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Positively Positive - Living with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS News Archive - September 2024
Biden-Harris Administration Announces $68.5 Million Awarded for Behavioral Health Education, Training and Community Programs
September 30, 2024 - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) - Providing critical funding to support of President Biden’s Unity Agenda for the Nation
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), recently awarded $68.5 million in grants that support behavioral health education, training and community programs to help address mental health and substance use conditions in support of the President’s Unity Agenda for the Nation.
CDC Statement on Marburg Cases in Rwanda
September 30, 2024 - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - CDC is aware of 26 individuals with Marburg virus disease, as confirmed by the Republic of Rwanda Ministry of Health . According to the Ministry, eight of those individuals have died. CDC is in communication with health officials in the Republic of Rwanda and across the region. To date, no cases of Marburg virus disease related to this outbreak have been reported in the United States, and the anticipated risk of Marburg virus disease to the general population in the United States is low.
Slow response to mpox a wake-up call
September 30, 2024 - Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala - Bangkok Post - In the early days of the AIDS epidemic, back in the 1980s, the virus was seen as a threat mainly to gay men.
South African husband and wife researchers Salim and Quarraisha Abdool-Karim changed that narrative with their ground-breaking research. They discovered that in South Africa, young women had a high rate of HIV. And then they did something about it.
Read more...
How HIV/AIDS got its name - the words Americans used were steeped in science, stigma, and religious language
September 30 2024 - By Anthony Petro - ADVOCATE - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention first used the term “AIDS” on Sept. 24, 1982, more than a year after the first cases appeared in medical records. Those early years of the crisis were marked by a great deal of confusion over what caused the disease, who it affected and how it spread.
But the naming itself – acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, which we now know is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV – was a milestone. How people talked about and named the AIDS crisis shaped how it was viewed and either fostered or countered a culture of stigma.
Read more...
‘America's Nobel’ goes to a power couple who made a startling discovery about HIV
September 30, 2024 - By Kate Bartlett - NPR - In the early days of the AIDS epidemic, back in the 1980s, the virus was seen as a threat mainly to gay men.
South African husband and wife researchers Salim and Quarraisha Abdool-Karim changed that narrative with their ground-breaking research. They discovered that in South Africa, young women had a high rate of HIV. And then they did something about it.
Read more...
Promising TB therapy safe for patients with HIV
SAN ANTONIO (September 27, 2024) - Texas Biomedical Research Institute - Texas Biomed researchers complete critical preclinical study to advance potential tuberculosis therapy toward human clinical trials
A therapy showing promise to help control tuberculosis (TB) does not interfere with combined antiretroviral therapy (cART), according to research by Texas Biomedical Research Institute (Texas Biomed).
“This is an important hurdle that this host-directed therapy had to clear in order to help patients battling both HIV and TB,” said Texas Biomed Professor Smriti Mehra, Ph.D., who led the study recently published in the peer-reviewed journal JCI Insight.
Why progress against HIV/AIDS has stalled among Hispanic and Latino Americans
September 27, 2024 - ByMary Kekatos - ABC NEWS - Hispanic Americans accounted for 33% of estimated new HIV infections in 2022.
While the United States has made considerable progress fighting the HIV/AIDS crisis since its peak in the 1980s, headway has not been equal among racial/ethnic groups.
Overall, HIV rates have declined in the U.S. and the number of new infections over the last five years has dropped among Black Americans and white Americans. However, Hispanic and Latino Americans have not seen the same gains.
Read more...
National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day 2024
September 27, 2024 - By Trent Straube - POZ - New HIV diagnoses among gay and bisexual men are decreasing. But this population is still disproportionately affected, notably Black and Latino men.
Friday, September 27, marks National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (#NGMHAAD) 2024. The awareness day was founded in 2008 by the now-defunct National Association for People with AIDS as a way to focus attention on the unique challenges of gay and bisexual men affected by HIV.
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Southern Nevada Health District observes National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
LAS VEGAS - September 26, 2024 - Southern Nevada Health District - September 27 observance highlights HIV testing, prevention and treatment
Friday, September 27, is National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, focusing on the continuing and disproportionate impact of HIV on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men. The Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) is calling attention to efforts to end the HIV epidemic by expanding testing, prevention, treatment, and to reducing stigma.
In 2021, an estimated 32,100 new HIV infections were reported in the United States. Clark County reported 488 new HIV diagnoses in 2022; of those, 243 were associated with male-to-male sexual contact. Approximately 1.2 million people in the U.S. have HIV, and about 13% of them are unaware of their status. From 2015 to 2019, the number of new HIV infections among gay and bisexual men in the U.S. decreased from an estimated 26,900 to 24,500. However, gay and bisexual men accounted for 67% of new HIV diagnoses in 2021.
‘Undetectable’ HIV patients could hold key to treatments
26/09/24 [JOHANNESBURG] - SciDev.Net - ‘Elite controllers’ have undetectable levels of HIV in their bodies even with no drugs
Their superior immune systems could hold the key to new treatments, vaccines
Researchers work to understand genetic factors which may be specific to Africans
A rare group of HIV-positive people who maintain undetectable levels of the virus in their blood without medication could hold the key to new therapies for others living with the disease, says a leading genome expert.
Unlike the vast majority of those infected, these so-called “elite controllers” can suppress the virus without the need for antiretroviral therapy (ART), sparking interest in how their immune systems function.
Researchers believe that studying these individuals, who represent about one in 200 of those infected with HIV, could lead to new treatments or even a cure.
Ontario study links low T-cell counts to increased risk for certain cancers in people with HIV
September 26, 2024 - Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange (CATIE) - Heightened cancer risk remains for some people with HIV despite effective HIV treatment
A 23-year Ontario study with 4,771 people with HIV found an increased risk of some cancers
Many steps (such as screening) can be taken to help lower cancer risk in people with HIV
When initiated and used as directed, HIV treatment (antiretroviral therapy, ART) greatly reduces the amount of HIV in the blood of most people within three to six months. Continued use of ART helps to keep HIV suppressed to very low levels commonly called “undetectable.” Suppression of HIV allows the immune system to mostly repair the injury caused by this virus. This effect of ART is so powerful that the risk of AIDS-related infections and cancers is greatly reduced. What’s more, researchers increasingly project that many ART users will have near-normal life expectancy.
However, ART cannot solve every issue related to HIV. For instance, chronic HIV infection is associated with persistent and elevated levels of inflammation and immune activation. By suppressing HIV levels, ART helps to decrease inflammation and immune activation, but it does not normalize them.
Remember Viatical Settlements? A New Film Brings It All Back.
Sep 26 2024 - By Mark S. King - My Fabulous Disease - Matt Nadel has quite a connection with the viatical settlement industry – the cottage industry created to purchase life insurance policies from largely gay men dying of AIDS. Based on their life expectancy, policies were purchased and a settlement offered the client, and investors collected the rest when the person died.
Matt, a gay man and filmmaker, has a father who created one of those companies. It largely paid for Matt’s upbringing, but the nature of the company wasn’t revealed to Matt by his father until only a few years ago.
That is the basis for Cashing Out, Matt’s film that takes us back to the early, ruinous days of the AIDS crisis and some of the characters involved, including those who ran the viatical companies and some surviving people living with HIV/AIDS who managed to cheat death – and the investors.
Study finds most at-risk populations for HIV discussing subject in negative, risky ways got most social media attention
LAWRENCE - 09/25/2024 - Mike Krings - KU News - The University of Kansas - As the old saying goes, bad news travels fast. Research shows that saying holds true when it comes to young men discussing HIV on social media. An analysis of viral tweets from young men and adolescents, the most at-risk group for new infections in the United States, revealed a wider propagation and greater audience engagement for tweets entailing a negative message — particularly, tweets using humor to stigmatize people or promote risky behaviors.
Adolescents and young adults account for more than 21% of new HIV infections in the United States, and most of those cases are among young men. Research from the University of Kansas analyzed how the population is discussing the topic on X, formerly Twitter, a social media platform where young people regularly create and consume information. Researchers argue understanding how the population is discussing the topic can help design more effective health campaigns to reach them.
B.C.’s HIV, AIDS rates hit historic lows 6 months ago. So why are they rising again?
September 25, 2024 - By Amy Judd & Emily Lazatin - Global News - On Dec. 1, 2023, the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS announced the virtual end of the domestic epidemic of HIV in British Columbia.
“It was a very good day,” Dr. Julio Montaner, executive director and physician-in-chief at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS said.
“That was based on the fact that the HIV transmission within the province had come down to the lowest ever in 90 per cent reduction on HIV new infections,” he said.
Read more...
China Focus: Chinese researchers isolate anti-HIV antibody from alpacas
NANJING, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) - A Chinese research team has isolated an antibody from alpacas that can effectively inhibit HIV, providing a promising avenue for the development of new anti-AIDS drugs.
The findings were recently published in the international academic journal Nature Communications.
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GLAAD Attends US Conference of HIV/AIDS and Presents Findings of the 2024 State of HIV Stigma Report
September 25, 2024 - By Tymia Ballard - GLAAD - The 2024 United States Conference on HIV/AIDS (USCHA) brought together advocates, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and community leaders from across the country for a pivotal gathering in the fight against HIV. Held in New Orleans, LA, this year’s conference emphasized the theme of Southern Joy and the urgent need to address health disparities, amplify the voices of marginalized communities, and reimagine prevention and care strategies in the Southern United States. Through dynamic panels, workshops, and networking events, participants explored innovations in treatment, the latest research developments, and the intersection of HIV with issues like racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights, and access to healthcare. USCHA 2024 was more than a conference—it was a rallying point for action, solidarity, and renewed commitment to ending the HIV epidemic.
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We launch our new peer support platform for people living with HIV – My Community
24 September 2024 - Terrence Higgins Trust - We are excited to launch My Community, Terrence Higgins Trust’s new online peer support platform.
My Community is a free online space for people living with HIV to feel supported, connect, share experiences, seek advice, find reliable information and get involved.
My Community Forum succeeded our myHIV forum in 2020 after nearly 10 years, and My Community is it’s next evolution. Through co-production, we learnt what our members needed from online peer support – something easy to access, mobile optimised, safe and engaging.
My Community is available via an app downloaded to your phone (iOS or Android) or via a web browser. It’s hosted by Mighty Networks and GDPR compliant.
“We Can Reverse Latino HIV Crisis,” Guilamo-Ramos
Newswise - WASHINGTON, D.C. - 24-Sep-2024 - By Johns Hopkins School of Nursing - White House ¡Adelante! Summit Spotlights Action, Leadership, Impact
Prof. Vincent Guilamo-Ramos, PhD RN Executive Director of the Institute for Policy Solutions (IPS) at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, joined a diverse group of leaders at the White House today to shine the spotlight on the largely invisible HIV crisis in the Latino community.
Today’s ¡Adelante! Summit! is all about moving forward together — building on extraordinary overall progress in reducing HIV infections and now shifting focus to the invisible crisis among Latinos in the United States, where overall HIV infections have increased. The good news is that we can reverse this crisis and get even closer to a United States and world without HIV/AIDS. But we must act now,” Prof. Guilamo-Ramos stressed.
September 27 is National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
September 24, 2024 - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - PrEPared is a new social marketing initiative of CDC’s Let’s Stop HIV Together
Pre-exposure prohylaxis (PrEP) is a key tool in continuing to reduce new HIV infections, and recent surveillance data from the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS) system show increases in PrEP awareness and use among a survey of gay and bisexual men although substantial racial and ethnic disparities persist. PrEPared/PrEParado aims to address these disparities.
September 27 is National Gay Men's HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NGMHAAD), a day when we reaffirm our commitment to ending the disproportionate impact of HIV on gay and bisexual men in the United States.
Recently, encouraging progress shows declines in new infections among gay and bisexual men overall, as well as among many sub-groups most affected by HIV. However, gay and bisexual men continue to be most affected by HIV. Of the 31,800 estimated new HIV infections in the United States in 2022, 67% (21,400) were among this group. In 2022, almost half (47%) of new HIV infections among gay and bisexual men were in the South, and nearly 3/4 (73%) of those were among Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino men.
Meet the Canadian who invented the way to not die of AIDS
Sep 24, 2024 - Tristin Hopper - National Post - Julio Montaner literally caused thousands of AIDS patients to rise from their death beds
This episode: We meet Julio Montaner, who literally caused thousands of AIDS patients to rise from their death beds.
Read more...
Elizabeth Taylor: Rebel Superstar - Kim Kardashian, Sharon Stone, Dame Joan Collins and contributors reflect on the new series and the legacy of Elizabeth Taylor
23 September 2024 - BBC - New three-part series explores the life and career of Elizabeth Taylor, featuring privileged access to those who knew her best
Actor, feminist, business mogul, activist: Elizabeth Taylor broke the mould and re-wrote the rules of celebrity.
In BBC Arts’ new 3-part series we hear first-hand testimony from those closest to Elizabeth, from family members to her inner circle of friends and those she inspired - revealing Taylor not only as a great actress, but a free spirit, entrepreneur and groundbreaking activist.
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From Stigma to Strength
September 23, 2024 - By Charles Sanchez - POZ - HIV advocate David Munar reflects on his 30-year journey living with the virus.
There’s something about David Munar’s smile.
As the recently named CEO of Equitas Health, one of the largest LGBTQ- and HIV-serving organizations in the country, one might expect Munar, a long-term HIV survivor, to be a bit too busy for an interview. Yet the 54-year-old gay Colombian American has a welcoming, warm smile that puts one immediately at ease, like a dear friend.
Read more...
New San Francisco Department of Public Health Report Shows HIV Diagnoses in San Francisco Decline in 2023
San Francisco, CA - September 23, 2024 - By Alicia Banks - Duke Global Health Institute -SF.GOV - New HIV diagnoses among Latino individuals declined by 46% in notable change from previous year
The San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) today released its 2023 HIV Epidemiology Annual Report, which shows that the number of new HIV diagnoses have declined in San Francisco.
In 2023, there were 133 new HIV diagnoses, a 20% decrease from 2022 when 167 diagnoses were reported. Since 2014, the number of new HIV diagnoses in San Francisco has declined by 59%, while nationally, new HIV diagnoses have only declined by 3% in the past decade.
Reasons for Concern, But Also Hope, in Global Fight to End HIV
September 20, 2024 - By Alicia Banks - Duke Global Health Institute - Duke University - Waning international funding and social factors have slowed progress on reducing new HIV infections, but panelists at a DGHI event express optimism about new treatments.
Over the past 40 years, the effort against HIV/AIDS has achieved remarkable progress, turning a disease that was nearly always fatal into one that can be managed with treatment and prevention. Despite those strides, more than 1.3 million people are infected with HIV each year, and meeting the United Nations’ ambitious goals to end AIDS by 2030 appears out of reach
“There’s a concern the enthusiasm, donor support and engagement on HIV/AIDS is threatened,” Chris Beyrer, M.D., director of the Duke Global Health Institute, said during a Think Global panel discussion on Sept. 17. “The epidemic isn’t over.”
Joy in Focus
By Chris McBain - Positive Side - PS 2024 Fall - Over time, we’ve learned that life after an HIV diagnosis can be vibrant and varied. This comes through love found and lost, career highs, and personal triumphs. These photo narratives capture moments where people have transcended their diagnoses. They reveal inspiring journeys of growth, connection, and fulfillment. They show that with support and perseverance, a profound and meaningful life awaits.
9th annual Positively Aging Project to feature Desert Hot Springs man cured of HIV
Sept. 20, 2024 - By Ema Sasic - Palm Springs Desert Sun - The ninth annual Positively Aging Project, a local conference that provides information and inspiration for those living long-term with HIV, returns Saturday with a number of speakers and panels planned, including a Desert Hot Springs man who was declared the fifth person in the world in remission of HIV.
The conference, with a theme of "LEGACY – Inspiring Stories of Living with HIV," will feature experts discussing updates in HIV research, as well as those living with HIV sharing their personal experiences. This year's keynote speaker is Waheedah Shabazz-El, a founding and advisory member of the national organization Positive Women’s Network-USA.
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Half of Black gay men will be diagnosed with HIV, despite highly effective preventive treatments – why?
September 20, 2024 - The Conversation - At a pharmacy in Iowa, a 42-year-old Black gay man couldn’t find a medication he needed. The pharmacist, a white woman, told him they didn’t stock that medication. But while he waited to pay for his other purchases, he saw another customer place the medication he just asked for on the counter.
“I felt really bad,” he said. “I think (when) people place their biases alongside their profession, it makes it difficult to access (health) services.”
One of these services include PrEP, or preexposure prophylaxis, a highly effective prescription medication that prevents the spread of HIV.
Black gay and bisexual men made up about 38% of the estimated 37,981 new HIV diagnoses in the U.S. in 2022. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that approximately 50% of these men will receive an HIV diagnosis during their lifetime.
Global Fund Report Highlights Major Strides Against HIV, TB and Malaria, Lowered Prices for Essential Medicines
GENEVA | 19 September 2024 - Global Fund - Death rate from the three diseases cut by 61% since 2002; 65 million lives saved.
Sustained progress against HIV, TB and malaria in 2023, with significant price reductions and wider access to key health products across the three diseases.
Data reveals Global Fund investments in HIV freed up capacity in health care facilities, allowing better response to other diseases.
Climate change, conflict and threats to human rights impact progress.
Investments in the fight against HIV, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria have saved a total of 65 million lives and cut the combined death rate from the three diseases by 61% since 2002, according to a new report by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
“Those are not mere numbers,” said Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund. “Each of the 65 million lives saved by our partnership is a family member, a friend, a neighbor, a teacher, a worker. Every life saved, and every infection averted, has a multiplier effect across families, communities and entire nations.”
A DAY WITH HIV
Get in the picture.
9/22/2024
A Day with HIV portrays 24 hours in the lives of people affected by HIV–and that’s all of us.
On Sunday, 22 September,
capture a moment of your day
and share your story.
On 9/22/2024 what will your picture be?
A Day with HIV is a social media-driven campaign that portrays 24 hours in the lives of people all over the world affected by HIV—that’s all of us, regardless of status. On Sunday, 22 September, photograph a moment of your day—it can be a selfie, an action photo or an artful image. Post the picture to your social media with the hashtag #adaywithhiv; add a caption that includes the TIME and LOCATION of your photo and what INSPIRED you to take it.
Every year, A Day with HIV coincides with the autumnal equinox—one of only two days of the year when day and night are the same length. It signifies balance; in some ancient cultures, the equinox also signaled a time for change. What better day to take your best shot against stigma?
Young people living with HIV urge world leaders to partner with them in the AIDS response
NEW YORK/GENEVA, 19 September 2024 - UNAIDS - With support from UNAIDS, two young social media influencers living with HIV are on their way to the United Nations General Assembly and the Summit of the Future in New York to urge world leaders to partner with them in the response to HIV. Ibanomonde Ngema from South Africa and Jerop Limo from Kenya will call on leaders to invest in youth-friendly health systems, provide holistic services for young people living with HIV, and to partner with young people and communities, allowing them to lead in the response to HIV.
“Young people’s powerful and vibrant activism has driven so much of the progress made in the HIV response,” said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “They know what works for them. It is essential for leaders to listen to them to understand the specific challenges that young people face and how those challenges can be overcome. Leaders can only successfully plan how to end AIDS and sustain the advances made by partnering with young people living with HIV.”
New UNAIDS report shows that the debt crisis is choking sub-Saharan Africa, leaving health and HIV services chronically underfunded
GENEVA, 19 September 2024 - UNAIDS - Growing public debt is choking sub-Saharan African countries, leaving them with little fiscal room to finance health and critical HIV services. A new report by UNAIDS, Domestic revenues, debt relief and development aid: Transformative pathways for ending AIDS by 2030 Eastern and Southern Africa | Western and Central Africa , shows that the debt crisis is putting in jeopardy progress made towards ending AIDS.
Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for the largest number of people living with HIV, with more than 25.9 million people of the 39.9 million living with HIV globally. The region’s success in having reduced new HIV infections by 56% since 2010 will not be sustained if fiscal space is constrained.
The report, released ahead of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, shows that the combination of growing public debt payments and spending cuts set out in International Monetary Fund agreements in the next three to five years will, if unaddressed, leave countries dangerously under resourced to fund their HIV responses.
Meet Evan Bachner, who at 67 will participate in his 18th AIDS bike ride from Boston to New York
September 19 2024 - By John Casey - ADVOCATE - The annual Cycle for the Cause ride starts Thursday in Boston and ends Sunday in NYC.
Almost 30 years ago, what was known as the AIDS Ride began in the Northeast and was a bike trek from Boston to New York City in response to the AIDS epidemic. The ride, now known as Cycle for the Cause, was started in 1995 in response to the AIDS epidemic. The journey has continued every year since, raising funds and awareness to work toward ending HIV and AIDS.
Perhaps there is no one more dedicated to the ride than Evan Bachner, 68, who has done it 17 times over the last 29 years.
Read more...
The Privilege, and Price, of Aging With HIV #NHAAD
September 18, 2024 - By Shawn Decker - POZ - I actually loved the thought of an after-life, living without a body marred by medical mayhem seemed kind of cool. Still does, actually.
Another National HIV/AIDS Aging Awareness Day (September 18, officially) is here and, alas, I am one year closer to age 50. These days my overall health is on the front burner in a way that it hasn’t been since I started on HIV medications at age 23.
Read more...
September 18 is National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day
September 18, 2024 - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - CDC encourages people aged 50 or older to get tested for HIV
CDC and HRSA are committed to addressing the health and basic needs of people aging with HIV on this National HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. Please help us to promote this special day by sharing CDC’s digital toolkit and by using the hashtag #NHAAD.
September 18 is National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day (NHAAD) , a day that brings attention to older people with HIV. Currently more than 50% of Americans with HIV are 50 or older. Since its inception in 2008, NHAAD has been a day to raise awareness about HIV, address stigma and barriers to care, improve the life of older people with HIV, and encourage people aged 50 or older to get tested and know their status. People with HIV are now able to live long, full lives because of highly effective treatments.
Older Americans with HIV are likely to have at least one chronic health condition. These conditions can include cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis. Chronic inflammation caused by HIV can increase the risk of some of these conditions. For example, more than half of the cohort aged 50 or older from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) HIV Outpatient Study (HOPS) had a heart age at least 10 years older than their actual age. And people with HIV aged 60 or older have on average four co-occurring, non-AIDS-related chronic co-morbidities, which is higher than the non-HIV population in the U.S.1 Disability is more common in older adults with HIV than in the general population as well, affecting an estimated six of every 10 people with HIV aged 65 or older, and half aged 45-64
Global Fund Provides Nearly US$10 Million for DRC’s Mpox Response
GENEVA | 18 September 2024 - Global Fund - At the request of the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (the Global Fund) is supporting the country with US$9.5 million for its emergency mpox response in six of the highest transmission provinces: Equateur, Sud-Ubangui, Sankuru, Tshopo, Sud-Kivu, Nord-Kivu, as well as in Kinshasa, a province with a high population density and 17 million people.
DRC is currently battling the largest mpox epidemic in the world with 5,160 confirmed cases and 25 deaths since the beginning of this year. The World Health Organization (WHO) says testing coverage in DRC remains low due to limited testing capacity and availability, and the number of suspected cases is around five times the number of laboratory-confirmed cases.
The Positive Side is back!
September 17, 2024. - The Positive Side - Health and wellness magazine for people living with HIV.
The Positive Side is back! If it seems different from before, that ’s because it is. Since the last issue in July 2022, CATIE received a grant to reimagine this publication through a community-centred lens.
NIH Releases Mpox Research Agenda
September 17, 2024. - National Institutes of Health (NIH) - Plan Will Advance Knowledge of Virus Biology to Improve Detection, Treatment and Prevention
As part of the U.S. government response to the current mpox outbreak , the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has released an update on its priorities for mpox researchPDF. The NIAID mpox research agenda focuses on four key objectives: increasing knowledge about the biology of all clades—also known as strains—of the virus that causes mpox, including how the virus is transmitted and how people’s immune systems respond to it; evaluating dosing regimens of current vaccines to stretch the vaccine supply and developing novel vaccine concepts; advancing existing and novel treatments, including antivirals and monoclonal antibodies; and supporting strategies for detecting the virus to facilitate clinical care and epidemiological surveillance.
Antimicrobial resistance emerges as a bigger killer in Africa than malaria, HIV or TB
17 September 2024 - Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance- Antimicrobial resistance is a ‘silent pandemic’ threatening the lives of millions on the African continent, says new report.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has emerged as a bigger killer in Africa than malaria, HIV or tuberculosis – till now the three major causes of death on the continent. In 2019, AMR was linked to around 55,000 deaths from HIV and 30,000 from malaria. According to a Lancet study, in 2019 there were an estimated 1.05 million deaths associated with bacterial AMR and 250,000 deaths directly attributable to bacterial AMR in the WHO African region.
Although AMR is a global crisis, sub-Saharan Africa carries by far the highest burden with 23.7 deaths per 100,000 people, compared to 5 per 100,000 in North America, for instance. Notably, AMR-related deaths are rising in sub-Saharan Africa as HIV/AIDS and malaria deaths are falling.
The stark realities of this crisis is detailed in a landmark report published in August 2024 by the Africa CDC (Centres for Disease Control and Prevention), a public health agency of the African Union (AU). The AU consulted with a series of experts in public health, microbiology and veterinary medicine to form an African perspective on the issue.
The key to fighting viruses: Understanding their structure is vital to unlock a healthy future for humanity
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - September 17, 2024. - Purdue University - New grant co-led by Purdue University researcher takes aim at vaccines for emerging tick- and mosquito-borne viruses, including West Nile and dengue fever
One of the first things the general of any army does before a battle is scout the terrain. Without seeing and understanding the battlefield, the issues of tactics, strategy and supply are moot.
It’s the same when doctors, researchers and epidemiologists fight any virus: The physical structure of its molecules dictate how a virus infects people and moves through their bodies as well as how to formulate effective vaccines and treatments.
That physical structure is precisely the expertise of molecular virologist Richard Kuhn, the Trent and Judith Anderson Distinguished Professor of Science in Purdue University’s College of Science and the Krenicki Family Director of the Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease. He is harnessing that expertise in partnership with a new multicenter grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The effort, led by viral expert Michael Diamond of the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, alongside Kuhn, is part of NIAID’s new Research and Development of Vaccines and Monoclonal Antibodies for Pandemic Preparedness (ReVAMPP) network.
Scientists at The Wistar Institute Clone Several New Anti-Interferon Antibodies, Developing Future Therapeutic Candidates with Broad Application Potential
PHILADELPHIA — (September 16, 2024) — The Wistar Institute —Honored as the Top Read in the September 15 Issue of the Journal of Immunology
New research from The Wistar Institute’s Montaner lab — led by Wistar Executive Vice President, director of the HIV Cure and Viral Disease Center, and Herbert Kean, M.D., Family Professor, Luis Montaner, D.V.M., D.Phil. — has successfully isolated and cloned fully human antibodies that can block specific Type-I interferon molecules in vitro; their discovery has an array of potential clinical & research applications, enabling scientists with a new way to investigate the role of specific Type-I interferons in a variety of diseases. The work, published in the paper “Cloning and functional characterization of novel human neutralizing anti-interferon-alpha and anti-interferon-beta antibodies,” has been honored as the Top Read in the September 15 issue of the Journal of Immunology.
How the Elton John AIDS Foundation is providing vital HIV support to youth in Kenya
16 SEPTEMBER 2024 - Written by Sarah Creighton Keogh. - GCN (Gay Community News) - The Elton John AIDS Foundation is working with Zipline and the Kisumu County government to tackle HIV in Kenya.
The Elton John AIDS Foundation, established in 1992, is one of the world’s leading independent organisations dedicated to combating AIDS. In partnership with Zipline, a logistics company, and the Kisumu County government in Kenya, the Foundation is delivering HIV medication and testing kits to key areas across the country.
Kenya has the third largest HIV epidemic globally, with around 1.7 million people living with HIV. Furthermore, 42% of new HIV cases occur in young people aged 15 to 24.
With the new program, medical providers in Kenya will be able to order supplies directly from Zipline, where delivery can take as little as half an hour. The initiative is designed to support over 14,000 young people in regular HIV testing, help 8,000 at-risk adolescents begin PrEP, and provide treatment for over 1,000 youth living with HIV.
New study increases understanding of HIV drug’s negative effects on the brain
Sep 16, 2024 - UMBC: University Of Maryland, Baltimore County - Efavirenz is an important drug for treating HIV infection, but it has negative effects that can significantly impact patients’ quality of life over time. It causes neuropsychiatric disorders and neurocognitive impairment in roughly 50 percent of patients. The drug is associated with abnormal lipid levels in blood plasma, but the molecular mechanisms responsible for negative clinical observations are unknown.
A new study in ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science led by chemistry Ph.D. student Nav Raj Phulara, used a novel combination approach to increase understanding of the relevant mechanisms. First, tissue imaging showed that Efavirenz alters lipid metabolism in mouse brains. Next, the researchers investigated all of the proteins present in the mouse brain sections and found that Efavirenz downregulates certain enzymes. All of these changes could be responsible for the drug’s negative neuropsychiatric effects. If proven so, new drugs could potentially be developed to block the negative activity of Efavirenz while allowing its positive effects to continue.
Denial: The Hidden Link Connecting Mpox, COVID-19, HIV/AIDS
Sep 16 2024 - By Robert Pearl, M.D. - Forbes - In the late 1970s and early ‘80s, a mysterious illness spread through America’s overlooked communities, mainly affecting intravenous drug users and homosexual men.
The disease, which caused a sudden and devastating collapse of the immune system, was unlike anything doctors had seen before. Patients arrived at hospitals with rare infections like Kaposi’s sarcoma and fungal pneumonia.
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Professor Lewin honoured with Doctorate from Aarhus University
14 SEP 2024 - World Health Organization - The University of Melbourne’s Professor Sharon Lewin AO, Director of the Doherty Institute, has been awarded an Honorary Doctor of Medicine (Honoris Causa) by Aarhus University in Denmark. This prestigious recognition celebrates her significant contributions and leadership in the field of medicine.
Renowned globally for her pioneering work in HIV cure research, Professor Lewin is also an esteemed infectious diseases physician and the immediate past president of the International AIDS Society (IAS). Her research has been instrumental in establishing laboratory models to study HIV latency and developing innovative assays to measure the viral reservoir, significantly advancing the global understanding and clinical management of HIV.
Distinguished academics, university representatives and dignitaries gathered to honour the remarkable scholars at a ceremony held as part of Aarhus University’s 96th anniversary celebrations.
WHO prequalifies the first vaccine against mpox
13 September 2024 - The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity - The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced the MVA-BN vaccine as the first vaccine against mpox to be added to its prequalification list.
The prequalification approval is expected to facilitate timely and increased access to this vital product in communities with urgent need, to reduce transmission and help contain the outbreak. WHO’s assessment for prequalification is based on information submitted by the manufacturer, Bavarian Nordic A/S, and review by the European Medicines Agency, the regulatory agency of record for this vaccine.
Palm Springs AIDS Memorial Task Force Shares New Memorial Design
PALM SPRINGS, CA (September 12, 2024) - Palm Springs AIDS Memorial Task Force - Palm Springs AIDS Memorial - Design was influenced by community input
The Palm Springs AIDS Memorial Task Force shared information and new renderings of the proposed Memorial that will be installed in the Downtown Park in Palm Springs. The new design, created pro bono by award-winning artist Phillip K. Smith III, encompasses many suggestions contributed by the community during a series of input-gathering sessions held earlier this year. At those sessions, participants expressed a desire that the new Memorial design would communicate hope, loss, grief, gratitude, and love, among other concepts and emotions.
Understanding the resurgence of mpox
September 12, 2024 - SCOPE - Stanford Medine - Stanford University - Mpox has returned as a significant global health concern in recent months.
A relative of smallpox, mpox (formerly called monkeypox) has circulated in Central and West African countries for decades. In the last few years, a new offshoot of the virus emerged which spread more readily through close person-to-person contact.
In the summer of 2022, the World Health Organization declared mpox a "public health emergency of international concern" as it quickly spread through countries where it had not been seen before -- mainly via sexual contact between men. By May of 2023, cases had declined globally, and the WHO's declaration ended. While cases continued to occur in smaller numbers, the disease became endemic and was contained through public health measures.
Now, a new subtype, known as clade 1b, is spreading rapidly through Central and East Africa, prompting the WHO on Aug. 4 to once again declare it a public health emergency of international concern.
Francisco Ruiz is bringing his truth to national HIV/AIDS policy
September 12, 2024 - Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health - Francisco Ruiz, DrPH ’25, is drawing on his lived experiences in his work on national HIV/AIDS policy.
Prior to being appointed director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy in April, Francisco Ruiz spent a decade leading the National Partnerships Team within the Division of HIV Prevention at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He spoke with Harvard Chan Magazine about his plans for accelerating HIV response and prioritizing equity in his new role, and how his identities as a Latino son of immigrants and a person living with HIV inform his work.
Progress Toward Achieving National HIV/AIDS Strategy Goals for Quality of Life Among Persons Aged ≥ 50 Years with Diagnosed HIV — Medical Monitoring Project, United States, 2017–2023
September 12, 2024 - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - What is already known about this topic?
The U.S. National HIV/AIDS Strategy set 2025 goals for improving quality of life among persons with diagnosed HIV (PWH), monitored through five indicators: self-rated health, unmet needs for mental health services, unemployment, hunger or food insecurity, and unstable housing or homelessness. Among the growing population of PWH aged ≥50 years, progress toward these goals has not been assessed.
What is added by this report?
By 2022, no 2025 goal was met for PWH aged ≥50 years. If recent trends continue, goals are unlikely to be met. Although no goal was met for PWH aged ≥50 years overall, the goal for reducing hunger or food insecurity was met for those aged ≥65 years.
Biden-Harris Administration Issues Proposed Rule to Expand Access to Life-Saving Organs for People with HIV
September 12, 2024 - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) - Proposal to Remove Clinical Research Requirements for Transplantation of Kidneys and Livers from Donors with HIV
Today, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), announce a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to amend the regulations implementing the National Organ Transplant Act of 1984.
“All across this country there are HIV-positive Americans who need an organ transplant and HIV-positive Americans who are ready and willing to donate. Unfortunately, the process of approving those transplants is too slow and too few transplant centers participate due to burdensome requirements, resulting in unnecessary suffering for all involved,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “Our new policy removes these requirements for HIV-positive kidney and liver transplants and will expand access to organ transplantation for people with HIV and increase overall transplant volumes for all Americans irrespective of their HIV status. This is another important step by the Biden-Harris Administration to reduce stigma and health disparities around organ transplantation, and lower health care costs for Americans.”
Live with Kaye Hayes at #USCHA2024: Federal HIV Programs and Taking a Syndemic Approach
September 12, 2024 - HIV gov - OIDP's Kaye Hayes and HRSA's Heather Hauck join us following the Federal Institute session during Day 2 of #2024USCHA. During this session, the Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy (OIDP) brought together federal partners to discuss key federal HIV programs and efforts to implement a syndemic approach to addressing the HIV epidemic in the United States.
Live from #2024USCHA: This Year’s Theme of #SouthernJoy
September 12, 2024 - HIV gov - On the first day of USCHA 2024, the Southern AIDS Coalition’s Dafina Ward and NMAC’s Harold Phillips spoke to DeputWy Assistant Secretary for Infectious Disease Kaye Hayes about Southern Joy. They shared their perspectives on what it meant to be in the South, celebrating the region and recognizing the challenges it faces to end the HIV epidemic.
The Reunion Project and National Working Positive Coalition Present: “Long-Term Survivors: Sharing Wisdom & Shaping Legacies”
CHICAGO, Sept. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- THE REUNION PROJECT - Two-Day Forum in Chicago Illuminates Key Findings and Future Directions for HIV Support
The Reunion Project, in collaboration with the National Working Positive Coalition (NWPC), the Chicago Department of Public Health, Loyola University Chicago, and the Third Coast CFAR, is pleased to announce the release of its comprehensive report on the recent town hall forum, "Long-Term Survivors: Sharing Wisdom & Shaping Legacies," held on May 17-18, 2024, in Chicago. The forum marked a significant homecoming for The Reunion Project, returning to its roots in Chicago, where the initiative first launched in 2015. This pivotal event brought together HIV long-term survivors (LTS), older adults living with HIV, and key stakeholders from across the region to share insights, network, and collaborate on improving the quality of life for this resilient community.
GLAAD RELEASES 5th STATE OF HIV STIGMA REPORT
New York, New York – Thursday, September 12, 2024 - GLAAD - HOLLYWOOD FALLS SHORT IN REPRESENTING PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV, HIV STIGMA DECLINES AMID GEN Z KNOWLEDGE GAP, GLAAD’S FIFTH ANNUAL STATE OF HIV STIGMA REPORT FINDS
Knowledge of HIV is mostly stable in the U.S. and in the U.S. South over 5 years, with nearly 90% of Americans knowing something about HIV.
Gen Z continues to be among the least knowledgeable generations about HIV.
Seeing more stories of people living with HIV in media is key to combating HIV stigma.
GLAAD, the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, today released the findings of its fifth annual State of HIV Stigma Report. The Report, which remains the only report of its kind to track Americans’ knowledge, attitudes and sentiment around HIV and HIV stigma.
PCH Associate Professor Donaldson Conserve has been awarded dual R01 grants from NINR and NIAID
September 12, 2024 - Milken Institute School of Public Health | The George Washington University - Donaldson Conserve has been awarded a 5-year grant from the National Institute of Nursing Research for a project titled “Implementation of an HIV Status Neutral Nurse-Led Intervention to Increase Equity in Clinical Outcomes for Male HIV Self-Testers in Tanzania”. This project addresses the critical need for heterosexual men in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) to receive HIV care, including antiretroviral therapy (ART) and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), following an HIV self-test (HIVST). Heterosexual men in SSA are at high risk for HIV acquisition but test at lower rates than women and experience inadequate linkages to HIV care following a self-test. The project aims to evaluate the effect of an adapted nurse-led intervention on ART or PrEP initiation and retention for male self-testers and explore the facilitators and barriers to implementing the intervention. Dr. Conserve will be collaborating with Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Population Council, BRIDGE Africa, and Yale University. Read more regarding his award.
Triple Antibody Therapy Shows Promise for Long-Lasting HIV Control
Newswise- September 12, 2024 - BYLINE: Jacqueline Mitchell - Beth Israel Lahey Health - Antibody cocktail could replace daily ART therapy with biannual shots for people living with HIV
In a study of 12 participants, researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) have demonstrated that a cocktail of three broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAb) successfully suppressed virus in people living with HIV. A subset of participants also demonstrated long-term control of the virus months after antibody levels declined to low or undetectable. The findings are published in Nature Medicine.
“Our data suggest that the triple bNAb cocktail can lead to virologic control for a prolonged period of time in most people living with HIV following ART discontinuation,” said co-corresponding author Dan H. Barouch, MD, PhD, director of the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at BIDMC. “Larger studies are planned based on these results.”
Gilead’s Twice-Yearly Lenacapavir for HIV Prevention Reduced HIV Infections by 96% and Demonstrated Superiority to Daily Truvada® in Second Pivotal Phase 3 Trial
FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)- September 12, 2024 - Gilead- – 99.9% of Participants Did Not Acquire HIV Infection in the Lenacapavir Group, w ith 2 Incident Cases Among 2,180 Participants –
– PURPOSE 2 Trial Results for Cisgender Men and Gender-Diverse People Add to the Body of Evidence for the Investigational Use of Lenacapavir for HIV Prevention –
– Gilead Stopped the Blinded Phase of the Trial at Interim Analysis and Will Offer Open-Label Lenacapavir to All Participants –
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) today announced the results of an interim analysis from a second pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial investigating the use of the company’s twice-yearly injectable HIV-1 capsid inhibitor, lenacapavir. Lenacapavir reduced HIV infections by 96% compared to background HIV incidence (bHIV). There were 2 incident cases among 2,180 participants, corresponding to 99.9% of participants not acquiring HIV infection in the lenacapavir group. Twice-yearly lenacapavir also demonstrated superiority to once-daily Truvada ® (emtricitabine 200 mg and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300 mg; F/TDF).
HIV patients who lose short-term financial incentives to receive care don’t fare worse after payments cease
September 12, 2024 - By Sheila Kaplan - School of Public Health | University of California, Berkeley) - Despite the breakthroughs in HIV prevention, there are still about 39 million people around the world living with the disease. Many of these individuals can live long, productive lives, as long as they remain in treatment. But in many parts of the world HIV-positive people face tough barriers to medical care.
Sandra McCoy, professor of epidemiology at UC Berkeley School of Berkeley Public Health, studies how small, short-term incentives like money or gifts can be used to nudge people to remain in HIV care.
In a study published August 1 in Lancet HIV, McCoy’s team answered a longstanding question about short-term financial incentives: Once the money stops, are patients less likely to continue medical care than they would have been had they never received incentives at all?
Stigma around those living with HIV is declining, but maybe not for the reasons you'd think: report
September 12 2024 - by Alex Cooper - ADVOCATE - More needs to be done to stop stigma toward those living with HIV, including producing more stories featuring those living with HIV, a new report from GLAAD said.
GLAAD released its annual State of HIV Stigma report Thursday, which tracks knowledge, attitudes, and sentiment around HIV and HIV stigma across the U.S.
Among GLAAD’s findings was that most Americans know something about HIV, Gen Z knows the least out of the generations, and fewer people believe there is stigma around living with HIV.
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Your Best Bet for Avoiding Illness from Flu and COVID-19? Getting Vaccinated.
September 11, 2024 - By Patti Zielinski - Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - An infectious disease expert at Rutgers Health explains the importance of getting crucial shots this fall
Between Oct. 1, 2023 and June 15 of this year, about 35 million to 65 million people contracted the flu, with hundreds of thousands hospitalized and 25,000 to 72,000 deaths, including 197 children, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The CDC also estimates that in 2023 more than 916,300 people were hospitalized for COVID-19 and about 75,500 people died.
Mid-September to late October is the optimal window for people to receive the updated flu and COVID-19 vaccinations to protect against severe illness this fall and winter, said David Cennimo, an infectious disease expert at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.
Dooley’s TB research receives MERIT Award from the NIH
September 11, 2024 - By: Paul Govern - VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER - Researchers must continually chase funding for their work. Kelly Dooley’s prestigious award from the NIH is intended to help provide respite from that chase.
Kelly Dooley, MD, PhD, MPH, Addison B. Scoville Jr. Professor of Medicine and director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, has received a MERIT Award (Method to Extend Research in Time Award) from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
According to the NIH, MERIT Awards provide long-term grant support to investigators “whose research competence and productivity are distinctly superior and who are highly likely to continue to perform in an outstanding manner.”
An antidiabetic helps the immune system recognize reservoirs of HIV
10-Sep-2024 - UNIVERSITY OF MONTREAL HOSPITAL RESEARCH CENTRE (CRCHUM) - Researchers at Université de Montréal’s affiliated hospital research centre, the CRCHUM, say the discovery could help lessen and even eliminate viral loads in people undergoing antiretroviral therapy.
Metformin, a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes, could help deplete the viral reservoir and eliminate it entirely in people living with HIV who receive antiretroviral therapy, Canadian researchers say in a new study.
The RNA Revolution: From dark matter to major therapeutic breakthroughs
BC-CfE webinar Learning Series Event
This webinar will be presented by: Dr. Amber Paulson, PhD.
Cost: Free Registration
Wednesday, September 25, 2024, 12:00 – 1:00 PM (PST).
In person location: Cullen Family Lecture Theatre, Room 1477, Providence, Level 1. St. Paul’s Hospital, 1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver BC.
Presentations will be followed by a discussion where participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and receive real-time responses from presenters.
Emergency department screening more than doubles detection of syphilis cases
September 10, 2024 - National Institutes of Health (NIH) - NIH-supported study shows potential of strategy to reach people with and without symptoms.
Providing optional syphilis tests to most people seeking care at a large emergency department led to a dramatic increase in syphilis screening and diagnosis, according to a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-supported study of nearly 300,000 emergency department encounters in Chicago. Most people diagnosed had no symptoms, which suggests that symptom-based testing strategies alone could miss opportunities to diagnose and treat people with syphilis. The results were published today in the journal Open Forum Infectious Diseases.
Zeroing in on vaginal microbes that most increase HIV risk
September 9, 2024 - By Sabrina Richards - Fred Hutch News Service - Fred Hutch Cancer Center - Signature combination of BV bacteria and immune proteins associated with highest risk could help guide prevention
Nearly two-thirds of new HIV infections in sub-Saharan Africa occur in women, and a woman’s vaginal microbiome can influence her risk. In particular, an overgrowth of bacteria called bacterial vaginosis, or BV, raises HIV risk.
But not all BV-associated microbes raise HIV risk to the same degree. New work, published today in The Journal of Infectious Diseases, Fred Hutch Cancer Center scientists and a team of investigators from around the world report 14 BV-associated bacteria — and one immune protein — that put women at highest risk of HIV infection.
“The findings have several implications, particularly for prevention,” said Fred Hutch microbiologist David Fredricks, MD, whose lab helped to generate the data used in the study. “These markers could be used in risk stratification, for identifying women at highest risk of acquiring HIV.”
National African Immigrant and Refugee HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis Awareness Day 2024
September 9, 2024 - By Laura Schmidt - POZ - 10 things to know about #NAIRHHADay and addressing HIV, AIDS and hepatitis B inequities among African immigrant communities in the U.S.
Monday, September 9, is National African Immigrant and Refugee HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis Awareness Day (#NAIRHHADay) 2024. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the event. It is a chance to address HIV, AIDS and hepatitis B inequities among African immigrant communities in the United States and to advocate for resources and funding to foster healthier communities.
This year’s NAIRHHA Day includes a webinar at 4 p.m. ET September 9 titled “Addressing HIV/AIDS & Hepatitis B Inequities among African Immigrant Communities in the US: A Conversation with State and Local Partners.”
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2nd mpox vaccine dose still needed by Canadians at risk: public health
Sep 06, 2024 - By Nicole Ireland - The Canadian Press - CBC -A second dose of mpox vaccine offers strongest immunity, Canada's top public health doctor says
Public health agencies are encouraging people who received a first dose of mpox vaccine over the last two years to make sure they get a second dose.
Many people at risk for mpox exposure got vaccinated in Canada beginning in spring 2022, when a global outbreak of the virus was declared, Canada's chief public health officer said in a recent interview with The Canadian Press.
But a lot of them never got a second dose, which is recommended at least 28 days after the first shot.
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Using GPS data to deliver HIV interventions to people who need them most
September 6, 2024 - By Grace Niewijk - UChicago Medicine - Black sexually minoritized men and transgender women face disproportionately high HIV rates in the U.S., with 50% of Black sexually minoritized men predicted to contract HIV by the age of 49.
Unfortunately, these groups also face significant barriers to accessing HIV prevention and treatment, such as geographic disparities, limited neighborhood resources, and HIV-related stigma and discrimination.
A recent study led by researchers at the University of Chicago Medicine used GPS data to identify venues in the Chicago area where public health experts can most effectively reach Black sexually minoritized men and transgender women with HIV interventions.
On a mission to cure HIV: Christian Gaebler receives ERC Starting Grant
05.09.2024 - Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin - Prof. Christian Gaebler, an HIV researcher at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, has a goal: to develop treatments that cure HIV infection in patients or prompt the immune system to keep the virus in check in the long term, even without medications. To that end, Gaebler plans to conduct a detailed study of patients who are already living without medication. His research project has now persuaded the European Research Council (ERC), which has awarded him about 1.5 million euros in funding under an ERC Starting Grant.
Advances in HIV treatment allow people with the virus to lead largely normal lives these days. However, they have to continue taking antiretroviral drugs, a special type of medications that suppress viral replication. “Antiretroviral therapy can’t cure HIV infection because the virus hides inside immune cells,” explains Christian Gaebler, head of a lab at the Department of Infectious Diseases and Critical Care Medicine at Charité and the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité (BIH). “These hiding spots are called viral reservoirs. They explain why the virus resumes multiplying within a few weeks after the medications are discontinued.”
’Mismatched guidance’ on pulling COVID vaccines ahead of updated shots raises concern
Sep 05, 2024 - By Hannah Alberga - TORONTO SUN - As several provinces get rid of their existing COVID-19 vaccine supplies to make way for updated shots expected in the fall, pharmacists and some doctors say the move raises questions about gaps in vaccine access and government messaging.
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Harm Reduction Restrictions and Budget Cuts Cause HIV to Spread in West Virginia
September 5, 2024 - By Laura Schmidt - POZ - Local health departments lack the resources to offer harm reduction programs, test for HIV and connect people to treatment.
About five years after an HIV outbreak linked to opioid use in rural West Virginia made national headlines, health departments in the state say they are working with scarce funding and resources to test for HIV and connect those living with the virus to lifesaving treatment, the Bluefield Daily Telegraph reports.
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What you need to know about the latest mpox outbreak
(SACRAMENTO) September 4, 2024 - By Tricia Tomiyoshi - UC Davis Health - Infectious diseases expert answers questions about a more severe and deadly type of the virus formerly called monkeypox
Mpox clade I, one of two types of the virus formerly called monkeypox, is spreading quickly in Africa. Mpox clade I causes more severe illness and death than the other type – mpox clade 2. More than 18,000 cases have been reported this year, many of them children. At least 600 deaths have been reported.
The World Health Organization declared a public health emergency of international concern last month, due to the rapid spread of mpox clade 1.
Mpox clade 1 is believed to be more infectious and more deadly than mpox clade 2, which caused the global outbreak in 2022 and 2023.
We asked Dean Blumberg, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at UC Davis Children’s Hospital, p;to answer questions about this latest outbreak.
How HIV/AIDS got its name - the words Americans used for the crisis were steeped in science, stigma and religious language
September 4, 2024 - Anthony Petro, Boston University - The Conversation - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention first used the term “AIDS” on Sept. 24, 1982, more than a year after the first cases appeared in medical records. Those early years of the crisis were marked by a great deal of confusion over what caused the disease, who it affected and how it spread.
But the naming itself – acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, which we now know is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV – was a milestone. How people talked about and named the AIDS crisis shaped how it was viewed and either fostered or countered a culture of stigma.
World Sexual Health Day - Actions needed to limit the spread of sexually transmitted infections in Europe
4 Sep. 2024 - European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) - On World Sexual Health Day, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) will publish a comprehensive review that underscores the urgent need to improve monitoring data and enhance targeted prevention interventions across Europe.
The study provides evidence-based prevalence estimates for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Europe and identifies population groups at greatest risk of contracting these infections.
STIs, which are among the most commonly reported infections globally, remain a significant public health challenge in the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA) where around 300 000 new diagnoses of bacterial STIs are reported annually by the Member States.
Yet this number is an underestimate of the real dimension of STI epidemics in the EU/EEA due to differences in national surveillance system coverage, and variations in testing practices and reporting.
NIH awards will support innovation in syphilis diagnostics
September 3, 2024 - National Institutes of Health - A new study has uncovered empirical evidence that shows the importance of taking a holistic approach to addressing HIV risk factors
The National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has awarded grants for 10 projects to improve diagnostic tools for congenital and adult syphilis—conditions currently diagnosed with a sequence of tests, each with limited precision. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that adult and congenital syphilis cases increased by 80% and 183% respectively between 2018 and 2022—a crisis that prompted the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a national taskforce(link is external) to respond to the epidemic.
“Syphilis antibiotics work, but antiquated testing makes it very difficult to ensure that people are appropriately diagnosed and fully treated,” said NIAID Director Jeanne M. Marrazzo, M.D., M.P.H. “Advanced diagnostics could streamline syphilis care and also enhance our ability to measure the efficacy of candidate syphilis vaccines and other prevention modalities.”
New Study Reveals Relationship Between HIV Risk Factors for LGBTQ+ Youth
September 3, 2024 - University of Connecticut - Initiative to simplify testing process for an accelerated public health response.
A new study has uncovered empirical evidence that shows what researchers have long suspected about HIV risk – that having multiple risk factors is much worse than having only one.
Pablo Kokay Valente, assistant professor of allied health sciences in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR) led this study in collaboration with Ryan Watson, associate professor, and Lisa Eaton, professor, both in the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences. The study was recently published in the American Journal of Public Health.
CTV National News: HIV research in Sask.
Sept. 1, 2024 - CTV National News - Researchers with the University of Regina are looking to improve the lives of those living with HIV. Allison Bamford has more.
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