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Positively Positive - Living with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS News Archive - August 2022
Cross-Disciplinary Partnership to Focus Structural Lens on HIV Interventions
August 31, 2022 - By Kristen Mitchell - The program brings together faculty from the Milken Institute SPH Department of Prevention and Community Health and the CCAS Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences.
The George Washington University is launching an interdisciplinary Ph.D. partnership this fall aimed at preparing the next generation of community-engaged researchers to develop and lead intersectional approaches to promote health equity and improve HIV prevention, treatment and care.
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Internationally recognized HIV-cure leader Jonathan Karn named a Distinguished University Professor
AUGUST 31, 2022 – Eradicating or finding a functional cure for HIV has been a primary focus of Jonathan Karn’s career, earning him a global reputation as an HIV-cure thought leader. An internationally recognized molecular virologist, he initially built his career on conducting pioneering basic research on the study of transcriptional control in HIV. Since coming to Case Western Reserve University in 2002, he has become increasingly involved in translational research, taking advantage of the opportunity to advance HIV research to the bedside.
Dolutegravir-based antiretroviral therapies for HIV-1 effective in pregnancy
Boston, MA, August 31, 2022 - Key takeaway: In the first study to directly compare dolutegravir to other antiretroviral regimens listed as ‘Preferred’ in U.S. perinatal guidelines, pregnant people who took dolutegravir-based regimens had a high probability of being virally suppressed at delivery.
Dolutegravir-based antiretroviral therapies (ART) for HIV-1 are more effective for pregnant people than some other ART regimens commonly used in the U.S. and Europe, according to a study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health researchers.
St Kitts and Nevis becomes the latest country to declare that laws that have criminalized LGBT people are unconstitutional
GENEVA, 30 August 2022 - UNAIDS welcomes a St. Kitts and Nevis High Court ruling that laws criminalizing gay sex are unconstitutional, meaning that they are immediately struck from the legal code. The Court upheld the plaintiffs’ claim that Sections 56 and 57 of the Offences Against the Person Act violated the right to privacy and freedom of expression.
Risk of non-typhoidal salmonella vascular infection increases with atherosclerosis, find NCKU researchers
August 30, 2022 - Presence of atherosclerosis risk factors and inflammation can help predict life-threatening vascular infection associated with non-typhoidal Salmonella bacteremia
Non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS)—a foodborne bacterium causing gastrointestinal infections—is also known to cause life threatening vascular infections, possibly by invading the damaged aortic vessels in patients with atherosclerosis. Providing evidence in this regard, researchers from NCKU, Taiwan found higher aortic calcification and elevated plasma levels of IL-1β—an inflammatory biomarker—in patients with NTS vascular infection. Their findings suggest the need for early diagnosis of this condition in patients with atherosclerosis risk factors.
USask research teams to test treatments for eliminating HIV infection, fibrotic diseases
Aug 30, 2022 - Research to explore the effectiveness of innovative targeted treatments for HIV infections, and the use of protein therapy to break down fibrous scar tissue are two of five new University of Saskatchewan (USask) projects awarded a total of $3.3 million in federal funding.
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) provided the funds under its Project Grant program, which supports research that advances health-related knowledge, health care, health systems, and/or health outcomes.
State-level Earned Income Tax Credit linked to reduction in high-risk HIV behavior among single mothers
29 August 2022 - FINDINGS
UCLA research finds that a refundable State-level Earned Income Tax Credit (SEITC) of 10% or above the Federal EITC was associated with a 21% relative risk reduction in reported behavior that could put single mothers at high risk for becoming infected with HIV during the previous year. Also, a 10 percentage-point increase in SEITC was linked to a 38% relative reduction in the same reported high-risk behavior the previous year.
FACT SHEET: White House Announces President Biden Will Host the Global Fund’s Seventh Replenishment Conference on September 19, 2022
August 29, 2022 - The White House is proud to announce that President Biden will host the Global Fund’s Seventh Replenishment Conference on September 19, 2022 in New York City. The United States is proud to be a founding contributor of, and the largest single donor to, the Global Fund, having contributed nearly $20 billion since 2002.
Founded in 2002, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund) is a unique financing mechanism that relies on a dynamic partnership among governments, the private sector, and civil society to fight HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria in ways that contribute to strengthening health systems.
‘I was made out to be a monster’: With her conviction for not disclosing her HIV status now overturned, one woman wants Canada’s laws to change
Aug. 28, 2022 - By Jacques Gallant - Jennifer Murphy was convicted for not disclosing her HIV status to a sexual partner, despite being unable to transmit the virus.
When Jennifer Murphy was found guilty of aggravated sexual assault, her face was splashed all over the news — her life changed due to a conviction that has now been overturned.
The 2013 conviction in a Barrie, Ont. courtroom was for not disclosing her HIV-positive status to a sexual partner in a consensual encounter. At the time, she had an undetectable viral load thanks to medication, and was therefore unable to transmit the virus.
UC Davis Health study reports on the safety, efficacy of tecovirimat in treating monkeypox
August 26, 2022 - By Nadine A Yehya - A UC Davis Health study finds that the antiviral tecovirimat appears to be safe and effective for the treatment of monkeypox symptoms and skin lesions. The study is one of the earliest studies to assess and report the outcomes of treating patients with monkeypox with this antiviral.
Tecovirimat (TPOXX) is an FDA-approved antiviral drug for the treatment of smallpox. It limits viral spread in the body by inhibiting the work of the protein involved in the release of the enveloped virus. Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) allowed physicians to prescribe tecovirimat on a compassionate use basis to treat adults and children with orthopoxvirus infections, including monkeypox.
Global Infectious Disease Testing Market Report 2022: Shifting Healthcare Trend Towards More Precise, Safer and Effective Diagnosis and Advances in Molecular Biology - ResearchAndMarkets.com
Dublin, August 25, 2022 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The "Infectious Disease Testing Market: Global Industry Analysis, Trends, Market Size, and Forecasts up to 2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.
The report predicts the global infectious disease testing market to grow with a CAGR of around 7.5% over the forecast period from 2022-2028.
Join CBC Vancouver's Gloria Macarenko at an exclusive evening in support of the Dr. Peter AIDS Foundation
Aug 25, 2022 - September 10, 2022
CBC Vancouver's Gloria Macarenko hosts the 13th annual Life Commitment dinner – an exclusive evening honouring Dr. Peter Jepson-Young's legacy by supporting the life-saving work of the Dr. Peter AIDS Foundation.
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Long-term Canadian study shows HIV-exposed children have worse health outcomes
25 August 2022 - Mercy Shibemba - Findings from a study which has followed the children of mothers living with HIV who remain HIV-free in Montreal since 1988 make the case for continued clinical follow-up of this group. A key point made by Dr Fatima Kakkar of the Université de Montréal was that children who are “uninfected are not unaffected” and that assuming this has created missed opportunities to support them with the poorer health outcomes they are at risk of.
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University serves communities through health campaign
25 August 2022 - Elias Ngalame - As part of an initiative to foster closer ties between the university, stakeholders and its surrounding communities, the University of Buea in Cameroon successfully completed the first phase of a campaign aimed at delivering health services and information to vulnerable communities.
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Misinformation is a common thread between the COVID-19 and HIV/AIDS pandemics – with deadly consequences
August 24, 2022 - Cristian Apetrei - Since health officials confirmed the first COVID-19 cases, misinformation has spread just as quickly as the virus. Social media may have made the amount, variety and speed of misinformation seem unprecedented, but COVID-19 isn’t the first pandemic where false and harmful information has set back public health.
Misinformation altered how people trusted their governments and doctors during the 1918 influenza pandemic. It fueled the 19th century smallpox anti-vaccine movements through some of the same arguments as those currently used against the COVID-19 vaccine.
UNAIDS Country Director in Nigeria shares how lessons from the AIDS response apply to the Monkeypox response
24 AUGUST 2022 - Dr Leo Zekeng, UNAIDS Country Director and Representative in Nigeria, has shared how lessons from the AIDS response apply to the Monkeypox response.
Cancer and HIV
23-Aug-2022 - Newswise - Lifesaving Research and The Experts Behind It
Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center researcher Emmanuel Thomas, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.A.S.L.D., has been appointed to the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Coinfections and HIV Associated Cancers (HCAC) study section. As part of this group, Dr. Thomas will help review grant applications for cancer research associated with HIV and other viruses, including SARS-CoV-2.
Far-Right's 'Morality War' Now Has Its Sights Set on PrEP Access
August 23, 2022 - By Christopher Wiggins - First, there were attacks on trans rights and marriage equality, then the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and now they're coming for PrEP. Are HIV meds next?
The right-wing movement is really having a moment right now, from stripping the federal right to abortion to the prohibition of gender-affirming care in some states. Now, in the shadow of Roe v. Wade being overturned in June, the architect of a controversial Texas abortion law — a man who has already targeted marriage equality — is setting his sights on preventative HIV care. If he gets his way, Texans and other Americans could lose access to PrEP, leaving tens of thousands susceptible to a diagnosis and opening the door to the denial of HIV care.
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A Large Proportion of Men with Monkeypox Are Living With HIV
August 23, 2022 - By Liz Highleyman - People with well-controlled HIV do not appear to have more severe illness, but HIV-positive people might not respond as well to monkeypox vaccines.
Around 40% of people with monkeypox are living with HIV, but the proportion can be substantially higher in some areas, according to recent reports on the ongoing global outbreak. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the British HIV Association (BHIVA) recently issued new guidance for the prevention and treatment of monkeypox in people with HIV.
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Additional Antibody Mediated Prevention (AMP) trials data published in Nature Medicine
SEATTLE (22-AUG-2022) - Newly defined biomarker may accelerate clinical trials for vaccines to prevent HIV-1 infection
A study published in the Aug. 22, 2022 issue of Nature Medicine identifies a new biomarker that appears effective as a surrogate endpoint to reliably predict the ability of broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibodies to prevent acquisition of HIV-1, the most common type of the virus that causes AIDS. Broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) are defined by their ability to neutralize multiple genetically distinct viral strains.
AHF Launches Two New HIV/STD Prevention Campaigns
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- August 22, 2022 - Ready To Play’ and ‘Just A Prick’ Billboard placementsbegan the week of August 1st starting in Los Angeles and will continue to be placed nationwide through the end of August in the 17 states AHF services are located
Prevention campaigns come at a time when STD infection rates continue to increase while HIV infection rates continue to decline
As the world continues to return to its new normal, one thing is evident; STDs continued to rise. The CDC indicates a growing number of new cases, and these statistics don’t seem to be slowing anytime soon. To address this, AIDS Healthcare Foundation has launched a new advocacy and awareness campaign “Ready To Play.” The intent is to remind the public of the urgent need for individuals to protect themselves. The new 2020 CDC report provides profound insight to STD trends in the US and the effects of COVID 19.
Activists Fight to Decriminalize PLWH and Sex Workers in the U.S.
Aug. 22, 2022 - Stephen Hicks - HIV and sex work criminalization often intersect, which means a person suspected of “exposing” someone to a virus can be grouped with a person exchanging sex for money, housing, or food, as both are labeled “criminals.” Advocates from both decriminalization sectors have rallied for doing away with these longstanding policies, which have public health and criminal justice implications.
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AIDS advocate Janet Conners remembered as a voice 'impossible to ignore'
August 22, 2022 - Carolyn Ray - Conners became the one of the faces of the tainted blood scandals in the 1990s
At a time when people faced a terrible stigma over being HIV positive, Janet Conners spoke loudly.
Conners became an unwavering advocate for a safe blood system in Canada and is credited with pushing officials to call an inquiry into the country's tainted blood scandal.
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HIV/AIDS activist Janet Conners dead at 66
August 22, 2022 - An HIV/AIDS activist who successfully fought alongside her husband in light of their tragedies has died.
Janet Conners, 66, died early Saturday morning.
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Gilead Announces First Global Regulatory Approval of Sunlenca® (Lenacapavir), the Only Twice-Yearly HIV Treatment Option
August 22, 2022 - FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- – European Commission Grants Marketing Authorization for Sunlenca, Helping to Address a Critical Unmet Clinical Need for People with Multi-Drug-Resistant HIV Who Have Very Limited Treatment Choices –
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) today announced that the European Commission (EC) has granted Marketing Authorization for Sunlenca® (lenacapavir) injection and tablets for the treatment of HIV infection, in combination with other antiretroviral(s), in adults with multi-drug resistant HIV infection for whom it is otherwise not possible to construct a suppressive anti-viral regimen. Lenacapavir is a first-in-class capsid inhibitor with a multi-stage mechanism of action and has no known cross resistance to other existing drug classes, offering a new, every six-month treatment option for people with HIV whose virus no longer effectively responds to their current therapy.
Statement by Anthony S. Fauci, M.D.
Aug 22, 2022 - I am announcing today that I will be stepping down from the positions of Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and Chief of the NIAID Laboratory of Immunoregulation, as well as the position of Chief Medical Advisor to President Joe Biden. I will be leaving these positions in December of this year to pursue the next chapter of my career.
Janet Irene Conners Obituary 2022 – Forest Haven Community Gardens
Aug 21, 2022 - Janet Conners, mother, grandmother, sister, daughter and HIV/AIDS activist passed away in the Sydney Regional Hospital’s Palliative Care Unit on Aug 20, 2022. She was a much-loved daughter of Donald and Irene Pritchard. Janet was born on January 4, 1956 in Vancouver BC where she spent her early childhood before the family moved to Yellowknife in the North West Territories. As a young woman, Janet moved to Nelson BC where she worked for the BC Ministry of Forestry. It was in Nelson where she met and married her first husband and biological father of her son, Robert Angus Donald (Gus).
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SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccination Exposes Latent HIV in Lab Studies
AUGUST 19, 2022 - Vaccination with a SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine revealed HIV hiding in immune cells in blood from people with HIV, according to lab research led by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators. The findings, published Aug. 19 in Nature Communications, identify new tools for evaluating treatment approaches in development aimed at curing HIV.
“There is prior knowledge of the flu vaccine, for example, waking up HIV and exposing it to the immune system; but it has been unclear whether that was only happening in flu-specific T cells, a known place where HIV hides,” said senior author Dr. Brad Jones, an associate professor of immunology in medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Weill Cornell Medicine. “Our findings are exciting as we demonstrated a more powerful effect with the SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine. It woke up HIV hiding in T cells in blood from people with no previous exposure to the virus or the vaccine.”
Can People Without Viral Suppression Benefit From Cabenuva?
August 19, 2022 - By Liz Highleyman - Most people in a pilot program at a safety-net HIV clinic achieved viral suppression on the long-acting injectable regimen.
Long-acting Cabenuva (cabotegravir and rilpivirine) injections may be an option for people with HIV who are unable to achieve viral suppression due to challenges with treatment adherence, according to a small pilot study presented at the 24th International AIDS Conference in Montreal and published in Clinical Infectious Diseases.
Researchers at San Francisco’s Ward 86 HIV clinic found that 80% of people who started Cabenuva with a detectable viral load achieved and maintained viral suppression, some of them for the first time.
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5 QUESTIONS WITH ALUM AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF WORLD AIDS MUSEUM TERRY DYER
August 18, 2022 - BY SEAN MURPHY - From artist, author, and speaker to executive director of the World AIDS Museum, Terry Dyer is an activist at heart.
“Be kind to each other,” Dyer said. “There are differences in this world. What makes the world such a beautiful place is knowing and respecting those differences, and that’s what will continue to make it so beautiful.”
A warming planet could mess with our sleep – and make us more vulnerable to infectious disease
August 18, 2022 - Research suggests rising temperatures could disrupt sleep and blunt immune response, UCLA Health researcher finds
It’s a scene that will be familiar for many after yet another scorching summer: You’re lying awake during a warm night, bedsheets kicked aside, an overmatched ceiling fan providing little respite as you struggle to get a good night’s sleep.
But a warming planet doesn’t just mean more people may find it harder to get quality sleep. There is also evidence suggesting that sleep disturbance could make it harder for the body to fend off infection, according to a new research paper from Dr. Michael Irwin, a professor of psychiatry and biobehavorial sciences at UCLA.
National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day – September 18
National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day (NHAAD) is observed each year on September 18. Founded by The AIDS Institute, NHAAD brings attention to issues related to HIV among older Americans, including new infections among older adults and adults over 50 aging with HIV.
Get Involved
You can raise awareness of HIV, address stigma and other barriers to care, and encourage older adults to get tested and know their status.
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Angels on Call
August 18, 2022 - TELUS STORYHIVE Y - Two street nurses, Evanna Brennan, 74, and Susan Giles, 68, battle Vancouver’s opioid crisis while caring for the poverty-stricken, ill and addicted residents of the Downtown Eastside.
WHO’s Monkeypox Name Game is Mistimed
Aug 16, 2022 - by Fiona Ip - AIDS Healthcare Foundation today called on the World Health Organization (WHO) to prioritize implementing proven public health measures to curb the global spread of monkeypox, instead of devoting time and energy to changing the name that was given to the virus in 1958.
Old drug, new trick: Researchers find combining antiviral drugs and antibody therapy could treat seasonal flu and help prevent next flu pandemic
AUGUST 16, 2022 - Researchers at McMaster University have found a class of well-known antiviral drugs could be part of a one-two punch to treat seasonal influenza and prevent a flu pandemic when used in combination with antibody therapies.
Antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu have been prescribed for decades to treat flu symptoms in people at risk for serious complications.
ACTG announces launch of ACTIV-2d, a global phase 3 trial of the novel investigational COVID-19 oral antiviral agent S 217622
Los Angeles, Calif. - August 15, 2022 - The AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG), the largest global HIV research network, which expanded its focus to conduct research into COVID-19, today announced the initiation of ACTIV-2d, a global, phase 3, multicenter trial to evaluate the impact of S-217622, an investigational oral COVID-19 antiviral agent. ACTIV-2d will evaluate the safety and efficacy of S-217622 as a once-daily treatment to reduce the duration of COVID-19 symptoms in non-hospitalized adults with early COVID-19.
ADAP Advocacy Association Spearheads National Campaign to Protect Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program
WASHINGTON, D.C. - August 15, 2022 - Nearly 100 organizations endorse sign-on letter expressing concerns over S.4395
The ADAP Advocacy Association today submitted a sign-on letter to Congress expressing the HIV Community's collective concerns over the Ryan White PrEP Availability Act (S.4395). The sign-on letter – which was endorsed by nearly 100 national, state, and local organizations – is part of a national campaign to protect the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP), namely opposing efforts to raid the program to fund pre-exposure prophylaxis.
We still have no HIV cure. But we have a better strategy for finding one
15 August 2022 - Gus Cairns - A review of HIV cure research at AIDS 2022
There are many pre-conference meetings that lead up to each International AIDS Society conference. One of the most eagerly awaited, by researchers and treatment activists alike, is run by the Towards an HIV Cure research consortium.
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Living With HIV and Limited Mobility
August 15, 2022 - By Heather Boerner - Aging and other conditions often pose additional challenges for those with HIV.
Slow walking, limited movement and difficulty standing from a sitting position are three of the criteria required for a diagnosis of frailty, a condition of aging that can make it harder for people to recover from episodic illnesses. The good news is that mobility aids can keep people moving, which is associated with better overall health as one ages.
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Sask. Health Authority warns of 'elevated risk' of monkeypox
Aug 13, 2022 - Pratyush Dayal - Health authority will provide pre-exposure monkeypox vaccine for adults in high-risk category: Shahab
The Saskatchewan Health Authority and the province's chief medical health officer are warning the public about an "elevated risk" of contracting monkeypox through anonymous sexual contact.
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HIV drugs shortage is a challenge to ending AIDS in India
August 13, 2022 - Some people living with HIV have had their regimen changed due to the unavailability of certain ARVs
In June, PLHIV (People Living with HIV) networks across the country started witnessing an acute shortage of certain Antiretroviral (ARV) drugs in Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) centres. Among them were pediatric formulations and dolutegravir, the backbone of HIV treatment.
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The monkeypox outbreak reflects our failure to learn from AIDS activism
August 12, 2022 - Perspective by Dan Royles - AIDS activists wanted to transform health systems to make sure that all people had the care they needed
For those LGBTQ people who lived through the worst years of the AIDS epidemic or grew up in its shadow, monkeypox brings a grim sense of deja vu. Once again, an unfamiliar virus is spreading through gay men’s sexual networks, and far too little is being done to stop it. But monkeypox isn’t just a case of history repeating itself. It also shows that, despite remarkable improvements in the prevention and treatment of HIV — the virus that causes AIDS — the vision of health justice that AIDS activists articulated and fought for over the past 40 years remains largely unfulfilled.
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Wanted: new writers for aidsmap
12 August 2022 - Roger Pebody - Over the past three years we have been supporting new writers to develop their scientific journalism skills. We would like to hear from others who would be interested in joining us.
We’re inviting new applications to our Emerging Voices programme. It aims to give new writers opportunities to develop their skills in a professional and supportive environment. Successful candidates will have the opportunity to write, update and edit information and articles on aidsmap, including news articles, email bulletins and factsheets. We offer support and coaching, and pay for published work.
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Broader hepatitis C treatment not leading to more reinfections in people with HIV
12 August 2022 - Keith Alcorn - Countries receiving Ukrainian refugees acted quickly to provide access to health care free-of-charge, including HIV treatment, to refugees fleeing the 24 February 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia, according to research presented at the 24th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2022) in Montreal last week. However, concerns are increasing about an impending mental health crisis as refugees face trauma and ongoing uncertainty about the prospect of returning home or seeing their loved ones again.
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Young People Living With HIV Face Higher Suicide Risk
August 12, 2022 - By Shane Burke - Stigma and systemic racism can kill, according to the first study to look at suicide risk among HIV-positive youth.
The entertainment world and those of us who love it are mourning the loss of Olivia Newton-John.
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Vancouver MP warns of repeating AIDS stigma with monkeypox
Aug 12, 2022 - The Canadian Press - Vancouver Centre member of Parliament Hedy Fry has warned about stigmatization in the battle against monkeypox, recalling the fear surrounding HIV-AIDS when she was a physician in the '80s.
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As monkeypox cases rise in Hamilton, councillors caution against stigmatizing gay and bisexual men
Aug 12, 2022 - Desmond Brown - Hamilton public health says there are 10 confirmed cases of monkeypox in the city
Two Hamilton city councillors cautioned local public health officials about how they present new monkeypox data, saying it could stigmatize gay and bisexual men.
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WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED AT AIDS 2022?
10 August 2022 - UnitedGMH and its partners have conclusively shown it is possible to reduce the number of HIV infections and deaths if investment is made in mental health support.
In the past week in Montreal, the #AIDS2022 conference organised by the International AIDS Society (IAS) took place. It was the latest, in what are regularly the largest gatherings of the HIV/AIDs community; and this year represented an important opportunity to highlight the importance of mental health support for all who need it, and the tangible difference it could represent.
Decriminalizing HIV: Scientifically proven and morally correct
Aug 11, 2022 - By Mandeep Dhaliwal - One hundred thirty-four. That’s the number of countries that currently criminalize or prosecute people based on general criminal laws of HIV transmission, non-disclosure, or exposure.
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Emory Center for AIDS Research awarded $11.25 million NIH renewal
Aug. 9, 2022 - The Center for AIDS Research at Emory University (Emory CFAR) has received a five-year, $11.25 million award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to further its work aimed at ending the HIV epidemic through the highest-caliber translational research.
Gilead Sciences and a Coalition of LGBTQ+ and Human Rights-Focused Organizations Mobilize to Address Monkeypox Public Health Emergency
August 09, 2022 - FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- – Gilead Will Provide up to $5 Million in Global Grant Funding to Immediately Support Public Education and Vaccine Hesitancy Communications, a Public Policy Response and a Global Outbreak Emergency Fund for Community Organizations in Regions with Active Monkeypox Outbreaks –
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD), GLAAD, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and NMAC today announced immediate action in response to the emerging monkeypox virus (MPV) outbreak, which is disproportionately impacting the LGBTQ+ community, particularly men who have sex with men (MSM), as well as those who are living with HIV. Gilead will provide up to $5 million in global grant funding to help support three areas of focus: a public education and vaccine hesitancy communications campaign, a public policy response and a global outbreak emergency fund.
Olivia Newton-John Was A Friend To People With HIV/AIDS
August 9, 2022 - By Shawn Decker - Olivia Newton-John was blindsided by the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s. Then she used her star power to lend a helping and loving hand.
The entertainment world and those of us who love it are mourning the loss of Olivia Newton-John.
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Early response to Ukrainian refugees enabled continuity of HIV care, but longer-term issues must be addressed as war drags on
9 August 2022 - Rosalie Hayes - Countries receiving Ukrainian refugees acted quickly to provide access to health care free-of-charge, including HIV treatment, to refugees fleeing the 24 February 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia, according to research presented at the 24th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2022) in Montreal last week. However, concerns are increasing about an impending mental health crisis as refugees face trauma and ongoing uncertainty about the prospect of returning home or seeing their loved ones again.
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Opinion We’re making the same mistake with monkeypox that we made with HIV/AIDS
August 8, 2022 - By Rae Lewis-Thornton - Rae Lewis-Thornton is an AIDS activist who has been living with HIV for 38 years and author of “Unprotected: A Memoir.”
I’ve watched the rise of monkeypox with great sadness and horror. Sadness because of all the people suffering from what can be an excruciating infection. And horror because it seems we are watching as public health officials make the same mistakes they made during the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
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‘Captain Condom’ Turned the Tide in Thailand’s War on AIDS and Overpopulation
BANGKOK - Aug. 8, 2022 - By Seth Mydans - At a time when most Thais avoided discussing safe sex and family planning, Mechai Viravaidya promoted condom use with spectacle and humor, saving millions of lives.
Mechai Viravaidya twice saw Thailand in desperate trouble — first from a ruinous population explosion and then from the AIDS epidemic — and he responded to both crises the same way: with condoms and his own considerable charisma.
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U OF U HEALTH-LED RESEARCH AWARDED $28 MILLION TO EXPLORE HIV’S INNER WORKINGS AND VULNERABILITIES
August 8, 2022 - A University of Utah Health-led multi-institutional research center that studies the inner workings and vulnerabilities of HIV, the human immunodeficieny virus that causes AIDS, recently received a five-year, $28 million grant renewal from the National Institutes of Health.
Since its founding in 2007, the CHEETAH Center for Structural Biology of HIV Infection Restriction and Viral Dynamics has published more than 300 research papers that have led to a better understanding of HIV and its potential treatments.
Reform laws on HIV
Aug. 8, 2022 - By Star Editorial Board - Justice Minister David Lametti has announced that consultations will begin in October on the law that criminalizes the non-disclosure of HIV.
In the 40 years since Canada reported its first case of AIDS, governments around the world have often taken one step forward and two steps back in combating the virus. Canada has been no exception, and the advance-and-retreat approach continues to this day.
58% of human infectious diseases can be worsened by climate change – we scoured 77,000 studies to map the pathways
August 8, 2022 - Climate change can exacerbate a full 58% of the infectious diseases that humans come in contact with worldwide, from common waterborne viruses to deadly diseases like plague, our new research shows.
Our team of environment and health scientists reviewed decades of scientific papers on all known pathogenic disease pathogens to create a map of the human risks aggravated by climate-related hazards.
The numbers were jarring. Of 375 human diseases, we found that 218 of them, well over half, can be affected by climate change.
Virtually no screening and treatment for mental health disorders in many HIV clinics across the world
8 August 2022 - Edith Magak - The proportion of HIV treatment clinics screening for depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is 50%, 14% and 12%, respectively, in many global regions, Dr Angela Parcesepe of the University of North Carolina reported at the 24th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2022) in Montreal last week. What’s more, both screening and medication for treatment of depression, anxiety, and PTSD are only available at 36%, 11%, and 8% of sites, respectively.
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Government challenged over ‘cruel’ ban on people living with HIV using fertility treatment
Sunday, August 7, 2022 - HIV rights charity National AIDS Trust is calling on the government to end the ban on people living with HIV accessing fertility treatment to start a family.
Despite science showing that there is no risk of HIV transmission, existing laws mean many people living with HIV are not allowed to use their eggs or sperm for fertility treatments. People in mixed-sex couples where one or both partners is living with HIV are allowed to undergo fertility treatment such as IVF, as they are viewed as consenting adults in an intimate relationship.
HIV infection detected in 443 Bihar prisoners in two years
PATNA - Aug 7, 2022 - VK Tripathi - Of the 1.25 lakh inmates of Bihar jails screened in a period HIV infection has been detected in 443. However, the However, the screening is still in progress for detection of tuberculosis (TB) infection in the prisoners.
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Monkeypox outbreak echoing stigmas, fears of early HIV/AIDS era
August 5, 2022 - by Karessa Weir - MSU Psychology Professor Robin Lin Miller, who is part of the MSU Consortium for Sexual and Gender Minority Health, got a front-seat view this week of the discrepancies in the way different countries are approaching the international monkeypox outbreak.
‘Captain Condom’ Turned the Tide in Thailand’s War on AIDS and Overpopulation
BANGKOK - Aug. 5, 2022 - By Seth Mydans - At a time when most Thais avoided discussing safe sex and family planning, Mechai Viravaidya promoted condom use with spectacle and humor, saving millions of lives.
Mechai Viravaidya twice saw Thailand in desperate trouble — first from a ruinous population explosion and then from the AIDS epidemic — and he responded to both crises the same way: with condoms and his own considerable charisma.
Read more...
Apply to Donja R. Love's Historic Write it Out! Program for People Living With HIV
August 5, 2022 - By Kayla Thompson - Award-winning playwright Donja R. Love’s Write it Out! (WIO!) program is entering its third year and eagerly searching for its third cohort of writers.
Write it Out! is a free 10-week virtual playwright’s workshop specifically designed for people living with HIV (PLWHIV). Donja R. Love created the program in 2019 in order to provide a safe and affirming space for PLWHIV to explore the artistic creation of their narratives through a theatrical frame.
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President Biden Announces Team to Lead Monkeypox Response
August 4, 2022 - Today, President Biden named FEMA’s Robert Fenton as the White House National Monkeypox Response Coordinator and Dr. Demetre Daskalakis as the White House National Monkeypox Response Deputy Coordinator. Fenton and Daskalakis will lead the Administration’s strategy and operations to combat the current monkeypox outbreak, including equitably increasing the availability of tests, vaccinations and treatments.
New money for HIV screenings could help 'remove barriers,' says Reseau Access Network
Aug 04, 2022 - Sam Juric - Canadian government estimates 1 in 10 Canadians living with HIV don't know they have the virus
It's a long-awaited answer to a call made by community organizations for more than a decade. On Monday, the Canadian government announced it's putting $18 million toward the expansion of HIV screenings in Canada.
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‘The concept of solidarity is a lie’: Why these empty chairs at AIDS 2022 have Canada under fire
Aug. 3, 2022 - By Alex Boyd - As Canada hosted the world’s largest conference on HIV/AIDS, researchers from the Global South found it very hard to get visas and participate.
The cube-shaped white chairs, arranged in a line onstage, were empty.
David Gillespie, a researcher at Cardiff University, had shown up to the panel in Montreal expecting to hear experts discuss the stigma that having HIV still carries in health-care settings.
That was not what he got.
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Professor Sharon Lewin appointed President of the International AIDS Society
3 Aug 2022 - Professor Sharon Lewin, Director of the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, has been appointed President of the International AIDS Society (IAS), the peak international organisation for HIV and AIDS professionals.
Representing more than 15,000 members worldwide, including scientists, people living with HIV, activists, policymakers and others, the IAS mission is to convene, educate and advocate for a world in which HIV no longer presents a threat to public health and individual well-being.
Stronger monkeypox response needed in both the global North and Africa
3 August 2022 - Liz Highleyman - Some of the world’s leading monkeypox experts and public health officials discussed the global response to the growing outbreak at the 24th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2022) this week in Montreal. But advocates said the world is not doing enough to address the crisis, which is primarily affecting gay and bisexual men.
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Kinsey Institute to exhibit iconic Tom Fox photo series, renew HIV/AIDS awareness
An exhibition of 60 iconic photographs documenting Indiana University alumnus Tom Fox's battle with AIDS in the late 1980s will hang in the Grand Hall of Maxwell Hall on the IU Bloomington campus.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Aug 2, 2022 - "Wild Horse Running: The Courageous Journey of Tom Fox," presented by IU's Kinsey Institute in conjunction with the IU Cook Center for Public Arts and Humanities housed in Maxwell Hall, will run from Aug. 5 through Sept. 23. It is free to the public, and doors will open from 5 to 8 p.m. Aug. 5 during Bloomington's First Friday Gallery Walk. On Sept. 23, a reception is planned at 5 p.m., followed at 6 p.m. with a program.
Progress made at Montreal AIDS conference despite visa issues, organizer says
August 2, 2022 - The local organizer of an international AIDS conference in Montreal says the event has helped highlight the enormous progress that has been made in HIV research and treatment technology.
Dr. Jean-Pierre Routy, local chair of the conference, says the biggest breakthrough presented was research showing that a single injection of a long-lasting antiretroviral medication can prevent people from acquiring an HIV infection for two months, replacing daily pills.
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New global alliance launched to end AIDS in children by 2030
Globally, only half (52%) of children living with HIV are on life-saving treatment. UNAIDS, UNICEF, and WHO have brought together a new alliance to fix one of the most glaring disparities in the AIDS response.
MONTREAL/GENEVA/NEW YORK, 1 August 2022 - Globally, only half (52%) of children living with HIV are on life-saving treatment, far behind adults where three quarters (76%) are receiving antiretrovirals, according to the data that has just been released in the UNAIDS Global AIDS Update 2022. Concerned by the stalling of progress for children, and the widening gap between children and adults, UNAIDS, UNICEF, WHO and partners have brought together a global alliance to ensure that no child living with HIV is denied treatment by the end of the decade and to prevent new infant HIV infections.
Federal government pledges $18-million to expand HIV testing at Montreal AIDS conference
August 1, 2022 -
Federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos says the government is investing $17.9 million to expand HIV testing in Canada.
Duclos made the announcement today at AIDS 2022, the 24th International AIDS Conference, in Montreal.
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