Food shortages throughout Zimbabwe continue to put people at risk for malnutrition. But for those suffering from H-I-V and AIDS, malnutrition can be deadly.
More than twenty years into the HIV/AIDS pandemic, many believe the battle against the disease is still very much in the beginning stages. A recent think tank report questions whether lessons of the past about HIV/AIDS are actually lessons learned.
Openly admitting you have AIDS, or “going public,” is not easy. But one prominent military man in Uganda did, and he continues to encourage anybody with the disease to follow his example. Rubaramira Ruranga is a major in the Uganda People’s Defense Forces. He’s also the coordinator of the National Guidance and Empowerment Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS in Uganda.
President Bush's new global AIDS coordinator is outlining strategies to fight the worldwide epidemic. Ambassador Randall Tobias told reporters Thursday global and local leadership is needed to curb the spread of the disease.
In areas where HIV/AIDS is widespread, there is often intense debate over whether it’s safe for a woman to breastfeed. Supporters say babies who are breastfed are usually much healthier than those on powdered formula. But critics say breastfeeding results in many thousands of HIV infected babies each year. In Durban, South Africa, one small group that cares for AIDS orphans thinks it has an answer.
A U.S. delegation of congressmen, business leaders and government officials was in Kenya Wednesday for the launch of a worldwide program to enlist the business community in the fight against AIDS.
Two and a half years ago, U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan made conquering AIDS one of his primary goals for the world body. Since then, he has been at the forefront of efforts to keep global attention focused on battling the deadly virus. But as the world prepares to mark World AIDS Day on December 1 - the third since the U.N. declaration of war on AIDS - progress has been maddeningly slow, with victory still a distant dream.
Earlier this month in England, a Somali refugee was sentenced to eight years in prison for knowingly infecting two women with the AIDS virus. It was the first conviction in that country in 137 years for passing on a sexually transmitted disease.
The world’s largest meeting on HIV/AIDS will be held in Thailand next July. And a leading organizer says the conference expects to follow through on its theme: Access for All.
The South African government has approved a long-awaited national treatment plan for HIV and AIDS. The program will eventually distribute free AIDS medicine to anyone who needs it.
The nurturing act of breastfeeding may also expose an infant to HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Yet despite the danger, HIV positive mothers are often reluctant to abandon the practice in favor of formula.
A leading AIDS researcher says information about the disease is constantly changing, making it difficult for elected officials and communities to keep up to date.
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is less than two years old. But in that time it’s received government pledges and private contributions totaling four-point-seven billion dollars.
Several South African scientists say they are starting the country's first clinical trial of a potential AIDS vaccine. The first volunteers will be inoculated this week.
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria may have to slow the pace of awarding grants. The fund’s board of directors, meeting in Chiang Mai, Thailand, says only one round of grants may take place next year instead of two. The reason is money. Donations from rich nations have not been as high as hoped.
On the heels of President Bush's $15 billion commitment to the fight against AIDS, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson is calling on other nations to do more to combat the disease.
The head of the non-profit organization, the Global AIDS Alliance, is calling on President Bush to make a few changes in his Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Mr. Bush announced the proposal during his State of the Union Address in January.
Many of the world’s armies may be under attack from an unseen enemy, HIV/AIDS. The latest issue of World-Watch Magazine - from the World-Watch Institute – says, “Military populations are among the most vulnerable to HIV infection.”
With the lack of HIV/AIDS medications in many developing countries, UN health officials say one of the best ways to help patients is through good nutrition. That’s why the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization have published a new manual for people living with HIV/AIDS.
Some disappointing news today on AIDS vaccine research. The California firm VAXGEN has announced the results of the first aids vaccine ever fully tested in humans. While the vaccine, known as AIDSVAX, was proven safe, it did not prove effective in human trials in North America and Europe.
Health experts say the HIV/AIDS pandemic is hitting women exceptionally hard. About half of the adult population infected with the AIDS virus are women. But women are also the main caregivers when members of their families get sick. As a result, on Friday UNIFEM, the UN Development Fund for Women, is launching what it calls a “web portal.”
U.S. AIDS activists held a vigil in front of the South African Consulate in New York City Thursday, calling on the South African government to institute a national HIV/AIDS treatment program.
In the battle against HIV/AIDS, one of the biggest weapons is money. That’s why there has been so much positive reaction to President Bush’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, which was unveiled during his State of the Union address. It calls for 15 billion dollars – including 10 billion in new money – to be spent over the next five years. One of those praising the plan is Stephen Lewis, the Special UN Envoy for HIV/AIDS. But he also says with so many lives at stake, it would be better for the money to be spent sooner rather than later.
This week, a new AIDS vaccine trial got underway in Entebbe, Uganda. Researchers at the Uganda Virus Research Institute are studying possible side effects of the vaccine, which has been given to volunteers.
In the absence of a cure, some anti-AIDS campaigners in Zambia are using what’s called “social marketing” to raise awareness about the pandemic. The strategy includes greater use of the media to inform the public about risks, prevention and research. The media messages are sponsored by the Society for Family Health, which also distributes condoms. The group has enlisted the help of former president Kenneth Kaunda.
In Washington Tuesday, the head of the CIA, George Tenet, testified before Congress about threats to US security. Besides talking about the situation regarding al Qaeda, Iraq and North Korea, the intelligence chief warned of the dangers posed by HIV / AIDS and expressed concerned about the situation in Ivory Coast.
AIDS treatment activists have long criticized the South African government for its AIDS policy, especially the limited availability of medicines that can potentially save many lives. The drugs are only accessible at a few sites around the country, and some government leaders continue to express doubts about whether they should be offered at all.
February 4th, is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day in the United States, an effort by a coalition of national organizations to stem the spread of the disease in the African-American community.
President Bush says he will ask Congress for more than $1 billion to meet emergency food needs worldwide. Of that, he wants to spend $200 million for a famine fund to provide immediate assistance to Africa, where more than 30 million people are facing severe food shortages. "Money from the fund will be available to purchase food supplies directly, or to support farmers in food production," he said. "We will encourage friends around the world to set up similar funds, and leverage our combined resources to provide the most help to famine-stricken lands."
Health care workers in East Africa are cautiously welcoming U.S. President George W. Bush's call to triple U.S. spending on AIDS treatment and prevention in the continent over the next five years.
Two senior U.N. officials warn the HIV/AIDS pandemic in southern Africa is changing the nature of famine in the region and is unleashing a disaster that threatens the existence of some countries. The officials say humanitarian organizations have succeeded in averting a famine in the region.
The humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders praises President Bush’s proposed Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, outlined Tuesday night during his State of the Union Address.
A private human rights group says sexual abuse of girls is spreading the HIV epidemic in Zambia. Human Rights Watch says protecting young girls and women is key to curbing the epidemic.
Albina du Boisrouvray, founder of the FXB Association, attended the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where she introduced a proposal, at a workshop, on educating AIDS orphans. She proposes setting of a group called Education Without Borders, which would send retired teachers from around the world to developing countries. Ms. Du Boisrouvray also says she spoke with former US President Clinton and asked him to use his influence to help implement the Convention on the Rights of the Child. She says he told the gathering that he would. She spoke with English to Africa reporter Joe De Capua from Davos.
Jerry Thacker, the Christian activist who once described HIV/AIDS as the "Gay Plague" has withdrawn his nomination to the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS.
The United Nations has started work on new programs to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS. U.N. officials met Tuesday and Wednesday with representatives of sex worker organizations to map out a strategy to fight AIDS.
As researchers look for a cure or vaccine for HIV/AIDS, many of those trying to stop the spread of the pandemic are volunteers. They donate many hours of their time caring for patients or raising awareness about the disease. One such volunteer in the United States is a Zimbabwean man.
When describing the HIV/AIDS pandemic, facts and figures not only become impersonal, but often incomprehensible. Forty-two million people infected with the AIDS virus, while more than twenty million others have died from the disease. Terms such as “viral load” and “anti-retroviral” do little to depict the impact of a disease, which strikes down those in the prime of their lives and leaves an endless trail of orphans in its wake. However, one man has dedicated his life to telling the story of HIV/AIDS one face at a time.
U.S. and African officials meet next week (13-17 January) in Mauritius for a conference on expanding U.S.-African trade. AIDS activists say the meeting will be meaningless without increased U.S. financial support to fight a disease devastating African economies.
In an exceptionally strong statement, the United Nation's special envoy on AIDS in Africa called Wednesday for greater international commitment to combat the disease.
With the arrival of the New Year, the HIV/AIDS pandemic grows another year older. And it's not clear what breakthroughs or developments 2003 might bring. One of those actively involved in the fight against AIDS is Richard Burzynski, executive director of ICASO, the International Council of Aids Services Organizations. From Toronto, he spoke to VOA English to Africa reporter Joe De Capua about prospects for the New Year, including efforts by the "Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria."
This information is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.