2005

Botswana Shows Success in Treating AIDS: Associated Press - December 29, 2005; GABORONE, Botswana (AP) -- Catherine had already buried two sisters because of AIDS when she was diagnosed with the dreaded disease. After doctors broke the news, she stopped eating. I thought that was the end of my life, she said. Three years later, the bubbly young woman in a floppy sun hat is sharing her marriage pl
US Senate Chair Hails Reinstatement Of AIDS Whistleblower: Associated Press - December 27, 2005; WASHINGTON - A key Senate committee chairman on Tuesday hailed the government s reinstatement of a medical safety expert who was fired after he raised allegations of misconduct in federal AIDS research, saying it was an important step in addressing the problems. Dr. Jonathan Fishbein s reinstatement by the National Ins
In India, Barbers Provide AIDS Awareness: Associated Press - December 27, 2005; Nirmala George; NEW DELHI, India - Along with the usual hair lotions and creams, Ganga Ram, a barber who does business in the shade of banyan tree, also has the latest tools of his trade - a small pile of condoms and booklets on AIDS prevention. When men settle into Ram s barber chair in New Delhi s Lajpat Nagar market they become cap
Libya Delays Talks Over Bulgarian Nurses After Protests: Associated Press - December 27, 2005; SOFIA, Bulgaria - Talks aimed at ending an international row over the fate of five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor accused of deliberately infecting children with AIDS were postponed, officials in both countries said Tuesday. The discussions between the Libyan Association of the Families of AIDS-Infected Chil
NIH Official Says AIDS-Vaccine Work Likely to Fall to U.S.: Associated Press - December 27, 2005; WASHINGTON - The federal chief of AIDS research said he believes drug companies don t have an incentive to create a vaccine for the AIDS virus and are likely to wait to profit from it after the government develops one. As a result, the government has had to spend more time focusing on the processes that drug companies
Doc Makes Candid Comments on HIV Vaccine: Associated Press - December 26, 2005; John Solomon; WASHINGTON - In an unusually candid admission, the federal chief of AIDS research says he believes drug companies don t have an incentive to create a vaccine for the HIV and are likely to wait to profit from it after the government develops one. And that means the government has had to spend more time focusing on the p
Libyan Court Orders Retrial For Medics in AIDS Case: Associated Press - December 26, 2005; TRIPOLI, Libya - Libya s supreme court on Sunday overturned the death sentences against five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor on charges of infecting children with the HIV virus and ordered a retrial. The order for a retrial appeared to be an attempt to end the standoff between Libya and the West over the pros
NIH Medical Safety Officer Reinstated: Associated Press - Saturday December 24, 2005; John Solomon; A medical safety expert whose firing drew national attention to the lack of whistleblower protections in some areas of federal research is back on the government payroll. The National Institutes of Health s reinstatement of Dr. Jonathan Fishbein settles a two-year battle that prompted investigations into allegations of
NIH Rehires Researcher Fired After Raising Safety Concerns: Associated Press - December 24, 2005; WASHINGTON - Reversing course, the government s premier health research agency has reinstated a medical safety expert who was fired after raising allegations of scientific misconduct and sexual harassment in federal AIDS research, his lawyer said Friday. The National Institutes of Health s reinstatement of Dr. Jonathan
Bulgaria Works for Release of Nurses: Associated Press - December 24, 2005; Veselin Toshkov; SOFIA, Bulgaria - Bulgaria s president said he was hopeful of a breakthrough in the case of five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor sentenced to die in Libya for allegedly infecting hundreds of children with HIV. President Georgi Parvanov added, however, that the medical workers release will come at a very hig
Uganda Children on the Run From Rebel Army: Associated Press - December 23, 2005; Rodrique Ngowi, Associated Press Writer; GULU, Uganda - They are called the night commuters - hundreds of children who hike through the heat and dust, clutching mats and blankets as they pour into this northern Ugandan town for a night s sleep and protection from a rebel army that has given a whole new meaning to the term child abuse. Every evening they l
Evolution selected as year's big story by Science journal: 'Very timely' choice salutes gains of 2005: Associated Press - December 23, 2005; Randolph E. Schmid; WASHINGTON - It was a natural selection. The journal Science s choice for breakthrough of the year in 2005 is evolution in action, focusing on studies of how evolution works and how it affects lives today. Several research projects were discussed at meetings to choose the annual breakthrough winner. Then we realized th
Authorities Probe Theft of Body Parts: Associated Press Writer - December 23, 2005; Tom Hays, Associated Press Writer; NEW YORK - Authorities are investigating allegations that hundreds of bodies were illegally carved up in funeral homes around New York City and sold for parts without the permission of the families of the deceased. Corpses - including that of famed British broadcaster Alistair Cooke - were used to harvest human bone, s
Bulgaria, Libya, EU Agree Fund For Libyan AIDS Children: Associated Press - December 23, 2005; SOFIA, Bulgaria - Bulgarian and European Union officials have agreed with Libya to set up an international fund to offer financial assistance to the families of AIDS-infected children in the Libyan city of Benghazi, Bulgaria s Foreign Ministry said Friday. The move was part of international efforts to secure the re
Catholic Magazine Apologizes Over Ad: Associated Press - December 22, 2005; Rachel Zoll, AP Religion Writer; NEW YORK - A Jesuit magazine has apologized after inadvertently publishing an advertisement for a Virgin Mary statue wrapped in a condom that an artist intended as a protest against the church s opposition to condom use. The Rev. Drew Christiansen, editor-in-chief of America, said in a note to readers that the condom w
Religion News in Brief: Associated Press - December 22, 2005; WASHINGTON - More Americans are concerned about the commercialization of Christmas than about restrictions on public displays of religious symbols, according to a survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. Fifty-two percent of respondents said they were troubled by the commercialization of the ho
FDA Tentatively OKs Generic AIDS Drug: Associated Press - December 21, 2005; WASHINGTON - A generic version of a pediatric AIDS drug received preliminary approval Wednesday from the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA said it was giving tentative approval for Stavudine , an antiretroviral drug considered child-friendly that is manufactured by Aurobindo Pharma Ltd.
Tanox Shares Jump in Premarket Trading on High Hopes for HIV Treatment: Associated Press - December 19, 2005; NEW YORK - Shares of Tanox Inc., a Houston-based biotechnology company, jumped in premarket trading on Monday, after the company presented results for an antibody HIV treatment at an industry conference on Saturday. Bear Stearns analyst Akhtar Samad upgraded the stock to Outperform from Peer Perform, and set a $20 pric
Poverty in the Delta leaves HIV and AIDS patients out in the cold: Associated Press - December 18, 2005; Valerie Bauman; JACKSON, Miss. - Theresa Cochran, humiliated and frustrated by her struggle to be treated for HIV, decided on her way home from the doctor s office to end her life at the next overpass. But as she approached the exit, Cochran quickly changed her mind as the words spray painted across the bridge came into view: Jesus lo
Miss Universe: Heart belongs to business: Associated Press- December 18, 2005; SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic - Miss Universe says she would like to act in a movie, but her heart is in the world of business. The Russian-born Natalie Glebova, a model and motivational speaker from Toronto, was in the Dominican Republic on Sunday to crown Miss Dominican Republic 2006. Inside of me, there i
Frist Allies Made Thousands Working for His AIDS Charity: 18 donors supplied most of the group's money, late tax forms show. Many contributors have issues before Congress.: Associated Press - December 18, 2005; Jonathan M. Katz and John Solomon; WASHINGTON - Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist s AIDS charity paid about half a million dollars in consulting fees to members of his political inner circle, according to tax returns providing the first financial accounting of the possible presidential hopeful s nonprofit. The returns for World of Hope Inc. also show th
CDC Recommends New Blood Test for TB: Associated Press - December 15, 2005; ATLANTA - Federal health officials are recommending a new, more accurate blood test for tuberculosis that may someday replace the skin test used for the past 100 years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday that the test -- called the QuantiFERON-TB Gold -- is less likely to yield false positive
Red Cross Umbrella Group Wants $333M: Associated Press - December 15, 2005; GENEVA - The umbrella group for Red Cross societies worldwide said Thursday it needs $333 million to fund its aid work, particularly in Africa and Asia, through 2007. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said it was breaking from its policy of issuing annual 12-month appeals to help faci
Russia Probes Possible HIV-Blood Cases: Associated Press - December 15, 2005; MOSCOW, Russia - Prosecutors on Thursday opened an investigation into the case of an 11-year-old boy who has possibly contracted HIV from the blood of an infected donor in a central Russian city, the ITAR-Tass news agency reported. The probe began after preliminary tests showed a boy in Voronezh, 300 miles south of Mos
Doctors battling ignorance in struggle against AIDS in Haiti: Center invests in education, counseling in addition to drugs: Associated Press - December 14, 2005; Alfred de Montesquiou; PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - Inside a clinic, a doctor edges past hundreds of people - some nervously awaiting results of an HIV test, others appearing emaciated and resigned as they wait for antiretroviral drugs to fight AIDS. Patients hand in prescriptions for antiretroviral medicine at the GHESKIO medical center in Port-
OraSure Stock Down on False Tests Reports: Associated Press - December 13, 2005; New York - OraSure Technologies Inc. stock extended its fall Tuesday after reports surfaced late last week about a spike in false positive results in San Francisco and New York from its rapid, oral HIV tests. Shares of Bethlehem, Pa.-based OraSure fell $1.16, or 9.5 percent, to $11.10 in afternoon trading on the Nasdaq
Group: WTO Patent Rules Hurt AIDS Patients: Relief Group Says WTO Rules for Drug Patents Hurt AIDS Patients in China: Associated Press - December 12, 2005; Helen Luk, Associated Press Writer; HONG KONG - Chinese AIDS patients lack appropriate drugs because the World Trade Organization s patent rules prevent China from making the medicine, the French aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres said Monday. The criticism came despite the WTO s move last week to improve access to cheaper medicine in developing countrie
U.S. Gov't Consultant Found Dead in Guyana: Associated Press - December 11, 2005; GEORGETOWN, Guyana - The body of an American consultant for the U.S. government s overseas aid agency was found in his hotel room in this South American country, and police said Sunday they suspect homicide. Hotel staff found the body of Hubert Daniel Thompson, 55, on a mattress in his room late Saturday at the Le Meri
Promising HIV test turns up false positives in SF: Associated Press - December 9, 2005; San Francisco - A promising new oral HIV test that uses fluid swabbed from the mouth to quickly and easily detect the virus that causes AIDS incorrectly diagnosed a quarter of the people who tested positive in San Francisco, city health officials found. Forty-seven people who tested positive after using the OraQuick Ad
With federal money at risk, Illinois to add patient names to HIV tracking system: Associated Press - December 7, 2005; Carla K. Johnson; CHICAGO - Bowing to federal pressure, Illinois will join 38 other states in January when it begins tracking HIV cases using infected patients names, a move some worry will deter people from being tested and treated for the virus that causes AIDS. The state risks losing millions of federal dollars if it doesn t drop its
FDA: Miracle II Neutralizer Contaminated: Associated Press - December 6, 2005; WASHINGTON - The Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to use Tedco, Inc. s Miracle II Neutralizer products, saying the products have been contaminated by bacteria. Using them could lead to infections, particularly in children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems, the FDA
India Vaccine Mtg To Review Intl Immunization Program: Associated Press - December 6, 2005; NEW DELHI - Vaccine experts were to meet in New Delhi Wednesday to review progress made in an international children s immunization program after distributing more than 1.2 billion single-use syringes in developing countries. The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, or GAVI, said it succeeded in protecting mi
UN Envoy: Zimbabwe Rehousing Efforts Inadequate: Associated Press - December 6, 2005; HARARE, Zimbabwe - A U.N. humanitarian official appealed Tuesday for better cooperation between Zimbabwe and the international community, saying government efforts to rehouse those displaced in a massive slum clearing drive were inadequate - and criticizing the drive as poorly timed. The humanitarian situation in
WTO Votes to Boost Access to Generic Drugs: Associated Press - December 6, 2005; Sam Cage, Associated Press Writer; GENEVA, Switzerland (AP) -- World Trade Organization members on Tuesday approved measures to make it easier for developing countries to get cheaper generic versions of medicines for communicable diseases like AIDS. Changes to the WTO s intellectual property agreement would make permanent a waiver currently in place and
Efforts redoubled for proposed AIDS monument in N.Y. Cost will be about $175,000: Associated Press - December 5, 2005; Gerard Robinson; Another World AIDS Day has passed without a monument to those New Yorkers who died of the disease. For the past 10 years, a team of local volunteers has lobbied for the creation of such a public memorial site, but factors like bureaucratic intransigence, the effects of 9/11 and swiftly changing municipal priorities hav
Evangelicals find new mission in AIDS crisis: Pastors from around the country met in California last week to organize new local ministries reaching out to HIV/AIDS patients.: Associated Press - December 4, 2005; Gillian Flaccus; LAKE FOREST, Calif. - After years of ministering to AIDS patients overseas, evangelical Christians are turning attention to the disease in their own back yard -- and one of the nation s largest and best-known megachurches is leading the way. Nearly 2,000 pastors traveled last week to Orange County s Saddleback Church f
States waver over publishing death records: A battle over publishing autopsy records is pitting families against advocates who say they should be public property.: Associated Press - December 4, 2005; Andrew Welsh-Huggins; COLUMBUS, Ohio - Connie Ayres lost her 16-year-old daughter in a car crash in 1996. The next year she learned that a county morgue was using the autopsy photos in a slide show to help fight drunken driving. Ayres outrage helped lead to restrictions last year on the display of autopsy photos in Michigan -- one of at lea
Doctor who lead Gates Foundation's AIDS work to head CARE: Associated Press - December 3, 2005; SEATTLE - The doctor who led the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation s fight against AIDS and TB is leaving to become president and chief executive officer of CARE USA. Dr. Helene Gayle will oversee an annual budget of $624 million and a staff of 12,000 in 70 countries. In her five years as director of HIV, tuberculosi
US Needs Stronger Strategic Policies On Africa -Report: Associated Press - December 3, 2005; WASHINGTON - The U.S. must better recognize Africa s strategic importance in the global struggles against terrorism and the AIDS pandemic, and as a crucial source of energy, according to a Council on Foreign Relations report released Sunday. As the Live 8 charity concerts and increased aid pledges from the world s rich
HIV-positive blood sold in China; 3 dead: Associated Press - December 3, 2005; Alexa Olesen, Associated Press Writer; BEIJING -- An HIV-positive man in northern China who sold his blood infected at least 18 others with the virus - including three who died - the government and state media said Saturday. The man, identified only by his surname, Song, gave blood 15 times at a blood bank in Jilin province s Dehui city between January 2003
Strong turnout at historically black high school for AIDS testing: Associated Press - December 2, 2005; Holly Lang; MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Organizers of the state s first school screening for AIDS and HIV were impressed by the number of students volunteering for the test at a Birmingham high school. We were surprised by the turnout, said Donald Smith, chairman of Birmingham s AIDS Task Force, which organized Thursday s testing at Wenona
Nations Promote Awareness on AIDS Day: Associated Press - December 1, 2005; Nafi Diouf, Associated Press Writer; FATICK, Senegal -- Schoolchildren in Senegal pledged to abstain from sex and village women in India cast off a veil of shame about their HIV status as World AIDS Day was marked Thursday around the globe. Our teacher told us that AIDS is a very dangerous disease, said 13-year-old Aissatou Niang, wearin
UC researchers: HIV population up since 1998: Associated Press - December 1, 2005; Michelle Locke, Associated Press Writer; Berkeley, Calif. - An estimated 150,000 people in California are living with HIV, the largest number since the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, a new analysis shows. The report from researchers at the University of California, released in conjunction with World AIDS Day on Thursday, indicates new infection rates have de
Asian Nations Observe World AIDS Day: Associated Press - December 1, 2005; Wasbir Hussain, Associated Press Writer; GAUHATI, India - Thousands marched in anti-AIDS rallies Thursday in India s plagued northeast, while China rolled out a campaign targeting millions of migrant workers to mark World AIDS Day. In Indonesia , the head of UNAIDS criti
Bush Reaffirms US Commitment To Fighting AIDS Around World: Associated Press - December 1, 2005; WASHINGTON - Marking World AIDS Day, President Bush on Thursday reaffirmed America s effort to fight the deadly disease around the world, and said that 40,000 new infections in the U.S. each year are not inevitable, and it s not acceptable. Across Africa, this pandemic threatens the stability and the future of whole so
China Launches Aids Education For Migrants: Associated Press - December 1, 2005; BEIJING - China marked World AIDS day on Thursday by launching a campaign to educate the country s 120 million migrant workers about condom, while warning that drug users were now the main transmitters of the HIV virus. The government s five-year migrant worker anti-AIDS campaign encourages condom use and discourages d
Study: AIDS Drugs Also Help Haitians: Associated Press - November 30, 2005; Stephanie Nano; NEW YORK - A study of AIDS patients in Haiti who were sick, poor and hungry found that they did just as well as Americans do when given standard AIDS drugs. The largest study of AIDS treatment in a developing country, released on World AIDS Day, supports the idea of expanding treatment in poor nations, the researchers
Alicia Keys and Bono to Release Song: Associated Press - November 30, 2005; New York - Alicia Keys and Bono are hoping to save the lives of children through song. The two superstars have collaborated on Don t Give Up (Africa), and will donate all proceeds to Keep A Child Alive, which provides medicine to families infected with AIDS and the HIV virus. The song will be available exclusively on i
HUD secretary announces housing grants for AIDS patients: Associated Press - November 30, 2005; Tampa, Fla. - Florida, California and 11 other states will receive $18.8 million in grant money to help cover housing costs for those infected with HIV and AIDS, federal officials said Wednesday. The grant money is part of $282 million budgeted for people nationwide whose housing needs are affected by AIDS, Alphonso Ja
Children Capturing Images of AIDS: Associated Press - November 30, 2005; Verena Dobnik, Associated Press Writer; NEW YORK - More than 2 million children around the world live with the AIDS virus and fewer than 5 percent are being treated. Now, hundreds of youths in India , Burkina Faso , Tanzania , Romania and
Indonesia's Response To AIDS Inadequate -UN Aids Chief: Associated Press - November 30, 2005; JAKARTA - Indonesia s response to an emerging AIDS epidemic is inadequate, the head of the U.N. agency fighting the virus said Wednesday. HIV has infected an estimated 150,000 to 250,000 people in the country and is spreading quickly among injecting drug users, as well as sex workers and their clients, said
World Bk Steps Up Global Anti-AIDS Program: Associated Press - November 30, 2005; WASHINGTON - Money is available, treatment is better and much of the mystery is gone from prevention, treatment and care of AIDS. Yet more people will become infected with the HIV virus and die from the disease itself in 2005 than in any previous year, the World Bank said Wednesday. In light of that, the bank announced
UK Marks World AIDS Day With GBP27.5 Mln In Contributions: Associated Press - November 30, 2005; LONDON - The U.K. marked World AIDS Day on Thursday by announcing it was contributing GBP27.5 million ($48 million) to the global fight against the disease. Prime Minister Tony Blair s government said GBP20 million would go to the International Aids Vaccine Initiative and GBP7.5 million toward developing microbicides t
Australia Promises A $10 Million To Fight Aids In India: Associated Press - November 30, 2005; CANBERRA - Australia will spend A $10 million to help India fight AIDS, the government announced Thursday to mark World AIDS Day. The money will be provided over five years through UNAIDS - the United Nations AIDS program - and the Indian government to reduce the r
Evangelicals Venture Into AIDS Activism: The Associated Press - November 30, 2005; LAKE FOREST, Calif. (AP) -- After years of ministering to AIDS patients overseas, evangelical Christians are turning attention to the disease in their own back yard -- and one of the nation s largest and best-known megachurches is leading the way. Nearly 2,000 pastors have traveled to Orange County s Saddleback Church
Clerics' mission: AIDS awareness: Associated Press - November 30, 2005; Philip Spooner; BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - An Anglican cleric who became the first priest in Africa to acknowledge that he had the virus that causes AIDS has started a tour of Caribbean nations as part of a campaign to increase awareness of the illness and tolerance for those who have it. The Rev. Canon Gideon Byamugisha of
Babies With AIDS Become Outcasts in Russia: Associated Press - November 30, 2005; Maria Danilova; UST-IZHORA, Russia - With her eager smile and delight in scrawling crayoned pictures, 3-year-old Katya seems the perfect image of an adored child. But a year ago she was all but abandoned, a victim of Russia s neglect of children born to mothers with the AIDS virus. She lay in a grim, remote hospital where nurses barel
Pope Says He Feels Close to AIDS Victims: Associated Press - November 30, 2005; Daniela Petroff; VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI said Wednesday he felt close to AIDS victims and their families as he encouraged efforts by the church to combat the disease and to offer help to the sick. Benedict was adding his voice to a call by the United Nations for a renewed commitment by the international community to fight the
China To Keep Number Of HIV Cases Under 1.5M: Associated Press - November 30, 2005; BEIJING - China must keep its number of HIV-infected people under 1.5 million in the next five years or risk social instability and a possible economic downturn, the country s top health official said Wednesday. AIDS prevention and control are key to China s economic development, social stability and prosperity, Healt
Poll Shows Great Ignorance About HIV Risk In S Africa: Associated Press - November 30, 2005; JOHANNESBURG - The deadly HIV epidemic may be leveling off in South Africa , but too many people suffer from a false sense of security in the world s most infected country, researchers said Wednesday. A national household survey commissioned by The Nelson Mandela Foundation, which included conducting HIV tests on respo
HIV Is Spreading Via India's Highways: Associated Press - November 29, 2005; Margie Mason, AP Medical Writer; DELHI, India - Zalisz Ahmed paid $1 and lost his virginity on the side of the road to one of India s countless young truck-stop prostitutes. He s had unprotected sex with many others since and says he s never heard of AIDS. Ahmed, 20, is one of an estimated 5 million to 8 million truck drivers who supply the country wi
Vatican Decries 'pansexual Culture': Associated Press - November 29, 2005; VATICAN CITY - The Vatican decried a culture of sex that is fueling the AIDS crisis and said Tuesday that keeping sexual activity exclusive to marriage was the best way to prevent the virus from spreading. The Vatican s Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care issued a message for World AIDS Day, which is marked eve
Indonesia In Early Stages Of Aids Epidemic-UNAIDS Chief: Associated Press - November 29, 2005; JAKARTA - Indonesia is in the early stages of an AIDS epidemic, but the spread of the virus can be stopped with stepped-up prevention programs, the head of the U.N. agency fighting the virus said. The virus is spreading fastest among injecting drug users, prostitutes and among heterosexuals in the eastern province of P
S African AIDS Activists File Lawsuit Against Health Min: Associated Press - November 29, 2005; CAPE TOWN - Activists and doctors are taking legal action to try to force South Africa s health minister to close down the operations of a German-born doctor accused of endangering AIDS patients in one of the world s hardest hit countries. The Treatment Action Campaign and the South African Medical Association said Tue
Report Lists Reasons for Missed AIDS Goal: The Associated Press - Monday, November 28, 2005; Terry Leonard; JOHANNESBURG, South Africa -- Mismanagement, bureaucracy and inadequate funding have kept the world from meeting a goal to provide treatment to 3 million HIV-infected people by year s end, AIDS activists said in a report issued Monday. The goal, set by the World Health Organization in 2003, would be missed
Libya Ready To Free Nurses To Get Aid -Bulgarian Radio: Associated Press - November 28, 2005; SOFIA, Bulgaria - Five Bulgarian nurses sentenced to death in Libya for allegedly infecting some 400 Libyan children with HIV may be freed if Tripoli receives humanitarian aid to treat the victims, Libya s Foreign Minister was quoted as saying Monday by Bulgarian state radio. Abdul Rahman Shalgam spoke to Bulgarian
Bill Clinton Hails Ukraine Reforms But Urges Patience: Associated Press - November 27, 2005; KIEV - Former U.S. President Bill Clinton on Sunday praised Ukraine s reforms since last year s Orange Revolution but counseled Ukrainians to have patience. It takes time to build the kind of vibrant, progressive, forward-moving nation that you are all working to build, Clinton said at a news conference with Ukrainian
French Health Min: 'Worried' By Rise In HIV Cases: Associated Press - November 26, 2005; PARIS - France s health minister expressed concern Saturday over a rise in the number of HIV cases, with new figures showing 7,000 people were infected last year in France with the virus that causes AIDS. I am worried, said Health Minister Xavier Bertrand. Worried about the increasing transmission, worried about the de
Anti-apartheid film duo confront South Africa's AIDS pandemic: The Associated Press - November 25, 2005; Janice Rhoshalle Littlejohn; Los Angeles - It was nerve racking! director Darrell James Roodt exclaimed on the phone from his home in Johannesburg. He was recalling watching the Oscar nominations on CNN last January, hoping to see his film Yesterday among the foreign-language contenders. I didn t know it was done alphabetically, he said. So by th
Vatican Drops Singer Who Promoted Condoms: Associated Press - November 25, 2005; ROME, Italy - A Brazilian singer who promoted the use of condoms in an anti-AIDS campaign has been dropped from the lineup of next month s Christmas concert at the Vatican, organizers said Friday. Daniela Mercury was dropped after Vatican authorities read statements by her in the Brazilian press that went against the
Asia Must Do More On HIV Prevention In Children: Official: Associated Press - November 25, 2005; KUALA LUMPUR - Asian countries need to urgently beef up HIV education and prevention programs to stop a possible AIDS explosion among children, a senior UNICEF official said Friday. Philip O Brien, UNICEF s regional director who is on a visit to Malaysia , said efforts to combat the epidemic in the region are inadequat
Bob Mackie Raises Money for AIDS Charity: Associated Press - November 23, 2005; NEW YORK - An ornate Queen Elizabeth I costume that Whoopi Goldberg wore while hosting the 1999 Academy Awards sold for $22,800 at an auction Tuesday of costumes and dresses by the designer Bob Mackie, Christie s auction house said. The Mackie items -- 150 in all -- brought in a total of $440,820, part of which will be
Carriker pleads guilty to second and third HIV exposure case: Associated Press - November 22, 2005; Greg Bluestein; ATLANTA - A former Emory University medical student pleaded guilty on Tuesday to two more counts of knowingly having sex without warning his partners that he was HIV positive. A Fulton County judge sentenced Garry Wayne Carriker to two years in prison and eight more years of probation. The sentence will be served concu
Brazil Vows To Reduce HIV Transmission To Newborns: Associated Press - November 22, 2005; BRASILIA - Brazil pledged on Tuesday to reduce the rate at which HIV positive mothers transmit the virus to their newborns to just 1% by 2008. The Health Ministry, backed by UNICEF, announced it would provide 50,000 free AIDS tests to pregnant women and adolescents in the poorest regions of the country starting in 2006
U.N. claims breast feeding saves 6M babies: Associated Press - November 21, 2005; GENEVA -- Breast feeding is saving the lives of 6 million babies a year, but more than twice that could be saved if more mothers would use the time-honored method, the U.N. children s agency said Tuesday. Thirty-nine percent of infants in developing countries are exclusively breast fed, UNICEF said, blaming lack of awa
Man who claims to be HIV positive charged in syringe robberies: Associated Press - November 21, 2005; Justin M. Norton, Associated Press Writer; San Francisco - A man who allegedly robbed a Banana Republic store by brandishing a syringe and claiming to be infected with the HIV virus was arrested when he returned to the store three days later, police said. Jonathan Black, 24, was held at the San Francisco jail on suspicion of three counts of robbery, police Lt.
U.N.: HIV Epidemic Continues to Spread: Associated Press - November 21, 2005; Emma Ross; The global HIV epidemic continues to expand, with more than 40 million people now estimated to have the AIDS virus, but in some countries prevention efforts are finally starting to pay off, the United Nations says. AIDS has killed more than 25 million people since it was first recognized in 1981, making it one of the m
HIV and AIDS Cases Show Sharp Increase Across Asia: Region Saw One Million New Infections In Past Year, According to U.N. Report: Associated Press - November 21, 2005; NEW DELHI � More than a million people contracted HIV infections across Asia and some 520,000 died of the disease in the past year, with the disease s spread being largely driven by drug use and unsafe sex, according to a new United Nations report. The deaths were a sharp increase from the 420,000 reported in 2003, sai
CFL Player Faces Second Assault Charge: Associated Press - November 18, 2005; REGINA, Saskatchewan - A Canadian Football League player police say is HIV positive appeared in court Friday on a second charge of aggravated sexual assault. Linebacker Trevis Smith of the Saskatchewan Roughriders and formerly of the University of Alabama allegedly had unprotected sex with a woman without telling her h
UN-backed AIDS Body May Freeze Funding To Nigeria: Associated Press - November 18, 2005; LAGOS - The world s top funding body in the fight against AIDS may freeze grants to Nigeria , citing concerns about data gathering and spending, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press Friday. An Oct. 11 letter from the U.N.-backed Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria said there were ser
Merck & Co. HIV Drug Lowers Virus Level: Merck & Co. Says Experimental HIV Drug Lowers Virus Levels by at Least 98 Percent: Associated Press - November 18, 2005; NEW YORK - Drug maker Merck & Co. said Friday that its experimental HIV treatment lowered virus levels significantly in all patients tested in a mid-stage clinical trial. The company used four different doses of MK-0518, a compound meant to block an enzyme needed for the HIV virus to enter a cell, as a standalone t
Bristol-Myers Drug Said Cuts HIV Rebound: Bristol-Myers Squibb Says Study Shows Reyataz-Based Treatment Regimen Lowers Odds of HIV Rebound: Associated Press - November 18, 2005; NEW YORK - Drug maker Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. said Friday that a lower percentage of HIV patients taking its Reyataz-based treatment regimen experienced a rebound in their virus levels compared with treatments based on other protease inhibitors . Reyataz, also a protease inhibitor, is a substance that prevents
Jolie Brings Attention to Orphan Crisis: Associated Press - November 17, 2005; WASHINGTON - Actress Angelina Jolie used her star power Thursday to draw attention to a new law assisting the world s orphans and to push for funding. The law, the Assistance for Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children in Developing Countries Act, was signed last week by President Bush. It directs the government to evalu
HIV Infection Rate Decreasing in Blacks: Associated Press - November 17, 2005; Mike Stobbe; ATLANTA - The rate of newly reported HIV cases among blacks has been dropping by about 5 percent a year since 2001, the government said Thursday. But blacks are still eight times more likely than whites to be diagnosed with the AIDS virus. The racial disparities remain severe, said Lisa Lee, an epidemiologist at the Ce
Libya Working Behind Scenes in AIDS Case: Associated Press - November 16, 2005; Tanalee Smith; CAIRO, Egypt - Libya is working behind the scenes to find a way to resolve the case of five Bulgarian nurses facing a possible death sentence. Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi wants to win favor with the West, but he also needs to save face at home. The postponement Tuesday of a long-awaited Libyan Supreme Court decisi
CFL Player Said to Have HIV to Stand Trial: Associated Press - November 16, 2005; SURREY, British Columbia (AP) -- A Canadian Football League player police say is HIV positive will go on trial next spring on a charge of aggravated sexual assault. Trevis Smith of the Saskatchewan Roughriders was not at Wednesday s brief court hearing, but his lawyer and lawyers for the Crown attended and a court date
San Francisco adopts rules for pot clubs: Associated Press - November 16, 2005; Lisa Leff, Associated Press Writer; SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Medical marijuana clubs will need a permit and will have to follow new zoning under regulations passed Tuesday by San Francisco supervisors. Until now, the clubs have operated without government oversight. But elected officials in this liberal city sought to strike a better balance between their c
Libya Working Behind Scenes in AIDS Case: Associated Press - November 16, 2005; Tanalee Smith, Associated Press Writer; CAIRO, Egypt (AP) -- Libya is working behind the scenes to find a way to resolve the case of five Bulgarian nurses facing a possible death sentence. Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi wants to win favor with the West, but he also needs to save face at home. The postponement Tuesday of a long-awaited Libyan Supreme Court
LIFEbeat to Honor World AIDS Day: Associated Press - November 15, 2005; New York - LIFEbeat - the Music Industry Fights AIDS will honor World AIDS Day on Dec. 1 with an Internet auction featuring some 1,000 items from stars in music, film, theater and television. The Bid 2 Beat AIDS auction on eBay will include a signed bottle of officially licensed, limited-edition Lindsay Lohan Heinz ket
Report: CFL Player Is HIV Positive: Associated Press - November 15, 2005; NEW YORK, - Police disclosed that a Canadian Football League player is HIV positive after he was charged with sexual assault, saying they thought a public health warning about his health status was necessary. Trevis Smith, a linebacker on the Saskatchewan Roughriders, was arrested Oct. 28 in Regina, Saskatchewan, and c
Explosion Of HIV Infection Could Hit Ukraine Econ-Experts: Associated Press - November 15, 2005; KIEV - The explosion of HIV infection among young, working Ukrainians could stall economic growth, scare away investors and derail the new government s promises of a better life in the former Soviet republic, experts warned Tuesday. The HIV epidemic might be the key obstacle to economic growth in Ukrai
Libya Postpones Decision in HIV Case: Associated Press - November 15, 2005; Khaled El-Deeb; TRIPOLI, Libya - The Supreme Court on Tuesday postponed to Jan. 31 its ruling on an appeal for five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor who were condemned to death after being convicted of infecting more than 400 children with the AIDS virus. The accused were not present at the hearing, which lasted less than fiv
Ukrainian Business Leaders In Talks On Fighting HIV/AIDS: Associated Press - November 15, 2005; KIEV - Ukrainian business leaders were gathering Tuesday for a first-ever event aimed at pressing industry to help battle the growing HIV/AIDS problem in this ex-Soviet republic. Dozens of private sector leaders were expected to discuss how their businesses can provide preventive information about HIV/AIDS to their wor
Bulgaria Slams Postponement Of Libyan Verdict On Nurses: Associated Press - November 15, 2005; SOFIA, Bulgaria - The government criticized a decision by Libya s Supreme Court Tuesday to postpone its ruling on the appeal of five Bulgarian nurses condemned to death for infecting more than 400 children with the AIDS virus. President Georgi Parvanov s office said the decision to postpone the verdict until Jan. 31 wa
Bill would allow sale of syringes without a prescription: Associated Press - November 14, 2005; Steve LeBlanc, Associated Press Writer; BOSTON -- Intravenous drug users and others would be able to purchase syringes directly from a pharmacist without a prescription under a bill approved by House lawmakers on Monday. Backers of the bill say it s an important step toward curbing the spread of AIDS, hepatitis C and other blood-borne diseases. Critics said
Condemned Medical Workers Appeal in Libya: Associated Press - November 14, 2005; Nevyana Hadjiyska; SOFIA, Bulgaria - Antoaneta Uzunova waits in anguish to hear if her mother and five other health care workers will face a Libyan firing squad for their convictions in the HIV infections of more than 400 children at a Libyan hospital. A Palestinian doctor and five Bulgarian nurses, including Uzunova s mother, face a hea
Man Claims He Has Rid Himself of HIV: Associated Press - November 14, 2005; LONDON, United Kingdom - AIDS experts called for more tests on a British man who claims his body has rid itself of the virus that causes AIDS. Andrew Stimpson, 25, told two British newspapers that he tested positive for HIV in August 2002, but that tests 14 months later came back negative. He told the Mail on Sunday,
Disasters spur growth of medical data storage companies: Associated Press - November 12, 2005; David Twiddy; KANSAS CITY, Mo. - When Hurricane Katrina flooded the basements and records rooms of New Orleans hospitals this summer, desperately ill patients faced rebuilding their medical histories from scratch. For 3,500 HIV-positive patients at the Medical Center of Louisiana at New Orleans, the possibilities were even more dire
Cambodian Drug Users Raise New AIDS Threat: Associated Press - November 11, 2005; Ker Munthit; PHNOM PENH, Cambodia - Cambodian drug addicts have adopted a new tactic - selling their blood to hospitals - to pay for their habits, and the practice is threatening to unravel the country s gains in fighting HIV/AIDS, officials and experts warn. Cambodia has had no known cases of HIV being spread by blood transfusions
FDA proposes more specific condom labels: Associated Presss - November 11, 2005; WASHINGTON - The FDA wants condom packages to warn that condoms are less effective at stopping some sexually transmitted diseases, such as herpes and human papilloma virus, than others. The agency also wants packaging to advise that condoms that use a common spermicidal lubricant should not be used by people at risk of
Libya PM: Bulgaria Nurses Appeal Ruling To Be Independent: Associated Presss - November 11, 2005; ZAGREB, Croatia - Libyan Prime Minister Shukri Ghanom said Friday his country s judiciary will make an independent ruling on the appeal of five Bulgarian nurses sentenced to death for allegedly infecting children with AIDS. The U.S. and Europe have been pressuring Libya to free the five Bulgarians and a Palestinian doc
Congress Sends Bush $20.9B Global Aid Bill: Associated Press Writer - November 10, 2005; Liz Sidoti; WASHINGTON - Congress on Thursday sent President Bush a $20.9 billion measure for foreign policy programs and aid for poor nations, an increase of about $1 billion from last year. The bill, which the Senate approved on a 91-0 vote, gives the president millions of dollars more than he sought for worldwide efforts to fig
Ashley Judd Participates in Forum on HIV: Associated Presss - November 10, 2005; SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador - Ashley Judd has come to this Central American capital to join 3,000 Latin American politicians, police chiefs, doctors and activists in a regional forum on HIV. Judd, who has been the ambassador of U.S.-based project Youth AIDS since 2002, on Wednesday met briefly with Salvadorian Foreign Mi
Japan Pledges US$3.8M To Fight AIDS, Malaria In Myanmar: Associated Press - November 9, 2005; YANGON - Japan pledged US$3.8 million to UNICEF to prevent AIDS, malaria, tetanus and measles in the children of Myanmar , the Japanese Embassy said Wednesday. The announcement comes three months after the U.N. Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria cut its funding to Myanmar because of what it said were j
BENEFITS: Dining around town: Associated Press - November 9, 2005; The public can contribute to AIDS and breast cancer charities Nov. 16 simply by dining out at a range of popular San Francisco restaurants. Dine Around, now in its fourth year, takes place at formal and casual places in the Mission District, Noe Valley, the Castro and SoMa including Bagdad Cafe, Foreign Cinema, Fringal
Zimbabwe Min Summons US Envoy To Protest Speech: Associated Press - November 9, 2005; HARARE, Zimbabwe - The U.S. ambassador received Zimbabwe s protest of a speech he made blaming President Robert Mugabe for the country s economic crisis, and was to fly to Washington for consultations. Foreign Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi summoned Ambassador Christopher Dell Wednesday, alleging his speech to student
AIDS activists push Congress for more money, attention: Associated Press - November 8, 2005; Erica Werner; WASHINGTON - Hundreds of AIDS activists from California and around the country converged on the Capitol Tuesday to push Congress to reauthorize a law funding treatments for the disease, which kills thousands of people in this country each year though other issues have pushed it from the spotlight. I feel like people ha
Latin American HIV Conference Draws Protests: Associated Press - November 8, 2005; SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador - Hundreds of Latin Americans with HIV demonstrated against discrimination on Tuesday on the sidelines of a regional conference on the killer virus being held in this Central American capital. More than 600 protesters from countries including El Salvador,
US: Gonorrhea Level Low; Syphilis, Chlamydia On The Rise: Associated Press - November 8, 2005; ATLANTA - Gonorrhea has fallen to the lowest level on record in the U.S., while the rates of other sexually transmitted diseases - syphilis and chlamydia - are on the rise, federal health officials said Tuesday. The seemingly paradoxical findings can be explained by the cyclical nature of syphilis outbreaks and a rise
Hollywood pins its hopes on wizard, ape: Associated Press - November 7, 2005; David Germain, AP Movie Writer; LOS ANGELES - Harry Potter doesn t just have the fate of the magical world on his shoulders. This time, the teen wizard s trying to save Hollywood, too. In this year of mediocre studio flicks, with movie attendance at its slowest pace since the mid-1990s, audiences might kill for a big film that really delivers. Well
Elizabeth Taylor Shines at Dedication: Associated Press - November 5, 2005; Sandy Cohen, Associated Press Writer; Los Angeles - Swathed in jewels and bathed in the spotlight, Elizabeth Taylor made a rare but regal public appearance to dedicate the new UCLA Clinical AIDS Research and Education Center. Wearing a cream-colored jacket over a billowy black pantsuit, the 73-year-old actress, who has had severe back problems in recent ye
Panel weighs home test for HIV: Advisors to the Food and Drug Administration are considering whether a home test for the AIDS virus should be more widely available.: Associated Press - November 4, 2005; WASHINGTON - Tom Donohue, 26, learned two years ago he had the virus that causes AIDS. He told government medical advisors Thursday he had learned from a family doctor in State College, Pa., that he had tested positive for HIV. But he worries that too many people are afraid of going to clinics for testing because other
House Foreign Aid Bill Boosts AIDS Funding: Associated Press - November 4, 2005; WASHINGTON - President Bush would get millions of dollars more than he requested for worldwide efforts to fight AIDS but less than he sought for Iraq reconstruction and a key program to encourage global development, under a bill the House approved Friday. On a 358-39 vote, the House signed off on the spending packa
Man Sentenced for Spreading HIV: Associated Press - November 4, 2005; WASHINGTON - A man who had sex with women and teenage girls without warning them he had the AIDS virus was sent to prison Thursday by a judge who labeled him a violent, self-absorbed outlaw. Sundiata Basir, 34, was sentenced to 21 years and eight months by District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Robert I. Richter. Th
FDA Considers Approving Home HIV Test: Associated Press - November 3, 2005; John J. Lumpkin, Associated Press Writer; WASHINGTON - The Food and Drug Administration s Blood Products Advisory Committee heard opinions Thursday on whether an HIV test should be made available over the counter. An FDA scientist said the privacy and convenience of the test is a potential boon in that it could lead to more people seeking treatment earlier dur
U.N. AIDS Envoy Criticizes South Africa: Associated Press Writer - November 3, 2005; Clare Nullis; CAPE TOWN, South Africa - A top U.N. AIDS envoy said Thursday that poorer nations were doing better than South Africa in fighting the disease and accused its health minister of preventing him from working in the country, which has the most HIV/AIDS sufferers in the world. In an Associated Press interview, Stephen Lewis
FDA Advisers Consider At-Home HIV Test: Associated Press - November 3, 2005; WASHINGTON - A government advisory panel is considering whether to allow the use of the first HIV test a person can take entirely at home, alone. The possible availability of the test, which relies on a swab on the inside of the mouth, has raised concerns about the potential psychological impact on people who learn the
Barriers falling for HIV-positive patients seeking kidney and liver transplants: Associated Press - November 2, 2005; David Crary, AP National Writer; Buoyed by a legislative victory in California and a court ruling in Arizona, advocacy groups say they are making significant headway in efforts to ensure that HIV-positive people have the same access as other patients to kidney and liver transplants. California recently became the first state to prohibit insurers from
Pitt Narrates PBS Miniseries on Health: Associated Press - November 1, 2005; NEW YORK - Brad Pitt s voice is usually identified with movies such as Troy, Ocean s Eleven and Twelve Monkeys -- not a six-hour documentary on global health. Starting Tuesday night on PBS and ending Thursday (check local listings), Pitt will narrate six hour-long episodes of RX for Survival: A Global Health Challenge,
U.S. health group receives world's largest humanitarian prize: Associated Presss - October 31, 2005; GENEVA - A Boston-based health organization received the world s largest humanitarian prize Monday for its innovative efforts to provide medical services to the poor. The $1.5 million Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize will allow Partners In Health to bring more people on board to provide decent health care to everyon
UN Official Urges More HIV/AIDS Prevention In Caribbean: Associated Press - October 31, 2005; PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad - The spread of HIV/AIDS could cripple the Caribbean s work force unless regional companies spend more money on disease prevention for employees, a top U.N. official said Monday. Dr. Peter Piot, executive director of the United Nations Program of HIV/AIDS ( UNAIDS
Abbott Gets FDA OK for New Kaletra Form: Abbott Labs Gets FDA Approval for New Tablet Version of HIV Treatment Kaletra: Associated Press - October 31, 2005; ABBOTT PARK, Ill. - Abbott Laboratories Inc. said Monday that the Food and Drug Administration approved a new tablet version of HIV treatment Kaletra that will enable patients to take fewer doses. The new formulation allows patients to take four tablets per day rather than six capsules.
Merck, BMS Enter International HIV Pact: Merck, Bristol-Myers Squibb Sign Licenses to Provide Microbicide Organization With HIV Drugs: Associated Press - October 31, 2005; NEW YORK - Drug makers Merck & Co. and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. said Monday that they have signed separate licensing agreements with International Partnership for Microbicides so the health organization can develop gels that women can use to protect against HIV. Bristol-Myers Squibb markets such HIV treatments
Vaginal Gel Trials Start in South Africa: Associated Press - October 28, 2005; Clare Nullis; CAPE TOWN, South Africa - Researchers in Africa have started what they describe as the largest trials ever held of a vaginal gel that could help women protect themselves against HIV in countries where men are notoriously reluctant to use condoms. About 10,000 women in South Africa, Ugan
Angelina Jolie says she wants to adopt again: Associated Press - October 27, 2005; NEW YORK - Angelina Jolie, often photographed with her two children in her arms, says she wants to adopt again. It s a very special thing, the 30-year-old actress told People magazine at the recent Worldwide Orphans Foundation benefit in Manhattan. There s something about making a choice, waking up and traveling somewh
FDA Warns About Unscreened Human Tissue: Associated Press - October 26, 2005; WASHINGTON - The Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday it is investigating a New Jersey-based company that sold human tissue to processors for eventual implantation into people because it may not have been properly screened for infections. The New York Daily News reported earlier this month that the district atto
Tanox up on positive trial data for HIV inhibitor: Associated Press - October 26, 2005; NEW YORK - Shares of Tanox Inc. climbed Wednesday, after the biopharmaceutical company said its HIV drug did well in a clinical trial. The 24-week trial showed that when the drug was given to infected patients in combination with other drugs, it produced a greater reduction in viral load than did a placebo, according t
Government Mulls Do-It-Yourself AIDS Test: Associated Press - October 26, 2005; John J. Lumpkin, Associated Press Writer; WASHINGTON - Take a swab of saliva from inside your mouth. Put it into a vial of test fluid, and 20 minutes later you ll learn whether you re infected with the virus that causes AIDS. The OraQuick Advance test is already widely available in health clinics and doctors offices. The Food and Drug Administration is conside
U.N. Campaigns to End AIDS in Kids: Associated Press - October 25, 2005; Edith M. Lederer, Associated Press Writer; UNITED NATIONS -- The United Nations is launching a global campaign to combat the rising threat of AIDS against children, nearly 1,800 of whom are infected with HIV every day. According to a new report from UNICEF and UNAIDS , children under 15 account for 1 in 6 global AIDS-related deaths and 1 in 7 new global HIV inf
Co. to Refund Millions for Cancer Claims: Associated Press - October 24, 2005; PHILADELPHIA - A supplement maker that wrongly claimed its shark-cartilage and other products had cancer-fighting benefits plans to refund customers millions of dollars. Lane Labs USA-Inc. has tentatively agreed to return up to $8 million to customers who bought three products targeted by the U.S. Food and Drug Adminis
HIV vaccine shows promising test results: The Associated Press - October 22, 2005; SEATTLE (AP) -- Test results from an experimental vaccine to treat HIV patients is showing promising results, which have prompted researchers to double the number of volunteers involved in the international study. The vaccine is the most promising in 20 years, say scientists with the international HIV Vaccine Trials Ne
U.S. virus center announces third international partner in Mexico: Associated Press - October 20, 2005; A virus research institute at a Mexican university will become the third to align itself with a University of Maryland research center run by AIDS virus co-discoverer Robert Gallo. The Mexican agreement follows similar affiliations with institutes in China and Nigeria and the Institute of Human Virol
DEBBIE RUNIONS: AIDS patient, activist served on Clinton panel: Associated Press - October 20, 2005; NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Debbie Runions, a prominent AIDS activist and patient who called for governmental response to the spread of the disease, died Sunday. She was 55. Runions found out she was HIV-positive in 1992 and spent the rest of her life promoting AIDS awareness and prevention. She died of AIDS-related complicatio
Bono Discusses the World's Poor With Bush: Associated Press - October 20, 2005; Nedra Pickler; WASHINGTON - Before getting on stage before his fans in a Wednesday night concert, U2 frontman Bono bent President Bush s ear about the world s poor. The rock star and the president had lunch in the private dining room off the Oval Office, ordering from the menu at the same mess hall where White House staffers get thei
Archbishop Predicts Zimbabwe Catastrophe: Associated Press - October 19, 2005; Terry Leonard; JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - A Zimbabwean archbishop said Wednesday he feared 200,000 of his countrymen could die by early next year because of food shortages he blamed on his government, and called for President Robert Mugabe s ouster. Roman Catholic Archbishop Pius Ncube, a frequent critic of Mugabe, spoke at a news
S. Korea Opens Bank for Stem Cell Research: Associated Press - October 19, 2005; Bo-Mi Lim, Associated Press Writer; SEOUL, South Korea - A bank that will create and supply new lines of embryonic stem cells for research opened Wednesday in Seoul as part of a global partnership that will help scientists in countries such as the United States get around government restrictions on cloning.
Gilead earnings up on HIV/AIDS drug operations: Associated Press - October 18, 2005; Foster City, Calif. - Gilead Sciences Inc. said earnings in the latest quarter were boosted by strong sales of the company s HIV/AIDS drugs. The Foster City-based drug company, which developed flu treatment Tamiflu, said Tuesday it earned $179.2 million, or 38 cents a share, on revenue of $493.5 million in the third qu
State gets $54M drug settlement: Associated Press - October 18, 2005; TALLAHASSEE - Florida s Medicaid program will receive $54.1 million as part of a nationwide fraud settlement with the maker of the AIDS treatment drug Serostim, the largest damage award obtained by the state in the 40-year history of the program. The Swiss company Serono Laboratories agreed Monday to pay $704 million a
Reward posted in investigation of needle prick: Associated Press - October 18, 2005; ATHENS, Ga. - A $1,000 reward has been offered for clues that might lead police to the person who taped the hypodermic needle that pricked a woman in a movie theater. Athens-Clarke County Crime Stoppers posted the reward while police await test results on the small amount of blood in the needle s syringe. Since the amo
Malawi Village Underscores Impact of AIDS: Associated Press - October 18, 2005; Clare Nullis; NAPASHA, Malawi - It s so quiet you can hear scrawny hens pecking at the dust. A few ragged children peer timidly from the shadow of their mud huts but show no interest in playing. Beyond them lie barren cornfields, abandoned to the blistering heat. The despair is unmistakable in Napasha, a village in the southern Afri
New TB Therapy May Halve Treatment Time: Associated Press - October 18, 2005; Terry Leonard; JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - A new therapy for treating tuberculosis could cut the current six-month treatment time in half, expand the number of patients and save millions of lives, a nonprofit that seeks treatments for the disease said Monday. The Global Alliance for TB Drug Development and Bayer HealthCare AG said t
AIDS Drug Maker to Pay $700M in Settlement: Associated Press - October 17, 2005; Mark Sherman; WASHINGTON - The Swiss manufacturer of the AIDS treatment drug Serostim has agreed to pay more than $700 million to settle allegations that it offered kickbacks to doctors to write prescriptions to boost sagging sales, government and company officials said Monday. The Justice Department settlement with Serono Laborator
Bono Dissociates Himself From Fundraising: Associated Press - October 13, 2005; Foster Klug; WASHINGTON - U2 s Bono says he is not involved in efforts by U.S. lawmakers to use his band s concerts to raise campaign money. Sens. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and Rick Santorum, R-Pa., and other politicians have scheduled fundraising events in private suites during shows for U2 s North American Vertigo tour, which runs
LeRoy Whitfield 1969 - 2005: Writer devoted to AIDS battle among blacks: Associated Press - October 13, 2005; -- Chicago native challenged conventional wisdom on treatment of HIV, linked disease to poverty, violence NEW YORK -- LeRoy Whitfield, a writer who focused on the battle against AIDS among black Americans, died Sunday after living 15 years with HIV--while refusing to take medication. He was 36. Mr. Whitfield, a Chicago
U.N. Links Poverty, Violence Against Women: Associated Press - October 12, 2005; Jill Lawless, Associated Press Writer; LONDON, United Kingdom (AP) -- The world will never eliminate poverty until it confronts social, economic and physical discrimination against women, the United Nations said Wednesday. Gender apartheid could scuttle the global body s goal of halving extreme poverty by 2015, the U.N. Population Fund s annual State of Wor
Brazil Reaches AIDS Drug Deal With Abbott: Associated Press - October 11, 2005; BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) -- Brazil has reached an agreement with U.S. pharmaceutical manufacturer Abbott Laboratories Inc. to lower AIDS drug Kaletra s price, heading off a possibility the country would break the patent, the health ministry said Tuesday. In a statement, the health ministry said the deal would reduce t
U.S. Man's Porn Sales Helping Fight AIDS Overseas: Associated Press - October 10, 2005; HANOI, Vietnam In the lobby of what Vietnamese delicately call a rest house, Phil Harvey sits listening intently as the manager details how many condoms he passes out each month and how much a room costs by the hour or night. This nha nghi, on a narrow road across the Red River in the communist capital, is one of about
Group: Africa Turns Back on AIDS Kids: Associated Press - October 10, 2005; Alexandra Zavis, Associated Press Writer; JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) -- Governments, schools and communities are turning their backs on the education needs of children affected by AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, an international rights organization said Monday. More than 12 million children have lost one or both parents to AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, and more
Telethon Appeals for Action to Fight AIDS: Associated Press - October 9, 2005; Alexandra Zavis; JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - There were the usual ringing phone lines and frantic countdown. But Sunday s telethon had a twist: South Africans were asked to pledge action - rather than money - to fight AIDS. More than 155,900 pledges were collected during the show on the South African Broadcasting Corp., including prom
London to Get Sexual 'Theme Park': Associated Press - October 7, 2005; LONDON - Move over, Eros. Developers announced plans Friday to open a multimillion dollar sexual theme park near London s Piccadilly Circus, home to the much-photographed statue of the Greek god of love. Backers say the London Academy of Sex and Relationships, due to open next spring, will not be a sleazy sex museum, b
Abbott, Tanzania open high-tech HIV treatment facility: Associated Press - October 6, 2005; Sukhdev Chhatbar; DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania - President Benjamin Mkapa and Abbott Laboratories CEO Miles White opened a state-of-the-art outpatient center and clinical laboratory in Tanzania s capital on Thursday as part of a major program to improve HIV treatment in East Africa. The facilities at Muhimbili National Hospital are part
Tea Leoni Visits Vietnamese Who Are HIV+: Associated Press - October 6, 2005; HANOI, Vietnam (AP) -- Tea Leoni visited young Vietnamese at a support center for people who are HIV-positive, promoting AIDS awareness in a country where infection rates are rising. The 39-year-old actress is on a weeklong visit as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador to help raise funds for the Global Campaign for Children a
U.N.: 130 Million Youth Still Illiterate: Associated Press Writer - October 5, 2005; Edith M. Lederer; UNITED NATIONS - Today s youth are the best educated generation in history even though 130 million are still illiterate, according to a new U.N. report that urges greater investment to ensure universal primary schooling. The U.N. World Youth Report 2005, which provided a snapshot of the 1.2 billion young people aged 15
David Baltimore to retire as president of Caltech in Pasadena: Associated Press - October 4, 2005; Pasadena, Calif. - The Nobel Prize-winning scientist who has led the California Institute of Technology for nearly eight years is stepping down to concentrate on AIDS research and teaching. Caltech President David Baltimore said Monday his resignation is effective in June, although he promised to remain on the job unti
Miers Backed Gay Civil Rights: Associated Press - October 3, 2005; Calvin Woodward; WASHINGTON - Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers went on record favoring equal civil rights for gays when she ran for Dallas city council, and she said the city had a responsibility to pay for AIDS education and patient services. But Miers opposed repeal of the Texas sodomy statute - a law later overturned by the court
Study: Hollywood Doesn't Show Consequences: Associated Press - October 3, 2005; Jill Lawless; LONDON, United Kingdom - Hollywood might be bad for your health, according to a new study, which concludes that blockbuster movies paint a consequence-free view of sex and drugs. Dr. Hasantha Gunasekera, the study s lead author from the School of Public Health at the University of Sydney, said the findings are troublin
AIDS Believed on Rise Again in Thailand: Associated Press - October 3, 2005; Alisa Tang; BANGKOK, Thailand -- Thailand was once considered a model in the fight against AIDS, but the man behind that success says the country of 63 million has returned to the days of ignorance and that the disease is making a deadly comeback. Mechai Viravaidya is widely known as Mr. Condom for the aggressive condom distributi
A new class of evidence for the courtroom: Associated Press - September 30, 2005; Paul Elias, AP Biotechnology Writer; San Francisco (AP) - It has been four years since a spate of anthrax poisonings killed five people, and the murderer is still on the loose. Many investigative missteps occurred in the first days when those packages of anthrax began showing up in the mail - including the federal government s refusal to immediately ackno
Clinton, Rice, Jolie Join HIV-AIDS Fight: Associated Press - September 29, 2005; Will Lester; WASHINGTON, (AP) -- Angelina, Condoleezza and Hillary combined their considerable star power Wednesday night to cast a spotlight on the international effort to fight HIV and AIDS. For one night, the campaign against HIV trumped the buzz over Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton s re-election bid, speculation over whether Secret
AIDS advocate fears pharmacy proposal may bring discrimination: Associated Press - September 28, 2005; CHEYENNE -- The head of the Wyoming Board of Pharmacy defended a proposal to allow pharmacists to refuse to fill prescriptions on moral grounds, despite criticism that it could create an undue burden for people in rural areas or even result in discrimination against AIDS patients. That last concern was raised by Pamela
Colleges Offer Students Oral HIV Tests: Associated Press - September 28, 2005; Michelle Saxton; Charleston, W.Va. (AP) -- West Virginia University is the latest higher education institution in the state to offer an orally administered HIV test to students that requires no blood tests or needles. The test is administered with a cotton pad or swab that is placed between a patient s cheek and gum for five minutes to
New Supply Chain Set Up for HIV Medicine: Associated Press - September 27, 2005; WASHINGTON -- Hoping to speed AIDS drugs from port to patient, the Bush administration awarded a $77 million contract Tuesday to help establish a new supply system for medicines and other HIV-related aid to Africa. The effort to provide worldwide HIV treatment has been complicated by developing nations lack of basic me
Swazi King Chooses New Teen Fiance: Associated Press - September 26, 2005; Thulani Mthethwa; NHLANGANO, Swaziland (AP) -- King Mswati III has chosen a 17-year-old as his bride-to-be, selecting a teenager just a month after retreating from a campaign to encourage girls to wait until they are 18 to have sex. Ntfonjeni Dlamini, in charge of traditional matters for the royal family, told state radio Sunday that th
Debt relief clears hurdle: Associated Press - September 25, 2005; Jeannine Aversa; -- The International Monetary Fund s steering committee approved a plan that would cancel at least $40 billion in debt. WASHINGTON - A deal to erase billions of dollars of debt for poor countries cleared an important hurdle Saturday, winning the endorsement of the International Monetary Fund s steering committee. Th
S. African AIDS Expert Urges Circumcision: Associated Press - September 25, 2005; Clare Nullis; CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) -- A South African AIDS expert Saturday advocated male circumcision as the best available vaccine against the virus in his country, where an estimated 6 million people are infected and more than 600 people die every day. Francois Venter told a congress of health activists in the Treatment A
WHO Urges Nations to Bypass Patent Laws: Associated Press - September 22, 2005; Meraiah Foley; NOUMEA, New Caledonia -- Countries facing severe HIV and AIDS epidemics should consider using domestic or international trade rules to circumvent patent laws on anti-retroviral drug therapies, a World Health Organization official said Friday. Dr. Bernard Fabre-Teste, WHO s adviser for the disease in the West
India Co. to Sell Generic Drugs in Canada: Associated Press - September 22, 2005; Beth Duff-Brown; TORONTO, Canada -- India s largest drug company announced Thursday it was entering the Canadian generic drug market with the launch of a subsidiary called Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd. said the firm already had regulatory approval to sell eight products and four others were awaiting appr
Rep. Green to meet with Bono at U2 concert Sunday: Associated Press - September 21, 2005; Frederic J. Frommer; WASHINGTON - Rep. Mark Green, a U2 fan of 80s vintage and a lawmaker with an interest in Africa, plans to meet with the band s lead singer Bono to discuss HIV/AIDS and debt relief prior to Sunday s concert in Milwaukee. Green, who is seeking the Republican nomination for governor in Wisconsin next year, said Wednesday
Condoms Are Named for Clinton, Lewinsky: Associated Press - September 21, 2005; BEIJING, China (AP) -- A rubber company in China has begun marketing condoms under the brand names Clinton and Lewinsky, apparently seeking to exploit the White House affair that led to the impeachment of America s 42nd president. Spokesman Liu Wenhua of the Guangzhou Rubber Group said the company was handing out 100,0
FDA OKs Generic Versions of AIDS Drug: Associated Press - September 20, 2005; WASHINGTON, (AP) -- The FDA has approved the first generic versions of the AIDS medication AZT , a move that could reduce the expense for people in the United States being treated for the disease. AZT, an anti-retroviral drug that is also known as Zidovudine, helps prevent the AI
U.S., South Africa Fight AIDS in Military: Associated Press - September 19, 2005; CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) -- Across Africa, hospital wards are filling with military casualties. The cause: not another African conflict -- but AIDS. More deadly than any of its wars, AIDS is hitting at Africa s ability to defend itself at a time when its countries are shouldering a growing share of the peacekeeping
Bodybuilding Parachutist Redefines AIDS: Associated Press - September 19, 2005; PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) -- Pvt. Andries Nhlengethwa jumps from planes and lifts 100-pound weights. He also happens to have HIV. The 31-year-old parachutist and bodybuilder is one of the few South African soldiers living openly with the deadly virus, presenting a new face of the pandemic on a continent where AIDS dr
Something beyond education needed on HIV, officials say: Associated Press - September 16, 2005; Although the number of AIDS and HIV cases reported in West Virginia has dropped slightly since 2003, the fact that new cases continue to be reported has state health officials worried that public education efforts aren t working. During the first six months of this year, 65 cases were reported, compared with 139 for al
HIV-positive man to stand trial for raping 8-year-old: Associated Press - September 16, 2005; Redwood City, Calif. - An HIV-positive man was ordered to stand trial for allegedly raping an 8-year-old relative because he was angry with the girl s mother. Frederick Torralva, 53, allegedly admitted raping the girl three times while he was knowingly infected with the virus that causes AIDS. The child was taken by Ch
Blagojevich increases HIV/AIDS program funding tenfold: Associated Press - September 15, 2005; Don Babwin; CHICAGO - Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Thursday surprised an audience gathered to hear him announce the state would double funding for an HIV/AIDS awareness program targeting blacks when he returned to the microphone to say he was inspired to increase the money tenfold. It was unclear how the state would come up with the $2
Tijuana Trying to Make Prostitution Safer: Associated Press - September 15, 2005; TIJUANA, Mexico - Tijuana is cracking down on prostitutes by requiring them to pass monthly exams to detect sexually transmitted diseases, part of new standards aimed at protecting them and their clients and putting unsafe brothels out of business. The regulations amount to an open, official acknowledgment of what has
First Lady Discusses African AIDS Crisis: Associated Press - September 15, 2005; Pat Milton, Associated Press Writer; NEW YORK, (AP) -- First lady Laura Bush, addressing a group of her African peers about the AIDS crisis on their continent, said Thursday that education and compassion were the keys to progress in stopping the spread of the deadly disease. Experience teaches us that we can turn the tide on this epidemic, Bush told the o
Years of research swept away by Katrina's rising waters: Associated Press - September 14, 2005; Paul Elias and Alicia Chang; As rising floodwaters swamped New Orleans, Louisiana s chief epidemiologist enlisted state police on a mission to break into a high-security government lab and destroy any dangerous germs before they could escape or fall into the wrong hands. Armed with bolt cutters and bleach, Dr. Raoult Ratard s team entered the stat
Truth now a weapon in sex-ed fight: Associated Press - September 14, 2005; Kevin Freking; --To challenge federal funding of abstinence-only programs, groups that promote sex education have turned to a law mostly used by industry. It says programs containing erroneous information must be corrected. WASHINGTON - Two organizations that promote sex education are taking an unorthodox approach in their fight agai
Storm shows need for health care database: Many start treatment from scratch after records lost, hard to get: Associated Press - September 13, 2005; One oncologist evacuated flooded New Orleans clutching a laptop computer with some patients records. Another threw some paper charts in her truck on the way out. But for untold numbers of people, Hurricane Katrina destroyed or left inaccessible key medical records, focusing new attention on the need for computerized me
Ministers press Forrester, Corzine on needle exchange, poverty: Associated Press - September 12, 2005; Jeff Linkous; TRENTON, N.J. - Democrat Jon Corzine and Republican Doug Forrester on Monday took their campaigns for governor to the Black Ministers Council of New Jersey, courting the influential clergy group with their visions for New Jersey. The nonprofit council s board of directors met with the pair in separate sessions at Mount
Vical Expands Merck Licensing Deal: Vical, Merck Expand Licensing Agreement; Vical Gets Right to Certain HIV Technology: Associated Press - September 12, 2005; NEW YORK - Vical Inc., a developer of gene-based drugs, said Monday it expanded a licensing deal with Merck & Co. , increasing its potential payments from the drug maker and allowing Vical to pursue certain AIDS vaccines. Shares of San Diego-based Vical jumped 72 cents, or 17 percent, to $4.94 in midday trading on
Katrina displaces thousands with HIV: Associated Press - September 12, 2005; Martha Mendoza; About 8,000 people with HIV and AIDS who were displaced by Hurricane Katrina now face the massive challenge of trying to manage their disease without their doctors, their clinics and their support systems. I m very frustrated right now, said Noel Twilbeck, executive director of the NO/AIDS Task Force, the oldest HIV/AI
Clinton says China must tolerate more dissent as economy grows: Associated Press - September 11, 2005; Audra Ang; BEIJING, China - China will have to tolerate more dissent as its economy grows and opens up to the rest of the world, former President Clinton said Sunday. Clinton, who is on a four-day visit to China, also said he would have raised the case of a Chinese journalist imprisoned for allegedly providing state secrets to fo
Russian Orthodox Church launches campaign to counter HIV/AIDS epidemic: Associated Press - September 8, 2005; MOSCOW (AP) - The Russian Orthodox Church launched a new program Tuesday to help stem Russia s snowballing HIV/AIDS epidemic. Government and U.N. experts officials praised the initiative while others criticized the church, saying action was long overdue. The church prevention program calls for teaching to discourage se
HIV-Positive Spitter Sentenced to 13 Years: Associated Press - September 7, 2005; Samuel Maull; New York - An HIV-positive ex-convict who said he tried to kill several police officers and a psychiatric hospital employee by biting them or spitting blood in their faces was sentenced Wednesday to 13 years in prison. Robert Murray, 33, was not in court when state Supreme Court Justice William A. Wetzel imposed the se
AIDS Quilt Group, Founder Settle Lawsuit: Associated Press - September 7, 2005; Doug Gross; ATLANTA - The foundation that cares for the AIDS Memorial Quilt announced Wednesday that the group has settled a lawsuit with the man who created the quilt and later claimed he was wrongly fired. Cleve Jones, who in 1987 stitched the first square of what became an international symbol of the human toll of AIDS, sued th
U.N.: Anti-Poverty Goals Not Being Met: Associated Press - September 7, 2005; Alexandra Zavis, Associated Press Writer; JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) -- Unless drastic measures are implemented, the world will not meet its targets for reducing poverty and millions of people will die needlessly during the next decade, according to a major U.N. report released Wednesday. Despite progress globally, many countries are falling behind, espec
HIV-Positive Spitter Sentenced to 13 Years: Associated Press - September 7, 2005; Samuel Maull, Associated Press Writer; New York (AP) -- An HIV-positive ex-convict who said he tried to kill four Manhattan police officers and a psychiatric hospital employee by biting them or spitting blood in their faces was sentenced Wednesday to 13 years in prison. Robert Murray, 33, was not in court when state Supreme Court Justice William A. Wetzel i
CytRx Posts Good Results for HIV Vaccine: Associated Press - September 7, 2005; -- CytRx Says Preliminary Data Show Encouraging Potential for HIV Vaccine LOS ANGELES (AP) -- CytRx Corp. said Wednesday that its experimental HIV vaccine produced responses in an early clinical trial that make it likely the drug would fight off multiple strains of the virus, according to interim results. The company s
GenVec HIV Vaccine Produces Response: Associated Press - September 7, 2005; -- GenVec Shares Rise After HIV Vaccine Produces Immune Response in Clinical Trial GAITHERSBURG, Md. (AP) -- Biopharmaceutical company GenVec Inc. said Wednesday early clinical trial results show that its HIV vaccine candidate produces a vigorous immune response in healthy volunteers. GenVec shares rose 20 cents, or 7.
ViroLogic to Change Its Name, Ticker: Associated Press - September 6, 2005; --ViroLogic to Become Monogram Biosciences; Stock Symbol to Change SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (AP) -- ViroLogic Inc., which develops tests for diagnosing HIV and cancer, on Tuesday said it is changing its corporate name to Monogram Biosciences Inc. Beginning Wednesday, the company s stock will trade on the Nasdaq unde
Malaysia denies holding off free condoms plan in fight against AIDS: Associated Press - September 4, 2005; Malaysia Sunday denied it is holding off on the distribution of free needles and condoms to drug addicts because of opposition from Islamic religious groups. Health Minister Chua Soi Lek said the program was crucial to contain the spread of HIV/AIDS but the government needed time to implement it. The staff have
Spike Lee Among Film's Eight Directors: Associated Press - September 1, 2005; VENICE, Italy - Director Spike Lee is one of eight directors who worked on All The Invisible Children, a movie showing out of competition at the Venice Film Festival. The film consists of seven shorts telling the plight of children in different parts of the world, including child soldiers and street urchins. Lee ch
Fund to lift aid freeze on Uganda: Associated Press - September 1, 2005; The Global Fund to Fight Aids, TB and Malaria said it was likely to resume funding Uganda s HIV programme after the government appointed international accountants to investigate allegations of financial mismanagement. The Geneva-based fund suspended much of its funding last week after a review of one of its five grants
Papua New Guinea Police Said to Beat Kids: Associated Press - September 1, 2005; Mike Corder; SYDNEY, Australia - Police in Papua New Guinea collared a teen suspected of picking the pocket of a soldier and dispensed their own justice: The officers beat him, slammed his head into a truck and burned him, the youth told human rights researchers. The case of 16-year-old Steven E. was documented in a new report
France plans levy on airline tickets to finance global fight on poverty: Associated Press - August 30, 2005; PARIS (AP) - France plans to put a tax on airline tickets next year to finance efforts against poverty and disease in the developing world, President Jacques Chirac said Monday. While the idea is still being debated at the international level, France wants to launch a pilot program to prove it could work. The first fun
Families Say Delaware Inmates Not Getting Adequate Care: Associated Press - August 30, 2005; DOVER, Del. - Louis Chance Jr., serving six months behind bars for his fourth drunken driving conviction but hoping to start a new life when he got out, was only a few weeks away from his release date when he began suffering severe headaches. The headaches grew so agonizing that Chance became disoriented and incoherent
LA group to donate 1 million condoms to fight HIV in Uganda: Associated Press - August 30, 2005; Los Angeles - A condom shortage in Uganda has prompted Los Angeles-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation to pledge a donation of 1 million condoms to the African country s Ministry of Health. The organization, which operates free AIDS treatment clinics in the United States , Africa, Central America and Asia, announc
Gilead Lowers Its No-Profit Drug Prices: Gilead Lowers Price of HIV Drugs in Developing World, Citing Lower Manufacturing Costs: Associated Press - August 29, 2005; FOSTER CITY, Calif. (AP) -- Gilead Sciences Inc. said Monday that it is reducing prices for its Viread and Truvada HIV drugs in developing countries to reflect lower manufacturing costs. The biotechnology company, which sells the drugs at no
Despite political solidarity, gender gap persists between lesbians and gay men: Associated Press - August 29, 2005; David Crary, AP National Writer; San Francisco - Although they campaign arm-in-arm for gay rights, lesbians and gay men don t always march in step. With bemusement and at times frustration, they acknowledge a lingering gender gap in how they live, socialize and perceive each other. The two groups each grapple with real differences, and with stereotype
Envoy Ties Condom Shortage In Uganda to U.S. AIDS Policy: Associated Press - August 29, 2005; NAIROBI - The Bush administration s international AIDS policies have worsened a condom shortage in Uganda and could lead to an increase in the HIV infection rate there, a top United Nations envoy said Monday. Stephen Lewis, the U.N. Secretary General s special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, said U.S. cuts in funding for
U.S. to Help China Combat Surge in HIV: Associated Press - Monday, August 29, 2005; Sarah Brumfield, Associated Press Writer; BALTIMORE (AP) -- Chinese health officials on Monday plan to announce an AIDS cooperation partnership with a U.S. institute, a measure that takes aim at combating what health officials fear will be a tenfold surge in HIV infection in China over the next five years. The partnership between the Chinese Center for Disease
Stamp of approval for legend: Associated Press - August 28, 2005; The U.S. Postal Service is honoring Arthur Ashe. A 37-cent stamp will be available nationwide Monday. In addition to his tennis fame, Ashe established foundations to help youths and to support the fight against AIDS, which he contracted from a blood transfusion during heart surgery. Ashe, who died in 1994, was a native
African Health Officials Face Tuberculosis Emergency: Associated Press - August 27, 2005; MAPUTO, Mozambique -- Mozambican health officials know they are being overwhelmed by tuberculosis -- and fear the crisis may be even worse than thought. But Thursday s declaration by African health ministers of a tuberculosis emergency on the continent will certainly help tackle the problem, Candido Mindu, head TB doc
WHO Wraps Up Meeting After TB Declaration: Associated Press - August 26, 2005; Emmanuel Camillo; MAPUTO, Mozambique - The World Health Organization ended a weeklong meeting Friday after declaring tuberculosis an African emergency in a move meant to intensify the fight against a disease that kills more than a half-million people a year. The annual number of new tuberculosis cases in Africa has quadrupled since 1990
Tuberculosis Said an African Emergency: Associated Press - August 26, 2005; MAPUTO, Mozambique - Regional health ministers unanimously agreed Thursday to declare tuberculosis an African emergency, underlining their commitment to fight the epidemic that is killing more than half a million people a year in Africa. The decision was taken at the 55th session of the World Health Organization s Regi
Global Fund Suspends Grants to Uganda: Associated Press - Wednesday, August 24, 2005; GENEVA, Switzerland (AP) -- The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria said Wednesday it has suspended grants to Uganda based on evidence of serious financial mismanagement. A review by accountants of one of the Global Fund s five grants to Uganda uncovered mismanagement by the African country s Ministry o
Swaziland Girls Celebrate End of Sex Ban: Associated Press - August 23, 2005; Thulani Mthethwa; MBABANE, Swaziland - Thousands of Swazi girls Tuesday celebrated the end of a ban on sexual activity that had been imposed as a way to combat AIDS in one of the countries hit hardest by the epidemic. King Mswati III, Africa s last absolute monarch, had reinstated the umchwasho chastity ritual for five years in 2001, b
Panacos Shares Soar on HIV Clinical Study: Panacos Pharmaceuticals Shares Skyrocket on Promising HIV Drug Clinical Trial Data: Associated Press - Monday August 22, 2005; WATERTOWN, Mass. (AP) -- Shares of Panacos Pharmaceuticals Inc. closed up sharply Monday after the biotech company said its experimental HIV drug demonstrated promising results in a mid-stage clinical trial. Panacos shares rose $3.25, or 46 percent, to close at $10.30 on the Nasdaq, after peaking at $12 earlier in the
Africa Tries to Head Off Fish Crisis: Associated Press - Monday, August 22, 2005; Dulue Mbachu, Associated Press Writer; LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) - The quantity of fish available per person worldwide grew during the last two decades but declined in Africa, raising concerns about how to guarantee supplies of a main source of protein for a hungry continent. Simple steps to increase fish farming in Africa could solve the problem - and increase j
Swaziland Abandons Ancient Chastity Rite: Associated Press - Monday, August 22, 2005; Thulani Mthethwa, Associated Press Writer; MBABANE, Swaziland (AP) - At dawn Monday, thousands of Swazi girls removed tasseled scarves symbolizing their chastity, abandoning an ancient rite that had been revived to combat the modern scourge of AIDS. King Mswati III, Africa s last absolute monarch, reinstated the umchwasho rite for five years in 2001, banning s
Inmate death rates drop sharply: Fewer die from AIDS, suicides, homicides: Associated Press - Monday, August 22, 2005; Pete Yost; Washington- Inmate death rates for suicide, homicide and AIDS are showing substantial declines in jails and state prisons, the government says. The trend reflects improved medical care and closer attention to separating violent criminals from other offenders, officials say. State prison homicide rates declined by more
Jamaican ad campaign urges end to HIV/AIDS stigma: Associated Press - August 19, 2005; KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) -- Jamaica has started an advertising campaign to stop discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS, a problem that human rights activists warn is undermining efforts to stop the spread of the virus. Radio, television, newspapers and billboards will carry messages against discrimination, said Fait
Commission to hear from prison rape survivors in SF: Associated Press - August 19, 2005; Kim Curtis; SAN FRANCISCO - As a young, bisexual inmate weighing just 123 pounds, Kendell Spruce said he made a perfect target for sexual predators. Nine months after landing in an Arkansas prison for violating parole for check forgery, he claimed he had been raped by 27 fellow prisoners, including a cellmate who infected him with
Seven Indian AIDS Drugs Reinstated: Associated Press - August 19, 2005; GENEVA, Switzerland - The U.N. health agency said Friday it has reinstated seven 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 World Health Organiza
India.Arie Featured in AIDS Documentary: Associated Press - August 19, 2005; Nekesa Mumbi Moody, AP Music Writer; New York - India .Arie is hoping viewers will be moved to action after watching VH1 s upcoming documentary, Tracking the Monster, in which she and actress Ashley Judd visit separate African countries grappling with the plight of AIDS. It s what the power of this piece is, because I intellectually heard the numbers and
Researchers Creating Life From Scratch: Associated Press - August 18, 2005; BERKELEY, Calif. - They re called synthetic biologists and they boldly claim the ability to make never-before-seen living things, one genetic molecule at a time. They re mixing, matching and stacking DNA s chemical components like microscopic Lego blocks in an effort to make biologically based computers, medicines and
Libya Urges Bulgaria to Pay for Medics: Associated Press - August 18, 2005; Khaled El-Deeb, Associated Press Writer; TRIPOLI, Libya - Libya called on the Bulgarian government to negotiate a payment to win amnesty for five Bulgarian medics and a Palestinian sentenced to death for allegedly infecting 400 children with the AIDS virus. Libya has come under intense pressure from Europe and the United States to
Shanghai University to Offer Gay Studies: Associated Press - August 16, 2005; Christopher Bodeen, Associated Press Writer; SHANGHAI, China - A university in Shanghai is offering China s first class on homosexuality and gay culture and several hundred students have applied for the 100 openings, a professor in charge of the course said Tuesday. Professor Sun Zhongxin, one of the course s instructors at the prestigious Fudan University, said
Pope Extends World Youth Day Invitation: Associated Press - August 15, 2005; Melissa Eddy, Associated Press Writer; BERLIN, Germany - Pope Benedict XVI invited all young people to attend the upcoming World Youth Day events in Germany, according to a message published Monday. In a greeting published in the Bild tabloid, the pope called the upcoming event in Cologne a festival of faith, joy and brother- and sisterhood and said it was
Atlanta Has Become Mecca for Blacks Gays: Associated Press - August 15, 2005; Erin Texeira, AP National Writer; ATLANTA - Once or twice a week, the women s drum circle gathers to practice. Drum Sista s members pound and caress the skins, bonding through the rhythm in an atmosphere of like-minded women - activists and artists, all African-American, all lesbian. It is no accident that they found one another in Atlanta. The city an
New Strategy Shows Promise in Treating HIV: Associated Press - August 11, 2005; EMMA ROSS, AP Medical Writer; LONDON - A new treatment strategy has shown promise in helping to transform HIV into a curable infection. Preliminary research published this week in The Lancet medical journal outlines how scientists used an anti-convulsant drug to awaken dormant HIV hiding in the body, where it is temporarily invisible but still dang
Gilead Says HIV Combo Pill Misses Target: Gilead Says HIV Combo Pill Again Fails to Work As Well As Separate Treatments; Shares Drop: Associated Press - August 9, 2005; FOSTER CITY, Calif. - Gilead Sciences Inc. said Tuesday that a second study of its proposed all-in-one, once-a-day HIV pill failed to show that the combination treatment worked as well as taking the included drugs separately. In addition, Gilead pushed back its filing timetable for the drug, sending shares down nearly
WHO Chief Urges Unconventional Approaches: Associated Press - August 7, 2005; Margie Mason, AP Medical Writer; BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - The head of the World Health Organization and Thailand s prime minister on Sunday launched a global health conference in Bangkok, urging unconventional, pre-emptive steps in areas from tobacco use to nutrition to battle human illness. WHO Director General Lee Jong-wook held up the example o
Judge allows transgender Honduran to remain in U.S.: Associated Press - August 4, 2005; Los Angeles (AP) - An HIV-positive transgender woman from Honduras can stay indefinitely in the United States because she would face physical threats and a lack of medical care if she returned to her native country, a federal judge ruled. Judge Jan D. Latimore ruled Tuesday that Cristina Gomez Ordonez should
Bill Clinton Talks With Black Journalists: Associated Press - August 3, 2005; ATLANTA - Former President Clinton spoke to a cheering, applauding crowd of hundreds Wednesday as he addressed the nation s largest and oldest minority journalism organization. Clinton, speaking at the opening ceremony of the annual convention of the National Association of Black Journalists, addressed his efforts to c
India to Fight AIDS With Female Condoms: The Associated Press - July 29, 2005; BANGALORE, India (AP) -- India will introduce female condoms later this year to help fight the spread of AIDS among its billion-plus population, with cheap supplies available to commercial sex workers, the state-owned contraceptive maker said Friday. Female condoms will empower the woman to protect herself from in
3 Drug Cos. Post 2nd-Quarter Profit Gains: Associated Press - July 29, 2005; Theresa Agovino, AP Business Writer; NEW YORK, (AP) - Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. s profit soared 91 percent in the second quarter helped by a one-time tax benefit, while sales growth helped push up earnings at rival drugmakers AstraZeneca PLC by 50 percent and GlaxoSmithKline PLC by 7 percent. AstraZeneca, the Anglo-Swedish company behind the drugs Cres
'Aids epidemic only starting': Associated Press - July 28, 2005; Michael Astor; Rio de Janeiro - With a record five million new cases of HIV last year and major new outbreaks in Central Asia and China , the epidemic s impact is only now becoming fully apparent, a top United Nations official said on Wednesday. It s still an emerging epidemic. Just now we re getting into the globalisation phase, sa
GlaxoSmithKline Profits Up on Sales Growth: Associated Press - July 28, 2005; Jane Wardell, AP Business Writer; LONDON, United Kingdom - Pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline PLC reported a 7 percent rise in profits Thursday on strong sales growth even as production problems temporarily halted production of two key drugs. Glaxo s net profit for the three months ending June 30 rose to 1.19 billion pounds ($2.08 billion), from 1.
Study: Male Circumcision Lowers AIDS Risk: The Associated Press - July 27, 2005; Michael Astor, Associated Press Writer; RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- Male circumcision significantly reduces the chances of female-to-male transmission of the AIDS virus, according to a new study French researchers announced Tuesday. The study, conducted in South Africa , found that circumcision reduced the risk of men contracting AIDS during heterosexual inter
Experts say California's HIV reporting system is broken: Associated Press - Tuesday, July 26, 2005; Laura Wides, Associated Press Writer; Los Angeles -- California s code-based HIV reporting system is faulty and inaccurate and could cause the state to lose up to $50 million in federal funding as of 2007 if it is not revamped, experts said. While most states track HIV cases by reporting the names of patients in a confidential database, California is among
Experts Say Afghan Heroin Spreading AIDS: Associated Press - Monday, July 25, 2005; Michael Astor, Associated Press Writer; RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AP) -- Heroin flowing out of Afghanistan is creating a new AIDS epidemic among drug addicts in Eurasia, where the disease once had been rare, scientists said Monday. Dr. Christopher Beyrer said a rising number of HIV infections had been detected in Belarus ,
Bill Clinton Launches HIV/AIDS Program: Associated Press - Saturday, July 23, 2005; Rodrique Ngowi, Associated Press Writer; NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) -- Former President Bill Clinton launched a program Saturday that will nearly double the number of children receiving treatment for HIV infection in Kenya by the end of the year. Some 100,000 children are infected with HIV, but only 1,200 receive treatment. The Clinton Foundation s Pediatric HIV/AID
Clinton to Help Kenya With HIV/AIDS Care: Associated Press - July 22, 2005; Rodrique Ngowi; Clinton said his foundation had received grants worth $1.5 million to help train medical workers for rural areas in this East African nation. The money came from singer Elton John and the Children Investment Fund Foundation, a London-based charity that funds projects to improve the lives of children in poor nations, Cl
Tanzanian Expands HIV/AIDS Treatment: Associated Press - Wednesday, July 20, 2005; DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (AP) -- Former President Clinton and Tanzania s President Benjamin Mkapa launched a program Wednesday to expand HIV/AIDS treatment in rural areas by training health workers. At least 30 medical workers will receive advance training each year and will go to remote areas that traditionally lacked
Senate Trims Bush's Foreign Aid Request: Associated Press - July 20, 2005; Andrew Taylor, Associated Press Writer; WASHINGTON - The Senate on Wednesday cut President Bush s request for foreign aid and the State Department s budget by about 3 percent to free $1 billion for domestic programs. The $31.8 billion measure passed by a 98-1 vote after a debate that spanned four days even though the bill was devoid of controversy. The House
Newport Beach doctor, former assistant indicted on fraud charges: Associated Press - July 20, 2005; Santa Ana, Calif. - A Newport Beach doctor and his former assistant were indicted Wednesday on fraud and conspiracy charges for allegedly diluting AIDS- and HIV-related medicine and cheating insurance companies out of $1.2 million. George Steven Kooshian, 54, and office assistant Virgil Opinion, 45, face 25 counts of h
Lawmaker Wants to Send Virgins to College: Associated Press - July 20, 2005; KAMPALA, Uganda - A lawmaker is offering to pay university fees for girls who are virgins when they graduate from high school, in part to help fight AIDS. We want to encourage people to be morally upright and not to go into early marriages. We also want girls to resist defilement. We do not want these girls to get expo
Indian PM touts new cooperation with U.S.: Associated Press - July 19, 2005; Jim Abrams; WASHINGTON - India is a resolute U.S. partner in the war on terrorism and a responsible nuclear power, India s prime minister told Congress on Tuesday as he promoted new nuclear cooperation between the two countries. Manmohan Singh, in an address to a joint meeting of Congress, spoke broadly of how the world s oldest a
New Zealand AIDS campaigners warn of complacency as infection rate surges: Associated Press - July 19, 2005; A sudden doubling of New Zealand s low AIDS rate caused campaigners to warn Tuesday that improved treatments for the disease may be causing complacency toward its risks. New Zealand s Aids Foundation communications director Steve Atwood said there were 33 new cases of full-blown AIDS diagnosed in New Zealand in the fir
Vertex Shares Edge Higher on HIV Drug: FDA Gives Vertex Pharmaceuticals' HIV Drug Fast-Track Label; Shares Rise 2 Percent: Associated Press - July 18, 2005; CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. said Tuesday that the Food and Drug Administration granted fast track status to its experimental HIV drug, a move that could speed up approval of the therapy. The FDA grants a fast track label to drugs designed to treat serious or life-threatening diseases, and that addres
Emory University Sells HIV Drug Royalties: Associated Press - July 18, 2005; ATLANTA - Emory University has sold its royalty rights to an HIV drug for $525 million, which school officials said Monday they believe is the largest amount ever for such a sale. Gilead Sciences Inc. and Royalty Pharma will purchase the royalty interest owed Emory for emtricitabine, also known as
Peacekeepers Still Fail in AIDS Protection: Associated Press - July 18, 2005; Nick Wadhams, Associated Press Writer; UNITED NATIONS - Despite some progress, U.N. peacekeepers still haven t been trained well enough to protect themselves or the people where they re deployed from AIDS, the top U.N. AIDS official said Monday. Dr. Peter Piot urged the U.N. Security Council to make that training an explicit and timebound goal, but council
Nelson Mandela Celebrates 87th Birthday: Associated Press - July 18, 2005; JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - Former President Nelson Mandela celebrated his 87th birthday Monday with his family at his ancestral home at Qunu, near South Africa s eastern coast. Tributes have poured in for Mandela and celebrations nationwide began with a fireworks display on Robben Island, the site of the former priso
Clinton Dedicates New Lesotho AIDS Clinic: Associated Press - July 18, 2005; MASERU, Lesotho - Former President Bill Clinton dedicated a pediatric AIDS clinic Monday that was established with the help of his foundation to treat children infected with HIV. Clinton also reviewed progress made by the government in expanding access to HIV/AIDS treatment. The government, with the help of the Clint
Gay Singaporeans find one church that accepts them: Prime Minister has warned gays not to 'flaunt your gay rights': Associated Press - July 18, 2005; SINGAPORE - In a country where gay sex is punishable by prison time and the government bans gay-themed parties, the Free Community Church stands out. It is the only place of Christian worship willing to accept gays and lesbians in Singapore . Gay sex is still a crime considered an act of gross indecency in Singapore.
Limestone facility cited for care of HIV inmates: Associated Press - July 17, 2005; BIRMINGHAM (AP) - A court-appointed monitor warns that erratic treatment of HIV-positive inmates in a Limestone County state prison could develop into treatment-resistant AIDS. A new report by Dr. Joseph Bick issued that warning. It came a year after the state Department of Corrections agreed to improve medical treatme
Celebrity Drug Ads, at a Glance: Associated Press - July 17, 2005; Since the first prescription drug ads aimed directly at consumers began in the late 1990s, scores of the rich and famous have become richer by doing TV commercials and by visiting talk shows to promote medicines or discuss a disease on behalf of a pharmaceutical company. Here s a sampling of stars who have done ads sin
First Lady Listens to Orphaned Rwandan: Associated Press - July 15, 2005; Jennifer Loven, Associated Press Writer; SAL ISLAND, Cape Verde - Laura Bush heard a Rwandan girl tearfully describe raising her three young brothers, their father killed in the 1994 genocide and their mother dead of AIDS. She saw miles of South African shanty towns, tin and tarpaper shacks crowded in the shadow of Cape Town s wealth. She met women riskin
Health minister denies AIDS-drug deal: Brazil's health minister denied last week's reports that a deal had been reached with Abbott Laboratories to lower the price of AIDS drugs.: Associated Press - July 15, 2005; BRASILIA - Brazil s new health minister denied reports that an agreement was reached with a U.S. pharmaceutical manufacturer that would avert the country s plan to break an AIDS drug patent, despite the ministry s earlier statement that such a deal was finalized. In an interview published Thursday in the newspaper Corr
Bush Daughters Edge Back Into Spotlight: Associated Press - July 13, 2005; DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania - In front of the television cameras, Jenna Bush listens silently to Tanzanian orphans who have been left by AIDS with no family. Across the continent in South Africa , twin sister Barbara quietly cares for children afflicted with the devastating disease. First lady Laura Bush s trip to Afri
Thailand offers anti-retroviral drugs to all Thais with HIV/AIDS virus for almost no cost: Associated Press - July 13, 2005; Thailand announced Wednesday it will offer anti-retroviral drugs at almost no cost to the nation s 500,000 people with the AIDS virus. We will be the first country in the world to give every person living with AIDS access to anti-retroviral drugs, said a statement from the Ministry of Public Health. The Thai-prod
Mrs. Bush Seeks to Empower African Women: Associated Press - July 13, 2005; DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (AP) - Traveling in Africa in part to empower its often disenfranchised women, Laura Bush said Wednesday she would not automatically vote for a woman in a field of candidates for president of the United States . If a woman were to run, it would be exactly the same thing I would consider in any o
First Lady Tours Muslim East Africa: Associated Press - July 13, 2005; Jennifer Loven, Associated Press Writer; DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (AP) - Traveling in Africa in part to empower its often disenfranchised women, Laura Bush said Wednesday she would not automatically vote for a woman in a field of candidates for president of the United States . If a woman were to run, it would be exactly the same thing I would consider in any o
Teenage pregnancy rate falls: But state is still 2nd-highest in U.S., study says: Associated Press - July 12, 2005; HOUSTON � Texas teen pregnancy rate has declined over the last decade, but studies show that young people in the state are more likely to have babies than most of their peers in other parts of the country. One national study said Texas had the second-highest rate, behind Mississippi. State statistics show the rate drop
Vatican: Punish Clients of Prostitution: Associated Press Writer - July 12, 2005; VATICAN CITY, (AP) - The Vatican is calling for clients of prostitutes to not only face legal action but to also receive counseling and other help to stem what it called a form of modern day slavery. The Vatican s office for migrants and itinerants also called for greater protection of women through better enforced law
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