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HIV/AIDS News
HIV and AIDS News from around the world
Worldwide 88.4 million people have been infected with HIV.
Worldwide 42.3 million people with HIV have died.
Practicing Safe Sex is our best resource in preventing HIV infection through sexual contact.
Sexual contact accounts for 95 percent of all new HIV infections worldwide.
Safe Sex = Disease Prevention – STAY SAFE!
Use A Condom Every Time!
“HIV needs to be in the media each and every day as most people only see snippets of news and these are not effective enough. For this reason, in 2007, I decided to include an HIV/AIDS News page where people could find information on many HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) and AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) related issues, Infectious Disease,
and more.
I collaborate with individuals, groups, and organizations throughout the world, to include their HIV/AIDS news articles, press releases, events, workshops, conferences, and more on PositivelyPositive.ca. News items stay on the HIV/AIDS News page for a month,
and then News items go into the HIV/AIDS News Archives.”
Bradford McIntyre
Beatriz Grinsztejn of Brazil is the new President of the International AIDS Society
Jul 26, 2024 - IAS - International AIDS Society - At the closing of AIDS 2024, the 25th International AIDS Conference, the International AIDS Society welcomed Beatriz Grinsztejn from Brazil as IAS President and Kenneth Ngure from Kenya as President-Elect. The IAS leadership also expressed deep gratitude to Sharon Lewin from Australia who stepped down as IAS President and assumed her role as Immediate Past President.
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Gilead Presents Research Data Across Its Broad and Innovative HIV Treatment Portfolio and Pipeline
FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)- July 25, 2024 - Gilead- – New 5-Year Clinical and Real-World Data Reinforce Biktarvy ® as a Long-Term Treatment Option for a Diverse Range of People with HIV, Including Those with Comorbidities –
– Investigational, Once-Daily, Once-Weekly and Twice-Yearly Dosing Frequencies Across Administration Methods Aim to Expand Options, Advance Public Health and Help Address Unmet Needs in HIV Treatment –
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) today announced the presentation of key data from its innovative HIV treatment portfolio and research pipeline, including a broad range of investigational and marketed agents with varied dosing frequencies and administration methods. The findings presented at the 25th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2024) reflect a portfolio and future-looking pipeline focused on person-centered drug development strategies to help address unmet needs in HIV treatment.
“People are at the center of all we do in HIV treatment research at Gilead. We strive to support people with HIV throughout their lifetimes, with research to maximize the impact of current treatment options and diligent work to develop treatment options for the future,” said Jared Baeten, MD, PhD, Senior Vice President, Virology Therapeutic Area Head. “Durable viral suppression is the primary goal of HIV care and treatment, resulting in longer, healthier lives for people with HIV and, when undetectable, eliminating the risk of transmitting the virus to partners. Long-term success includes rigorous innovation so that each person can be on the right treatment for them that will support long-term treatment outcomes.”
At international AIDS conference, “every stone has a name and a story”
July 25, 2024 - World Council of Churches - WCC - In the busyness of AIDS 2024, the 25th International AIDS Conference in Munich, Germany, people of faith met for a moment of silence, reflection, and prayer under the theme “Sustaining Hope for All: Remembering, Celebrating, and Praying for a Future without AIDS.”
The service, held at the Kulur-Etage, a short walk from the conference centre, was coordinated by the Interfaith Health Platform, of which the World Council of Churches is a member. Participants received greetings from local faith leaders: Dean Björn Wagner of the Catholic Church, Archdiocese of Munich-Freising; Bishop Thomas Prieto Pera, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria; and Musa Celik, chairman of the Alevi community for Bavaria.
Rev. Edwin C. Sanders II, Metropolitan Interdenominational Church, USA, invited those present to bring forward a stone and say aloud the name of someone who has died from AIDS-related illnesses whose memory they honour and love. The growing pile of stones was a silent testimony of the lost lives and the pain of 40 years of the pandemic.
Statement from IAS President Sharon Lewin on full results from PURPOSE 1 trial of twice-yearly injectable lenacapavir for HIV prevention
24 July 2024 (Munich, Germany) – IAS - International AIDS Society - 24 July 2024 (Munich, Germany) –– Today at AIDS 2024, the 25th International AIDS Conference, at a session beginning at 10:30 CEST, Linda-Gail Bekker presented full results from the PURPOSE 1 trial of twice-yearly injectable lenacapavir for HIV prevention. The results confirm that lenacapavir demonstrated 100% efficacy for HIV prevention in cisgender women.
Following is a statement on the results from Sharon Lewin, President of IAS – the International AIDS Society, AIDS 2024 International Co-Chair and Director of the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity at the University of Melbourne in Australia.
“These data confirm that twice-yearly lenacapavir for HIV prevention is a breakthrough advance with huge public health potential. If approved and delivered – rapidly, affordably, and equitably – to those who need or want it, this long-acting tool could help accelerate global progress in HIV prevention. We all owe a debt of gratitude to the thousands of young women in South Africa and Uganda who volunteered to be part of this study.
Full Efficacy and Safety Results for Gilead Investigational Twice-Yearly Lenacapavir for HIV Prevention Presented at AIDS 2024
FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)- July 24, 2024 - Gilead – PURPOSE 1 Data Showed Zero Infections and 100% Efficacy and Superiority of Lenacapavir to Background HIV Incidence and Daily Truvada ® for PrEP –
– If Approved, Lenacapavir Would be the First and Only Twice-Yearly PrEP Choice and Could Address Critical Gaps in Uptake and Adherence for Individuals Who Need or Want PrEP –
– Gilead Commits to Prioritizing Swift Access and Enabling Efficient Paths for Regulatory Approval of Lenacapavir for PrEP in High-Incidence, Resource-Limited Countries –
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) today announced full efficacy and safety results from its pivotal, Phase 3 PURPOSE 1 trial. Detailed data from the trial’s interim analysis announced in June showed that lenacapavir, the company’s twice-yearly injectable HIV-1 capsid inhibitor, demonstrated zero infections, 100% efficacy and superiority to background HIV incidence for the investigational use of HIV prevention in cisgender women (women assigned female at birth). Lenacapavir also demonstrated superior prevention of HIV infections when compared with once-daily oral Truvada (emtricitabine 200mg and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300mg; F/TDF).
The new data provide details on the efficacy, safety and tolerability of twice-yearly lenacapavir injections; drug adherence among trial participants, including poor levels of adherence to daily oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and high levels of adherence to lenacapavir; and demographic and behavioral characteristics of trial participants, including pregnant women and adolescents.
The data are being presented at a special late-breaking session at the 25th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2024) in Munich, Germany and were published today in The New England Journal of Medicine.
Exploratory analysis associates HIV drug abacavir with elevated cardiovascular disease risk in large global trial
July 24, 2024 - National Institutes of Health (NIH) - Findings add to body of evidence on cardiovascular risk factors for people with HIV.
Current or previous use of the antiretroviral drug (ARV) abacavir was associated with an elevated risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in people with HIV, according to an exploratory analysis from a large international clinical trial primarily funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). There was no elevated MACE risk for the other antiretroviral drugs included in the analysis. The findings will be presented at the 2024 International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2024) in Munich, Germany.
Live from #AIDS2024: Addressing Structural Barriers and HIV Criminalization
July 24, 2024 - HIV gov - Day 3 of #AIDS2024 started off with a plenary on addressing structural barriers in the HIV/AIDS response. Robert Suttle, Janet Butler-McPhee, and Francisco Ruiz join HIV.gov's Miguel Gomez to share their perspectives on outdated HIV criminalization laws.
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Lenacapavir: Discussing the Latest Research at #AIDS2024
July 24, 2024 - HIV gov - HIV.gov hosted a discussion on the findings of the PURPOSE 1 study where the safety and efficacy of lenacapavir as long-acting injectable PrEP among cisgender women. Brian Minalga facilitated the talk with Dr. Carl Dieffenbach from NIAID, Tori Cooper from HRC, and Dr. Jono Mermin from CDC.
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NIH's Carl Dieffenbach and Louis Shackelford Discuss the Latest HIV Science from #AIDS2024
July 23, 2024 - HIV gov - Dr. Carl Dieffenbach, Director of the Division of AIDS at NIH's NIAID, joins Louis Shackelford of the HIV Vaccine Trials Network to discuss the research from AIDS 2024. They discussed the new Berlin patient, who is the 7th person cured of HIV, bNabs, and ways to improve the delivery of long-acting PrEP for HIV prevention.
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MSF calls on Gilead to make groundbreaking HIV prevention drug lenacapavir affordable for all
23 July 2024 - MSF South Africa - Today at the International AIDS Conference, a coalition of activists, including Doctors Without Borders (MSF), called for immediate global action to break Gilead’s monopoly on lenacapavir in response to new data showing that generic lenacapavir can be produced at a price of one thousand times less than Gilead’s price of $42,250 (R771,20) per year. With mass production, costs for generic lenacapavir are estimated to be initially $100 (R1825.48) per year, with further reductions to $40 (R730.19) per year as demand increases.
The PURPOSE 1 trial has shown the safety and 100% efficacy of lenacapavir, a twice-yearly injectable for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), in stopping HIV acquisition among cisgender adult and adolescent women. Worldwide, there are 1.3 million infections every year, with one new HIV infection every 24 seconds. Gilead has released no details about their plans for global access—beyond one statement. 25% of all new HIV infections are in Russia, Brazil, Philippines, Ukraine, and Thailand, all countries Gilead routinely excludes from licensing deals.
An isolated viral load test may generate false positive results for people using long-acting PrEP
July 23, 2024 - National Institutes of Health (NIH) - Analysis from large NIH study offers new insight on clinical utility of current U.S. testing algorithm.
Current or previous use of the antiretroviral drug (ARV) abacavir was associated with an elevated risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in people with HIV, according to an exploratory analysis from a large international clinical trial primarily funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). There was no elevated MACE risk for the other antiretroviral drugs included in the analysis. The findings will be presented at the 2024 International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2024) in Munich, Germany.
HIV stigma in healthcare settings: need for increased knowledge among healthcare workers and improved facility-level guidelines
Stockholm, 23 July, 2024 - European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) - The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European AIDS Clinical Society (EACS) have released a report assessing HIV-related stigma and discrimination within healthcare settings in Europe and Central Asia, revealing significant gaps in knowledge on HIV transmission and prevention among healthcare workers. This lack of knowledge is associated with higher levels of stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV, hampering efforts to reach the Sustainable Development Goal of Ending AIDS by 2030.
One in four healthcare workers lacked knowledge on the concept of "undetectable equals untransmittable" (U=U) which means that people with HIV who achieve and maintain an undetectable viral load cannot sexually transmit the virus to others. Forty-four percent lacked knowledge on post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), and almost sixty percent lacked knowledge on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Less than a third of the respondents had correct knowledge on all three statements concerning HIV transmission and prevention.
Someone died from untreated AIDS every minute last year: UN
July 23, 2024 - CTV NEWS - Nearly 40 million people were living with the HIV virus that causes AIDS last year, over nine million weren't getting any treatment, and the result was that every minute someone died of AIDS-related causes, the UN said in a new report launched Monday.
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Grandmothers for Africa gear up for annual Island cycling fundraiser
Jul 22, 2024 - Ben Fenlon - Vancouver Island Free Daily - Participants can ride a regular bike, e-bike, stationary bike or take on the epic 3-day cycle from Campbell River to Victoria
Vancouver Island's Grandmothers for Africa are getting ready to saddle up for charity.
The women ride their bicycles to raise vital funds to support grandmothers and their families in Africa affected by HIV and AIDS.
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Leaders welcome advances in HIV science while warning of growing threats to progress at 25th International AIDS Conference
22 July 2024 (Munich, Germany) – IAS - International AIDS Society - 7th known individual cured of HIV and a successful trial of a twice-yearly HIV prevention shot announced at conference against backdrop of rising global authoritarianism, attacks on science, and threats to global health funding
More than 10,000 participants are expected to attend AIDS 2024, , the 25th International AIDS Conference, the world’s largest gathering of people living with, affected by, and working on HIV, taking place in person in Munich, Germany, and virtually from 22 to 26 July.
“We’ve seen incredible breakthroughs at AIDS 2024, including a new case of long-term HIV remission and a promising twice-yearly injection to prevent HIV,” Sharon Lewin, IAS President and AIDS 2024 International Co-Chair, said. “While these advances are cause to celebrate, science doesn’t happen in a vacuum. All around the world, regressive policies, attacks on human rights, the spread of misinformation, cuts to global health funding, and waning trust in international institutions are roadblocks to progress. To end HIV as a threat to public health and individual well-being, we need an evidence-based HIV response and a political climate that respects science.”
The theme of AIDS 2024 calls on the global community to Put people first!
“Putting people first means that whether in the design of clinical trials or implementing new policies and programmes, people living with and affected by HIV must be not just beneficiaries but actors driving our efforts,” Lewin said. for future research.
New UNAIDS report shows AIDS pandemic can be ended by 2030, but only if leaders boost resources and protect human rights now
GENEVA/MUNICH, 22 July 2024 - UNAIDS - A new report released today by UNAIDS shows that the world is at a critical moment that will determine whether world leaders meet their commitment to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. The report, The Urgency of Now: AIDS at a Crossroads, brings together new data and case studies which demonstrate that the decisions and policy choices taken by world leaders this year will decide the fate of millions of lives and whether the world’s deadliest pandemic is overcome.
Whilst the end of AIDS is within our grasp, this decade, currently the world is off track. Globally, of the 39.9 million people living with HIV, 9.3 million, nearly a quarter, are not receiving life-saving treatment. As a consequence, a person dies from AIDS-related causes every minute.
Leaders pledged to reduce annual new infections to below 370 000 by 2025, but new HIV infections are still more than three times higher than that, at 1.3 million in 2023. And now cuts in resourcing and a rising anti-rights push are endangering the progress that has been made.
“World leaders pledged to end the AIDS pandemic as a public health threat by 2030, and they can uphold their promise, but only if they ensure that the HIV response has the resources it needs and that the human rights of everyone are protected,” said UNAIDS Executive Director, Winnie Byanyima. “Leaders can save millions of lives, prevent millions of new HIV infections, and ensure that everyone living with HIV can live healthy, full lives.”
Decriminalization of LGBTQ+ people saves lives
GENEVA, 19 July 2024 - UNAIDS - Joint Statement by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk and UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima
As courts and parliaments in a number of countries are in the midst of considering the legal framework around the rights of LGBTQ+ people, we highlight that punitive laws against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people violate human rights and undermine public health.
Such laws cost lives.
Laws criminalizing LGBTQ+ people must be consigned to history – and a growing number of countries are doing just that.
The big – and very welcome – global shift is away from criminalization. Over two-thirds of countries now do not criminalize LGBTQ+ people.
International HIV strategies and care aided by data from IU-led cohort in East Africa
Jul 18, 2024 - by Kelsey Cook - Indiana University - There is no cure for human immunodeficiency virus, which affects millions of people across the globe. But understanding the sustainability of long-term HIV care and treatment strategies — particularly in low- to middle-income countries where the continuity of care is difficult — is critical to helping those individuals lead long and healthy lives.
Constantin Yiannoutsos, a professor of biostatistics at the Indiana University Fairbanks School of Public Health at IU Indianapolis, has spent much of his career focused on compiling, analyzing and understanding data around HIV and AIDS. He makes sense of data and translates it into actionable information for decision-makers. His work has informed evidence-based decision- and policy-making for some of the most influential organizations around the world, including the World Health Organization.
Panel Issues First Guidelines to Prevent Anal Cancer in People With HIV
July 18, 2024 - By Elizabeth Fernandez - UC San Francisco - New recommendations for screening and treatment are based on the results of a major national study led at UCSF.
Results from a national study led by UC San Francisco informed the first guidelines at the federal level in the U.S. to detect and treat anal cancer precursor lesions in people with HIV to reduce the risk of developing anal cancer.
The guidelines were published on July 9 by a panel of experts in HIV care, utilizing findings from the Anal Cancer/HSIL Outcomes Research (ANCHOR) trial led by Joel M. Palefsky, MD, a professor of medicine in the UCSF Infectious Disease Division. The ANCHOR study was funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and conducted by the AIDS Malignancy Consortium.
The ANCHOR trial, conducted at 25 clinical sites around the country and published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2022, found that routine screening for and removal of precancerous anal lesions could significantly reduce the risk of anal cancer, in much the way that cervical cancer is prevented in women.
amfAR Greenlights New HIV Cure Studies with Grants Totaling $1.2 Million
July 18, 2024 - amfAR - Three researchers will test the ability of a pair of cancer drugs and broadly neutralizing antibodies to attack latent HIV, the main barrier to a cure.
amfAR has announced a slate of new grants awarded to researchers targeting the HIV reservoir, the main barrier to a cure. The grants were awarded to: Michael Peluso, MD, of the University of California, San Francisco; Adam Spivak, MD, of the University of Utah, Salt Lake City; and Yiming Yin, PhD, of Boston Children’s Hospital.
While many people living with HIV today and taking suppressive antiretroviral therapy consistently maintain low to undetectable levels of virus, cessation of treatment will in most cases cause latent HIV to activate and come roaring back. Eliminating the HIV reservoir is thus the holy grail of HIV cure research.
NIH renews five-year grant for UAB’s Center for AIDS Research
July 18, 2024 - by Teresa Hicks - UAB | The University of Alabama at Birmingham - The National Institutes of Health renewed a $9 million five-year grant for the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Center for AIDS Research located in the Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine.
Alabama is one of the highest HIV-burdened areas in the United States, with only 73 percent of diagnosed people receiving care and 63 percent being virally suppressed.
The HIV epidemic 40 years on: 5 essential reads on breakthroughs, blind spots and new challenges
July 18, 2024 Nadine Dreyer - The Conversation - In June 1981 The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a rare form of pneumonia in young gay men in California. Although they didn’t know it at the time, these were the first documented cases of AIDS.
In 1983, HIV – the virus responsible for AIDS – was isolated by virologists from the Institut Pasteur.
Since then 85.6 million people have become infected with HIV and 40.4 million people have died from AIDS-related illnesses.
In the early years the disease was known as the “gay plague” because it only seemed to affect homosexual men.
We now know that HIV is far from being a “gay” disease.
BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS study reveals Treatment as Prevention® combined with targeted Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis can STOP HIV/AIDS®
Vancouver, BC - July 18, 2024 - Bristish Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE) - New research, published in Lancet HIV, shows that providing antiretroviral treatment to all people living with HIV and preventive treatment to individuals at high-risk of contracting HIV reduces deaths and new HIV infections by more than 90%
The BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE) has released a new research study showing that the made-in-BC HIV Treatment as Prevention® (TasP® ) strategy coupled with Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) has dramatically reduced premature HIV/AIDS-related deaths and new HIV infections in British Columbia, Canada.
The study, published in Lancet HIV, looked at the impact of three milestones in the fight against HIV – the introduction of highly effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) in 1996, TasP® in 2010, and PrEP in 2018.
ART suppresses the amount of HIV in biological fluids, such as semen or blood, to undetectable levels. As a result, People Living with HIV (PLWH) are no longer infectious and can enjoy a near normal lifespan, free of AIDS. TasP® expands access to free ART to all people immediately after an HIV diagnosis. PrEP refers to the use of two antiretroviral drugs taken daily to prevent HIV infections among individuals at high risk of contracting HIV
First-of-its-kind HIV cure case among scientific highlights at AIDS 2024
18 July 2024 (Munich, Germany) – IAS - International AIDS Society - New global HIV projections and advances in STI and HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis also unveiled ahead of AIDS 2024, the 25th International AIDS Conference
A unique HIV cure case will be among the scientific highlights of AIDS 2024, the 25th International AIDS Conference, which will take place in Munich, Germany and virtually from 22 to 26 July.
For the first time, scientists will share information about the “next Berlin Patient”, who appears to be the world’s seventh person cured of HIV following a stem cell transplant. This is the first HIV cure case in which the donor had a single, rather than double, CCR5-delta32 mutation, which could have promising implications for future research.
CTN+ to lead Canada’s HIV and STBBI clinical trial infrastructure with $25 million investment from CIHR
July 17, 2024 - The CTN | CIHR Canadian HIV Trials Network - On July 12th, 2024, the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) announced a $25 million investment in the CIHR Pan-Canadian Network for HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted and Blood-Borne Infections (STBBIs) Clinical Trials Research (CTN+), a re-imagined clinical trials network built on legacy and impact. CTN+ will facilitate the design, conduct, and dissemination of equitable, community-informed, scientifically rigorous, and timely research across disciplines, infections, and key populations across all regions of Canada. This modernized network will provide the evidence and tools needed to eliminate HIV and STBBIs as public health threats nationally and beyond.
CTN+ builds upon the CIHR Canadian HIV Trials Network (CTN) originally established in 1990 as a cornerstone of the federal AIDS strategy. Under the leadership of National Director Dr. Marina Klein at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) in Montreal, CTN+ will expand to encompass all STBBIs, bringing great potential to share learnings from HIV across infections, tackle common challenges, and advance research more effectively.
Prestigious MERIT Grant Funds Research on How the Immune System Can Banish HIV
July 17, 2024 - Weill Cornell Medicine - Weill Cornell Medicine has received $4.2 million to study how the immune system in some people infected with HIV can keep the virus under control, which could lead to novel therapeutic strategies for thwarting or eliminating HIV. Dr. Brad Jones, associate professor of immunology in medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Weill Cornell Medicine, was awarded a MERIT grant from the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The “Method for Extending Research in Time” (MERIT) grant provides outstanding investigators longer-term support for high-risk, high-reward experiments that could lead to major breakthroughs. Fewer than five percent of funded NIH investigators are selected to receive the prestigious award.
A Personal Farewell to Aidsmap from the Activist Who Was There
Mark S. King | Jul 17 2024 | My Fabulous Disease - The abrupt closing of aidsmap.com, the stalwart HIV/AIDS information and resource site in the United Kingdom, has sent a mortal shudder through the ranks of those with a history in the HIV arena. The loss is incalculable.
It is also a very personal milestone for people like Gus Cairns, an HIV survivor and journalist who discovered his powers of activism, and his identity as a leader, through his work with aidsmap and the groups that preceded it.
Gus is a master storyteller, and his remembrances on social media about his years in the thick of HIV drama, triumphs and losses are dishy and fascinating. His behind-the-scenes tales literally chart the history of HIV treatment, PrEP, and U=U and bring a lot of its most important figures to life.
Why am I talking? Gus should tell you himself. Here is the posting Gus shared on social media about his life in the movement and the role aidsmap played in it. Enjoy.
Gilead to Highlight Landmark Progress in Research Across HIV Prevention, Treatment and Cure Programs at AIDS 2024
FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- July 16, 2024 - Gilead - – Late-Breaking Full Results from HIV Prevention Research of Twice-Yearly Injectable Lenacapavir –
– Progress and Person-Centered Approaches Across HIV Treatment, Cure Research and Development Programs –
– Key Initiatives Demonstrate Commitment to Collaboration to Help End the HIV Epidemic Worldwide –
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) today announced its program for the upcoming 25th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2024), taking place in Munich, Germany, and virtually, from July 22-26. As the leading innovator in HIV, Gilead will share new data from its research and development programs and Gilead-supported collaborations that unite leading scientific innovation and partnership aimed at ending the HIV epidemic.
"The AIDS 2024 conference convenes the global HIV community – scientists, advocates, and partners from the public and private sectors," said Jared Baeten, MD, PhD, Senior Vice President, Virology Clinical Development, Gilead Sciences. "Our contributions to this year's meeting demonstrate Gilead's leadership in person-centered innovations across HIV prevention, treatment, and cure. Our scientific advancements are grounded in collaboration with community and research partners around the world. I look to a future where every person has options to help obtain their own HIV prevention or treatment success and where we've come together to end the HIV epidemic."
The Wistar Institute Launches HIV Cure and Viral Diseases Center
PHILADELPHIA - (July 16, 2024) - The Wistar Institute - Center Headquartered at New Wistar North Campus
The Wistar Institute — building on its history of leading advances in human health as the nation’s first nonprofit biomedical research institute — is creating a new HIV Cure and Viral Diseases Center, made possible by a $24 million institutional investment from Wistar. The HIV Cure and Viral Diseases Center will advance Wistar’s dedication to cure research to meet the worldwide challenge of HIV. The goal is to move beyond current life-long treatments to eradicate the virus. The Center marshals world-class scientific talent, research expertise, and community support to bring together the very best in foundational bench to bedside biomedical research to discover a cure for HIV and possibly a host of viral threats.
HIV Rapid Test Kits Market Growing Rapidly by 2031 - Biolytical Laboratories, Meril Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd., JOYSBIO (Tianjin) Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Alpine Biomedicals Pvt Ltd., Abbott Laboratories.
JULY 15, 2024 - DataM Intelligence - DataM Intelligence has published a new research report on "HIV Rapid Test Kits Market Size 2024". The report explores comprehensive and insightful Information about various key factors like Regional Growth, Segmentation, CAGR, Business Revenue Status of Top Key Players and Drivers. The purpose of this report is to provide a telescopic view of the current market size by value and volume, opportunities, and development status.
Anal Cancer Risk Differs by Region for People With HIV
JULY 15, 2024 - By Leslie Cantu - Infectious Disease Special Edition (IDSE) - A recent study that followed a cohort of more than 110,000 people found significant disparities in the risk for anal cancer for people with HIV and for men who have sex with men (MSM) with HIV, depending on the region of the country where they live.
It's known that people with HIV have the highest risk for anal cancer, said lead author Ashish A. Deshmukh, PhD, a co-leader of the cancer control research program at Medical University of South Carolina Hollings Cancer Center, in Charleston.
World Hepatitis Day: Promoting Awareness and Action
15-Jul-2024 - by Newswise - July 28 marks World Hepatitis Day, a date dedicated to raising awareness about hepatitis and promoting measures to combat this serious public health issue.
Early detection and prevention are critical in the fight against hepatitis. Vaccination, regular screening, and public health campaigns are vital in reducing the spread of the disease.
Several global health initiatives aim to combat hepatitis and improve access to treatment and care in underserved regions. These initiatives focus on increasing the availability of vaccines, antiviral medications, and medical infrastructure in areas with limited healthcare access.
Canada must end the criminalization of people living with HIV now!
Thursday, July 11, 2024 —Toronto, ON - HIV LEGAL NETWORK - Members of the media are invited to attend a media conference on Tuesday, June 16, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. EDT focused on the ongoing criminalization of people living with HIV in Canada.
At the 2022 International AIDS Conference, the Government of Canada announced a national consultation on reforming the laws that criminalize HIV non-disclosure. Yet, with this year’s AIDS Conference approaching, and consultations having ended in January 2023, the government has taken no concrete steps to advance this much-needed law reform.
Members of the Canadian Coalition to Reform HIV Criminalization (CCRHC) will be joined by members of the international HIV community to discuss how Canada’s criminalization of people living with HIV continues to harm people in Canada and emboldens governments worldwide to deny basic human rights.
IAS announces 2024 Me and My Healthcare Provider Campaign Champions to honour outstanding stigma-free services
11 July 2024 –IAS - International AIDS Society - The 2024 Me and My Healthcare Provider (MMHCP) Campaign, supported by Gilead Sciences for the third year running, honours 18 frontline workers providing exemplary inclusive and stigma-free HIV services in Brazil, Hong Kong, Mexico, Taiwan and now, Türkiye.
IAS – the International AIDS Society – with local partners, today honoured 18 Me and My Healthcare Provider Champions from Brazil, Hong Kong, Mexico, Taiwan and Türkiye. This award celebrates the tireless efforts of frontline healthcare workers who navigate the challenges of stigma and discrimination to provide high-quality HIV prevention, treatment and care to key populations.
Nobel Laureate Drew Weissman, M.D., Ph.D., Delivers 28th Annual Jonathan Lax Memorial Lecture at The Wistar Institute
PHILADELPHIA — (July 10, 2024) - The Wistar Institute - On Tuesday, July 16th at 6:30 pm EDT, Nobel Laureate in Medicine or Physiology Drew Weissman, M.D., Ph.D., — Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research, Director of Vaccine Research, and Director of the Institute for RNA Innovation at the University of Pennsylvania — delivers the 28th annual Jonathan Lax Memorial Lecture at The Wistar Institute in recognition of his outstanding contributions to HIV research. Dr. Weissman’s talk, “Development of novel therapies based on RNA: from COVID vaccines to anti-HIV strategies,” is open to the public both in-person at Wistar and virtually through an online live stream.
NHLBI’s MACS/WIHS study targets chronic health conditions in people living with HIV
July 09, 2024 - National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) - Longest running study of HIV survivors is marking its 40th anniversary this year.
In the 1980s, infection with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, was often viewed as a death sentence. With no treatments available and little understanding of the virus or the disease, hundreds of thousands of people in the United States ultimately lost their lives and millions more died worldwide.
Much has changed in the past four decades. Thanks to the availability of powerful antiretroviral drugs, new infections have decreased significantly, the virus is held at low levels in the body, and the HIV death rate has plummeted. People living with HIV are now more likely to die of a chronic illness, such as cardiovascular disease, than from AIDS. Meanwhile, researchers continue to make inroads in finding an effective vaccine or even a cure.
Now, this year, another milestone: the nation’s largest and longest running study of HIV survivors is marking its 40th anniversary.
Mpox - South Africa
9 JULY 2024 - Disease Outbreak News - World Health Organization (WHO) - The International Health Regulations (IHR) National Focal Point (NFP) of the Republic of South Africa notified WHO of 20 confirmed mpox cases between 8 May and 2 July 2024, including three deaths (case fatality ratio (CFR) of 15%). These cases were reported in three of nine provinces: Gauteng (10 cases; 1 death), Western Cape (1 case), and KwaZulu-Natal (9 cases; 2 deaths). These are the first cases of mpox reported in South Africa since 2022 when the country had reported five cases, none of which were severe, and no deaths. The persons affected are men aged between 17 and 43 years old, and of the first 16 cases, 11 self-identified as men who have sex with men (MSM). At least 15 cases are living with HIV with unmanaged or only recently diagnosed HIV infection, and have advanced HIV disease (AHD), and one case has diabetes. The type of exposure contact reported by cases is sexual contact. Eighteen of the patients required hospitalization. Several response measures have been put in place by national health authorities with the support of WHO. The sudden appearance of these cases none of whom reported any history of international travel, the extremely high HIV prevalence among confirmed cases, and the high case-fatality ratio suggest that the confirmed cases are only a small proportion of all cases that might have occurred, and that community transmission is ongoing. The risk to human health for the general public remains low in the country. The risk for gay men, bisexual men, other men who have sex with men, trans and gender-diverse people, and sex workers is moderate. There is potential for increased health impact should wider dissemination among these and other vulnerable groups in South Africa and neighbouring countries continue. This event emphasizes that the global mpox outbreak linked to clade IIb monkeypox virus (MPXV) is still ongoing, and the risk of cross-border and international spread persists in all WHO regions.
Update on PEPFAR’s Programming Budget for 2024/2025
JULY 8, 2024 - PEPFAR RELEASE - Since the start of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in 2003, the program has utilized multi-year appropriations. The Biden Administration has every year requested at least $4.7 billion for the PEPFAR program in its annual budget request to Congress, on top of funding for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria — demonstrating unwavering commitment to fighting HIV/AIDS globally. These funding levels, coupled with multi-year availability, have enabled the program to have an operational budget of more than the annual appropriation when prior-year funds remained available. PEPFAR has used this strategy successfully to accelerate progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS. However, balances from prior years have decreased, while the PEPFAR annual appropriation level has remained relatively stable for the last decade, consistent with levels requested by the Biden Administration that align to achieving PEPFAR’s goals.
Scientists create first mouse model with complete, functional human immune system
SAN ANTONIO, July 8, 2024 - University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio - A breakthrough for biomedical research promises new insight into immunotherapy development and disease modeling. Scientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) have created a humanized mouse model with a human immune system and a human-like gut microbiome that is capable of mounting specific antibody responses.
The scientists were led by Paolo Casali, MD, University of Texas Ashbel Smith Professor and Distinguished Research Professor, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics in the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine. Casali has nearly five decades of biomedical research experience in immunology and microbiology and is a leading researcher in molecular genetics and epigenetics of the antibody response. He was a professor of immunology and director of the division of molecular immunology at Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, and the founding director of the Institute for Immunology at University of California, Irvine, CA.
First Nations superhero ‘Condoman’ was a world leader in HIV prevention. Aunty Gracelyn Smallwood made it happen
July 8, 2024 - The Conversation - When HIV arrived on Australian shores in the early 1980s, politicians and healthcare workers worried the virus would run rampant in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. This didn’t happen – thanks to highly successful health promotion campaigns and public health programs rolled out around the country by Aboriginal-controlled medical services, from 1987.
The most famous of these was “Condoman”, the First Nations superhero whose safe-sex directive “Don’t be shame, be game: Use condoms!” captured hearts and minds across the continent.
Aunty Gracelyn Smallwood, a proud Birrigubba, Kalkadoon and South-Sea Islander woman and registered nurse/midwife, was central to this public health response, working alongside her colleague and friend Phillip Mills and other health workers throughout the state.
Her advocacy took her from her hometown of Townsville all the way to the highest offices of Australia’s HIV and AIDS response, where she played a part in shaping a world-leading approach to the virus.
After 25 years, CBRC isn’t slowing down
June 06, 2024 - Community-Based Research Centre (CBRC) - 25 years. That’s how long this organization, the Community-Based Research Centre, has operated as of June 22, 2024.
It’s a huge milestone. Think of your own quarter century celebration. If you were like me, you probably had a slice (or several) of cake while surrounded by your friends and chosen family.
25 years represents an important influx point for many of us. A time to take stock of everything you’ve learned in life thus far, leaning into adulthood, and really focus on building the future you see for yourself. As CBRC turns 25, we’re doing the same: reflecting on our past, our present, and our future. .
Marie-Josée Mbuzenakamwe, champion in the fight against AIDS
05 JUL.2024 - Fondation de France - Marie-Josée Mbuzenakamwe has devoted her career as a doctor to caring for people with AIDS in Africa and works to put an end to this disease. She chairs the Fondation de France's “Gender and HIV” committee.
Marie-Josée was born in Burundi almost 60 years ago. She now lives in the Eure-et-Loir department of France, from where she continues to travel throughout Africa on consultancy and field assignments. Marie-Josée Mbuzenakamwe is a doctor. As a result of chance - due to her family origins - and necessity, she has devoted most of her professional career to HIV care. This experience made her the clear choice as the leader of Fondation de France’s Gender and HIV Committee, which she has chaired since 2021. Her parents were campaigners for Burundian independence and took on major responsibilities when this was achieved in the 1960s. As a nurse, her father became a pillar of the training system for school dropouts. Her mother was a teacher and ran the general secretariat of the Union des Femmes Burundaises women’s organisation.
Sault Ste. Marie's 2024 AIDS Vigils takes place this weekend
July 5, 2024 - By Cory Nordstrom - CTV News Northern Ontario - Advocacy groups say move would eliminate ‘Ending HIV Epidemic’ initiative
A yearly vigil for those impacted by AIDS is taking place in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., this weekend.
The event honours those who have passed while celebrating those who are still here.
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Sault Ste. Marie's 2024 AIDS Vigils takes place this weekend
July 5, 2024 - By Cory Nordstrom - CTV News Northern Ontario - Advocacy groups say move would eliminate ‘Ending HIV Epidemic’ initiative
A yearly vigil for those impacted by AIDS is taking place in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., this weekend.
The event honours those who have passed while celebrating those who are still here.
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House Republicans propose steep cuts in federal AIDS budget
July 5, 2024 - By Lou Chibbaro Jr. - Los Angeles Blade - Advocacy groups say move would eliminate ‘Ending HIV Epidemic’ initiative
The Republican-controlled U.S. House Subcommittee on Labor, Health, and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies approved a spending bill on June 26 that calls for cutting at least $419 million from federal AIDS programs that AIDS activists say would have a devastating impact on efforts to greatly reduce the number of new HIV infections by 2030.
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Boys born with higher natural resistance to HIV, study finds
[NAIROBI] - 05/07/24 - By: Dann Okoth - SciDev.Net - Baby girls are more likely to acquire HIV from their mothers during pregnancy or childbirth than infant boys, who are conversely more likely to achieve cure or remission, researchers say in a new study that sheds light on the gender differences in immune systems.
An estimated 1.3 million women and girls living with HIV become pregnant each year and the rate of transmission to the child during pregnancy, labour, delivery or breastfeeding – in the absence of any intervention – ranges from 15 to 45 per cent, according to the World Health Organization.
Lead researcher Philip Goulder says the study identified some of the key mechanisms by which sustained HIV remission can be achieved – mechanisms that are relevant to children and adults alike.
HIV rates increasing, especially in women, Province of Manitoba covering costs of meds
July 5, 2024 - By Patrick Harney - THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR - Since 2018, the number of new Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) cases has been exponentially growing in Manitoba. The increasing rate of transmission led organizations like HIV Manitoba to raise the alarm around the issue.
According to Nine Circles Community Health Centre, in 2018, the number of individuals newly diagnosed with HIV was 111. Last year, that number increased dramatically to 388 and as of May of this year, 155 more individuals have been diagnosed. Based on projections from the University of Manitoba, if this trend continues, Manitoba could see 884 new cases in 2027.
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MANITOBA GOVERNMENT AND RESEARCH MANITOBA ANNOUNCE RECIPIENT OF DR. DICK SMITH HIV EPIDEMIOLOGY GRANT
July 4, 2024 - Province of Manitoba - The Manitoba government, along with Research Manitoba, would like to congratulate Dr. Titus Olukitibi of the University of Manitoba's department of medical microbiology on being the inaugural recipient of the Dr. Dick Smith Postdoctoral Fellowship in HIV-AIDS Research, Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Uzoma Asagwara announced today.
“It’s wonderful to see the work of Dr. Smith – work that he cared so deeply about – expanded and carried on by Dr. Olukitibi, to whom I extend my congratulations and appreciation,” said Asagwara. “Given Manitoba’s rising rates of HIV, there’s an urgent need to deepen our understanding of the disease and build knowledge and data that will drive local solutions and help prevent the disease from spreading.”
Advancing toward a preventative HIV vaccine
LA JOLLA, CA and NEW YORK, NY - July 4, 2024 - Scripps Research - Across four preclinical studies, Scripps Research, IAVI, and additional collaborators make headway in stimulating the rare antibodies needed to fight HIV.
A major challenge in developing a vaccine for HIV is that the virus mutates fast—very fast. Although a person initially becomes infected with one or a few HIV strains, the virus replicates and mutates quickly, resulting in a “swarm” of viral strains existing in a single body. But scientists at Scripps Research; IAVI; the Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT, and Harvard; La Jolla Institute for Immunology; and additional institutions have conducted a series of preclinical trials indicating that they’re potentially closer to an immunization regimen than ever before—one that could produce rare antibodies that would be effective against a wide range of HIV strains.
Lamivudine resistance mutation may persist for many years in some people with HIV
4 July 2024 - Keith Alcorn - aidsmap - High viral load in the past predicts persistence of M184V mutation
With heavy hearts, we announce the proposed closure of our beloved charity, NAM aidsmap, this month. After 37 years of pioneering health journalism, community engagement, and empowerment through information, we will cease operations this summer.
We are incredibly proud of the millions we've reached worldwide and the grassroots ingenuity and commitment of our team and partners.
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HIV breakthrough: drug trial shows injection twice a year is 100% effective against infection
July 3, 2024 - The Conversation - A large clinical trial in South Africa and Uganda has shown that a twice-yearly injection of a new pre-exposure prophylaxis drug gives young women total protection from HIV infection.
The trial tested whether the six-month injection of lenacapavir would provide better protection against HIV infection than two other drugs, both daily pills. All three medications are pre-exposure prophylaxis (or PrEP) drugs.
Physician-scientist Linda-Gail Bekker, principal investigator for the South African part of the study, tells Nadine Dreyer what makes this breakthough so significant and what to expect next.
City of West Hollywood to Host Community Meeting for STORIES: The AIDS Monument in Advance of Construction
July 02, 2024 - City of West Hollywood - The City of West Hollywood will host a pre-construction community meeting featuring updates about STORIES: The AIDS Monument, which is planned at West Hollywood Park adjacent to N. San Vicente Boulevard and the West Hollywood Library.
The community meeting will take place on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. at the West Hollywood Library Community Meeting Room, located at 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard. For community members who cannot attend in person, please join the meeting virtually via Zoom.
New Lab Test to Detect Persistent HIV Strains in Africa May Aid Search for Cure
JULY 2, 2024 - Weill Cornell Medicine - A multinational team led by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators developed a test that will help measure the persistence of HIV in people affected by viral strains found predominantly in Africa—a vital tool in the search for an HIV cure that will benefit patients around the world.
The study, published in Nature Communications on July 2, helps fill a major gap in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) research. Most HIV studies have focused on strains circulating in Western countries, predominantly in men who have sex with men affected by subtype B. Few studies have examined strains circulating in Africa, where women are disproportionately affected.
XRP Healthcare: Helping to Transform HIV and AIDS Care with Innovative Prescription Savings Solutions
DUBAI, UAE, July 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - XRP Healthcare - XRP Healthcare has announced a new initiative aimed at supporting individuals living with HIV and AIDS by enabling increased access to the XRP Healthcare Prescription Savings Card through promotions and marketing of the same, focusing on its powerful free tool that offers substantial discounts on essential medications, helping to alleviate the financial burden of managing chronic health conditions.
XRP Healthcare has announced a new initiative aimed at supporting individuals living with HIV and AIDS by providing them with access to the XRP Healthcare Prescription Savings Card. This powerful tool offers substantial discounts on essential medications, helping to alleviate the financial burden of managing chronic health conditions.
A journey from hoops all-star to research legend: Dr. Robert Gallo’s next stop is Tampa Bay
JULY 1, 2024 -DAVE SCHEIBER - University of South Florida - There was a time decades ago – long before he became one of the world’s pioneering researchers, received the American version of the Nobel Prize not once but twice, ranked for 10 years as the most cited scientist on earth, and, oh yes, co-discovered the HIV virus – that Dr. Robert Gallo was simply a working-class kid from a Connecticut metal-mill city with a passion for basketball.
He was a standout, 6-foot forward for Waterbury’s Sacred Heart High School, with good enough shooting and ball-handling skills to make the All-Star team in an early 1950s basketball camp run by future Boston Celtics legend and NBA Hall of Famer Bob Cousy.
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Worry over HIV cases
July 1, 2024 -The Fiji Times - Ministry of Health and Medical Services is worried that the cases of HIV might double again this year.
While presenting the public submission on Ministry of Health and Medical Services 2015-2021 Annual Report, the permanent secretary for Ministry of Health and Medical Services Dr Jemesa Tudravu highlighted that they have noticed a trend of HIV cases getting doubled every yea r.
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Session and Event Highlights at AIDS 2024
July 1, 2024 - By International AIDS Society - POZ - The AIDS 2024 programme features research on a wide range of important issues, including sustainability and financing, health innovation, integrated HIV care, and HIV cure and vaccine development.
AIDS 2024, the 25th International AIDS Conference, offers more than 200 sessions that spotlight the latest science, insights and lessons for and from the global HIV response. Join us for AIDS 2024 in Munich, Germany, and virtually from 22 to 26 July! Pre-conferences take place on 20 and 21 July.
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Thank you and farewell
1 July 2024 - Alain Volny-Anne - aidsmap - With heavy hearts, we announce the proposed closure of our beloved charity, NAM aidsmap, this month. After 37 years of pioneering health journalism, community engagement, and empowerment through information, we will cease operations this summer.
We are incredibly proud of the millions we've reached worldwide and the grassroots ingenuity and commitment of our team and partners.
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Inside Toronto’s Casey House, where the HIV/AIDS battle never ended — it just changed shape
June 30, 2024 - By Victoria Gibson - TORONTO STAR - As revelry and rainbow hues blanket Toronto for Pride weekend, a downtown healthcare facility born out of the grief of the HIV-AIDS crisis is facing new battles — now navigating care for some of the city’s most vulnerable.
At the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis, the candle in the window of Toronto’s Casey House was lit all too often — a subtle gut punch to passersby who knew its significance, as a memorial to yet another life extinguished by the virus.
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R.I.P. Dean Goishi, HIV and LGBTQ Advocate for Asian and Pacific Islanders
June 28, 2024 - By Trent Straube - POZ - Dean Goishi, a trailblazing Japanese-American voice for HIV, LGBTQ and Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities, has died. His passing has been noted in numerous social media posts, but further details have not been reported.
Goishi was a cofounder and retired director of Asian Pacific AIDS Intervention Team (APAIT), a California-based grassroots AIDS service organization launched in 1987. Goishi also served on the board of NMAC (formerly the National Minority AIDS Council).
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HIV Testing Day Proclaimed in Saskatchewan
June 27, 2024 - Government of Saskatchewan - Know Your HIV Status
Saskatchewan has proclaimed June 27 as Provincial Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Testing Day, which coincides with the annual National HIV Testing Day in Canada.
HIV Testing Day is an annual event highlighting the importance of regular HIV testing as a critical tool in the fight against the disease. This initiative aims to reduce the stigma around HIV testing and ensure everyone knows their status. HIV Testing Day presents a valuable opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of testing for HIV, and other sexually transmitted and blood borne infections (STBBIs).
Midwest Center for AIDS Research to help end regional HIV epidemic
June 27, 2024 - Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis - St. Louis-based center unites scientists, public health experts, nonprofits to fight virus
Since the peak of the AIDS epidemic, the U.S. has achieved significant advancements in preventing and treating HIV, though progress has been uneven across regions and slower than necessary. In Missouri, where the number of new HIV diagnoses and deaths has not improved since 2017, there is a need to recapture momentum in addressing the disease.
In a bid to jump-start the stalled campaign against HIV in the region, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Saint Louis University plan to establish the Midwest Developmental Center for AIDS Research with funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The center, slated to open in September, will aim to create a platform for researchers and public health workers to collaborate and coordinate their efforts to fight the HIV epidemic together.
Mpox: what to watch out for, treatment and what to worry about
June 27, 2024 - The Conversation - The new strain of the mpox virus is spreading quickly along the eastern border of the Democratic Republic of Congo and is “the most dangerous yet”, says the World Health Organization. The current outbreak has been driven by sexual transmission but there is evidence this strain can also be passed on through close skin-to-skin contact. Those now being infected include schoolchildren, healthcare workers and entire households.
Meanwhile, in South Africa, an outbreak has killed three people so far. Border authorities are screening travellers into and out of the country.
Virologist Cheryl Walter explains the history of mpox, the symptoms and why we should be worried about virulent virus mutations.
New York State Department of Health Launches Free HIV Self-test Giveaway Campaign and Encourages People to Know Their Status In Recognition of National HIV Testing Day
ALBANY, N.Y. (June 27, 2024) - New York State Department of Health - NY.gov - The Department's Free HIV Self-Test Giveaway Campaign Coincides with National HIV Testing Day and Empowers Individuals to Take Control of Their Sexual Health
The New York State Department of Health recognizes today as National HIV Testing Day and encourages everyone to know their status. This year's theme is, "Level up your self-love: check your status." The theme emphasizes the importance of self-value and individuals honoring their health needs with compassion, respect, and self-love. To coincide with National HIV Testing Day, the New York State Department of Health has launched another free HIV self-test giveaway campaign.
Governments, civil society and United Nations agencies join together to “accelerate and sustain” a resilient response to HIV
GENEVA, 27 June 2024 - UNAIDS - At the 54th meeting of UNAIDS’ Programme Coordinating Board (PCB) which concluded today in Geneva, Switzerland, governments, civil society and United Nations agencies united in a shared commitment to accelerate progress to meet the 2025 AIDS targets and sustain the gains of the global HIV response toward 2030 and beyond.
In her opening remarks to the meeting, the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Winnie Byanyima, highlighted the urgency of accelerating progress to meet the 2030 target of ending AIDS as a public health threat. “The world has six years to reduce new HIV infection rates, expand antiretroviral treatment, and reduce AIDS-related deaths, but only 18 months to reach the 2025 targets which will determine whether or not countries will be able to end their pandemics by 2030.”
Global Fund to Provide Emergency HIV and TB Prevention Services Amidst Violence in Haiti
GENEVA/PORT-AU-PRINCE - 26 june 2024 - Global Fund - The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (the Global Fund) has approved over US$1.8 million in emergency funding to urgently provide HIV and tuberculosis (TB) prevention services to victims/survivors of gender-based violence (GBV), displaced people and other vulnerable groups. The emergency funds will be added to a three-year, US$85 million grant that started on 1 January 2024.
“The dramatic escalation of GBV in Haiti since the acute crisis erupted on 29 February this year has had immediate and life-threatening health consequences, and increased the risk of HIV transmission,” said Jaime Briz de Felipe, Senior Fund Portfolio Manager at the Global Fund. “GBV is a serious human rights violation and an affront to gender equality.”
Survey finds many have misconceptions about sexually transmitted infection risk
COLUMBUS, Ohio - June 26, 2024 - The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center - This comes in the midst of a rising STI epidemic, including an 80% spike in syphilis
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are on the rise in the U.S., including an 80% increase in syphilis over a five-year period, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A new national survey by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center finds many Americans have misconceptions on how STIs are spread and who should be treated. The national poll of 1,005 people found over a third of Americans (34%) falsely believe STIs can only be transmitted through sexual intercourse. In reality, there are many ways STIs can spread such as by kissing or sharing needles and even during childbirth. The survey also found that one in five Americans (20%) believe they only need to be tested for STIs if they’re experiencing symptoms.
Foods to include when living with HIV
June 26, 2024 - by Ben Koprowski - MedicalNewsToday - Healthcare professionals may recommend certain foods to help boost the immune system in people living with HIV. This may involve a dietary plan high in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean proteins.
HIV is a virus that affects a person’s white blood cells, weakening their immune system. This makes it easier for a person to have some diseases and cancers. Without treatment, the virus can progress to stage 3 HIV. This is also known as AIDS.
However, healthcare teams can use treatments to help manage the condition. People with HIV can live long and healthy lives. As part of a person’s HIV treatments, healthcare professionals recommend dietary plans and good nutrition. Good nutrition and food safety precautions have many benefits for people with HIV.
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Daring to Write Your Truth
June 26, 2024 - By Juan Michael Porter II - TheBody - Every year around World AIDS Day, a 10-week virtual playwriting workshop for people living with HIV presents a final sharing of created works. This program is called Write It Out!-as in, write out your feelings and bring them to life on the page.
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SAA to embark on a Save People with TB and HIV campaign on July 4
25 JUN 2024 - By Francis Ameyibor II Contributor - Modern Ghana - Society for AIDS in Africa (SAA), the official secretariat of the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA), and partners to launch the “Find all people with TB and HIV, treat all of them, save lives, and stop the spread of both” campaign on July 4th, as part of broader measures to upscale efforts to end AIDS.
“If we are to end AIDS, we have to ensure that along with 100-100-100 (100 percent of people with HIV know their status, 100 percent of people with HIV are on lifesaving antiretroviral therapy, and 100 percent of them are virally suppressed), we also have to ensure that no one suffers or dies of TB.
Multidrug-resistant fungi found in commercial soil, compost, flower bulbs
Newswise - 25-Jun-2024 - University of Georgia - Named a critical public health threat by WHO, Aspergillus fumigatus is potentially deadly to immunocompromised
That pile of soil you bought at the home improvement store may contain more than just dirt, according to new research from the University of Georgia.
A new UGA study found high levels of multidrug-resistant fungi in commercially available compost, soil and flower bulbs.
Aspergillus fumigatus is a widespread fungus that thrives in soil. But it also poses a serious risk to human health if inhaled. People with compromised immune systems are particularly vulnerable to the opportunistic fungus, facing a near 100% fatality rate if infected with a multidrug-resistant strain.
Patients of Charlottetown foot clinic told to get tested for HIV and hepatitis
Jun 25, 2024 - Shane Ross, Kevin Yarr - CBC News - Chief Public Health Office investigating alleged breach in cleaning protocols
Prince Edward Island's Chief Public Health Office is investigating what it calls a break in infection prevention measures at Johnson Podiatry.
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Young gay Latinos see a rising share of new HIV cases, leading to a call for targeted funding
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - June 24, 2024 - BY VANESSA G. SANCHEZ, PHILLIP REESE/KFF HEALTH NEWS AND DEVNA BOSE/ASSOCIATED PRESS - Four months after seeking asylum in the U.S., Fernando Hermida began coughing and feeling tired. He thought it was a cold. Then sores appeared in his groin and he would soak his bed with sweat. He took a test.
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Giving it a Try: A Guide to Clinical Trials
June 21, 2024 - By Liz Highleyman - Studies of new treatments, prevention tools, comorbidity management and cure strategies are key to better quality of life for people living with or at risk for HIV.
Most of what we know about HIV prevention, treatment and care comes from clinical trials. There are many types of research studies, and they all add to our knowledge in different ways. Joining a trial can be a good way to gain access to cutting-edge therapies and contribute to science, but it’s important to weigh the pros and cons.
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Innovative genetic analysis maps HIV transmission in Victoria, with meaningful community engagement
21 JUN 2024 - The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity - By mapping transmission and identifying groups of people at elevated risk of HIV infection, a study examining HIV cases reported in Victoria between 2000 and 2020 details a new approach that can make public health efforts more timely and more effective.
In a study published in The Lancet Regional Health Western Pacific, researchers used a technique called molecular epidemiology to better understand HIV-1 transmission in Victoria, the most common type of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). By linking genetic data from the virus with traditional epidemiological information, the researchers identified transmission groups among people living with HIV-1. The findings could help improve public health strategies to lower the rates of HIV-1 transmission.
Appeals court finds 'Obamacare' pillar unconstitutional in suit over HIV-prevention drug
June 21, 2024 - By Benjamin Ryan - NBC News - If the Supreme Court ultimately takes the case and overturns the pillar, this could have a widespread impact on out-of-pocket health care costs, including costs for the HIV-prevention pill, known as PrEP.
A federal appeals court on Friday found unconstitutional a key component of the Affordable Care Act that grants a health task force the effective authority to require that insurers both cover an array of preventive health interventions and screenings and refrain from imposing out-of-pocket costs for them.
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Drugs for HIV and AIDS trialed as brain tumor treatment for first time
21-JUN-2024 - University of Plymouth - Drugs developed to combat HIV and AIDS are being trialled for the first time in patients with multiple brain tumours.
Scientists at the Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence at the University of Plymouth are conducting a clinical trial to see whether using anti-retroviral medications, Ritonavir and Lopinavir, could help people with Neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2).
New Effort to Include People With HIV or on PrEP in Clinical Trials [VIDEO]
June 21, 2024 - By Trent Straube - Of 46 recent clinical trials that led to the approval of cancer drugs, 30 had language excluding people with HIV.
When clinical trial researchers write their guidelines and decide on eligible participants, most continue to copy and paste outdated boilerplate language from the early days of the AIDS epidemic. As a result, clinical trials exclude people living with HIV as well as those who are HIV negative but take antiretrovirals as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV. Similarly, LGBTQ people—also referred to as SGMs for “sexual and gender minorities”—are underrepresented in clinical studies.
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Support for healthy eating improves health outcomes among people with HIV
21 June 2024 - Alain Volny-Anne - aidsmap - A clinical trial has found that medically-tailored meals and groceries, combined with nutritional education, can reduce hospitalisations and improve mental and physical health in people with HIV. However, the intervention did not yield any improvement in terms of unsuppressed viral load, according to the report in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.
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UNAIDS applauds Namibian High Court's decision to declare unconstitutional the law that had criminalised same-sex relationships
GENEVA, 21 JUNE 2024 - UNAIDS - UNAIDS applauds the judgment by the High Court of Namibia, striking out as unconstitutional the law which had criminalised same-sex relationships. The court found the law incompatible with the constitutional rights of Namibian citizens. This decision, which is in line with a series of judgments by courts in Southern Africa in recent years, marks a significant victory for equality and human rights for all Namibians and will help protect the health of everyone.
Gilead’s Twice-Yearly Lenacapavir Demonstrated 100% Efficacy and Superiority to Daily Truvada® for HIV Prevention
Foster City, Calif. – June 20, 2024 - Gilead - – First Phase 3 HIV Prevention Trial Ever to Show Zero Infections –
– Independent Data Monitoring Committee Recommended That Gilead Stop the Blinded Phase of the PURPOSE 1 Trial at Interim Analysis and Offer Open-Label Lenacapavir to All Participants –
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) today announced topline results from an interim analysis of its pivotal, Phase 3 PURPOSE 1 trial indicating that the company’s twice-yearly injectable HIV-1 capsid inhibitor, lenacapavir, demonstrated 100% efficacy for the investigational use of HIV prevention in cisgender women.
PURPOSE 1 met its key efficacy endpoints of superiority of twice-yearly lenacapavir to once-daily oral Truvada® (emtricitabine 200mg and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300mg; F/TDF) and background HIV incidence (bHIV). Based on these results, the independent Data Monitoring Committee (DMC) recommended that Gilead stop the blinded phase of the trial and offer open-label lenacapavir to all participants.
People with HIV in Ontario less likely to get a kidney transplant
JUNE 19, 2024 - Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange (CATIE) - Those eligible for kidney transplants were less likely to receive one if they were living with HIV
HIV treatment (antiretroviral therapy; ART) is highly effective and safe. When used as directed, ART suppresses the amount of HIV in the blood to very low levels, commonly called “undetectable.” Researchers are finding that people with this low level of viral suppression do not pass on the virus to their sexual partners. What’s more, studies increasingly project that ART users will live well into their senior years.
After 10 Years, AIDS Quilt Panels Return to Provincetown
PROVINCETOWN - June 19, 2024 - BY PAUL BENSON - The Provincetown Independent - One is on display at the ASGCC’s headquarters; more will be on view for World AIDS Day
The AIDS Memorial Quilt, which now includes 50,000 cloth panels honoring more than 110,000 people who have died of AIDS since 1981, has long been too large to travel the country in its entirety. The last time the whole quilt was unfurled in one place was 1996, when it covered the Washington Mall and more than a million people came to see the handcrafted memorial.
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Fort Worth HIV survivors defy disease that once ensured death by growing old together
FORT WORTH - June 18, 2024 - By Bo Evans - CBS News - HIV and AIDS used to be a death sentence for many in the 80s and 90s. But thanks to decades of research and development, more than half of people living with the virus today are over the age of 50.
One group of survivors gathers weekly at a house in Fort Worth that they fondly refer to as "the clubhouse." They call themselves the Seasoned Survivors.
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Why don’t people disclose STIs to a sexual partner? Stigma has a lot to do with it
June 16, 2024 - The Conversation - Globally, more than 1 million curable sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are contracted every day in people aged 15–49. These include chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis, among others.
In Australia, it’s estimated one in six people will receive an STI diagnosis in their lifetime – and the numbers are going up.
Very few common infections are stigmatised in the way STIs are, which makes them a particularly complex public health problem. Stigma perpetuates shame and anxiety among those diagnosed with an STI, which can lead people to delay testing or treatment.
Stigma can also make it difficult for people to tell their sexual partners about an STI diagnosis. A recent study found only around half of people disclosed or believed they should disclose an STI to a partner before having sex.
People with HIV are aging, and the challenges are piling up
DECATUR, Ga. - JUNE 15, 2024 - By Sam Whitehead - NPR - Malcolm Reid recently marked the anniversary of his HIV diagnosis on Facebook. “Diagnosed with HIV 28 years ago, AND TODAY I THRIVE,” he wrote in a post in April, which garnered dozens of responses.
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Improving access to HPV testing
14-Jun-2024 - Newswise - BYLINE: Tessa Roy - Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan - Human Papilloma Virus is the cause of about 37,000 cases of cancers every year.
The virus is largely preventable thanks to vaccines, but many cannot access testing due to geographic, financial, or other reasons.
Now, a new initiative is aiming to raise awareness and improve accessibility to testing. Here, Diane Harper, M.D., M.P.H. M.S., discusses the initiative and the importance of screening for HPV.
Documentary on Toledo nun’s advocacy during HIV/AIDS epidemic to air on WGTE
June 12, 2024 - BG Independent News - WGTE Public Media broadcast “Sister Eileen and Her Boyz,” a 30-minute documentary about the grassroots efforts to support Toledoans during the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
This documentary, produced and directed by independent producer Holly Hey, will premiere on WGTE HD at 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 16. Hey is a professor of film and video production in the Department of Theatre and Film at the University of Toledo.
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Law Firms Speaking Out For The Thousands of California HIV Patients They Represent After Gilead's $40 Million Settlement Prompts Moral Reckoning for the HIV Community
SAN FRANCISCO, June 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - Grant & Eisenhofer- Grant & Eisenhofer, Jenner Law, Burg Simpson, and The Lawrence Law Firm are jointly issuing the following public statement following Gilead’s June 4th press release reported in the San Francisco Chronicle
In a recent press release (reported in The San Francisco Chronicle on June 4th), California pharma giant Gilead touts a $40 million settlement to resolve the lawsuits of approximately 2,625 plaintiffs. At the same time, it brushes off its culpability for delaying potentially life-saving treatments that should have been made available to patients living with HIV/AIDS but for Gilead’s greed. Despite its assertations that the settlement was simply effected to avoid “distraction,” the internal documents unearthed during a parallel litigation (Gilead Tenofovir Cases (Judicial Council Coordination Proceeding (JCCP) No. 5043) in California state court, which have been made public by The New York Times, reveal a disturbing truth: Gilead knowingly prioritized profits over the well-being of millions of individuals living with HIV.
ACTG Announces Launch of Clinical Trial Evaluating Combination of Three Novel Immune-based Therapies for HIV Cure
LOS ANGELES, June 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ACTG - PAUSE Study Is Evaluating two Long-Acting Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies
ACTG, a global clinical trials network focused on HIV and other infectious diseases, today announced the opening of the PAUSE study (Pausing Antiretroviral Treatment Under Structured Evaluation, also known as A5416/HVTN 806/HPTN 108), the first ACTG HIV cure clinical trial to take place on the African continent. PAUSE is a phase 1, double-blind, randomized study evaluating the safety and efficacy of the two long-acting broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) 3BNC117-LS-J and 10-1074-LS-J, compared to placebo in adults living with HIV who discontinue antiretroviral therapy (ART) during a closely monitored treatment pause (known as an analytic treatment interruption).
HERO IN CRISIS
BY LIAM BLAKEY - ART BY MARCOS CHIN - JUNE 2024 ISSUE - Celebrating Bobbi Campbell, one of the first AIDS activists
In the early hours of Aug. 8, 1983, Newsweek magazine was delivered as usual to newsstands, grocery stores and mailboxes. But the story that graced the cover was different from what readers were used to seeing. Under the headline “Gay America,” Bobbi Campbell, ’74, stood with his arm around his partner, Bobby Hilliard, giving the nation one of its first views of a person with AIDS.
That cover was a critical point in a decade of activism that started for Campbell in the neighborhoods of Seattle and the hallways of the University of Washington. A few years after graduating and leaving the Pacific Northwest, Campbell took what he learned as a nurse and gay-rights activist and brought AIDS into public view as the first person in the nation to go public with his diagnosis.
Design revealed for Aids memorial near Diana ward
June 12, 2024 - By Josh Parry - BBC - Artist Anya Gallaccio has been chosen to design London's first permanent Aids memorial - just meters from the site of the UK's first specialist HIV ward, opened by Diana, Princess of Wales.
The princess was credited with a shift in public attitudes towards the disease after she helped dispel the myth it could be transmitted by touch, by shaking hands with patients on the former Middlesex Hospital ward in Fitzrovia.
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Helping People with HIV Age Well
JUNE 11, 2024 - MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL - “People living with HIV can experience age-related health concerns earlier than the general population, leading them to prematurely experience cognitive and functional decline. We see people experiencing heart disease, diabetes and some cancers much earlier than we might expect, as well as falls and fragility,” says Matthew L. Russell, MD, co-medical of MGH’s Age Positively Program, a partnership between the Geriatric Medicine and Infectious Diseases divisions. The program provides care and resources to enhance the care and well-being of people with HIV as they age.
People living with HIV refused surgery or put last on waiting lists, research shows
Jun 11 2024 - Shauna Bowers - The Irish Times - Just 42 per cent of healthcare workers and 27 per cent of healthcare students surveyed by RCSI said they received education on HIV stigma and discrimination
People living with HIV have been refused surgery, been put last on waiting lists or face reluctance from healthcare staff around taking blood samples, new Irish research suggests.
The report, published by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland on Tuesday, found more than three quarters of doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers including medical students have seen discrimination from their colleagues towards patients with infectious diseases.
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“Without those two, I probably wouldn’t be here” - Magic Johnson named two heroes that turned his spirits around during his HIV diagnosis
JUN 10, 2024 - YAKSHPAT BHARGAVA - BASKETBALL NETWORK - Johnson thought he wouldn’t live when he first learned about his HIV diagnosis.
For die-hard NBA fans, the evening of November 9, 1991, remains an indelible moment of pain and anguish when Magic Johnson announced his HIV diagnosis to the world. In those days, such a disease was tantamount to a death sentence. While the world desperately hoped for the three-time MVP to find a path to full health, Magic’s spirits were lifted by Dr. Anthonu Fauci and Dr. David Ho, who put belief in him by informing him how they could save him.
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Major artists feature in St Andrews public art exhibition responding to HIV and AIDS
10 June 2024-- University of St Andrews News - University of St Andrews - A new exhibition featuring art and literature by people affected by HIV and AIDS will appear across St Andrews this month, curated by a student from the University of St Andrews.
inter/pose is a cultural response to HIV and AIDS, and includes interactive art as well as written and spoken words by people who are living with HIV, who died of AIDS, or who lost loved ones to AIDS. It also includes a new series of photographs of a HIV+ person living in Scotland, taken by the Dundee-based photographer John Post.
Running from June 10 – 23, the exhibition places art in a range of public venues throughout St Andrews. This is designed to make art more accessible, encouraging people who might not normally enter a gallery to engage with art.
The exhibition includes some major international artists and writers—Felix Gonzalez-Torres, CAConrad, Hervé Guibert, Derek Jarman—alongside photographers Mateo Sierra and John Post and performance artist Kelvin Atmadibrata.
Antimicrobial Resistance in Gonorrhoea: Rising Threat to Treatment Efficacy
10 Jun 2024 - European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) - The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has published a report today highlighting the threat of increasing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. This worrying trend, indicated by surveillance data, underscores the critical need for continued monitoring to inform treatment guidelines and control measures, and for ensuring the prudent use of antimicrobials, against the backdrop of increasing cases of gonorrhoea in Europe.
Data fromthe Gonococcal Antimicrobial Susceptibility Surveillance in the European Union/European Economic Area for 2022 shows two isolates resistant to ceftriaxone – the recommended antibiotic for treating gonorrhoea. These strains also displayed extensive drug resistance (XDR) and multidrug resistance (MDR), further limiting treatment options.
Ottawa Public Health strained as it tackles infectious diseases, report says
Jun 08, 2024 - CBC News - Public health agency asking province for more funding, other improvements
Ottawa's public health agency is raising the alarm over its capacity to respond to infectious diseases as reported cases rise and become more complex to manage.
In its latest report, Ottawa Public Health (OPH) is recommending the city's board of health urge Ontario's Health Ministry to review its funding formula to help the agency better respond to infectious diseases in the city. It also calls on the minister to fast-track the development of a provincial tool to help manage and monitor those diseases.
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20 Cities With the Highest HIV/AIDS Rates in the US
June 7, 2024 - by TALHA QURESHI - INSIDER MONKEY - In this article, we will look at the 20 Cities With the Highest HIV/AIDS Rates in the US. We have also analyzed the HIV incidence and prevalence in the United States along with the global HIV drug market.
HIV Incidence and Prevalence in the United States
The government of the United States has set a goal to reduce the number of HIV infections by 75% by 2025 and 90% by 2030 as part of its Ending the HIV Epidemic in the US initiative. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there were approximately 32,100 estimated new infections in 2021 by transmission category in the US. Of these new infections 70% were reported among gay, bisexual, and male-to-male sexual contact, 22% were reported to be transmitted by heterosexual contact, and around 8% were transmitted among people who inject drugs. As per the Ending the HIV Epidemic Initiative, the government aims to curb the new infection number to 9,000 new infections by 2025, and to 3,000 by 2030.
Mpox continues to circulate at low numbers among gay and bisexual men who have sex with men
June 6, 2024 - UCLA Health - While mpox cases have sharply declined since the 2022 global outbreak, they continue to occur in the U.S. among gay and bisexual men who have sex with men (GBMSM),according to a UCLA-led study from EMERGEncy ID NET, a multisite surveillance network funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Health sciences prof Roula Hawa runs mindfulness study to reduce HIV risks
June 06, 2024 - By Megan Stacey - Western News - Western University - Project builds connection, resilience for North African and Middle Eastern LGBTQIA+ communities
A Western professor is launching a new mindfulness study as a tool to create connection, heighten resilience and lower high-risk activity within a population facing many new cases of HIV.
It’s a unique approach to health-care intervention, using weekly group programming to teach mindfulness techniques, and at the same time, build a community.
UNAIDS Executive Director and Inequality Council urge G20 to back bold network on medicine production and address the social determinants of pandemics
SALVADOR, BRAZIL, 6 June 2024 - UNAIDS - At the G20 preparatory meeting in Brazil, Executive Director of UNAIDS and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Winnie Byanyima, today urged governments to support a new G20 Alliance, proposed by the Brazilian government, to enable life-saving medicines to be produced in every part of the world. Co-Chair of the Global Council on Inequality, AIDS, and Pandemics Sir Michael Marmot also called on G20 delegates to address the social determinants of pandemics, such as education and human rights, as a concrete part of the G20’s pandemic preparedness efforts.
The medicines initiative aims to create a global alliance of local and regional manufacturers of drugs, vaccines and other health technologies and unite a diversified network of local and regional producers to ensure an adequate supply of medicines and technologies for everyone, everywhere.
Climate disasters in Africa push women to sell sex, risking HIV progress
NAIROBI - Jun 6, 2024 - BY NITA BHALLA - The Japan Times - In Nairobi's informal settlement of Kawangware, Kenyan vegetable seller Beverly confronts a grim reality — her one-room corrugated iron home and everything she owned has been destroyed in the worst floods in years.
Since March, torrential rains linked to climate change have inundated parts of East Africa, destroying homes and livelihoods, and displacing hundreds of thousands of people.
Now, with hunger knocking, the mother-of-two contemplates a dangerous exchange — sex for food.
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Cannabis use common among patients, with most using it to manage a symptom or health condition
June 5, 2024 - UCLA Health - One in six patients in primary care reported cannabis use, with 35% of those using at levels indicating moderate- to high-risk for cannabis use disorder, new UCLA research finds.
The findings, published in JAMA Network Open, suggest that most patients reported using cannabis for symptom management, despite identifying as recreational users, indicating the need for routine cannabis screening. Currently few healthcare systems offer this screening in primary care settings.
Nanoparticles offer progress towards an HIV vaccine: new study
5 June 2024 - by Priya Joi - Gavi- VaccinesWork - Cutting-edge research produced “rare but powerful” antibodies that could prevent viral infection.
Researchers have created a nanovaccine that can produce the B cells that create antibodies capable of neutralising the HIV virus.
The development of an HIV vaccine has eluded researchers for decades, because the virus is adept at disguising itself to evade our immune system. This means that this advance is an "encouraging, incremental step in developing a preventive HIV vaccine", say the researchers, writing in Nature Immunology.
June 5th HIV Long Term Survivor’s Awareness Day
June 5, 2024 - Project Response, Inc. - HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day (HLTSAD) is an annual AIDS Awareness Day to celebrate and honor people living longest with HIV/AIDS.
June 5th is an important day in the history of HIV/AIDS. 2019 is the 38th anniversary since AIDS arrived unannounced, unnamed and unwelcome in 1981 in a report by the CDC the MMWR. It described five cases of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia among previously healthy young gay men in Los Angeles. It’s the first official reporting of the AIDS epidemic, according to the CDC and HIV.gov. All five cases were young gay men in Los Angeles and two of them had died.
June 5, 1981 was the beginning of AIDS Awareness before it was identified as AIDS.
June 5, 1981 is cited as beginning of the AIDS pandemic.
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U.S. clinical trials begin for twice-yearly HIV prevention injection
June 4, 2024 - NIAID News - Studies will focus on priority populations underrepresented in HIV clinical research.
Two clinical trials have launched to examine a novel long-acting form of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in cisgender women and people who inject drugs. The mid-stage studies will assess the safety, acceptability, and pharmacokinetics (how a drug moves through the body) of lenacapavir, an antiretroviral drug administered by injection every six months. The studies are sponsored and funded by Gilead Sciences, Inc., and implemented through the HIV Prevention Trails Network (HPTN). The HPTN is supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), with scientific collaboration on this study and others from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) as well as co-funding from NIDA and other NIH institutes.
For long-term HIV survivors, the road to healing continues
CHICAGO (CBS) - June 4, 2024 - By Marissa Perlman - CBS News - Calling it a “game-changing moment,” health experts hope free medication will help reverse the trend of rising HIV cases in Manitoba.
Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara announced Thursday the province would remove barriers to access HIV/AIDS medicine starting Monday.
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French researchers study frailty in older people with HIV
JUNE 4, 2024 - Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange (CATIE) - In a French study of older people with HIV, 18% lost some physical ability over one year
Thanks to effective HIV treatment (antiretroviral therapy, ART), researchers project that many people with HIV will have near-normal life expectancy. As ART users become older, issues related to aging require more attention from healthcare providers and more research.
One age-related concern is frailty. In general, when people age, they are at risk for becoming pre-frail or frail. This makes them more vulnerable to having unfortunate things happen. For instance, an infection or fall that could have minor consequences for a young person could have catastrophic effects on a frail older person. Researchers who study frailty have found that the risk for this condition increases with age and people who are frail can become less functional.
Protect your health this summer: ECDC urges vigilance against rising STI cases
3 Jun 2024 - European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) - Due to the concerning rise in sexually transmitted infection (STIs) transmission across Europe, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is urging everyone to keep informed and practice safer sex as they leave for holidays, festivals, and travel this summer season.
The warning comes as data from ECDC, released in March 2024, revealed concerning trends in the transmission of infections such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis, all of which increased in reported cases. This uptick serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing risks posed by unprotected sexual activity and the need for a better understanding of the importance of safer sex.
Zambia is the first country in Africa to roll out long-acting, injectable HIV prevention drug
3 June 2024 - byFiske Nyirongo - Gavi - VaccinesWork - Fiske Nyirongo talks to Tabo Lukato-Hadunka, a Zambian HIV activist, to learn more about this milestone in the country’s fight against HIV/AIDS.
In February 2024, the Zambia Ministry of Health launched a PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) injectable – also known as long-acting cabotegravir (CAB-LA) – which provides about two months of HIV protection for its users. Zambia is the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to offer the injectable - which is not a vaccine, but a medicine that works by blocking an enzyme HIV needs to replicate - outside of a study setting. VaccinesWork caught up with Tabo Lukato-Hadunka, a 28-year-old clinician, psychotherapeutic counsellor, self-described behavioural science enthusiast and HIV activist, who has been closely following the roll-out, to learn more.
New conference dedicated to women living with HIV set for June 8 in Palm Springs
June 3, 2024 - by Ema Sasic - Palm Springs Desert Sun - A new conference dedicated to women living with HIV will make its debut June 8 in Palm Springs, providing a space for women to share their experiences, learn more about their diagnoses and connect to resources.
The "SHE is" Women's Conference, organized by the HIV+ Aging Research Project Palm Springs and The Well Project, will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 8, both in person at the Mizell Center in Palm Springs and virtually on Zoom.
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Launching the Red Ribbon
June 2, 2024 - By Tim Murphy - On June 2, 1991, Visual AIDS collaborated with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS to get the red ribbon onstage at the 45th Annual Tony Awards.
In 1991, as the United States was battling the AIDS epidemic, the country was fighting another enemy abroad. Many front-yard trees were decorated with yellow ribbons in recognition of U.S. military members deployed in Iraq during the Gulf War. Struck by the sight of so many ribbons while driving in upstate New York with his partner Harvey Weiss and artist Frank Moore, costume designer Marc Happel wondered whether a ribbon could be used as a symbol to acknowledge the HIV epidemic.
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Tanzania’s 5-million-girls HPV vaccination campaign a “success”
3 June 2024 - byFiske Nyirongo - Gavi - VaccinesWork - The week-long drive to vaccinate 9-to 14-year-old girls against the human papillomavirus promises to put a dent in the country’s cervical cancer burden.
This April, Lisa Peter, an 11-year-old student at Kambange Primary School in Dar Es Salaam, was sprawled on the living room couch after school, scrolling through television channels, when an advert by the Ministry of Health on national television grabbed her attention.
It showed a family doting on a young girl, getting her ready for school. But overlaid on the familiar scene was a message about a huge vaccination campaign against cervical cancer – a disease that kills over 7,000 women each year in Tanzania. The advert cut to smiling girls playing at school. Lisa felt jolted, recognising herself in the advert's message.
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