first sex museum in Mumbai, who also run a clinic for STDs just one floor below, were incredulous at the level of ignorance about sex when they visited local schools. Male teenagers thought babies came out of a woman s stomach, had no clue what a woman s genitals looked like or how reproductio
Older AIDS Caregivers Face Stigma: AllAfrica.com (12.16.02) - Thursday, December 19, 2002; Namibian; Older people who care for their HIV-infected adult children or orphaned grandchildren also face the harsh realities of stigma attached to the disease, according to a World Health Organization study released last week. The Impact of AIDS on Older People in Africa, based on a case study done in
Budget Cuts Threaten AIDS Funding: Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) (12.12.02) - Thursday, December 19, 2002; Joe Dignan; California Gov. Gray Davis office has asked a group of HIV/AIDS service organizations to suggest how to cut $20 million to $40 million out of next year s state AIDS budget, according to Dana Van Gorder, director of state and local affairs for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. Our biggest concern is to protect [the AID
CDC Fact Sheet Not Promoting Condom Use Anymore: Associated Press (12.18.02) - Thursday, December 19, 2002; Laura Meckler; A government fact sheet that long promoted condoms as highly effective in preventing HIV and other STDs now offers a more neutral summary of the pros and cons of condom use, and Congressional Democrats charge that politics are trumping science. They also note that a National Cancer Institute fact sheet now says the evi
World Bank Gives US$12.6 Million to Sri Lanka to Stop Spread of AIDS: Associated Press (12.17.02) - Wednesday, December 18, 2002; The World Bank will provide $12.6 million to Sri Lanka to fight the spread of HIV and reduce the stigma associated with the disease, a bank statement said Wednesday. The island nation of 18.6 million people has a narrow window of opportunity to prevent a nationwide AIDS epidemic, the statement said.
Biotech Company to Slash AIDS Drug Price in Africa: Associated Press (12.18.02) - Wednesday, December 18, 2002; Gilead Sciences announced it will cut the price of its AIDS drug Viread for all of Africa and 15 UN-designated least- developed countries elsewhere. The company will sell the drug at no profit, charging only for production and distribution. Gilead will supply Viread directly to qualified treatmen
Companies Agree to Continue HIV Drug Safety Studies: Reuters Health (12.16.02) - Wednesday, December 18, 2002; Richard Woodman; Pharmaceutical companies have agreed to continue studies for at least another year to assess whether HIV medicines increase the risk of heart disease and other complications, an AIDS specialist said Monday. Last month during an HIV congress in Glasgow, HIV/AIDS groups voiced concerns that manufacturers would stop fundi
HIV Test Offer for All Pregnant Women: Scotsman (Scotland) (12.18.02) - Wednesday, December 18, 2002; John Innes; Under a directive issued by the Scottish Executive, all expectant mothers are to be offered routine screening for HIV. The program is to be in operation by April. At present, only a few health boards offer the screening, which women have the option to refuse. It used to be the case that we could do little for the baby
Community Involvement Could Cut Local AIDS Risk, Study Finds: Commercial Appeal (Memphis, Tenn.) (12.14.02) - Wednesday, December 18, 2002; Mary Powers; Future AIDS prevention efforts need more community, police and church involvement, more accountability and more creative strategies for reaching those at greatest risk of becoming infected, according to recommendations outlined Friday by Dr. Jebose Okwumabua of the University of Memphis. We need to get out of our ivory
Columbus High Staff, Students Tested for TB: Columbus Ledger-Enquirer (12.18.02) - Wednesday, December 18, 2002; Mark Rice; Health workers screened 120 students and staff for tuberculosis at Columbus High School in Columbus, Ga., on Tuesday. The testing took place after the Columbus Health Department notified the school that one of its 1,236 students - a male whose name has not been released - has the communicable disease. Only those st
Isoniazid Safe for Liver Transplant Candidates: Drug Week (12.20.02) - Wednesday, December 18, 2002; Michael Greer; US researchers have reported that the potent antituberculosis agent isoniazid could safely be administered to patients who may undergo liver transplants. Optimal timing of initiation of isoniazid chemoprophylaxis in liver transplant recipients who test positive on the tuberculin skin test has not been defined, accordin
Drug Resistance Doesn't Affect Outcome for Vietnamese Tuberculous Meningitis Patients: AIDS Weekly (12.16.02) - Wednesday, December 18, 2002; Michael Greer; Researchers in Asia and the United Kingdom have found surprising information about the course of tuberculous meningitis in Vietnamese patients. Mycobacterial drug resistance had little effect on the outcome of treatment for infected adults studied by G.W. Thwaites and colleagues at the University of Oxford-Wellcome Tru
More Women Living with HIV/AIDS: Inter Press Service (12.13.02) - Wednesday, December 18, 2002; Abdou Faye; Women in Senegal are finding themselves at the heart of the HIV/AIDS risk pool. In 14 years, the number of women living with HIV/AIDS has almost quadrupled, while the proportion of men having the disease has not even doubled. Recent UNAIDS and World Health Organization reports show that
Association of TB, HIV Linked to Increase in TB Cases in Zimbabwe: Xinhua News Agency (12.16.02) - Wednesday, December 18, 2002; Panganai Dhliwayo, the World Health Organization medical officer in Harare, said Monday the increase in the number of people with TB in Zimbabwe is the result of the association between TB and HIV infection. The number of new TB cases has risen since 1990, and the overwhelming reason for this is the onset of the HIV/AI
US Stance on Abortion and Condom Use Rejected at Population Conference: Associated Press (12.17.02) - Wednesday, December 18, 2002; Vijay Joshi; The United States lost a vote at the end of the UN-sponsored Asian and Pacific Population Conference in Bangkok Tuesday, as Asian Pacific countries rejected the Bush administration s stand against abortion and condom use among adolescents. The conference adopted a plan of action on population policies in a bid to reduc
Combined Vaccine Gets FDA Approval: New York Times (12.17.02) - Tuesday, December 17, 2002; Donald G. McNeil Jr.; A vaccine that protects infants against five diseases has been approved for use in the United States , its manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline , announced yesterday. The new vaccine, Pediarix, could mean as many as six fewer injections in the first year for many babies. It combines vaccines against diphtheria, pertussis (who
One in 10 Russian Prison Inmates Have Tuberculosis: Justice Ministry: Agence France Presse (12.17.02) - Tuesday, December 17, 2002; Some 90,000 Russian prisoners, or one out of every 10, have tuberculosis , the Interfax news agency reported Tuesday, quoting a justice ministry official. Some 30,000 new TB cases are registered each year, Vladimir Yalunin said, adding that 400,000 inmates, or almost half of all 890,000 Russian prisoners, have health p
VaxGen's AIDS Vaccine to Be Reviewed by FDA: New York Times (12.17.02) - Tuesday, December 17, 2002; Reuters; VaxGen Inc. said yesterday that the Food and Drug Administration had agreed to an accelerated review of its experimental AIDS vaccine. VaxGen is testing the vaccine for preventing HIV infection in a pivotal stage, or phase III, trial among 5,400 people in the United States ,
HIV Disclosure Claim Costs Rockland $3,000: Bangor Daily News (12.14.02) - Tuesday, December 17, 2002; Leanne M. Robicheau; In Rockland, Maine, city councilors voted last Wednesday to pay $3,000 to settle a potential lawsuit by a John Doe because a former police officer allegedly disclosed the man s HIV status following his arrest. Doe claimed that after his arrest for driving under the influence of intoxicants in December 2000, the officer
Quiet Care to Close: St. Cloud Times (12.13.02) - Tuesday, December 17, 2002; Kirsti Marohn; Last week in Minnesota, nurses at Stearns County s Quiet Care Clinic tested for HIV for the last time, after offering twice weekly HIV/STD testing for 17 years. The St. Cloud area s only public clinic will test until the end of the year for other STDs, then close permanently. Budget problems are forcing Stearns County
Local AIDS Foundation Runs Out of Money for the Moment: Corpus Christi Caller-Times (12.14.02) - Tuesday, December 17, 2002; Joy Victory; The Coastal Bend AIDS Foundation is out of money as the result of a contract dispute that forced it to go without its main source of funding for three months. In September, Bexar County Housing and Human Services agreed to disburse funds of at least $500,000 annually to the foundation. However, a clause in the contract
Correlates of Human Herpesvirus 8 Seropositivity Among Heterosexual Men in Kenya: AIDS (10.18.02) Vol. 16; No. 15: P. 2073-2078 - Tuesday, December 17, 2002; Jared M. Baeten; Bhavna H. Chohan; Ludo Lavreys; Joel P. Rakwar; Rhoda Ashley; Barbra A. Richardson; Kishorchandra Mandaliya; Job J. Bwayo; Joan K. Kreiss; Few studies have examined heterosexual HHV-8 transmission, which is endemic in African populations. Research has implicated HHV-8 as a causal agent of Kaposi s sarcoma. HHV-8 infection is more common in Africa than in Western populations, and studies have found evidence for both sexual and non-sexual transmission. The
Condoms Minor Cause of HIV Decline: Africa News Service (12.16.02) - Tuesday, December 17, 2002; New Vision; A new report says that the decreased level of HIV infection in Uganda resulted mostly from abstinence and faithfulness, and to a lesser extent from condom use. The report, produced by a team of American and Ugandan researchers, is based on analysis of the changes in people s behaviors as seen in demographic and health
Call for TB and HIV Tests on All Immigrants: Times (London) (12.13.02) - Tuesday, December 17, 2002; Anthony Browne; Lord Turnberg, the former chair of Britain s Public Health Laboratory Service, is calling for medical tests for immigrants before they are allowed into the country. Turnberg said the measure is needed to combat the spread of tuberculosis and HIV, since the recent surge in cases is largely the result of increased immigr
Cuts in AIDS Drug Plan Could Be Costly: Austin American Statesman (12.14.02) - Tuesday, December 17, 2002; Mary Ann Roser; Next year, two out of 10 Texans now enrolled in the AIDS Drug Assistance Program will be cut off under a plan to keep the financially drained initiative afloat. Of the 12,500 Texans enrolled in the program, 2,500 clients are expected to be cut from the program. Another 1,700 new clients who would have signed on to the
United States Holds Out on How to Give Poor Nations Access to Affordable Drugs: Associated Press (12.16.02) - Tuesday, December 17, 2002; Naomi Koppel; In Geneva on Monday, the United States held out against other members of the World Trade Organization in negotiations on how to ensure better access to cheap medicines for poor countries. A third draft of an agreement has been produced that would allow some developing countries to ignore patents and buy generic drugs f
Zambia to Share Global Funds on HIV/AIDS: Xinhua News Agency (12.12.02) - Monday, December 16, 2002; At a meeting with Zambian cabinet ministers Thursday in Lusaka, UN Special Envoy on HIV/AIDS in Africa Stephen Lewis said he would get in touch with those responsible for the global fund for HIV/AIDS to ensure the country receives its share. Lewis stressed that HIV/AIDS has further compounded the hunger crisis in Zambi
Uganda - Refugees to Get Free HIV Drugs: Africa News (12.11.02) - Monday, December 16, 2002; New Vision; The UN High Commissioner for Refugees will soon start distributing free nevirapine to expectant mothers in refugee camps in Uganda to curb mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS. Paul Spiegel, a senior UNHCR technical officer, said last week that UNHCR would also carry out several programs with the gov
2.2 Million Ethiopians Living with HIV/AIDS in 2001: Xinhua News Agency (12.12.02) - Monday, December 16, 2002; The Ethiopian Health Ministry reported on Thursday that an estimated 2.2 million people in the nation are living with HIV/AIDS, including 200,000 children. HIV prevalence had decreased from 7.3 percent the previous year to 6.6 percent. The urban rate (13.7 percent) remained considerably higher than the rural rate (3.7
India's Voiceless Women Are Easy Prey for AIDS: Los Angeles Times (12.01.02) - Monday, December 16, 2002; Meena Seshu; Joanne Csete; The $100 million that Bill Gates philanthropy will add to the battle against HIV and AIDS in India is a welcome expression of concern for what Gates rightly portrays as one of the worst epidemics in the world. But the Gates Foundation s generous support may be undone by factors that neither the government of India nor
SRQ Employees to Be Tested for TB: Bradenton Herald (12.16.02) - Monday, December 16, 2002; Aaron Quinn; All airline employees and skycaps at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport in Florida are scheduled to undergo TB testing today by Manatee County health officials following news that two skycaps tested positive for the illness. One of the two men has died, but it was unclear whether TB was the cause of death, accord
Computer Education May Bridge Affordability Gap: AIDS Alert (11.01.02) - Monday, December 16, 2002; Researchers from CDC, the University of Washington-Seattle, California State University-Long Beach, and the Indiana University School of Medicine-Indianapolis, are collaborating with Resources Online, a Seattle computer consulting business, to create a computer-assisted, client-centered, educational CD-ROM product to e
Therapy Adherence and Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy: Comparison of Three Sources of Information: AIDS Patient Care and STDs (10.02) No. 10; Vol. 16: P. 487- 495 - Monday, December 16, 2002; John Vincke, PhD; Ralph Bolton, PhD; Patient adherence, a critical component in the management of HIV, has become a behavioral problem since the advent of HAART. Failure to adhere to a therapeutic regimen can dilute beneficial effects of the drugs and cause the emergence of drug-resistant strains of HIV. A central limitation to studying adherence to HAART
Uganda Stands Firm on Health Spending Freeze: Lancet (12.07.02) - Monday, December 16, 2002; Charles Wendo; Uganda s Ministry of Finance is standing firm on its decision that, despite an expected grant from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the country s total health expenditure will not exceed a pre-determined limit of $107 million for the 2002-2003 financial year. Finance officials maintain that they
Vietnam Needs to Tackle Malnutrition, Trafficking, HIV: UNICEF: Agence France Presse (12.16.02) - Monday, December 16, 2002; UNICEF s annual flagship publication, The State of the World s Children 2003, reported that sexual exploitation, malnutrition, inadequate sanitation and HIV transmission are just some of the problems facing children in Vietnam . Vietnam has made tremendous progress over the past decades in improving the well-being of i
US Isolated at Population Conference over Its Anti-Abortion Stand: Associated Press (12.16.02) - Monday, December 16, 2002; Alisa Tang; At the UN-sponsored Asian and Pacific Population Conference in Bangkok, Thailand , on Monday, the United States was criticized for its rigid stand against abortion and its advocacy of abstinence over condom use for adolescents. Ministers and officials from more than 40 countries are participating in the conference, whi
Health Officials Testing for TB at DeKalb School: Associated Press (12.12.02) - Friday, December 13, 2002; On Friday, DeKalb County, Ga., health officials expect to wrap up TB testing for some 2,000 staff and students at Redan High School. Testing began Dec. 6 when officials learned that a person at the school - who was removed and is currently being treated - tested positive for an active form of the disease. Test results
DNA Analysis Shows Tuberculosis in Britain Predated Roman Armies: Agence France Presse (12.12.02) - Friday, December 13, 2002; Roman armies have been suspected of introducing TB to Britain, but the disease was present in the nation hundreds of years before those armies arrived, the English Heritage association reported Thursday. DNA analysis of part of a skeleton found in the southern English county of Dorset has revealed that a man who died t
Mandela Champions South Africa's AIDS Fight: Associated Press (12.12.02) - Friday, December 13, 2002; Mike Cohen; This is a serious matter, it s war, former South African President Nelson Mandela said of AIDS Thursday during a visit to a clinic in Khayelitsha on the outskirts of Cape Town. Wearing a T-shirt reading HIV-positive, Mandela spoke freely about condoms and the necessity for people to be faithful to their partners and f
One Disease Down - Eradication of River Blindness Offers Hope in Fight Against AIDS: Sarasota Herald-Tribune (12.09.02) - Friday, December 13, 2002; Staff editorial; Just when you thought that good news no longer happens in Africa, along comes this bulletin: West Africa has now been declared officially free of river blindness, according to the UN s World Health Organization . The disease, spread via fly-borne parasites, once ravaged the eyesight of more than 2 million people in We
HIV/AIDS Nephropathy: Mechanisms of Virus-Induced Cell Cycle Disruption Elucidated: AIDS Weekly (10.28.02) - Friday, December 13, 2002; Michael Greer; US researchers have shed new light on the processes that lead to the development of kidney dysfunction in HIV patients. The aberrant cell-cycle progression of HIV-1 infected kidney cells plays a major role in the pathogenesis of HIV-associated nephropathy, explained Peter J. Nelson and colleagues at Mount Sinai School
HIV Trick Helps Explain Failed Vaccine Attempts: Reuters Health (12.11.02) - Friday, December 13, 2002; Amy Norton; Scientists have discovered a new way HIV evades the body s immune response, helping to explain why it has been so hard to develop a broadly effective AIDS vaccine. The finding adds the final piece to the puzzle of how HIV eludes the immune system s infection-fighting antibodies, which are produced in large numbers when
China Urges Safer Sex in Rural Areas and Among Migrant Workers: Agence France Presse (12.11.02) - Friday, December 13, 2002; Family planning associations throughout China will be asked to do a better job of teaching the rural and migrant population about safe sex to prevent HIV/AIDS, the state s China Daily said Wednesday. Most rural branches of the China Family Planning Association lack good education programs on reproductive health and dis
New AIDS Coalition Aims to Boost Access to Drugs: Reuters (12.13.02) - Friday, December 13, 2002; UN agencies joined governments and health groups Thursday in launching a new drive, the International HIV Treatment Access Coalition, to get life-prolonging drugs to millions of AIDS patients in poor countries. Currently, only one person in 20 has treatment in these countries. ITAC, which brings together a host of orga
For 60 Million, the Cure May Kill: USA Today (12.13.02) - Friday, December 13, 2002; Steve Sternberg; About 60 million people in the United States have conditions that leave them essentially defenseless against vaccinia, the live virus used to make smallpox vaccine. They include people with HIV/AIDS or other immune deficiencies, people who have had organ transplants, cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, and people
US Immigrants Not Bringing HIV with Them: Study: Reuters Health (12.04.02) - Friday, December 13, 2002; Charnicia E. Huggins; New research in California found that the prevalence of HIV was similar - less than 2 percent - among US-born and foreign- born patients at Los Angeles-area public health clinics. The research team, led by Dr. Nina T. Harawa of the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, studied the prevalence of HIV among mo
Zambia Needs $270 Million to Tackle AIDS: Official: Reuters Health (12.09.02) - Thursday, December 12, 2002; Zambia needs to spend at least $270 million over the next three years to fight AIDS, which is killing about 200 citizens each day, Finance Minister Emmanuel Kasonde said. His statement noted that the country needed money to provide free antiretroviral drugs, expand existing programs to reduce infection, and care for
Singapore Uses Shocking Images to Turn Students Off Sex: Associated Press (12.11.02) - Thursday, December 12, 2002; Singapore announced a new strategy to put teens off casual sex. In January, the government s Health Promotion Board will distribute a booklet to 15-year-olds featuring color photographs of people infected with, and disfigured by, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis. The booklet is a departure from the norm in a countr
Celera Diagnostics: Washington Post (12.12.02) - Thursday, December 12, 2002; Celera Diagnostics, an Alameda, Calif., venture supported by Celera Genomics and Applied Biosystems Group, said it received clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration to market a gene-based HIV test. The test is designed to detect mutations in HIV that create resistance to certain drug treatments. Studies have
Bush to Offer Smallpox Vaccine to All: Associated Press (12.12.02) - Thursday, December 12, 2002; Laura Meckler; President Bush will announce a program Friday to make the smallpox vaccine available to all Americans, beginning with the military and health workers who would be front-line defenders against a bioterror attack. The vaccine will be mandatory for about 500,000 military personnel and recommended for another half-million
HIV/AIDS Organization Struggles to Survive: Detroit Free Press (12.11.02) - Thursday, December 12, 2002; Patricia Anstett; Detroit s oldest agency for HIV-positive women and their children, Children s Immune Disorder, is struggling for survival. We need at least $50,000 in committed funds for a couple of years, said Kerry Laycock, board chair of CID. And we have to resolve this by year s end. When it started in 1985, CID was Michigan s fir
Some Question Planned Parenthood-Church Sex-Ed Partnership: Fort Wayne News-Sentinel (Fort Wayne, Ind.) (12.11.02) - Thursday, December 12, 2002; Jennifer L. Boen; Local pastors and pro-life groups are criticizing Planned Parenthood of Greater Indiana after the organization announced last week it will partner with Fort Wayne churches to teach faith-based sexuality classes. Some said Planned Parenthood is jumping on the faith-based bandwagon to grab money available to organization
Late Diagnosis of HIV Infection in the Era of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy: Consequences for AIDS Incidence: AIDS (09.27.02) Vol. 16; No. 14: P. 1945-1951 - Thursday, December 12, 2002; Jesús Castilla; Paz Sobrino; Luis de la Fuente; Isabel Noguer; Luis Guerra; Francisco Parras; This study assesses the repercussions of late diagnosis of HIV infection on AIDS incidence in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy, comparing the trend of late testing versus remaining AIDS cases in Spain . The authors also analyze the factors associated with late diagnosis of HIV infection among AIDS cases,
HIV Pregnancies on Rise: Press (Christchurch) (12.04.02) - Thursday, December 12, 2002; Brooker Michelle; An estimated 60 percent of HIV-positive pregnant women in New Zealand do not know they have the virus, and risk passing it on to their babies. The number of New Zealand babies born with HIV is not high. However, AIDS Epidemiology Group Director Nigel Dickson said numbers had been rising since 1995 as more women were be
US Doctor Appears in Canadian Court on Charges Linked to Tainted Blood: Associated Press (12.11.02) - Thursday, December 12, 2002; A US doctor appeared in Canadian court, charged for his alleged role in a tainted blood supply that sickened thousands in the 1970s and 1980s. Dr. Michael Rodell, 70, spoke his name but said nothing more. He is charged with three counts of criminal negligence causing bodily harm, which carries a maximum 10-year prison
AIDS/HIV Housing Earns National Recognition: Associated Press (12.11.02) - Thursday, December 12, 2002; Betsy Taylor; The Doorways interfaith AIDS residence program was named a shining star by the St. Louis office of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. It was one of 11 Missouri programs recognized for spreading light throughout the community. Based on the premise that housing is part of healthcare, Doorways operates five
Disparities in Health Care Plague Minorities in Kansas: Associated Press (12.12.02) - Thursday, December 12, 2002; Roxana Hegeman; Infant mortality among blacks in Kansas is double the statewide average, and black men have the highest rates of prostate cancer, lung cancer and colorectal cancer, according to a study on minorities and health care released Wednesday. The study, Minority Health Disparities in Kansas, prepared by the Kansas Health Inst
New Hampshire AIDS Treatment Program: Associated Press (12.10.02) - Wednesday, December 11, 2002; HIV/AIDS patients in southern New Hampshire have a new place to turn. Manchester and Nashua on Tuesday announced the beginning of the Southern New Hampshire Integrated Care Program to help low-income people living with or at risk of contracting HIV/AIDS. Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center is leading the project with a
Insurance Firms to End Sexual History Questions: Guardian (London) (12.10.02) - Wednesday, December 11, 2002; John Carvel; British insurance firms agreed Monday to stop prying into their customers sexual histories to find evidence of a possible future risk of contracting HIV or other serious infections. In a deal with the British Medical Association, the companies said they would not seek information from doctors that might unnecessarily d
Second TB Scare for Drinkers: BBC News (12.09.02) - Wednesday, December 11, 2002; Three regulars at a British Legion club in Cumbernauld, Scotland, have been struck by tuberculosis . The cases emerged just days after health officials confirmed that two men had died after contracting TB in a Glasgow pub. Dr. George Venters, National Health Service Lanarkshire s public health consultant, said on Monda
Juvenile Hall Detainees to Be Tested for STDs: Los Angeles Times (12.10.02) - Wednesday, December 11, 2002; Teenagers accused of committing crimes in Kern County, Calif., will be asked for a urine sample to test for STDs. The county has the state s third-highest rate of chlamydia and fourth- highest rate of gonorrhea. Both diseases are prevalent among 15- to 24-year-olds, said Dr. Boyce Dulan, director of disease control at
'Mistakes' Rile AIDS Activists: Miami Herald (12.11.02) - Wednesday, December 11, 2002; Andrea Robinson; Dozens of families may be in jeopardy of losing their homes or their utility services, activists say, because the city of Miami misused federal housing funds meant to assist patients with utility and mortgage payments. Now the city may award $3.3 million in new contracts, without a bidding process, to the same agencies
Antiretroviral Therapy Restores Some Anti-TB Immune Activity: Drug Week (11.22.02) - Wednesday, December 11, 2002; Michael Greer; Researchers report that antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV infection restores some immune defense against tuberculosis . Neil W. Schluger and colleagues at Columbia University in New York City evaluated antituberculosis T-cell activity in a group of ART-treated patients. Researchers measured T-cell activity in 10 HIV
Study Looks at Condoms, Wart Virus Transmission: Reuters Health (12.10.02) - Wednesday, December 11, 2002; While condoms can help prevent other sexually transmitted diseases, evidence remains inconsistent as to whether or not they will prevent transmission of the human papillomavirus ( HPV ), a new report suggests. HPV, which can cause genital warts and increase the risk of cancers of the cervix, vulva, vagina, anus, and pe
Study: Screening Teen Girls for Chlamydia Could Lower Infertility: Associated Press (12.10.02) - Wednesday, December 11, 2002; Margie Mason; Changing physicians behavior to give sexually active teenage girls a urine test for chlamydia during routine doctor visits is an effective way of detecting chlamydia and helping prevent infertility problems later in life, according to a new study. University of California-San Francisco researchers worked with physician
Outdated Contraceptive May Help in Third World: San Jose Mercury News (12.10.02) - Wednesday, December 11, 2002; Barbara Feder Ostrov; Some researchers and activists are making a concerted push to resurrect the diaphragm to prevent AIDS among the people now most threatened by the disease: women in developing countries. More than half of the world s people now infected with HIV are women, most of them in developing countries, epidemiologists at the UN
Canada Panel Pushes 'Safe' Drug Injection Sites: Reuters (12.10.02) - Wednesday, December 11, 2002; Randall Palmer; The Canadian House of Commons Special Committee on the Non- Medical Use of Drugs recommended Monday that Canada establish safe injection sites as a way to cut the spread of diseases such as HIV among drug addicts - a proposal that generated criticism from police and opposition politicians. The safe site proposal draws
Web Filters Block Safe-Sex Sites: Wall Street Journal (12.11.02) - Wednesday, December 11, 2002; Yochi J. Dreazen; The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention s Web site on sexually transmitted diseases does not make the cut. Neither do the Food and Drug Administration s site on birth control failure rates, Princeton University s site on emergency contraception, or dozens of other health, safe sex and pregnancy sites. They are b
Omaha AIDS Benefit Raises $250,000: Associated Press (12.09.02) - Tuesday, December 10, 2002; The 10th Annual Night of a Thousand Stars in Omaha over the weekend raised an estimated $250,000 for AIDS prevention efforts. Sponsored by the Nebraska AIDS Project, 80 dinner parties were held throughout Omaha for the event, where hosts charged guests for attending and then donated the proceeds to NAP, said Tim Sulliv
Planned Parenthood Looks to Form Sex-ed Partnership with Churches: Associated Press (12.05.02) - Tuesday, December 10, 2002; Planned Parenthood wants to work with churches and clergy in two Indiana cities to form a faith-based program on sexual education. The group hopes to begin the program in Fort Wayne and Indianapolis, cities chosen because the teen birth rates are higher than the national average. We believe a faith- based setting is id
Stigma of AIDS: Washington Times (12.03.02) - Tuesday, December 10, 2002; James Morrison; South African Ambassador Sheila Sisulu criticized African governments and businesses for contributing to the stigma people with AIDS suffer along with the disease. Sisulu, speaking last week at an AIDS Forum at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said some African mortgage companies require loan applica
Old Court Middle Pupils, Teachers to Be Screened: Baltimore Sun (12.10.02) - Tuesday, December 10, 2002; Jonathan D. Rockoff; A seventh-grader at Old Court Middle School has tested positive for tuberculosis , the Baltimore County school system said yesterday. County health workers are preparing to test classmates and teachers who might have come in contact with the pupil, said Charles A. Herndon, a school system spokesperson. The pupil, who w
Self-Respect Key to AIDS Prevention, Activist Says: Oakland Tribune (12.01.02) - Tuesday, December 10, 2002; Suzanne Bohan; Paulette Hogan, who has performed in musicals since she was a child, said her favorite role yet was Evileen in the The Wiz, when she sang Nobody Bring Me No Bad News. But the 39- year-old Oakland resident got almost more bad news than she could bear in February 2001. Hogan learned she was HIV- positive. There s this wo
Inupiat Woman Shares Story of AIDS Tragedy: Associated Press (12.01.02) - Tuesday, December 10, 2002; Health officials trying to stem the spread of AIDS among Alaskan Natives are hoping an Inupiat woman will help to crack the wall of silence about the virus in rural Alaska. Selina Moose is traveling from village to village telling the story of her 40- year-old brother, who discovered he was in the advanced stages of AI
Pownal Woman Will Open Home to People with AIDS: Associated Press (12.07.02) - Tuesday, December 10, 2002; Anne Wallace Allen; Revolutionary, innkeeper, caregiver: Sunshine Wohl is taking on all those roles as she fearlessly opens her spruced-up Pownal, Vt., farmhouse to AIDS patients who are facing the end of life. Residents will stay free at Wohl s Chrysalis Community, which has five guest bedrooms. While there, Wohl says, they will experien
Efficacy of Strategies to Reduce Mother-to-Child HIV-1 Transmission in Argentina, 1993-2000: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (11.01.02) Vol. 31; No. 3: P. 348-335 - Tuesday, December 10, 2002; Ana Ceballos; María de Los Angeles Pando; Diana Liberatore; Mirna Biglione; Patricia Coll Cárdenas; Marina Martínez; María Luisa Celadilla; María M. Avila; Liliana Martínez Peralta; In Argentina , the National Program on Human Retrovirus of the Health Ministry reported 3,526 cases of AIDS in women older than 12 from 1988 to 2000. During that time, the male-to- female ratio of AIDS decreased from 20:1 in 1988 to 3:1 in 2000. During 2000, 166,133 pregnant women were tested for HIV; the prevalence of
Battling AIDS, a Song at a Time: Philadelphia Inquirer (12.09.02) - Tuesday, December 10, 2002; Peter Sigal; For nine years, Nomusa Mpanza lived with a secret. In 1993, her newborn daughter was diagnosed with AIDS, and the South African woman realized that she herself was HIV-positive. Yet it was only after her daughter died of the disease this year that she publicly acknowledged her own status. It was a brave step in a count
$2.5 Million Pilot Program Set Up in AIDS Fight: St. Petersburg Times (Russia) (12.03.02) - Tuesday, December 10, 2002; Robin Munro; A comprehensive, two-year program to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS and STDs among young adults in the Altai and Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad) regions started Monday. The $2.5 million program is intended to serve as a national model for dealing with the AIDS epidemic. The HIV epidemic had a late start here, UN Residen
Researchers to Study Florida's Public Health Role in Control and Prevention: TB & Outbreaks Week (12.03.02) - Tuesday, December 10, 2002; STDs remain one of the most preventable yet highly prevalent types of disease in Florida, but the state-run STD clinics, which provide low-cost diagnosis and treatment services, are seeing fewer patients. In order to determine problems associated with diagnosis and STD reinfections in Florida, University of Florida nur
AIDS Dead Could Be Buried in Mines: New Scientist (12.02.02) - Monday, December 09, 2002; In an effort to accommodate the increasing numbers of people dying of AIDS, the Johannesburg City Parks agency could turn disused mineshafts into catacomb-style cemeteries. This year we will bury about 20,000 people. In 2010, unless someone develops a cure for AIDS, we expect that figure to be about 70,000, said Alan B
China to Lift Ban on Condom Advertisements: Agence France Presse (12.02.02) - Monday, December 09, 2002; China s State Administration of Industry and Commerce, whose 1989 regulations banned the advertisement of all products related to sexual activity, announced on World AIDS Day it will begin allowing condom ads next year. The ban should have been lifted a long time ago because condoms are the most effective tools not onl
Mandela to Host Concert for AIDS Victims: Associated Press (12.07.02) - Monday, December 09, 2002; Former South African President Nelson Mandela announced in Cape Town Friday that he will host a Feb. 2nd concert featuring some of the world s leading entertainers to raise funds for Africa s millions affected by AIDS. U2 star Bono, Macy Gray and Shaggy had already agreed to perform at the show, to be held on Robben Is
UN: West's Response to AIDS Inadequate: Associated Press (12.08.02) - Monday, December 09, 2002; The Western world s response to Africa s unfolding humanitarian crisis caused by AIDS and hunger is woefully inadequate, Stephen Lewis, the UN top advisor on AIDS in Africa, said Sunday. While people in developed countries who contract HIV can live for years, Africans contracting HIV are condemned to death, Lewis said.
A House for People with AIDS Will Close at the End of the Month: Wichita Eagle (12.04.02) - Monday, December 09, 2002; Karen Shideler; A Wichita, Kan., house for people with AIDS will close at the end of the month, the victim of financial woes and the changing nature of the disease. We were losing money hand over fist because funding sources have dried up, said Joe Kelly, executive director of ConnectCare, the AIDS service organization that runs the h
AIDS Message Delivered in Poetry: South Florida Sun-Sentinel (12.04.02) - Monday, December 09, 2002; Nicole T. Lesson; A media campaign sponsored by a federally funded program called Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health, also known as REACH 2010, recently launched public service announcements targeting Broward County residents ages 18 to 39 who are African-, Caribbean- or Hispanic-American. The PSAs are being exposed throug
Campaign Personalizes Numbing HIV Statistics: Houston Chronicle (12.01.02) - Monday, December 09, 2002; Leigh Hopper; In Harris County, Texas, black women account for 77 percent of all HIV-infected women. They represent a particularly vulnerable population, contracting the virus from undiagnosed partners, potentially passing it to children, and becoming sick from lack of treatment. That is why Amanda Johnson, 41, and three other women
HIV Infection and Pregnancy Status Among Adults Attending Voluntary Counseling and Testing in 2 Developing Countries: American Journal of Public Health (11.02) Vol. 92; No. 11: P. 1795-1800 - Monday, December 09, 2002; Andrew D. Forsyth, PhD; Thomas J. Coates, PhD; Olga A. Grinstead, PhD, MPH; Gloria Sangiwa, MD; Donald Balmer, PhD; Munkolenkole C. Kamenga, MD; Steven E. Gregorich, PhD; The effect of an HIV diagnosis on reproduction planning in developing countries is not well understood. Clinical symptoms of disease, coexisting sexually transmitted infections, and HIV- induced amenorrhea are associated with reduced fertility. HIV infection may also result in pregnancy complications such as decreased
Pint-Sized Public Health Ambassadors; Babies on HIV-Screening Posters Help Raise Awareness, Ease Stigma: Record (Ontario) (12.04.02) - Monday, December 09, 2002; Anne Kelly; When Amanda Mandawoub s obstetrician recommended she be screened for HIV, she was shocked and a little offended. But it didn t take her long to agree to test while pregnant with her daughter Maegan, now almost two. Anything that s going to protect me and my daughter, I ll do, the first-time mother said on Dec. 3 at the
Haiti Receives Assistance to Fight AIDS Epidemic: Miami Herald (12.06.02) - Monday, December 09, 2002; Tim Johnson; The Geneva-based Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria agreed last week to give $24.7 million to combat AIDS in Haiti , which has the worst AIDS epidemic in the Americas. The fund may disburse as much as $70 million there over the next six years. It s going to make a dramatic impact, said Anil Soni, an a
Supreme Judicial Court OK's Programs' Needles: Boston Globe (12.07.02) - Monday, December 09, 2002; Kathleen Burge; The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled Friday that people who receive clean syringes through a state-sanctioned needle exchange program in one community cannot be arrested for carrying them in another. The SJC decided the case involving Maria Landry, a member of Cambridge s needle exchange program who was charg
Massive Charity Gift Drive Targets Kids with HIV/AIDS this Year: Associated Press (12.04.02) - Friday, December 06, 2002; Tim Whitmire; Whether to reach out to people affected with HIV/AIDS has been a tough issue for many Christian groups. But Franklin Graham said Wednesday it was an obvious decision for his Operation Christmas Child gift drive, an outreach effort of his Samaritan s Purse Christian Relief agency. In its 10th year, OCC says it will deli
Nebraska Wesleyan Administrators Veto Condoms in Vending Machines: Associated Press (12.05.02) - Friday, December 06, 2002; The administrative council of Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln on Monday voted to reject a plan to make condoms available in residence hall vending machines, according to Sara Boatman, vice president for student affairs. That leaves in place a policy that provides condoms through the student health center and wo
Manhattan: Fewer AIDS Cases: New York Times (12.03.02) - Friday, December 06, 2002; Stacy Albin; According to the New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the number of newly diagnosed cases of AIDS dropped by more than 17 percent last year, to 4,677. As recently as 1997, new cases totaled 7,316. The department said AIDS data are continually restated because of new reporting requirements and changes in cl
New Headquarters for Quilt: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (12.03.02) - Friday, December 06, 2002; Richard L. Eldredge; On Monday in Atlanta, about 75 NAMES Project Foundation supporters, including founder Cleve Jones, attended the dedication ceremony of the new national headquarters for the AIDS Memorial Quilt. The quilt s new home in the city s Inman Park neighborhood includes a massive warehouse in which to store the more than 48,000
Long Before AIDS Crisis Was Declared, She Was on the Case: Baltimore Sun (12.05.02) - Friday, December 06, 2002; Erika Niedowski; One of Benita Paschall s first reactions when Baltimore Mayor Martin O Malley declared a state of emergency in the city s fight against AIDS this week was: Well, it s about time. It s been an emergency. It s been an emergency for over 10 to 15 years, she said Wednesday. The wreckage has already reached mammoth proporti
Heroin Addicts' Infection Rate High: Baltimore Sun (12.05.02) - Friday, December 06, 2002; Jonathan Bor; Nearly half of heroin addicts in Baltimore s drug treatment programs are unaware that they suffer from chronic blood infections such as HIV and hepatitis, according to a study by the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. Despite the disturbing picture of health problems associated with addiction, the researchers said
Vaginal Contraceptive/HIV Fighter Seems Promising: Reuters Health (12.05.02) - Friday, December 06, 2002; An experimental vaginal gel appears to be a safe, effective contraceptive, according to animal studies. The compound, SAMMA, blocked HIV and two strains of herpes simplex virus in laboratory testing. Investigators believe the encouraging results justify further testing. The tests performed so far suggest a high de
High Relapse Rate Seen After 'Successful' Drug-Resistant TB Treatment: TB & Outbreaks Week (12.03.02) - Friday, December 06, 2002; Michael Greer; Researchers warn that the long-term success of treatment for drug-resistant tuberculosis may be lower than previously believed. G.B. Migliori and colleagues at the World Health Organization in Geneva; the WHO Collaborating Center for Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases in Tradate, Italy ;
All-Out Effort Fails to Halt AIDS Spread: Washington Post (12.02.02) - Friday, December 06, 2002; Michael Grunwald; Two years into the five-year African Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Partnership, Botswana is learning what big money, free drugs and strong leadership can and cannot do to halt the epidemic. We re making astounding progress, and it s astoundingly inadequate, said Ernest Darkoh, a physician and former management consultant for
AIDS Higher Among South African Children: Associated Press (12.05.02) - Friday, December 06, 2002; Sahm Venter; South Africa s first nationally representative study on HIV/AIDS, commissioned by former President Nelson Mandela, shows a higher than expected level of HIV infection - 5.6 percent - among children ages two to 14. This is a serious and urgent problem, said Mandela at the launch of the Nelson Mandela/HCRSC Study of HIV/
Analysis Shows Cost-Effectiveness of Screening Immigrants for Latent TB Infection: Associated Press (12.05.02) - Friday, December 06, 2002; Stephanie Nano; Screening and treating immigrants from developing countries for dormant TB infections would prevent thousands of cases and save tens of millions of dollars, according to a new study. The number of US TB cases has been dropping, but immigrants account for a growing proportion of them. Of the nearly 16,000 US cases last
World Bank Gives Tanzania US $136 Million Grant: Associated Press (12.03.02) - Thursday, December 05, 2002; The World Bank has given Tanzania $136 million for AIDS and poverty reduction projects, said Rosalie Ferrao, a bank spokesperson. About half of the money, $70 million, will be used in the fight against AIDS and the balance will be spent on reducing poverty. The bank has earmarked these resources with a clear sense of u
Nigeria's President: At Least 4.2 Million HIV-Infected in Africa's Most Populous Nation: Associated Press (12.02.02) - Thursday, December 05, 2002; Haruna Bahago; In a strongly worded speech the day after World AIDS Day, Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo declared his nation is on the edge of a precipice as a result of the worsening AIDS epidemic. A minimum of 3.5 million Nigerian adults and 700,000 children are living with HIV, he said, but he noted that incomplete records an
Students to Get Free Treatment for STDs: USA Today (12.02.02) - Thursday, December 05, 2002; Philadelphia s public high school students will be offered free STD screenings and treatment after tests showed girls at two schools were twice as likely as other teens in the city to have chlamydia. The voluntary, confidential testing is part of a citywide Health Department plan to cut the rate of STDs in teens. The m
AIDS Sufferers Face a World of Hostility: Boston Herald (12.01.02) - Thursday, December 05, 2002; Ray Hammond; Not since an Indiana community ran off a 13-year-old hemophiliac - shaming itself and prompting national soul searching - has overt discrimination against people with AIDS been socially acceptable. Yet more than a decade after the death of Ryan White, AIDS-related stigma continues on a more subtle, but still painful,
Residents Celebrate World AIDS Day: Associated Press (12.02.02) - Thursday, December 05, 2002; A group of about 100 people joined the World AIDS Day observance at Spalding University in Louisville, Ky., over the weekend, spreading a message of compassion, hope and understanding. Participants in Sunday night s ceremony heard inspirational songs by Voices of Kentuckiana, a choral group that includes gay and lesbia
Initiation of Services in the Boston HAPPENS Program: Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Positive, Homeless, and At-Risk Youth Can Access Services: AIDS Patient Care and STDs (10.01.02) Vol. 16; No. 10: P. 497- 510 - Thursday, December 05, 2002; Elizabeth R. Woods, MD, MPH; Cathryn L. Samples, MD, MPH; Maurice W. Melchiono, RN, MS, C-FNP; Peter M. Keenan, RN, MS, PNP; Durrell J. Fox, BS; Sion Kim Harris, PhD; Boston HAPPENS Program Collaborators; HIV-positive, homeless, and other youth at-risk for HIV present a challenge to those who would connect them to health care. There is a need for more youth-friendly services and street outreach so that hard- to-reach youth will have access to health care, and for early HIV case identification. Of the 793,026 cases of AI
AIDS Takes Center Stage on World Awareness Day: News Mexico (Mexico City) (12.02.02) - Thursday, December 05, 2002; Safe sex and AIDS prevention were the main items on the agenda Sunday in World AIDS Day commemorations in Mexico City - where disease is now the third-leading cause of death. Some 25,000 people attended a rock concert in the city s main square, organized by the government s AIDS program and the Institute for Youth. Me
AIDS Risk for Latinas Climbs Still: Philadelphia Inquirer (12.02.02) - Thursday, December 05, 2002; Marina Walker; While the number of new US AIDS cases has been declining since the mid-1990s, the proportion of new cases that occur among Latino women is rising. Their risk is significantly higher than that of white women, though much lower than that of African-American women. In 2001, women made up 23 percent - 1,894 people - of new
TV 'Roadblock' Serves AIDS Fight: Wall Street Journal (12.03.02) - Thursday, December 05, 2002; Vanessa O'Connell; At precisely 7:59 p.m. on Sunday, a group of about 100 cable outlets voluntarily showed Kids, a 30-second AIDS awareness commercial. This Madison Avenue version of a television roadblock intended to force a large number of viewers to watch the commercial. The idea was that you can t change the channels to miss the mess
Report: South Leads Country in New HIV Infections, AIDS: Associated Press (12.04.02) - Thursday, December 05, 2002; Rachel La Corte; Officials at a regional AIDS conference in Tampa, Fla., said on Wednesday that the South leads the country in new HIV infections and overall AIDS cases - yet lags in the amount of federal funding when compared to other regions. In the South, more than 130,000 people have AIDS, compared to just over 100,000 in the North
Official: Russia's AIDS Problem Exploding Despite Dip in Official Data: Associated Press (11.27.02) - Wednesday, December 04, 2002; Eric Engleman; Some 43,000 new HIV cases were registered in Russia in the first 11 months of 2002, down more than 50 percent from the 87,000 cases registered last year. But these official statistics are misleading, said Vadim Pokrovsky, the country s top AIDS expert and director of the Center for AIDS Prevention and Treatment. Pokrov
Amnesty: Rights Crucial in AIDS Fight: Associated Press (12.01.02) - Wednesday, December 04, 2002; Jane Wardell; In a statement on World AIDS Day, London-based Amnesty International called for more efforts worldwide to dispel myths and prejudices surrounding HIV/AIDS. Those who are on the social margins of society, who are denied access to their most basic human rights - to freedom from discrimination, to education, to physical i
Mandela Backs New Treatment Program for AIDS Sufferers: Associated Press (12.03.02) - Wednesday, December 04, 2002; On Tuesday, former South African President Nelson Mandela gave his backing to a new program to supply medication to 9,000 AIDS patients who cannot afford it. Mandela is to act as the patron of the program, a joint initiative between a charitable foundation bearing his name and the South African government. The treatmen
Magic Johnson Says AIDS Medications Should Be Cheaper: Associated Press (12.04.02) - Wednesday, December 04, 2002; During a speech at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, on Tuesday, former Los Angeles Laker Earvin Magic Johnson said affordable medications to treat AIDS should be available to more people, especially minorities living in the inner cities. Johnson gave a brief speech on living with HIV, saying that new cases have be
Churches Join Effort to Give AIDS Alert: Los Angeles Times (12.02.02) - Wednesday, December 04, 2002; Jeff Gottlieb; St. Brigid s Catholic Church in South Central Los Angeles was one of more than 40 predominantly black churches in Los Angeles County that commemorated World AIDS Day on Sunday - some with the message of safe sex, others with abstinence - offering the patients compassion and mercy. St. Brigid s commemorated World AIDS D
Homeless New Yorkers with AIDS on Rise: New York Blade (11.15.02) - Wednesday, December 04, 2002; Steve Weinstein; The recent New York City Council hearing on the HIV/AIDS Services Administration (HSSA) highlighted the city s increase in homelessness among people with AIDS. Over 30,000 New Yorkers with AIDS currently live in shelters, on the streets, or in inadequate and filthy housing, usually single-room occupancy tenement hotels
Mayor Backs Hypodermic Sales over the Counter: Boston Herald (12.03.02) - Wednesday, December 04, 2002; Michael Lasalandra; On Monday, Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino said he will file a controversial bill that would allow hypodermic needles to be sold over the counter in Boston pharmacies. The mayor, who announced the plan at World AIDS Day observances, said he would file the bill in the Legislature on Tuesday. The AIDS crisis is not over,
More Unsupervised Teen Time Means More Sex, STDs: Reuters Health (12.02.02) - Wednesday, December 04, 2002; Alison McCook; New research on US teens who attend urban public schools reveals that teens who spend more time without adult supervision are more likely to have sex and acquire STDs. The study, conducted by Dr. Deborah A. Cohen of the nonprofit RAND Corporation and colleagues, found that 80 percent of teens who spent at least 30 unsu
CDC Study Finds Higher Cervical Cancer Rates Among Hispanic Women and Women over 50: Associated Press (11.28.02) - Wednesday, December 04, 2002; Daniel Yee; Hispanic women contract cervical cancer almost twice as often as other women, indicating that not enough of them are having Pap tests, according to a CDC study. The report, Invasive Cervical Cancer Among Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Women, was published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (2002;51(47):1067-1070). The
Groups Discuss How to Help Africans Suffering from Famine and AIDS: Associated Press (12.04.02) - Wednesday, December 04, 2002; Angela Potter; Fifteen American humanitarian groups met with a UN envoy on Tuesday in Baltimore to urge governments, citizens groups and private citizens to help Africans plagued by famine and AIDS. If food shipments are not increased in the coming months, millions of Africans will face conditions similar to the Ethiopian famine of t
Powell Urges Foreign Governments to Make AIDS Fight a Top Priority: Associated Press (12.03.02) - Wednesday, December 04, 2002; Eun-Kyung Kim; Secretary of State Colin Powell encouraged ambassadors and other foreign diplomats at the State Department Tuesday to stress to their governments the importance of political leadership in fighting AIDS. The positions we hold in our governments give our voices resonance at home and abroad, he told the gathering. We can
HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis Cases Rise in Prison: Star Phoenix (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) (11.25.02) - Tuesday, December 03, 2002; Ryan Lorge; Cases of HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C are on the rise in Canada s federal and provincial correctional centers, and governments are doing little to help, according to a bleak report card issued in late November by the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network. Known cases of HIV/AIDS in the federal prison system have increased by 35
Women with HIV a Growing Trend: Toronto Star (12.02.02) - Tuesday, December 03, 2002; Nick McCabe-Lokos; Health Canada statistics show an estimated 5,956 women have tested HIV-positive as of Dec. 31, 2001. The proportion of newly infected women had risen to nearly 25 percent of all new cases between January 1999 and Dec. 31, 2001. Women accounted for 9.7 percent of new cases between 1985 and 1995. Louise Binder, chair of
15 Groups to Discuss Coordinated Africa Hunger/AIDS Response: Associated Press (12.02.02) - Tuesday, December 03, 2002; Foster Klug; Fifteen US humanitarian groups are meeting Tuesday with a UN envoy to discuss how to help millions of Africans plagued by famine and AIDS. The relief groups, which include the American Red Cross, Save the Children and Catholic Relief Services, say more than 34 million people in Africa face death by starvation in the ne
Cook Inmates Hear HIV Message: Chicago Tribune (12.02.02) - Tuesday, December 03, 2002; Jon Yates; Rainbow/PUSH Coalition leader the Rev. Jesse Jackson spoke to about 200 inmates at Cook County Boot Camp in Chicago to observe the 15th annual World AIDS Day on Sunday. Jackson took the oral HIV test along with 20 of the inmates and delivered a message that jails are the breeding ground for the disease because inmates
World AIDS Day Draws Small Crowds for Big Plight: New York Times (12.02.02) - Tuesday, December 03, 2002; Jennifer Medina; Hundreds of people gathered across New York City Sunday at rallies and memorials for World AIDS Day, though advocates said the sparse attendance reflected a need to refocus attention on the disease. It is hard to grasp that we can be this far in the crisis and still have this far to go, Brent Nicholson Earle, a veteran
At Meeting, Community Asked to 'Break the Silence' on AIDS: Baltimore Sun (12.02.02) - Tuesday, December 03, 2002; Childs Walker; At New All Saints Roman Catholic Church in Forest Park, Md., on Sunday, before a group of religious leaders gathered to discuss AIDS in Baltimore s black community, Melanie Reese, 50, rose to reveal she is HIV-positive. She had known she was infected since earlier this year but kept the news secret from everyone but he
Mayor Declares an AIDS 'State of Emergency': Baltimore Sun (12.03.02) - Tuesday, December 03, 2002; Jonathan Bor; On Monday, Baltimore Mayor Martin O Malley declared a state of emergency in the city s battle against AIDS and called for a coordinated assault by public and private interests on the disease, which disproportionately affects the black community. His declaration, which promised little money and few initiatives, came aft
HIV Dynamics and Behavior Change as Determinants of the Impact of Sexually Transmitted Disease Treatment on HIV Transmission in the Context of the Rakai Trial: AIDS (11.08.02) No. 16; Vol. 16: P. 2209-2218 - Tuesday, December 03, 2002; Eline L. Korenromp; Roel Bakker; Sake J. de Vlas; Ronald H. Gray; Maria J. Wawer; David Serwadda; Nelson K. Sewankambo; J. Dik F. Habbema; STDs, co-factors in HIV transmission, are quite prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa. Two community-based trials have tested the notion that improved treatment of STDs may be a strategy for HIV prevention. Over a two-year period, improved clinical management of symptomatic STD treatment in Mwanza, Tanzania , sho
One Million China Students to Lead AIDS Fight: New York Times (12.01.02) - Tuesday, December 03, 2002; Reuters; Long criticized for ignoring a potential explosion of the epidemic, China marked World AIDS Day by launching new prevention and awareness campaigns. At Beijing s Great Hall of the People, the government announced it would send 1 million students into the countryside during the next year to promote HIV prevention and to
Drug Treatment Advocates Urge Use of 'Harm Reduction' Techniques at Seattle Conference: Associated Press (12.03.02) - Tuesday, December 03, 2002; Kristen Gelineau; The Fourth National Harm Reduction Conference in Seattle has drawn more than 1,000 clinicians, public health workers and researchers interested in harm reduction strategies for fighting drug addiction, such as drug substitution, needle exchange programs, and compassionate counseling for addicts. During Monday s session
Report: Women's AIDS Risk from Heterosexual Sex Rises: Boston Herald (12.02.02) - Tuesday, December 03, 2002; Michael Lasalandra; Heterosexual sex has passed intravenous drug use as the primary way women in Massachusetts are being infected with HIV, according to a state Department of Public Health report released Monday. Since 1999, when the MDPH started tracking HIV cases, more women have been getting infected through sex than drug use. Accordin
Gates Foundation Selecting Areas for Anti-AIDS Projects in India: Associated Press (11.28.02) - Monday, December 02, 2002; A team of experts from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation arrived in India last week to select areas where the foundation can put its money to work preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS, officials said. The team is surveying areas of southern Andhra Pradesh state, where the foundation has already allocated $25 million
Brazilian Students Commemorate World AIDS Day: Associated Press (11.29.02) - Monday, December 02, 2002; As part of commemorations for World AIDS Day, 800 high school students placed 15,000 red ribbons before Brazil s Health Ministry Friday to symbolize the number of Brazilians who became infected with HIV this year. Dr. Paulo Roberto Teixeira, coordinator of Brazil s AIDS program, said the number of people infected annua
WTO Negotiations on Drug Access Stall: Associated Press (11.29.02) - Monday, December 02, 2002; Alexander G. Higgins; Negotiators in the current World Trade Organization talks failed Friday to resolve differences between the United States and developing countries over access to essential medicines, but hope to renew efforts in early December, trade officials said. The United States, wanting to protect its pharmaceutical industry paten
Stigma Major Barrier to Fighting AIDS, Says Piot: New York Times (11.30.02) - Monday, December 02, 2002; Reuters; On the eve of World AIDS Day, UNAIDS head Peter Piot said that stigma and discrimination remain major barriers to controlling the pandemic in Africa, where close to 30 million people are infected. Speaking to an audience in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia , Piot said the social prejudices suffered by people with AIDS could be a
AIDS Is Not a Death Sentence: New York Times (12.01.02) - Monday, December 02, 2002; William Jefferson Clinton; Historians will look back on our time and see that our civilization spends many millions of dollars educating people about the scourge of HIV and AIDS.... But what they will find not so civilized is our failure to treat 95 percent of people with the disease. Given that medicine can turn AIDS from a death sentence into
Mobile Clinic to Fight TB in Cook: Chicago Tribune (11.25.02) - Monday, December 02, 2002; Colleen Mastony; The Suburban Cook County, Ill., Sanitarium District will soon start a mobile clinic to reach immigrants who contracted TB in their native countries and have settled in Chicago suburbs, far from traditional clinics set up to treat them. In suburban Cook County, immigrants make up a higher percentage of active TB cases e
Risk of HIV Infection Attributable to Oral Sex Among Men Who Have Sex with Men and in the Population of Men Who Have Sex with Men: AIDS (11.22.02) Vol. 16; No. 17: P. 2350-2352 - Monday, December 02, 2002; Kimberly Page- Shafer; Caroline H. Shiboski; Dennis H. Osmond; James Dilley; Willi McFarland; Steve C. Shiboski; Jeffrey D. Klausner; Joyce Balls; Deborah Greenspan; John S. Greenspan; Since HIV was identified as being sexually transmitted, there has been considerable interest in the risk associated with performing fellatio. Although early studies found no independent risk for fellatio, the high correlation among multiple sexual practices raised the possibility that risk existed but could not be dete
Global Fund to Fight Illnesses Issues Checks to Three Nations: Wall Street Journal (12.02.02) - Monday, December 02, 2002; David Bank; The $2.2 billion Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has issued its first checks, for programs in Ghana , Haiti and Tanzania , as officials try to demonstrate the effectiveness and accountability necessary to attract the billions more needed to stem the devastating epidemics.
Millions Observe World AIDS Day: Washington Post (12.02.02) - Monday, December 02, 2002; On Sunday, millions of people around the world marked World AIDS Day with marches, prayers and hope - even as grim statistics show the epidemic is outpacing efforts to control it. *In China , officials instructed 1 million students to launch a national AIDS campaign. *Officials in Britain warned that the country is lik
Powell Plans AIDS Message for Envoys: Associated Press (11.29.02) - Monday, December 02, 2002; George Gedda; The entire diplomatic corps is invited to the State Department Tuesday to hear Secretary of State Colin Powell deliver a message he hopes they will convey to their governments: Political leadership is an essential component in the fight against HIV/AIDS. It is believed to be the first time all ambassadors from governme
Americans Observe World AIDS Day with Songs, Stars and Prayers: Associated Press (12.02.02) - Monday, December 02, 2002; Leon Drouin Keith; With songs, stars and prayers, Americans recognized World AIDS Day as a time to focus on a cure, on making treatment more available around the world, and on remembering the millions who have already died. *In New York City, the HIV+ Sinikithemba Choir, composed of HIV- positive South Africans, raised their voices in Zu
Emory Center Receives More than $7 Million for AIDS Research: Associated Press (11.26.02) - Wednesday, November 27, 2002; The National Institutes of Health on Tuesday awarded more than $7.3 million in a five-year grant to Emory University s Center for AIDS Research. It will help AIDS research efforts at Emory College, the university s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and four teaching and research institutions at Emory s Woodruff Hea
Teacher Sues Brooklyn School: Associated Press (11.25.02) - Wednesday, November 27, 2002; On Monday, teacher Loretta Abraham filed a lawsuit charging that Our Lady of Lourdes School in Brooklyn knowingly allowed dozens of students to become infected with tuberculosis earlier this year. The suit claims that officials opened the school even after they knew it was contaminated with TB bacteria, and that they f
Number of AIDS Deaths in Cuba Down Following Creation of New Treatments: Associated Press (11.26.02) - Wednesday, November 27, 2002; AIDS-related deaths in Cuba have dropped significantly over the past 1.5 years following the development of several local treatments, according to Dr. Jorge Perez, director of the nation s leading AIDS center. It was a political decision by Cuba to start the generic production of these medicines to save the lives of hu
Brazilian President Calls for No Let Up in Fight Against AIDS: Associated Press (11.26.02) - Wednesday, November 27, 2002; Brazil should not give an inch in its fight against AIDS, President Fernando Henrique Cardoso said Tuesday at a ceremony commemorating World AIDS Day. Despite a prediction a decade ago by the World Bank that Brazil would have 1.2 million HIV- infected people by 2000, we have arrived at 2002 with 600,000 cases, so we
Canada Can't Be Complacent About AIDS: Edmonton Journal (11.24.02) - Wednesday, November 27, 2002; Diana Davidson; Many people believe that AIDS is over in places like Canada and that new drugs exist which make AIDS a manageable condition. These mistaken beliefs are costing lives. ...Compared to the rest of the world, Canada does have a relatively low HIV prevalence rate. We also have affordable, accessible, and effective medical
Banquet for HIV Population to Go On - Aid by Red Sox Saves Tradition: Boston Globe (11.25.02) - Wednesday, November 27, 2002; Corey Dade; Two thousand people were expected at Monday evening s 15th annual Celebration of Life Thanksgiving banquet at Boston s Hynes Auditorium. Hosted by the Boston Living Center, a South End agency that provides services for about 1,700 people with HIV, the banquet reconnects old friends who swap enduring tales and reaffirm
Multivitamins Improve Weight Gain in HIV-Infected, Pregnant Women: Women's Health Weekly (11.28.02) - Wednesday, November 27, 2002; More than 13 million women of childbearing age are infected with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. Infected pregnant women are at serious risk for low-birth-weight infants or preterm delivery. As HIV infection progresses, patients lose weight due to opportunistic infections, diminished dietary intake, and nutrient malabsorpti
Perception of Punishment Undermines Adherence: AIDS Weekly (11.25.02) - Wednesday, November 27, 2002; New research shows that although advances in drug therapies have made HIV a manageable illness, patients negative attitudes about the disease may undermine treatment. Many people with HIV feel that their infection is punishment. The report, Predictors of Psychological Well-Being in a Diverse Sample of HIV-Positive Pati
How AIDS Brings Famine Nearer: Christian Science Monitor (11.15.02) - Wednesday, November 27, 2002; Danna Harman; Southern Africa s massive food crisis is not the same old story of drought equals famine in Africa. This time, there is hunger in the huts for reasons that have little to do with the weather. In the months to come, aid organizations will work overtime to help keep the food flowing into southern Africa. Sadly, much of i
Women Make Up Half of HIV Cases; Milestone Explains Effects of Epidemic: Washington Post (11.27.02) - Wednesday, November 27, 2002; David Brown; Marking the arrival of a milestone experts had predicted for years, the UN and the World Health Organization announced Wednesday that about half the HIV-infected people worldwide are women. The continued spread of AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, where the majority of new infections have occurred in women for several years,
Protesters Take AIDS Message to White House; 31 Arrested in Scenario Coordinated with Police: Washington Post (11.27.02) - Wednesday, November 27, 2002; Manny Fernandez; Several hundred AIDS activists marched in downtown Washington yesterday to call on President Bush to increase funding for global and domestic AIDS treatment, prevention and education, in a spirited protest that ended with planned arrests in front of the White House. Demonstrators boarded buses from New York, Philadelph
Poll: Israelis Still Avoid Social Contact with HIV Carriers: Jerusalem Post (11.24.02) - Tuesday, November 26, 2002; Judy Siegel; The Israeli public still stigmatizes people with HIV/AIDS, with 48 percent of respondents in a new Israel AIDS Task Force poll saying they would not go to a dentist who also treats such patients, and 53 percent demanding that carriers make their condition known. The findings, said IATF, show that despite better drug tr
International AIDS Experts Say HIV Skyrocketing in Ukraine: Associated Press (11.23.02) - Tuesday, November 26, 2002; HIV rates are skyrocketing in the former Soviet republic of Ukraine , and experts estimate that 1 percent of the nation s 48 million people are currently infected, organizers of an international AIDS conference in Kiev said Saturday. Officials have registered 49,873 HIV cases in Ukraine. However, the actual number of c
Fifteen Lawsuits Filed in Hepatitis C Outbreak: Associated Press (11.25.02) - Tuesday, November 26, 2002; Fifteen lawsuits have been filed in Dodge County District Court on behalf of patients infected with hepatitis C at a clinic leasing space at the Fremont Area Medical Center in Fremont, Neb. Eighty-one patients of Dr. Tahir Javed s clinic have tested positive for hepatitis C. Nebraska health officials have said a vial o
Herpes Vaccine Trial Needs 7,500 Women: Detroit Free Press (11.26.02) - Tuesday, November 26, 2002; For a new vaccine trial, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is working with GlaxoSmithKline to find a rare population of women - those who have never been infected with genital herpes or the cold sore virus, both of which are incredibly common. Researchers hope the new vaccine will win approval b
Management of Metabolic Complications Associated with Antiretroviral Therapy for HIV-1 Infection: Recommendations of an International AIDS Society-USA Panel: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (11.01.02) Vol. 31, No. 3, P. 257-275 - Tuesday, November 26, 2002; Morris Schambelan; Constance A. Benson; Andrew Carr; Judith S. Currier; Michael P. Dubé; John G. Gerber; Steven K. Grinspoon; Carl Grunfeld; Donald P. Kotler; Kathleen Mulligan; William G. Powderly; Michael S. Saag; Alterations in glucose and lipid metabolism, lactic acidemia, bone disorders, and abnormal fat distribution have been recognized recently as frequent complications associated with HIV-1 infection and potent antiretroviral therapy, but limited data are available regarding the appropriate management of these disorders.
AIDS in Asia - AIDS Spreads as Vietnam Targets 'Social Ills': San Francisco Chronicle (11.24.02) - Tuesday, November 26, 2002; Ben Schnayerson; Vietnam s government estimates there are 107,000 HIV cases - local AIDS workers say the figure is at least 200,000 - in this country of 78 million, and concedes the number will double by 2005. The government contends the epidemic s chief source is heterosexual sex, and points to the nation s estimated 40,000 prostitute
Japanese Woman Infected with HIV Through Artificial Insemination: Agence France Presse (11.25.02) - Tuesday, November 26, 2002; In Tokyo Monday, a researcher announced that a woman who was incorrectly given an artificial insemination treatment using sperm from her HIV-positive husband has been infected with the virus. The case is the first in Japan in which artificial insemination has caused HIV infection. The woman, whose name and age were n
International Response to AIDS in Africa 'Shameful' - UNICEF: Agence France Presse (11.25.02) - Tuesday, November 26, 2002; On Monday at a Namibia meeting of African officials considering the plight of AIDS orphans, a UNICEF representative called the international response to the sub- Saharan epidemic shamefully short of what is needed. Despite expressions of commitment from so many countries, the actual response has been very limited in sc
AIDS Quilt May Return to Washington: Associated Press (11.25.02) - Tuesday, November 26, 2002; Mike Recht; Angry at the Bush administration s response to the world- wide AIDS epidemic, the founder of the AIDS Quilt plans to bring it back to Washington to call new attention to the disease. The quilt was last in the nation s capital in 1996, but activist Cleve Jones is hoping to bring it back on Columbus Day weekend in 2004.
AIDS Leaders Meet Top Bush Officials: Southern Voice (Atlanta) (11.22.02) - Tuesday, November 26, 2002; Lou Chibbaro Jr.; On Oct. 30, President Bush s chief domestic policy advisor, Margaret Spelling, hosted an unannounced meeting at the White House with leaders of 10 of the nation s most prominent AIDS advocacy groups. On the day following their meeting, leaders of the groups attended another unannounced meeting with Department of Health
Study: AIDS Prevention Saved Up to 1.5 Million: Reuters (11.25.02) - Tuesday, November 26, 2002; Maggie Fox; AIDS prevention efforts across the United States , including programs to promote the use of condoms and focus groups aimed at drug users, have saved hundreds of thousands of lives, researchers said on Friday. Although the number of new infections has stayed level at about 40,000 a year for the past decade, many more pe
In First, China Allows AIDS-Infected Woman to Marry Healthy Man, State Media Say: Associated Press (11.25.02) - Monday, November 25, 2002; A woman with HIV will marry an uninfected man in a ceremony in Beijing on Sunday to mark World AIDS Day, according to the Xinhua News Agency. It is the first time China will allow such a union. The woman, 28, is a former drug addict who contracted HIV from dirty needles. She has lived for four years with her fiancé. Th
Minister Takes HIV Test in Front of Congregation: Associated Press (11.25.02) - Monday, November 25, 2002; In Buffalo, N.Y., yesterday, True Bethel Baptist Church Pastor Darius G. Pridgen endured the needle prick of an HIV test in front of his congregation during Sunday worship. He then implored his assembly to get tested for HIV after services, the Buffalo News reported. The effort for mass HIV screening through a church i
Names & Faces: Washington Post (11.23.02) - Monday, November 25, 2002; Six months after traveling to four African countries with Treasury Secretary Paul O Neill, U-2 singer Bono is teaming up with actress Ashley Judd on a one-week bus tour of seven US cities and towns to spread the message about Africa s HIV/AIDS plight. The tour will start on World AIDS Day, Dec. 1, in Lincoln, Neb., the
P. Diddy Up in Arms About AIDS 'Genocide': Associated Press (11.23.02) - Monday, November 25, 2002; Mike Cohen; On Saturday, rapper Sean P. Diddy Combs and singer Alicia Keys performed in a Cape Town, South Africa , concert taped for global broadcast by MTV on World AIDS Day, Dec. 1. I don t think you see enough of this story in your face, an indignant Combs told reporters. There are millions and millions of people that are dyin
Syphilis Outbreak Raises HIV Fears: Chicago Tribune (11.19.02) - Monday, November 25, 2002; Jimmy Greenfield; In an attempt to cope with a syphilis outbreak among gay and bisexual men, Chicago Department of Public Health workers utilize a mobile unit to persuade men to get tested for syphilis and HIV. Sometimes we ve had 10 people in the van trying to get tested, said Yvonne Cruz, field operations manager for the mobile unit.
Controlling Tuberculosis in India: New England Journal of Medicine (10.31.02) Vol. 347; No. 18: P. 1420-1425 - Monday, November 25, 2002; G.R. Khatri, MD, DPH; Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH; Tuberculosis is the leading cause of death in India , killing close to 500,000 people a year. A review of India s tuberculosis program in 1992 found that less than half of TB patients received an accurate diagnosis, and less than half of diagnosed cases received effective treatment.
Drug-Resistant Gonorrhea on the Rise in 2 States: Reuters Health (11.21.02) - Monday, November 25, 2002; Gonorrhea resistant to the commonly used class of drugs fluoroquinolones, which includes ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin,