HIV-AIDS News

HIV key enzyme structure is determined (AEGiS.org)

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 01:18:19 GMT

HIV key enzyme structure is determined

United Press International - February 8, 2010

http://www.aegis.org/news/upi/2010/UP100205.html

The study's lead author, Dr Peter Cherepanov of Imperial College London, said the precise structure of the enzyme called "integrase" was determined by growing a crystal using integrase from a retrovirus called the Prototype Foamy Virus that scientists believe is very similar to the human immunodeficiency virus.

Growing the crystal required 40,000 trials during four years of effort by researchers from Imperial College and Harvard University.

Cherepanov said: "It is a truly amazing story. When we started out, we knew that the project was very difficult, and that many tricks had already been tried and given up by others long ago. ... Despite initially painstakingly slow progress and very many failed attempts, we did not give up and our effort was finally rewarded."

Researchers determined the molecular structure of the crystal with X-ray diffraction data from a synchrotron at the Diamond Light Source in South Oxfordshire.

The investigators said their findings will help scientists better understand how existing drugs that inhibit integrase work, how to improve them and how to stop the human immunodeficiency virus from developing resistance to them

The study appeared in the Jan. 31 edition of the journal Nature.

100208
UP100205

Copyright ? 2010 - United Press International. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through United Press International, Permissions Desk, 1510 H St. N.W. Washington DC 2005. Main Phone Switchboard: 202-898-8000 FAX: 202-898-8057 or 202-898-8147 Email: info@upi.com.

AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from the Elton John AIDS Foundation, National Library of Medicine, AIDS Walk of Orange County, and donations from users like you.

Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2010. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.

Copyright ?1980, 2010. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content.

Compromised family better than institution (AEGiS.org)

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 01:07:29 GMT

Compromised family better than institution

United Press International - February 8, 2010

http://www.aegis.org/news/upi/2010/UP100204.html

LEIDEN, Netherlands, Feb. 8 (UPI) -- The quality of care and the relationship between children and caregivers play a key role in development for HIV-infected children, Dutch researchers say.

The researchers at Leiden University looked at 58 Ukrainian 4-year-old children, with and without human immunodeficiency virus. Some lived in institutions shortly after birth while others lived with their biological families.

The study, published in Child Development, found the quality of the relationships between the children and their caregivers had a bigger impact on children's physical growth and cognitive performance than the presence of the HIV infection or the quality of the physical environment. In addition, the study found for both children with and without HIV, even compromised family care was better for the children than institutional care.

The researchers say intervention efforts to help HIV-infected children should focus on improving caregiver-child relationships. The researchers suggest changing caregivers' working schedules so there is more stability and providing caregiver training to enhance the quality and sensitivity of care.

"This study underscores efforts to strengthen the quality of children's relationship with caregivers as important for children infected with HIV," the researchers said in a statement.

100208
UP100204

Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2010. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

GeoVax Labs, Inc. Begins Enrollment at Final Site for Preventative Vaccine; Next Step Is to Submit IND Application for Therapeutic Vaccine to FDA (AEGiS)

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:11:58 GMT

GeoVax Labs, Inc. Begins Enrollment at Final Site for Preventative Vaccine; Next Step Is to Submit IND Application for Therapeutic Vaccine to FDA

PRNewswire - February 8, 2010

http://www.aegis.org/news/pr/2010/PR100210.html

-- Hires Clinical Research Organization

ATLANTA, Feb. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- GeoVax Labs, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: GOVX) (the "Company"), an Atlanta-based, biopharmaceutical company developing human vaccines for diseases caused by HIV-1 (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) and other infectious agents, today provided an update on its vaccine trials progress.

"The HIV/AIDS population continues to grow at an alarming rate, 60,000 new infections annually, and that's just in the United States. Preventing the spread of this disease and controlling infections through the development of vaccines remains our mission and our goal," stated Robert McNally, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer. "On the preventative front, our Phase 2a trial is now enrolling at two locations in Peru where sites were slow to open due to local government review. And we are making good progress with our therapeutic vaccine, as we completed a Pre-IND meeting with the U.S. FDA in December and are well into the process for submission of an IND for a Phase 1 trial. We look forward to discussing this progress with stakeholders at the BIO CEO meeting in New York City tomorrow.

"We have engaged a full-service Clinical Research Organization (CRO) to support our therapeutic human clinical vaccine trials. They will be providing assistance for clinical trial management; clinical, medical and safety monitoring; data management, biostatistics and medical writing services," stated Dr. McNally.

Preventative Clinical Trials - Phase 2a

The Phase 2a preventative trial has started enrolling patients at the last 2 of its 13 sites. "We are making great headway at the Iquitos and Miraflores sites in Peru," commented Dr. McNally.

The preventative trial, designated as HVTN 205, is being conducted by the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN). The HVTN, funded and supported by the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), is the largest worldwide clinical trials network dedicated to the development and testing of HIV/AIDS vaccines. The HVTN has sponsored over 80 Phase 1 trials for the initial evaluation of safety and immunogenicity of candidate HIV/AIDS vaccines. The results of these trials have merited only five Phase 2 trials. Progressing to Phase 2 was a significant step for GeoVax.

Therapeutic Clinical Trials - Preparing for Phase 1

To help serve those people who are already infected with HIV, the Company is testing its vaccine for the ability to supplant the need for drugs in HIV-positive individuals. Antiretroviral drugs, which have to be taken for life, have side effects and are expensive, costing on average $18,000 per year. GeoVax is currently preparing an Investigational New Drug application (IND) for its Phase 1 therapeutic trial for the FDA. Following receipt of the IND, the FDA has 30 days to respond. If there are no FDA concerns, the company can begin the trial.

This initial trial will be conducted in Atlanta and enroll individuals who began successful antiretroviral therapy within the first year of infection. The goal of this trial is to determine the safety and immunogenicity of the vaccine in patients with well-controlled infections who started on antiretroviral therapy drugs within six months of testing positive for HIV.

"Based on the success of the simian prototype of the GeoVax vaccine in controlling established infections in the non-human primate model, we believe our vaccine should be effective in at least some infected humans," said Dr. Harriet Robinson, Chief Scientific Officer and a developer of the vaccine. "Studies on the therapeutic potential of the simian prototype for the GeoVax vaccine have been conducted in Dr. Rama Rao Amara's laboratory at the Emory Vaccine Center and the Yerkes National Primate Research Center. These studies showed the vaccine achieving 100-fold reductions in viral RNA in infected non-human primates placed on drugs within four to five months of infection, then vaccinated while on drugs, and, once the vaccine response was in place, released from drugs."

BIO CEO & Investor Conference

Dr. McNally will present a corporate update at the 12th Annual BIO CEO & Investor Conference at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time on February 9, 2010 in New York City.

The presentation will be webcast live and may be accessed by visiting the company's homepage or "Investors" tab at www.geovax.com. The webcast will be archived for 90 days.

The Technology

GeoVax's unique two component vaccine, a recombinant DNA and a recombinant modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA), is designed to stimulate both anti-HIV T cell and anti-HIV antibody immune responses. Stimulation of both T cells and antibodies differentiates the GeoVax vaccine from many other vaccine candidates. GeoVax's DNA and MVA vaccines are used in a prime-boost protocol in which priming is done with the DNA and boosting with the MVA. Both the DNA and MVA express the three major proteins of the AIDS virus: Gag, Pol, and Env, and produce non-infectious virus-like-particles. These particles contain proteins that mimic more than half of the components of the AIDS virus, but cannot cause AIDS. This multi-protein approach is designed to elicit a broad multi-target protective T cell response. The Env protein is designed to elicit a protective antibody response against the natural form of the virus envelope glycoprotein as well as protective T cells.

About HIV/AIDS

AIDS is an epidemic that can affect anyone, regardless of race, gender, age or sexual orientation. 33 million people are currently infected globally and it is estimated that there will be 2.5 million new infections this year. Since the beginning of the epidemic, over a million people in the U.S. have contracted the virus. Every 9 1/2 minutes, someone in the U.S. is infected with AIDS. Globally, HIV is the top killer among women of reproductive age.

HIV is a worldwide disease with different subtypes (or clades) of the virus predominating in different regions of the world. Clade B is the predominant subtype in North America. Globally, most infections involve subtypes AG, B, and C. In 2008, antiretroviral treatment in low and middle income countries was restricted to about 3 million people. In the United States, about 50% of those who are infected are estimated to be on drug treatment.

About GeoVax Labs, Inc.

GeoVax Labs, Inc. is a biotechnology company, established to develop, manufacture, license and commercialize human vaccines for diseases caused by HIV-1 (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) and other infectious agents. GeoVax's AIDS vaccine technology is the subject of 20 issued or filed patent applications. GeoVax AIDS vaccines are designed for use in uninfected people to prevent acquisition of HIV-1 and limit the progression to AIDS should a person become infected. GeoVax AIDS vaccines also may be effective as a therapeutic treatment (for people already infected with the HIV-1 virus).

GeoVax's core AIDS vaccine technologies were developed by Dr. Harriet Robinson, Chief Scientific Officer, through a collaboration of colleagues at Emory University's Vaccine Center, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and GeoVax.

GeoVax's AIDS vaccines have moved forward in human clinical trials conducted by the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) based in Seattle, Washington. The HVTN, funded through a cooperative agreement with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is the largest worldwide clinical trials program dedicated to the development and testing of AIDS vaccines. Preclinical work enabling evaluation of GeoVax DNA and MVA vaccines was funded and supported by NIAID, which provided additional support to GeoVax AIDS vaccine development program with a $18 million IPCAVD grant awarded in late 2007.

Safe Harbor Statement

All statements in this news release, not statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on expectations and assumptions on the date of this press release and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, whether: GeoVax can develop and manufacture these vaccines with the desired characteristics in a timely manner, GeoVax's vaccines will be safe for human use, GeoVax's vaccines will effectively prevent AIDS in humans, vaccines will receive regulatory approvals necessary to be licensed and marketed, GeoVax raises required capital to complete vaccine development, there is development of competitive products that may be more effective or easier to use than GeoVax's products, and other factors over which GeoVax has no control. GeoVax assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, and does not intend to do so. Certain matters discussed in this news release are forward-looking statements involving certain risks and uncertainties including, without limitation, risks detailed in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings and reports.

Source: GeoVax Labs, Inc.

CONTACT: Robert McNally of GeoVax Labs, Inc., +1-678-384-7220, rmcnally@geovax.com; or Leslie Loyet, Investor Relations, +1-312-640-6672, lloyet@mww.com, or Nikki Snodgrass, Media Relations, +1-312-640-6732, nsnodgrass@mww.com, both of Financial Relations Board, for GeoVax Labs, Inc.

Web Site: http://www.geovax.com/

100208
PR100210

Copyright ? 2010 - PRNewswire. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through PRNewswire, Permissions, 810 Seventh Ave., 32nd Floor, New York, NY 10019 http://www.prnewswire.com.

CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update 02/08/2010 (AEGiS.org)

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:54:15 GMT

CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update

For Monday, February 08, 2010

The CDC National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention provides the following information as a public service only. Providing synopses of key scientific articles and lay media reports on HIV/AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis does not constitute CDC endorsement. This daily update also includes information from CDC and other government agencies, such as background on Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) articles, fact sheets, press releases and announcements. Reproduction of this text is encouraged; however, copies may not be sold, and the CDC NCHSTP Daily News Summary should be cited as the source of the information. Copyright ? 2010, Information Inc., Bethesda, MD.

NATIONAL NEWS

UNITED STATES: Truth About Sex: 60 Percent of Young Men, Teen Boys Lie About It

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

JAMAICA: USAID Putting More Resources into HIV/AIDS Campaign

MEDICAL NEWS

LOCAL AND COMMUNITY NEWS

NEW JERSEY: AIDS Awareness Effort Extends Digital Reach in Newark

NEWS BRIEFS

NATIONAL NEWS

UNITED STATES: Truth About Sex: 60 Percent of Young Men, Teen Boys Lie About It

Sharon Jayson

USA Today (01.26.10) - Monday, February 08, 2010

Results from an online survey of sex and relationships, including attitudes and sexual history, paint a complicated picture for young US men.

The Chicago-based youth market research company TRU partnered with the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy and Seventeen magazine to conduct the survey of 1,200 males ages 15-22 in November. Of participants, 300 each were ages 15- 16, 17-18, 19-20, and 21-22. The intent was to measure sexual respect, Seventeen said.

Among the findings:

*45 percent said they were virgins.

*60 percent reported lying about something related to sex: 30 percent lied about how far they have gone, 24 percent about their number of sexual partners, and 23 percent about their virginity status.

*78 percent agreed there was "way too much pressure" from society to have sex.

*57 percent of sexually active respondents reported having had unprotected sex.

*53 percent said they had talked with a parent about preventing pregnancy.

*51 percent said having sex before marriage was acceptable in their family.

*66 percent said they could be happy in a serious relationship that did not include sex.

The survey also found a double standard in terms of "hooking up," "friends with benefits" and other areas of sexual openness: Among males, 53 percent said having a lot of casual partners makes them popular, but 71 percent said it makes girls less popular.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

JAMAICA: USAID Putting More Resources into HIV/AIDS Campaign

Alicia Dunkley

Jamaica Observer (Kingston) (02.02.10) - Monday, February 08, 2010

The US Agency for International Development wants its HIV prevention funding efforts in Jamaica to reflect the country's epidemic, according to Dr. Karen Hilliard, the USAID-Jamaica director.

"I think it's fine to target adolescents with messages that they should postpone their sexual activities, but if they are not the ones in the driver's seat I tend to think our messages are a little misdirected," Hilliard said recently. "It's one thing to tell adolescents they shouldn't have sex, but we found in our research that they are postponing their sexual activities longer, but it is coerced sex that's the problem for them and it's not with other young people, it's with middle-aged people, primarily middle-aged men," she said.

"Jamaica has managed to keep [its 1.8 percent prevalence] somewhat under control because condom use is high here, but the incidence of things like intergenerational sex, sex for barter or money, and a high level of stigmatization against men who have sex with men forces it underground," noted Hilliard. "In addition, one of the major drivers is multiple concurrent partners: one person gets infected and pretty soon everybody is. These are touchy issues to deal with from a societal level, but deal with them we must."

"We are going to be working with the Ministry of Health to try to find more ways to get people to open up to the idea of being more sexually responsible," Hilliard said.

Under a regional HIV prevention program, USAID will provide Jamaica with $10.7 million this year, Hilliard said. "We are hoping that over the next four years we will up that amount," she added.

MEDICAL NEWS

AUSTRALIA: Rapid Decline in Presentations of Genital Warts After the Implementation of a National Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Program for Young Women

C.K. Fairley; J.S. Hocking; L.C. Gurrin; M.Y. Chen; B. Donovan; C.S. Bradshaw

Sexually Transmitted Infections Vol. 85: P. 499-502 (12..09) - Monday, February 08, 2010

Australia has provided free quadrivalent HPV vaccine to 12- to 18-year-old girls through a school-based program since April 2007 and to women age 26 and younger through general medical practices since July 2007. To determine if the program has had a population impact on presentations of genital warts, the researchers undertook a retrospective study comparing the proportion of new clients with genital warts attending Melbourne Sexual Health Center from January 2004 to December 2008.

During the study period, the center saw 36,055 new clients and 3,826 were diagnosed with genital warts (10.6 percent; 95 percent confidence interval [CI] 10.3 to 10.9). The proportion of women younger than 28 diagnosed with warts fell by 25.1 percent (95 percent CI 30.5 percent to 19.3 percent) per quarter in 2008. Comparing this decline to a negligible increase of 1.8 percent (95 percent CI 0.2 percent to 3.4 percent) per quarter from the start of 2004 to the end of 2007, also in women under 28, generates strong evidence of a difference in these two trends (p less than 0.001).

"There was no evidence of a difference in trend for the quarterly proportions before and after the end of 2007 for any other subgroup, and on only one occasion was there strong evidence of a trend different to zero, for heterosexual men in 2008 in whom the average quarterly change was a decrease of 5 percent (95 percent CI 0.5 percent to 9.4 percent; p=0.031).

"The data suggest that a rapid and marked reduction in the incidence of genital warts among vaccinated women may be achievable through an HPV vaccination program targeting women, and supports some benefit being conferred to heterosexual men," the authors concluded.

UNITED STATES: Beliefs About Transmission Risk and Vulnerability, Treatment Adherence and Sexual Risk Behavior Among a Sample of HIV-Positive Men Who Have Sex with Men

Heather A. Joseph; Stephen A. Flores; Jeffrey T. Parsons; David W. Purcell

AIDS Care Vol. 22; No. 1: P. 29-39 (01..10) - Monday, February 08, 2010

Optimistic beliefs about HIV transmission risk and STD vulnerability that are generated by advances in HIV treatment can influence motivation to practice safer sex. The current study's authors sought to understand the relationships between these beliefs and various types of sexual risk behavior. In addition, the researchers hoped to determine the association between treatment adherence and sexual risk behaviors.

The study's subjects were 842 HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM) who were on treatment; data on the men were collected and examined. Eleven questions were asked to measure beliefs regarding HIV transmission risk and vulnerability to other infections or negative health outcomes. The main outcomes were concordant and discordant unprotected anal sex (UAS) with main and non-main male partners.

The results indicated that 34 percent of the MSM reported concordant UAS and 41 percent reported discordant UAS in the previous three months. Discordant insertive UAS was reported by 26 percent. At least one belief item remained statistically significant in all multivariate logistic regression models predicting sexual risk behaviors. Across partner type and serostatus, different patterns of associations between beliefs and sexual risk were observed.

"Compared to transmission risk beliefs, more vulnerability beliefs were associated with sexual risk," the authors wrote. Having missed at least one treatment dose in the preceding month was associated with concordant and discordant sexual risk behavior with non-main partners, while intentionally missing a dose was associated with only discordant risk with non-main partners. The potential interaction between beliefs and adherence was explored by post hoc moderator analysis. The belief that a low viral load lowers HIV transmission risk was found to be positively associated with discordant sex with non-main partners only among those who intentionally missed a dose.

"These results underscore the complex relationship between HIV transmission risk and vulnerability beliefs and sexual behavior with different types of partners," the authors concluded. "Prevention programs should carefully consider how to craft and tailor messages about medical advances while at the same time reinforcing the need for continued sexual safety."

LOCAL AND COMMUNITY NEWS

NEW JERSEY: AIDS Awareness Effort Extends Digital Reach in Newark

Philip Read

Star-Ledger (Newark) (02.05.10) - Monday, February 08, 2010

On Thursday, a new HIV testing campaign that will target gay African-American men ages 18-24 launched from the steps of Newark's City Hall. "Status Is Everything" is the brainchild of the Newark-based African-American Office of Gay Concerns (OGC), and it will rely heavily on social media, text messaging, and viral videos, in addition to traditional billboards, bus and movie screen advertisements.

The campaign's Web site is www.StatusIsEverything.org. Local venues that offer confidential HIV screening can be found by texting "NJ" plus a ZIP code (e.g., NJ07102) to 36363. Residents are encouraged to tweet about the campaign on Twitter.com and to send a "You Need to Know" E-card to others. There are also campaign-related communities on Facebook and Causecast.

In one "real talk" video linked from the Web site, "Louis" candidly discusses the need for HIV testing as video taken from a moving car shows a leafy park where men cruise for sex with other men. "Condom negotiation is hardly the first thing that comes to mind," he says in the video, which is also available on YouTube.

OGC tapped Ann Dey, an HIV/AIDS expert from Rutgers University, to conduct focus groups on how best to reach men who face the stigma of being black and gay. The campaign received about $250,000 from the state Department of Health and Senior Services and will run for six months.

NEWS BRIEFS

MISSOURI: Mo. Black Population Has Higher HIV Rates

Associated Press (02.08.10) - Monday, February 08, 2010

The rate of newly diagnosed HIV cases is eight times higher for black Missourians than their white counterparts, the state Health Department said recently. The disparity is particularly high among black females, according to health officials, who are urging regular testing for HIV and other STDs.

NEW YORK: N.Y. Governor: St. Vincent's Hospital to Get $6 Million in Loans

Associated Press (02.08.10) - Monday, February 08, 2010

The state and secured creditors will give St. Vincent's Hospital in Manhattan another $6 million as it seeks to prevent bankruptcy or closure, Gov. David Paterson said Sunday. The 160-year-old hospital operates major HIV/AIDS and trauma centers, and is more than $700 million in debt. Paterson said the goal of the loan package is to keep St. Vincent's afloat while stakeholders work on plans for its long-term financial sustainability. The assistance, $3 million from the state and a $3 million match from GE Capital and TD Bank, will help keep St. Vincent's open until the end of the month, said Paterson.

UNITED STATES: Hiers Named to President's Council

Anna Velasco

Birmingham News (02.03.10) - Monday, February 08, 2010

Kathie Hiers, CEO of AIDS Alabama, has been selected to serve on the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS. The 25-person council is expected to help guide federal efforts to devise a national HIV/AIDS strategy. Hiers has been with AIDS Alabama since 2001. The nonprofit provides education, testing, housing, and other HIV/AIDS-related services.

Copyright ? 2010 - Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD. The CDC National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention provides the following information as a public service only. Providing synopses of key scientific articles and lay media reports on HIV/AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis does not constitute CDC endorsement. This daily update also includes information from CDC and other government agencies, such as background on Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) articles, fact sheets, press releases and announcements. Reproduction of this text is encouraged; however, copies may not be sold, and the CDC HIV/STD/TB Prevention News Update should be cited as the source of the information. Contact the sources of the articles abstracted below for full texts of the articles.

Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2010. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

SafeGames 2010 Begins (AEGiS)

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:25:25 GMT

SafeGames 2010 Begins

PRNewswire - February 8, 2010

http://www.aegis.org/news/pr/2010/PR100209.html

-- 200 Volunteers and Superheroes to Pass Out Condoms and Information on Safer Sex & Drug Use During the Winter Olympics Press Conference on Wednesday, February 10th, 10:00am, at Library Square Conference Centre*

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- SafeGames 2010 (www.safegames2010.com), a consortium of local, national, and international harm-reduction and advocacy organizations under the leadership of Keeping The Door Open Society, is working to ensure that Vancouver residents and international visitors celebrate safely during the 2010 Winter Olympics.

SafeGames will provide a wide array of resources to help keep the Olympic community safe and protected, including tips on safe sex and practical information on reducing the harms connected with drug and alcohol use.

Gillian Maxwell, SafeGames Project Director, believes the project will highlight Vancouver's leadership role in public health and drug policy. "Vancouver is a community that respects its citizens for who they are. Over the last decade Vancouver has paved the way for the some of its most marginalised community members, including people who use drugs, are in the sex trade, are living with HIV/AIDS, and those with mental health issues and other concerns, to be treated with respect and dignity."

Luciano Colonna, SafeGames Project founder, said the Vancouver partnership of 35 local organizations is prepared for the 500,000 Olympic visitors. "Our partners - from HIM (www.checkhimout.ca ), which works to strengthen the health of gay men; to the (www.SafeVibe.com) campaign of Women Against Violence Against Women; to Insite (http://supervisedinjection.vch.ca/ ), North America's only legal supervised injection site - will be working overtime to respond to the harm reduction needs of those coming here for the Games."

SafeGames' teams of 200-plus outreach workers and Superheroes (including Captain Condom and Methadone Man) will distribute SafeKits containing condoms, lube, hand heaters, glow sticks, and DVDs, as well as informational cards and referrals to local service providers and resources in and around Vancouver. In addition, the SafeGames' website www.safegames2010.com will provide a wide range of local resources and contacts to help inform and connect visitors with various harm reduction services available during the Olympics, informational videos and handouts, and information on SafeGames' consortium members.

*SafeGames 2010 Press Conference: Official Launch

When: Wednesday, February 10th, 2010 @ 10:00am - 11.40 am

Where: Library Square Conference Centre | 350 West Georgia Street | Vancouver, BC V6B 6B1 Alma VanDusen Room, Lower Level

Who:

GILLIAN MAXWELL, Project Director - SafeGames, Keeping the Door Open Society

INSPECTOR SCOTT THOMPSON, Youth Services and Drug Policy Liaison, Vancouver Police Department

Dr. MICHAEL KRAUSZ MD, PhD, FRCPC -University of British Columbia Providence Leadership Chair for Addiction Research

DAVID SWAN, Executive Director, AIDS Vancouver

DR. KERRY JANG, City Councilor, City of Vancouver

Why: To learn more about SafeGames 2010 from local leaders and experts; SafeGames 2010 Super-heroes Captain Condom and Methadone Man will also be present; press kits and SafeGames 2010 SafeKits will be available

Source: SafeGames 2010

CONTACT: Media, Alanna Navitski, Alanna@emgpr.com, or Jennifer Gross, Jennifer@emgpr.com, both of Evolutionary Media Group, +1-323-658-8700; Luciano Colonna, +1-801-635-7736, colonna@safegames2010.com, or Gillian Maxwell, +1-604-728-7792, gillianmaxwell@telus.net, both for SafeGames 2010

Web Site: http://safegames2010.com/

100208
PR100209

South Africa: Educators do not practise what they preach on HIV (AEGiS)

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:30:17 GMT

Educators do not practise what they preach on HIV

Sunday Times (Johannesburg) - February 6, 2010
Corrienne Louw

http://www.aegis.org/news/suntimes/2010/ST100202.html

Young teachers, may be openly discussing the dangers of promiscuity with their pupils, but they are themselves engaging in risky sexual behaviour.

Their older colleagues, on the other hand, are reluctant to talk about sex and HIV/Aids in the classroom, because of their conservative nature.

This is according to a study conducted by KwaZulu-Natal HIV/Aids research organisation Heard set to be published in the Journal of Education within the next few months.

The researchers delved into the sexual behaviour of over 800 teachers - between the ages of 31 and 50 - at 34 Free State schools.

According to the study, younger teachers interacted with pupils on issues relating to HIV and sexuality more than their older counterparts.

In South Africa, teachers have a captive audience of over 10 million pupils every day and can deliver HIV prevention messages to an age group that is largely uninfected but most at risk.

According to the World Bank, more than 8.5% of youth between the ages of 15 and 24 have sex by their 15th birthdays.

Of the teachers who took part in the study, 32.9% admitted to having sex with five or more people in their lifetime.

However, not all participants were forthcoming - 32.1% of them, mainly men, refused to comment. The study also found that over 36% of teachers did not know their HIV status. In addition, 50.9% reported never or sporadically using condoms.

"The findings suggest that there is a portion of educators who acknowledge the likelihood that they may be HIV positive at present, yet were engaging in high-risk sexual behaviour.

"Slightly under half of the sample, 48.4%, believed they were either living with HIV or were unsure, and 72% of this proportion had never used a condom during sexual intercourse," the study found.

National and Professional Teachers of South Africa spokesman, Esra Ramasetlha said the study's findings were "of great concern".

Nomusa Cembi, South African Democratic Teacher's Union spokesman, said: "We have established the Prevention Palliative Care for Teachers, Orphans and Vulnerable Children (PPCT-OVC) Project that includes a programme that targets men emphasising correct condom usage."

Commenting on aspects of the study, Chantal Ann Rama, 33, a teacher in Durban, said older teachers believed that if they spoke about sex with their pupils "they are encouraging them to have sex".

Rama's colleague, 64-year-old Jay Sewpersad said the older generation of teachers were "more conservative" than their younger counterparts.

"Our generation believed that sexual education should be done at home," said Sewpersad.

100206
ST100202

Copyright ? 2010 - The Sunday Times. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Sunday Times Permissions Desk.

Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2010. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

Pioneering Pediatrician Leads Charge to Cut Infant HIV Infections (AEGiS)

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:52:29 GMT

Pioneering Pediatrician Leads Charge to Cut Infant HIV Infections

Voice of America - February 4, 2010
Jan Sluizer
San Francisco

http://www.aegis.org/news/voa/2010/VA100202.html

Click to download/open (MP3)

-- Arthur Ammann develops cocktail to prevent mother-to-child transmission

Arthur Ammann grew up in Brooklyn, New York, the son of working class German immigrants who had never finished grade school. But his parents supported his desire to go to college and become a doctor. And when he did, Ammann went on to lead a global charge to cut the HIV infection rate among infants.

While in medical school Ammann found his calling in immunology. He learned how the body responds to infection and how to develop vaccines to protect people. "Immunology was just emerging at the time I was completing my pediatric training," Ammann recalls. In 1971, he became the first pediatric immunologist at the University of California in San Francisco.

Ammann develops effective pneumonia vaccine

In the early 1970's, he and his colleagues were the first to complete clinical trials that led to FDA approval for the pneumococcal vaccine against pneumonia. He still considers that his greatest achievement.

"The Gates foundation recently announced that they were donating $10 billion for vaccines, including a pneumococcal vaccine for children in poor countries," Amman says. "That's especially important now, as new, more dangerous flu strains emerge."

"With the flu epidemic, people don't always die of the flu, the virus," he says. "They die of bacterial infection which is the pneumococcal infection. It's very important in this influenza epidemic to get the pneumococcal immunization to prevent pneumonia."

A new killer disease emerges

By the early 1980's, Ammann's clinic had started seeing babies with compromised immune systems. He realized that their condition was similar to the mysterious and deadly disease that was destroying the immune systems of young gay men. Ammann worked with some of the finest minds in medicine to learn more about this acquired immune deficiency that became known as AIDS.

They soon learned that there was a much larger epidemic outside of the United States. "We began to get preliminary reports from developing countries. We realized what we seeing in the U.S. was just the tip of the iceberg," Ammann says.

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) was identified in 1983 and a test for the virus in the blood was developed the next year. Since he had been successful at developing the pneumococcal vaccine, Ammann thought finding a vaccine for HIV would be a fairly uncomplicated process.

But by 1985, frustrated by a shortage of research funds, Amman left his secure university post to join the biotechnology firm Genentech, where ample research resources were available. Seven years of work led to five patents but failed to produce an HIV vaccine.

A new strategy to fight HIV

"The virus has something about it where we cannot respond to it. Our bodies are not genetically endowed with the ability to develop an immune response to this," Ammann says. Still, he remains optimistic that a vaccine will eventually be developed. "I think what the virus is telling us, with all the vaccine studies that have failed, is that we need to approach it very differently."

One approach that has proven successful is treating HIV-positive mothers to prevent the transmission of the virus. Ammann discovered that if a pregnant woman is given a cocktail of anti-viral drugs, her baby is protected from getting HIV. The anti-viral cocktail is effective both in the womb through the placenta, and also during breast-feeding.

Ammann says statistics confirm the treatment's effectiveness in preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV. "In the United States, we've gone from thousands of cases of infected babies to fewer than 100. It's almost eradicated in the United States."

Ammann attributes many of the subsequent advances against AIDS to activists and advocates who demanded government funding for research and drugs to treat the disease.

Focusing on the developing world

As research brightened prospects for AIDS prevention and treatment in the United States, Ammann noticed the situation remained dire in developing nations. "The numbers we were getting from resource-poor countries were 1,600 babies infected every day. Every day. And that became for me another issue of justice and equity."

Unable to secure funding to address that inequity, Ammann, who had worked with two AIDS research foundations after leaving Genentech, established his own organization in 1999. His group, Global Strategies for HIV Prevention, immediately went to work in major cities in Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, Tanzania, China and India, among others.

Ammann then turned his attention to rural communities, which were bearing the brunt of the epidemic often because of civil unrest or war.

"We've got to pay attention now even to these unstable areas that have very little infrastructure," Ammann says. Since it's nearly impossible to find doctors and nurses to train in those areas, Ammann recommends a different approach. "We have to train community workers, mid-level health care workers to do what is being done in other locations."

Looking ahead to new laws and new advances

Global Strategies has raised more than $22 million toward HIV prevention, trained about 5,500 health care workers and provided HIV testing kits or drugs to 85,000 women in poor countries. Now the non-profit has started to advocate in the countries where it operates for stricter laws to protect women and children who are most at risk for HIV.

Now 73, and retired from medical practice, Arthur Ammann remains active in the fight against AIDS. He says he will keep going as long as he can because the need to protect women and children continues, because he finds the work rewarding and, he says, medical advances are too exciting for him to stop.

100204
VA100202

Copyright ? 2010 - Voice of America. You are welcome to use any material that is published by voanews.com, or you may link to any of the web pages that Voice of America has published on the internet. There is no need to request further permission. Should you wish to establish a link to any VOA web pages, please send your request to pubaff@ibb.gov. We would appreciate that credit for any use of VOA material be given to voanews.com, Voice of America, or VOA, and we ask that you not abridge or edit any VOA material which you may use.

AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from the
Elton John AIDS Foundation, National Library of Medicine, AIDS Walk of Orange County, and donations from users like you.

AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. This article first appeared in 2010. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.

RITA Weekly for February 5, 2010 (AEGiS.org)

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:51:37 GMT

Friday, February 5, 2010

Study: Abacavir raises heart attack risk by 95%

"A study conducted in Denmark suggests abacavir (found in Ziagen, Epzicom and Trizivir) increases the risk of a heart attack by 95 percent -- a risk that remains elevated even after the drug is stopped -- according to a study published in the February edition of HIV Medicine ..."

CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update 02/05/2010 (AEGiS)

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 22:32:23 GMT

CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update

For Friday, February 05, 2010

NATIONAL NEWS

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

CANADA: Report Drawing on Experience of Inmates Calls for Needle Exchange in Prisons

MEDICAL NEWS

TANZANIA: Vaccine 'Could Cut HIV TB Deaths'

LOCAL AND COMMUNITY NEWS

TEXAS: Austin Dentist Offering Test for Oral HPV

EDITORIALS AND COMMENTARY

MINNESOTA: Jump in HIV Cases Deserves Attention: State HIV Increase Demands More Focus on Prevention

NEWS BRIEFS

NATIONAL NEWS

UNITED STATES: CDC: Blacks Disproportionately Have HIV

United Press International (02.04.10) - Friday, February 05, 2010

The director of CDC's National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention said Thursday that African Americans continue to be the racial group most disproportionately affected by HIV in the United States. According to a statement by Dr. Kevin Fenton, blacks comprise 12 percent of the US population but nearly half of the estimated 1 million people living with HIV and almost half of new HIV infections annually.

"Of the nearly 25,000 infections estimated to occur each year among African Americans, more than one-third (38 percent) are among young people ages 13-29. Young black gay men and bisexual men are especially hard hit, representing more than half (55 percent) of all new infections among blacks in this age group," Fenton said.

Yet, "A 2009 survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that the proportion of African Americans ages 18-29 who reported being 'very concerned' about becoming infected with HIV declined from 54 percent in 1997 to 40 percent today," Fenton noted.

"In observance of this year's [National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day], let us recommit ourselves to ensuring that all African Americans - especially youth - have the information they need to protect themselves, and the support to talk openly and honestly about this preventable disease," Fenton said.

To view Fenton's full statement, visit http://www.cdc.gov/NCHHSTP/newsroom/NBHAAD2010.html. To learn more about National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, Feb. 7, visit http://www.blackaidsday.org/.

UNITED STATES: Lawmakers Probe Agency's Oversight of AIDS Programs

Debbie Cenziper

Washington Post (02.05.10) - Friday, February 05, 2010

On Thursday, two Republican House members who help provide oversight for billions in domestic AIDS spending asked a federal agency to investigate allegations that some funds were misspent. Reps. Joe L. Barton (Tex.) and Greg Walden (Ore.) cited a Washington Post series that investigated nonprofit AIDS service organizations funded through the District of Columbia's Department of Health.

Much of the more than $25 million in awards questioned by the series was provided through the Ryan White Act. About 500,000 low-income US patients access HIV care and support through the act; the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) oversees the funding. In 2008, Barton said the Energy and Commerce Committee asked whether the federal government was monitoring to ensure proper spending of Ryan White grants. At the time, HRSA said it was conducting more site visits and enhancing training.

In their Feb. 4 letter to Mary Wakefield, HRSA's administrator, Barton and Walden requested a list of programs that have been cited in the past four years for improper management of Ryan White grants. They also asked for documentation of how HRSA has responded to such allegations. The representatives requested HRSA's response by mid-February.

HRSA will respond by the deadline, said the agency's Douglas Morgan. HRSA "works with Ryan White grant recipients who have experienced difficulties on several fronts and has bolstered efforts to offer effective assistance in a number of ways," Morgan said.

MISSISSIPPI: Mississippi Proposes 'Abstinence-Plus' Sex Education Option

Emily Wagster Pettus

Associated Press (02.02.10) - Friday, February 05, 2010

A bill that passed the state House on Tuesday would give Mississippi school districts the option of offering an "abstinence-plus" sex education curriculum that incorporates lessons on both abstinence and contraception. Mississippi has one of the highest teen birth rates in the nation and currently allows public schools to teach only an abstinence-only curriculum.

"I know it would be better if all this was being taught at home, but it's not happening and we have a responsibility to do something about it," Rep. Cecil Brown (D-Jackson), chair of the House Education Committee, said of HB 837, which passed by an 84-35 vote.

Rep. John Mayo (D-Clarksdale) said the measure stems from work completed last summer by a pregnancy prevention task force. Offering two study courses, abstinence-plus and abstinence-only, would allow educators to assess at five years which approach is more successful.

Under the measure, boys and girls in the abstinence-plus track would be separated during detailed discussions that might be embarrassing. Parents would have to give permission for their children to attend the classes. Schools would be barred from any discussion of abortion as a way to prevent the birth of a baby.

The House defeated a proposal by Rep. Gregory Holloway (D-Hazlehurst), who wanted to offer a $2,000 annual college scholarship to any student who graduates from high school without getting pregnant or impregnating someone. Teenage pregnancy has "ripped away at the social and moral fabric" of society, Holloway said, and young people should receive financial incentives for waiting to have children.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

CANADA: Report Drawing on Experience of Inmates Calls for Needle Exchange in Prisons

Helen Branswell

Canadian Press (02.01.10) - Friday, February 05, 2010

Canada should implement prison-based needle-exchange programs as a way to reduce transmission of diseases such as HIV and hepatitis C, urges a new report by the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network (CHALN). The high rate of blood-borne infections in prisons is a public health concern that impacts all of society, according to the nonprofit.

The report makes use of the personal stories of 50 men and women who have served time in Canadian prisons. There, they say, drug use is rampant; clean needles are far more difficult to obtain than drugs; and sharing injection paraphernalia is commonplace.

"I know that 30 or 40 people would share one syringe," said a man identified as Gordon. "Sometimes there was only one syringe in the whole jail and you would have to pay to use it."

"People in our communities currently have access to needle and syringe programs. Therefore, people in prison should have the same access to clean needles and syringes," said CHALN. "It violates the human rights of people in prison to deny them the same tools available to people in our communities, who use these programs to protect themselves from disease."

The majority of prisoners are eventually released. If they are infected with HIV or hepatitis C, they can spread infection to others, driving up the cost of medical care in Canada, the report states.

"The prisons are a reservoir for these infections," Dr. Peter Ford said of HIV and hepatitis C. Ford, an HIV/AIDS specialist who was not involved in creating the report, said it is unlikely the current government will take up the issue of needle exchange in prisons. "It's a very scary public health issue that nobody seems to be paying any attention to," he said.

MEDICAL NEWS

TANZANIA: Vaccine 'Could Cut HIV TB Deaths'

BBC (01.30.10) - Friday, February 05, 2010

An inactivated, whole cell mycobacterial vaccine could cut TB cases among HIV-positive Africans by almost two- fifths, suggests a new study. TB is the most common cause of death for Africans with HIV.

The placebo-controlled, double-blinded trial involved 2,013 Tanzanian patients with Bacille Calmette-Guerin scars and at least 200 CD4 cells/mm3. Participants were randomized either to receive five intradermal doses of M. vaccae (N=1,006) or placebo (N=1,007) and followed every three months for a median of 3.3 years. The primary endpoint was disseminated TB, with definite or probable TB as secondary endpoints.

The trial was terminated early because of the slow accrual of disseminated TB, and significant protection against definite TB. Hazards ratios were: disseminated TB 0.52 (95 percent confidence interval [CI] 0.21-1.34; seven cases in M. vaccae, 13 cases in placebo; log-rank P=0.16), definite TB 0.61 (95 percent CI 0.39-0.96; 33 cases M. vaccae, 52 cases placebo; P=0.03) and probable TB 1.17 (95 percent CI 0.76-1.80; 48 cases in M. vaccae, 40 cases placebo; P=0.46). The M. vaccae was well-tolerated, with no adverse effect on CD4 cell count or viral load and no increase in serious adverse events.

The number of confirmed TB cases was 39 percent lower in the vaccinated group compared with those who received a placebo, representing a "significant milestone," said lead author Professor Ford von Reyn.

The booster might be given to patients in poor countries as soon as they are diagnosed with HIV, especially where officials are struggling to place those infected on antiretroviral drugs, according to experts. A vaccine program could be cost-effective compared with earlier antiretroviral treatment - the alternative means to fight TB in HIV patients, said Alvaro Bermejo, executive director of the International HIV/AIDS Alliance.

"This is a very important finding - it is the first time we are going to have a vaccine which is influential in preventing opportunistic infections in HIV patients," Bermejo said. "TB is a massive problem. The reduction of 39 percent seen in Tanzania, although not fabulous, is a good result."

The full study, "Prevention of Tuberculosis in Bacille Calmette-Guerin-Primed, HIV-Infected Adults Boosted with an Inactivated Whole-Cell Mycobacterial Vaccine," was published ahead of print by AIDS (2010;doi:10.1097/QAD.obo13e328335of1b).

LOCAL AND COMMUNITY NEWS

TEXAS: Austin Dentist Offering Test for Oral HPV

Clara Tuma

KVUE.com (Austin) (01.27.10) - Friday, February 05, 2010

Dr. Michael C. Bell reportedly is the first dentist in central Texas to offer oral human papillomavirus testing. Certain strains of HPV, a common STD, cause cervical cancer and genital warts and also are linked to oral and throat cancer.

The screening requires the patient to gargle with a special saltwater solution for 30 seconds and spit into a tube, which is sent off for testing. The test detects HPV types 16 and 18.

"If you have 16 or 18, it doesn't mean you'll get oral cancer, but it really raises your chances a lot," said Bell.

Bell will refer any patient who tests positive to an oral surgeon and ear, nose and throat specialist for further treatment. "If you know you have the infection, then you would be placed in a higher risk category and you should be followed more closely," he explained.

The oral HPV test costs about $120, Bell said.

EDITORIALS AND COMMENTARY

MINNESOTA: Jump in HIV Cases Deserves Attention: State HIV Increase Demands More Focus on Prevention

Star Tribune (Minneapolis) (02.01.10) - Friday, February 05, 2010

"Recent news about a significant rise in HIV cases demonstrates the need to push prevention. Last week, the Minnesota Health Department reported that the number of new HIV infections jumped 13 percent in 2009, the largest increase in 17 years. Health experts say that younger people have not grown up with the same fear of the virus, causing them to lump HIV/AIDS in with treatable, curable [STDs].

"Despite treatment advances, HIV remains a life-altering, lifelong diagnosis. Young, sexually active people need to understand the consequences. If you can't afford expensive drugs, you can die. If you have access to the medicine, you will have to take it for the rest of your life, and your general health can be compromised forever. Getting and keeping health insurance will be difficult and may affect your employment options.

"To reverse the alarming local and national trend, young gay and bisexual males must be convinced of the importance of safe sex. Outreach efforts must be targeted to reach them where they live, in schools, social venues, through health care providers, and Internet networks. The same social networking sites that young people use to connect with sexual partners can be used for education.

"Although it's critical to reach that specific population of males, young people in general must be persuaded to take the safe-sex mantra to heart. Though HIV infections have not arisen as dramatically among other groups of youth, STD and pregnancy rates have. An unplanned pregnancy or contracting an STD may not be life-threatening, but there are still serious consequences.

"That's why prevention information campaigns, like the continuing efforts of the Minnesota Health Department, merit investment and support.

"If young people know how to protect themselves, they can avoid treatment difficulties, lifelong drug dependence, and possibly shorter life spans. And society saves on the ever-rising cost of health care for truly preventable diseases."

NEWS BRIEFS

SOUTH CAROLINA: HIV/AIDS Testing

The State (Columbia, S.C.) (02.02.10) - Friday, February 05, 2010

Several events planned throughout the state this month seek to highlight the impact of AIDS on African Americans and provide free HIV testing. Blacks represent 30 percent of South Carolina's population but account for 73 percent of its recently diagnosed HIV/AIDS cases. About 80 percent of South Carolinians ages 15-24 who are diagnosed with the disease are African American. For information on HIV/AIDS-related events and testing sites, telephone 800-322-2437.

TEXAS: Dallas County Offering Free STD Testing

Holly Yan

KDAF.com (Dallas) (02.04.10) - Friday, February 05, 2010

In observance of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day on Sunday, the Dallas County Department of Health and Human Services is providing free STD testing. On Friday, screenings will be conducted at DCDHHS, 2377 N. Stemmons Freeway, 3rd floor, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; and at the Southwest Center Mall, 3633 W. Camp Wisdom Road, Dallas, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Saturday, testing will be available at the Martin Luther King Clinic, 2922 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2010. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

Zimbabwe: HIV-positive people want constitutional rights (AEGiS)

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 21:30:17 GMT

Zimbabwe: HIV-positive people want constitutional rights

Integrated Regional Information Networks - February 4, 2010

http://www.aegis.org/news/irin/2010/IR100204.html

HARARE, 4 February 2010 (PlusNews) - AIDS activists in Zimbabwe have launched a major drive to ensure that the rights of people living with HIV are enshrined in the new constitution.

The Global Political Agreement signed in September 2008 between Zimbabwe's various political rivals, which gave rise to the coalition government in February 2009, includes writing the new constitution expected to be introduced in 2010.

"We are not calling for a token participation, but significant and meaningful involvement that will go a long way in promoting our welfare and rights when the constitution is adopted," Tonderai Chiduku, advocacy coordinator of Zimbabwe National Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS (ZNPP+), told IRIN/PlusNews.

The Southern Africa AIDS Information Dissemination Service (SAFAIDS), a regional non-profit AIDS organisation, also met recently to map out how HIV-positive people could participate in the constitution-making process. Country Representative Monica Mandiki noted that the current constitution did not have any explicit reference to the right to healthcare, and was "silent on HIV".

SAFAIDS and ZNNP+ are calling for a bill of rights that would promote better access to health services. An estimated two million people are living with HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe, one of the countries hardest hit by HIV/AIDS, but have never before been actively involved in such legislation and do not have representation in parliament, Chiduku said.

"Because the two million people living with HIV and AIDS in Zimbabwe continue to face grave challenges in accessing treatment, social services, basic healthcare, education and other socio-economic rights, it is important to highlight the need for an expanded Bill of Rights in the new constitution, with provisions on non-discrimination and equal protection before the law," ZNNP+ said in a recent statement.

The activists have also urged policy-makers to include a clause that would commit the government to spending a minimum of 10 percent to 15 percent of the national budget on healthcare, Mandiki told IRIN/PlusNews.

But the odds of getting their voices heard are slim. "The fact that we don't have decision-makers in the process militates against us, because there is no guarantee that those that form the bulk of the leadership and steering teams [writing the constitution] will be sensitive to our needs," Chiduku admitted.

The campaign also calls for the constitution to provide prisoners with "free and uninterrupted antiretroviral therapy, adequate food, and access to qualified medical professionals by the state, as the need arises".

SAFAIDS and ZNNP+ will be holding policy dialogues throughout Zimbabwe to collect the views of networks of people living with HIV, which will be included in a national document to be presented to the committee heading the constitution-making process.

"While our main hope is to be given more representation in the process of writing the new constitution, we will push to ensure that the views of people living with HIV and AIDS ... [are heard]," said Chiduku. "We cannot leave anything to chance because the constitution defines the laws that affect us."

100204
IR100204

Copyright ? 2010 - Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN). Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Integrated Regional Information Network. .

Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2010. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

Copyright ?1980 ? 2010. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content.