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Teleconference: AHF to Call for Halt to HIV Vaccine Funding
March 24, 2008 - WASHINGTON - In conjunction with tomorrow's HIV Vaccine Summit in Bethesda, Maryland, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) will host a press teleconference on Tuesday, March 25th at 12:15 P.M. (EDT) to call for the suspension of costly HIV vaccine research funding and the re-allocation of resources into effective HIV/AIDS prevention, testing and treatment strategies proven to save lives. The Bethesda Summit, which is scheduled to begin tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. (EDT), has been convened by the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Dr. Anthony Fauci at the urging of members of the scientific community concerned by the overall HIV vaccine funding strategy in the wake of a string of recent, highly publicized clinical trial failures.
WHAT: Press Teleconference Call - AHF to Call for Halt to HIV Vaccine Funding
WHEN: TUESDAY, March 25th 2008 12:15 p.m. Eastern
WHO: Michael Weinstein, President, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Homayoon Khanlou, M.D., Chief of Medicine/U.S., AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Tom Myers, Chief of Public Affairs and General Counsel, AIDS Healthcare Foundation
HOW: Teleconference dial in information:
Domestic: +1.877.411.9748 participant code # 7931503
Int'l: +1.636.651.3128 participant code # 7931503
In "Enough is Enough," an opinion editorial published in the Baltimore Sun this past Sunday, co-authors Homayoon Khanlou, M.D., AHF's Chief of Medicine/U.S. and Michael Weinstein, AHF's President, criticize the ballooning HIV vaccine research budget, stating that "it is time to stop the waste."
"Suspending U.S. funding for an HIV vaccine and investing in strategies that save lives and stop new infections is the wisest and most effective use of limited public resources," conclude Dr. Khanlou and Mr. Weinstein. "And with thousands of lives lost daily because people around the world lack access to proven, effective and relatively inexpensive prevention and treatment options, it is also the only moral choice."
About AHF
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is the nation's largest non-profit HIV/AIDS healthcare, research, prevention and education provider. AHF currently provides medical care and/or services to more than 65,000 individuals in 20 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean and Asia. Additional information is available at www.aidshealth.org
Contact:
AIDS Healthcare Foundation
Ged Kenslea, Communications Director
(323) 860-5225 work, (323) 791-5526 mobile
gedk@aidshealth.org
or
Lori Yeghiayan, Associate Director of Communications
(323) 860-5227 work, (323) 377-4312 mobile
lori.yeghiayan@aidshealth.org
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