2004

Family Of Woman Killed By Trial HIV Drug Sues Glaxo: Associated Press - December 29, 2004; MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - The family of a pregnant woman who died while taking experimental AIDS drugs to protect her baby from getting the disease is suing the doctors, drug makers and hospitals involved in the study for $10 million. Joyce Ann Hafford s mother and sister allege in the suit filed Tuesday that doctors conti
Bush Defends US Generosity After UN Official's Comment: Associated Press - December 29, 2004; WASHINGTON (AP) - President George W. Bush defended U.S. generosity Wednesday, even as his administration figures out how to pay for help beyond the $35 million it has already promised to tsunami victims in Asia. In his first remarks since the weekend disaster that so far has killed more than 76,000, Bush - like some i
Author, Activist Susan Sontag Dies At 71: Associated Press - December 28, 2004; NEW YORK (AP) - Susan Sontag, a leading intellectual and activist of the past half-century who introduced the concept of camp to mainstream culture and also influenced the way many thought about art, illness and photography, died Tuesday. She was 71. Sontag died at 7:10 a.m. Tuesday, said Esther Carver, a spokeswoman f
FDA Approves New Drug for Severe Pain: Associated Press - December 28, 2004; Laura Meckler, Associated Press Writer; WASHINGTON (AP) - The government approved a drug Tuesday that offers a new way of fighting severe pain - an option for patients who no longer benefit from morphine and other traditional pain medications. It s the first in a new class of drugs that selectively blocks the nerve channels responsible for transmitting pain
Comment Hits Nerve of American Charity: Associated Press - December 28, 2004; John Heilprin, Associated Press Writer; WASHINGTON (AP) - A suggestion by a U.N. official that the world s richest nations were stingy irritated the Bush administration, especially when U.S. aid for Asia s earthquake is expected to eventually rise from the millions to more than $1 billion. The comment reopened the question of how to measure American generosi
Judge rules federal doctors lack whistle-blower rights: Associated Press - December 27, 2004; John Solomon; Highly paid federal doctors are not protected by the whistle-blower act and have no appeal rights if fired, a judge ruled. WASHINGTON - Thousands of federal doctors and medical researchers who receive some of the highest salaries in government don t enjoy the same protections to blow the whistle on wrongdoing as other
India Struggles With Patent Reform: Associated Press - December 26, 2004; Rajesh Mahapatra, Associated Press Writer; NEW DELHI (AP) - In a dingy, poorly lit corridor in a government building, dozens of foreign visitors have been making rounds of offices, escorted by men and women wearing the black, tuxedo-like robes of Indian lawyers. The building houses India s pharmaceuticals ministry. The foreign visitors are representatives of mu
Clinics meet special needs of internationally adopted kids: Associated Press - December 26, 2004; Cheryl Wittenauer; Specialized clinics have opened to treat the physical, mental and emotional problems of children adopted from foreign countries. ST. LOUIS - Almost immediately after Yvette and Paul Hubbman brought their adopted daughter home from Russia , they made some puzzling discoveries: Louise avoided making eye contact. She got
Cleaners called to grisly death scenes after the police leave: Associated Press - December 26, 2004; Jeffrey Gold, AP Business Writer; NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - No one really wants to see Timothy Carroll and his crew at their doorstep. But when he s needed, he helps grieving family members with a cleanup task they d rather not even think about. When someone is murdered or commits suicide at home, family members or friends are responsible for cleaning up. Ca
Facing Jan. 1 WTO Deadline, India struggles with patent reform: Associated Press - December 24, 2004; Rajesh Mahapatra, Associated Press Writer; NEW DELHI (AP) - In a dingy, poorly lit corridor in a government building, dozens of foreign visitors have been making rounds of offices, escorted by men and women wearing the black, tuxedo-like robes of Indian lawyers. The building houses India s pharmaceuticals ministry. The foreign visitors are representatives of mu
Highly paid federal doctors lack whistleblower protections: Associated Press - December 24, 2004; John Solomon, Associated Press Writer; WASHINGTON (AP) - Thousands of federal doctors and medical researchers who receive some of the highest salaries in government don t enjoy the same protections to blow the whistle on wrongdoing as other civil servants, a judge has ruled. Administrative Judge Raphael Ben-Ami of the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board rul
Orphans, Ethiopia's worsening tragedy, draw increasing numbers of adoptive parents: Associated Press - December 24, 2004; Anthony Mitchell, Associated Press Writer; ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) - Four-month-old Thomas Bekele lies in a crib in the Kidane Meheret Children s Home awaiting an HIV test, the result of which will determine his chances of being adopted and growing up in a Western country. His mother died a month ago of tuberculosis, a telltale sign of HIV. He is one of 150
Rare STD turns up in city: Associated Press - December 22, 2004; A rare and potentially serious sexually transmitted disease has turned up in a few patients in San Francisco, prompting health officials to issue a public warning. The disease is called lymphogranuloma venereum, or LGV. It s a form of chlamydia, a common sexually transmitted infection, but LGV can cause scarring of the
College Student Raises $30,000 for Orphans: Associated Press - December 22, 2004; Sonja Barisic; NORFOLK, Va. (AP) - George Srour was visiting an orphanage in Kampala, Uganda , this summer when he turned a corner and was swarmed by a group of double orphans - children who lost both parents to AIDS and were infected themselves. All they wanted was to shake his hand. I couldn t stop smiling, but at the same time I f
Cambodia's first soap mixes health ed with love and temptation: Associated Press - December 21, 2004; Miranda Leitsinger, Associated Press Writer; PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) - The sleazy doctor brushes off the advances of a student nurse in the parking lot, but asks her out in a hospital corridor. A male nurse enters a patient s room and realizes she s the woman he ran into with his motorcycle last night -- and the wife of the nursing school principal. Taste
Mozambique Ruling Party Candidate Named Pres Vote Winner: Associated Press - December 21, 2004; MAPUTO, Mozambique (AP) - Ruling party presidential candidate Armando Guebuza was declared the winner Tuesday in an election marred by voter apathy so overwhelming that it raised questions about the health of Mozambique s emerging democracy. Mozambique s Electoral Commission said Guebuza got 64% of the presidential vot
Possible Single HIV-Treatment Pill Praised For Simplicity: Associated Press - December 20, 2004; TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - After two drug companies announced Monday that they will collaborate on developing the first all-in-one, one-a-day pill to treat HIV infection, advocates of such a pill praised the move. To have it all in a single pill is terrific, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy an
'Apprentice,' 'Survivor' Gear Goes to eBay: Associated Press - December 20, 2004; NEW YORK (AP) - The latest Apprentice has been hired and the newest Survivor has, well, survived. But fans shouldn t fret. In the downtime before the next installments, they can own a piece of reality TV history. Props from NBC s The Apprentice and CBS Survivor are now available on eBay with proceeds benefiting the Eli
Drug makers putting complete AIDS treatment in one daily pill: Associated Press - December 20, 2004; Linda A. Johnson, AP Business Writer; TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - Two drug companies announced Monday they will collaborate on developing the first all-in-one, once-a-day pill to treat HIV infection -- a long-sought goal that would make it much easier for patients to stick with their medication. Currently, the best AIDS treatment requires patients to take two to
Nurses convicted in HIV trial could seek compensation for illegal arrest and torture, minister says: Associated Press - December 20, 2004; SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) - Five Bulgarian nurses sentenced to death in Libya for allegedly infecting children with HIV plan to seek compensation from Tripoli for illegal arrest and torture, Bulgaria s justice minister said Monday. The nurses were sentenced in May for allegedly infecting more than 400 Libyan children with H
Study Finds Resistance to AIDS Drug: Associated Press - December 17, 2004; Geoffrey Muleme, Associated Press Writer; KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) - A Ugandan health official said Friday a country study found that 20 percent of pregnant women and 46 percent of their babies developed resistance to nevirapine after taking one dose to protect the newborns from HIV infection. Scientists, however, don t know the possible long-term effec
HIV drug protects babies, but at a grim cost: Associated Press - December 17, 2004; Alexandra Zavis; Concern about an AIDS drug threatens the South African program credited with protecting thousands of infants from HIV infection. JOHANNESBURG - Charmaine and her husband tried for more than year to have a child. The day she found out she was pregnant, a doctor told her she was HIV-positive. Devastated, Charmaine consid
Jesse Jackson calls for investigation into AIDS drug: Associated Press - December 17, 2004; Mike Colias, Associated Press Writer; CHICAGO (AP) - The Rev. Jesse Jackson called for a congressional investigation into reports that U.S. health officials withheld research from the White House that showed an AIDS drug distributed to hundreds of thousands of Africans posed serious risks. He also said the U.S. government should immediately halt the drug s
Vatican sets up AIDS foundation while cardinals avoid debate on condoms: Associated Press - December 17, 2004; VATICAN CITY (AP) - The Vatican established a foundation Friday to fund Catholic organizations assisting AIDS victims, urging people to contribute even if they object to the Church s opposition to the use of condoms to fight the spread of the disease. Pope John Paul II has set aside $132,000 for the Good Samaritan Foun
African doctors worry govts. may halt drug's use amid concerns about effect on pregnant women: Associated Press - December 17, 2004; Geoffrey Muleme, Associated Press Writer; KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) - Doctors and AIDS activists in Africa are worried governments may halt use of an AIDS drug that has protected thousands of babies from HIV infection in reaction to new concerns about the drug s testing and effect on pregnant women. The Rev. Jesse Jackson is calling for a U.S. congressional investi
S African ANC Online Journal Slams US Govt Over AIDS Drug: Associated Press - December 17, 2004; JOHANNESBURG (AP) - President Thabo Mbeki s African National Congress published a stinging attack Friday on top U.S. health officials, accusing them of treating Africans like guinea pigs and telling lies to promote the sales of a key AIDS drug. The article reinforces the fears of doctors and activists that new question
Erasure Singer Feeling Fine With HIV: Associated Press - December 16, 2004; LONDON (AP) - Andy Bell, lead singer of synth-pop duo Erasure, said he was feeling fine six years after being diagnosed with HIV. In a statement posted on Erasure s Web site, Bell, 40, said he had been diagnosed with the virus that causes AIDS in 1998 after falling ill with pneumonia on a trip to the Spanish island of
Brits to Give UNICEF $88M for AIDS Orphans: Associated Press - December 16, 2004; Emily Fredrix, Associated Press Writer; WASHINGTON (AP) - The British government will give UNICEF $88 million for its work with children orphaned by AIDS, both parties announced Thursday. Most of the money will be spent in sub-Saharan Africa, where the AIDS epidemic continues, said Gareth Thomas, British international development minister, at a news conferen
Woman Died During Gov't AIDS Study: Associated Press - December 16, 2004; John Solomon and Randy Herschaft; A pregnant Tennessee woman who enrolled in federally funded research in hopes of saving her soon-to-be-born son from getting AIDS died last year when doctors continued to give her an experimental drug regimen despite signs of liver failure, government memos say. Family members of Joyce Ann Hafford say the 33-year-old H
Excerpts of original, rewritten AIDS drug safety reports: Associated Press - December 14, 2004; Excerpts showing key differences between an original safety report written by the National Institutes of Health s Dr. Betsy Smith concerning research on the AIDS drug nevirapine and the rewritten version of the report by AIDS research chief Dr. Edmund Tramont. Smith s original version: Acceptable or required t
US NIH Concerned Before AIDS Drug Sent To Africa: Associated Press - December 14, 2004; WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. government s research on using an AIDS drug to protect African babies was so flawed that health officials had to use blood tests after the fact to confirm patients got the medicine. Ultimately, they had to acknowledge the study broke federal patient protection rules. But the National Institut
AIDS Report Conclusions Got Changed: Associated Press - December 14, 2004; John Solomon, Associated Press Writer; WASHINGTON (AP) - The government s chief of AIDS research rewrote a safety report on a U.S.-funded drug study to change its conclusions and delete negative information. Later, he ordered the research resumed over the objections of his staff, documents show. Dr. Edmund Tramont, chief of the National Institutes of Health
Religious Leaders Talk AIDS Prevention: Associated Press - December 13, 2004; Antonio Castaneda, Associated Press Writer; CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - Religious leaders on Monday debated methods to halt the spread of AIDS - a usually taboo subject in the conservative Arab world - but they stopped short of agreeing to recommend the use of contraceptives to prevent the disease. More than 80 religious leaders, Muslim and Christian, met at a United Na
A glance at AIDS drug nevirapine: Associated Press - December 13, 2004; THE DRUG: Nevirapine, an AIDS drug pronounced Nee-VERA-peen, is made by Boehringer Ingelheim Corp. and is marketed under the brand name Viramune . There are two generic versions, Nevimune, made by Cipla , and Nevirex, made by Aurobindo Pharma.
Flu-shot scare illustrates ease of injecting potential victims: Associated Press - December 13, 2004; Joshua Freed, Associated Press Writer; MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - The woman offering flu shots for $20 in the commons area at Augsburg college seemed plausible enough -- green scrubs, white lab coat, stethoscope -- that some three dozen people willingly paid their money, rolled up their sleeves and let her plunge the needle in. But no one had scheduled a flu clinic
AIDS , Poverty Orphan 10% Of Ethiopia's Children - Report: Associated Press - December 13, 2004; ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) - Ten percent of Ethiopia s 46 million children are orphans whose parents died of AIDS , poverty and poor health conditions, a new report said Monday. Ethiopia needs $115 million a month, slightly less than its annual health budget of around $140 million, to help look after the orphans, said
Rutgers researchers may have stopped HIV: Associated Press - December 12, 2004; Piscataway, N.J. - Researchers at Rutgers University have developed a trio of drugs they believe can destroy HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, according to a published report. The drugs, called DAPYs, mimic the virus by changing shape, which enables them to interfere with the way HIV attacks the immune system. Tests con
Top U.S. officials warned of concerns before AIDS drug sent to Africa: Associated Press - December 12, 2004; John Solomon, Associated Press Writer; WASHINGTON (AP) - Weeks before President Bush announced a plan to protect African babies from AIDS, top U.S. health officials were warned that research on the key drug was flawed and may have underreported thousands of severe reactions including deaths, government documents show. The 2002 warnings about the drug,
Nurse behind Minnesota flu shot scare says she's innocent: Associated Press - December 12, 2004; Steve Karnowski, Associated Press Writer; MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - A nurse who sent fears through a Minnesota college by selling flu shots at what the school called an unauthorized clinic said Sunday she had permission from an administrator to be there. Michelle Torgerson, 33, said she sold vaccine left over from clinics she had run in the past and maintained the va
Unauthorized Minn. Flu Shots Were Vaccines: Associated Press - December 10, 2004; Brian Bakst, Associated Press Writer; MINNEAPOLIS - Tests show the shots administered by a woman at an unauthorized flu clinic this month contained the real flu vaccine, calming fears the shots could have contained something dangerous. The Minnesota Health Department said Friday that all the vials seized by police when they arrested 33-year-old Michelle Ly
Maathai Accepts Nobel Peace Prize: Associated Press - December 10, 2004; OSLO - The first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, environmental activist Wangari Maathai, received her award Friday to the beat of drums and dancers that broke with the usual stodgy ceremony, and she urged her audience to embrace the whole creation in all its diversity, beauty and wonder. Ms. Maathai receive
David Brudnoy, veteran radio talk show host in Boston, dies at 64: Associated Press - December 9, 2004; Theo Emery, Associated Press Writer; BOSTON (AP) - David Brudnoy, one of Boston s most recognized talk radio voices for more than a quarter of a century, died Thursday night, Massachusetts General Hospital officials said. He was 64. Brudnoy, whose soothing voice could be heard every weeknight in 38 states and in Canada on WBZ-AM since 1986, told liste
Study: Drug Offers Hope in Treating TB: Associated Press - December 9, 2004; Paul Recer, AP Science Writer; WASHINGTON (AP) - A novel type of antibiotic has been shown in laboratory tests to powerfully attack and control tuberculosis, and some experts predict it could become the first new drug in 40 years to effectively combat the killer disease. Results from mouse experiments conducted by researchers in a
UNICEF report finds poverty, war and HIV/AIDS stripping half the world's children of a healthy and safe childhood: Associated Press - December 9, 2004; Catherine Mcaloon, Associated Press Writer; LONDON (AP) - More than half the world s children are suffering the effects of poverty, war and HIV/AIDS, denying them a healthy and safe childhood, UNICEF s annual report said Thursday. The United Nations children s fund report on The State of the World s Children found more than 1 billion children were growing up hun
Libyan Leader's Son Rules Out Executing Bulgarian Nurses: Associated Press - December 9, 2004; TRIPOLI (AP) - The son of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi Thursday ruled out the execution of five Bulgarian nurses who were sentenced to death for infecting more than 400 Libyan children with HIV-contaminated blood. Seif el-Islam Gadhafi also said the Appeal Court might change the death sentence to a prison sentence. Th
Annan Warns UN Must Reform To Tackle Terrorism, AIDS: Associated Press - December 8, 2004; UNITED NATIONS (AP) - United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan warned member states Wednesday they must act quickly to reform the United Nations if the world is to successfully tackle 21st century global threats such as terrorism, nuclear proliferation and AIDS. The United Nations has done a good job in many instanc
Bulgaria rules out paying Libya to reconsider death sentences of Bulgarian nurses: Associated Press - December 7, 2004; SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) - A senior Bulgarian official ruled out paying any compensation to get Libya to reconsider the death sentences of five Bulgarian nurses accused of infecting children with HIV. Deputy Foreign Minister Gergana Grancharova said her government believes the nurses are innocent and that such a payment co
Head Of Global AIDS Fund: AIDS 'Growing Rapidly' In China: Associated Press - December 7, 2004; BEIJING (AP) - The head of a global AIDS group warned Tuesday that the disease is spreading rapidly in China , disputing government figures that suggest the infection rate has remained the same since last year but praising Beijing s newly aggressive efforts to fight the illness. China has said for more than a year that
Brace yourself: Yellow LIVESTRONG bracelets are just the beginning: Associated Press - December 6, 2004; Martha Irvine, AP National Writer; CHICAGO (AP) - Jennifer Longley wears her yellow bracelet in honor of her many relatives who have had cancer, including a grandfather who lost his tongue and voice box and an aunt who died of ovarian cancer. I also wear it for me, because I know that this is something that I will continue to deal with in my future, sa
AP Interview: UNICEF chief says war, poverty and AIDS preventing the world from meeting goals on children: Associated Press - Monday, December 6, 2004; Paul Haven, Associated Press Writer; ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) - War, AIDS and grinding poverty have prevented the world from reaching many of its goals for helping young people, the U.N. children s agency said Monday ahead of a major report on the state of the world s children. The three issues have been major obstacles to progress, even when the internat
Bracelets represent a variety of causes: Associated Press - Monday, December 6, 2004; (AP) - Some examples of organizations with fund-raiser bracelets, arranged by color: RED: * The Diabetes Research Institute is raising funds with its Insulin Is Not a Cure bracelets. www.DRInet.org * This month, the nonprofit Keep a Child Alive will begin selling bracelets to raise funds for children With HIV/AIDS: www
Abstinence-only programs should get federal review, Frist says: Associated Press - Sunday, December 5, 2004; WASHINGTON (AP) - Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Sunday that the government should review federally funded sexual abstinence programs, under fire from Democrats who say they contain false and misleading medical information. The abstinence-only programs, which get $170 million from Congress this year, teach chil
Guyana To Get $20M From US To Fight AIDS -Health Minister: Associated Press - December 4, 2004; GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) - Guyana will receive $20 million from the U.S. next year to help fight AIDS, the health minister said Saturday. Among other initiatives, the funds will go to preventing transmission from mothers to children and improving testing capabilities in the country, Health Minister Leslie Ramsammy said.
Bush's Foreign Aid Programs at Juncture: Associated Press - December 3, 2004; Jim Abrams, Associated Press Writer; WASHINGTON - Amid the discord over administration foreign policy, President Bush has won wide acclaim for two initiatives: helping overseas AIDS victims and countries that adopt democratic reforms. But those ambitious goals could be imperiled by the realities of an expensive war and a growing budget deficit. In the fac
Anthrax attacks, flu vaccine shortage, Medicare drug bill marked Thompson's tenure: Associated Press - December 3, 2004; Mark Sherman, Associated Press Writer; WASHINGTON (AP) - Anthrax attacks and a flu vaccine shortage troubled the first and last years of Tommy Thompson s tenure as Health and Human Services secretary. A much brighter note, he said Friday, was the Medicare prescription law he helped pass in 2003. Thompson, 63, announced his resignation Friday, saying he was
Meth's aphrodisiac effect explains its hold on addicts: Associated Press - December 3, 2004; Bill Poovey, Associated Press Writer; CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) - At a recent task force meeting on the epidemic of methamphetamine use in Appalachia, Gov. Phil Bredesen winced when a federal prosecutor described the illegal drug as an aphrodisiac. Doctors and government officials don t like to talk much about it, but there is an obvious reason people get ho
AIDS awareness: Associated Press - December 2, 2004; Alexander G. Higgins , The Associated Press; GENEVA - From Armenia to Zambia , thousands of activists turned out to sing in mighty cathedrals, light candles in city squares and march and hold dance-athons on World AIDS Day as the United Nations focused on protecting women and girls, often sidelined in the fight against the disease. Nearly half the 39.
U.S. drug safety system shaky, experts say: Associated Press - December 2, 2004; Jeff Donn; Recently, troubling news about several high-profile drugs has sapped confidence in the system charged with exposing dangerous medicines. BOSTON - In a sharp pivot, many medical authorities are questioning the fundamental safety guarantees for American drugs, threatening to dull the national appetite that has demanded a
CDC Not Seeing Desired US HIV Infection Reduction By 2005: Associated Press - December 2, 2004; ATLANTA (AP) - Despite the government s promise to break the back of the AIDS epidemic by 2005, about 40,000 U.S. citizens test positive for the HIV infection every year - the same number as a decade ago. The figure is double the annual goal of 20,000 new HIV cases laid out by the Centers for Disease Control and Preven
Governor bars health agency from giving out flavored condoms: Associated Press - December 1, 2004; Christopher Wills; SPRINGFIELD - The Blagojevich administration Wednesday defended its decision to stop distributing flavored and colored condoms that health activists consider helpful in fighting AIDS, even as dozens of people rallied at the Capitol to remember victims of the disease. At the Capitol and other state buildings, lights wer
Abstinence programs present false, misleading information, lawmaker says: Associated Press - December 1, 2004; Mark Sherman, Associated Press Writer; WASHINGTON (AP) - Rep. Henry Waxman says federally funded abstinence education programs that are used in 25 states contain false and misleading information about contraception, abortion and sexually transmitted diseases. A report Wednesday from the California Democrat said 11 of the 13 most widely used programs underes
Jamaica Considering Law Against HIV/AIDS Discrimination: Associated Press - December 1, 2004; KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) - The government said it was considering legislation to protect people with HIV/AIDS from discrimination, two weeks after coming under criticism from a human rights group for not doing enough to address the problem. The legislation would seek to protect people who face discrimination at work or e
U.S. HIV Rates Remain Unchanged: Associated Press - December 1, 2004; ATLANTA - Nearly a million Americans now have the AIDS virus and the nation s ability to keep others from becoming infected still lags despite a government pledge four years ago to break the back of the AIDS epidemic by 2005. The campaign, launched by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in February 2001, int
Anti-AIDS campaigners spotlight need to protect women, girls: Associated Press - December 1, 2004; Alexander G. Higgins, Associated Press Writer; GENEVA (AP) - From Armenia to Zambia , thousands of activists turned out to sing in mighty cathedrals, light candles in city squares and march and hold dance-athons on World AIDS Day as the United Nations focused on protecting women and girls, often sidelined in the fight against the disease. Nearly half the 39.
US Envoy Powell OK After Gunfire Near Haiti Mtg: Associated Press - December 1, 2004; PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) - U.N. troops fired shots in the air on Wednesday, blocks away from the National Palace where U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell was to meet with Haitian political leaders and opponents of ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. It wasn t clear whether Powell was in the palace when people
Blair Says UK Has Moral Duty To Help Africa Fight AIDS: Associated Press - December 1, 2004; LONDON (AP) - Prime Minister Tony Blair said the U.K. has a moral duty to help Africa cope with the fight against HIV/AIDS, but emphasized the situation wasn t a hopeless one. In an interview being broadcast Wednesday to mark World Aids Day, Blair said good leadership, locally and internationally, and financial investm
Prison Drug Use,Unsafe Sex Fueling Asia AIDS Epidemic: Associated Press - December 1, 2004; JAKARTA (AP) - Unprotected sex and rampant drug use in Asia s overcrowded and run-down prisons is fueling the AIDS epidemic in the region, and governments have been slow to recognize the threat, activists say. Prisons are HIV factories, said Elizabeth Pisani of Family Health International, an AIDS prevention group in J
Asia Marks World AIDS Day; Women Now Seen Most At Risk: Associated Press - December 1, 2004; BANGKOK (AP) - Activists, entertainers and health workers gathered Wednesday across Asia to mark World AIDS Day, amid warnings that women and girls are increasingly at risk of becoming infected with the deadly disease. National infection rates remain lower in Asia than in other parts of the world - particularly worst-h
Asia AIDS Conference To Set Agenda To Combat Virus: Associated Press - December 1, 2004; ISLAMABAD (AP) - Worldwide aid workers meeting in Pakistan to discuss saving women and girls from AIDS were expected to set an agenda for fighting the pandemic in the Asia-Pacific region Wednesday. About 400 aid workers were at the Islamabad conference with a focus on empowering women in a region where men usually have
Vietnam Asks Donors For Help To Achieve Development Goals: Associated Press - December 1, 2004; HANOI (AP) - Vietnam asked international aid donors Wednesday to open their wallets wider to help the communist country achieve its development goals over the next five years. During the opening of the annual Consultative Group meeting in Hanoi, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan hailed Vietnam s successes in poverty reduc
Microsoft To Open Research Facility In India: Associated Press - December 1, 2004; SEATTLE (AP) - Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) is further expanding its presence in India with plans to open a research center in Bangalore. The latest Microsoft Research campus will open in January 2005, the Redmond, Washington-based software giant said Tuesday. The researchers in India will focus on ways to create, store and
Human Rights Watch says curbs on condoms undermine global right against HIV/AIDS: Associated Press - November 30, 2004; David Crary, AP National Writer; NEW YORK (AP) - Criticism of condoms and restrictions on access to them are undercutting the fight against HIV/AIDS in countries ranging from Nigeria to Peru to the United States , Human Rights Watch said in a report Tuesday. Marking World AIDS Day, the New York-based hum
Women, Children Make Up Quarter Of NZ HIV Infections -Grp: Associated Press - November 30, 2004; WELLINGTON (AP) - A quarter of the 108 New Zealanders diagnosed as being HIV positive so far in 2004 are women and children, latest national figures revealed Wednesday, but an analyst said the country had avoided AIDS becoming an epidemic among heterosexuals. The numbers, compiled by the AIDS Epidemiology Group at Otag
Powell to Meet With Leaders in Haiti: Associated Press - November 30, 2004; WASHINGTON (AP) - Secretary of State Colin Powell will meet with Haitian leaders Wednesday during a one-day visit to reaffirm U.S. support for a democratic transition and to review American efforts to help overcome recent natural disasters. Powell also will commemorate World AIDS Day by meeting with Haitian youth who r
China's AIDS Infections on the Rise: Associated Press - November 30, 2004; Audra Ang, Associated Press Writer; BEIJING (AP) - President Hu Jintao was shown on state television Tuesday shaking hands with AIDS patients for the first time, as a report warned that the disease is spreading in China from high-risk groups such as drug users to the general population. The number of people contracting the AIDS virus in China is rising,
Australia's AusAID To Provide A$25m To Fight AIDS In PNG: Associated Press - November 30, 2004; SYDNEY (AP) - Australia is joining seven faith-based agencies to combat an HIV/AIDS epidemic in the troubled half-island nation of Papua New Guinea , aid workers said Tuesday. Australia s international development agency AusAID will provide A$25 million over the next five years to support efforts of church groups to fi
WHO Reinstates Indian AIDS Drugs To Approved List: Associated Press - November 30, 2004; GENEVA (AP) - The U.N. health agency said Tuesday that it has reinstated two Indian-made generic drugs to its list of approved HIV/AIDS medicines for use in developing countries after the manufacturer was able to prove they were the same as the patented versions. The drugs - lamivudine tablets and a combination of lami
AIDS Meet Participants: Empowering Women Is Best Vaccine: Associated Press - November 30, 2004; ISLAMABAD (AP) - Empowering women will help stem the spread of AIDS, international experts said as they discussed ways to help those who are most at risk. About 400 aid workers from around the world are attending a three-day conference that opened Monday with a focus on how women and girls - whom experts say are 2.5 ti
Armed with a lipstick, MAC committed to fight against AIDS: Associated Press - November 29, 2004; World AIDS Day is Dec. 1 NEW YORK - Good things come in small packages, and Viva Glam lipstick is a prime example. Over the past 10 years, the lipstick by MAC Cosmetics has raised $40 million for the MAC AIDS Fund. John Demsey, the chairman of the fund and acting president of MAC, says the lipstick is a good, respectab
Wary court considers medical marijuana: Associated Press - November 29, 2004; Gina Holland; WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court appeared hesitant Monday to endorse medical marijuana for patients who have a doctor s recommendation. Justices are considering whether sick people in 11 states with medical marijuana laws can get around a federal ban on pot. Paul Clement, the Bush administration s top court lawyer, noted
Asia-Pacific Meet To Focus on AIDS impact On Women, Girls: Associated Press - November 28, 2004; ISLAMABAD (AP) - Taking the fight against AIDS to those most vulnerable, government officials and aid workers from the Asia-Pacific region on Monday opened a three-day conference in Pakistan aimed at helping women and girls avoid the deadly disease. From street children to sex workers, the challenges are as wide and va
UN Failing To Protect Those Displaced By Conflicts-Report: Associated Press - November 26, 2004; GENEVA (AP) - The United Nations is failing to protect millions of people displaced by conflict in Sudan s Darfur region and violence in other hotspots around the world, a U.N. report said Friday. The global body s approach to the problem of people who have fled their homes but not crossed any international borders is
China Approves Human Tests Of Experimental Aids Vaccine: Associated Press - November 26, 2004; BEIJING (AP) - China has approved human testing of a domestically developed AIDS vaccine and pledged to speed up approvals of new drugs to fight the disease, state media said Friday. The first-stage test of the vaccine to determine its safety is to be carried out on 30 volunteers aged 18-50, state television said on it
Abuse against gays in Jamaica highlighted in Human Rights Watch report: Associated Press - November 25, 2004; Stevenson Jacobs, Associated Press Writer; KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) - As the mob around Victor Jarrett grew, so did the chanting. Gays must die! onlookers yelled as two policemen allegedly took turns beating him beneath the blazing afternoon sun. His crime? Staring at a teenage boy on a beach, one witness said. After chasing him to a nearby house, the crowd of ci
Report: Health Worker Shortage Hampers Developing Nations: Associated Press - November 25, 2004; LONDON (AP) - Efforts to combat diseases such as malaria, AIDS, tuberculosis and polio in the developing world are being thwarted by a critical shortage of 4 million health care workers, a new report has found. Money is beginning to flow for health programs in poor countries and drugs, vaccines and technologies are now
As many as 260,000 Mexicans are living with HIV: Associated Press - November 24, 2004; MEXICO CITY (AP) - As many as 260,000 Mexicans have the HIV virus, but the official number of cases remains far lower because thousands of those infected don t know they have it, the country s top HIV-AIDS expert said Wednesday. Jorge Saavedra, director of the National Center for the Prevention of AIDS, said the estima
AIDS Cases In Saudi Arabia Increases To 7,808 From 6,787: Associated Press - November 24, 2004; RIYADH (AP) - The number of AIDS cases in Saudi Arabia has increased during the past 12 months to 7,808 from 6,787, Saudi health authorities said Wednesday. The kingdom began monitoring AIDS, short for acquired immune deficiency syndrome, 20 years ago. The release of the figures came ahead of World AIDS Day on Dec.
Mexico Expanding Its Health Plan: Associated Press - November 24, 2004; * All 31 states will be on board in the coverage program for the poor by next week. MEXICO CITY - All 31 of Mexico s states will join the country s first nationwide health coverage program for the poor, Health Secretary Julio Frenk said Tuesday. Twenty-nine states already have joined the joint federal-state Popular Ins
EU's Barroso:Libya Ties Hinge On Fate Of Bulgarian Nurses: Associated Press - November 24, 2004; BRUSSELS (AP) - Efforts to forge closer ties between the European Union and Libya will depend on the fate of five Bulgarian nurses facing a death sentence there, the new president of the E.U. s head office said Wednesday. The kind of answer the Libyan authorities give to this specific problem is important for the overa
Women's rights in developing world crucial to victory over AIDS, U.N. says: Associated Press - November 23, 2004; Emma Ross, AP Medical Writer; LONDON (AP) - The women s rights movement and the AIDS movement must come together if the world is to ultimately win the fight against HIV, the United Nations said in a report released Tuesday. Women and girls in the developing world are increasingly becoming its main victims, but current safe-sex prevention strategies
U.N. Links HIV Fight to Women's Rights: Associated Press - November 23, 2004; Emma Ross, AP Medical Writer; LONDON (AP) - The global battle against HIV will ultimately fail unless serious progress is made on women s rights in the developing world, the United Nations says. The pandemic is increasingly taking on a feminine face as it enters its globalization phase. and the lack of women s equality - from poverty and stunted ed
Contracting HIV On The Increase For Women In East Asia: Associated Press - November 23, 2004; BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - Women in East Asia are contracting HIV at a faster rate than in the rest of the world, and there s a worrying new trend in Thailand: men who have visited prostitutes are increasingly passing on the infection to their wives, the United Nations says. In many parts of the world, but particularly i
Health Leaders From Around Globe Meet, Push Research: Associated Press - November 20, 2004; MEXICO CITY (AP) - Research is the key to reducing glaring health inequalities worldwide, but only if governments do a better job implementing long-lasting and effective policy based on its findings and communicate what works to their neighbors. That was the theme of a statement released by health leaders from more tha
Countries rich and poor struggle with similar health challenges, leaders at summit find: Associated Press - November 19, 2004; Will Weissert, Associated Press Writer; MEXICO CITY (AP) - Health ministers gathered for a global summit here have learned that funding problems, treatment inequities and the crippling cost of catastrophic care to the uninsured are not confined to the poorest corners of the world, Mexico s Health Secretary said Friday. We have increasingly similar problems w
Prince William Not Sure About Joining Army: Associated Press - November 19, 2004; LONDON (AP) - Prince William would want to fight on the front line if he were in the British army, but he is not sure whether he will sign up after graduating from a university, he told British media. William, who is in his final year of geography studies at Scotland s St. Andrew s University, said he was not sure what
Arafat's Diagnosis May Soon Be Revealed: Associated Press - November 19, 2004; Emma Ross; LONDON - A week after his death, speculation still swirls around what killed Yasser Arafat. Cirrhosis of the liver, AIDS, a blood disorder and poisoning are frequently mentioned in unconfirmed reports - all consistent with the little that is publicly known about the medical condition that landed the Palestinian leader
Indian firm withdraws six HIV drugs from World Health Organization's approved list: Associated Press - November 19, 2004; SAM CAGE, Associated Press Writer; GENEVA (AP) - India s Hetero Drugs is withdrawing six of its generic versions of antiretroviral drugs from the World Health Organization s list of approved HIV medicines, saying it is not certain they are biologically the same as the patented drugs. Hetero decided to withdraw the drugs -- the only prequalified retrovir
FDA issues regulations governing tissue banks after years of delay: Associated Press - November 18, 2004; Laura Meckler, Associated Press Writer; WASHINGTON (AP) - Tissue banks that process donated skin, ligaments and bones for transplant must meet new federal safety standards, aimed at preventing infection and disease, under regulations issued Thursday. The Food and Drug Administration regulations, which will take effect in May, set standards for an industry th
LSU to Study Oral Health of Babies: Associated Press - November 17, 2004; Janet Mcconnaughey, Associated Press Writer; NEW ORLEANS (AP) - When mothers kiss their babies or taste food to make sure it s cool enough for toothless gums and tender mouths, they may pass on germs that will decay teeth when they sprout, researchers say. A new study at the LSU Health Sciences Center dental school will look at whether babies whose mothers regula
Health Fund Mulls Policy As US Pushes For More Intl Help: Associated Press - November 17, 2004; ARUSHA, Tanzania (AP) - Leaders of a fund set up to combat three of the world s deadliest diseases met in northern Tanzania on Wednesday to discuss whether to call for more grants for projects to fight AIDS , tuberculosis and malaria. U.S. officials have been lobbying directors of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS , Tuberc
Immune Response: HIV Drug Data Favorable: Associated Press - November 17, 2004; CARLSBAD, Calif. (AP) - Immune Response Corp. said Wednesday that preliminary data for its experimental HIV treatment Remune suggest the drug improves immune response in patients who have not undergone anti-retroviral therapy. The company s stock rose 13 cents, or 14 percent, to $1.08 on the Nasdaq following the report
Bristol Carries Out Promised Job Cuts: Associated Press - November 17, 2004; SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) - Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. has eliminated the jobs of 70 scientists, chemical engineers, managers and support staff at its facilities in New York and New Jersey as it begins to align manufacturing operations for its new portfolio of medicines. The majority of the job cuts took place Tuesday in East
Microsoft's Gates In Paris To Seal Tech Pact With UNESCO: Associated Press - November 17, 2004; PARIS (AP) - Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) Chairman Bill Gates is Wednesday due to sign a cooperation agreement with the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to improve access to computers, the Internet and IT training in developing countries, the U.N. body said. The Microsoft cofounder and Koichiro Matsuura
Russian Govt Lacks Will To Combat HIV/AIDS Spread-Experts: Associated Press - November 17, 2004; MOSCOW (AP) - HIV/AIDS is spreading at an alarming pace in Russia , but the government lacks the political will to combat the epidemic that may claim tens of thousands of lives within the next few years, leading AIDS experts warned Wednesday. Russia remains among countries with the highest rates of the spread of the AI
World Bank Predicts Growth for Countries: Associated Press - November 16, 2004; Martin Crutsinger, AP Economics Writer; WASHINGTON (AP) - The world s developing countries this year will turn in the strongest economic growth in three decades and should continue to enjoy solid expansion in 2005 and 2006, the World Bank predicted Tuesday. The bank, issuing its latest Global Economic Prospects, said the economies of developing countries wou
Activists Seek Funds for World Health: Associated Press - November 16, 2004; Chris Tomlinson, Associated Press Writer; NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) - Health activists on Tuesday demanded more money for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria ahead of the group s board meeting where U.S. representatives are expected to push for a suspension of new projects. Since 2002, the Global Fund has become a major donor, helping to improve
African Conflicts, Fund Gap Threaten Polio Eradication-UN: Associated Press - November 16, 2004; GENEVA (AP) - The conflict in Ivory Coast , strife in Sudan and a multimillion dollar funding shortfall are endangering efforts to wipe out polio by the end of 2005, the U.N. health agency said Tuesday. Experts fears previously centered on Nigeria , where a vaccine boycott spurred a
MAC committed to fight against AIDS: Associated Press - November 15, 2004; NEW YORK - Good things come in small packages, and Viva Glam lipstick is a prime example. Over the past 10 years, the lipstick by MAC Cosmetics has raised $40 million for the MAC AIDS Fund. John Demsey, the chairman of the fund and acting president of MAC, says the lipstick is a good, respectable beauty product on its
Powell, more dovish than his hawkish colleagues, stepping down in two months: Associated Press - November 15, 2004; George Gedda, Associated Press Writer; WASHINGTON (AP) - Secretary of State Colin Powell, widely viewed as the moderate in an administration dominated by hawks, announced Monday he will step down as America s chief diplomat once a successor is in place. Powell told reporters he has been discussing his departure with Bush in recent weeks and months. I always
Namibia election signals end of era as founding father steps down: Associated Press - November 13, 2004; Terry Leonard, Associated Press Writer; JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) - After a 23-year war of independence and three terms as president, Sam Nujoma of Namibia is ready to step down, bringing an end to an era marked by fiery rhetoric as well as pragmatism and stability. The 75-year-old Nujoma is the father of his southwest African nation and the only leade
Singapore Urged Not To Portray AIDS As 'Gay Disease': Associated Press - November 13, 2004; SINGAPORE (AP) - AIDS activists urged Singapore s health authorities Saturday to stop portraying HIV/AIDS as a disease that mainly afflicts homosexuals. The group Action for AIDS was responding to comments made Wednesday by Balaji Sadasivan, the minister of state for health, that gay men are a bigger concern in the cit
Bush, Ex-Presidents To Honor Clinton At Library Ceremony: Associated Press - November 12, 2004; LITTLE ROCK, AR (AP) - President George W. Bush and former presidents George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter will speak and rock legends Bono and The Edge will perform to honor Bill Clinton at the dedication of his presidential library Thursday. More than 30,000 invited guests - including dignitaries, celebrities and contri
WHO Using Internet to Help Prostitutes: Associated Press - November 11, 2004; Bradley S. Klapper, Associated Press Writer; GENEVA (AP) - The U.N. health agency Thursday said it plans to use the Internet to help prostitutes in the global fight against HIV/AIDS. Launching its computer-based information campaign, the World Health Organization said that prostitutes - whether male, female or transsexual - are at high risk of HIV infection but r
Princess Diana Memorial Fund, Franklin Mint Settle Suit: Associated Press - November 10, 2004; LOS ANGELES (AP) - A memorial fund established in Princess Diana s name agreed Wednesday to pay $25 million toward charitable causes to settle a dispute with the Pennsylvania-based Franklin Mint over a commemorative plate bearing her image. The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund said the money would be spent on suc
Trinity Biotech HIV Test Is Expanded: Associated Press - November 10, 2004; -- Trinity Biotech HIV Test Is Expanded After FDA Approves a Waiver; Stock Rises on News NEW YORK (AP) -- Trinity Biotech PLC, a maker of health-related diagnostic devices, on Wednesday said the Food and Drug Administration approved a waiver for its HIV test to be used with finger-stick whole blood, increasing the numb
Kennedy clout shows in city council election: Associated Press - November 10, 2004; Gillian Flaccus; A Kennedy relative jumped into Santa Monica politics -- and won a seat on the council -- following a row over a hedge law. SANTA MONICA, Calif. - When city officials demanded that Bobby Shriver trim the hedges around his posh home or face misdemeanor charges, the outraged Kennedy nephew did what came naturally -- he ju
Gay rights and stem cell groups court New Jersey governor as his term ticks down: Associated Press - November 10, 2004; Angela Delli Santi, Associated Press Writer; TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - From advocating for gay rights to pushing for stem cell research, life beyond the governorship appears to be full of possibilities for James E. McGreevey. As the soon-to-be former governor contemplates a future that begins with his resignation at midnight Monday, his options are seemingly wide open
'Peace Train' singer Cat Stevens gets peace prize in Rome: Associated Press - November 10, 2004; Angela Doland, Associated Press Writer; ROME (AP) - Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev honored the singer once known as Cat Stevens with a peace prize on Wednesday, praising him for charity work and for standing by his convictions despite personal hardships. Yusuf Islam was awarded the Man for Peace prize in Rome at the opening of a meeting of Nobel Peac
Obituaries in the news: Gibson Kente: Associated Press - November 9, 2004; JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) - South African playwright Gibson Kente, lauded for fighting the stigma of AIDS by publicly announcing he was HIV-positive, died Sunday, relatives said. He was 72. Kente was among the first to write about the township realities of crime, hooliganism, alcoholism, love and politics. His pl
People in the News: Associated Press - November 9, 2004; ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) - Brad Pitt spent four days in Ethiopia to learn more about AIDS in Africa as part of a fund-raising campaign to combat the disease on the world s poorest continent. The trip was organized by DATA, a Washington-based lobby group co-founded by rock star Bono that campaigns on Third World trade
Indian Co Withdraws Its HIV Drugs From WHO List: Associated Press - November 9, 2004; GENEVA (AP) - India s Ranbaxy Laboratories (500359.BY) is withdrawing all of its generic versions of antiretroviral drugs from the U.N. health agency s list of approved HIV medicines, saying it is uncertain they are biologically the same as the patented drugs, the World Health Organization said Tuesday.
Washington state man found guilty in serial HIV assault case: Associated Press - November 8, 2004; OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - A man was convicted by a judge Monday on charges he deliberately exposed 17 women to HIV by having unprotected sex with them. Five of the women have tested positive for the virus, which causes AIDS. Anthony E. Whitfield, 32, faces a minimum sentence of 137 years in prison on the 17 counts of first
V.I. Technologies Amends Panacos Deal: Associated Press - November 8, 2004; -- V.I. Technologies Amends Terms of Merger After Encouraging Results From Panacos Drug WATERTOWN, Mass. (AP) - Biotechnology company V.I. Technologies Inc. said Monday that it amended the terms of its merger with a privately held developer of HIV treatments after better-than-expected results from early trials of a Pan
L.A. Pastor Retires From Influential Church: Associated Press - November 7, 2004; Laura Wides, Associated Press Writer; LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Rev. Cecil Chip Murray, pastor for 27 years at one of the nation s most influential black churches, retired Sunday, delivering a final sermon before a stomping crowd of more than 1,000 worshippers. Murray, 75, joined the First African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1977 and built the congregation
Pa. nurse who got stuck with needle asks judge to order patient to take HIV test: Associated Press - November 6, 2004; PITTSBURGH (AP) - A nurse has asked a judge to order a man to take an HIV test because she was accidentally stuck with a needle she used to give him insulin. According to her petition, filed Friday in Pittsburgh, Kimberly Pitts was stuck with the needle Oct. 31 at Mercy Hospital. The man, who isn t named in the petitio
EU, Bush Recommit To Good Ties, But Differences Remain: Associated Press - November 6, 2004; BRUSSELS (AP) - The European Union and the U.S. recommitted themselves to a smooth trans-Atlantic relationship Friday and hoped the second term of President George W. Bush would no longer be marred by nasty political and trade disputes. But French President Jacques Chirac, wary of Washington s global economic and polit
Newsview: Bush Agenda Would Add Big Costs: Associated Press - November 5, 2004; Alan Fram, Associated Press; WASHINGTON - With federal deficits already running amok, it is unclear how President Bush will pay for his second-term agenda, a potentially multitrillion-dollar smorgasbord that includes overhauling Social Security and revamping the tax system. Bush laid out lofty goals Thursday at his first news conference since his
Serial HIV Assault Verdict Expected Mon.: Associated Press - November 5, 2004; OLYMPIA, Wash. - A verdict will be announced Monday in the trial of a man charged with intentionally exposing 17 women to HIV, a county judge said. Sex machine, Russian roulette and sex addiction were among the phrases lawyers used Thursday in 2 1/2 hours of closing arguments in the case of Anthony E. Whitfield, 32, of
World's Population to Stabilize By 2300, U.N. Survey Predicts: Associated Press - November 5, 2004; UNITED NATIONS -- Three hundred years from now, the world s population will have stabilized at about nine billion and we will look forward to living until age 95. In Japan , that bastion of longevity, people will be hanging around until they re 106. India ,
Man whose AIDS assault case sparked change in law dies: Associated Press - November 4, 2004; VANCOUVER, Wash. - A man whose conviction on a charge of exposing a woman to HIV through unprotected sex led to a change in Washington state law has died. Forty-five-year-old Randall Louis Ferguson of Camas expired Sunday at Deaconess Medical Center in Spokane. He was accused eight years ago of having deliberately expo
Peace Corps cautiously expands in Muslim world: Associated Press - November 4, 2004; Aparna H. Kumar, Associated Press Writer; WASHINGTON (AP) - When Jennifer Peterson joined the Peace Corps in 2000, she wanted to go to the Middle East. That left her with just one option -- Jordan , where she spent two years teaching English to girls. At a time when the United States is striving to fight growing anti-Americanism around the wor
UN Says World Population Could Total 9 Billion In 2300: Associated Press - November 4, 2004; UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The world s population is projected to peak at 9.22 billion in 2050, shrink slightly and then stabilize at about 9 billion by the year 2300, according to a new United Nations report. The report, released Thursday, projects that fertility rates will decline significantly -to less than two children
UK Embassy In Zimbabwe Denies Racism, Staff Unrest: Associated Press - November 4, 2004; HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) - State media said Thursday that 40 Zimbabwean employees of the U.K. Embassy were engaged in a work slowdown to protest racism and pay conditions, but embassy spokeswoman Gillian Dare denied the report carried by state radio and the government news agency. President Robert Mugabe s government ha
For California faithful, Bush victory brings relief, sorrow: Associated Press - November 3, 2004; Lisa Leff, Associated Press Writer; SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - With President Bush firmly elected to a second term, Californians on opposite sides of the presidential divide reacted with relief or sorrow Wednesday after a campaign that sparked voter passion like none in recent memory. For some, it was too much to bear. Ugh, break my heart, said Los Angeles res
UK's Blair Congratulates Bush; Eyes Strong Relationship: Associated Press - November 3, 2004; LONDON (AP) - U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair congratulated U.S. President George W. Bush on his re-election Wednesday, pledging to work with him in the war on terrorism and in revitalizing the Middle East peace process. Blair also called on Europe and the U.S., whose relationship was strained over the
German Chancellor Holds Back From Congratulating Bush: Associated Press - November 3, 2004; BERLIN (AP) - German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder held back on congratulating President George W. Bush for winning a second term as U.S. president on Wednesday, even as news filtered out that challenger John Kerry had conceded the election. Should it happen that Kerry has given up, then I will heartily congratulate Geo
Africa To Get More Trade, Help With Bush Victory-Experts: Associated Press - November 3, 2004; JOHANNESBURG (AP) - In the months after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, Africa found an unlikely benefactor in President George W. Bush. Convinced that many African nations could play a role in the war on terror by rooting out al-Qaida cells, the Bush administration poured more aid into the continent than anybody ha
Group: Kids HIV, AIDS dying needlessly: Associated Press - November 2, 2004; Bradley S. Klapper; GENEVA - Children with HIV and AIDS are dying needlessly because of ignorance and a lack of suitable medicines, and the U.N. must increase efforts to change the situation, the international medical relief group Medecins Sans Frontieres said Tuesday. HIV-positive adults in developing countries are increasingly able to o
Zambia Ready To Start Zambian-Produced AIDS Drug Trials: Associated Press - November 2, 2004; LUSAKA, Zambia (AP) - A pharmaceutical company producing AIDS drugs in Zambia is ready to start clinical trials on 28 HIV-positive volunteers, a newspaper reported Tuesday. PHARCO, which is 28% government-owned, said it would start full production of the anti-retroviral drugs after the three-month trials, the Zambia Da
Michigan: Outdoor shrine has inspired worshippers for 50 years: Associated Press - November 1, 2004; John Flesher, Associated Press Writer; INDIAN RIVER, Mich. (AP) - Kay Ward gazes at the towering bronze sculpture of Christ on the cross as gray clouds obscure the afternoon sun, draping the scene in shadow. The closer you get to the feet, the hands, the face ... you re just in awe, says Ward, 57. This isn t the first time Ward has seen the Cross in the Woo
Claim filed against LA County hospital, nurse in patient death: Associated Press - November 1, 2004; Gillian Flaccus, Associated Press Writer; LOS ANGELES (AP) - The family of a 28-year-old man who died at the county-owned Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center after a nurse turned down his vital signs monitor has filed a $1 million claim against Los Angeles County and the nurse for negligence, an attorney said Monday. Mario Nelson died Oct. 7 after a nur
Botswana president's ruling party wins election landslide: Associated Press - Monday, November 1, 2004; Sello Motseta, Associated Press Writer; GABORONE, Botswana (AP) -- President Festus Mogae was reassured of a new term as his ruling Botswana Democratic Party swamped the opposition, keeping its 38-year lock on power in one of African s most stable democracies, election officials said Monday. With just four seats yet to be decided, the governing party had won
Botswana choses a parliament; voters concerned over treatment for AIDS: Associated Press - Saturday, October 30, 2004; Elliott Sylvester, Associated Press Writer; GABORONE, Botswana (AP) -- Botswana chose a parliament Saturday, with the ruling Democratic Party favored to keep the lock on power it has had for 38 years. Some voters said they feared the party s loss would undermine AIDS treatment programs in a country that has one of the world s highest HIV infection rates. In
EU proposes help to poor countries seeking cheap drugs: Associated Press - Friday, October 29, 2004; BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -- The European Union s head office proposed new regulations Friday to allow the export of cheap copies of patented drugs to poor nations fighting AIDS and other killer diseases. The EU regulation, which must be approved by the bloc s 25 national governments and the European Parliament, would imp
U.N. Security Council told sexual violence use "massive" in conflicts: Associated Press - Friday, October 29, 2004; Edith M. Lederer, Associated Press Writer; UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- Sexual violence against women is taking place on a massive scale in countries in conflict, and the international response remains inadequate, one of the U.N. s highest-ranking women told the Security Council. Four years after the council adopted a landmark U.N. resolution committing governments t
Syphilis-Blood Connection Eyed in Croatia: Associated Press - October 28, 2004; ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) - The World Health Organization was sending an expert to Croatia on Thursday to check whether thousands of patients could have been infected by syphilis through blood transfusions three years ago. Croatian Health Minister Andrija Hebrang invited WHO to investigate the case, although he r
Who gets the flu shot? Tough choices confront state, federal health officials: Associated Press - Wednesday, October 27, 2004; Daniel Yee, Associated Press Writer; ATLANTA (AP) -- Who should get the flu shot first: A sick nursing home resident or a toddler? A pregnant woman or a jail inmate with AIDS? Those are the choices health officials across the country are struggling with as the government doles out the nation s short supply of flu shots. The decisions are so daunting that
Lawsuit seeks to prevent closure of trauma center at LA hospital: Associated Press - Wednesday, October 27, 2004; Robert Jablon, Associated Press Writer; LOS ANGELES -- A group trying to prevent closure of the trauma center at troubled Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center sued the county for discrimination Wednesday, alleging it intentionally has tried to dismantle the inner-city hospital. The nonprofit group Friends of Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center
Group calls for new treatments for TB: Associated Press - October 26, 2004; PARIS -- Doctors Without Borders on Tuesday urged for massive international investment for drugs and testing for tuberculosis, the curable lung disease that kills about 2 million people per year. Ahead of Thursday s start to an international conference in Paris on lung health, the France-based aid group called for rad
Ex-Wash. schools chief runs for old job: Associated Press - October 26, 2004; Peggy Andersen, Associated Press Writer; SEATTLE (AP) -- When Judith Billings left her post as Washington state s school chief eight years ago after being diagnosed with AIDS, her main priority was survival. Now she wants her old job back. The disease that retired her after two terms is in check thanks to medication, and Billings says she is up to the task of
Vertex Narrows Third-Quarter Loss: Associated Press - October 25, 2004; Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. narrowed its loss for the third quarter ended Sept. 30, helped by increased HIV drug sales and stronger revenue from collaborative research and development projects. The company reported a loss of $38.8 million, or 49 cents per share, smaller than the loss of $86.4 million, or $1.12, in the
Amid flu-shot crisis, don't forget the 'other' vaccine: Associated Press - October 25, 2004; Lauran Neergaard; -- Seniors and those at risk are being urged to get the shot that protects against pneumonia and other infections. WASHINGTON - The flu-shot shortage makes it more imperative for elderly Americans to get a second, often overlooked vaccine that protects against a type of pneumonia germ that s a common complication of fl
Serono US Unit Eyeing Possible Expansion In Mass. -Report: Associated Press - October 25, 2004; CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) - Serono Inc., the U.S. branch of the Swiss biotechnology giant, is looking at a possible expansion into Cambridge, Mass., but company officials said they have made no commitment, according to a newspaper report. We re always on the lookout because of our growth, Fereydoun Firouz, president of Roc
Supervisor candidate could become nation's first transgender elected official: Associated Press - October 24, 2004; SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - If Robert Haaland wins a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors Nov. 2, he will be make history as the nation s first transgender elected official. An activist who once sued city police for groping him to determine his gender identity, the 40-year old Haaland was born and raised as a female
James A. Hickey Dies at Age 84; Former Washington Archbishop: Associated Press - October 24, 2004; WASHINGTON -- Cardinal James A. Hickey, former archbishop of Washington, who led the Roman Catholic Church in the nation s capital for two decades, died Sunday. He was 84 years old. One of 13 Americans in the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Hickey led the Washington Diocese from 1980 to 2000. He died in a Washington nur
MIT grad delivers tech for health care: Associated Press - October 23, 2004; Mark Jewell, AP Business Writer; CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) - Vikram Kumar is hardly your typical tech chief executive. He shares a two-bedroom apartment with a sister and a nephew and gets around town by bicycle or in a 20-year-old Mercedes Benz. The 28-year-old MIT graduate works days as a pathology resident at Brigham and Women s Hospital across the Cha
EU's Prodi: EU May Help Bulgaria Free Libyan-Held Nurses: Associated Press - October 22, 2004; SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) - Outgoing European Union Commission President Romano Prodi Friday said the warming of E.U.- Libya relations could aid Sofia s efforts to secure the release of five Bulgarian nurses sentenced to death by a Libyan court. The court in May sentenced to death five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doc
World Food Program: Southern Africa Needs $404 Million: Associated Press - October 21, 2004; JOHANNESBURG (AP) - The World Food Program Thursday appealed for $404 million to feed about 5.5 million people over the next three years in southern African countries ravaged by food shortages and high HIV infection rates. The U.N. agency said it needs an immediate $63 million to help people survive what it called the
OraSure to launch saliva-based HIV test: Associated Press - October 20, 2004; CHICAGO (AP) - Saying its saliva-based test for HIV works properly, OraSure Technologies Inc. on Wednesday said the test will start shipping early in November. The launch was delayed after a clinical trial of the OraQuick Advance Rapid HIV-1/2 Antibody Test indicated a higher rate of unconfirmed positive results than t
U.S. firm opens $15M Ugandan AIDS clinic: Associated Press - October 20, 2004; Henry Wasswa, Associated Press Writer; KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) - The largest training center in Africa for health workers treating AIDS sufferers opened outside of Uganda s capital Wednesday in what officials said was a major step toward dealing with the epidemic on the world s poorest continent. The $15 million Infectious Diseases Institute at the University
EU-Southern Africa Talks Focus On Democracy, AIDS: Associated Press - October 20, 2004; THE HAGUE (AP) - Developing democratic institutions and combating HIV/AIDS were the main themes at a meeting Wednesday between ministers from southern Africa and European Union officials. Ministers and top officials from six countries in the Southern African Development Cooperation group met with Dutch Foreign Minister
UN Warning: AIDS Spread In Guayas, Ecuador Like Africa's: Associated Press - October 19, 2004; QUITO (AP) - The spread of AIDS in parts of Ecuador s most populated province is reaching levels comparable to those seen in Africa and the Caribbean a decade ago, and could mushroom into a national epidemic if left unchecked, U.N. officials warned Tuesday. In 10 or 15 years, if there isn t important prevention work, w
U2's Bono, Georgia congressman honored: Associated Press - October 18, 2004; Woody Baird, Associated Press Writer; MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - U2 lead singer Bono and a civil rights leader from Georgia received awards Monday from the National Civil Rights Museum at the site of Martin Luther King Jr. s assassination. Bono, a native of Ireland , was honored with the international Freedom Award for promoting greater Western i
U.N.: AIDS stigma in Vietnam among worst: Associated Press - October 18, 2004; HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - Stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS in Vietnam is among the worst in the world and must be overcome to control the epidemic, a top United Nations official said Monday. After visiting Ho Chi Minh City, Haiphong and Hanoi, UNAIDS Deputy Executive
Amid flu-shot crisis, elderly should get pneumococcal vaccine: Associated Press - October 18, 2004; Lauran Neergaard, AP Medical Writer; WASHINGTON (AP) - The flu-shot shortage makes it more imperative for elderly Americans to get a second, often overlooked vaccine that protects against a type of pneumonia germ that s a common complication of influenza. Called pneumococcal vaccine, it s a one-time shot for anyone 65 or older. Younger people with heart a
Drug Blocks HIV in Tests: Associated Press - October 16, 2004; Scientists have long sought a vaginal gel that women could apply before sex to block the AIDS virus. Now they ve found a new lead - a chemical designed to thwart the way HIV penetrates women s cells. The experimental drug isn t ready for human testing, but it provided potent protection to female monkeys exposed to larg
US Backs UN Population Agenda - But Not Abortion Promotion: Associated Press - October 15, 2004; UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The United States told the U.N. General Assembly it strongly supports a U.N. plan adopted 10 years ago to promote every woman s right to education, health care, and to make choices about childbearing -on the understanding that it doesn t promote abortion. Sichan Siv, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N
Croatia Seeks WHO Investigation Of Syphilis Scare -Report: Associated Press - October 15, 2004; ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) - Croatia s health minister will ask international experts to investigate suspicions that thousands of patients may have been infected with syphilis through blood transfusions in 2000 and 2001, a newspaper reported Friday. Health Minister Andrija Hebrang told the newspaper Jutarnji List he wants th
Fresno tries to clean up from IV drug use: Associated Press - October 14, 2004; Juliana Barbassa, Associated Press Writer; FRESNO, Calif. (AP) - The nation s capital of intravenous drug use is not New York or Miami, not Chicago or Detroit - but Fresno. It is an unlikely distinction for a city of fewer than 500,000 people in the heart of one of the nation s richest agricultural regions. The percentage of people shooting up heroin and other
Gel may protect women from HIV: Associated Press - October 14, 2004; Lauran Neergaard, AP Medical Writer; WASHINGTON (AP) - A chemical specially designed to thwart how the AIDS virus invades during sex offers scientists a new lead in the long quest for a vaginal gel that women could apply to protect themselves when men don t use a condom. The experimental drug isn t ready for human testing yet, but it provided potent prote
UN Warns Africa That Impact Of AIDS Is Set To Get Worse: Associated Press - October 14, 2004; ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) - Africa must brace itself for an AIDS time bomb as 8,000 people are infected with HIV a day in the region worst hit by the pandemic, the U.N. warned Thursday. A total of 70% of the 45 million people worldwide infected with HIV live in sub-Saharan Africa - even though the region is home to on
Eighty-five nations endorse U.N. population agenda - but Bush administration refuses to sign: Associated Press - October 13, 2004; Edith M. Lederer, Associated Press Writer; UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The United States has refused to join 85 other heads of state and government in signing a statement that endorsed a 10-year-old U.N. plan to ensure every woman s right to education, health care, and choice about having children. President Bush s administration withheld its signature because the st
Comic to Feature HIV-Positive Sidekick: Associated Press - October 13, 2004; Anthony Breznican, AP Entertainment Writer; LOS ANGELES - Along with fighting alien menaces and criminal masterminds, the Green Arrow comic book will now feature a sidekick engaged in a more personal struggle - this one against HIV. It s the first major comic book to deal with the illness, and a dose of hard-edged reality to the usually fanciful world of costume
Crew Prepares for Launch to Space Station: Associated Press - October 13, 2004; Vladimir Isachenkov; BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan - All three men heading to the international space station in a Russian-built Soyuz spacecraft this Thursday will be riding the tiny craft for the first time, breaking with 30 years of tradition. In the past, at least one crewman heading into space had ridden in a Soyuz before, but many veterans ha
Gay rights groups struggle to stay afloat as marriage ban looms: Associated Press - October 13, 2004; David Hammer, Associated Press Writer; LITTLE ROCK - As a campaign for a proposed state constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage picks up strength, the voice of the Arkansas gay-rights community has become muted. When the state Supreme Court ruled last week against an American Civil Liberties Union challenge of the ballot language for the marriage amend
Congress wraps up work with much rancor: Associated Press - October 12, 2004; Jim Abrams; WASHINGTON - The 108th Congress soon will be history, a tumultuous two years that, depending on party affiliation, was the best of times or the worst of times. Of course Republicans, who control both the House and the Senate, expressed pride in a Congress that passed a major Medicare prescription drug bill, gave Presid
Patient dies after nurse fails to check in: Associated Press - October 12, 2004; LOS ANGELES - A nurse turned down an audio alarm on an AIDS patient s vital-signs monitor and failed to notice when the man had a heart attack and died, county officials said. The incident Thursday was the latest crisis for troubled Los Angeles County-run Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center. Federal inspectors s
Government marijuana? No thanks, say Dutch, "coffee" shop pot will do fine: Associated Press - October 12, 2004; Maria Lokshin, Associated Press Writer; AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) - There s a whiff of crisis in the air at the Dutch Health Ministry: It s sitting on a pile of pot that it just can t sell. The Netherlands rolled out a program last year that allows patients to buy prescription marijuana at any pharmacy. Some medical insurance policies cover at least part o
Number Of S African Health Workers With HIV Rises -Study: Associated Press - October 12, 2004; CAPE TOWN (AP) - A study by South African medical journal warned Tuesday that the country needs more nurses as the number HIV/AIDS infections rises among health care workers. The report published in the October edition of the South African Medical Journal on the prevalence of HIV/Aids among South African health workers
Africans Give Their Govts Low Grades In Landmark Survey: Associated Press - October 11, 2004; ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) - Africans gave their governments poor grades on the way officials run 28 of the continent s nations, in a landmark survey presented by a senior U.N. official Monday. Corruption, poor tax systems and dilapidated public services were the main complaints of some 50,000 African families and 2,00
Museum removes nude Bush painting: Associated Press - October 11, 2004; Carl Hartman, Associated Press Writer; WASHINGTON - A cartoonish painting of President Bush in the nude has been taken down from the wall at the City Museum of Washington. The picture, called Man of Leisure, King George, adopts the pose of a famous Impressionist painting, Edouard Manet s Olympia, that scandalized Paris in 1863, and now hangs in the Gare d O
EU Ends 12 Years of Libya Sanctions: Associated Press - October 11, 2004; Robert Wielaard; LUXEMBOURG - The European Union on Monday ended 12 years of sanctions against Libya and eased an arms embargo to reward the North African country for giving up plans to develop weapons of mass destruction. The decision by the EU foreign ministers brought the 25-nation bloc in line with a U.N. decision last year and ref
Handicapping Nobel Peace Prize not easy: Associated Press - October 8, 2004; OSLO, Norway (AP) - The committee that bestows the Nobel Peace Prize could use the honor to draw focus to great threats to world, such as weapons of mass destruction or AIDS. Members may also try to jump-start a flagging peace effort. Or, as has happened so often in the past, they might just surprise everybody with a d
County Health Officials Call for Condoms in Porn Movies: Associated Press - October 8, 2004; LOS ANGELES (AP) - County health officials sent letters to producers and directors in the porn industry, urging them to use condoms during sex scenes as part of a stepped-up effort to prevent a repeat of April s HIV outbreak. The letters, which began arriving this week, come as state lawmakers have threatened possible
Aryan leader charged in Reno threats has HIV: Associated Press - October 7, 2004; Scott Sonner, Associated Press Writer; RENO, Nev. (AP) - A white supremacist accused of making threats to two newspapers told a federal judge Thursday he has the virus that causes AIDS. Steven Holten, 40, Reno, the self-proclaimed leader of Aryan Nations chapters in Nevada and California, pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of transmitting a threat in int
UK PM Blair Cuts Trip To Ethiopia Short: Associated Press - October 7, 2004; ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) - British Prime Minister Tony Blair -bedeviled by Iraq and in search of a more positive legacy -departed Ethiopia late Thursday after calling for a concerted international action to finally address the crises afflicting Africa, the only continent to have grown poorer over the las
Sierra Leone Leads World In Child Mortality: Associated Press - October 7, 2004; UNITED NATIONS - In Sierra Leone , one in four children dies before age 5. In Iraq , one in 10 doesn t make it to a fifth birthday. Across the globe, poor care for newborns, malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea and measles snuff out lives of the very young, according to a U.
Man claims doctor refused to perform surgery because of HIV: Associated Press - October 6, 2004; MILWAUKEE - A man filed a civil discrimination lawsuit Tuesday alleging that a Milwaukee doctor refused to operate on him when he learned he was HIV-positive. Steve Spera, 54, accuses orthopedist James Cain of violating the federal Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act in refusing to perform a spin
AIDS Drug Can Cut Risks of Liver Disease Related to Hepatitis B: Associated Press - October 6, 2004; A long-used AIDS drug appears to be the first effective, long-term treatment for hepatitis B in those with advanced liver disease caused by the virus. The drug lamivudine, also known as 3TC , has been available for the treatment of hepatitis B since 1998, but the consequences of using it for years in those with serious
UK's Blair In Ethiopia To Chair Africa Commission Meeting: Associated Press - October 6, 2004; ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) - British Prime Minister Tony Blair moved from the crisis in Sudan to addressing the roots of conflict and poverty Africa, the only continent to have grown poorer in the last quarter century. Blair was in the Ethiopian capital Thursday to chair the second meeting of his Africa Commission, whi
Ugandan Pres Castigates West For Promoting Condom Use: Associated Press - October 6, 2004; HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) - Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, making a rare two-day state visit to former enemy Zimbabwe, accused Western nations of pushing condom use to make a profit on a continent ravaged by AIDS. Europeans say: Use condoms, but there are sexual sicknesses condoms cannot stop, Zimbabwe s state newspap
Kerry reaching out to black leaders: Associated Press - October 5, 2004; Mary Dalrymple, Associated Press Writer; PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Meeting with black religious leaders and traveling with Jesse Jackson, Sen. John Kerry reached out this week to black voters as his presidential campaign entered its final month. Kerry s contacts focused on Ohio and Pennsylvania, states teetering in a virtual tie between the Democrat and President B
De Klerk: AIDS poses threat in S. Africa: Associated Press - October 4, 2004; Elliott Sylvester, Associated Press Writer; CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) - Because AIDS was not identified as the potential killer it now is, it has become South Africa s biggest threat, former President F.W. De Klerk said Monday. The disease has already reduced life expectation from 63 years in 1990 to only 47 years now, De Klerk said at the annual conference
Committee Approves NJ Needle Exchange: Associated Press - October 4, 2004; Legislation that would allow municipalities to operate their own needle exchange programs was approved by an Assembly committee Monday and $10 million was added to the measure for drug treatment programs. The Assembly Appropriations Committee passed the legislation that had recently received approval from the Health an
Franklin Mint Says Judge Allows Suit Against Diana Fund: Associated Press - October 2, 2004; PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The spat between the Franklin Mint and Princess Diana s memorial fund can head to trial. A California judge has ruled that the Franklin Mint may go ahead with a $25 million malicious prosecution lawsuit against the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund, an official of the collectibles company said
Nigerian Pres Launches African Polio Vaccination Campaign: Associated Press - October 2, 2004; KANO, Nigeria (AP) - Nigeria s president kicked off a mammoth effort to immunize 80 million children against polio in 23 sub-Saharan African countries, described by international health experts as the single-largest public health campaign in history to wipe out the disease. President Olusegun Obasanjo led other regiona
Kenyan Co Signs Deal With Boehringer To Make AIDS Drug: Associated Press - October 1, 2004; NAIROBI -- A Kenyan company has signed an agreement with a German pharmaceutical company to make generic versions of a drug to treat AIDS and to help prevent transmission of the HIV virus from mother to child, its managing director said Friday. Kenya will be the second country in sub-Saharan Africa to produce
University, Samoa to share AIDS drug earns: Associated Press - September 30, 2004; BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) - The University of California-Berkeley and the Samoan government agreed to split profits from any AIDS drug that researchers derive using a rainforest tree. The pact, announced Thursday, involves the gene sequence of prostratin, an experimental anti-HIV compound extracted from mamala tree bark th
Bono Calls Africa AIDS, Poverty a Crisis U2 Front Man Bono Urges British Lawmakers to Fight AIDS, Poverty in Africa: Associated Press - September 30, 2004; BRIGHTON, England - Rock star Bono called Wednesday on Europe and the United States to do more to tackle the scourge of AIDS and poverty in Africa and said the continent was bursting into flames. The front man of the Irish band U2 is well known as an activist for the world s poor and brought his campaign for fair trade
Serbia-Montenegro Pres:Hope For Bulgarian Nurses In Libya: Associated Press - September 30, 2004; BELGRADE (AP) - Serbia-Montenegro s president Thursday said there is hope for five Bulgarian nurses sentenced to death in Libya , hinting at progress in talks to have their sentences reviewed. President Svetozar Marovic and former Yugoslav President Zoran Lilic have been mediating in negotiations between Bulgaria and L
U.N.: Creditors should write off African aid Continent sinking under mountain of debt, report says: Associated Press - September 29, 2004; GENEVA - African countries are sinking deeper into the red and creditors should cancel the continent s debts to give it a chance to meet global poverty reduction goals, the United Nations said in a report. Africa requires a minimum economic growth rate of 7 percent to 8 percent to stand a chance of achieving the United
UN Non-Aligned Head Urges Members To Put Houses In Order: Associated Press - September 29, 2004; UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The head of the Non-Aligned Movement urged its 114 member countries on Wednesday to put our houses in order to avoid outside intervention, warning that detractors have already consigned the once powerful bloc of Third World countries to the dustbin of history. Poverty and backwardness still charac
Anti-gay Rev. blasts Schwarzenegger: By Associated Press - September 28, 2004; The Rev. Lou Sheldon wasn t thrilled when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation requiring health insurance policies to offer equal coverage to partners of gay and lesbian workers. Sheldon, a conservative activist and president of the Anaheim-based Traditional Values Coalition, grew more upset after Schwarzenegg
AIDS researcher's widow charged in death: Associated Press - September 27, 2004; Emery P. Dalesio, Associated Press Writer; RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - The widow of an AIDS researcher who died of arsenic poisoning almost four years ago was indicted Monday on a first-degree murder charge in his death. A Wake County grand jury made the decision hours after prosecutors began laying out their case against Ann Kontz, who surrendered to police later in
HIV/AIDS infection surges in northern Uganda because of civil war: Associated Press - September 27, 2004; Geoffrey Muleme, Associated Press Writer; KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) - The rate of HIV/AIDS infection in northern Uganda is nearly double that in the rest of the country because of devastation caused by 18 years of civil war, an international aid group said Monday. The conflict has shattered the health care system, forced thousands to flee their homes and left score
Schwarzenegger Governing Like a Democrat: Associated Press - September 27, 2004; Beth Fouhy; SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger thrilled delegates at the Republican National Convention last month with a thundering endorsement of the party s conservative principles. Back home, though, he has governed more like a Democrat on such issues as gay rights, guns and the environment. In his first round of
Africans With HIV Seek Herbal Remedies: Associated Press - September 27, 2004; Chris Tomlinson, Associated Press Writer; NAROK, Kenya - Jonathan Mwanza was once a powerful man in this rural town - a county councilor and lifetime member of Kenya s former ruling party. His hefty build spoke of wealth and authority. That was before he contracted HIV. Without access to anti-AIDS drugs, he wasted away - stripped of his weight, his job, his co
Britain to propose paying off portion of poor nations' debt: Associated Press - September 26, 2004; Ed Johnson, Associated Press Writer; BRIGHTON, England (AP) - Britain will provide more debt relief for the world s poorest countries and challenge other rich countries to do the same, Prime Minister Tony Blair s government said Sunday. Treasury chief Gordon Brown said many developing countries were crippled by servicing their debt and could not invest in
Schwarzenegger bill signings test conservatives' support: Associated Press - September 26, 2004; Beth Fouhy, AP Political Writer; SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The Rev. Lou Sheldon wasn t thrilled when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation requiring health insurance policies to offer equal coverage to partners of gay and lesbian workers. Sheldon, a conservative activist and president of the Anaheim-based Traditional Values Coalition, grew more ups
AIDS program to cut off enrollment: Associated Press - September 25, 2004; CHEYENNE (AP) - A program that helps HIV and AIDS patients in Wyoming with care and drug costs is running short of money and will stop accepting new patients after next Thursday, officials said. We didn t feel we could continue to take people, said Kurt Galbraith, the HIV/AIDS coordinator for the Wyoming Department of
Men, Women More Different Than Thought: Associated Press - September 25, 2004; Lindsey Tanner; CHICAGO - Beyond the tired cliches and sperm-and-egg basics taught in grade school science class, researchers are discovering that men and women are even more different than anyone realized. It turns out that major illnesses like heart disease and lung cancer are influenced by gender and that perhaps treatments for wom
LA Cardinal to take sabbatical in Central Africa, Italy: Associated Press - September 25, 2004; Gillian Flaccus, Associated Press Writer; LOS ANGELES (AP) - Cardinal Roger Mahony said he will begin a three-week sabbatical on Oct. 6 that will take him to Italy and several Central African countries. In a letter that appeared in Friday s edition of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles newspaper The Tidings, Mahony said he hoped to gain a renewed sense of commitm
Texas city sues prostitute to curb HIV infections: Associated Press - September 25, 2004; AMARILLO, Texas (AP) - City officials have filed a lawsuit against a prostitute with the virus that causes AIDS, asking a court to send her into treatment to get her to stop spreading the infection. The woman, identified in court papers only by the initials T.T., has infected at least one person and refused efforts by
Clean-needle law heartens Fresno officials, who see high drug use: Associated Press - September 25, 2004; Juliana Barbassa, Associated Press Writer; FRESNO, Calif. (AP) - In one of the nation s richest agricultural regions, where cotton, grapes and citrus have long been king, the area s largest city finds itself struggling with a new and more dubious distinction. A national study found that the Fresno area has the highest rate of intravenous drug users in the count
Man sentenced to 100 years in prison for recording, distributing child pornography tapes: Associated Press - September 24, 2004; Catherine Wilson, Associated Press Writer; MIAMI (AP) - A man was sentenced Friday to 100 years in prison for recording his sex acts with at least 120 children in Cuba and Ecuador , and distributing the videotapes and CDs to customers in the United States . Angel Rafael Mariscal was found guilty in April of producing,
New York mayor reports progress on ambitious homelessness plan: Associated Press - September 22, 2004; Michael Weissenstein, Associated Press Writer; Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Wednesday that he was making progress in his plan to drastically reduce homelessness from its current record levels, announcing the opening of new homelessness prevention centers, tens of millions of dollars in housing funding, and optional HIV testing for homeless men. Some homeless advoca
GSK Licenses Kenyan Co To Produce Generic AIDS Drugs: Associated Press - September 22, 2004; NAIROBI (AP) - A London-based pharmaceutical company Wednesday licensed a Kenyan company to produce generic versions of two of its life-prolonging AIDS drugs for sale in five African countries. The move by GlaxoSmithKline PLC makes Kenya the second African country, after South Africa , to star
Washington Protesters Seek Debt Relief For Poor Nations: Associated Press - September 21, 2004; WASHINGTON (AP) - Protesters gathered outside the Treasury Department Tuesday to call for a 100% elimination of debt for impoverished countries that owe money to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. About 35 people met during their lunch hour to listen to speakers, rally and discuss their hope that debt canc
Text of Bush's speech to the U.N.: Associated Press - September 21, 2004; UNITED NATIONS - Text of President Bush s speech Tuesday to the U.N. General Assembly, as provided by the White House: PRESIDENT BUSH: Mr. Secretary General, Mr. President, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen: Thank you for the honor of addressing this General Assembly. The American people respect the idealis
Underweight people risk health problems: Associated Press - September 21, 2004; With Americans obesity driving the focus on weight loss, scant attention is paid to the other side of the scale -- underweight people who are trying to put on pounds. Being underweight is not a common problem in the United States , affecting only about 2 percent of adults, compared to two-thirds who are overweight or o
Experts Seek Joint Effort To Fight HIV and TB: Associated Press - September 21, 2004; ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia - Up to half a million HIV-positive Africans die each year because health chiefs have failed to coordinate the fight against HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, the United Nations said Tuesday. Expanding access to tuberculosis treatment, combined with introducing HIV testing and delivery of life-prolonging
Governor signs needle bill but sticks it to another: Law aimed at AIDS prevention will allow the limited purchase of syringes without prescription: Associated Press - Tuesday, September 21, 2004; Tom Chorneau; SACRAMENTO -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill Monday making it easier for drug users to buy clean hypodermic needles without a prescription, but he rejected another AIDS-prevention bill that would have loosened rules on free needle exchanges. Under the bill by Sen. John Vasconcellos, D-Santa Clara, cities and
Many same-sex couples wary of Calif's new domestic partners law: Associated Press - September 20, 2004; SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - California s landmark domestic partners law goes into effect on Jan. 1, but many gay and lesbian couples are choosing not to register, or are even dissolving their current legal partnerships. Many committed couples are worried they could lose public benefits or face financial or legal trouble under
HBO is a hit: 'Sopranos' grabs Emmy, 'Angels' breaks record.: Associated Press - September 20, 2004; Lynn Elber; LOS ANGELES - The Sopranos became the first cable show to win the Emmy award for best drama series and fellow HBO entry Angels in America received a record 11 awards as Fox s surprise comedy winner Arrested Development proved a rare bright spot for broadcast TV. Broadcast networks also collected performance awards for
Spread Of HIV Fueling Massive Tuberculosis Crisis - WHO: Associated Press - September 20, 2004; ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) - The spread of HIV/AIDS is fueling a massive tuberculosis crisis that could see 1 billion people infected in the next two decades, the World Health Organization warned Monday. A staggering 35 million people could die of tuberculosis in that time if its growth continues unchecked, the WHO sai
'The Sopranos' Wins Best Drama; 'Arrested' Pulls an Emmy Surprise: Associated Press - September 19, 2004; LOS ANGELES - The Sopranos became the first cable show to win the Emmy for best drama series and fellow HBO entry Angels in America received a record 11 awards as Fox s surprise comedy winner Arrested Developed proved a rare bright spot for broadcast TV. Broadcast networks also collected performance awards for comedy s
Prince Harry Helping AIDS Victims: Associated Press - September 17, 2004; LONDON - In a new documentary about his volunteer work with AIDS victims in Africa, Prince Harry, son of the late Princess Diana, said he s determined to carry on her legacy. The 20-year-old royal said all the bad stuff that s come out about his mother in the media is a shame, given all the good she did as a high-profi
Two porn companies fined for allowing unprotected sex on set: Associated Press - September 17, 2004; LOS ANGELES (AP) - State officials have taken unprecedented regulatory action against the porn industry, fining two adult film companies more than $30,000 each for allegedly allowing actors to perform unprotected sex. The citations against Evasive Angles and TTB Productions, which share the same address in the San Fern
Two adult film companies fined for allowing unprotected sex on movie set: Associated Press - September 17, 2004; LOS ANGELES (AP) - California officials fined two adult film companies more than $30,000 each for allowing actors to perform without using condoms, the first time the state has taken such action. The fines against Evasive Angles and TTB Productions follow an investigation into a complaint filed by a porn industry worke
Official disputes HIV stats: Associated Press - September 16, 2004; NEW DELHI - India has the world s largest number of HIV infected people, the head of a top international AIDS-fighting fund said Wednesday, dismissing official figures. I don t believe in the official statistics. India is already in first place, said Richard G.A. Feachem, executive director of the Geneva-based Global
U.N.: Billions more dollars needed to meet goals on sexual health, poverty: Associated Press - September 15, 2004; Beth Gardiner, Associated Press Writer; LONDON (AP) - Wealthy countries are falling billions of dollars short of their promises to help fund reproductive health care and improvements in the status of women around the world, the United Nations said Wednesday. The world body s Population Fund said there has been significant but uneven progress in the past deca
US Senate Committee Bolsters AIDS Fight In Poor Nations: Associated Press - September 15, 2004; WASHINGTON (AP) - A Senate committee voted to boost funds for battling AIDS and other diseases in poor nations but provided less than half what President George W. Bush wanted for prodding countries to adopt democratic reforms. The effort to combat AIDS , malaria and tuberculosis abroad -largely in Africa -would get $2
WHO Evaluates Progress In Providing AIDS Drugs To Victims: Associated Press - September 15, 2004; SHANGHAI (AP) - With AIDS making disastrous new inroads in the Asian-Pacific region, World Health Organization experts are evaluating progress toward providing anti-AIDS drugs to 3 million people in developing countries worldwide by 2005. The program, launched last year, aims to reduce AIDS deaths and improve quality o
South Africa, India To Cooperate On Technology, AIDS: Associated Press - September 15, 2004; CAPE TOWN (AP) - India and South Africa have agreed to work together in overcoming AIDS and poverty, and bringing technology and education to millions of Africans, the two countries presidents said Wednesday. Indian President Abdul Kalam and his South African counterpart, Thabo Mbeki, announced the agr
India World's Leader Of HIV Infections - Expert: Associated Press - September 15, 2004; NEW DELHI (AP) - Dismissing official figures for HIV-infection in India , the chief executive of the world s premier AIDS-fighting fund said Wednesday that India is home to the largest number of HIV-infected people. I don t believe in the official statistics. India is already in first place, said Richard G.
Both candidates often shift positions: Associated Press - September 13, 2004; Tom Raum; WASHINGTON - While working relentlessly to portray Democratic Sen. John Kerry as a flip-flopper, President Bush has his own history of changing his position, from reversals on steel tariffs and nation-building to reasons for invading Iraq . Most recently, Bush did an about-face on whether the proposed new director of n
WHO Conference Opens With Call To Narrow Health-Care Gap: Associated Press - September 13, 2004; SHANGHAI (AP) - The head of the World Health Organization called on Monday for steps to narrow growing inequality in medical care between rich and poor, saying the gap is undermining health security for all, especially in efforts to combat AIDS. Tackling challenges ranging from the new - avian flu and SARS - to the fam
Legislature OKs funds for local aid, MCAS, lawyers for indigent: Associated Press - September 10, 2004; BOSTON (AP) - The Legislature yesterday approved nearly $400 million in additional spending and dedicated an additional $336 million to reserves, using $723 million remaining in the state s coffers at the end of the fiscal year, which ended June 30. The spending includes $75 million in state aid to cities and towns, $1
Study: Antibiotic can trigger cardiac deaths: Associated Press - September 9, 2004; Linda A. Johnson; A widely used antibiotic long considered safe dramatically increases the risk of cardiac arrest, particularly when taken with some popular drugs for infections and high blood pressure, a huge study found. The drug is erythromycin, which has been on the market for 50 years and is prescribed for everything from strep thr
State closes book on sex-education hearings: Factions weigh in on how much detail kids' texts should include: Associated Press - September 9, 2004; AUSTIN � What s too much sex for a textbook? Social conservatives and sex-education advocates debated Wednesday whether health textbooks should focus on abstinence or include information on birth control and sexually transmitted diseases. Spectators and speakers jammed a meeting room for the final public hearing before
Washington Today: Program would help poor countries govern more effectively: Associated Press - September 8, 2004; George Gedda, Associated Press Writer; WASHINGTON (AP) - Secretary of State Colin Powell calls it the most promising development in foreign assistance in decades. That is quite a claim for a program that has yet to disburse its first dollar. But it is clear that President Bush s Millennium Challenge Account, first proposed 21/2 years ago, represents a fresh
Poll: Americans See Themselves As Healthy: Associated Press - September 8, 2004; Juan A. Lozano, Associated Press Writer; HOUSTON (AP) - Most Americans are careful about what they eat, believe they will live a long time, go to their doctor regularly and support biotechnology and medical research, particularly stem cell research, according to a poll commissioned by the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. The nationwide po
Groups fight over sex ed in textbooks: Associated Press - September 8, 2004; AUSTIN - Social conservatives and sex education advocates are clashing head-on in the debate of what Texas public school students should learn from their health textbooks. On Wednesday, the state Board of Education holds the final public hearing on which books will be used in the 2005-06 school year, replacing 11-year-
Study finds Medicaid procedures can make chronic diseases worse: Associated Press - September 7, 2004; DURHAM, N.C. - Gaps in North Carolina s Medicaid program are costly and cause more illness because a provision requires patients to pay for a certain amount of their medical expenses, according to a Duke University study. The study focused on patients with HIV, but researchers said the findings were applicable to Medic
UNICEF Seeks Help With HIV Infected Kids: Associated Press - September 7, 2004; BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) - The United Nations called on Romanian authorities to help the thousands of HIV infected children here attend school with other children, in a statement released Tuesday. Less than 60 percent of Romania s 7,500 HIV infected children attend public schools, the U.N. Children s Fund said. Most of
Sex study: Teens who watch more, do more: Associated Press - September 6, 2004; Lindsey Tanner; CHICAGO - Children who watched a lot of TV with sexual content were about twice as likely to start having intercourse during the subsequent year as those with little exposure to televised sex, researchers found. High exposure to TV sex among those age 12 to 17 also was linked with a lower but still substantially increa
CBS Auctioning Memorabilia for AIDS Group: Associated Press - September 3, 2004; Derrik J. Lang, Associated Press Writer; NEW YORK (AP) - CBS is auctioning off everything but the kitchen sink to benefit the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation - and promote the network s new fall season. The network will put up for bid on eBay from Sept. 8-26 a slew of CBS memorabilia and celebrity experiences, such as David Caruso s CSI: Miami sun
Population Conference: Bush Undermining Women's Health: Associated Press - September 2, 2004; LONDON (AP) - U.S. President George W. Bush is undermining women s reproductive rights and health around the world with policies that have caused thousands of unwanted pregnancies, unnecessary deaths and HIV infections, delegates at a conference on population and development charged Thursday. The representatives delive
Judge Fines NYC For Not Releasing Protestors By Deadline: Associated Press - September 2, 2004; NEW YORK (AP) - A New York judge ordered the immediate release of nearly 500 protesters just hours before President George W. Bush was to speak Thursday night at the Republican National Convention, then fined the New York City for refusing to comply with his order. New York State Supreme Court Justice John Cataldo fine
19 Arrested At AIDS Protest At NYC's Grand Central: Associated Press - September 2, 2004; NEW YORK (AP) - About 100 anti-Bush demonstrators staged a quick, loud and well organized protest at Grand Central Terminal during the early morning rush Thursday, unfurling banners and colorful balloons that called on the president to do more in the fight against AIDS. Nineteen people were arrested after they refused
Global Cooperation Needed For AIDS Vaccine-Research Group: Associated Press - September 2, 2004; GENEVA (AP) - The successful development of an AIDS vaccine will require global cooperation, but countries will have to carry out their own research to fight different strains around the world, the New York-based International AIDS Vaccine Initiative said Thursday. Only a vaccine can end the epidemic, said Dr. Seth Ber
Cheney Continues Attack As Bush Readies For Nomination: Associated Press - September 2, 2004; NEW YORK (AP) - As President George W. Bush prepared Thursday to accept the Republican nomination for a second term, Vice President Dick Cheney portrayed his boss as a decisive commander in chief. He doesn t waffle, he doesn t agonize, Cheney said Thursday. That s exactly what we need in a president. We don t need inde
AIDS Activists Disrupt Convention Event: Associated Press - September 1, 2004; Anne Gearan, Associated Press Writer; NEW YORK (AP) - AIDS demonstrators disrupted a Republican youth gathering on the floor of the party convention Wednesday, shortly after President Bush s twin daughters left the stage. The incident occurred after Jenna and Barbara Bush introduced White House chief of staff Andrew Card. As he began speaking, about 10 pro
Republican Lawmakers Tout The Party's Conservative Roots: Associated Press - August 31, 2004; NEW YORK (AP) - Congressional Republicans on Tuesday used their time at the Republican National Convention to tout the party s conservative principles, with one noting saying she still believes character is king. Marriage between a man and a woman isn t something Republicans invented, but it is something Republicans wi
Bush, Kerry Both See War On Terror, Iraq As Priorities: Associated Press - August 30, 2004; NEW YORK (AP) - President George W. Bush considers the fight against terrorism and the war in Iraq his foreign policy priorities. Sen. John Kerry considers the fight against terrorism and the war in Iraq his foreign policy priorities. With the theme of this year s presidential election obvious from the start, what s th
Film Shows Virus Going in for the Kill: Associated Press - August 30, 2004; Rick Callahan, Associated Press Writer; INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Using a creature as hideous as any big-screen sci-fi monster, scientists have produced a one-minute horror movie star