National News Archives
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Across the Nation
AIDS.gov New Blog
This blog will serve as a forum to foster public
discussion on using new media effectively in the fight against HIV/AIDS. We
will focus on why AIDS.gov is using new media tools, how they work, and where to
find easy-to-understand new media resources. Join the dialogue at
http://blog.aids.gov.
Each Tuesday morning we will post information from an interview with leading new
media and HIV/AIDS professionals using new media tools. We will summarize the
interview and reflect on ways AIDS.gov and others can implement what we’ve
learned. We hope you will submit your own comments and add to the discussion.
Tracking the Presidential Candidates on Health Care
The Kaiser Family Foundation's health08.org website,
http://www.health08.org, offers resources for
following health care developments during campaign season. The website serves as
a hub of information about health and the election, including original content
produced by Kaiser and easy access to health-related resources from the
campaigns, other organizations and news outlets.
February News Links and Briefly - Across
the nation
"Pact Would Give Global AIDS Fight Triple the Money"
Washington Post , (02.28.2008) David Brown
On Tuesday, the House Foreign Affairs Committee passed a five-year, $50
billion measure reauthorizing the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS
Relief. Leaders in both parties and the White House support the bill, which more
than triples PEPFAR’s original $15 billion budget in 2003. CDC
Summary
New York Times Profiles Documentary Aimed To Help Parents Discuss Sex, HIV/AIDS
With Their Kids
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=50599
Clinton Reiterates Commitment To Invest $50B To Fight Global HIV/AIDS
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=50594
Bush Says Trip to Africa Among 'Most Exciting' of
His Presidency
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=50546
Editorials, Opinion Pieces Respond to Bush's Trip to Africa
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=50551
Antiretrovirals Becoming More Profitable for Pharmaceutical Industry, Los
Angeles Times Reports
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=50547
"State Department Drops Ban on HIV-Positive
Diplomats After Pressure from Lawsuit" Associated Press ,
(02.15.2008) Matthew Lee
On Friday, the State Department - after consulting medical experts, and in
response to a lawsuit filed by an HIV-positive job-seeker - said it no longer
bans HIV-positive people from becoming US diplomats. HIV-positive candidates for
Foreign Service will now be considered on an individual basis, along with others
who have medical ailments, to determine their ability to meet the “worldwide
availability” requirement, said the department. CDC Summary
PEPFAR Has Been 'Unbelievably Effective,' Bush Says During Visit to Ghana
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=50520
House Minority Leader Boehner Says Proposed Democratic Changes to PEPFAR
Would 'Undermine' Program
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=50297
Gates Foundation CEO Stonesifer To Step Down
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=50298
DAIDS Appoints New Director
AIDSinfo At-A-Glance Volume 4 Issue 7
Dr. Carl W. Dieffenbach
has been appointed
Director of the Division of AIDS (DAIDS), a
division of the National Institute of Allergy
and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Dr. Dieffenbach began his work with NIAID in
1992 and served as the acting principal deputy
director and acting director of DAIDS. He also
served as a senior advisor to NIAID's Director,
Dr. Anthony S. Fauci. In a press release
announcing the appointment, Dr. Fauci recognized
Dr. Dieffenbach's many accomplishments and
critical contributions in furthering the
understanding of HIV.
Full Press Release
"FDA Approves Only One HIV Home Test Kit"
Miami Herald, (02.02.2008)
The Food and Drug Administration recently issued a reminder to consumers that
there is only one FDA-approved home testing kit for HIV. Numerous unapproved HIV
tests are being marketed, the agency said, promising results in the home in 15
minutes or less. Some makers even claim FDA approval or that their facilities
are agency-licensed. The only approved test is marketed as "The Home Access
HIV-1 Test System" or "The Home Access Express HIV-1 Test System." These require
users to collect a blood specimen that is sent to a laboratory for analysis. No
FDA-approved HIV test kit allows results to be interpreted at home, regulators
said. For more information, visit
www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/hivtestkit012908.html .
"US Denies that Guantanamo Prisoner Has AIDS; Says No
Cases Ever at Prison"
Associated Press, (02.01.2008)
The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected attorney H. Candace Gorman's request for
immediate access to the medical records of her client, a Guantanamo detainee who
told her he has HIV/AIDS. Gorman said Abdul Hamid Abdul Salam Al-Ghizzawi
appeared seriously ill when she saw him in December, and that he wrote her in
January saying doctors at the military prison had diagnosed him with AIDS. Navy
Cmdr. Rick Haupt, a spokesperson for the prison, said that while for privacy
reasons he could not "get into specifics about any one detainee," he could
affirm that "no detainee has HIV or AIDS, nor have any had HIV or AIDS here at
Guantanamo." Al-Ghizzawi, one of about 275 prisoners at the facility, has been
held without charges since June 2002, said Gorman, who did not immediately
return calls seeking comment on Haupt's statement.
"Bush’s Proposed Funding for HIV/AIDS Falls Short,
NGOs Say"
Inter Press Service, (01.29.2008) Abra Pollock
President Bush's new plan to double the US commitment to fight AIDS globally to
$30 billion is being described as woefully inadequate by some rights groups. A
critical shortage of health workers in sub-Saharan Africa - where the bulk of US
AIDS money goes - and the disease's disproportionate burden on women in the
region necessitate a larger increase to the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS
Relief program (PEPFAR), they argue. CDC Summary
Democrats To Seek Changes, Boosted Funding During PEPFAR Reauthorization
Debate
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=50181
President Bush's $3T FY 2009 Budget Would Freeze Domestic Spending,
Seek Nearly $200B in Savings From Federal Health Programs AP/Houston
Chronicle
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/fe.cfm?id=8062
About 600,000 Adults Ages 18-49 Living With HIV in U.S.,
National Center for Health Statistics Data Say
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=50132
HIV/AIDS Advocates Calling for Increased Funding for PEPFAR, Investment in New
Initiatives
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=50134
National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day 2008
February 7, 2008 marks the eighth annual
National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD).
NBHAAD is a day dedicated to increasing
awareness of HIV/AIDS in the African-American
community. The goals of NBHAAD are to educate
African Americans about HIV/AIDS and how it is
transmitted, to encourage them to get tested, to
motivate HIV-infected African Americans to seek
proper treatment, and to inspire people to get
involved in their community.
Check out the new Department of Health and
Human Services' National Black HIV/AIDS
Awareness Day Web page, which includes helpful
links to sites providing information on health
disparities, HIV/AIDS statistics, and much
more--all specific to African Americans.
AIDSinfo encourages you to
participate in NBHAAD by sharing this
information with others. At-A-Glance Volume 4
Issue 6
The BET News Special Examines Stigma’s Role in the
Spread of HIV/AIDS among Blacks in the U.S. and the Caribbean
This compelling BET News Special, STIGMA: The
Silent Killer Premiers on Thursday February 7 at 8 pm to Honor Black HIV/AIDS
Awareness Day
WASHINGTON - January 30, 2007 -- BET Networks today announced plans to air
the BET News special STIGMA: THE SILENT KILLER, a half-hour show that examines
the role that stigmas have played in the spread of HIV/AIDS among people of
color in both the U.S. and the Caribbean on Thursday, February 7 at 8:00 p.m.
ET/PT. This news special coincides with the nationally-observed Black HIV/AIDS
Awareness Day (February 7), and is part of a longstanding Emmy Award-winning
public education partnership with the Kaiser Family Foundation, the "BET
Rap-It-Up" Campaign.
Examining the issue of stigma from multiple perspectives, this special news
documentary explores the challenges faced by Blacks living with HIV, as well as
the negative impact of stigma on prevention efforts. The show takes a look at
how some Black religious leaders have reacted to the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in
their communities and the position the Black church has taken in addressing the
epidemic. Additionally, the special highlights the role that media and
entertainment industries have played in encouraging stigma; and also explores
how stigma impacts personal relationships among families and HIV-positive
individuals.
BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of
business extensions:
http://www.BET.com, a leading
internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news
Across the Nation
Needle-Exchange Pilot Program in New Jersey Is 'Struggling'
To Enroll IDUs, AP/Long Island Newsday Reports
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=50598
AIDS Healthcare Foundation Sues City of Los Angeles To Stop Foreclosure of
Former AIDS Hospice
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=50573
New Mexico Adds Three Antiretrovirals to AIDS Drug Assistance Program
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=50574
Illinois Lottery Launches Game To Fund HIV/AIDS Awareness, Prevention
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=50550
Massachusetts Court of Appeals Rules MassHealth Must Review Payment
Denial for Teenager's HIV-Related Surgery
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=50524
South Dakota House Approves Legislation That Would Require People
Convicted of Intentionally Spreading HIV To Register as Sex Offenders
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=50525
New York City Health Department Conducts Review of
Bathhouses, Considers Changes Aimed at Reducing Spread of HIV
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=50495
South Carolina Senate Committee Approves Measure Removing Requirement
That School Officials Be Notified of Students'
HIV-Positive Status
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=50440
San Diego Health Officials Launch Ad Campaign To Stem Rise in Syphilis,
Other STIs
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=50441
Mass. Health Foundation Awards $270,400 for Initiative To Address Sexual
Violence, HIV/AIDS Among Women
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=50442
Volunteers From Virginia HIV/AIDS Group Lobby Legislators to Increase HIV
Prevention, Education Funds
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=50161
Needle-Exchange Pilot Program Launches in Camden, N.J.
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=50133
See See January Archives
Summaries
GLOBAL:
"Pact Would Give Global AIDS Fight Triple the Money"
Washington Post , (02.28.2008) David Brown
On Tuesday, the House Foreign Affairs Committee passed a five-year, $50 billion
measure reauthorizing the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Leaders in
both parties and the White House support the bill, which more than triples
PEPFAR’s original $15 billion budget in 2003.
The reauthorization would not require one-third of all prevention funding to be
spent on abstinence. Instead, it calls for PEPFAR’s chief to ensure “balanced
funding” and that abstinence and monogamy programs “are implemented in a
meaningful and equitable way.” PEPFAR would need to provide justification to
Congress if a country spent less than 50 percent of sexually transmitted HIV
prevention funding to promote abstinence and monogamy.
A requirement that PEPFAR recipients adopt a policy against “prostitution and
human trafficking” remains in the bill. Family planning groups would be eligible
for PEPFAR funds — so long as they were not used for birth control or abortion.
Under the measure, PEPFAR’s objectives would expand to include about $9 billion
to fight TB and malaria, which often co-infect people with AIDS in Africa. The
program would also support food supplementation for AIDS patients and
microcredit loans for women widowed by AIDS or rejected for having the disease.
By 2013, PEPFAR is expected to prevent 12 million new HIV infections; provide
antiretroviral treatment for 3 million people; provide medical and non-medical
care for 12 million people; and help train at least 140,000 new health care
workers.
The measure will likely reach the full House floor within two weeks. The Senate
Foreign Relations Committee is working on its own bipartisan PEPFAR proposal,
said a senior aide who requested anonymity because he is not an official
spokesperson.
"State Department Drops Ban on
HIV-Positive Diplomats After Pressure from Lawsuit" Associated Press
, (02.15.2008) Matthew Lee
On Friday, the State Department - after consulting medical experts, and in
response to a lawsuit filed by an HIV-positive job-seeker - said it no longer
bans HIV-positive people from becoming US diplomats. HIV-positive candidates for
Foreign Service will now be considered on an individual basis, along with others
who have medical ailments, to determine their ability to meet the “worldwide
availability” requirement, said the department.
The State Department’s chief medical officer has “revised its medical clearance
guidelines on HIV based on advances in HIV care and treatment and consultations
with medical experts,” said Gonzalo Gallegos, a department spokesperson. “The
new clearance guidelines provide that HIV-positive individuals may be deemed
worldwide available if certain medical conditions are met.”
“The new guidelines mean that candidates for Foreign Service posts who have HIV
will now be assessed on a case-by-case basis, as the law requires,” said Bebe
Anderson, project director for Lambda Legal. The gay legal organization
represented Lorenzo Taylor, the plaintiff whose 2003 lawsuit was set to go to
trial in less than two weeks.
“Now people like me who apply to the Foreign Service will not have to go through
what I did,” said Taylor, a trilingual international affairs expert whose
application was rejected after he told the department his HIV status.
Lambda said Taylor’s suit has been settled “partly due to the new guidelines.”
However, Gallegos said the policy change is not part of a settlement. “The
change simply reflects medical advances in the area of HIV care and
maintenance,” he added.
"Bush’s Proposed Funding for
HIV/AIDS Falls Short, NGOs Say"
Inter Press Service, (01.29.2008) Abra Pollock
President Bush's new plan to double the US commitment to fight AIDS globally to
$30 billion is being described as woefully inadequate by some rights groups. A
critical shortage of health workers in sub-Saharan Africa - where the bulk of US
AIDS money goes - and the disease's disproportionate burden on women in the
region necessitate a larger increase to the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS
Relief program (PEPFAR), they argue.
Introduced in 2003, PEPFAR committed $15 billion over five years ending in
fiscal 2008. Bush wants to extend the program for an additional five years at
$30 billion, increasing treatment coverage for an additional 500,000 people.
But since PEPFAR spending climbed to $6 billion in its last year, allocating $30
billion over the next five years is the equivalent to a zero increase in
funding, said Physicians for Human Rights (PHR).
Instead, rights groups are calling for a five-year commitment of $59 billion to
address not only HIV/AIDS and related diseases but also health care
infrastructures, economic empowerment for women, and basic education.
"Getting drugs on the ground is not the only answer. Making treatments available
is not the only answer," said Pat Daoust, director for PHR's Health Action AIDS
Campaign. According to the group, just 3 percent of the world's health care
workers are in sub-Saharan Africa. It is estimated that an additional 1 million
health workers are needed in the region to fully meet the needs of the
population.
"Until we address the overriding issues and make a substantial investment in
those issues, we are never going to reach the number of people that we said we
would," said Daoust.
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