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Positively Positive - Living with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS News Archive - April 2024
AHF Billboards Shatter HIV Stigma
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- April 30, 2024 - AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) - Latest outdoor campaign shifts longstanding narrative to encourage testing and celebrate people living with HIV and thriving
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) has launched a new out-of-home advertising campaign to celebrate people thriving with HIV as a way to shatter the stigma around testing and show living with HIV does not mean stopping the things you love to do. The artwork includes the URL HIVcare.org which directs people to AHF’s directory of service locations nationwide.
HIV.gov reports approximately 1.2 million people in the United States are living with HIV, and 13% don’t know their status and need testing. The Thriving campaign celebrates and elevates people living with HIV to help urge people to get tested and get into care if needed.
Closing the U.S./Mexico Border During COVID-19 Increased HIV Transmission
April 30, 2024 - Story by Judith Myers - UC San Diego News - Government efforts to prevent the spread of one virus worsened the spread of another
The border crossing separating San Diego, California, from Tijuana, Mexico, is a dynamic place. When it was closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, drug tourism from San Diego to Tijuana continued. This provided a flow of people in both directions, bringing with them not only the virus that causes COVID-19 (SARS-CoV2) but also the virus that causes AIDS (HIV). A collaborative study led by researchers from University of California San Diego and Irvine, recently published in the Lancet, found that rather than preventing the spread of disease, closing the border actually increased the rate of HIV transmission.
Caution advised when prescribing long-acting injectable cabotegravir and rilpivirine to avoid drug resistance
30 April 2024 - Rosalie Hayes - aidsmap - HIV clinicians have issued a note of caution regarding long-acting injectable cabotegravir and rilpivirine in a recent commentary in AIDS. Dr Diego Ripamonti of the Papa Giovanni XXIII hospital in Bergamo and colleagues from the universities of Milan and Siena highlight that people with long treatment histories in particular may not be good candidates for the treatment, due to the substantial risk of developing resistance to the drugs should the treatment fail.
Read more...
Northeastern research on HIV infection could lead to better drugs to treat the virus
April 29, 2024 - by Alena Kuzub - Northeastern Global News - Northeastern physicists and National Cancer Institute researchers suggest that mechanical pressure triggers a key event in HIV infection.
It has been more than 40 years since the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and scientists still don’t fully understand how HIV enters and replicates in human cells, which has hindered the development of treatments.
New research by a team of physicists led by Northeastern University professor Mark Williams is working on a solution.
Kaposi sarcoma discovery could facilitate drug development
29-APR-2024 - UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA HEALTH CARE - Researchers at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, after decades of research efforts, have developed a mouse model of Kaposi sarcoma that could be key to the development of new drugs to treat the disease. Kaposi sarcoma is a cancer that is the most common cancer in people living with HIV.
The findings appeared in Cell Host & Microbe.
“This is an important development as we have created the first animal model ever of Kaposi sarcoma. Animal models are essential to move new drugs from the laboratory bench into clinical trials,” said UNC Lineberger’s Dirk Dittmer, PhD, senior corresponding author, co-leader of the UNC Lineberger Virology Research Program and director of the UNC Viral Genomics Core. “Before this, only repurposed drugs from other cancers were used to treat Kaposi sarcoma, but now we can start investigating entirely new compounds to help treat what can be a lethal cancer.”
Mpox: why the virus’s continued, rapid mutation since the 2022 global outbreak remains a concern
April 29, 2024 - The Conversation - In 2022, as the world was slowly beginning to recover from the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, an outbreak of mpox – then still called monkeypox – began spreading at an alarming rate in many countries worldwide. Confirmed cases were cropping up in places where the disease wasn’t normally present (endemic) – and it was spreading quickly among certain groups.
Global mpox infections have fallen significantly since the height of this outbreak. But a recent paper, which has not yet been peer reviewed, has renewed concerns about the potential for mpox to cause another global outbreak like that seen in 2022.
Ending HIV Transmission in Scotland by 2030 - elimination delivery plan 2023-2026: equality impact assessment
April 29, 2024 - Scottish Government - scot.gov - Publication - Impact assessment
This publication outlines the equality impact assessment carried out in relation to the Ending HIV Transmission in Scotland by 2030: HIV Transmission Elimination Delivery Plan 2023 to 2026.
Young adults with HIV have high prevalence of heart disease risk factors
29 April 2024 - Keith Alcorn - aidsmap - Young people living with perinatally acquired HIV have a high prevalence of metabolic complications such as diabetes and raised cholesterol and require closer monitoring for long-term cardiovascular risk, a study of young adults in the United States has found.
Although rates of perinatally acquired HIV have been falling for several decades around the world, approximately 2.5 million children and adolescents were estimated to be living with HIV in 2022, 90% in Africa and most with perinatally acquired HIV.
Read more...
Measles in Edmonton: The resurgence and how we can tamp it back down
April 28, 2024 - By Jackie Carmichael - EDMONTON JOURNAL - “We don't really know the number of secondary cases yet. Hopefully it's small.”
When Erving “Magic” Johnson announced that he was HIV positive back in 1991, it almost seemed like a death sentence. But, with the help of modern medicine, his wife’s support and many doctor visits, he realized he was going to be okay.
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Magic Johnson Details How He’s Defied the Odds Since 1991 HIV Diagnosis: 'I’ve Done My Part' (Exclusive)
April 28, 2024 - By Mark Gray - People - “Every time I go to the doctor and my T-cell count is off the charts, that’s when I know I’m good,” the former athlete tells PEOPLE
When Erving “Magic” Johnson announced that he was HIV positive back in 1991, it almost seemed like a death sentence. But, with the help of modern medicine, his wife’s support and many doctor visits, he realized he was going to be okay.
Read more...
Lower dose of mpox vaccine is safe and generates six-week antibody response equivalent to standard regimen
April 27, 2024 - National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) - Study Highlights Need for Defined Markers of Mpox Immunity to Inform Public Health Use
A dose-sparing intradermal mpox vaccination regimen was safe and generated an antibody response equivalent to that induced by the standard regimen at six weeks (two weeks after the second dose), according to findings presented today at the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Global Congress in Barcelona. The results suggest that antibody responses contributed to the effectiveness of dose-sparing mpox vaccine regimens used during the 2022 U.S. outbreak.
Governor DeSantis Signs HIV-PEP Bill Sponsored by Rep. Gallop Franklin
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - April 26, 2024 - Florida House of Representatives - Florida’s neighborhood pharmacists will join the battle against HIV/AID after Gov. Ron DeSantis today signed CS/CS/HB 159 sponsored in the Florida House by Representative Gallop Franklin (D-Tallahassee).
The John W. Rheay Act, named in honor of Representative Dana Trabulsy’s (RFort Pierce) brother who died from AIDS, establishes a partnership of pharmacists and physicians working collaboratively to save lives by providing people exposed to HIV with emergency access to life-saving postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) therapy from a neighborhood pharmacist.
FDA Approves Biktarvy® Label Update With Data for Pregnant Adults With HIV
FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- April 26, 2024 – Additional Data in Pregnant Adults Who Are Virologically Suppressed Reinforce Safety and Tolerability Profile of Biktarvy in Broad Range of People With HIV –
– Perinatal Guidelines Recognize Biktarvy as Alternative Regimen for Use During Pregnancy and for Those Trying to Conceive –
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved an updated label with additional data reinforcing the safety and efficacy profile of Biktarvy® (bictegravir 50 mg/emtricitabine 200 mg/tenofovir alafenamide 25 mg tablets, B/F/TAF) to treat pregnant people with HIV-1 (PWH) with suppressed viral loads. These additional data stem from Study 5310, which evaluated the pharmacokinetics, safety and efficacy of Biktarvy in pregnant PWH who have suppressed viral loads and no known resistance to any components of Biktarvy in their second and third trimesters and through a median of 16 weeks postpartum. This update makes Biktarvy the only second-generation integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI)-based single-tablet regimen (STR) with in-label clinical trial data and FDA approval in virologically suppressed adults who are pregnant. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) perinatal guidelines recognize Biktarvy as having sufficient data to support being recommended as an alternative complete regimen for use in pregnancy and for people who are trying to conceive. Additionally, guidelines recommend continuing Biktarvy for PWH already on treatment who are virologically suppressed and tolerating treatment well who may become pregnant.
Growing number of people with HIV in west of Ireland already at advanced stage of illness when diagnosed, study finds
April 26, 2024 - By Eilish O'Regan - Irish Independent - There are concerns over delays in diagnosing people with HIV in the west of Ireland, after a study found a growing number are at an advanced stage of the illness by the time they are aware of it.
The findings are being presented this weekend to the ESCMID Global Congress – which brings together experts in clinical microbiology and infectious diseases – in Barcelona, following a study by a team led by Galway infectious disease consultant Dr Ellen Walsh.
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The Well Project’s Ongoing Fight for Women’s Health Rights and Inclusion in HIV Research
April 26, 2024 -By: Charles Sanchez - TheBody - The Well Project’s executive director talks about what the organization is working on now.
The Well Project has been offering education, support, and community for women living with HIV across the gender spectrum for over 20 years. Their amazing work is mainly online, which has made the reach of their work go beyond the borders of the U.S., letting women living with HIV connect internationally. From their inception, they’ve advocated for women’s inclusion in HIV research, access to accurate data about the specific needs and challenges of women, and women’s right to have control over their own bodies in any situation.
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High burden of Hepatitis B and C persists in the EU/EEA
April 25, 2024 - European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) - Recent ECDC data show that despite progress in prevention and control efforts, the hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses (HBV and HCV) continue to pose significant public health challenges in the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA).
The latest estimates suggest that there are around 3.6 million individuals chronically infected with HBV and 1.8 million with HCV in EU/EEA countries.
“Behind these statistics are countless individuals and families impacted by the burden of hepatitis B and hepatitis C infections. Robust monitoring and surveillance, targeted prevention, control interventions, and strong collaboration across countries is essential to reduce the impact of the diseases caused by these viruses and to foster progress towards their elimination”, said Andrea Ammon, ECDC Director
Investigation of Presumptive HIV Transmission Associated with Receipt of Platelet-Rich Plasma Microneedling Facials at a Spa Among Former Spa Clients — New Mexico, 2018–2023
April 25, 2024 - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - What is already known about this topic?
Transmission of HIV through cosmetic injection services via contaminated blood has not been previously documented; however, transmission of HIV via unsterile injection practices is a known risk. Determining novel routes of HIV transmission among persons with no known HIV risk factors is important.
What is added by this report?
Investigation of multiple HIV infections among persons with no known HIV risk factors who received platelet-rich plasma with microneedling (vampire facials) at an unlicensed New Mexico spa revealed likely HIV transmission associated with these cosmetic injection services.
HIV-AIDS global research conference taking place in London
April 25, 2024 - By Bryan Bicknell - CTV News London - The largest gathering of HIV researchers in Canada is taking place in London this week.
More than 550 researchers from the U.K., the U.S., and Canada are attending the Canadian Association for HIV Research Conference at RBC Place from April 25-28.
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Lions International Honors Stephen Lewis Foundation with Humanitarian Award
April 24, 2024 - By Hannah Zettl - Lions Clubs International - The Stephen Lewis Foundation is on the front lines of humanitarian service and championing health and human rights to end AIDS in Africa and around the world. In honor of this exemplary movement, the Stephen Lewis Foundation will be presented with the 2024 Lions Humanitarian Award during the 106th Lions International Convention this June. Stephen Lewis Foundation co-founder Ilana Landsberg-Lewis will accept the award.
Reunion Project hosts Chicago town hall for people aging with HIV
2024-04-24 - By Bryan Bicknell - WINDY CITY TIMES - The Reunion Project is holding a two-day town hall for long-term HIV survivors in Chicago.
The town hall will happen 9 a.m.-5 p.m. May 17-18 in Loyola University's Kasbeer Hall, 25 E. Pearson St. It's part of a series of stops the Reunion Project is making around the country to bring together communities of people who are living with HIV. The nonprofit held similar events in Chicago in 2016 and 2019.
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CRISPR-Cas Gene Editing ‘Completely’ Eliminated HIV in Cell Culture
April 24, 2024 - By IDSE News Staff - IDSE: Infectious Disease Special Edition - A team of researchers in the Netherlands said the latest CRISPR-Cas gene editing technology can be used to eliminate all traces of HIV from infected cells in the laboratory, raising hopes for a cure, according to a study that will be detailed at ESCMID Global 2024 (formerly ECCMID), which runs April 27-30, in Barcelona, Spain.
Forging partnerships between science and policy: A high-level Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) event
26 April 2024 from 15:30 to 19:00 CEST
No registration required
ESCMID is pleased to host this high-level ESCMID Global (formerly known as ECCMID) affiliated event in partnership with the Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance (GLG). We welcome you all to join us on 26 April 2024 from 15:30 to 19:00 CEST, Fira Gran Via (North Access), Barcelona, Spain. The event will also be live-streamed on the ESCMID Facebook and YouTube channels.
This high-level event is intended to position research, science and implementation into the political agenda of AMR and address the pressing needs of AMR across all sectors. It is a critical time for this discussion and alignment leading up to the United Nations General Assembly High-level Meeting on AMR to be held in September 2024 in New York, USA.
Canada at the bottom of G7 nations in fight against HIV
Apr 24, 2024 - By Tina House - ATPN News - The names on a memorial wall in Vancouver list the mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers who contracted HIV/AIDS and died.
“We have not yet beaten HIV. Although HIV treatment has significantly improved the lives of people living with HIV today, there is still no cure,” said at a post from the Canada Foundation for AIDS Research, or CANFAR. “Every four hours, one Canadian acquires HIV. Our rates are not going down, and Canada is at the bottom of the G7 countries in terms of reducing the number of new HIV cases each year.
According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, in 2022, Canada saw a 25 per cent increase of new HIV diagnosis over 2021 statistics. Saskatchewan is leading the country in terms of new cases followed by Manitoba.
Rethinking antibodies for infectious diseases?
April 24, 2024 - IAVI - The COVID-19 experience, along with lingering manufacturing and delivery concerns, is prompting a harder look at the future of antibody-based treatment and prevention for infectious diseases.
The COVID-19 pandemic was the first time monoclonal antibody-based therapies were produced in mass quantities to combat an infectious disease. Clinics administered hundreds of thousands of antibody infusions and injections over the first two years of the pandemic with the aim of staving off the worst outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
It worked — at least in wealthier countries where these products were available — until it didn’t. The virus’s rapid evolution meant the antibodies were quickly outpaced.
Perinatal Transmission of HIV Can Lead to Cognitive Deficits
WASHINGTON (April 23, 2024) - Georgetown University Medical Center - Perinatal transmission of HIV to newborns is associated with serious cognitive deficits as children grow older, according to a detailed analysis of 35 studies conducted by Georgetown University Medical Center neuroscientists. The finding helps pinpoint the geographic regions and factors that may be important for brain development outcomes related to perinatal HIV infection: mother-to-child HIV transmission during pregnancy, labor and delivery, or breastfeeding.
The findings appeared in eClinicalMedicine on April 23, 2024.
Mostly because of advances in antiretroviral therapies, AIDS, which is caused by HIV infection, has largely become a chronic disease rather than a life-threatening condition. Worldwide, there are nearly 3 million children and adolescents living with HIV and over 300,000 new HIV infections that occur annually.
Respiratory Virus Vaccines - Recent Update
in-Person Lecture
Cost: Free Registration
Wednesday, April 24th, 2024, 12:00 – 1:00 PM (PST).
This webinar will be presented by:
Danuta M Skowronski MD, FRCPC
Light lunch and refreshments will be provided. Please note: this event will not be streamed live, but will be recorded and available after the event on the BC-CfE's website at: education.bccfe.ca/webinars.
UNAIDS welcomes Court’s ruling to protect the rights of LGBTQ people in Dominica
22 April 2024 - UNAIDS - UNAIDS welcomes the decision of the High Court of Dominica to protect the rights of LGBTQ people in Dominica.
Today the Court ruled that sections 14 and 16 of the Sexual Offences Act (SOA), which had criminalised consensual same sex activity between adults, are unconstitutional under the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Dominica. The Court ruled that the former provisions violated the right to liberty which is guaranteed by section 1(a) of the Constitution, freedom of expression which is guaranteed by sections 1 (b) and section 10 (1) and protection of personal privacy which guaranteed by section 1 (c).
Study shows more than half of global infectious diseases experts surveyed rate influenza as the number one pathogen of concern of pandemic potential
Saturday 20 April - ESCMID - European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases - New research presented at the ESCMID Global Congress (formerly ECCMID) in Barcelona, Spain (27-30 April) shows that in a VACCELERATE Consortium survey study in which infectious diseases experts were asked to rank pathogens in order of their pandemic potential, influenza was considered the pathogen of highest pandemic risk, with 57% ranking influenza as number one, and a further 17% ranking it second (See full table, notes to editors).
The study is by Dr Jon Salmanton-García, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Institute of Translational Research, Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), Cologne, Germany, and colleagues from across Europe, and published in the journal Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease.
Syphilis Is a Public Health Priority
April 19, 2024 - By Rachel Levine M.D., - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Syphilis is surging in the U.S. During STI Awareness Week, help spread the word about the importance of syphilis prevention, testing, and treatment.
As a sexually transmitted infection (STI), syphilis is a public health threat in the United States, and it has reached a crisis level. Cases of syphilis in the U.S. have reached their highest levels since the 1950s, and, heartbreakingly, cases of syphilis among newborns have gone up more than tenfold over the past 10 years. So, this STI Awareness Week, I joined partners across the country to raise awareness of syphilis and congenital syphilis and what individuals, clinicians, and organizations can do to reduce it.
Federal Court Rules Plaintiffs Adequately Alleged CVS Acted With “Deliberate Indifference” When It Adopted Rx Program That Discriminates Against People Living With HIV
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 19, 2024 - BY JERRY FLANAGAN -- Consumer Watchdog - Late yesterday the United States District Court for the Northern District of California ruled that four HIV-positive “John Doe” plaintiffs adequately alleged CVS acted intentionally under the “deliberate indifference” standard when it implemented a drug program that discriminates against people living with HIV.
The latest ruling comes in a long-running legal battle over civil rights violations relating to a CVS drug program that limits people living with HIV to obtaining their life-saving medications only by mail. The lawsuit alleges that the program cuts off access to knowledgeable pharmacists and other critical benefits and services essential for people living with HIV.
ACTG Announces Launch of Clinical Trial Evaluating Combination of Three Novel Immune-based Therapies for HIV Cure
LOS ANGELES, April 19, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ACTG - Study will enroll participants who initiated treatment shortly after acquiring HIV
ACTG, a global clinical trials network focused on HIV and other infectious diseases, today announced the opening of A5374, a phase 1/2a study evaluating the safety, tolerability, and antiviral effect of a novel combination regimen that includes therapeutic T-cell vaccines, two broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs), and an immune-system boosting treatment among people living with HIV who started antiretroviral treatment (ART) during acute (early) HIV infection. A5374 (Triple Immune Strategy for HIV Remission) is a multi-site, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. The study hypothesizes that this combination regimen will be safe and result in a longer period of viral control during a closely monitored pause in ART (known as an analytic treatment interruption) compared to placebo.
Spread the Word about the Link Between Syphilis and HIV
April 18, 2024 -HIV.gov - National STI Awareness Week is an opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of syphilis prevention, testing, and treatment.
Once nearly eradicated, syphilis has reemerged as a major health concern in the United States. According to the latest CDC report, 207,255 total syphilis cases were reported in the United States in 2022, representing an 80% increase since 2018. As with HIV, racial, ethnic, sexual, and gender minorities continue to be disproportionately affected.
$6.2 million to help develop gene therapy for HIV
April 18, 2024 - Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis - Genetically engineered B cells could produce super-antibodies to HIV
HIV infections can be controlled with medication, but such therapy must continue throughout patients’ lives because no strategy exists to eliminate the virus from the body or control the infection without ongoing treatment.
With the aim of developing such a strategy, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have received a $6.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop a gene therapy that would modify the immune system’s B cells to spur them to produce broadly neutralizing antibodies against HIV. In theory, such an approach could control or eliminate the infection without need for ongoing antiretroviral therapy.
Measles Rates are Rising. How to Protect You and Your Child
18-Apr-2024 - by Tufts University - As measles outbreaks pop up across the U.S. and abroad, Tufts University School of Medicine experts explain the reason behind the rise
Cases of measles, a highly contagious and deadly disease, are surging in parts of the U.S., worrying doctors and public health experts. This year, so far, 64 cases have been recorded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), already more than the 58 counted in 2023. The cases have popped up in 17 states, including at a Chicago migrant shelter, a Florida elementary school, and at a restaurant in Arizona.
Most cases are linked to unvaccinated travelers, possibly driven by an uptick in measles cases abroad—in the European Union, for example, officials counted more than 42,000 cases in 2023, up from just 942 in 2022. About one in five unvaccinated people who become infected with measles are hospitalized due to complications.
Long-Acting Drugs May Revolutionize H.I.V. Prevention and Treatmen
April 17, 2024 - By Apoorva Mandavilli - The New York Times - New regimens in development, including once-weekly pills and semiannual shots, could help control the virus in hard-to-reach populations.
A pill taken once a week. A shot administered at home once a month. Even a jab given at a clinic every six months.
In the next five to 10 years, these options may be available to prevent or treat H.I.V. Instead of drugs that must be taken daily, scientists are closing in on longer-acting alternatives — perhaps even a future in which H.I.V. may require attention just twice a year, inconceivable in the darkest decades of the epidemic.
Read more...
Health improvements occurred worldwide since 2010 despite COVID-19 pandemic, but progress was uneven
April 17, 2024 - Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation - University of Washington – Age-standardized rates of DALYs have increased for the first time in three decades. Since 2019, there was an increase of 4.1% in 2020 and 7.2% in 2021. –
– Healthy life expectancy increased between 2010 and 2021, despite a dip in 2020 and 2021. –
– Between 2010 and 2021, DALYs from non-communicable diseases increased by 17.6% due to our ageing and growing global population. –
Early death and poor health from HIV/AIDS and diarrhea cut in half
Rates of early death and poor health caused by HIV/AIDS and diarrhea have been cut in half since 2010, and the rate of disease burden caused by injuries has dropped by a quarter in the same time period, after accounting for differences in age and population size across countries, based on a new study published in The Lancet.(link is external) The study measures the burden of disease in years lost to early death and poor health. The findings indicate that total rates of global disease burden dropped by 14.2% between 2010 and 2019. However, the researchers found that the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted these downward trends: rates of disease burden increased overall since 2019 by 4.1% in 2020 and by 7.2% in 2021. This is the first study to measure premature death and disability due to the COVID-19 pandemic globally and compare it to other diseases and injuries.
AstraZeneca advances the science of infectious disease protection at ECCMID 2024
17 April 2024 - AstraZeneca - – Real-world effectiveness data on Beyfortus reinforce the impact of passive immunisation protecting infants from RSV hospitalisation –
– Updated real-world data demonstrate continued risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes among immunocompromised populations –
AstraZeneca will showcase new clinical, real-world and early science data across its Vaccines & Immune Therapies portfolio at the 34th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) in Barcelona, Spain from 27-30 April 2024. The company has 19 abstracts at the event, including four oral presentations and four late-breaking presentations, which will highlight the continued need to protect at-risk individuals from the increased burden of common infectious diseases and the important role of long-acting antibodies and vaccines.
New Nets Prevent 13 Million Malaria Cases in Sub-Saharan Africa
GENEVA/LIVERPOOL - 17 April 2024 - Global Fund - Compared to standard nets, the introduction of 56 million state-of-the-art mosquito nets in 17 countries across sub-Saharan Africa averted an estimated 13 million malaria cases and 24,600 deaths.
The New Nets Project, an initiative funded by Unitaid and the Global Fund and led by the Innovative Vector Control Consortium (IVCC), piloted the use of dual-insecticide in malaria-endemic countries between 2019 and 2022 to address the growing threat of insecticide resistance.
Anopheles mosquitoes are increasingly resistant to the pyrethroid insecticides used on standard insecticide-treated nets (ITNs). This may reduce the nets’ ability to protect people from malaria, so we must continue to develop and test new tools
Sky bridge to connect new state-of-the-art research facility to Vancouver’s St. Paul’s hospital
APRIL 16, 2024 - By DAVID MCPHERSON - THE GLOBE AND MAIL -Putting the patient first, while bridging the gap between communities in need and world-class health care research. That is the winning formula behind the new Clinical Support and Research Centre (CSRC) that adjoins St. Paul’s Hospital on the Jim Pattison Medical Campus in downtown Vancouver, set to begin construction this time next year.
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Mutated strain of mpox with ‘pandemic potential’ found in DRC mining town
16 April 2024 - Sarah Newey, GLOBAL HEALTH SECURITY CORRESPONDENT - The Telegraph - Researchers call for ‘swift action’ to halt the outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo as experts warn virus is ‘not over’
A concerning new strain of mpox with “pandemic potential” has been found in a mining town in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to new research.
Read more...
MISTR, Known for its Free Online PrEP and Long-Term HIV Care, is Now Prescribing DoxyPEP
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- April 16, 2024 - MISTR - MISTR Continues Its Fight Against the Spread and Stigma of HIV and STIs
MISTR, the largest telemedicine provider offering free online PrEP and long-term HIV care in all 50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico, is now prescribing Doxycycline Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (DoxyPEP), an antibiotic that reduces bacterial STIs, including gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis. Beginning today, patients can now use MISTR’s seamless telehealth platform to receive DoxyPEP online for free.
Common HIV treatments may aid Alzheimer’s disease patients
Newswise - 16-Apr-2024, by Sanford Burnham Prebys - Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys uncover beneficial links between certain HIV drugs and Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) currently afflicts nearly seven million people in the U.S. With this number expected to grow to nearly 13 million by 2050, the lack of meaningful therapies represents a major unmet medical need. Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys have now identified promising real-world links between common HIV drugs and a reduced incidence of AD. The study, led by Jerold Chun, M.D., Ph.D., was published in Pharmaceuticals.
HIV epidemic cannot be ended without stopping former prisoners and other patients being lost to care
16 April 2024 - ESCMID - European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases – A field implementation programme reveals challenges of locating and re-engaging former prisoners and other individuals living with HIV who drop out of care –
– Findings underscore urgent need for effective strategies to both retain and reconnect patients with treatment services.–
New data from an implementation programme to be presented at this year’s the ESCMID Global Congress (formerly ECCMID) in Barcelona, Spain (27-30 April) stress that the global HIV epidemic cannot be ended without keeping former prisoners and other patients engaged in care, and outlines the efforts made by HIV care clinics in Chicago to locate formerly incarcerated individuals living with HIV who dropped out of care and to reconnect them with treatment services.
“HIV requires lifelong treatment and efforts to maintain antiretroviral therapy are critical to achieve viral suppression, which reduces illness and death as well as onward HIV transmission”, says lead author Professor Maximo Brito from the University of Illinois in Chicago, USA. “Most new HIV infections in the USA are acquired from people living with HIV who are either undiagnosed or diagnosed but not retained in HIV care.”
UNAIDS calls for sustained and expanded health and HIV investments at the Spring Meetings of the IMF and World Bank
WASHINGTON/GENEVA, 16 April 2024 - UNAIDS - Debt restructuring and reforms to the global tax system are urgently required to finance health systems and other essential services
As financial leaders meet in Washington for the annual Spring Meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, UNAIDS is calling for increased and sustainable investments in the global response to HIV and other health threats.
Expand HIV services to power gains across health, urges new report
WASHINGTON/GENEVA, 15 April 2024 - UNAIDS - A new report released today by UNAIDS and Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria shows how countries are leveraging their HIV responses to both ensure impact on the HIV response and also to improve broader national health and well-being. The report finds that investing now to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 will not only follow through on the commitment to end the pandemic but also magnify the broader health benefits of HIV specific investments.
Tuberculosis can have a lasting impact on the lung health of individuals who have been successfully treated for the disease
Sunday 14 April - ESCMID - European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases – Smaller lungs, narrower airways and slower airflow could have a profound effect on long-term health –
– Finding strongly indicates that post-TB lung disease is an under-recognised global challenge, UK researchers say –
New research being presented at this year’s ESCMID Global Congress (formerly ECCMID) in Barcelona, Spain (27-30 April) has found compelling evidence that tuberculosis (TB) can have a lasting impact on the lungs of individuals who have been successfully treated for the disease.
TB survivors have smaller lungs with narrower airways and slower air flow, the analysis of data on tens of thousands of individuals from around the world found.
How did Germany run low on potentially life-saving HIV medication?
13/04/2024 - By Tamsin Paternoster - Euronews.com - There was a warning of a shortage of pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, as early as October before authorities said they were intervening in January.
Ryan, a 28-year-old who lives in Berlin, first realised his prescription of PrEP was running low when his doctor advised him to space out his dosage.
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Infected blood scandal: Parents 'can't forgive' son's Aids death
April 13, 2024 - BBC - The parents of a seven-year-old boy who died after contracting HIV after receiving contaminated blood have said they can "never, ever forgive" those responsible.
Colin Smith was infected when he was 10 months old.
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HIV/AIDS enters fifth decade
April 13, 2024 - By Frank Owusu Obimpeh - Modern Ghana - The HIV epidemic enters its fifth decade amid a global pandemic that has overburdened healthcare systems and constrained access to life-saving services.
STD Testing Market Projected to Reach $14.11 billion by 2030 - Exclusive Report by 360iResearch
PUNE, India, April 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- 360iResearch - The report titled "STD Testing Market by Type (Blood Tests, Lumbar Puncture, Swab Tests), Product Type (Instruments, Reagents & Kits), Test Settings, Indication, End-user - Global Forecast 2024-2030" is now available on 360iResearch.com's offering, presents an analysis indicating that the market projected to grow from a size of $9.44 billion in 2023 to reach $14.11 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 5.90% over the forecast period.
HIV.gov FYI- CROI 2024 Reflections with Raif Derrazi: HIV Treatment and Prevention Research
Apr 12, 2024 - HIV.gov - After the 2024 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) finished, HIV.gov spoke with HIV advocate and content creator Raif Derrazi. During our conversation, Raif talked about the research presented at the conference related to long-acting HIV treatment and prevention options, the HIV reservoir, and the need for meaningful community involvement in HIV research.
Researchers Identify New Genetic Risk Factors for Persistent HPV Infections
Newswise - 11-Apr-2024 - by University of Maryland School of Medicine - First Genome Wide Association Study Finds Variants Linked to Susceptibility of Cervical Cancer-Causing Virus
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the second most common cancer-causing virus, accounting for 690,000 cervical and other cancers each year worldwide. While the immune system usually clears HPV infections, those that persist can lead to cancer, and a new finding suggests that certain women may have a genetic susceptibility for persistent or frequent HPV infections. These genetic variants, identified in a study led by University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers, could raise a woman’s risk of getting cervical cancer from a high-risk HPV infection.
Quebec pioneer in HIV/AIDS research to be inducted into Canadian Medical Hall of Fame
April 11, 2024 - CBC - Dr. Catherine Hankins discovered the connection between intravenous drug injection and HIV rates among women and helped create CACTUS Montréal, North America's first needle-exchange program. Her contribution as the co-chair of the COVID Immunity Task Force in Canada is also being highlighted by this recognition.
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Study confirms how RNA chemical modifications benefit HIV-1
Apr 11,2024 - Emily Caldwell -Ohio State News - The Ohio State University - A chemical modification in the HIV-1 RNA genome whose function has been a matter of scientific debate is now confirmed to be key to the virus’s ability to survive and thrive after infecting host cells, a new study has found.
This change to HIV-1 RNA, a tiny chemical modification on the adenosine building block of RNA known as m6A, is a common RNA editing process in all life forms that involves altering gene expression and protein production. The functional effect often represents a cellular solution but, in some cases, leads to disease.
By developing technological advances to observe a full length of HIV-1 RNA, researchers at The Ohio State University discovered the m6A modification occurs nearly exclusively at three specific locations on the HIV-1 RNA genome – out of the total 242 potential sites that can harbor an m6A – and these three m6As are crucial in viral replication. The finding suggested that redundancy was built into the system, and further analyses suggested that is, indeed, the case with HIV-1.
Removing barriers, stigma prompted unexpected surge for HIV self-testing program
April 10, 2024 - By Rob Spahr - Emory News Center - Emory University - When Together TakeMeHome launched in March 2023, the ambitious goal for the initiative — the largest HIV self-testing program in the United States to date — was to distribute 1 million self-tests in five years, or approximately 200,000 per year.
The program surpassed 444,000 tests ordered in less than a year.
While this tremendous response is certainly a cause for celebration for Together TakeMeHome— which provides free HIV self-tests by mail to residents of all 50 states and Puerto Rico—this milestone is only one indicator of how the program effectively addresses stigma by removing barriers and empowering people to learn more about their own health.
Wistar Scientists Identify Pro-aging ‘Sugar Signature’ in the Blood of People Living with HIV
PHILADELPHIA — (April 10, 2024) — The Wistar Institute —The Abdel-Mohsen lab findings shed light on how sugar molecules in the blood of people living with HIV may accelerate biological aging
The Wistar Institute’s associate professor Mohamed Abdel-Mohsen, Ph.D., along with his team and collaborators, has identified sugar abnormalities in the blood that may promote biological aging and inflammation in people living with HIV (PLWH). The findings, taken from a large data study comprising more than 1200 participants, are detailed in the new paper, “Immunoglobulin G N-glycan Markers of Accelerated Biological Aging During Chronic HIV Infection,” published in the journal Nature Communications.
Responding to the end of free HIV self-testing kits
April 9, 2024 - CBC - Richard MacDonagh and J.P. Chua with London Intercommunity Health Centre joined London Morning to talk about the importance of getting tested for HIV and their disappointment that the federal government is no longer funding a self-testing kit program.
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WHO sounds alarm on viral hepatitis infections claiming 3500 lives each day
9 April 2024 - World Health Organization (WHO) - According to the World Health Organization (WHO) 2024 Global Hepatitis Report, the number of lives lost due to viral hepatitis is increasing. The disease is the second leading infectious cause of death globally -- with 1.3 million deaths per year, the same as tuberculosis, a top infectious killer.
The report, released at the World Hepatitis Summit, highlights that despite better tools for diagnosis and treatment, and decreasing product prices, testing and treatment coverage rates have stalled. But, reaching the WHO elimination goal by 2030 should still be achievable, if swift actions are taken now.
New data from 187 countries show that the estimated number of deaths from viral hepatitis increased from 1.1 million in 2019 to 1.3 million in 2022. Of these, 83% were caused by hepatitis B, and 17% by hepatitis C. Every day, there are 3500 people dying globally due to hepatitis B and C infections.
Two military members denied promotions for having HIV just won their lawsuit
ARIL 9, 2024 - BY RYAN ADAMCZESKI - ADVOCATE - An Air Force cadet and a Navy midshipman have won their lawsuit after being denied promotions for being HIV-positive.
Former Navy midshipman Kevin Deese and former Air Force cadet John Doe (a pseudonym) filed the lawsuit against the Department of Defense in 2018 when they were denied commissions after graduating from their respective service academies simply because they are living with HIV.
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A New Study Finds More Proof That Smoking Pot Is Bad for Your Heart
Apr 9, 2024 - By Tim Murphy - TheBody - Last year, TheBody looked into the widespread use of marijuana among people living with HIV, and how that affected their health. Cardiologist Claudia Martinez, M.D., shared insights for that story from a study she was conducting at the University of Miami on cannabis consumption (smoking, vaping, and edibles, primarily) in people living with HIV.
“We set up the study,” Martinez explained, “because HIV is a qualifying condition for medical marijuana use, yet the American Heart Association warns that marijuana use shows substantial risk and no health benefits for cardiovascular health. There’s a lot of gaps in knowledge. We know that cannabis is a plant with many components, some of which are good—and some are not. CBD has been called anti-inflammatory, but THC has been linked to arrhythmias and inflammation.”
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HIV and Anal Cancer: What’s the Link?
April 9, 2024 - By Tim Murphy - TheBody - People living with HIV, especially men and transgender women who have sex with men, have a dramatically higher risk of developing anal cancer than people in the general population.
Fortunately, as the American Cancer Society notes, people who are diagnosed with anal cancer at an early stage are 83% as likely to survive five years or longer as those without anal cancer. However, in some cases, treatment can lead to longstanding side effects, such as pain. Regular screening can prevent anal cancer with fairly simple treatment of precancer, which is why federal guidelines are forthcoming.
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Govt criminalises deliberate HIV, STIs transmission
April 9, 2024 - The Herald - THE Government has listed HIV/AIDS as one of the sexually-transmitted infections (STIs), whose deliberate transmission to another partner will now be punishable under law.
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Advocates say end of funding for HIV self-tests creates barrier to care
Apr 09, 2024 - CBC - Advocates for people living with HIV/AIDS are decrying a decision by the federal government to stop funding a program that provides self-test HIV kits that clients can take home.
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FIU receives $100,000 grant to commemorate Miami's HIV/AIDS history
April 8, 2024 - By Alex Bassil - FIU News- Florida International University - The Monument Lab, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit public art and history studio, has awarded a grant to the Department of History at FIU’s Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs to raise the visibility of Miami’s HIV/AIDS history by activating and organizing community-engaged planning for a series of local AIDS memorials.
FIU’s efforts are led by Julio Capó, project lead and associate professor of history, and Dan Royles, associate professor of history. Artist and filmmaker Dudley Alexis is also leading this project.
Cardiovascular Risk Management Benefits People Living With HIV
April 8, 2024 - By Liz Highleyman - Study results suggest that HIV-positive people may benefit from cholesterol and blood pressure management at lower thresholds.
People living with HIV are at greater risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared with the general population, but managing risk factors such as elevated cholesterol, blood sugar and high blood pressure (hypertension) makes a difference, according to recent research.
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THE IMPORTANCE OF SEXUAL HEALTH ON WORLD HEALTH DAY
April 7, 2024 -London Post - World Health Day – a global awareness day to draw attention to a specific health concern all over the world – is celebrated today.
Every April 7, the day is held to mark the anniversary of the founding of World Health Organisation (WHO) which was created in 1948. This year, in a world where the right to health of millions of people is coming under increasing threat,the theme for World Health Day 2024 is ‘my health, my right’. It has decided to focus on this to ‘champion the rights of everyone everywhere’ and this can include anything that is related to health and wellbeing.
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My Health, My Right!
07 April 2024 - Angola | World Health Organization (WHO) | Regional Office for Africa - Looking at the need to build a safer and healthier future for all, 1948 world leaders created the World Health Organization (WHO). The same year, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights also enshrined the right to health. That's why, every year on April 7, the world celebrates World Health Day to raise awareness of the need for concrete action to guarantee equitable access to health services. Ensuring the right to health is fundamental for creating vibrant and productive communities, stronger economies, safer nations, and a better world. This year, the theme chosen to celebrate World Health Day is My Health, My Right, highlighting the need for joint action to tackle health challenges, defend the right of everyone everywhere to have access to quality health services, protect access to education and information; clean water; clean air; good nutrition; quality housing; decent working and environmental conditions, as well as non-discrimination.
Unveiling the legacy of the UAB Department of Microbiology, part 1
April 5th, 2024 - by: Teresa Hicks - UAB | The University of Alabama at Birmingham - The UAB Department of Microbiology has undergone a remarkable journey of growth and transformation since its founding in 1945. Initially consisting of just three faculty members primarily focused on anti-infectives research, the department's trajectory shifted dramatically with the recruitment of immunologists, notably Raymond Hiramoto, Ph.D., in 1966.
Good as gold - improving infectious disease testing with gold nanoparticles
5-APR-2024 - ADVANCED INSTITUTE FOR MATERIALS RESEARCH (AIMR), TOHOKU UNIVERSITY - By harnessing the power of composite polymer particles adorned with gold nanoparticles, a group of researchers have delivered a more accurate means of testing for infectious diseases.
Details of their research was published in the journal Langmuir.
The COVID-19 pandemic reinforced the need for fast and reliable infectious disease testing in large numbers. Most testing done today involves antigen-antibody reactions. Fluorescence, absorptions, or color particle probes are attached to antibodies. When the antibodies stick to the virus, these probes visualize the virus's presence. In particular, the use of color nanoparticles is renowned for its excellent visuality, along with its simplicity to implement, with little scientific equipment needed to perform lateral flow tests.
Welcome to Ribbon Community
Apr 5, 2024 VANCOUVER - Ribbon Community - On March 26, 2024, we hosted a Community Celebration to share our new name and look, while celebrating our new purpose and values. Executive Director Sarah Chown spoke, sharing the journey to our new name and look.
HIV clinicians in Spain underestimate their patients’ HIV-related symptoms
5 April 2024 - Bakita Kasadha - aidsmap - Despite advances in HIV care and treatment, a study has found a large proportion of people with HIV still experience symptoms that are underestimated or unacknowledged by their HIV doctors. Dr José Galindo Puerto of the Spanish AIDS Interdisciplinary Society (SEISIDA) and colleagues found discrepancies between the frequency and burdens of HIV and HIV treatment symptoms reported by Spaniards living with HIV and the HIV specialists caring for them. Their results highlight a need for better communication between clinicians and patients.
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Exploring the Links Between Stigma, Drug Use, and HIV Vulnerability
April 4, 2024 - By Mac Murray - UConn Today - University of Connecticut - HDFS Assistant Professor Raymond L. Moody has been awarded a five-year grant to investigate risk factors among Hispanic and Latino sexual minority men
Raymond L. Moody, assistant professor of human development and family sciences, is investigating an understudied link between drug use and HIV vulnerability in Hispanic and Latino sexual minority men (HLSMM): stigma.
His work has been awarded a five-year, $950,000 K01 Mentored Career Development Award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Moody’s project seeks to identify the sources of social and internalized stigma in the lives of HLSMM who use methamphetamine. The research team hopes that better understanding stigma and risk factors will accelerate progress toward ending the epidemic of HIV among HLSMM.
Ambassador Nkengasong’s Statement on Ugandan Constitutional Court upholding most of the Anti-Homosexuality Act
APRIL 4, 2024 - U.S. DEPARTMENT of STATE - PREFAR STATEMENT
The United States government, including the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), continues to be deeply troubled by reports of human rights abuses in Uganda. The announcement that the Constitutional Court upheld most provisions of the Anti-Homosexuality Act (AHA) is a major blow to safeguarding human rights in Uganda, especially those of LGBTQI+ persons and their allies.
PEPFAR will continue to support the most vulnerable communities in Uganda without discrimination. Continuing PEPFAR programming in Uganda is critical to achieving our goal of ending HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
Canada cancels free HIV self-test program despite ‘alarming’ rise in infections
April 5, 2024 - By Patty Winsa - Toronto Star - Across Canada, new cases of HIV, which can lead to life-threatening AIDS, went up nearly 25 per cent in 2022 compared to a year earlier.
Over the phone, you can hear the dismay in Dr. Sean Rourke’s voice as he describes how the first self-testing HIV kit to be approved in Canada is about to lose federal funding despite an “alarming” rise in positive cases.
“We were one of the last G7 countries to have the HIV self-test kit,” said Rourke, a scientist at St. Michael’s MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions in Toronto. He was instrumental in getting the test approved and then distributed for free under the government program.
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Early coronary disease, impaired heart function found in asymptomatic people with HIV
OAK BROOK, Ill. – 4-APR-2024 - RADIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF NORTH AMERICA - A new study found increased coronary vessel wall thickness that was significantly associated with impaired diastolic function in asymptomatic, middle-aged individuals living with HIV. The study was published today in Radiology: Cardiothoracic Imaging, a journal of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
According to the World Health Organization, approximately 39 million people were living with HIV at the end of 2022. Since 2010, HIV-related deaths have been reduced by 51%, but HIV continues to be a major global public health issue, claiming 40.4 million lives so far.
Small protein plays big role in chronic HIV infection
April 4, 2024 - by IQBAL PITTALWALA - University of California, Riverside - UC Riverside-led study on innate immune system may lead to new treatments for patients with neuroHIV
NeuroHIV refers to the effects of HIV infection on the brain or central nervous system and, to some extent, the spinal cord and peripheral nervous system. A collection of diseases, including neuropathy and dementia, neuroHIV can cause problems with memory and thinking and compromise our ability to live a normal life.
Using a mouse model of neuroHIV, a research team led by biomedical scientists at the University of California, Riverside, studied the effects of interferon-ß (IFNß), a small protein involved in cell signaling and integral to the body’s natural defense mechanism against viral infections. The researchers found that higher or lower than normal levels of IFNß affect the brain in a sex-dependent fashion: some changes only occur in females, others only in males.
UT Southwestern scientists discover antiviral immune pathway
Newswise - DALLAS – April 03, 2024, by UT Southwestern Medical Center - Finding suggests new avenues for research related to role in fighting an array of viruses
By focusing on a poxvirus protein, a team led by UT Southwestern Medical Center scientists has discovered an antiviral immune pathway that broadly fights a wide variety of viruses. Their findings, reported in Nature Microbiology, could eventually lead to new ways to prevent or treat viral infections or thwart autoimmune diseases.
“To learn how immune responses work, we let the viruses do the talking. This pathogen-guided approach has led us to an immune response pathway that was previously unknown,” said Don Gammon, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Microbiology and a W.W. Caruth, Jr. Scholar in Biomedical Research at UT Southwestern. Dr. Gammon co-led this study with Emily Rex, a graduate student researcher at UTSW and former manager in the Gammon Lab.
April 3 - Dr. Brian Conway - Measles After Spring Break
Apr 3, 2024, - Omny Studio - Omny.fm - Dr. Brian Conway speaks to the rate of measles after spring break, and the importance of vaccination.
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UNAIDS notes the judgment of the Constitutional Court of Uganda which has struck down certain parts of the Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2023
GENEVA/JOHANNESBURG, 3 April, 2024 - UNAIDS - The Constitutional Court of Uganda has today struck down certain sections of the Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2023.
“The Constitutional Court of Uganda made a judgment today to strike down certain sections of the Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2023. Evidence shows that criminalizing populations most at risk of HIV, such as the LGBTQ+ communities, obstructs access to life-saving health and HIV services, which undermines public health and the overall HIV response in the country,” said Anne Githuku-Shongwe, UNAIDS Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa
IAS statement: IAS calls on Uganda to abandon its anti-gay law
3 April 2024 (Geneva, Switzerland) – International AIDS Society - IAS – the International AIDS Society – is deeply concerned about the HIV response in Uganda following its Constitutional Court’s ruling to uphold the Anti-Homosexuality Act today.
As the world’s largest association of people living with, affected by and working on HIV, the IAS calls on Uganda to put people first and reverse this devastating law, which threatens its own citizens and prevents an effective HIV response.
“The court had the opportunity to set matters right, but it has failed to follow the science and heed evidence,” IAS President Sharon Lewin said. “The ruling is completely at odds with Uganda’s stated commitment to ending HIV as a threat to public health by 2030. The consequences for the HIV response, not just in Uganda, but in other African countries grappling with anti-gay sentiment, are severe.”
Electronic Medical Record Tool Helps Clinicians Diagnose Mpox
APR 2 2024 - MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL - Investigators built a novel tool into the electronic medical record to help clinicians screen for mpox (formally known as monkeypox)
Diagnosing infectious conditions can be challenging. Diagnosis is especially challenging for uncommon and emerging infectious diseases for which there’s limited clinical experience. Nevertheless, successfully identifying patients with infectious diseases, especially communicable ones, is critical, so patients can be isolated to reduce disease spread.
To address this challenge, investigators from Massachusetts General Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, recently developed and validated a computer program that can be incorporated into electronic medical record systems to help clinicians diagnose mpox (formerly known as monkeypox).
Travelling with HIV
April 2, 2024 - Terrence Higgins Trust - Only a few countries ban tourist travel for people living with HIV, but some have entry restrictions for longer stays or prevent people living with HIV from settling there.
Perceptions around living with HIV can change from country to country, and you might not know if disclosure is safe in the country you are visiting. Your local embassy or consulate should be able to help you if you want more information.
The pioneer of America’s embattled global HIV program recalls the hope after years of despair
WASHINGTON (AP) - April 1, 2024 - By BY ELLEN KNICKMEYER - Through his office window at what was then one of Africa’s few modern clinics dealing with HIV and AIDS, the man who now oversees the United States’ threatened global AIDS effort used to hear the sound of taxis pulling up throughout the day.
If he turned his head to look out the window, Dr. John Nkengasong said, he knew what he would see: another desperate family carrying a dying loved one — a man or woman already lapsing into a coma, a stick-thin child — and hoping to find help.
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‘It’s the greatest living experiment’: Pitt Men's Study marks 40 years of AIDS research
APR 1, 2024 - By ANYA SOSTEK - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - The pioneering initiative remains one of the longest-running studies on HIV and AIDS in the country
In a Pittsburgh hospital in the early 1980s, Charles Rinaldo saw a young, previously healthy gay man critically ill with a virus usually only seen in weakened immune systems.
Around the same time, Jeffrey Toth was hearing terms like “the gay cancer” and “gay related immune deficiency” – and watching players in his gay softball league get mysteriously ill.
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