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Positively Positive - Living with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS News Archive - November 2021
Barrie man destigmatizes HIV ahead of World AIDS Day
BARRIE, ONT - Nov. 30, 2021 - Siobhan Morris - ‘When you go to three or four funerals a week, it takes its toll’
Forty years ago, the first reports of a mysterious illness in San Francisco emerged. It was June 1981, just a couple weeks before Paul Aguilar’s 18th birthday. By the end of that summer, “my friends started dying, and they haven’t stopped,” he says.
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Living with HIV for 33 years: A San Francisco survivor’s tale on World AIDS Day
November 30, 2021 - By Carly Graf - ‘When you go to three or four funerals a week, it takes its toll’
Forty years ago, the first reports of a mysterious illness in San Francisco emerged. It was June 1981, just a couple weeks before Paul Aguilar’s 18th birthday. By the end of that summer, “my friends started dying, and they haven’t stopped,” he says.
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Pelosi and Fauci to Headline U.S. Conference on HIV/AIDS
November 30, 2021 - By Trenton Straube - Held December 2 and 3, the virtual #2021USCHA will highlight federal leaders, rural states, Native communities, COVID-19 and more.
This year’s U.S. Conference on HIV/AIDS (#2021USCHA) will honor Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D–Calif.) for her decades-long commitment to fighting the epidemic. The virtual conference takes place December 2 and 3, Thursday and Friday, and includes 140 workshops in addition to panel discussions and speeches. It’s organized by NMAC, which battles the HIV epidemic through the lens of race.
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WORLD AIDS DAY: Concerning number of HIV infections going undiagnosed, shows new data from ECDC & WHO Europe
November 30, 2021 - Countries must concentrate on reaching key populations
The findings of the report clearly show that the HIV pandemic is not over. While progress has been made, global targets for 2020 were not met and there is a real danger that the 2030 Goals will not be achieved either.
The mode of transmission varies across the Region, with sexual transmission between men as the most common mode in the EU/EEA, while heterosexual transmission and injecting drug use were the main reported transmission modes in the eastern part of the European Region.
Ottawa marks World AIDS Day with launch of new study, gathering on Parliament Hill and free performances at NAC
Nov 30, 2021 - Jacquie Miller - The study will focus on members of Ottawa's Black community living with HIV when it comes to U=U. That stands for Undetectable equals Untransmittable.
Medication now available for people living with HIV has been life-changing because it can bring the virus down to undetectable levels, says Khaled Salam, executive director of the AIDS Committee of Ottawa.
But whether all the people who could benefit from the medication can obtain it is another matter.
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Global HIV viral suppression rates too low among children and adolescents
30 NOV 2021 KIRBY INSTITUTE / UNSW MEDIA - An analysis published in the lead up to World AIDS Day reveals that HIV is ‘virally suppressed’ in only 59 per cent of children and adolescents on treatment.
Globally, fewer than two thirds of children living with HIV who are taking treatment are ‘virally suppressed’, according to new research from UNSW Sydney’s Kirby Institute and the global IeDEA consortium, published today in The Lancet HIV.
Viral suppression for HIV means that treatments are working effectively to protect health and prevent the transmission of HIV to others. UNAIDS has set a target of achieving 95 per cent viral suppression among all people living with HIV on treatment by 2030.
The response of Quebec’s HIV / AIDS community to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030
Montreal, Novermber 30, 2021 - The community community in the fight against AIDS in Quebec is making public its response to end AIDS by 2030 in Quebec.
Coordinated by the Coalition of Quebec Community Organizations to Fight AIDS (COCQ-SIDA), this response puts forward five priority areas of work so that Qubec achieves, by 2025, the new UNAIDS objectives? ; objectives that need to be achieved for the epidemic to become a thing of the past by 2030.
La riposte du milieu communautaire VIH/sida du Québec pour mettre fin à l’épidémie de sida d’ici 2030
Montréal, le 30 novembre 2021 - Le milieu communautaire québécois de lutte contre le sida rend publique sa riposte pour mettre fin au sida, d’ici 2030, sur le territoire québécois.
Coordonnée par la Coalition des organismes communautaires québécois de lutte contre le sida (COCQSIDA), cette riposte met de l’avant cinq axes de travail prioritaires pour que le Québec atteigne, d’ici 2025, les nouveaux objectifs de l’ONUSIDA ; objectifs devant être réalisés pour que l’épidémie devienne chose du passé à l’horizon 2030.
Too many people with HIV fail to achieve durable viral suppression
November 30, 2021 - NIH-funded study estimates global progress toward UNAIDS goal.
Among people with HIV worldwide who are receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART), adults are getting closer to the global target of 95% achieving viral suppression, but progress among children and adolescents is lagging and long-term viral suppression among all groups remains a challenge. These findings of a study funded by the National Institutes of Health suggest that substantial efforts are needed to help people with HIV durably suppress the virus. The findings were published today in the journal The Lancet HIV.
A Proclamation on World AIDS Day, 2021
November 30, 2021 - For decades, World AIDS Day has been recognized as an opportunity for people around the world to stand together in the fight against HIV. This year on World AIDS Day, we are focused on addressing health inequities and inequalities and ensuring that the voices of people with HIV are at the center of our work to end the HIV epidemic globally.
Old Gays Talk About HIV
Nov 29, 2021 - "When I was diagnosed in 1987, it was a death sentence, but not anymore."
‘HIV in View’, a first-of-its-kind photo gallery, is a collaboration between global specialist HIV company ViiV Healthcare and Shutterstock Studios to tackle the continued stigma, negative assumptions and fear surrounding HIV. By providing images of real people living with HIV today, ‘HIV in View’ aims to challenge outdated stereotypes and change the way the world views HIV. This World AIDS Day marks one year since the gallery’s launch, and the geographical reach of the collection now stretches across the world from Europe, to North and South America, Africa and East Asia.
World AIDS Day 2021 - WHO's Director-General’s message
Nov 29, 2021 - Nearly two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, we are still a long way from ending it. But there’s another infectious threat that, after more than 40 years, is not over either – the HIV/AIDS epidemic. On World AIDS 2021, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus calls on governments and citizens to use every tool in the toolbox to narrow inequalities, prevent HIV infections, save lives, and end the AIDS epidemic.
A child was infected with HIV every two minutes in 2020 – UNICEF
JOHANNESBURG/NEW YORK, 29 November 2021 - A prolonged COVID-19 pandemic is deepening the inequalities that have long driven the HIV epidemic, UNICEF warns Ahead of World AIDS Day.
At least 300,000 children were newly infected with HIV in 2020, or one child every two minutes, UNICEF said in a report released today. Another 120,000 children died from AIDS-related causes during the same period, or one child every five minutes.
The latest HIV and AIDS Global Snapshot warns that a prolonged COVID-19 pandemic is deepening the inequalities that have long driven the HIV epidemic, putting vulnerable children, adolescents, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers at increased risk of missing life-saving HIV prevention and treatment services.
Edmiston: As HIV funding goes down, HIV infections in Canada increase. We can stop this
Nov 29, 2021 - Laurie Edmiston - We have seen more organizations and more health issues competing for a slice of the same pie, resulting in service cuts for community-based programs.
This World AIDS Day (Dec. 1), you’d be forgiven for thinking HIV is no longer a public health threat in Canada. We have new prevention options such as PrEP, a pill that HIV-negative people can take on a regular basis to stop infection. We’ve seen the good news about HIV treatments, now so effective that they can restore a normal life expectancy to a person living with HIV and completely eliminate the possibility of passing it on to a sexual partner.
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But statistics tell a different story. Between 2013 and 2018, the Public Health Agency of Canada estimates that HIV infections in Canada have been climbing — a 31-per-cent increase over five years.
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UNAIDS warns of millions of AIDS-related deaths and continued devastation from pandemics if leaders don’t address inequalities
GENEVA, 29 November 2021 - UNAIDS issued a stark warning today that if leaders fail to tackle inequalities the world could face 7.7 million* AIDS-related deaths over the next 10 years. UNAIDS further warns that if the transformative measures needed to end AIDS are not taken, the world will also stay trapped in the COVID-19 crisis and remain dangerously unprepared for the pandemics to come.
AIDS Vancouver
WORLD AIDS DAY
Vancouver, BC - November 28th, 2021 - Voices of Women (VOW) Gathering and Candlelight Vigil Reimagined
2pm, December 1, World AIDS Day
Many have experienced a heightened sense of loss, isolation and frustration over the past two years. The COVID pandemic, the overdose crisis, ongoing inaction on Truth and Reconciliation, increased racism and blatant displays of hate are just some contributing factors. People need an opportunity to come together in peace and reflection, and to honour those we’ve lost during our struggles.
On World AIDS Day, let's thank Dr. Julio Montaner and push for COVID-19 vaccines for sub-Saharan HIV sufferers
November 28th, 2021 - by Charlie Smith Vancouver researchers played a key role in helping to turn AIDS from a probably death sentence into a manageable, chronic disease
More than three decades before the COVID-19 pandemic, there was another viral scourge stalking the world.
HIV, a.k.a. the human immunodeficiency virus, was killing gay men, hemophilia suffers, intravenous-drug users, and residents of southern African countries at frightening rates.
By 2020, approximately 36.3 million people had been killed by this retrovirus.
HIV-positive Londoner reflects on 35 years of love, loss and survival
Nov 28, 2021 - Jane Sims - Dave Windling's approach to life is simple: "Follow the science."
For HIV-positive Londoner Dave Windling, it’s been a long, often painful and anxious journey from ‘the days of no hope’ to treatments that opened the door to a long, satisfying life. He first spoke out in 1992, looking to put a human face on AIDS after losing a partner. Now 64, he updates his story with a timely reminder for our COVID-dominated times: ‘Follow the science’
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A piece of the bigger picture: evidence on HIV prevalence among key populations in Europe
November 26, 2021 - Systematic review published in Eurosurveillance ahead of World AIDS Day
Marking World AIDS Day on 1 December, Eurosurveillance publishes an article that brings together evidence on HIV seroprevalence in five population groups affected by HIV in the countries of the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA): men who have sex with men (MSM), people who inject drugs (PWID), people in prison, sex workers and transgender people [1].
QUEENSLAND COMMEMORATES 40 YEARS OF HIV AND ASKS “WHERE TO NEXT?" THIS WORLD AIDS DAY
November 26, 2021 - The 2021 World AIDS Day will be held on Wednesday 1st December 2021. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the first official reporting of what was to become known as AIDS. This year’s national theme is “40 Years of HIV. Where to next?”.
We have come an incredibly long way in the last four decades since the first HIV diagnoses. We have made incredible medical and treatment advances. We have educated our communities. We have provided support to countless people. We have come so far and yet there is so much more that needs to be done.
ECDC publishes Threat assessment brief - Emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.529 - Omicron
November 26, 2021 - Preliminary data on the risks of a new variant of concern (VOC) B.1.1.529, or Omicron, based on currently available genetic information is high, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said today in a new Threat Assessment Brief. The B.1.1.529 variant, first detected in southern Africa, is the most divergent variant that has been detected in significant numbers during the pandemic to date, raising serious concerns that it may significantly reduce the effectiveness of vaccines and increase the risk of reinfections.
WHO discusses new Covid variant possibly evolved in untreated AIDS patient. What we know so far
Nov. 25, 2021 - (Bloomberg) - Naomi Kresge -The identification of the new variant B.1.1529 prompted a hastily-called press conference by South African virologist Tulio de Oliveira.
World Health Organization (WHO) officials on Thursday met to discuss a new coronavirus variant carrying an “unusual constellation of mutations”. The coronavirus variant B.1.1529 has been identified circulating in South Africa and Botswana, triggering fresh concerns of another Covid-19 wave in the region. The identification of the new variant prompted a hastily-called press conference by virologist Tulio de Oliveira.
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U.K. Stops Some Flights From Africa Over Covid Variant Worries
Nov. 25, 2021 - (Bloomberg) - Naomi Kresge -U.K. authorities will temporarily ban flights from six African countries and place travelers into quarantine over worries about a new, dramatically different Covid-19 variant recently identified there.
The travel restrictions go into effect at noon Friday and are a precautionary measure to keep the spread of the new variant in check, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said. The six countries will be placed on the U.K.’s red list, which requires travelers to quarantine in hotels upon arrival in the U.K.
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This new Telus original film dives deep into what's blocking the U=U message from being heard far and wide
Nov. 24, 2021 - If Canadians have the solutions to end new HIV infections—and stop the world-wide HIV/AIDS epidemic—why are people still dying of AIDS?
The new TELUS Original documentary, Undetectable dives deep for the answers. The film looks at the early history of HIV/AIDS in North America, the roadblocks along the way, and critiques the gatekeepers that have stopped the world from becoming HIV/AIDS free. It also includes a sharp analysis of the hysteria, misinformation and stigma that has surrounded HIV since it was identified—and initially associated with gay men—in the early 80s.
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WHO releases HIV drug resistance report 2021
24th November 2021 - WHO’s latest HIV Drug Resistance Report gives an in-depth picture of the extent to which drug resistance is growing, and the steps that countries are taking to ensure people will receive effective medicine to treat and prevent HIV.
The report reveals that in 2020, 64% of focus countries (countries with a high burden of HIV infection) had national action plans to prevent, monitor and respond to HIV drug resistance. These plans are informed by the Global Action Plan on HIV drug resistance 2017–2021, a multi-stakeholder plan coordinated and published by WHO.
bioLytical Laboratories Inc. Receives Health Canada Approval for Its One Minute Covid-19 Antibody Rapid Test
Richmond, B.C., November 24th, 2021 - bioLytical Laboratories Inc. announced today that its INSTI® COVID-19 Antibody Test received authorization for immediate laboratory use in Canada
bioLytical Laboratories Inc. (“bioLytical”), a global leader in rapid in-vitro medical diagnostics, announced it received Health Canada approval for the world’s fastest COVID-19 test for lab use across Canada. COVID-19 antibody testing plays an integral role in identifying and understanding community spread, helping with health investigations, and supporting epidemiologic and research studies to learn more about the virus. The INSTI® platform uses innovative rapid flow-through technology to provide incredibly accurate results in real-time. It will allow laboratories to conduct testing, providing policymakers and medical professionals access to relevant and timely data to make effective decisions quickly.
Most People With HIV Respond Well to COVID Vaccines
November 24, 2021 - By Liz Highleyman - COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective, but people with a low CD4 count or detectable viral load are at risk for poor response.
Scott Robbe, a TV, film and theater producer who created LGBTQ programs and a long-time AIDS activist who participated in groundbreaking ACT UP protests, died November 21, 2021. He was 66. The cause was blood cancer—myelodysplastic anemia—which he had battled for over a year, according to a statement from his estate. Robbe, who tested HIV positive in the early 1990s, had been in hospice care at his sister’s in Hartford, Wisconsin.
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US systematic review finds poor HIV outcomes for trans women and research gap for trans men
24 November 2021 - Rosalie Hayes - Substantial improvements in HIV care outcomes are needed for trans women in the United States, according to the authors of a systematic review and meta-analysis published recently in AIDS.
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APLA Health Celebrates 35 Years of the Vance North Necessities of Life Program and Passes 17 Million Meals Distributed to Low-Income Clients Living with HIV/AIDS
11.24.2021 - The country’s largest food pantry network for people living with HIV/AIDS commemorates an important milestone.
November 2021 marks the 35th anniversary of one of APLA Health’s most critically needed services: our Vance North Necessities of Life Program (NOLP) food pantries. NOLP began as a $35-a-week food voucher program run by Ken and Alfia Hollywood out of their movie memorabilia store. In 1986, APLA Health worked with the Hollywoods to open the first Necessities of Life Program food pantry.
In 2011, philanthropist Bob North and his wife, Lois, donated $3.5 million to the program in memory of their son, APLA Health client and supporter Vance North, who died of AIDS-related complications in 1995.
HIV Made Me Fabulous – SFU health sciences professors creatively share research findings through short film
November 24, 2021 - By: Ayomide Gbadamosi - SFU health sciences professors Allison Carter and Angela Kaida, are sharing findings of their national study on women living with HIV through a short film, HIV Made Me Fabulous. The film is produced in collaboration with women living with HIV who participated in the Canadian HIV Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Cohort Study (CHIWOS), and will premiere ahead of World AIDS Day.
In the CHIWOS study, the researchers found that one in two women living with HIV consider sex an important part of their life, yet 80 per cent of women are not satisfied with their sexual lives as a result of gender inequality, violence, stigma and discrimination within society.
UNAIDS welcomes the first WHO COVID-19 Technology Access Pool licensing agreement
GENEVA, 24 November 2021 - UNAIDS welcomes the first licensing agreement under the World Health Organization (WHO) COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP) initiative, negotiated between Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (Spain’s High Council of Scientific Research) and the Medicines Patent Pool.
How Freddie Mercury’s tragic passing saved lives in the fight against HIV and AIDS
NOVEMBER 24, 2021 - PATRICK KELLEHER - On 20 April 1992, some of the biggest names in the music industry descended on London’s Wembley Stadium to remember their friend Freddie Mercury.
It was a momentous occasion – George Michael, Liza Minnelli, David Bowie, Annie Lennox, Axl Rose and countless other famous figures turned up to pay their respects to the rock music legend who had died just months before following a long battle with AIDS. Crucially, the concert also raised vital funds for HIV research – and it helped change cruel, discriminatory ideas people had about the virus and its prevalence among queer men.
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Raising flags, hanging scarves in St. Catharines for HIV/AIDS Awareness Week
SAULT STE. AMRIE - Nov. 24, 2021 - Next time you head into downtown St. Catharines, it'll be hard not to notice the dozens of red scarves tied to lamp posts, trees and parking meters all down St. Paul Street.
This marks the start of HIV/AIDS Awareness Week: the Red Scarf Project, along with the raising of a flag over St. Catharines City Hall, are part of bringing attention to the still-prevalent issues around the HIV/AIDS epidemic — and its impact on Niagara.
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3rd annual Red Lock campaign for HIV & AIDS awareness kicks off in the Sault
SAULT STE. AMRIE - Nov. 24, 2021 - The Group Health Centre's HIV and AIDS Resource Program (HARP) is launching its 3rd annual Red Lock campaign for HIV awareness week.
The campaign is designed to help raise awareness about misinformation and ongoing stigmatization surrounding HIV and AIDS, coinciding with World AIDS day on Dec.1.
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HIV/AIDS Resources and Community Health hosts community events during AIDS Awareness Week
SAULT STE. AMRIE - Nov. 24, 2021 - Events include HIV and the Law workshops, drag bingo, a Pose watch party and more
HIV/AIDS Resources and Community Health (ARCH) invites the community to participate in AIDS Awareness Week from Nov. 24 until Dec. 1.
The week will host a wide array of activities, including HIV & the Law 101 workshop, drag bingo at Wellington Brewery, an annual arts & culture evening called a Night of Red, a virtual watch party of legendary show called Pose, HIV self-testing kit pick-up, a collective art project called "stitchin' grief," and World AIDS Day Vigil.
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Freddie Mercury: The poignant final message singer released the day before his death
NOVEMBER 24, 2021 - PATRICK KELLEHER - It’s 30 years since the Queen frontman’s death from Aids-related causes
Fans of the late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury are celebrating the singer ahead of the 30th anniversary of his death.
Mercury died from Aids-related complications on 24 November, 1991, having declined to speak publicly about his diagnosis until the day before his death.
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Prompt initiation of antiretroviral therapy reduces cancer risk in HIV patients
(Vienna, 23 November 2021) - HIV patients have an increased risk of developing skin and mucosal cancers, even though HIV is no longer detectable in their blood due to antiretroviral therapy. A new study by MedUni Vienna's Department of Dermatology, the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Rare and Undiagnosed Diseases (LBI-RUD) and the CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences now shows that the time of starting antiretroviral therapy can influence tumour development. The results have recently been published in the specialist journal “Immunity”.
What to know about HIV stigma and discrimination
November 23, 2021 - bEDICAL NEWS TODAYy Nick Maslow - HIV stigma and discrimination are harsh realities that many people living with HIV may face. These harmful attitudes and behaviors can come from friends, family, coworkers, or strangers. Stigma can take a severe toll on the mental and physical health, overall quality of life, economic stability, and access to care of those living with the condition.
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Princess Diana Called 'Often' Before My Mom Died of AIDS, Says Elizabeth Glaser's Son Jake
November 23, 2021 - by Nick Maslow - "She was there for her as a friend and supportive voice," Jake Glaser, now 37, says of the sweet bond Princess Diana formed with the HIV/AIDS advocate
Princess Diana was known for her HIV/AIDS advocacy on the world stage, but her support didn't stop behind the scenes — especially when it came to her friendship with Elizabeth Glaser, who died of AIDS in 1994.
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After Losing His Mom and Sister to AIDS, Jake Glaser Overcomes 'Survivor's Guilt' to Help Others
November 23, 2021 - by Nick Maslow - Now 37, the son of HIV/AIDS activist Elizabeth Glaser and Starsky and Hutch actor Paul Michael Glaser is looking forward to starting a family of his own — and hopes to achieve the first AIDS-free generation
Jake Glaser remembers coming home on Dec. 3, 1994 and finding his father, Starsky and Hutch actor Paul Michael Glaser, sitting alone. He immediately knew that his mother, HIV/AIDS activist Elizabeth Glaser, had died.
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Deafness trumps HIV for deaf people living with HIV
NOVEMBER 23, 2021 - IQBAL PITTALWALA - UC Riverside-led study participants advocate for collection of more data on deaf individuals
For deaf people living with HIV, or DPLWH, deafness trumps HIV as a challenge, a University of California, Riverside-led study has found.
In 2019, the researchers conducted a community-based participatory research project in Palm Springs, California, to explore major health issues experienced by older DPLWH. Three DPLWH aged 55 years and older participated in the focus group; four deaf caregivers and community organizers also participated. The focus group was video recorded from several angles to capture all participants’ facial expressions, gestures, and hand movements to translate American Sign Language, or ASL, to English.
Upcoming conference on HIV and hepatitis C vital to addressing rising rates in Saskatchewan
November 22, 2021 - Pewaseskwan - the Indigenous Wellness Research Group based in the University of Saskatchewan (USask) College of Medicine, is hosting the Sask Stories Provincial Conference on HIV and Hepatitis C Wise/Promising Practices on November 25 and 26, 2021.
The hybrid conference will take place at the Dakota Dunes Resort on the Whitecap Dakota First Nation, with the option of attending virtually by Zoom. The event will share knowledge about HIV and hepatitis C (HCV) programming in Saskatchewan. Free registration for the conference is now open.
R.I.P. Scott Robbe, an ACT UP Fighter and LGBTQ Film Producer
November 22, 2021 - By Trenton Straube - HIV activist Scott Robbe protested with ACT UP at the New York Stock Exchange in 1989, and he championed LGBTQ visibility in film and TV.
Scott Robbe, a TV, film and theater producer who created LGBTQ programs and a long-time AIDS activist who participated in groundbreaking ACT UP protests, died November 21, 2021. He was 66. The cause was blood cancer—myelodysplastic anemia—which he had battled for over a year, according to a statement from his estate. Robbe, who tested HIV positive in the early 1990s, had been in hospice care at his sister’s in Hartford, Wisconsin.
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HIV international testing week begins in Sudbury
SUDBURY - Nov. 22, 2021 - Molly Frommer - HIV international testing week begins in Sudbury
International HIV testing week is underway and is taking place all across the country.
The Réseau Access Network in Sudbury is a non-profit organization promoting wellness, harm reduction, and education, and officials say this week is an ideal opportunity to get people tested for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.
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Red scarves decorate downtown Barrie to raise awareness
BARRIE, ONT. - Nov. 22, 2021 - The Red Scarf campaign is being held across Simcoe Muskoka until Nov. 28.
The Gilbert Centre in Barrie is raising awareness for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
Volunteers from the Gilbert Centre have made red ribbons and knitted red scarves that will be tied in the downtown area of Barrie during international HIV testing week.
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Biden-Harris Administration Memorializes Transgender Day of Remembrance | The White House
November 21, 2021 - Today, on Transgender Day of Remembrance, the Biden-Harris Administration mourns those we lost in the deadliest year on record for transgender Americans, as well as the countless other transgender people—disproportionately transgender women and girls of color—who face brutal violence, discrimination, and harassment. At least 46 transgender Americans were killed by acts of fatal violence to date this year. As President Biden made clear in his statement today, this somber record underscores that we must honor those who have lost their lives to anti-transgender violence and hate with action.
Anti-LGBT+ bill could hold back Ghana’s fight against HIV/ AIDS — AIDS Commission
Kitchener - Nov. 21, 2021 - By Frank Owusu Obimpeh - The Ghana AIDS Commission said the passage of the anti-LGBT+ bill will cause the donors who are against the bill currently before Parliament to withdraw funding support for the country’s fight against HIV/ AIDS.
The Commission’s Director-General, Kyeremeh Atuahene, told the public hearing in Parliament that “Donor funding for the HIV response covers the HIV and TB services for men who have sex with men and transgender people."
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UNAIDS calls for greater and sustained funding commitments to support its work in leading global efforts to end AIDS by 2030
GENEVA, 19 November 2021 - Having experienced major shortfalls in funding since 2015, UNAIDS convened donors, partners and Programme Coordinating Board members in Geneva, Switzerland, for a dialogue to help bolster UNAIDS’ efforts in supporting countries to end AIDS by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Let the Record Show Is an Essential Story of the AIDS Movement
NOVEMBER 19, 2021 - By Dagmawi Woubshet - Sarah Schulman’s outstanding book is an exemplary model for creating a more complete history of a political movement.
For an outstanding chronicle of the early years of AIDS activism, look no further than Sarah Schulman’s Let the Record Show: A Political History of ACT UP New York, 1987–1993, which is also an exemplary model for telling a more complete story of a political movement. In writing Let the Record Show, published earlier this year, Schulman has orchestrated a people’s history of ACT UP New York. Her voice and those of a chorus of activists cohere in the book, which draws both on her experience as a veteran of the political-action group and from lengthy interviews she conducted with nearly 200 other members. The result is an expansive portrait of the people, principles, and campaigns that made ACT UP the most formidable political organization to emerge from the AIDS crisis.
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Transgender Day of Remembrance 2021
November 19, 2021 -By Trenton Straube - Saturday, November 20, marks the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance 2021. It is the culmination of Transgender Awareness Week.
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UNAIDS calls for greater and sustained funding commitments to support its work in leading global efforts to end AIDS by 2030
GENEVA, 19 November 2021 - Having experienced major shortfalls in funding since 2015, UNAIDS convened donors, partners and Programme Coordinating Board members in Geneva, Switzerland, for a dialogue to help bolster UNAIDS’ efforts in supporting countries to end AIDS by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals.
New technique solves HIV capsid structure and could be blueprint of capsid-targeting antivirals
19-NOV-2021 - A new technique using electron tomography and subtomogram averaging at Diamond’s electron Bio-Imaging Centre (eBIC), has solved the structure of the HIV capsid alone and in complex with host factors. This work also led to the building of an atomistic model of the whole HIV capsid using information gained from electron tomography, which the team believe could serve as a blueprint for the development of capsid-targeting antivirals.
Star-Studded Broadway Event to Pay Tribute to World AIDS Day
NOVEMBER 18 2021 - By Desirée Guerrero - Judith Light, Billy Porter, Chita Rivera, and Javier Muñoz are among the many stars of stage and screen that will appear at the musical fundraising event.
Good news for Broadway fans — and the fight against HIV. Remember the Ribbon: A Tribute to World AIDS Day is back for another year after enjoying enormous success its first time around in 2020.
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Single-dose HPV vaccine highly effective, researchers say
November 18, 2021 - Results of randomized controlled trial in Kenya bring new energy to eliminate cervical cancer worldwide.
In the push to eliminate cervical cancer, researchers delivered hopeful news Nov. 17 at the 34th International Papillomavirus Conference in Toronto.
A randomized controlled trial of 2,275 women in Kenya showed that a single dose of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine was highly effective. The current standard for women is a three-dose regimen.
All-Digital AIDS Walk Los Angeles 2021 Continues to Fight the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Los Angeles County
November 18, 2021 - “The Walk Show” Online Fundraising Campaign Hosted by Ongina of Rupaul’s Drag Race Raised $1,272,349—Vital Funds That Will Support the Work of APLA Health as Well as Other HIV/AIDS Service Organizations.
This year’s all-digital AIDS Walk Los Angeles ended this past week, with hundreds of individual and team fundraisers, community partners, and sponsors collectively raising $1,272,349 on behalf of AIDS service organizations in Los Angeles County.
APLA Health partnered with Ongina to host a weekly online video talk show, The Walk Show. In each episode, Ongina “walked” participants through weekly challenges featuring firsthand accounts of how AIDS Walk fundraising efforts support the vital work of APLA Health. An extended length episode of The Walk Show was broadcast on ABC7 on September 19th.
First injectable therapy for HIV approved for England and Wales
18 November 2021 - Gus Cairns - Should be available in clinics by April by next year
NICE, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, today published draft guidance for England and Wales recommending the first long-acting injectable treatment for HIV-1 infection in adults.
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Doctors from Waterloo-Wellington become award-winning physicians
Kitchener - Nov. 18, 2021 - Chris Thomson - A family doctor from Elora, Ont. has been named regional physician of the year, while one from Cambridge and another from Guelph have both taken home awards as well.
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Einstein and Montefiore Researchers Awarded $7.6 Million in NIH Grants to Study Depression in People Living with HIV
November 18, 2021—(BRONX, NY) - Investigators Seek to Address Disparities Associated with HIV and Mental Health Disorders
The Bronx is home to more than 27,000 people living with HIV, the majority of whom are Black or Hispanic men. People living with HIV have an increased risk for depression and substance use, which in turn can make adhering to daily antiviral treatments difficult, negatively impacting both quality of life and overall health.
Now, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Health System two five-year grants totaling $7.6 million to study the structural and chemical changes in the brains of people living with HIV, depression, and cannabis use disorder.
New HIV jabs taken two months apart hailed as huge step forward
Nov 18, 2021 - Andrew Gregory - Safe injectable antiretroviral drugs, approved by health bodies, ‘could lift burden of daily oral therapy’
Thousands of people living with HIV in Britain are to be freed from the burden of taking daily pills, after health chiefs gave the green light for a revolutionary treatment by injection every two months.
Draft guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) recommends offering the antiretroviral drugs cabotegravir and rilpivirine in England and Wales after trials proved they work as effectively as daily tablets.
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Why drinking water needs monitoring for HIV drugs
Nov 17, 2021 - Years ago, there was a time that kids from a rural village in South Africa still wanted to swim in the rivers nearby. But when they got out of the water, those with sensitive skins would have the worst rash ever, says Prof Philiswa Nomngongo. She is from the University of Johannesburg’s (UJ) campus in the CBD.
UCLA Researchers Develop Improved Computational Model to Analyze Antibody Patterns
Nov 17, 2021 - Advance could lead to Invention of better vaccines and therapies
A group of UCLA engineers and scientists has created a new approach to analyzing antibody levels in the human body. The advance could help guide the development of more effective vaccines and antibody therapies, as well as deepen the understanding of the immune system’s response to diseases.
A systems serology study detailing the research findings was published in Molecular Systems Biology. Systems serology involves using experimental techniques to dissect antibodies’ features and functions, followed by a range of computational methods to mine through datasets to provide a better understanding of the interconnected relationships between the profiled antibodies and the response of the immune system.
'Wasn't reliable science': Canadian Blood Services prepares to drop longtime ban on blood donations
Halifax - Nov. 17 2021 - Bruce Frisko - A policy that's been deeply offensive to the LGBTQ+ community for generations may finally be falling to the wayside, but advocates say much more will be needed to rebuild trust.
More than six years after the prime minister promised to end the ban on gay and bisexual men donating blood, Canadian Blood Services is set to recommend just that to Health Canada within weeks.
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'Hidden Mercy' shines light on nuns, priests who responded to AIDS with compassion
NOVEMBER 17 2021 - By Jo Yurcaba - Pope Francis thanked the book's author for bearing witness to the stories of Catholics who offered support while others offered only condemnation.
It is believed that HIV/AIDS developed in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the 1920s where a similar strain to the virus was found among chimpanzees and it crisscrossed to humans.
n 1981, gay men who lived in New York City reportedly had Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) and Kaposi’s Sarcoma and which is a lung infection and a rare form of cancer.
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Sex Education: Statistics show HIV/AIDS still real and common today
NOVEMBER 17 2021 - Temi Iwalaiye - A lot more young people are living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria than we think.
It is believed that HIV/AIDS developed in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the 1920s where a similar strain to the virus was found among chimpanzees and it crisscrossed to humans.
n 1981, gay men who lived in New York City reportedly had Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) and Kaposi’s Sarcoma and which is a lung infection and a rare form of cancer.
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Alarming Dual Pandemics: COVID & HIV/AIDS
November 17,, 2021 - By Joyce Mitchell - NO ONE HAS TO GET AIDS TODAY!
Anyone who thinks HIV/AIDS is no longer an alarming concern, especially as COVID-19 grabs headlines, must revisit where we’ve been—and where we are now. The two pandemics have far too many similarities, and COVID can be life-threatening to many HIV-positive individuals.
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Science Discovers Another Avenue That Could Lead to an HIV Cure
NOVEMBER 17 2021 - By Jacob Anderson-Minshall - A new “block and lock” curative approach could solve the problem of viral reservoirs and permanently silence HIV.
A woman in Argentina has become only the second documented person whose own immune system may have cured her of HIV.
Researchers have dubbed the 30-year-old mother, who was first diagnosed with HIV in 2013, the “Esperanza patient,” after the town in Argentina where she lives. In English, “esperanza” means “hope.”
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Canadian Blood Services to recommend end to ban on donations from men who have sex with men
Kitchener - Nov. 16, 2021 - Marie Woof, Laura Osman - Soon potential donors could be asked if they have had multiple sexual partners
A family doctor from Elora, Ont. has been named regional physician of the year, while one from Cambridge and another from Guelph have both taken home awards as well.
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Quebec’s HIV/AIDS Services Continue Being Defunded
November 16, 2021 - by Zachary Fortier - The COCQ-SIDA has rung the alarm about its funding crisis from the federal and provincial governments.
There are now less than five months remaining until the funding cycle for local HIV/AIDS services from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is renewed on Apr. 1, 2022. The Coalition des organismes communautaires québécois de lutte contre le sida (COCQ-SIDA), a representational body of Quebec’s HIV/AIDS community organizations, is concerned about the deadline’s impacts.
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Second HIV patient may have been 'naturally' cured, scientists say
November 16, 2021 - Jacqueline Howard - Researchers say they have found a second patient whose body seemingly had rid itself of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes AIDS -- supporting hope that it may be possible someday to find a way to cure more people of the virus.
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Timothy Ray Brown, first person cured of HIV, “never wanted to be the only one”
November 15, 2021 - By Hank Trout, MA - Although Brown passed before seeing a cure for everyone, his experience has shaped our understanding of cure research and his advocacy has inspired millions.
To commemorate Timothy’s life and his impact on the HIV/AIDS community, a consortium of friends and organizations (including Let’s Kick A.S.S. (AIDS Survivors Syndrome) Palm Springs, amfAR, Desert Healthcare District & Foundation, HIV+AIDS Research Project-Palm Springs, and the Until There’s a Cure Foundation) collected funds to memorialize Timothy with an engraved boulder in the National AIDS Memorial Grove in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. The boulder was installed at a ceremony in the Grove on October 16, 2021. The inscription on the boulder reads, “In loving memory of Timothy Ray Brown, the first person cured of HIV.”
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Pope Francis praises book detailing LGBTQ ministry during HIV/AIDS pandemic
VATICAN CITY (RNS) - Nov 15, 2021 - By Claire Giangravé - In a letter to the author of a new book about the Catholic ministry to the LGBTQ community in the United States during the height of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, Pope Francis praised the ministry’s “discreet mercy,” despite stigma and opposition by the church.
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Woman’s own immune system has possibly cured her of HIV
Nov 15, 2021 - By Benjamin Ryan - Researchers were unable to find any viable HIV in the woman’s body even after using highly sophisticated and sensitive tests to scan over 1 billion of her cells.
A woman in Argentina has become only the second documented person whose own immune system may have cured her of HIV.
Researchers have dubbed the 30-year-old mother, who was first diagnosed with HIV in 2013, the “Esperanza patient,” after the town in Argentina where she lives. In English, “esperanza” means “hope.”
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Calling all knitters — the AIDS Coalition of Nova Scotia needs your help
Nov 14, 2021 - Cassidy Chisholm - Red scarves will be tied around lamp posts, fences in Halifax to mark World AIDS Day on Dec. 1
The AIDS Coalition of Nova Scotia is launching its first Red Scarf Project in Halifax and is looking for volunteer knitters to help the cause.
The Red Scarf Project, which has been adopted across Canada, aims to raise awareness about HIV treatment and prevention, how the virus affects people and what still needs to be done.
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Rowan County native earns national award for HIV/AIDS treatment
SALISBURY - November 12, 2021 - Ben Stansell - When Wesley Thompson looks back on his medical career thus far, he can point to several distinct moments that shaped his path.
The first and most influential came when he was a graduate student working at Duke University Hospital in 1985. Tasked with drawing blood from an AIDS patient, Thompson entered a room that was wrapped on the outside with red tape. On his way in, Thompson said he witnessed a nurse toss her badge aside and declare that she “refused to touch those people.”
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Crown drops charge against Edmonton man accused of passing HIV to sex partner; defence says handling of health issue in justice system 'deplorable'
Nov 12, 2021 - Jonny Wakefield - Prosecutors have stayed a charge of aggravated sexual assault against an Edmonton man accused of passing the AIDS virus to a sexual partner after the Crown’s key witness fell apart under cross-examination.
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Why is it so difficult to make an HIV prevention vaccine?
11 November 2021 - Gus Cairns - HIV is a very unusual virus and very difficult to vaccinate against.
HIV does not usually produce an immune response that is enough to stop or contain infection. This is one reason HIV infection is life-long. More typical viruses such as flu do: they stimulate an immune response that is sufficient to clear the virus from the body without using medications. A vaccine that imitates them can do the same.
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VSU Odum Library Commemorates World AIDS Day With Mixed Media Exhibit
VALDOSTA - November 11, 2021 - Jessica Pope - “AIDS at 40: A Retrospection”
The Valdosta State University Odum Library, in partnership with Georgia Equality and VSU Campus Pride, will commemorate World AIDS Day with “AIDS at 40: A Retrospection” Nov. 18 through Dec. 15. The mixed media art exhibit is free of charge and open to the public.
How we uncovered Patient Zero of the Aids epidemic
11 November 2021 - By Paul Brand - A new documentary pays tribute to John Eaddie, who is believed to be the first in Britain to die of the virus
On October 29, 1981, a man took his last short breaths at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London. Doctors would note his cause of death as a rare form of pneumonia. But for 40 years neither he, nor the disease that truly killed him, have ever been publicly named.
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Wistar Scientists Discover Sugar Molecule on HIV-infected Cell Plays Role in Evading Immune System — They Exploit as Weakness to Make More Effective “Natural Killers” Against HIV
PHILADELPHIA — (Nov. 11, 2021) - A new study by researchers at The Wistar Institute, an international biomedical research leader in cancer, immunology, infectious disease, and vaccine development, shows how key features on the surface of HIV-infected cells help the disease evade detection by the immune system. It also shows how these features can be disabled. The findings, published in PLOS Pathogens, are a first step toward a new class of treatment aimed at not just suppressing virus replication, but killing cells harboring persistent virus that prevent us from curing HIV infection.
ACTG Announces Initiation Of CLO-FAST, Its First Trial Evaluating A Three-Month TB Treatment
NOV 10 2021 - The AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG), the largest global HIV research network, today announced the launch of A5362 (CLO-FAST), a clinical trial studying a three-month clofazimine- and high-dose rifapentine-containing treatment regimen for people with drug-susceptible tuberculosis (TB). This is the first TB regimen based on preclinical evidence of effectiveness that is less than four-months long to be studied in a clinical trial. A5362 will evaluate the potential efficacy of clofazimine when combined with treatments that have been proven to be effective against TB.
American young adults report having fewer sexual partners, higher rates of abstention
November 10, 2021 - A number of behaviors in younger adults that increase risk for the transmission of HIV/AIDS have declined or changed between 2010 and 2020, according to the national Monitoring the Future study.
In the ongoing national study of high school graduates 21-30 years old, investigators at the University of Michigan have been tracking risk and protective behaviors related to the transmission of HIV/AIDS. Each year since 2004, high school graduates have been surveyed as part of the Monitoring the Future study.
Wistar Scientists Discover Sugar Molecule on HIV-infected Cell Plays Role in Evading Immune System — They Exploit as Weakness to Make More Effective “Natural Killers” Against HIV
PHILADELPHIA — (Nov. 11, 2021) - A new study by researchers at The Wistar Institute, an international biomedical research leader in cancer, immunology, infectious disease, and vaccine development, shows how key features on the surface of HIV-infected cells help the disease evade detection by the immune system. It also shows how these features can be disabled. The findings, published in PLOS Pathogens, are a first step toward a new class of treatment aimed at not just suppressing virus replication, but killing cells harboring persistent virus that prevent us from curing HIV infection.
Landmark study points to source of rapid aging, chronic inflammation in people living with HIV
November 09, 2021 By Ryan O’Byrne - Findings reinforce the importance of early screening for HIV — and could point to treatments to reduce negative effects of infection, says lead researcher.
In a groundbreaking study of people living with HIV, University of Alberta researchers found that elusive white blood cells called neutrophils play a role in impaired T cell functions and counts, as well as the associated chronic inflammation that is common with the virus.
Neutrophils are a foundational part of the body’s immune system and the most abundant type of white blood cell, making up about 60 to 80 per cent of circulating immune cells in the blood. However, unlike other types of white blood cells, neutrophils are extremely short-lived and cannot be frozen and thawed like other immune cells, making them extremely difficult to examine, said study lead Shokrollah Elahi.
Solved: The 40-year mystery of the first man to die of AIDS in Britain | ITV News
Nov 9, 2021 - He has remained a medical mystery since the day he died. ?He was never publicly named, and neither was the disease he died of.
But 40 years on, ITV can finally pay tribute to the first recorded AIDS victim to die in Britain. His name was John Eaddie.
New Study Suggests Healthcare Provider Biases Can Impact a Patient’s Access to Preventative HIV Drug
WASHINGTON (Nov. 9, 2021) - People who inject drugs face more biases and potential lack of access to medication as a result
A new study published today reveals systematic biases among primary and HIV care providers about people who inject drugs and how those biases may impact access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a preventive, prescription-based medication that significantly reduces the risk of HIV infection through sexual behavior and injection practices.
Expert comment: How studying fossilized parasites can contribute to knowledge of infectious diseases
Nov. 8, 2021 - Over the last decade, John Huntley, a paleontologist and an associate professor of geological sciences at the University of Missouri, has studied the history of parasite-host interactions. These interactions can occur either outside a host’s body, such as a tick, or inside a host’s body, such as a flatworm.
COVID has Surpassed AIDS in U.S. Deaths. How Should HIV Activists Respond?
November 8, 2021 - By Mark S. King - In less than two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has killed more Americans than have died from HIV/AIDS since the AIDS epidemic emerged 40 years ago.
Magic Johnson Marks 30 Years of Living with HIV: 'I Thank the Lord for Keeping Me'
November 08, 2021 - By Nicholas Rice - Sunday marked three decades since the former professional basketball player revealed his health diagnosis to the world in a 1991 press conference
Earvin "Magic" Johnson is marking 30 years since he first announced that he is HIV positive.
On Sunday, the 62-year-old former professional basketball player penned a statement on Twitter noting that it has been three decades since he revealed his health diagnosis to the world in a 1991 press conference.
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Youths living with HIV/AIDS start prayer publicity campaign
Nov 7, 2021 - A group of youths living with HIV AIDS are joining Our Lady Queen of Peace Kiwamirembe Catholic Shrine in a five-day prayer for people who have died or are living with the disease. The prayers come ahead of several sensitization campaigns they are carrying out in the run-up to World AIDS Day on December 1.
Stephen Karpiak, Pathbreaking H.I.V. Researcher, Dies at 74
Nov. 7, 2021 -By Alex Vadukul - His work helped change people’s attitude toward older people living with the virus that causes AIDS.
Stephen Karpiak, whose research into the lives of New Yorkers aging with H.I.V. revealed a scarcity of support networks and high rates of depression, leading to changes in the care of older people living with the virus, died on Oct. 16 at a hospital in Manhattan. He was 74.
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Clinics will need new systems to administer injectable HIV therapies, says Canadian early adopter
5 November 2021 - Gus Cairns - Dr Jonathan Angel, an HIV physician and researcher at the University Hospital of Ottawa in Canada, is one of the first doctors in the world to prescribe the injectable formulation of the drugs cabotegravir and rilpivirine, not as part of as clinical trial, but in standard medical practice.
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Most people with HIV accept COVID-19 vaccination; more safety information would help those who are hesitant
5 November 2021 - Roger Pebody - Surveys from diverse settings do not suggest unusual levels of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among people living with HIV, the 18th European AIDS Conference (EACS 2021) heard last week. Data were presented from Argentina, Greece, Turkey, the Middle East and the United Kingdom.
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Madonna Makes Surprise Appearance at AmfAR Gala, Helps Raise More Than $1.7 Million for HIV/AIDS Research
Nov 5, 2021 - Ashley Hume - Madonna made a surprise appearance at the star-studded amfAR Gala Los Angeles to present her longtime friend and collaborator Jeremy Scott with the Award of Courage in recognition of his work with the organization and his commitment to the fight against HIV/AIDS.
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Bringing an end to HIV-related stigma in Canada
November 4, 2021- By D.F. McCourt - HIV-positive from birth, Muluba’s journey was never going to be easy. When medical innovation offered her a chance at a long and healthy life, it turned out the battle was still only half won.
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An Inflammation to Remember
November 04, 2021 | Nicole Mlynaryk, Bigelow - Technion scientists uncover a physiological mechanism of psychosomatic illness
Your phone pings. It’s a notification from your friend, who you just went out for a drink with last night. According to her text, she has just tested positive for COVID-19. You start feeling your throat, you sneak a short cough, and start to feel your body temperature rising. But then you calm down (after receiving your negative COVID results, of course) and realize these feelings were all in your head. But what if this is exactly it – what if there were indeed neurons in the brain that could induce a sensation of illness, or even an actual disease?
Mankind close to witnessing endgame of HIV-AIDS says Harvard professor: Explained
Nov 04, 2021- Kirti Pandey - Phyllis Kanki, Mary Woodard Lasker Professor of Health Sciences tells Amy Roeder the associate editor of Harvard Public Health that after a 40-year-long fight against AIDS, medics are ready to announce that the endgame of the global scourge is fast approaching.
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Presenting the 2021 Gay City News Impact Award Honorees
November 4, 2021- By Matt Tracey - The sixth annual Gay City News Impact Awards will be held virtually on November 11 at 7 p.m., marking the second straight year that we will gather for an online celebration recognizing exceptional LGBTQ trailblazers and supportive allies who have made a difference in our community.
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Magic Johnson opens up about his health, career 30 years after HIV diagnosis: "You just sit there and say, what does this mean? Am I gonna die?"
November 4, 2021 - BY NELSON OLIVEIRA - When Magic Johnson's iconic basketball career was interrupted by a stunning HIV diagnosis three decades ago, the newlywed NBA legend had no idea how much time he had to live or how the virus would affect his wife and their unborn child.
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Not So Great Expectations: Pain in HIV Related to Brain’s Expectations of Relief
November 04, 2021 | Nicole Mlynaryk, Bigelow - Neuroimaging study reveals potential brain mechanism underlying chronic neuropathic pain in individuals with HIV
As medical advances help individuals with HIV survive longer, there is an increasing need to treat their chronic symptoms. One of the most common is neuropathic pain, or pain caused by damage to the nervous system.
Distal sensory polyneuropathy (DSP) is the most prevalent neurological problem in HIV infection, affecting 50 percent of all HIV patients. Most persons with DSP describe sensations of numbness, tingling, burning and stinging in their hands or feet, which impair daily functioning and can lead to unemployment and depression.
 
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND SCHOOL OF MEDICINE INSTITUTE OF HUMAN VIROLOGY RESEARCHERS RECEIVE $6.5M TO CREATE AFRICAN BIG DATA HUB DESIGNED TO ADDRESS PUBLIC HEALTH AND PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS
November 04, 2021 | Vanessa McMains - Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM)’s Institute of Human Virology (IHV), a Global Virus Network (GVN) Center of Excellence, have received $6.5 million from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) to streamline big data collection in Nigeria and South Africa in addressing public health needs of the COVID-19 and HIV pandemics.
Western and Central Africa is home to 4.7 million people living with HIV—12% of those living with HIV globally—but experiences 22% of all HIV deaths in the world.
EACS 2021: Newer ART Regimens Are Effective. But Can They Manage Virologic Failure?
Nov. 3, 2021 - Larry Buhl - In late October, at the 18th European AIDS Conference (EACS 2021), hosted by the European AIDS Clinical Society, a wide-ranging oral abstract on antiretroviral therapies (ART) underscored the effectiveness of current and newer therapies by showing new data from trials and studies giving context to a variety of possible, but rare, virologic failures.
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Summit concludes with a call for action to reinvent the response to the HIV pandemic and end AIDS in Western and Central Africa
DAKAR/GENEVA, 3 November 2021 - The President of Senegal, Macky Sall, pledges an additional $3.5 million to support the HIV response and the call for action
A three-day regional summit on HIV/AIDS held in Dakar, Senegal, has concluded with a call to action that urges stronger support for community-led responses, policies driven by science and data, increased investment in the HIV response and putting HIV at the centre of pandemic preparedness and response. In his closing remarks, the President of Senegal, Macky Sall, committed to advancing the call to action with the African Union and pledged additional funds to implement it in Senegal and across the region.
Western and Central Africa is home to 4.7 million people living with HIV—12% of those living with HIV globally—but experiences 22% of all HIV deaths in the world.
Prioritise people with HIV for COVID-19 vaccination
November, 2021 - Almost 2 years into the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, many people are starting to enjoy freedoms afforded by relaxation of restrictions. Governments are interpreting vaccine roll-out to mean that the catastrophic waves of COVID-19 that have shut down societies are a thing of the past. At the same time, evidence of the interaction between SARS-CoV-2 and HIV is also growing, and the better understanding of clinical outcomes is providing clarity on clinical management and measures needed to protect people with HIV. However, emerging evidence implicates immunosuppression and uncontrolled HIV infection in the generation of new SARS-CoV-2 variants.
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Ashanti region continues to record high cases of HIV/AIDS
November 2, 2021 - BY CONOR CLARK - The Ashanti region continues to lead the chart on HIV/AIDS infections.
The region as at the end of September this year, recorded a total of 3,590 HIV/AIDS and the numbers keep on increasing.
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Docuseries about Britain’s history with HIV to premiere on World AIDS Day
November 2, 2021 - BY CONOR CLARK - A new HIV docuseries about Britain’s 40-year battle with the virus is premiering on this year’s World AIDS Day.
Positive will feature intimate testimony from some of the first people to be diagnosed with HIV in the UK.
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NSU Research Scientist Leads Group That Discovered Gene Variants That Delimit HIV-1 Infection
FORT LAUDERDALE/DAVIE, Fla. - November 2, 2021 - New Variants Discovered in a Genome-Wide Sequencing Study of Woman in Botswana,
HIV emerged from African chimpanzee transmission to humans in the first decades of the 20th century. The deadly AIDS disease was first detected among American gay men, hemophiliacs, transfusion blood recipients, and IV drug users sharing needles in the early 1980s. Since then, the rapid world-wide spread of HIV has claimed 37.2 million lives leaving some 38 million people living with HIV infection today.
Are viruses alive, not alive or something in between? And why does it matter?
NOVEMBER 1, 2021 - By Megan Scudellari - Scientists have argued for hundreds of years over how to classify viruses, says Luis Villarreal, professor emeritus at the University of California, Irvine, where he founded the Center for Virus Research. In the 1700s, viruses were believed to be poisons. In the 1800s, they were called biological particles. By the early 1900s, they’d been demoted to inert chemicals.
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FiGa Films Picks Up Brazilian AIDS Film, ‘The First Fallen’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Nov 1, 2021 - By Anna Marie de la Fuente - Miami-based sales and distribution company FiGa Films, led by Sandro Fiorin, has picked up worldwide sales rights to Brazilian AIDS inception drama “The First Fallen” (“Los Primeiros Soldados”) by Rodrigo de Oliveira.
Set to world premiere at the Mannheim-Heidelberg Int’l Film Festival, where it will also vie for the top prize, “The First Fallen” traces the beginning of the AIDS crisis in the early 1980s when the first wave of the AIDS epidemic hit Brazil.
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People with HIV with CD4 counts below 200 show weaker responses to COVID-19 vaccines
1 November 2021 - Keith Alcorn - Findings reinforce advice on third vaccine dose for people with low CD4 counts
People with CD4 counts below 200 were significantly less likely to generate strong antibody and cellular immune responses to the Pfizer or Moderna mRNA COVID-19 vaccines compared to people with better immune function, Italian researchers reported on Friday at the 18th European AIDS Conference (EACS 2021) in London.
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On International Drug Users’ Day, UNAIDS calls for action against the criminalization of people who use drugs and for community-led harm reduction programmes
GENEVA, 1 November 2021 - On International Drug Users’ Day, UNAIDS is calling for urgent action against the criminalization of people who use drugs, for the redress of criminalization’s negative effects on HIV, viral hepatitis and other health issues, for the respect of human rights and for more funding for community-led harm reduction programmes.
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