2007

China AIDS activist detained for 'subversion' as police cut his home phone line, Internet: Associated Press - December 29, 2007; BEIJING: An outspoken AIDS activist was charged with subverting China s government after security officers barged into his home and took him away, a watchdog group and lawyer said Saturday. Hu Jia s whereabouts were not known after he was seized by about 20 officers Thursday, said China Human Rights Defenders, an inter
South Africa's Zuma to Stand Trial: Associated Press - December 29, 2007; Celean Jacobson; (AP) -- JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - The newly elected leader of South Africa s ruling party was ordered to stand trial on corruption and other charges next year, raising doubts about whether the party would back his candidacy for the 2009 presidential election. Jacob Zuma will be tried in the High Court in August on c
Activist urges evangelicals to fight AIDS: 'It's not a sin to be sick,' author Kay Warren tells conservative Christians: Associated Press - December 28, 2007; The matter-of-fact display on prostitution was startling enough. Then, a large remote-controlled condom floated above the conference hall. Kay Warren, wife of pastor Rick Warren, wondered what she had gotten herself into. It was her first International AIDS Conference, in 2004 in Thailand . Just two years earlie
Japan to Apologizes for Tainted Blood: Associated Press - December 28, 2007; Yuri Kageyama; TOKYO - Hundreds of Japanese who contracted hepatitis C from tainted blood products hammered out a deal with legislators Friday that includes a government apology and monetary compensation. The agreement is a landmark victory in the five-year legal battle of some 200 hepatitis C patients, who had filed lawsuits in seve
Feds add 400 beds to LA immigrant detention center: Associated Press - December 27, 2007; LOS ANGELES - Federal officials have signed a deal to add 400 beds to a Lancaster detention center for immigrants, making it the largest facility of its kind in California, authorities said Thursday. The Mira Loma Detention Center will now be able to hold 1,400 people. The facility is run by the Los Angeles County Sher
D.C. to Fund Needle-Exchange Programs: Associated Press - December 27, 2007; Stephen Manning; WASHINGTON - A nine-year ban on city funding for needle-exchange programs in the District of Columbia has been lifted, a move city officials say is key to reducing the soaring rate of AIDS and HIV infections in the nation s capital. President Bush on Wednesday signed a $555 billion federal spending bill that includes a
Prominent Kansas AIDS researcher dies of heart attack: Associated Press - December 26, 2007; KANSAS CITY, Kan. - A prominent University of Kansas AIDS researcher who was developing a vaccine aimed at helping poor people around the world fight the virus has died of a heart attack. Opendra Bill Narayan, 71, a senior faculty member at University of Kansas Medical Center, died Monday. Narayan gained prominence mor
N.J. to Add Routine HIV Testing For Pregnant Women, Newborns: Associated Press - December 26, 2007; TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- HIV testing will soon become part of routine prenatal care and be required for some newborns in New Jersey under a new law that supporters say is putting the state in the forefront of the national fight against HIV transmission to babies. Acting Gov. Richard J. Codey signed the measure into law We
U of C to close dentistry clinic that treats AIDS and HIV patients: Associated Press - December 23, 2007; CHICAGO - Officials from the University of Illinois at Chicago say a dental clinic that serves patients with HIV and AIDS will close next year. Dean Bruce Graham says state funding for the Special Patient Care Clinic has declined over the past five years. He says the school has had to make several cuts, including staff
All but forgotten, Kabul's drug addicts live amid detritus of war: Associated Press - December 21, 2007; KABUL, Afghanistan : The sound of gunfire once echoed in the imposing, bullet-scarred structure. Now, a stale whiff of heroin hangs in the air. The spent bullet cartridges have been replaced by used syringes. Huddled in a tight circle, a group of men smoke hashish. In a corner, a 22-year-old man mumbles incoherently, a
HIV-positive Florida woman gets care from Navy: Associated Press - December 20, 2007; WINTER SPRINGS, Fla. - An HIV-positive woman whose infection is linked to the U.S. Navy has prevailed in her two-year battle to have the military cover her medical expenses. Richelle Starnes got the news in a personal call from the surgeon general of the Navy Wednesday night. I just broke down and started crying. This
Patients with drug resistant TB remain at large after escape from hospital: Associated Press - December 20, 2007; CAPE TOWN, South Africa : South African authorities have threatened to use police in door-to-door searches to compel 23 patients with highly infectious, drug resistant tuberculosis to return to the hospital they escaped from last week. Eastern Cape health department spokesman Siyanda Manana said that court orders would
Hennes & Mauritz Launches AIDS Campaign: Associated Press - December 20, 2007; STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) - Swedish fashion chain Hennes & Mauritz AB said Thursday it will launch a new clothing collection aimed at spreading awareness of HIV and AIDS among young people and raising money for projects to battle the disease. The collection, dubbed Fashion Against AIDS, is supported by well-known des
Risky Sex Returns Syphilis to Europe: Associated Press - December 20, 2007; Maria Cheng; LONDON - Syphilis is back: The sexually transmitted disease long associated with 19th Century bohemian life is making an alarming resurgence in Europe. Syphilis used to be a very rare disease, said Dr. Marita van de Laar, an expert in sexually transmitted diseases at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Contr
'Survivor: China' lunch lady says she'll donate $50,000 gift: Associated Press - December 19, 2007; NEW YORK - Denise Martin, who gained fame as the lunch lady on CBS reality show Survivor: China , is donating the $50,000 she received from producer Mark Burnett to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDs Foundation. Martin told viewers on Sunday night s live finale that she d been demoted to janitor at a school in Douglas
Analysis: Dems lose key policy debates: Associated Press - December 19, 2007; Anne Flaherty; Even though public opinion is overwhelmingly on their side, Democrats are winding up the year with little accomplished on the military and foreign policy issues that helped propel them to power in the last election. They have been unable to bring troops home from Iraq or force Preside
Germany's Merkel, Africa progress group seek ways to maintain G-8 momentum: Associated Press - Tuesday, December 18, 2007; BERLIN: German Chancellor Angela Merkel met Tuesday with a group advocating African development to discuss ways of keeping up the momentum for Africa once Berlin hands over the Group of Eight presidency to Japan . Under German leadership, the G-8 nations this year sought to reaffirm their commitment to lift Africa out
Human Rights Watch says domestic violence, poverty keep AIDS drugs from Zambia women: Associated Press - December 18, 2007; LUSAKA, Zambia : Domestic violence and poverty are preventing many Zambian women from accessing AIDS drugs, undermining the Zambian government s ambitious treatment program, Human Rights Watch said Tuesday. The New York-based rights watchdog released a report focused on women s treatment in Zambia, based on interviews
Patients With Drug Resistant TB Escape: Associated Press - December 18, 2007; JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - Forty nine highly infectious tuberculosis patients cut through wire fencing and broke out of a hospital isolation unit, apparently because they wanted to spend Christmas with their families. The mass escape highlights the problems faced by South Africa as it struggles to cope with an epidem
FDA requires new contraceptive warning: Associated Press - December 18, 2007; WASHINGTON - Manufacturers of gels, films and other products designed to prevent pregnancy must state that they do not protect against sexually transmitted diseases, under a new federal rule. The Food and Drug Administration unveiled a new label Tuesday for widely used vaginal contraceptives containing the sperm-killin
Play of the Day: Clinton's Magic play: Associated Press - December 18, 2007; Magic Johnson doesn t trust rookies to win a basketball game, much less lead the nation. You don t want somebody in there that is young or a rookie at politics, Johnson said Tuesday at a raucous rally in support of presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton. We want somebody in there that knows what they re doing be
Jacob Zuma Elected ANC Leader: Associated Press - December 18, 2007; Celean Jacobson and Michelle Faul, Associated Press Writers; POLOKWANE, South Africa - Jacob Zuma triumphed at the African National Congress on Tuesday, parlaying his charisma and widespread popularity to win the governing party s top job and put him in line to become the country s next president. His overwhelming victory -- 2,329 votes to President Thabo Mbeki s 1,505 -- came d
SAfrica's ANC Divided Over Leadership: Associated Press - December 17, 2007; Celean Jacobson, Associated Press Writer; POLOKWANE, South Africa - The African National Congress lurched toward a leadership vote Monday, a usually smooth, private process slowed by a bitter public rivalry that had delegates contesting even how the votes would be counted. Late Monday -- a day later than expected -- President Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma were fo
Dems Lose Fight on Family Planning Aid: Associated Press - Monday, December 17, 2007; Anne Flaherty, Associated Press Writer; WASHINGTON, (AP) - Unable to override a promised veto, Democrats have backed down on their insistence that the 2008 foreign aid budget reverse President Bush s ban on providing aid to family planning groups abroad that offer abortions. A measure to ease restrictions on international aid was stripped this weekend from a
Zambian girl awarded Children's Peace Prize in Hague: Associated Press - Sunday, December 16, 2007; AMSTERDAM, Netherlands : A 16-year-old girl from Zambia won the 2007 International Children s Peace Prize for her efforts to help educate children in her homeland, the organization that awards the prize said Sunday. The award, which includes a 100,000 euros (US$145,000) grant, was established by the Amsterdam-based Kid
Madagascar Fights to Keep HIV Rate Down: Associated Press - Sunday, December 16, 2007; Terry Leonard, Associated Press Writer; ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar (AP) - On a back street in one of Antananarivo s seedier neighborhoods, Saholy clutches at the hood of her blue jacket, pulling it down against the light rain. She steels herself for more verbal abuse from her fellow street walkers plying their trade on the corners. Saholy is 39, a single m
South Africa Debuts Tougher Laws on Rape: Associated Press - December 14, 2007; CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) -- After a protracted delay, tough new laws against sexual abuse will finally go into effect Sunday in South Africa, which is often called the rape capital of the world. The Justice Ministry said Friday that the Sexual Offenses Amendment Act would help the country fight the scourge of sexu
South African court sentences man convicted of 55 rape charges to life imprisonment: Associated Press - Thursday, December 13, 2007; JOHANNESBURG, South Africa : An HIV-positive man convicted of raping 55 women -- and dozens of other offenses including kidnapping and robbery -- was sentenced to life imprisonment Thursday. The judge said he was frustrated that he couldn t impose a harsher punishment on the country s worst serial rapist, 39 year-old M
Plainview: More Patients Alerted: Associated Press - December 13, 2007; About 8,500 additional patients of a Long Island doctor will be advised to get tested for blood-borne diseases as an inquiry into his practice expands, the state’s Department of Health says. The agency initially told 628 patients of the doctor, Harvey S. Finkelstein, an anesthesiologist with a practice in Plainview, th
Study Finds Better Access To Health, Food for the Poor: Associated Press - December 13, 2007; WASHINGTON -- The gap between rich and poor remains huge, but a survey of global health finds that significantly fewer people in poorer countries say they have had to go without food or health care because they lacked the money to pay for it. The phenomenon was evident in almost two dozen of 35 countries in which trend
2 Emirati men sentenced to 15 years each for attack on Swiss-French boy: Associated Press, Wednesday, December 12, 2007; DUBAI, United Arab Emirates : Two Emirati men were sentenced Wednesday to 15 years in prison in the highly charged kidnapping and sexual assault of a French-Swiss teenage boy. Veronique Robert, the mother of the 15-year-old victim, said justice was done, but that she would still appeal to try to gain a life sentence
Woman Misdiagnosed With HIV Gets $2.5M: Associated Press - December 12, 2007; Rodrique Ngowi; BOSTON - A jury awarded $2.5 million in damages Wednesday to a woman who received HIV treatments for almost nine years before discovering she never actually had the virus that causes AIDS. In her lawsuit against a doctor who treated her, Audrey Serrano said the powerful combination of drugs she took triggered a string
Report card on DC's AIDS response critical of schools: Associated Press - December 12, 2007; WASHINGTON - The lack of a comprehensive HIV-AIDS education program in District of Columbia public schools is putting students at risk, according to a report released Wednesday. The report card by the DC Appleseed Center for Law and Justice gives the school system a D, citing delays in approving systemwide health stand
Lawmakers Protest HIV/AIDS Travel Rule: Associated Press - Tuesday, December 11, 2007; Erica Werner, Associated Press Writer; WASHINGTON (AP) -- On World AIDS Day last month the White House said new rules would soon make it easier for people with HIV/AIDS to travel to the United States . Democratic lawmakers and gay rights groups are complaining that the regulations proposed by the Homeland Security Department could actually create more barri
AIDS Comments Alarm Ryan White's Mother: Associated Press - Tuesday, December 11, 2007; Liz Sidoti, Associated Press Writer; Des Moines, Iowa (AP) -- Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee s 15-year-old comments that AIDS patients should have been isolated have so alarmed the mother of Ryan White, an Indiana teenager whose life-ending battle with AIDS in the 1980s engrossed the nation, that she has asked for a meeting. I would be ve
Gilead, Bristol-Myers to Market HIV Drug: Gilead Sciences and Bristol-Myers Squibb Agree to Market HIV Drug Atripla in Europe: Associated Press - Tuesday, December 11, 2007; FOSTER CITY, Calif. (AP) -- Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and biopharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences Inc. said Tuesday they have agreed to collaborate to commercialize the drug Atripla in Europe for the treatment of adults infected with HIV. If approved by the European Commission, Atripla would represent the first and on
Huckabee Stands by AIDS Statement: Associated Press - December 9, 2007; WASHINGTON (AP) -- GOP presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee said Sunday he won t run from his statement 15 years ago that AIDS patients should have been isolated. Huckabee acknowledged the prevailing scientific view then, and since, that the virus that causes AIDS is not spread through casual contact, but said that was n
Report Criticizes Care of Detainees: Associated Press - December 8, 2007; LOS ANGELES - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security provides inadequate care for illegal immigrant detainees with HIV or AIDS, according to a new report by a civil rights group. The study by Human Rights Watch concluded that facilities failed to deliver complete anti-retroviral regimens consistently, failed to presc
Huckabee Wanted to Isolate AIDS Patients: Associated Press - December 8, 2007; Andrew DeMillo; LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) -- Mike Huckabee once advocated isolating AIDS patients from the general public, opposed increased federal funding in the search for a cure and said homosexuality could pose a dangerous public health risk. As a candidate for a U.S. Senate seat in 1992, Huckabee answered 229 questions submitted to
Jackie Chan joins media campaign to raise AIDS awareness: Associated Press - December 6, 2007; BEIJING: Hong Kong action star Jackie Chan stars in a video clip launched Thursday to promote condom use and raise AIDS awareness in China . The campaign, entitled Life is Too Good, includes three TV clips produced by Ruby Yang and Thomas Lennon, who won an Oscar last year for their docume
Film uses kids' questions to shatter taboos about AIDS: Associated Press - December 6, 2007; Ben Nuckols; BALTIMORE - When married human-rights and public-health advocates Brian Hennessey and Radia Daoussi traveled to Toronto last year for the International AIDS Conference, they brought their two young daughters along - as they normally did when they traveled around the world chronicling the disease. Their assignment was t
Navy Chaplain Receives Two-Year Sentence: Associated Press - December 6, 2007; QUANTICO, Va. -- An HIV-positive Navy chaplain was sentenced to two years in prison Thursday after pleading guilty to forcible sodomy and other charges, admitting that he forced himself on a Naval Academy midshipman and had sex with an Air Force officer without disclosing his HIV status. Lt. Cmdr. John Thomas Lee, 42 y
Number living with HIV/AIDS in Virginia increasing: Associated Press - December 5, 2007; RICHMOND, Va. - The number of people living with HIV/AIDS in Virginia has more than doubled over the past decade, and many more may not know they re infected, state health officials said. There are 18,587 Virginians known to be living with HIV/AIDS in the commonwealth, up from 6,730 in 1997, according to the Virginia D
Navy Chaplain to Plead to Sex Charges: Associated Press - December 5, 2007; WASHINGTON - A former Navy chaplain plans to plead guilty to allegations that include forcible sodomy and failing to tell a sex partner he was HIV-positive, his attorney said Wednesday. Lt. Cmdr. John Thomas Matthew Lee was to enter the plea Thursday at his court-martial at Marine Corps Base Quantico in northern Virgin
Presidio Pharmaceuticals relocates to Mission Bay: Associated Press - December 5, 2007; SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco-based Presidio Pharmaceuticals has relocated to San Francisco’s Mission Bay life sciences campus, the company announced Wednesday. The new headquarters will be located at 1700 Owens St. Presidio Pharmaceuticals, Inc specializes in therapies for viral infections including HIV-1 and hepatiti
Celeb Auction to Support HIV Programs: Associated Press - December 5, 2007; NEW YORK - A Valentine s Day auction of contemporary works donated by some of the world s leading artists will benefit HIV/AIDS relief programs in Africa. Sotheby s auction house has joined with Gagosian Gallery in Chelsea, U2 s Bono and Damien Hirst in organizing the charity auction. More than 100 artworks, all inspir
Kent County seeks more patient records from skin doc: Associated Press - December 5, 2007; GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Kent County health officials are seeking more patient records from a dermatologist accused of failing to follow sterilization procedures. Dr. Robert W. Stokes is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court later this month for insurance fraud. The Grand Rapids Press reports he agreed through his at
Mylan Gets Tentative Generic Viread OK: Mylan Receives Special FDA Approval Through AIDS Relief Program for Generic Viread: Associated Press - December 4, 2007; PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Drug developer Mylan Inc. said Tuesday the Food and Drug Administration tentatively approved its generic version of Gilead Sciences Inc s Viread HIV treatment, through an emergency plan for AIDS relief. Matrix Laboratories Ltd. will make the drug, also called
Dr testifies in suit brought by Mass. woman misdiagnosed with HIV: Associated Press - December 4, 2007; Rodrique Ngowi; WORCESTER, Mass. - Audrey Serrano received HIV treatments for almost nine years before receiving a stunning diagnosis: She never actually had the virus that causes AIDS. Now Serrano is suing a doctor who treated her, saying the powerful combination of drugs she took triggered a string of ailments, including depression,
Club Penguin Kids Can Make Donations: Associated Press - December 3, 2007; Gary Gentile; LOS ANGELES - Kids who earn virtual cash in the popular online world Club Penguin can give some of it to charity as part of a program announced Monday by the Web site. It s showing the kids they can truly make a difference, said Lane Merrifield, a co-founder of Club Penguin, which is based in British Columbia and was p
Groups say U.S. to raise estimate of annual HIV infections to 55,000; CDC won't confirm: Associated Press - December 3, 2007; Mike Stobbe; ATLANTA - Advocacy groups say new government estimates will show at least 35 percent more Americans are infected with the AIDS virus each year than the government has been reporting. Government officials acknowledge they are revising the estimate, which they say is not yet complete. But advocates are pushing for the go
CDC says HIV infection estimate is being revised, but won't release number yet: Associated Press - December 3, 2007; Mike Stobbe; ATLANTA - Federal health officials are revising their estimate of how many people are infected by HIV each year, and advocacy groups say the number could rise by 35 percent or more. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the numbers are not final and won t be released until early next year. The CDC ha
Professor says state has prison AIDS crisis: Associated Press - December 3, 2007; DOVER, Del. - Delaware State University Professor Dr. Lee Streetman says Delaware is facing an AIDS crisis in its prisons. According to the Department of Justice, the rate of AIDS deaths in prison in Delaware is higher than any other state. Streetman interviewed more than a dozen current and former inmates to learn mor
Red ribbons decorate art center to remind people about AIDS: Associated Press - December 2, 2007; PUEBLO, Colo. - Coloradans are joining in remembering AIDS victims and that the disease is still a threat. In Pueblo, red ribbons were placed on the trees and bushes outside the Sangre de Cristo Arts and Conference Center. The Pueblo Chieftain said about 30 people joined in a remembrance yesterday. The Reverend John Ma
Mandela welcomes stars for second AIDS awareness concert: Associated Press - December 1, 2007; JOHANNESBURG, South Africa : The decline in the number of people living with AIDS in the world is encouraging but more needs to be done to stop new infections, former South African President Nelson Mandela said Saturday. Mandela addressed a crowd of about 15,000 at the fifth international 46664 concert he has hosted to
Afghanistan records 266 HIV cases, mostly intravenous drug users: Associated Press - December 1, 2007; KABUL, Afghanistan : Afghanistan has recorded 266 HIV cases, two-thirds of whom contracted the virus through intravenous drug use, the public health ministry said Saturday. Deputy Public Health Minister Faizullah Kakar said 75 percent of those infected are men, and seven people are known to have died from AIDS, the dis
California: Sale of Bakery Is Approved: Associated Press - December 1, 2007; A federal bankruptcy judge has approved the sale of the headquarters of Your Black Muslim Bakery in Oakland for use as a nonprofit center serving people with AIDS and other serious illnesses. Judge Edward D. Jellen on Thursday approved selling the property for about $1 million to a partnership buying the property for V
Mandela Says World Must Not 'Grow Complacent' About AIDS: Associated Press - December 1, 2007; JOHANNESBURG, South Africa -- The world must not grow complacent about AIDS because the number of new HIV infections still outpaces the number of those being treated for the disease, former South African President Nelson Mandela said at a benefit concert Saturday. Since stepping down as South Africa s first black presi
Brazil to Dispense Condoms in Schools: Associated Press - December 1, 2007; RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil - Brazil s government announced plans to put condom-dispensing machines in public schools to help teenagers reduce the spread of AIDS. The health and education ministries and the United Nations sponsored a nationwide contest for students to design the dispenser. Three potential models were select
Patrick report: HIV/AIDS disproporately hits blacks, Hispanics: Associated Press - December 1, 2007; BOSTON - A new report by the Patrick administration says that blacks and Hispanics have been affected by HIV/AIDS at a grossly disproportionate rate. The report showed that while blacks and Hispanics each make up about 6 percent of the population, they account for just over half of the 17,000 people with HIV/AIDS in th
Survey finds Americans more concerned about AIDS than climate: Associated Press - November 30, 2007; FEDERAL WAY, Wash. - A telephone survey has found Americans are more concerned about the global AIDS epidemic than climate change. But 25 years after the first confirmed case of the disease, 30 percent of Americans say they know little or nothing about it. The survey of 1002 Americans was conducted by Canadian research
More than 97,000 HIV/AIDS cases reported since '81: Associated Press - November 30, 2007; AUSTIN - State health officials say Texas has had more than 97,000 reported cases of HIV and AIDS since 1981. Saturday is World AIDS Day, an effort to increase awareness of the disease. Texas Department of State Health Services Commissioner David Lakey says HIV can affect anyone. The physician says it s important that
AIDS activists protest at the White House, call for new policies: Associated Press - November 30, 2007; Brett Zongker; WASHINGTON - Dozens of students, HIV-positive activists and health advocates were arrested Friday in a loud protest at the White House in advance of World AIDS Day. Demonstrators said the Bush administration s response to the spread of AIDS has been ineffective. They called for increased funding and an end to abstinenc
Christian groups heartened by Bush meeting on AIDS: Associated Press - November 30, 2007; MOUNT AIRY, Md. - Representatives of several Christian groups fighting the spread of AIDS in poor countries said they were heartened after meeting Friday with President Bush, who is seeking an additional $30 billion to combat the disease worldwide over the next five years. Children of Zion Inc., a Bel Air-based mission
Gates Foundation donates $28.5 million to E. Va. med school: Associated Press - November 30, 2007; NORFOLK, Va. - The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has donated $28.5 million to Eastern Virginia Medical School to develop a substance that will help prevent HIV infection. The donation will go to the medical school s CONRAD program, which works closely with the federal government to help people in foreign countrie
Bush Seeks $30 Billion For Global AIDS Fight: Associated Press - November 30, 2007; MOUNT AIRY, Md. -- President Bush urged Congress on Friday to approve an additional $30 billion for the fight against AIDS world-wide over the next five years, and announced he would visit Africa early next year to further highlight the need and his administration s efforts. We dedicate ourselves to a great purpose: We
Reporter Gets Circumcised to Fight AIDS: Associated Press - November 30, 2007; Joseph J. Schatz; LUSAKA, Zambia (AP) - A southern African radio correspondent has been receiving a flood of text messages and cell phone calls - some from offended listeners and readers. All because Kennedy Gondwe chose to get circumcised to protect himself from AIDS, and took the British Broadcasting Corp. s radio and Web audience thr
AIDS Monastery Ordered Shut in Myanmar: Associated Press - November 30, 2007; Ambika Ahuja; BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) -- A Buddhist monastery that provided a hospice for AIDS patients has been closed down by the regime in Myanmar , which is also still arresting dissidents, the top U.S. diplomat in the country said Friday. The monastery, in the biggest city Yangon, was raided Thursday. Apparently, it was ordered
Rock group Queen to release new single to mark World AIDS Day: Associated Press - November 29, 2007; LONDON: Queen said it would release its first new recording in 10 years this weekend and that it will be available for free on its Web site. The rock group, including its new frontman Paul Rodgers, recorded the new song, Say It s Not True, to mark World AIDS Day on Saturday. Freddie Mercury, Queen s famous lead vocalis
New survey reveals frustration that AIDS assistance goals not met: Associated Press - November 29, 2007; UNITED NATIONS: A new global survey measuring attitudes toward the AIDS epidemic revealed that 52 percent of people are frustrated or angry with their governments for not honoring a 2005 commitment to help those affected by HIV and AIDS. Nearly one-third of the 3,500 people surveyed in the seven wealthiest nations said
Report: Thailand's status as pioneer in war on HIV imperiled by attitude toward drug users: Associated Press - November 29, 2007; BANGKOK, Thailand : Thailand s failure to properly address a very high rate of HIV infection among injecting drug users mars its status as a global leader in fighting the deadly virus, a report by two private groups said Thursday. Injecting drug users were the first group in Thailand to be affected by HIV, and the infe
Clinton Urges Sweeping Action on AIDS: Associates Press - November 29, 2007; Michael R. Blood; LAKE FOREST, Calif. - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton used an appearance at one of the nation s largest evangelical churches Thursday to sketch a broad agenda to take on disease around the globe, calling it the right thing to do. The centerpiece of a speech laced with Biblical references and reflections on her own faith wa
Democrats support lifting of ban on funding needle exchanges: Associates Press - November 29, 2007; DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- Most Democratic presidential candidates support lifting a ban on federal funding for needle exchange as a way to protect public health, according to a questionnaire released Wednesday by a coalition working to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS. John Edwards, Barack Obama, Bill Richardson and Joe Bide
State grades mixed on AIDS work: Associated Press - November 29, 2007; DETROIT - Michigan s first report card on its AIDS work shows it s doing a good job in decreasing HIV infections among drug users and pregnant women. But the Michigan AIDS Fund says the state is performing poorly at curbing the infection rate in young African Americans. The Detroit Free Press reports Michigan earned a
Estimates of Chinese With HIV Rise: Associated Press - November 28, 2007; Henry Sanderson; BEIJING - The number of people estimated to be living with HIV in China has risen to 700,000, with increases among intravenous drug users and sex workers, according to a report released Thursday by the U.N. and the Chinese government. Earlier Thursday, the official Xinhua News Agency mistakenly reported the number was
Pope Calls for New Efforts to Fight AIDS: Associated Press - November 28, 2007; VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday called for intensified efforts to stop the spread of the HIV virus, saying he felt spiritually close to those suffering from AIDS. I am asking all people of goodwill to multiply efforts to stop the spread of the HIV virus, to oppose the scorn that often strikes those affect
Bush to visit small Maryland town for World AIDS Day: Associated Press - November 28, 2007; David Dishneau; MOUNT AIRY, Md. - President Bush will promote World AIDS Day on Friday at a small-town church that supports a Christian group home and school in Namibia for children orphaned by the disease. In advance of Saturday s World AIDS Day observance, Bush will meet with representatives from groups that have been fighting AIDS,
UW probe in 2003 found AIDS researcher fabricated data: Associated Press - November 28, 2007; SEATTLE - University of Washington investigators determined that a former AIDS researcher who resigned after a rival questioned his work altered images and fabricated data, The Seattle Times reported Wednesday. In a report issued at the end of 2003 following a 16-month probe, the three investigators recommended that Sc
Canadian provincial government admits patient records leaked online: Associated Press - November 27, 2007; ST. JOHN S, Newfoundland: Canadian health officials in Newfoundland and Labrador will contact 35 people whose private health records, including test results for HIV and hepatitis, were accidentally leaked on the Internet. A government investigation revealed 1,420 computer files were available over the Internet for betw
Study: AIDS and HIV hits Washington's black community hard: Associated Press - November 26, 2007; Stephen Manning; WASHINGTON - Rates of AIDS and HIV infections in Washington are the worst among the city s black population, while an alarming number of new cases are appearing in women and even some young children, according to a broad report released Monday by city officials. It is a modern epidemic that affects all populations of t
Health officials report 17 latent cases of TB after student dies: Associated Press - November 25, 2007; PUEBLO, Colo. - Health officials have detected 17 cases of latent tuberculosis after the death of a Nepalese student who attended the Colorado State University-Pueblo. The 17 people who were infected likely had come into contact with 19-year-old Kalpana Dangol, who lived in Colorado Springs while attending the universi
Monkey Meat at Center of NYC Court Case: Associated Press - November 24, 2007; Tom Hays; NEW YORK - From her baptism in Liberia to Christmas years later in her adopted New York City, Mamie Manneh never lost the longing to celebrate religious rituals by eating monkey meat. Now, the tribal customs of Manneh and other West African immigrants have become the focus of an unusual criminal case charging her with
Researcher Backs Lowered AIDS Estimates: Associated Press - November 22, 2007; Min Lee; China s recently lowered AIDS estimates are probably accurate since they are in line with other countries which have scaled back their numbers because of a change in the way data are collated, a leading AIDS researcher said Thursday. China s leaders had denied AIDS was a problem in the past, leading some to doubt the c
Chinese farmers with HIV/AIDS threatened with tear gas after protest for medical files: Associated Press - November 22, 2007; Anita Chang; BEIJING - Chinese authorities manhandled and detained AIDS patients who were demanding increased government support and access to medical records that would help prove they were infected through hospital blood transfusions, protesters said Wednesday. Police detained 15 AIDS patients from Henan province in Beijing on We
HIV/AIDS down in some Asian countries but rising in others, says UN report: Associated Press - November 20, 2007; BANGKOK, Thailand : Education programs for sex workers have helped arrest the spread of HIV/AIDS in some Asian countries, but drug use and unprotected sex between men threaten to reverse the gains across the region, a U.N. agency said. An annual update on the AIDS epidemic, released Wednesday by
$60 million grant to IU's AIDS program in Kenya: Associated Press - November 20, 2007; INDIANAPOLIS - A partnership involving the Indiana University School of Medicine has received a $60 million federal grant toward a program to fight AIDS in Kenya . The grant, providing support over five years, gives the program developed by IU and Moi University School of Medicine in Eldoret, Kenya, the ability to trea
Condoms for Inmates: a Tough Sell: Associated Press - November 20, 2007; David Crary; NEW YORK - To activists concerned about AIDS and prisoners rights, it s an urgent, commonsense step that should already be nationwide policy - letting inmates have condoms to reduce the spread of sexually transmitted diseases behind bars. Yet their efforts have run headlong into a stronger political force: Authorities
AIDS Cases Drop, but Bad Data to Blame: Associated Press - November 20, 2007; Maria Cheng; LONDON - The number of AIDS cases worldwide fell by more than 6 million cases this year to 33.2 million, global health officials said Tuesday. But the decline is mostly on paper. Previous estimates were largely inflated, and the new numbers are the result of a new methodology. They show AIDS cases in 2007 were down fro
Taylor Says Writers Won't Picket Benefit: Associated Press - November 20, 2007; LOS ANGELES - Elizabeth Taylor says striking TV and film writers will briefly put down their picket signs when an AIDS benefit performance is held next month on the Paramount Pictures lot. Taylor and James Earl Jones are slated to perform A.R. Gurney s play Love Letters on Dec. 1, which is World AIDS Day. The goal of t
Atty: Woman Wasn't Told Donor Was a Risk: Associated Press - November 16, 2007; Lindsey Tanner; CHICAGO - A woman in her 30s who is one of the four organ transplant patients infected with HIV and hepatitis was not told that the infected donor was high risk, and had previously rejected another donor because of his lifestyle, her attorney said. Attorney Thomas Demetrio filed a petition Thursday in Cook County Circu
Feds Help Illinois-HIV Transplant Probe: Associated Press - November 16, 2007; Lindsey Tanner; CHICAGO - Federal officials are investigating what three hospitals knew and told four organ transplant patients about a high-risk donor who infected them with HIV and hepatitis. The investigation s new phase involves the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which oversees organ procurement programs and h
British man found guilty of infecting women with HIV in Sweden: Associated Press - November 15, 2007; STOCKHOLM, Sweden : A 32-year-old British man was found guilty Thursday of infecting two young women in Sweden with HIV, and putting 13 more at risk of infection, court documents showed. Christer Merrill Aggett was also found guilty of six counts of having sex with minors. The Solna District Court near Stockholm said t
CDC: New respiratory bug has killed 1, sickened 4 in WA: Associated Press - November 15, 2007; Donna Gordon Blankinship; SEATTLE - A Pierce County woman who also had AIDS died earlier this year from a mutated version of a common cold virus that also sickened three other women at the same residential-care facility, U.S. health officials said Thursday. A new variant of adenovirus has caused 10 deaths and at least 140 illnesses in New York,
Clinton Foundation Raised $135 Million: Associated Press - November 15, 2007; Andrew DeMillo; LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Former President Clinton s nonprofit foundation raised more than $135 million last year as his wife ramped up her bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, according to tax forms filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Donations to the William J. Clinton Foundation jumped by nearly 70 percent
AMA Recommends Public Cord Blood Banks: Associated Press - November 14, 2007; HONOLULU - The nation s largest doctors group this week adopted new ethical guidelines for how physicians should talk to pregnant patients about donating their babies umbilical cord blood. The American Medical Association voted during a two-day meeting in Hawaii to encourage mothers wishing to donate to give the blood
AIDS vaccine volunteers to be told whether they received placebo: Associated Press - November 13, 2007; SEATTLE - Researchers who ran a test of an AIDS vaccine that failed to work have decided to tell volunteers whether they received the vaccine or a placebo. After what they call the unblinding, researchers will continue to offer risk-reduction counseling to the 3,000 volunteers. The vaccine was made by Merck. The study
Spread of AIDS virus to transplant patients signals need for more information on donors: Associated Press - November 13, 2007; Lindsey Tanner; CHICAGO - A troubling case in which a high-risk organ donor infected four patients with the AIDS virus and hepatitis has led medical ethicists to warn that patients need to know more about whose organs they re getting. Public health officials said Tuesday the Chicago case is the first known instance of HIV transmission
Four transplant recipients contract HIV from donor: Associated Press - November 12, 2007; CHICAGO - For the first time in more than 20 years in the U.S., there are documented cases that the HIV virus has been transmitted from a high-risk organ donor to transplant recipients. The transplants occurred in January at three Chicago hospitals, but the four patients who were infected with HIV and the virus for hep
China to Revise Law on HIV+ Foreigners: Associated Press - November 12, 2007; Henry Sanderson; BEIJING - China will relax a long-standing rule that bars foreigners with HIV from entering the country, a health official said. The law will be revised but a date has not yet been set, said Mao Qun an, a spokesman for the Ministry of Health, according to a transcript of a news conference posted on the ministry s Web s
Richard Gere receives Philadelphia's Marian Anderson Award: Associated Press - November 12, 2007; Joann Loviglio; PHILADELPHIA - Award-winning actor and human rights activist Richard Gere became the 2007 recipient of the Marian Anderson Award, which honors artists whose leadership benefits humanity. Gere, 58, who was chosen because of his philanthropy and advocacy on behalf of independence for Tibet and better care for HIV/AIDS pa
South Africa quarantines TB patients using fences and guards: Associated Press - November 11, 2007; Clare Nullis; CAPE TOWN, South Africa - Behind high fences patrolled by guards to prevent escape, a drab building once used for smallpox victims houses patients with a new, virtually uncurable strain of tuberculosis. Patients sleep or sit listlessly in the 12-bed women s ward, which is equipped with a TV, a fridge and a table with a
Prominent AIDS Activist Dies in Calif.: Associated Press - November 8, 2007; Daisy Nguyen; LOS ANGELES - Dr. R. Scott Hitt, an AIDS specialist and the first openly gay person to head a presidential advisory board, has died. He was 49. Hitt died Thursday of colon cancer at his home in West Hollywood, according to John Duran, the city s mayor and a longtime friend. Hitt was chairman of the Presidential Advisor
Seattle volunteers took part in failed AIDs test: Associated Press - November 8, 2007; SEATTLE - About 100 volunteers in Seattle took part in the test of an AIDS vaccine that failed to work and may have increased the risk of getting the virus. They were part of a national test of 3,000 people, mostly gay men female sex workers. The test was conducted by drug maker Merck using a genetically modified cold
Volunteers who got experimental AIDS vaccine not protected: Associated Press - November 8, 2007; Linda A. Johnson; TRENTON, N.J. - New data on an experimental AIDS vaccine that failed to work shows volunteers who got the shots were far more likely to get infected with the virus through sex or other risky behavior than those who got dummy shots. The new details, released Wednesday by drugmaker Merck & Co. , don t answer the c
New book: South African leader remains AIDS dissident, believes AIDS discourse is a 'racist weapon': Associated Press - November 7, 2007; JOHANNESBURG, South Africa : President Thabo Mbeki still doubts that HIV causes AIDS and believes the pandemic is being exaggerated out of racism and greed, according to a new biography. Critics say Mbeki s stance slowed his government s response to the AIDS epidemic, costing hundreds of thousands of lives. But Mbe
Teenage Boy Describes Dubai Sex Assault: Associated Press - November 7, 2007; DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- A 15-year-old French-Swiss boy shot anguished glances at an HIV positive man he accuses of raping him and described in court Wednesday a vicious attack by three Emirati men. The case has raised tensions over attitudes toward sex crimes in the tiny Gulf nation s Islamic-rooted legal s
Thousands Gather at TB Meet in South Africa: Associated Press - November 7, 2007; Clare Nullis; CAPE TOWN, South Africa - Old drugs. Outdated tests. Empty promises. New threats. Such is the bleak reality surrounding an international tuberculosis conference opening Thursday in a city scarred by a killer combination of TB and AIDS: an already nightmarish scenario worsened by the spread of untreatable strains. T
Nepal village women mail condoms for husbands working abroad: Associated Press - November 6, 2007; KATMANDU, Nepal : Women in a rural village in Nepal have been mailing condoms to their husbands working abroad to protect them from sexually transmitted diseases, a news report said Tuesday. The women in Pang village, in the midwestern mountains of Nepal, have been writing to their husbands urging them not to have sex
New Judd Film Examines HIV/AIDS in India: Associated Press- November 5, 2007; WASHINGTON - Ashley Judd says education and prevention are the best way to combat AIDS and HIV, which disproportionately affect women and girls and prey upon the vulnerable and less fortunate. Speaking about her new documentary film, India s Hidden Plague, in an interview broadcast Sunday on ABC s This Week, the 39-yea
WHO Aims to Balance Drug Companies, Poor: Associated Press- November 5, 2007; Bradley S. Klapper; GENEVA - The U.N. health chief urged countries on Monday to come up with new ways to make medicine for HIV/AIDS and other diseases more affordable in the world s poorest countries, without stifling innovation among pharmaceutical companies. The World Health Organization s 193 member states are hoping to forge a global
HIV-positive Florida woman would get care under Congress bill: Associated Press- November 2, 2007; MIAMI - An HIV-positive Florida woman who blames her infection on the U.S. Navy would get lifetime care for her disease under a private bill proposed for her in Congress. Richelle Starnes, 27, was born HIV positive after her mother contracted HIV from a blood transfusion. A Navy doctor missed signs Starnes mother was h
Oregon awarded grant to help those with HIV and mental illness: Associated Press - November 2, 2007; PORTLAND, Ore. - Oregon announced this week that it has been awarded a $1.2 million federal grant to help people who have both HIV/AIDS and mental illness. The state will receive the money from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The official recipient is the state Department of Human Services. Its HI
U.N. Teams With Google, Cisco To Launch Anti-Poverty Site: Associated Press - November 2, 2007; UNITED NATIONS -- The U.N. has teamed up with technology giants Google Inc. and Cisco Systems Inc. to launch a new Web site that will provide data and a bird s-eye view of global efforts to fight poverty and meet U.N. development goals. The site will track efforts by countries around the globe to achieve the Millennium
US: HIV-positive paratrooper pleads guilty to assault for unprotected sex: Associated Press - November 1, 2007; FORT BRAGG, North Carolina - An HIV-positive paratrooper pleaded guilty to assault Thursday for knowingly having unprotected sex with a teenager he met online. Pfc. Johnny Lamar Dalton, 25, who is a member of the 82nd Airborne Division, entered his plea during a court-martial at Fort Bragg. A military judge sentenced D
HIV Infection Rate Drops in Zimbabwe: Associated Press - November 1, 2007; HARARE, Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe has registered a 2.5 percent decline in HIV infection rates, and the number of AIDS deaths also is dropping, the government said Thursday, crediting its tireless efforts to fight the pandemic. Quoting figures it said were verified by the United Nations, the Ministry of Health said the HIV ra
2 Emirati Men Accused of Assaulting Teen: Associated Press - November 1, 2007; Barbara Surk; DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Two Emirati men are accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old French boy, a case that has raised questions about the protection of foreigners and the fairness of a legal system where male rape does not exist as a crime. The defendants - aged 35 and 18 - briefly appeared in court Wed
Scientists Largely Unravel Cat DNA, Which May Aid Disease Researchers: Associated Press - October 31, 2007; NEW YORK -- An Abyssinian cat from Missouri, named Cinnamon, has just made scientific history. Researchers have largely decoded her DNA, a step that may aid the search for treatments for both feline and human diseases. The report adds cats to the roughly two dozen mammals whose DNA has been unraveled, a list that inclu
Bush, Ugandan leader focus on trade, disease: Associated Press- October 30, 2007; Jennifer Loven; WASHINGTON -- President Bush and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni focused on trade and fighting disease during a meeting Tuesday at the White House. There was no mention, when the two appeared before reporters afterward, of alleged human rights abuses by the Ugandan government or of Museveni s maneuvers to remain in p
Task force recommends providing contraceptives to H.S. students: Associated Press - October 30, 2007; DENVER - A task force s recommendation that clinics in Denver Public Schools high schools be allowed to distribute condoms and oral contraceptives to students has the support of some parents and teachers, one school principal said. A 43 member task force composed of medical, state, city and parents examined services at
Former scout leader is sentenced to 16-40 years in prison: Associated Press - October 30, 2007; NORRISTOWN, Pa. - A former Boy Scout leader who is HIV-positive will spend 16 to 40 years in prison for sexual crimes against a 14-year-old Montgomery County boy. Fifty-two-year-old David Mayberry of Monte Clare was charged in late 2005 with engaging in deviant sex acts with the teenager, whom he had met online. He was
Athens man arrested for not disclosing AIDS infection: Associated Press - October 29, 2007; ATHENS, Ga. - Police have arrested a man on accusations he had sex with a woman without telling her he has AIDS. Keyvin Shurrod Lyle, 34, was arrested Sunday and has been charged with felony reckless conduct, police said. Authorities say Lyle and the woman had sex three years ago. The woman only recently learned she ha
Sharon Stone's Rome amfAR benefit raises US$1.35 million (EURO940,000) for AIDS research: Associated Press - October 27, 2007; ROME: Sharon Stone sold the jewelry off her neck and helped raise US$1.35 million (EURO940,000) for AIDS research at a Rome benefit, organizers said Saturday. Stone presided over the candlelit auction Friday night in central Rome, which drew celebrities including film director Sofia Coppola, model Eva Herzigova and act
Burmese Desperate for Health Care: Associated Press - October 27, 2007; Margie Mason; MAE SOT, Thailand - They travel for days though checkpoints, across dangerous roads and past Myanmar s bribe-hungry soldiers to make it to the Thai border. They re not refugees fleeing the junta - they simply want to see a doctor. Myanmar has one of the world s worst health care systems, with tens of thousands dying ea
Panacos Shares Climb on HIV Drug Results: Panacos Jumps After HIV Drug Bevirimat Works in Mid Stage Trial, 3Q Results Top Wall Street: Associated Press - October 26, 2007; NEW YORK (AP) -- Shares of Panacos Pharmaceuticals Inc. surged Friday after the biotechnology company said a liquid version of its HIV drug candidate bevirimat was effective in treating the virus in a mid stage trial. Panacos also late Thursday reported a third-quarter loss of 15 cents per share, beating an average ana
'American Idol' donations buy bed nets, education and AIDS prevention: Associated Press - October 25, 2007; KHAYELITSHA, South Africa : American Idol viewers will never see this particular performance of anti-AIDS songs and dances in a modest community hall, but they helped pay for it. After a star-studded American Idol extravaganza in April raised more than US$75 million (EURO52.6 million), the money is trickling down to ch
Russia Told It Is Losing AIDS Battle: Associated Press - October 25, 2007; MOSCOW (AP) - Richard Holbrooke, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told Russians on Thursday that their country is losing the battle against HIV/AIDS because of government inaction and a lack of public awareness. You are in terrible, terrible danger here in Russia, said Holbrooke, who now heads an internati
Experts say police crackdowns on drug users can undermine struggle against AIDS: Associated Press - October 24, 2007; BANGKOK, Thailand - Police efforts to stop drug abuse sometimes contribute to the spread of AIDS by forcing addicts to use contaminated needles and syringes, law enforcement and health experts said Wednesday. The experts, speaking after the opening of a conference on policing and reducing health risks for people who ab
4 more toddlers infected with HIV in outbreak in Kyrgyzstan: Associated Press - October 24, 2007; BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan : Four more Kyrgyz toddlers have been infected with HIV in an outbreak blamed on medical negligence, officials said Wednesday, raising the number of people diagnosed to 26. The latest cases involve children who are 2 and 3 years old and were found after an analysis of blood samples from the southern
Magic Johnson heads list of 2007 Freedom Award recipients: Associated Press - October 24, 2007; MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Former NBA star and Michigan native Magic Johnson, historian John Hope Franklin and Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf have been named recipients of the National Civil Rights Museum s annual Freedom Awards. The museum on the site of Martin Luther King Jr. s assassination handed out the awards at
Feds temporarily close LA immigration detention center: Associated Press - October 23, 2007; LOS ANGELES - Federal authorities have temporarily shut down a troubled immigrant detention center and moved hundreds of detainees to other facilities, officials said Tuesday. The center, located in the San Pedro area of Los Angeles, houses about 450 immigrants who have been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enf
South Africa Recalls Millions of Condoms: Associated Press - October 23, 2007; JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) -- South Africa is recalling millions of locally manufactured condoms after tens of thousands failed an air burst test, dealing a further blow to the country s campaign to prevent the spread of AIDS. The Health Ministry said Tuesday the recall involves condoms distributed free by the gov
Singaporean lawmakers debate petition to abolish gay sex ban: Associated Press - Monday, October 22, 2007; SINGAPORE: A group of Singaporeans submitted a petition to decriminalize gay sex to Parliament on Monday, saying a government proposal to legalize oral and anal sex for heterosexual adults only was unjust. The petition, signed by 2,341 people in three days, was presented to lawmakers as part of a debate Monday on the m
Europe Panel Recommends HIV Drug Atripla: Panel Says European Drug Agency Should Approve Combination HIV Drug Atripla: Associated Press - October 18, 2007; NEW YORK (AP) -- Gilead Sciences Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and Merck & Co. Inc. said Thursday a European Union panel recommended its once-a-day HIV pill Atripla be approved for sale. The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, part of the European Medicines Agency, or EMEA, said the drug should
San Francisco Mulls Safe-Injection Room: Associated Press - October 18, 2007; Lisa Leff; SAN FRANCISCO - City health officials took steps Thursday toward opening the nation s first legal safe-injection room, where addicts could shoot up heroin, cocaine and other drugs under the supervision of nurses. Hoping to reduce San Francisco s high rate of fatal drug overdoses, the public health department co-sponsor
Family-Planning Appointment Denounced: Associated Press - October 18, 2007; David Crary; NEW YORK - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton joined birth-control advocates Thursday in demanding that the Bush administration withdraw an appointment that places federal family planning funds under the control of a woman they consider hostile to contraception programs. Susan Orr, who has been one of the top Department of He
Woman with HIV gets 10-year term for having unprotected sex: Associated Press - October 18, 2007; ST. CHARLES, Mo. - An HIV-positive, eastern Missouri woman who had unprotected sex with her then-boyfriend was sentenced Thursday to 10 years in prison. Angela Harris, 27, of St. Charles, pleaded guilty in September to two counts of knowingly and recklessly risking infection of another person with HIV. She could be eli
Staph Fatalities May Exceed AIDS Deaths: Associated Press - October 17, 2007; CHICAGO (AP) -- More than 90,000 Americans get potentially deadly infections each year from a drug-resistant staph superbug, the government reported in its first overall estimate of invasive disease caused by the germ. Deaths tied to these infections may exceed those caused by AIDS, said one public health expert commen
Study Examines AIDS Patients in Africa: Associated Press - October 15, 2007; Maria Cheng; LONDON - Only 60 percent of AIDS patients in Africa still take the drugs they need to stay alive two years after starting treatment, researchers reported, noting a grim reason many stopped: death. Of the patients found no longer to be taking the drugs after two years, 40 percent died and the rest missed scheduled appoi
Medco to Have Prescription Review System: Associated Press - October 15, 2007; Linda A. Johnson; WILLINGORO, N.J. - When a patient gets a new prescription filled, there s a fair chance a pharmacist will be looking over the doctor s shoulder, more or less. Increasingly, pharmacists are aggressively reviewing prescriptions - mainly those for expensive, chronic conditions - and counseling patients and intervening wit
HIV Drug OK Boosts MRK: Merck Gains on HIV Drug Approval, Tektronix Up on Danaher Buyout; Citi, Force Protection Fall: Associated Press - October 14, 2007; NEW YORK (AP) -- Merck & Co. shares gained in premarket trading Monday after the Dow Jones industrial average component got approval from the Food and Drug Administration for its new drug to treat HIV. The FDA late Friday OK d Merck s Isentress tablets for people who have strains of the virus that causes AIDS and a
China looks for new leader as Communist Party congress opens: Associated Press - October 14, 2007; BEIJING: All eyes will be on a rising star in China s Communist Party when delegates from across the country gather Monday for the start of their once-every-five years party congress. Li Keqiang, an economist by training, is a trusted aide long seen as President Hu Jintao s favorite to succeed him. Hu is not expected t
New FDA Research Center Rife With Risks: Associated Press - October 14, 2007; Matthew Perrone; WASHINGTON - The Food and Drug Administration is moving with unprecedented speed to launch a drug research center to be paid for by companies it regulates. The goal of the Reagan-Udall Foundation, approved by Congress and signed into law late last month, is to streamline and improve the development of drugs and medical
Governor acts on flurry of bills: Associated Press - October 13, 2007; Aaron C. Davis; SACRAMENTO, (AP) -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Saturday signed 97 bills and vetoed another 58, creating new laws on everything from the sale of kangaroo skin to protecting endangered condors while halting lawmakers efforts on dozens of other fronts, including giving college aid to illegal immigrants and requiring wa
San Pedro immigration detention facility loses accreditation: Associated Press -- October 13, 2007; Peter Prengaman; LOS ANGELES - The immigration detention facility in San Pedro, one of several nationwide to come under scrutiny from immigrant and civil rights groups, has lost its accreditation. The center houses several hundred illegal immigrants who have been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and are facing depor
Former Oregon adult store manager claims AIDS worries led to firing: Associated Press -- October 12, 2007; PORTLAND, Ore. - The former general manager of an adult entertainment store chain has filed a $2.7 million lawsuit claiming he was fired because he refused to fire certain employees with AIDS. Denny O Neil Jr. accused Fantasy for Adults Only and its parent company, Oregon Entertainment Corp., of discrimination, hostile
FDA Approves Anti-AIDS Pill From Merck: Associated Press -- October 12, 2007; WASHINGTON - The government approved a novel anti-AIDS pill on Friday, offering a new option for hard-to-treat patients. Manufacturer Merck & Co. (MRK, News) said Isentress should be on pharmacy shelves within two weeks. The AIDS virus uses three different enzymes to reproduce and infect cells. Numerous drugs are a
FDA approves Merck's new HIV drug: Associated Press -- October 12, 2007; WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J. -- Merck & Co. said Friday the Food and Drug Administration approved its Isentress twice-daily tablets as a treatment for patients who have strains of the HIV virus resistant to multiple antiretroviral drugs. Isentress is the first of a new class of antiretroviral drugs called integrase inh
Myanmar Rejects UN Call for Negotiations: Associated Press - October 12, 2007; YANGON, Myanmar - Myanmar s military junta rejected a U.N. statement calling for negotiations with the opposition, insisting Friday that it would follow its own plan to bring democracy to the country. The impoverished country s main opposition party, however, urged the ruling generals to comply with U.N. demands for ne
Condom Experts Told That Size Matters: Associated Press - October 11, 2007; Burt Herman; SEOGWIPO, South Korea - As the world s top condom experts convene this week to update international standards, one American entrepreneur has a simple message: Size matters. It s shaking up an industry that has generally taken a one-size-fits-all approach. Frank Sadlo, founder of TheyFit, which makes what he claims
Canadian researcher heads new initiative to hunt for AIDS vaccine: Associated Press - October 11, 2007; Clare Nullis; CAPE TOWN, South Africa - The international scientific community is trying to inject new urgency and unity into the elusive hunt for a HIV/AIDS vaccine, just weeks after trials with the most promising candidate to date were halted. At a conference in Cape Town, Alan Bernstein, founder of the Canadian Institutes of Heal
Report: African Conflicts Cost Billions: Associated Press - October 11, 2007; Todd Pitman; DAKAR, Senegal - About $18 billion a year has been drained from Africa by nearly two dozen wars in recent decades, a new report states, a price some officials say could ve helped solve the AIDS crisis and created stronger economies in the world s poorest region. This is money Africa can ill afford to lose, Liberian Pr
Libyan Captives Waived Right of Redress: Associated Press - October 10, 2007; Jan Sliva; BRUSSELS, Belgium - Five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor freed by Libya after more than eight years in prison for allegedly infecting children with HIV waived their right to seek redress from Libya upon their release, the doctor said Wednesday. Yes, we signed such papers, Dr. Ashraf al-Hazouz told journ
Study: Majority of States Bar HIV Tests: Associated Press - October 10, 2007; Mike Stobbe; ATLANTA - More than 30 states have laws barring doctors from heeding a call by U.S. health officials to routinely test Americans for the AIDS virus, researchers report. And states don t seem to be in any rush to change that. None have chosen to remove all barriers since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention an
Black Pastors Step Up in HIV/AIDS Fight: Associated Press - October 10, 2007; Deepti Hajela; NEW YORK - Black ministers called on the federal government Tuesday to declare HIV/AIDS among blacks a public health emergency and proposed legislation to address the disease in their community. Almost half of all new HIV diagnoses are among blacks. Black men were diagnosed with the disease at a rate eight times that o
Teenage girl fights denial of coverage for HIV-related surgery: Associated Press - October 9, 2007; BOSTON - A teenage girl who had an HIV-related surgery three years ago wants the state Appeals Court to allow her to appeal MassHealth s decision not to pay for the procedure. Ashley Shaw and her mother are appealing a lower court decision upholding MassHealth s refusal to pay for surgery to remove a painful pad of fat
Astronauts Set to Head to Space Station: Associated Press - October 8, 2007; Mansur Mirovalev; BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan - A crew that includes Malaysia s first astronaut and an American who will become the first woman to command the international space station prepared Monday for blastoff later this week. The Soyuz-FG rocket is scheduled to blast off from the Central Asian steppe on Wednesday night to take Malaysia
Partnership with pharmaceutical companies benefits HIV patients: Associated Press - October 7, 2007; Ken Alltucker; PHOENIX - It started more than a decade ago when a doctor and an activist set out to answer a question. What was the best way to ensure metro Phoenix residents infected with HIV could get better, quicker access to cutting-edge drug therapies? At the time, pharmaceutical companies were testing promising treatments, but
Canada confirms to WTO it will be first to export cheap, generic AIDS drugs: Associated Press - October 5, 2007; GENEVA: Canada has become the first nation to invoke a provision allowing it to export a cheap, generic version of patented AIDS drugs, the World Trade Organization said Friday. The triple combination AIDS therapy drug, TriAvir, can now be made and exported to Rwanda , which is unable to manufacture
British man charged with infecting girls with HIV in Sweden: Associated Press - October 5, 2007; STOCKHOLM, Sweden : A British man has been charged with infecting two young women with HIV and putting 14 more at risk for infection, Swedish police said Friday. Christer Merrill Aggett, 32, was charged with two counts of aggravated assault for allegedly infecting two girls whom he had sex with without telling them he
Microsoft launches HealthVault site for managing medical records, faces concerns over privacy: Associated Press - October 4, 2007; Jessica Mintz; SEATTLE - Microsoft Corp. launched a Web site Thursday for managing personal health and medical information, but privacy advocates worry that neither the technology nor U.S. law will protect patients most confidential details. From the consumer s point of view, Microsoft s HealthVault site is part filing cabinet, part
Morticians Accused of Selling Body Parts: Associated Press - October 4, 2007; Maryclaire Dale; PHILADELPHIA - Three funeral directors sold hundreds of bodies to a former oral surgeon who allegedly collected the bones, tissue and skin from the corpses to be used in transplants, a grand jury charged Thursday after a 16-month investigation. The 244 bodies fetched about $1,000 each, the grand jury found, with the bo
Africa Needs More Aid to Meet U.N. Goals: Associated Press - October 4, 2007; Carley Petesch; UNITED NATIONS - World leaders repeatedly warned the U.N. General Assembly that rich countries failures to fulfill their pledges of aid are keeping poor nations from meeting U.N. goals of reducing poverty and achieving environmental stability. At Wednesday s closing session, General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim said
Congress to Hear About Security at Labs: Associated Press - October 4, 2007; Larry Margasak; WASHINGTON - Federal terror-fighting agencies can t identify all the American research laboratories that could become targets of attackers, congressional investigators have found. The Government Accountability Office asked a dozen agencies whether they kept track of all the labs handling dangerous germs and toxins, or
Roche, Trimeris Withdraw FDA Application: Associated Press - October 3, 2007; NEW YORK - Hoffmann-La Roche Inc. and partner Trimeris Inc. said Wednesday they are withdrawing a supplemental application with U.S. regulators to market a needle-free injection device for use with HIV treatment Fuzeon. The Biojector 2000 device, or B2000, is cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to deliver
Obesity a Problem in HIV Population: Associated Press - October 3, 2007; Alicia Chan; LOS ANGELES - Early in the AIDS epidemic, people infected with the virus often lost a dangerous amount of weight, at times looking gaunt and ghostly. Today, they are facing the opposite problem. Many who have HIV, but not full-blown AIDS, are struggling with obesity, which has overtaken wasting syndrome as the top conc
80-year-old doctor gets prison sentence for Medicare scheme: Associated Press - October 2, 2007; MIAMI - An 80-year-old doctor was sentenced to 18 months in prison for his part in a $7 million Medicare scam involving HIV patients, authorities said Tuesday. Dr. Orestes Alvarez-Jacinto was also sentenced to seven months home confinement and three years supervised release. In addition, he must pay $90,000 in forfeitu
BOOK REVIEW: Bush daughter succeeds in telling 'Ana's Story': Associated Press - October 2, 2007; M.L. Johnson; It s tempting to scoff at the idea of presidential party girl Jenna Bush writing a book, but her first effort is surprisingly well done. Ana s Story (HarperCollins, 224 pages, $18.99) is a short biography of a 17-year-old single mother in Latin America infected with HIV. Bush met Ana, whose real name and hometown are c
Canadian Court Acquits in AIDS Scandal: Associated Press - October 1, 2007; Rob Gillies; TORONTO - A judge acquitted three doctors, a New Jersey company and a former Red Cross official of criminal charges Monday in a tainted-blood scandal that infected thousands of Canadians with HIV or hepatitis and resulted in more than 3,000 deaths. Ontario Superior Court Justice Mary Lou Benotto ruled that the defendan
Nelson Mandela Announces AIDS Concert: Associated Press - October 1, 2007; Celean Jacobson; JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - The fifth in a series of international concerts that Nelson Mandela has used to raise awareness about AIDS will be held Dec. 1 in Johannesburg. I am very delighted that we are engaging the youth in schools, communities and through the media breaking the silence and stigmas around HIV and AI
Researcher defends assisted suicide study on 'vulnerable groups': Associated Press - September 30, 2007; William McCall; PORTLAND, Ore. - Doctor-assisted suicide in Oregon and The Netherlands does not result in more deaths among certain groups of terminally ill patients such as the poor or the elderly, according to a controversial new study. The study, led by University of Utah bioethicist Margaret Battin, analyzed nearly a decade of dat
Report: Maryland has highest percentage of AIDS cases in prison: Associated Press - September 29, 2007; BALTIMORE - Maryland s prisons have the highest percentage of confirmed cases of AIDS in the nation, based on statistics from 41 states at the end of 2005, a new Justice Department study has found. The study found that the number of confirmed AIDS cases among inmates in Maryland doubled from 204 in 2004 and 408 in 2005
New Condoms to Replace D.C. Supplies: Associated Press - September 29, 2007; WASHINGTON - Who cares if they re free? Residents in the nation s capital say the condoms being handed out have a serious problem. As many as 70,000 condoms given away in a citywide campaign to reduce HIV and AIDS were returned this week by community groups. Another 100,000 condoms were returned in early September beca
Jenna Bush, author: First daughter starts promoting new book: Associated Press - September 29, 2007; Ben Nuckols; ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Jenna Bush looked poised as she stepped to the podium, but she couldn t quite hide the butterflies as she stood before an eager bookstore crowd Saturday to introduce her new book, Ana s Story: A Journey of Hope. This is my first day, so I m a little nervous, the 25-year-old first daughter admitted.
Flagstaff HIV, AIDS support center revived: Associated Press - September 29, 2007; Larry Hendricks; FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - Flagstaff resident Larry O Daniel has been living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus for 20 years. Two years ago, he was able to receive a variety of services and support in Flagstaff to help him cope with HIV through an organization called Northland Cares. Northland Cares had to close in early 20
Indian court denies HIV-positive woman custody of daughter: Associated Press - September 28, 2007; NEW DELHI - An Indian court has denied an HIV-positive woman custody of her 8-year-old daughter, a rights activist said Friday. The woman, who was not identified to protect her privacy, married a soldier from northwestern Rajasthan state in the late 1990s without knowing that he was HIV positive, said Kavita Srivastav,
Bono receives Liberty Medal for humanitarian work in Africa: Associated Press - September 28, 2007; PHILADELPHIA - Accepting the Liberty Medal for his humanitarian work in Africa, Bono exhorted Americans to keep working to solve the world s problems and spoke of those who are without freedom. When you are trapped by poverty, you are not free. When trade laws prevent you from selling the food you grew, you are not fre
Taylor Sparkles at AIDS Fundraiser: Associated Press - September 28, 2007; Michael Cidoni; SANTA MONICA, Calif. - Elizabeth Taylor, wearing a coffee-colored, gold-sequined Naeem Khan gown accented with diamond jewelry, put some superstar sparkle into an HIV/AIDS fundraiser. Taylor, 75 and in a wheelchair, is a founding chairwoman of the annual Macy s Passport event, a charity auction and showcase for food an
Magic Johnson honored at charity game for Greek fire victims: Associated Press - September 25, 2007; ATHENS, Greece - Basketball Hall of Fame member Earvin Magic Johnson was honored at a charity basketball game in Athens on Tuesday that raised money for a global AIDS campaign and victims of recent deadly wildfires in Greece. Thank you for allowing me to come to your beautiful country, Johnson, who did not play Tuesda
Text of President Bush's Remarks: Associated Press - September 25, 2007; Text of President Bush s remarks Tuesday at the U.N. General Assembly, as transcribed by CQ Transcriptions. BUSH: Mr. Secretary General, Mr. President, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for the opportunity to address the General Assembly of the United Nations. Sixty years ago, representatives fro
Mexico Supreme Court: Unconstitutional to expel HIV-positive soldiers: Associated Press - September 25, 2007; MEXICO CITY: Mexico s Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional to expel five soldiers who tested positive for HIV from the military, establishing a precedent that dismissed troops may seek redress in a federal appeals court. Being HIV-positive does not in itself imply an inability to serve in the armed forces,
Maricopa, Pinal County get financial boost for AIDS/HIV: Associated Press - September 25, 2007; PHOENIX - Because of a growing population of patients with AIDS and HIV, the federal government is sending additional funding to Arizona. Maricopa and Pinal counties are set to receive $6.8 million from the $2 billion federal Ryan White CARE Act. The act was named after a young Indiana AIDS victim who was infected thro
Edwards: Limit Frivolous Lawsuits: Associated Press - September 24, 2007; Joan Lowy; WASHINGTON (AP) -- Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, who made his fortune as a trial lawyer, says attorneys should have to show their medical malpractice cases have merit before filing them. He also said attorneys with a history of frivolous suits should be barred from filing new cases. Edwards proposal i
S.C. clears AIDS medication waiting list Agency wants millions to help program: Associated Press - September 22, 2007; Seanna Adcox; COLUMBIA -- People living with HIV in South Carolina who need the government s help getting their prescriptions filled no longer have to wait for lifesaving medicine. South Carolina has eliminated what was recently the nation s longest waiting list in the country for Medicaid s AIDS Drug Assistance Program, the state D
Merck experimental AIDS drug fails in test: Associated Press - September 22, 2007; TRENTON, N.J. - A promising experimental vaccine to prevent the AIDS virus has failed in a crucial experiment, with volunteers becoming infected with HIV anyway, leading the drug developer to halt the study. Merck & Co. said Friday that it is ending enrollment and vaccination of volunteers in the large internationa
Pediatrician finds a bigger audience for his advice to parents: Associated Press- September 22, 2007; David Wenner; MECHANICSBURG, Pa. - A self-published paperback by a local doctor now has a prestigious publisher and worldwide distribution prospects. Dr. Christopher Ryder, an Upper Allen Township-based pediatrician, wrote the first version of the book about four years ago. Ryder, 60, works at the practice of Ryder, Barnes and Assoc
Merck's experimental AIDS vaccine fails: Associated Press - September 21, 2007; Linda A. Johnson, AP Business Writer; In a disappointing setback, a promising experimental AIDS vaccine failed to work in a large international test, leading the developer to halt the study. Merck & Co. said Friday that it is ending enrollment and vaccination of volunteers in the study, which was partly funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Man Flashes Syringe in Robbery, Crashes: Associated Press - September 20, 2007; LENOIR CITY, Tenn. - A man accused of brandishing a medical syringe to rob a convenience store on Thursday morning later crashed his car into a house while trying to escape, police said. A man walked into a store shortly before 4 a.m. and flashed a medical syringe, which he claimed was contaminated with AIDS or somethi
EU Medicine Experts Recommend Lifting Temporary Ban on Roche's HIV Drug: Associated Press - September 20, 2007; BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -- European Union medicine experts on Thursday recommended lifting a temporary EU-wide ban on the sale of a Roche Holding AG anti-HIV drug that had been contaminated with a substance that can be harmful to health. The European Medicines Agency, or EMEA, said it backed allowing Roche to sell
Medical marijuana group seeks investigation in Yakima County: Associated Press - September 19, 2007; SELAH, Wash. - A group of medical marijuana patients plans to petition the state attorney general to investigate whether authorities in Yakima County are following the state s medical marijuana law. Washington s medical marijuana law was approved by nearly 60 percent of voters in 1998, closely behind California in the
Pfizer Presents Positive Long-Term Data on HIV Drug Selzentry at Meeting in Chicago: Associated Press - September 18, 2007; NEW YORK (AP) -- Drug maker Pfizer Inc. said long-term data reinforce the safety and effectiveness of its new HIV drug Selzentry, according to data from a 48-week study that was presented Tuesday. Nearly three times as many patients receiving Selzentry, in addition to an ongoing treatment regimen, achieved undetectable
U.N. and World Bank launch initiative to recover billions in public money stolen from developing countries: Associated Press - September 17, 2007; UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations and the World Bank launched a new initiative Monday to recover billions of dollars of public money stolen from developing countries every year by corrupt leaders and officials. The Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative is aimed at giving teeth to provisions of the U.N. treaty to fight glob
Bulgaria honors EU Commissioner for efforts to free six medics: Associated Press - September 17, 2007; SOFIA, Bulgaria : In a sign of appreciation for helping free six medics sentenced to death in Libya , Bulgaria s President awarded the country s highest state order Monday to the European Union foreign affairs commissioner, Benita Ferrero-Waldner. At a ceremony in Sofia, Georgi Parvanov praised Ferrero-Waldner for
Woman says she exposed former boyfriend to HIV: Associated Press - September 17, 2007; ST. CHARLES - A St. Charles woman admits that she exposed a former boyfriend to the HIV virus. Angela Harris pleaded guilty today to two counts of knowingly and recklessly risking infection of another person with HIV. Prosecutors agreed to drop a third charge against the 27-year-old. They have recommended concurrent pr
Prestigious awards go to inventors of heart-valve replacement, immune-system scientist: Associated Press - September 15, 2007; Malcolm Ritter; NEW YORK - Two researchers who opened up the field of heart-valve replacement and a scientist who discovered a type of cell that plays a key role in the immune system have won prestigious medical prizes. The $150,000 Albert Lasker Medical Research Awards will be presented Sept. 28 in New York by the Albert & Mary L
Cambodian man charged with injecting love interest with his blood: Associated Press - September 13, 2007; PHNOM PENH, Cambodia : A Cambodian man was charged Thursday with injecting a woman with his own blood after she refused to reciprocate his love, a judge said. Lon Sopheaktra, 22, is being detained at a prison on suspicion he injected a syringe of his blood into the woman s rib cage and waist as she walked home from sch
HIV infections spur blood bank closings: Associated Press - September 13, 2007; Edison Lopez, Associated Press Writer; Lima, Peru - Peruvian officials have closed the country s 240 blood banks after at least four people were infected with HIV from blood transfusions in a public hospital. Health Minister Carlos Vallejos said Thursday the blood banks will be inspected by a commission that will include officials from the
Maryland man sentenced after Australian uncovers child pornography: Associated Press - September 12, 2007; Ben Greene; BALTIMORE - A federal judge sentenced a Berlin, Md. man with AIDS to 30 years in prison for child sexual abuse, agreeing with prosecutors that he had inflicted heinous and degrading abuse on an 11-year-old whose family was living with him. U.S. District Judge Catherine Blake also ordered Roderick Parks, 42, to register
HIV rate rises among young gay men in NYC Increase of 33 percent in past six years: Associated Press - September 12, 2007; NEW YORK - Infection rates for the virus that causes AIDS rose over the past six years among gay men under 30, reported city health officials. New diagnoses of the human immunodeficiency virus among gay men in that demographic increased by 33 percent during the past six years, from 374 in 2001 to 499 in 2006, said a re
Jenna Bush Does Well With Kid Book: Associated Press - September 11, 2007; M.L. Johnson; Ana s Story (HarperCollins, 304 pages. $18.99), by Jenna Bush: It s tempting to scoff at the idea of presidential party girl Jenna Bush writing a book, but her first effort is surprisingly well done. Ana s Story is a short biography of a 17-year-old single mother in Latin America infected with HIV. Bush met Ana, whose
Pfizer Warns of Carcinogen in Viracept: Pfizer Warns Health Care Professionals of Possible Carcinogen in HIV Treatment Viracept: Associated Press - September 10, 2007; NEW YORK -- The Food and Drug Administration said Monday Pfizer Inc. informed health care professionals that its HIV drug Viracept contains some traces of a potential human carcinogen. The drug contains a presence of ethyl methanesulfonate, a process-related impurity.
Contaminated, fake AIDS drugs flood black market in shortages-stricken Zimbabwe: Associated Press - September 10, 2007; HARARE, Zimbabwe -- AIDS drugs - some of them contaminated, diluted or faked - are being sold at flea markets and hairdressing salons in the face of growing shortages in clinics linked to Zimbabwe s economic crisis, the health ministry said. State media quoted Minister of Health David Parirenyatwa on Monday appealing t
South African National AIDS Council meets under cloud of mistrust: Associated Press - September 10, 2007; CAPE TOWN, South Africa - The head of South Africa s National AIDS Council has voiced optimism that the country is on track to meet its five-year targets for preventing and treating the disease, despite the mistrust and mudslinging that has engulfed the Health Ministry. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngquka, who is also South Africa
7 more Kyrgyz toddlers diagnosed with HIV in outbreak blamed on medical negligence: Associated Press - September 7, 2007; BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan : Seven more Kyrgyz toddlers and two adults have been diagnosed with HIV in an outbreak blamed on medical negligence, officials said Friday, raising the number of people infected to 22. The latest cases were found in the southern city of Osh during widespread blood testing following the outbreak in
Senate Passes Foreign Aid Bill: Associated Press - September 7, 2007; Andrew Taylor; WASHINGTON - The Senate voted Thursday to lift restrictions on family planning aid to overseas health organizations that perform abortions or promote the procedure as a method of family planning. The vote came as the Senate passed by a 81-12 vote a $34 billion measure funding foreign aid and U.S. diplomacy. Companion l
Asia's fishermen at risk for unwanted catch: HIV: Associated Press - September 6, 2007; BALI, Indonesia : In appearance, they couldn t be more different. Ririn, with her warm brown skin and plump face, simply glows. Young and sweet, just two months after giving birth to a baby girl. Edi stands out as the roughest in a circle of men on the fishing dock. Streaks of motor oil mix with sweat on his chest and
2 arrested in trafficking $1 million in HIV prescription drugs: Associated Press - September 6, 2007; NAPLES, Fla. - Two men have been arrested for trafficking $1 million worth of prescription HIV drugs along Alligator Alley. A Florida Highway Patrol report says troopers stopped a speeding La Cubana bus near mile marker 82 that was on its way to Miami. Inside they found three bags filled with bottles of 20 different pr
Jeremy Piven, in a New York charity frame of mind, to host Fashion Rocks concert: Associated Press - September 5, 2007; NEW YORK - Jeremy Piven makes freaking out look good on Entourage, which shows his character, Ari Gold, decked out in the designer attire required of a high-strung, high-powered Hollywood agent. In real life, Piven is happy to loosen the tie. I m a pretty casual person, the 42-year-old actor told The Associated Press o
100,000 Free Condoms Rejected in D.C.: Associated Press - September 5, 2007; WASHINGTON - More than 100,000 condoms given away in a citywide campaign to reduce HIV and AIDS have been returned because of complaints that their paper packaging can be easily damaged and could make the condoms ineffective. A coalition of nonprofit groups distributing the condoms for the District of Columbia Health D
Panel: HIV Drug Merits Quick Approval: Associated Press - September 5, 2007; WASHINGTON - An experimental HIV drug from Merck & Co. Inc. should be quickly approved for use by patients running out of treatment options, federal advisers recommended Wednesday. The panel of outside experts agreed unanimously that available data support accelerated approval of Isentress, also known as raltegravi
Bill Gates joins Gordon Brown's new global health plan: Associated Press - September 5, 2007; LONDON - Software tycoon Bill Gates gave his backing to a new initiative unveiled by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to tackle killer diseases in developing countries, but donor countries offered no new funding. Gates is among high-profile supporters of the plan, which Brown said aims to ensure funds pledged to poo
Mental health problems in poor countries need attention now, experts say: Associated Press - September 3, 2007; LONDON - For some mentally ill people in poor countries, treatment means being chained to a tree. Others are kept in cages, or roam the countryside to fend for themselves. Though such cases are rare, they underline how mental health problems have often been sidelined in poor countries. On Tuesday, health officials call
Bulgaria signs deal formally transferring Libya's debt to AIDS fund: Associated Press - September 3, 2007; SOFIA, Bulgaria - Bulgaria on Monday formally transferred Libya s decades-old debt of $56.6 million (41.5 million euros) to an international relief fund for the victims of an HIV epidemic that infected more than 400 Libyan children. The agreement was part of a deal that secured freedom this summer for six Bulgarian med
South African AIDS activists dismayed over President's praise of health minister: Associated Press - September 1, 2007; CAPE TOWN, South Africa : President Thabo Mbeki hailed his embattled health minister as a heroine and likened critics to wild animals, causing new dismay among AIDS activists demanding the dismissal of a woman dubbed Dr. Beetroot for her promotion of food as a remedy for the disease. Nobel laureate Archbishop Desmo
FDA says Merck's HIV drug Isentress is safe and effective for patients running out of options: Associated Press - August 31, 2007; WASHINGTON: A new HIV-fighting drug from Merck & Co. appears superior to options for patients who have stopped responding to available drugs, federal regulators said Friday. The Food and Drug Administration said Merck s studies of Isentress show the drug is safe and effective to treat HIV patients who have develope
AIDS hospice at Thai Buddhist temple adds free clinic for life-extending care: Associated Press - August 31, 2007; BANGKOK, Thailand : A Buddhist temple in central Thailand that serves as a refuge for people dying of AIDS opened a free clinic Friday to dispense anti-retroviral drugs that slow the advance of the disease, the project s organizers said. Since 1992, thousands of Thais in the final stages of AIDS have traveled to Wat Ph
Resentencing ordered for 'medicinal' eggs doctor: Associated Press - August 31, 2007; Dan Sewell; CINCINNATI - A federal appeals court Friday upheld the conviction of a doctor who helped sell powdered egg yolks that he and his partner claimed could cure and prevent a variety of diseases, including AIDS and Alzheimer s. But the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered Dr. Mitchell Kaminski of Niles, Ill., to be res
South Africa says half million on AIDS drugs, but official warns of resistance risk: Associated Press - August 30, 2007; CAPE TOWN, South Africa : An estimated half a million South Africans have received anti-AIDS medication, a top health official said Thursday, but he warned of an associated upsurge in resistance problems. The director-general of the health department, Thami Mseleku, said the number of people receiving antiretroviral dr
Fort Lauderdale mayor's comments rile gays, stir fear for tourism: Associated Press - August 30, 2007; Matt Sedensky; FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Tourism officials have worked for years to make this beach town a gay-friendly destination. Now their biggest obstacle could be the mayor himself. Mayor Jim Naugle has made a string of recent comments that critics say were blatantly homophobic. He portrayed city park restrooms as popular gay sex
Denmark boosts development aid to Africa by 67 million kroner: Associated Press - August 29, 2007; COPENHAGEN, Denmark : Denmark said Wednesday it will increase its development aid to Africa by 500 million kroner (67 million kroner; US$92 million) in 2008. The raise will bring Denmark s total aid to African countries next year to 14.4 billion kroner (1.9 billion kroner; US$2.6 billion).
Study shows blacks die earlier than any other group: Associated Press - August 30, 2007; Juliana Barbassa; SAN FRANCISCO - Black men in California are more likely to die in a homicide than men of any other racial or ethnic group, and their average life expectancy - 68.9 years - is the lowest in California, a new poll indicates. Despite improving access to health care among all Americans over the past decades, the disparitie
Activists attend cathedral service to show concern about AIDS policy: Associated Press - August 29, 2007; CAPE TOWN, South Africa -- Hundreds of AIDS activists packed the city s cathedral Wednesday to show support for a politician they believe was dismissed as deputy health minister because she spoke out about the AIDS crisis and other problems in the nation s health service. Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge, widely credited with
Mandela Statue Unveiled in London: Associated Press - August 29, 2007; Raphael G. Satter; LONDON, United Kingdom (AP) -- Britain unveiled a statue of Nelson Mandela on Wednesday outside the houses of Parliament, honoring the South African anti-apartheid campaigner as one of the great leaders of his era. Mandela, 89, saluted all the South African heroes who joined him in the struggle against apartheid.
Papua New Guinea Police Eye AIDS Claim: Associated Press - August 27, 2007; PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea - Officials in Papua New Guinea are investigating claims by an HIV-positive woman that people with AIDS were buried alive by their relatives when they became too sick to care for, an official said Tuesday. Margaret Marabe, a local activist who reportedly spent five months working to r
Celebs use yoga to support UN Day of Peace: Associated Press - August 27, 2007; LOS ANGELES -- Christy Turlington, who relies on yoga to keep her healthy and balanced, is among a group of celebrities hoping to bring those benefits to the world. Turlington, Russell Simmons and Ziggy Marley are participating in the Global Mala Project, an international effort that aims to use yoga-centered events to
Former assistant health secretary Brandt dies: Associated Press - August 27, 2007; OKLAHOMA CITY - Edward N. Brandt Jr., a former assistant secretary of health under President Reagan and a former executive dean at the University of Oklahoma, has died, university officials said Monday. Brandt, most known for overseeing and coordinating the nation s response to the first cases of what later became know
Chlamydia rates for Cincinnati area increasing dramatically: Associated Press - August 26, 2007; CINCINNATI - Infection rates for chlamydia in the Cincinnati area are increasing dramatically, and the percentage of those with gonorrhea in the region is one of the highest in the nation, according to federal health figures. Area health officials have noticed the trend and are calling for more testing and greater effo
A decade on, Britain still coming to terms with death of Princess Diana: Associated Press - August 25, 2007; LONDON - The mounds of flowers are long gone from the gates of Kensington Palace, but the presence of Princess Diana lingers. It has been 10 years since Diana s death in a Paris car crash, when many Britons were poleaxed by grief for a vivacious and troubled woman who was at once princess, style icon, charity worker an
Asian countries need to strengthen efforts to prevent HIV outbreak, conference says: Associated Press - August 23, 2007; COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - Asian countries need to promote voluntary HIV testing, develop programs to stop transmission of the virus and empower groups at risk of infection to stop the HIV epidemic from worsening, participants at a regional AIDS conference said Thursday. An estimated 5.4 million people in the region are
Asia sex workers vulnerable to HIV: The U.N. says human trafficking, especially for prostitution, could cause AIDS pandemic.: Associated Press - August 23, 2007; COLOMBO, SRI LANKA -- Tens of thousands of women forced to work as sex slaves in Asia are deeply vulnerable to contracting HIV and spreading the deadly virus across the continent, according to a U.N. report released Wednesday. If nothing is done to stop human trafficking in the region, there is just going to be an expl
WHO Ties Rising Population, New Diseases: Associated Press - August 23, 2007; Erica Bulman; GENEVA - A ballooning world population, intensive farming practices and changes in sexual behavior have provided a breeding ground for an unprecedented number of emerging diseases, the U.N. health agency said Thursday. AIDS and 38 other new pathogens are afflicting mankind that were unknown a generation ago, the
Law could force rape suspects to take HIV test: Associated Press - August 23, 2007; ALBANY, N.Y. - Rape suspects can be forced to undergo HIV testing under a new law signed by Gov. Eliot Spitzer. The measure gives rape victims the option of forcing an indicted suspect to be tested under a court order, with the results provided to the victim and the suspect. Supporters say that will let victims know qu
UN: World Health Depends on Cooperation: Associated Press - August 22, 2007; Erica Bulman; GENEVA - With an estimated 2.1 billion airline passengers roaming the planet last year alone, infectious diseases are spreading faster than ever before, the U.N. health agency said Thursday. The World Health Organization called on governments to follow its revised regulations for fighting dangerous health crises.
S African study: drugs are best for AIDS: Associated Press - August 22, 2007; Clare Nullis; A study by South African scientists said Wednesday there was no evidence that foods such as garlic and beetroot were a substitute for AIDS medicine, disputing claims by the country s health minister. The report - confirming what experts worldwide have said - was likely to increase pressure on the minister, who has been
AIDS fight in Asia hurt by instability: Associated Press - August 22, 2007; Ravi Nessman; Growing political instability, stigmatization of those infected and conservative social attitudes are hampering the fight against the spread of HIV in Asia, a top regional AIDS official said Monday. Nearly a half-million people in Asia and the Pacific are infected with HIV every year and as many as 300,000 of those inf
Man convicted on killing Broward deputy gets life in prison: Associated Press - August 22, 2007; FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- A 45-year-old man was sentenced Wednesday to life in federal prison without parole for killing a Broward County sheriff s deputy and wounding another three years ago. Kenneth Wilk was found guilty in June of first-degree murder, second degree-attempted murder, possession of child pornography an
Health minister notorious for AIDS stance is subject of new furor: Associated Press - August 21, 2007; CAPE TOWN, South Africa : South African Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, who faced international criticism for her stance on AIDS, is at the center of a growing political row over newspaper allegations that she was once dismissed from a hospital job for theft and that she was a heavy drinker. In a controve
UN announces initiative across Asia to expand HIV programs for IV drug users: Associated Press - Tuesday, August 21, 2007; COLOMBO, Sri Lanka : The United Nations announced Tuesday a new initiative to expand HIV prevention programs across Asia for intravenous drug users, whose use of shared needles is one of the major drivers of the disease in the region. In some countries in the region, IV drug users account for as much as 70 percent
China Cracking Down on AIDS Groups: Associated Press - August 21, 2007; ANITA CHANG; BEIJING (AP) -- Chinese authorities have cracked down on groups fighting HIV and AIDS, threatening activists, closing their offices and ordering that a conference be canceled, a human rights organization and activists said Tuesday. The government s actions raise questions about whether it is really committed to fightin
Judge allows gay couple contact during probation despite felonies: Associated Press - August 21, 2007; PHILADELPHIA - A gay couple ordered to steer clear of each other after their release from prison because they are felons may resume contact, a federal judge ruled. The men are entitled to the same treatment as people in other kinds of family relationships, U.S. District Judge Marvin Katz wrote. Daniel Mangini and Steve
Audit recommends: Associated Press - August 21, 2007; OLYMPIA, Wash. - A state audit is recommending that the Legislature eliminate the current process of credentialing registered counselors through the Department of Health, saying it creates the potential of unqualified people to practice in the state and leaves citizens at risk. The 155-page audit released Tuesday cover
U.S. Official Praises S. Africa AIDS Plan: Associated Press - August 20, 2007; JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) -- The top U.S. health official praised South Africa s new national AIDS plan on Sunday, but sidestepped questions about the dismissal of a deputy minister seen as a driving force behind the country s program. South Africa s five-year plan, launched earlier this year, aims to reduce the
Asian officials, health workers meet for regional AIDS conference in Sri Lanka: Associated Press - Sunday, August 19, 2007; COLOMBO, Sri Lanka : Thousands of government officials and health care workers from across Asia are meeting in Sri Lanka for an international conference aimed at ensuring the AIDS epidemic does not worsen in the region. Opening the conference Sunday night, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse urged Asia s government
N.M. Planning Medical Marijuana Program: Associated Press - August 18, 2007; Barry Massey; Gov. Bill Richardson ordered the state Health Department on Friday to resume planning of a medical marijuana program despite the agency s worries about possible federal prosecution. However, the governor stopped short of committing to implement a state-licensed production and distribution system for the drug if the pot
Mbeki Hits Back on AIDS: Associated Press - August 18, 2007; Clare Nullis; CAPE TOWN, South Africa - South African President Thabo Mbeki - who has long been accused of playing down the AIDS epidemic - hit back Friday at criticism of his government s policy and his firing of the popular deputy health minister. In his weekly column, Mbeki said that he would not be pressured by the ill-intentio
Former Envoy Blasts S. Africa AIDS Policy: Associated Press - August 15, 2007; CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) -- A former U.N. envoy accused South Africa s leader of presiding over an AIDS apocalypse, saying Wednesday that President Thabo Mbeki s dismissal of the country s widely praised deputy health minister last week crushed a glimmer of hope in the fight against the epidemic. Stephen Lewis,
Dutch Bishop Suggests Calling God Allah: Associated Press - August 15, 2007; THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) -- A Dutch Catholic bishop who once said the hungry were entitled to steal bread and advocated condom use to prevent AIDS has made headlines again, this time by saying God should be called Allah. Allah is a very beautiful word for God. Shouldn t we all say that from now on we will call God A
Abbott Urges Caution With HIV Drug: Associated Press - August 14, 2007; WASHINGTON - Drug maker Abbott Laboratories has warned doctors to be extra cautious when using its HIV fighting drug Kaletra in children, according to a letter posted Tuesday to a government Web site. Abbott reminded health care providers that children should receive less than a 5 milliliter dose of its Kal
Detained immigrant with AIDS dies, family says denied treatment: Associated Press - August 11, 2007; LOS ANGELES - The family of a 23-year-old AIDS patient who died in custody at an immigration detention center in San Pedro believes Victor Arrelano was improperly denied vital medical treatment. The family of Arrelano, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico , will file a wrongful death claim against the U.S. government.
Mbeki Gives Reason for Firing Minister: Associated Press - August 11, 2007; Celean Jacobson, Associated Press Writer; JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) -- President Thabo Mbeki fired a deputy health minister lauded for revitalizing South Africa s campaign against AIDS because she failed to work as part of a collective, according to a dismissal letter released Saturday. Mbeki dismissed Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge on Wednesday after reports
South African AIDS Plan in Question: Associated Press - August 10, 2007; Celean Jacobson, Associated Press Writer; JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) -- The dismissed deputy health minister credited with revamping South Africa s beleaguered campaign against AIDS expressed fears Friday that her work would now be undone. Speaking for the first time since she was fired late Wednesday, Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge said she was ousted for att
S. Africa's Deputy Health Minister Fired: Associated Press - August 9, 2007; Celean Jacobson; JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - President Thabo Mbeki fired his deputy health minister, one of the country s most respected female politicians, sparking anger Thursday among AIDS activists. Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge was credited with revamping a beleaguered campaign against AIDS, earning the respect of activists working a
TV medical plots can get it wrong: Associated Press - August 9, 2007; Mike Stobbe; Two AIDS doctors made a house call recently to the set of TV s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. The plot line was the suggestion that HIV doesn t cause AIDS -- a fringe theory promoted on the Internet and by certain African leaders. But the two physicians weren t there to doctor the script. They just wanted to ma
Google testing feature to let news subjects respond to articles: Associated Press - August 9, 2007; Jordan Robertson; SAN FRANCISCO - Google Inc. is giving the subjects of news stories a way to comment on articles written about them. The online search leader launched an experimental feature this week on its Google News site in the U.S. that allows any person mentioned in a news story that s linked on that site to submit a written resp
Gadhafi's Son: Bulgarian Medics Tortured: Associated Press - August 9, 2007; TRIPOLI, Libya - The son of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has acknowledged that the Bulgarian medical workers who were jailed on charges of infecting children with HIV were tortured during captivity, Al-Jazeera TV said on its Web site Thursday. The doctor and five nurses were released last month and have maintained tha
HIV still spreading fast in rural Papua New Guinea, but data show fewer cases than feared: Associated Press - August 8, 2007; PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea - The number of HIV cases in Papua New Guinea may not be as high as previously feared, but the disease is still spreading rapidly in rural areas, the health minister said Thursday. New data compiled by local officials with help from overseas aid organizations put the adult per capita infe
EU Suspends Roche License To Sell HIV Drug After Recall: Associated Press - August 7, 2007; BRUSSELS -- The European Commission on Tuesday put on hold Roche Holding AG s license to sell an HIV drug that was recalled in June after contaminated batches were found. Viracept , an antiretroviral agent for use in HIV therapy, was withdrawn after the Swiss pharmaceutical company discovered contamination with higher-
FDA Approves Novel Drug AIDS Patients: Associated Press - August 6, 2007; Lauran Neergaard, AP Medical Writer; WASHINGTON - The government approved a novel drug Monday to help patients with the AIDS virus who are running out of options, while acknowledging lingering questions about the pills long-term effects. Pfizer Inc. s Selzentry is the first anti-AIDS drug that works by blocking a crucial doorway, called the CCR5 receptor,
Officials: HIV, AIDS registry working: Associated Press - August 06, 2007; BOZEMAN - It s been nearly a year since state health officials, under a federal mandate, began keeping data on HIV and AIDS patients by name, rather than assigning a code number; but the privacy of patients continues to be preserved, a state official says. Montana had an elaborate system to shield the identities of the
Dominican police investigate psychiatrist who claimed he cured patients of AIDS: Associated Press - August 2, 2007; SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic - Dominican police shut down the laboratory of a prominent psychiatrist and former Santo Domingo mayor who claims he cured more than 50 people of AIDS by injecting them with an unknown substance, prosecutors said Thursday. Police raided the lab of Jose Ramon Baez Acosta on Wednesda
S. Africa Says HIV Epidemic Easing: Associated Press - August 2, 2007