[hivaids-twg] Fwd: Today's News (2009.11.18ex)

[HIV-TWG Moderator]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Diaz, Clara <diazc at unaids.org>
Date: Wed, Nov 18, 2009 at 7:18 PM
Subject: Today's News (2009.11.18ex)
To:


 Please find attached the following AIDS-related articles compiled by UNAIDS







*UNAIDS*

1. Agência de Notícias da Aids, Brazil - *Campanha contra discriminação vai
ser complementação às ações do governo, diz Pedro Chequer, representante do
Unaids  *



*AFRICA** AND MIDDLE EAST*

1. Independent Online, SA - *Survey reveals leading causes of death*

2. Agência de Informaçao, Moçambique - *Production of Antiretrovirals to
Start This Year *

3. Mail & Guardian, SA - *SABC defends stance on Mbeki Aids documentary*



*ASIA** AND PACIFIC*

1. Times of India - *AIDS, TB top killers by '50: Study *

2. Financial Express, Bangladesh - *Training for reducing vulnerability to
AIDS infection *

3. Rising Nepal Daily - *Huge investment to fight AIDS in Morang *

4. Xinhua News, China - *Fiji** president call for joint efforts to fight
HIV/AIDS *



*EUROPE***

1. BBC News, UK - *YSL auction to raise Aids funds *

2. Lancet Infectious Diseaases, UK - *Accuracy of serological assays for
detection of recent infection with HIV and estimation of population
incidence: a systematic review *

3. AFP - *Sida: premiers résultats d'une enquête dans des bars et
établissements gays *



*LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN*

1. Bahamas Islands Info - *Doctors** Hospital** continues to 'take the lead'
with annual contribution to AIDS Foundation *

2. Prensa Latina, Cuba - *Caribe recibirá fondos para combatir VIH-SIDA *

3. La Razón, Bolivia - *Los casos de VIH Sida aumentaron un 16% durante el
2009 *

4. Jornal Cidade-SP, Brazil - *Campanha aborda o tema aids  *



*NORTH AMERICA*

1. MSNBC - *Fighting TB should be priority *

2. Atlanta Journal-Constitution - *Novel idea to fight poverty is ignored*

3. Huffington Post - *As HIV/AIDS Public Interest Wanes, Elton John AIDS
Foundation Work Becomes More Urgent *

4. Canadian Press - *Study pushes for aggressive spending in fight against
HIV/AIDS*



*UNAIDS WEB.SITE*

1. UNAIDS - “Just like you” video campaign against stigma and prejudice
launched in Brazil





===========================



*UNAIDS*



===========================



*Campanha contra discriminação vai ser complementação às ações do governo,
diz Pedro Chequer, representante do Unaids  *

*Agência de Notícias da Aids, Brazil*

17/11/2009



“Tenho sonhos e desejos, responsabilidade e direitos. Eu sou igual a você”.
Este é um trecho da campanha contra a discriminação que homens, mulheres e
crianças sofrem diariamente e que foi lançada por agências das Nações Unidas
nesta segunda (16) no Rio de Janeiro. “Essa é uma agenda onde temos grande
dívida e que me preocupa muito. Isso é um complemento para as ações que o
governo já faz”, disse Pedro Chequer, representante do Unaids ( Conjunto das
Nações Unidas para o HIV/Aids) no Brasil. ´Igual a Você´ estará disponível
para emissoras de TV por meio de parcerias. Desde este último domingo a
Globo News veiculou os vídeos duas vezes, por exemplo.



Nove vídeos diferentes com gays, lésbicas, pessoas vivendo com HIV/aids,
profissionais do sexo, refugiados, usuários de drogas, entre outros são o
mote da campanha e têm, cada um, 30 segundos. “A ideia era fazer uma
campanha sobre soropositivos, mas resolvemos ampliar mais e abordar um
problema estrutural: o preconceito nos grupos vulneráveis”, contou Chequer.



Uma pesquisa do SESI de 2009 com mais de 5 mil trabalhadores em 19 estados
revelou que 18% deles acreditam que a infecção pelo vírus HIV é exclusiva de
gays, lésbicas e profissionais do sexo. “Isso é muito grave porque a pessoa
pensa que nunca vai acontecer com ela e isso cria um estigma ainda maior”,
comentou Chequer.



De acordo com as agências das Nações Unidas no lançamento da campanha nesta
segunda, uma maneira de combater o problema é aborda-lo na escola. Segundo
Rebeca Otero Gomes, oficial do Programa de Educação Preventiva para HIV/Aids
da Unesco, um novo manual de recomendações da organização sobre educação
deve ser lançado em português em breve. “Diversidade sexual já pode ser
trabalhada a partir dos cinco anos de idade, claro que com certas adaptações
de faixa-etária”, explicou. O guia da Unesco poderá ser incorporado por
qualquer escola. “Elas tem autonomia para decidir”.



Para ver os materiais publicitários, clique aqui.



Sociedade Civil

Dois membros da sociedade civil, que participam da campanha, tiveram
destaque no lançamento desta segunda. Paulo Giacomini, da Rede Nacional de
Pessoas Vivendo com HIV/Aids (RNP+), e Gabriela Leite, da Rede Brasileira de
Prostitutas, estiveram presentes no lançamento.



"Queremos uma discussão mais profunda nas agendas sobre prostitutas. Tráfico
de seres humanos é uma coisa completamente diferente. Exploração sexual
crianças e adolescentes, idem. Não temos culpa disso e acredito que o lugar
delas é na escola. Mas, como sempre, a culpa recai sobre nós", disse
Gabriela Leite.



"O preconceito nos condena â morte social. Não somos só HIV, mas pessoas com
nomes próprios, cidadãos", disse Paulo Giacomini.



Emissoras de rádio

De acordo com Pedro Chequer, inicialmente a campanha deve ser veiculada
principalmente por TVs públicas. "Mas, há uma grande possibilidade dela ser
adaptada para o rádio também", afirmou.



A campanha deve ser trabalhada até meados de junho de 2010.

Rodrigo Vasconcellos



===========================



*AFRICA** AND MIDDLE EAST*



===========================



*Survey reveals leading causes of death**
**Independent Online, SA*

17/11/2009



Although HIV and Aids is gaining acceptance as a cause of death in South
Africa, the leading causes are tuberculosis, influenza and pneumonia,
according to a report released by the South African Institute for Race
Relations on Tuesday.



"This should not be taken to mean that HIV and Aids was not a direct
contributor to a very large proportion of observed mortality, but rather it
should be noted that these statistics track, for the most part, direct
causes of death," the researchers said.

Close to 70 percent of all people diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB) in South
Africa were also HIV-positive, the report found.



There were 353 879 TB cases in 2007 compared with 73 917 in 1995.



"It is thus reasonable to assume that at least 70 percent of observed
mortality from tuberculosis, and by extension a comparable percentage of
deaths from influenza/pneumonia, also has HIV and Aids as an underlying
cause," the report noted.



A person did not die from HIV and Aids directly, as it was a syndrome which
caused immune system deficiency.



"Rather, mortality from Aids-related infections will be observed," the
researchers said.



"It is possible that a person who is immuno-compromised enough to be
classified as having reached 'full-blown' Aids would succumb to a great many
infections that a person with a healthy immune system would never suffer
from."



This meant that people infected with HIV and Aids could die from a vast
range of secondary infections.



"It is impossible to say with certainty how much mortality is directly
attributable to HIV and Aids, although the Actuarial Society of South Africa
estimates that by 2009 some 2.9 million people will have died from HIV and
Aids-related disease in South Africa," according to the South Africa Survey
2008/9.



It records 382 521 HIV and Aids related deaths for 2009.



The report found that the "actual" figure of people living with HIV and Aids
was 5 728 711, or 11,7 percent of the population.



Researchers said that when analysing causes of death by race, a very clear
pattern of mortality emerged for each different race group.



For Africans, the leading causes of death were TB and influenza/pneumonia -
the diseases most closely associated with HIV and Aids-related mortality.



Coloureds were likely to die of TB, but also suffered from cerebrovascular
disease and diabetes; Indians were most likely to die of diabetes or heart
disease; and whites were most likely to die of heart disease.



"These causes of death are closely related to socio-economic status."



There had also been an unprecedented spike in deaths between the ages of 25
and 45, but antiretroviral treatment seemed to be having a positive effect.
The researchers estimated that there were 497 756 new infections in 2009.



Other statistics the report identified were:

·  An increase in the deaths of children up to the age of four from 32 468
in 1997, to 63 596 in 2006.

·  A decline in malnutrition of children up to the age of six from 25
percent in 2001, to 5,7 percent in 2006.



The report found that there were five recorded malaria deaths in 1971, but
this spiked to 459 in 2000 and declined to 48 in 2007.



It also found that there were 81 900 terminations of pregnancy in 2007.



Researchers projected life expectancy for people born in 2008 as 50,5 years.
– Sapa



*2*

*Production of Antiretrovirals to Start This Year**
**Agência de Informaçao de Moçambique*

17/11/2009



Maputo — The first phase of a pharmaceutical plant to produce
anti-retroviral drugs in Mozambique will begin before the end of this year,
according to the Brazilian Minister of Development Industry and Foreign
Trade, Miguel Jorge.



Installing this factory is part of the Brazilian cooperation programme with
Mozambique, and is being carried out by the Brazilian Osvaldo Cruz
Foundation (FIOCRUZ), which opened offices in Maputo in October.



Cited in Tuesday's issue of the Maputo daily "Noticias", Jorge said that the
foundation is later to start transferring technology and equipment, and will
start training staff to operate the factory.



Besides anti-retrovirals, the factory is also to produce other generic
drugs, including those to fight against malaria and tuberculosis.



According to FIOCRUZ, the first phase of the undertaking is to cost about
nine million US dollars, to build the factory and purchase equipments and
other necessary goods. The Mozambican government is to contribute with two
million US dollars.



This project has been under preparation since 2003, when Brazilian President
Luis Inacio Lula da Silva visited Mozambique, but only this year did the
Brazilian Senate give the green light for it to be implemented.



*3*

*SABC defends stance on Mbeki Aids documentary**
**Mail & Guardian, SA*

17/11/2009



JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – The South African Broadcasting Corporation
(SABC) wanted "issues of balance" addressed before agreeing to air a
documentary on former president Thabo Mbeki and Aids deaths, it stated on
Tuesday.



"The main weakness was the flagrant flouting of basic principles of fairness
and balance, and the right of reply which insists on giving both sides an
opportunity to counter allegations put to them," SABC spokesperson Kaizer
Kganyago said.



"Both former president Mbeki and former health minister Dr Manto
Tshabalala-Msimang were not afforded a chance to counter the allegations
against them."



The SABC said it raised these issues with the producers of the film,
Health-e news agency.



Health-e said the documentary looks at the legacy of Mbeki's administration
and as such did not ask the parties concerned to comment.



"We used clips of comments made by Mbeki in Parliament and quotes from
Tshabalala-Msimang as well," said Health-e managing editor Kerry Cullinan.



Beeld reported on Tuesday that the documentary would be screened on e.tv's
3rd Degree after the SABC refused to air it.



"The programme was initially made for SABC's Special Assignment, but the
corporation apparently decided that the allegations against Mbeki were too
controversial, and even unfounded," Beeld reported.



"The film looks at the havoc that Aids denialism has wreaked," said 3rd
Degree executive producer Debora Patta.



"It's a damning documentary. We offered Mbeki a chance to respond, and he
declined."



Health-e said the SABC did not refuse to air the documentary, but took too
long to decide whether or not to use it.



"They never refused to air it," said Cullinan. "They took a long time to
decide whether they wanted it. They never gave us a reason why."



Cullinan said financial concerns forced them to look elsewhere to broadcast
the documentary.



The documentary, entitled The Price of Denial, investigates the impact of
former president Mbeki's government's denial about HIV/Aids and treatment
for ordinary South Africans living with HIV/Aids. It was produced by
Anna-Maria Lombard, winner of the CNN African Journalist of the Year 2009
Award for HIV/Aids reporting.



It quotes a 2008 Harvard University study, led by Harvard-based Zimbabwean
physician Dr Pride Chigwedere, which found that Mbeki and Tshabalala-Msimang
were directly responsible for more than 330 000 Aids-related deaths during
their tenure.



"At the peak of the epidemic, the government, going against consensus
scientific opinion, argued that HIV was not the cause of Aids and that
antiretroviral [ARV] drugs were not useful for patients and declined to
accept freely donated nevirapine and grants from the Global Fund," the study
found.



However, Cullinan said the documentary was "about the consequences for
normal people. It's more about looking at the human stories of people who
did not get HIV treatment."



During an address in Rustenburg, Young Communist League leader Buti Manamela
called for Mbeki and Tshabalala-Msimang to be charged with genocide.



In response, African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) leader Julius
Malema said that the ANCYL would not allow Mbeki to be charged.



"Thabo Mbeki might have made mistakes, but we can never charge him. We must
not charge one of our own," Malema said at the gala dinner of the Pan
African Youth Union at Emperor's Palace in Boksburg on Monday. -- Sapa



*=======================*

* *

*ASIA** AND PACIFIC*

* *

*=======================***



*AIDS, TB top killers by '50: Study**
**Times of India*

17/11/2009



PANAJI: HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, road accidents, breast cancer and depression
have been listed among the top ten killers of Goans by 2050, as per a study
conducted by the Goa Institute of Management (GIM) student Ashish Kumar.



The study results were presented at a recent conference on 'Frugal
Innovation in Healthcare' being held at the GIM campus in Ribandar. The
conference was jointly organised by GIM and Xandev foundation.



Kumar, in his presentation, said that HIV/AIDS results show that there is
uniformity in the number of cases in both the districts and that STD
contributes to HIV cases. "This might be due to increased contact of the
local population with non-resident/non-Goan/tourist population. On an
average 600 persons die each year due to communicable diseases (except
STDs)."



The presentation revealed that alcoholism could also be one of the top ten
killers by 2050. It states that according to a study by Goa branch of
Voluntary Health Association of India, of the 800 plus persons examined 15%
were exposed to harmful abuse of alcohol. Over 21% of industrial workers are
exposed to hazardous alcohol consumption.



Kumar further said that as per the revised National TB Control Programme
estimates there are 160 cases of TB per 100,000 population in Goa. 'The
programme, however, has failed to meet its target of detecting 70% of new
cases. The incidence of undetected TB is particularly high in areas like
Marcaim in Ponda taluka, where poor communities like the Gauddes are badly
affected.'



He said that in case of cancer, Goa estimates put rates of incidence of
breast cancer at 35 per 1,00,000 population which is more than four times
the national average of eight per 1,00,000, the study said.



The presentation further said that at 4,69,106 vehicles, Goa has one of the
highest vehicle/person average. The fatality rate from traffic accidents in
Goa is estimated to be 170 per million persons, as against the Indian
average of 80.



Kumar has also said that a pilot project launched in 2006 showed that 10-20%
of patients across PHC's suffer from stress and depression. 'Studies by
Sangath reveal that one out of five adults attending the primary health
centre and one out of four mothers attending the NGOs centre suffer from
alcohol abuse, which is the single most important cause of depression in
Goa'. Cardiovascular diseases and anemia are also said to be high among the
Goan population as per the study.



*2*

*Training for reducing vulnerability to AIDS infection**
**Financial Express, Bangladesh*

18/11/2009



Anirudha Alam



HIV/AIDS has been multiplying human misery across the world. It obstructs
development efforts. The infected become a burden on their country. In
Bangladesh, Haiti, India, and Nepal - no more than half of the women
population has heard of AIDS. Out of ignorance, people indulge in risky
behaviour, increasing the risk of infection. A comprehensive awareness drive
can ensure better protection from infection.



Trafficking and gender violence increase the risks of AIDS infection as do
dowry, early marriage and polygamy. According to a research done by
Bangladesh Extension Education Services (BEES), poverty, illiteracy, food
insecurity, lack of healthcare, and disempowerment of women can be
contributing factors in the spread of HIV infection. Addressing these social
issues requires integrated training programmes to suit the needs. Life
skills training for the underprivileged should ensure that the message is
conveyed to the target groups in the way they understand it. They should be
encouraged to participate in training programmes for prevention of HIV/AIDS.
What is more is that there should be enough efforts to provide timely
life-skills training to prevent infection.



Social mobilisation is important to make HIV/AIDS prevention training
programmes effective. It makes the programmes cost effective and helps
achieve the desired outcome. Social mobilisation stimulates the people in a
community to participate in reproductive health awareness. It can strengthen
the programme by generating interest among the participants. Utilisation of
local resources would make the prevention programme more effective.



Case studies would motivate the trainees on how to gain from the life-skills
training programmes to overcome social disparities. HIV positive person
could be invited to training sessions as resource persons to share their
experience. Advocacy sessions would be useful for the training programmes.
Doctors, teachers, marriage registrars, social workers, community-based
organisation leaders, local government representatives and other influential
persons can be local policy makers. The HIV prevention programme will gain
from their involvement. They should be properly oriented on the social
issues to contribute to prevent the spread of HIV infection and reduce the
vulnerability of the people in local communities.



The vulnerable people could be turned into potential human resources by
raising their awareness on reproductive health and HIV/AIDS. Motivation and
awareness would develop their coping ability to protect themselves from
HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections. According to a research
on reproductive health literacy done by Rainbow Nari O Shishu Kallayan
Foundation in 2008 both in rural and urban areas of Bangladesh, awareness of
AIDS is, by and large, lower among rural men and women than among urban men
and women.



Awareness of AIDS is poorer among men and women with little or no schooling
and training than those with more schooling and training. That is why, there
is an urgent need to improve the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of
the disadvantaged community people especially in rural areas. In this
regard, behaviour change communication (BCC) should be brought about through
integrated training activities. BCC can encourage the core groups in a
community to leave their bad practices and gather and update knowledge and
information needed to prevent HIV/AIDS.



The writer, a deputy director, Bangladesh Extension Education Services, can
be reached at e-mail: anirudhaalam at yahoo.com



*3*

*Huge investment to fight AIDS in Morang**
**Raising Nepal Daily*

16/11/2009



Morang - The District Development Committee, Morang, is going to invest Rs.
10 million to minimize HIV/AIDS.



 The money will be spent under the DDC’s five-year periodic planning with
the participation of 24 organisations and other stakeholders. The plan
includes eight objectives and 14 strategies. Morang district was declared
the best for working in the field of HIV/AIDS all across the country. The
DDC under partnership has been running eight counseling centers and VDC
centers to spread awareness about HIV. (RSS)



*4*

*Fiji president call for joint efforts to fight HIV/AIDS**
**Xinhua News, China*

17/11/2009



SUVA, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Fiji President Ratu Epeli Nailatikau said on
Tuesday that HIV/AIDS has become a profound threat in Fijiand the region,
and called for joint efforts to fight against the disease.



    Speaking at a consultation HIV Prevention Treatment Decree workshop in
Suva on Tuesday, Nailatikau said the impact of HIV/AIDS in Africa could be
compared to measles in Fiji that wiped out an entire generation.



    "As former UNAIDS special representative on HIV for the Pacificbut now
the Fiji special representative on Fiji and recently appointed president, I
am proud to be an advocate of a humane and integrated approach to the
challenge HIV presents to us," he said.



    Nailatikau said Fiji was part of a global village and was vulnerable.



    He said HIV and AIDS in Fiji and the region had spread rapidly because
of cultural, social and religious taboos.

    This is a matter not openly discussed in homes and families despite the
growing statistics.

    In Fiji today, there are over 304 cases of HIV positive cases and the
number keeps growing as more people opt for tests.

    Even pregnant mothers have been urged to get tested after babies have
been reportedly dying from the disease that has crippled countries like
Papua New Guinea in the region.



    Since 2004, four children have died in Fiji's hospitals because of HIV.



    Addressing HIV in Fiji is a challenge and requires patience and
understanding, as it means a complete turn around in attitude, said the
health authorities.



    People in the communities are persuaded to change their attitude to deal
with sensitive and taboo topics.



    Nailatikau had a strong message for people in Fiji to stand up and not
remain silent on the subject.



    He appealed to the younger generation to protect themselves as
abstinence is becoming an unrealistic approach.



    Traditional and religious leaders have been told to preach the
unpalatable message which would be readily absorbed if repeated by respected
leaders.



    The island nation of just a little over a population of 800,000could
risk being wiped out if the message is not preached and accepted by people
and therefore more needs to be done to ensure a change for the better.



    The Fiji president therefore hoped the draft decree would meet
international standards and that those affected with HIV in Fiji are
respected and loved as they ought to be.

Editor: Bi Mingxin



*========================*



*EUROPE***



*========================*



*YSL auction to raise Aids funds **
**BBC News, UK*

17/11/2009



More than 1,200 items from the homes of late fashion designer Yves Saint
Laurent and his partner Pierre Berge are being auctioned in Paris.



The Christie's auction of items ranging from chandeliers to paperweights is
being held in the Marigny theatre near the Champs Elysees.



Yves Saint Laurent died of cancer aged 71 in June 2008.



The four-day auction is expected to raise up to 4m euros (£3.6m), which Mr
Berge has pledged to HIV/Aids research.



But the amount will pale in comparison with the 342m euros raised in a
February auction of 700 pieces from the couple's art collection - billed as
the biggest private art sale in history.



Items under the hammer in Paris this week include a 19th Century Dutch brass
chandelier worth 30,000 euros and a Fernand Leger painting with an estimated
value of up to 70,000 euros.



The late designer's billiard table, S-class Mercedes-Benz and Hermes
crocodile leather suitcases are also up for sale.



In the slightly more affordable category are a paperweight valued at around
30 euros and a pair of porcelain plates which are expected to fetch 50-80
euros.



Mr Berge, 78, an arts patron, decided to sell the items - gathered from the
couple's lavish homes in Morocco, Paris and Normandy - after his partner's
death.



*3*

*Accuracy of serological assays for detection of recent infection with HIV
and estimation of population incidence: a systematic review **
**Lancet Infectious Diseases, UK*

12/2009



Volume 9, Issue 12, Pages 747 – 759



Rebecca Guy PhD a b, Judy Gold BBiomedSci a, Jesus M García Calleja MD c,
Andrea A Kim PhD d, Bharat Parekh PhD e, Prof Michael Busch MD f, Prof
Thomas Rehle MD g, Prof John Hargrove PhD h, Prof Robert S Remis PhD i, Prof
John M Kaldor PhD b , for the WHO Working Group on HIV Incidence Assays‡



Summary

We systematically reviewed the accuracy of serological tests for recent
infections with HIV that have become widely used for measuring population
patterns incidence of HIV. Across 13 different assays, sensitivity to detect
recent infections ranged from 42—100% (median 89%). Specificity for
detecting established infections was between 49·5% and 100% (median 86·8%)
and was higher for infections of durations longer than 1 year (median 98%,
range 31·5—100·0). For four different assays, comparisons were made between
assay-derived population incidence estimates and a reference incidence
estimate. The median percentage difference between the assay-derived
incidence and reference incidence was 26·0%. Serological assays have
reasonable sensitivity for the detection of recent infection with HIV, but
are vulnerable to misclassifying established infections as
recent—potentially leading to biases in incidence estimates. This conclusion
is highly qualified by the apparent absence of a standardised approach to
assay evaluation. There is an urgent need for an internationally agreed
framework for evaluating and comparing these tests.



Introduction

Programmes for the prevention of HIV are aimed at reducing viral
transmission in populations. The monitoring of transmission, indicated by
incidence rates of HIV,1 is therefore essential for establishing the need
for prevention programmes and their effectiveness.



The direct measurement of incidence is resource intensive and intrusive,
because it needs repeat serological testing of individuals over time.1 The
use of direct measurement has accordingly been limited to particular
settings, such as cohort studies. However, longitudinal cohorts cannot be
assumed to be representative of the wider populations that are the targets
of prevention programmes. To provide a more practical means of estimating
the incidence of HIV, several groups have developed specialised testing
algorithms that can distinguish recent from established infections with HIV
on the basis of single serological specimens.2



The underlying principle of these algorithms is the use of an additional
test applied to serological specimens from people with newly diagnosed
infections with HIV. This test has an extended window period, meaning that
it detects a marker that is reliably negative in the early stages of
infection, and then becomes positive at a well defined interval after
initial infection.2 This characteristic contrasts with the key requirement
for a standard diagnostic test for infection with HIV, which must have as
short a window period as possible to ensure that new infections are not
missed. The incidence rate of HIV in a population is estimated by applying a
formula involving the assay's window period to the number of cases in the
population that are detected by the assay as being recent.2 The first such
algorithm, developed by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), used a modified version of a commercial assay as the test with an
extended window period.3 More recently, the CDC developed a dedicated assay
with an extended window period, known as the BED test,4 which,
internationally, has become the most widely used test of this type. Other
assays for recent infection have been developed in France, the USA,
Australia, and Italy.5—8 The assays have been used in multiple countries in
a range of surveillance and research settings.9—16



In December, 2005, the role of assays for recent infection with HIV was
thrown into question when a report by the Joint United Nations Programme on
HIV/AIDS claimed that the BED assay substantially overestimated incidence
rates in Africa, because it falsely labelled some longstanding infections as
being recent.17 Subsequent efforts were made to correct or adjust the
incidence estimates resulting from the use of these assays,18, 19 but the
debate has continued about the real accuracy, and hence the value, of assays
for recent infection with HIV. To provide an indication of the accuracy of
the tests that are available at present, and to inform the development of a
more systematic approach to assay development and validation, we
systematically reviewed published reports on the accuracy of tests for
recent infection with HIV.



Methods

The biological basis for the various tests developed to detect recent
infection with HIV has been reviewed elsewhere.2 In developing a new assay,
investigators first calibrate the assay by establishing its window
period—defined by the optical density cut-off (or its equivalent) at which
the test should be read as positive. This calibration is done with serial
serum specimens from people with very recent infection. Once the assay has
been calibrated, its accuracy can be assessed. Our Review addressed assay
accuracy as defined by either the measurement of performance characteristics
or by validation of assay-derived incidence.



We defined the measurement of performance characteristics of an assay as the
process of collecting serum specimens from people infected with HIV for a
known duration, applying the assay to these specimens and calculating the
sensitivity of the assay to correctly detect infections of short duration as
recent, and the specificity of the assay to correctly detect infections of
longer duration as not recent. We accepted that individual investigators
would define recent in different ways. We defined the validation of
assay-derived incidence estimates as the process of collecting serum
specimens from the members of a population in which a reference estimate of
the incidence of HIV was available, applying the assay for recent infection
to these specimens, deriving an estimate of population incidence of HIV from
the results, and comparing it with the reference estimate.



Search strategy and selection criteria

We searched all published papers and conference abstracts that reported on
the calibration, validation, or assessment of a serological test for recent
infection with HIV. We then focused on reports of studies that had done
either the measurement of assay performance characteristics or a validation
of assay-derived incidence estimates resulting from application of the
assay.



Reports were excluded if they were based on a review, commentary, or
editorial, rather than a primary research report containing original data;
described findings that were presented more comprehensively in another
report included in our Review; described the application of an assay without
any measure of performance characteristics or validation; described a test
based on detection of viral nucleic acid or p24 antigen; or where it had
been established how recent the infection with HIV in the specimens was
using another assay for recent infection.



PubMed was searched to the end of June, 2009, and only English-language
papers were reviewed. Reference lists of selected studies were also checked
for other potentially relevant studies. Conference presentations were
included if the corresponding full report was not available. If the
information needed was not available in the conference presentation, authors
were contacted for unpublished data. The primary search of published work
was done using the terms “HIV” and “incidence”, combined with “immunoassay”
and “surveillance”. Variations of the terms were used.



For each paper we cross-checked the author's name, study location, and key
findings with other papers in our Review, ensuring the same data was not
duplicated in another study. For abstracts, we specifically searched for a
publication or contacted the abstract authors to establish if a paper was in
press or recently published*…..Continued*

*Full-text:
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(09)70300-7/fulltext?_eventId=login
*



*5*

*Sida: premiers résultats d'une enquête dans des bars et établissements gays
**
**AFP*

17/11/2009



PARIS - Près de 18% des participants à une enquête auprès de quatorze bars,
saunas et "backrooms" gays parisiens étaient séropositifs pour le VIH-sida,
dont 20% qui ne connaissaient pas leur séropositivité, selon les premiers
résultats publiés mardi par l'Insitut de Veille sanitaire (InVS).



L'enquête de terrain Prevagay fournit les premières données biologiques
objectives sur le VIH parmi "les hommes ayant des rapports avec les hommes".



Elle doit permettre d'améliorer la prévention et le dépistage dans cette
population, alors que les données en Europe et en France dépeignent, selon
l'InVS, "une situation préoccupante: les rapports sexuels entre hommes sont
le seul mode de contamination pour lequel il n'ait pas été enregistré de
baisse des nouvelles contaminations depuis le début de la décennie".



Au total, 917 hommes approchés dans neuf saunas ou "backrooms" et cinq bars
ont accepté de participer à l'enquête, qui comprenait un test VIH et un
questionnaire. Sur les 886 tests et questionnaires validés, 157 participants
ont été diagnostiqués séropositifs pour le virus du sida, soit 17,7%.



Ces hommes possédaient un niveau d'étude élevé, étaient majoritairement nés
en France, et déclaraient un nombre important de partenaires sexuels
masculins occasionnels (26% plus de 50 partenaires dans les 12 derniers
mois). 57% déclaraient avoir eu au moins une pénétration anale non protégée
dans cette période.



Parmi ces hommes séropositifs, 20% méconnaissaient leur séropositivité. Ces
hommes sont en moyenne plus jeunes que ceux qui connaissaient leur
séropositivité, avec un âge médian de 37 ans (contre 41 ans). 22% n'avaient
jamais eu recours au test de dépistage VIH dans leur vie.



Première en France, cette étude a été réalisée avec le soutien des
associations lesbiennes, gaies, bisexuelles et transsexuelles ainsi qu'avec
l'Agence nationale de Recherche sur le Sida et les hépatites virales (ANRS).



Les résultats finaux (intégrant les hépatites B et C) seront communiqués au
premier trimestre 2010.

©AFP



*========================*

* *

*LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN*

* *

*========================*



*Doctors Hospital continues to 'take the lead' with annual contribution to
AIDS Foundation **
**Bahamas Islands Info*

16/11/2009



NASSAU, Bahamas -- It’s that time again! The Ball gowns, tuxedos and dancing
shoes are all chattering in the closets with excitement, anticipating their
grand entrance.  It’s Ball Season!  Fashionistas all over Nassau and perhaps
from the family Islands are preparing their wardrobes for the bevy of ball’s
that are fast approaching.



However, in all of our excitement of the impending glitz, glamour, and
dancing until the wee hours, we must not lose sight of the reasons these
various balls are held.  As major fundraisers, charity balls are yearly
events used to build awareness and to raise fund to support various causes.
The AIDS Foundation of the Bahamas and the AIDS Secretariat works tirelessly
to reduce the spread of HIV and eradicate HIV-related stigma and
discrimination.



As they begin preparation for the upcoming Red Ribbon Ball, ignorance and
silence continues to fuel the spread of HIV, it has become a stigmatized
disease, resulting in silence and denial. The stigma discourages people from
testing for HIV or disclosing their status to their partner, which fuels the
spread of the disease.  The Red Ribbon Ball, the major fundraising event for
The AIDS Foundation of The Bahamas and the Bahamas’ largest annual AIDS
awareness event, raises funds to continuously fight HIV/AIDS in the Bahamas
and its effects on society.



Some $700,000.00 has been raised from past Balls and donations, for the work
of the Foundation and other national AIDS programs and initiatives,
including the renovation of a home to care for children with HIV-related
health challenges, the provision of medication to indigent HIV positive
mothers and their babies, transportation of HIV positive children in the
family islands to New providence for treatment and provide help, and support
to persons living with HIV/AIDS.  Although the fight continues, so does the
mounting costs incurred from such a community outreach, and it is only with
the help of corporate partners can those goals become reality.



One such partner, Doctors Hospital, recently continued its annual pledge by
making a monetary donation to The AIDS Foundation of the Bahamas to assist
with its work in the community. Doctors Hospital continues to share the
vision of the AIDS Foundation, to provide education and awareness, to assist
in the prevention, treatment and cure and to provide support for people
living with HIV/AIDS, and has for a number of years, been a patron of the
AIDS Foundation of the Bahamas.  As the hospital continues its commitment to
service within the Bahamian community, a recent check presentation was made
to the AIDS Foundation to assist in the continuation of its excellent work
for the benefit of the entire Bahamian community.



Under the theme “Take the Lead”, the organizing committee of the AIDS
Foundation is in final preparations for the annual Red Ribbon Ball,
scheduled to take place on November 21, 2009 in the Imperial Ballroom of the
Atlantis Resort, Paradise Island.



You too can make a difference; here is how you can help!   Purchase a ticket
for the ball and plan to attend.  If you are not planning to attend the
ball, you can still make a monetary donation to the Foundation, whatever you
can afford is exactly the amount that they are in need of and don’t forget
to proudly adorn your red ribbons.  Wearing one is a sign that together we
CAN stop the spread of HIV and end prejudice. For more information, or to
purchase tickets call 396-2100.



*2*

*Caribe recibirá fondos para combatir VIH-SIDA**
**Prensa Latina, Cuba*

17/11/2009



Saint GeorgeÂ�s, 17 nov (PL) La Asociación Pancaribeña contra el VIH/SIDA
(PANCAP) dispondrá de 34 millones de dólares para combatir esa enfermedad en
la región, considerada hoy la segunda área del planeta con el mayor número
de infectados.



  Esos recursos fueron aprobados por el Fondo Mundial de lucha contra esa
epidemia, la tuberculosis y la malaria durante una reciente reunión de la
junta directiva celebrada en Addis Ababa, la capital de Etiopía.



Con esos fondos, PANCAP podrá reforzar los programas de prevención,
tratamiento y atención contra el mal en los países del área, actualmente con
230 mil pacientes cero positivos.



La ayuda también permitirá movilizar todos sectores de la sociedad a fin de
lograr acciones efectivas a la epidemia.



Estadísticas de PANCAP indican que el Caribe reporta en 2009 tres mil casos
menos que el año anterior, con 20 mil personas infectadas con el virus.



La zona también presenta una cifra similar en el índice de fallecimientos en
comparación con 2008, cuando hubo 14 mil decesos.



PANCAP, asentada en Georgetown, la capital de Guyana, es un mecanismo
regional establecido en 2001 para coordinar la respuesta de las naciones
caribeñas a la epidemia del SIDA.



*3*

*Los casos de VIH Sida aumentaron un 16% durante el 2009**
**La Razón, Bolivia*

18/11/2009



Desde 1984 en Bolivia se han registrado 4.628 casos confirmados de VIH-sida.
De ese total, 771, que representan el 16,6%, se han detectado entre enero y
septiembre de este año, según informó ayer Carola Valencia, coordinadora
nacional Programa ITS/VIH-sida que depende del Ministerio de Salud y
Deportes.

Según la autoridad, este incremento en la identificación de casos de
VIH-sida se debe a que las personas ahora tienen un acceso rápido y fácil
para realizarse la prueba y someterse a un diagnóstico.



Valencia realizó ayer en Santa Cruz de la Sierra el lanzamiento de la
campaña nacional masiva de comunicación para sensibilizar y concienciar a la
población sobre esta epidemia.



“Hay un incremento importante de casos en esta temporada, pero hay que
aclarar que se debe a que se ha facilitado de alguna manera la prueba rápida
en muchos lugares. Ahora (este trabajo) no está centralizado, sino en
diferentes hospitales y esto le permite llegar a la población de manera más
fácil y además se ha difundido más ampliamente acerca de la prevención que
deben tener”, sostuvo Valencia.



Hasta la fecha, según el reporte oficial del Ministerio de Salud, hay 4.628
casos registrados de VIH-sida en el país. De ese total 2.529 (57 por ciento)
se encuentran en el departamento de Santa Cruz. Le siguen Cochabamba con 875
casos (19 por ciento) y La Paz con 730 (18 por ciento).



La autoridad dijo que ante este panorama se reforzarán los programas de
prevención de la enfermedad para evitar que el número se siga incrementando.



Según el cuadro presentado de distribución porcentual de casos notificados
de VIH-sida, por grupo etario, el 38 por ciento de los portadores del mal
están entre los 25 y 34 años de edad, seguidos del 26 por ciento de entre 15
y 24 años y 19 por ciento de personas entre 35 y 44 años. En función a estas
estadísticas, el informe oficial del Ministerio de Salud señala que seis de
cada 10 personas con el mal tienen entre 15 y 34 años.



Valencia informó también que el lunes 16, en Tarija, se ha tratado y
consensuado un decreto reglamentario que será sometido a instancia jurídica
correspondiente para poner en vigencia la Ley 3729 de Protección a los
Derechos de las personas que viven con el VIH. Allí, explicó, se ha
analizado aspectos de educación, laborales, atención integral, prevención y
cupos de medicamentos. “Esta ley no tenía un decreto reglamentario y después
de dos años se lo ha consensuado y va a seguir su curso jurídico, pero lo
hemos hecho de manera participativa”, dijo. Redacción Santa Cruz



EL MAL Y LAS VÍCTIMAS

Personas fallecidas • Según el informe oficial del Ministerio de Salud,
durante los últimos 25 años llegaron a fallecer 446 personas a causa del
VIH-sida en todo el país.



Casos calculados • De acuerdo con las proyecciones de la Organización de las
Naciones Unidad (ONU), en el país hay alrededor de 10.000 personas
portadoras del VIH-sida.



*4*

*Campanha aborda o tema aids  **
**Jornal Cidade-SP, Brazil*

17/11/2009



Estimativas do Ministério da Saúde indicam que cerca de 600 mil brasileiros
vivem e convivem com o HIV, destes 400 mil não sabem de sua condição de
portadores do vírus. Por isso, o diagnóstico é muito importante para o
controle da epidemia de Aids no país, e fundamental para a realização do
tratamento que garanta a qualidade de vida da pessoa infectada.

À nível mundial, a principal causa de morte por Aids é a falta de acesso
oportuno ao tratamento (terapia ARV), sendo que essa situação leva a
imunodeficiência importante e à ocorrência de infecções oportunistas graves
e muitas vezes fatais. Um dos problemas de acesso ao tratamento é a
realização tardia do diagnóstico, daí a necessidade da campanha "Fique
Sabendo".

Sendo assim, a Fundação/Secretaria Municipal de Saúde de Rio Claro estará
participando da campanha estadual "Fique Sabendo", de 16 de novembro a 1º de
dezembro de 2009, visando oferecer à população diagnóstico precoce da
infecção pelo HIV (vírus que provoca a Aids).

Durante a campanha “Fique Sabendo”, Rio Claro contará com 15 postos de
coleta nas Unidades de Saúde das 8h às 9h. No Jardim Público com O CTA
Itinerante das 10h às 12h e das 13h às 15h.

No final de semana do dia 28 o CTA Itinerante estará realizando a sorologia
durante a IX Conferência Municipal de Saúde que acontecerá na Sede da
Faculdade Anhanguera, e no dia 29 CTA Itinerante no Jardim Público.

CTA/Coas nos dias 17, 19, 23, 24, 25 no horário das 19h às 21h, oferecendo
horário noturno para a população com dificuldade de acessar os serviços nos
demais horários.

Convém lembrar que essa campanha é fundamental porque ajuda a identificar
novos casos de infecção pelo HIV, possibilitando o tratamento imediato
desses casos e a qualidade de vida das pessoas, porém é bom ressaltar que o
mais importante é prevenir a Aids não esquecendo nunca da prática de sexo
seguro com uso do preservativo nas relações sexuais, e de materiais
descartáveis pelos usuários de drogas injetáveis.



*========================*



*NORTH AMERICA*



*========================*



*Fighting TB should be priority **
**MSNBC*

17/11/2009



By Dr. Anthony Fauci



Tuberculosis is one of the world's leading killers. Every year at least 9
million people are infected with TB, with almost 2 million deaths, according
to estimates from the World Health Organization. Yet few citizens,
scientists and policymakers are demanding more attention to TB research,
treatment and prevention.



It's time to bring TB research into the 21st century. For the past 60 years
we have treated tuberculosis patients with essentially the same therapeutic
regimens. The only licensed vaccine against TB, the BCG vaccine, is more
than 100 years old and does not prevent adult pulmonary (lung) TB, the most
common and infectious form of the disease. Diagnostics for TB are
antiquated, non-standardized, and imprecise.



No new classes of TB drugs have been licensed for decades and treatment
regimens are cumbersome, lengthy and frequently lead to the emergence of
drug-resistant forms of TB. Although a few new TB medicines have been
developed, they have resulted in only incremental changes in TB therapy.



Where is the outrage over such meager progress?



One third of the world’s population is thought to be infected with
Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the microbe that causes TB. In 2007, 9.3 million
people — including 1.4 million HIV-infected individuals — developed TB and
1.75 million people died, according to WHO. Multidrug resistant (MDR) and
extensively drug resistant (XDR) forms of TB have emerged that threaten to
undermine TB control efforts in both developed and developing nations.



Using HIV research as the model

When HIV/AIDS was first recognized in the United States in 1981, the
response among members of the affected community was immediate and palpable.
This was a new, mysterious disease and patients, friends and families were
understandably frightened. This initial fear soon changed to anger and
outrage as AIDS activists organized, expanded and held the government’s feet
to the fire, demanding the investment of resources necessary to address this
rapidly expanding public health crisis. Even though it soon became apparent
that the HIV/AIDS pandemic was disproportionately affecting low- and
mid-income countries, people in the United States and other rich countries
perceived AIDS as an immediate threat to them, and responded forcefully.



Partly, as a result of this early and extremely effective activism and the
investment of substantial resources in biomedical research, more than 30
anti-HIV drugs were developed in less than three decades. There are now more
drugs licensed against HIV than all other viral diseases combined. Although
these anti-HIV drugs are not a cure, HIV infection is no longer the
near-certain death sentence it once was, and patients with access to these
drugs can expect to live long and productive lives.



In contrast to the relatively short history of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis has
been a scourge of mankind for thousands of years. Despite the massive human
toll, we do not have dozens of new drugs for TB, the way we do for HIV/AIDS.



Fortunately, the disease has begun to garner considerable public attention,
due in part to the high incidence of TB in HIV-infected individuals. These
patients are benefiting from well-funded global HIV treatment, prevention
and care programs, and the emergence and spread of drug-resistant forms of
the disease. Alarm over the emergence of drug-resistant strains of TB
throughout the world has heightened global awareness of the threat and has
resulted in an increase in investment from biomedical researchers,
pharmaceutical companies and public health officials.



We are beginning to see the winds of change, but what we really need is a
storm. It is imperative that we transform the way we diagnose, treat,
prevent, and control TB — through biomedical research and public health
measures — to the same extent that we have done and will continue to do with
HIV/AIDS.



Advances in TB research and treatment have come incrementally by trial and
error. The current TB regimen was developed through tedious, repetitive
clinical trials, in which new drugs were added to an already complex
cocktail of existing drugs or substituted for individual drugs in the
treatment regimen to provide the best tolerated, shortest regimen to cure
the disease.



Difficult treatment regimen

Currently, the treatment regimen is difficult for most people to maintain.
Based on universal recommendations that guide therapy across the world, TB
patients must take up to four drugs daily for six to nine months. We need to
expand the pipeline of new drugs to create regimens that could be used to
treat different populations of people with varying needs, ideally with much
shorter durations of treatment and with drugs that are equally effective
against drug-resistant and drug-sensitive TB.



We also need accurate, inexpensive, “point-of-care” diagnostic tests for TB
that can be easily used by health workers, even in remote settings. Making
the correct diagnosis quickly can inform health care workers whether the
patient is infected with a drug-sensitive or resistant strain of M.
tuberculosis so that the appropriate drugs can be administered.



A vaccine to prevent adult pulmonary TB is an urgent priority. To develop
such a vaccine, we need to better understand at the basic scientific level
how the human host defends itself against the TB microbe in the natural
course of infection.



Most important, in order to develop better TB drugs, diagnosis and vaccines,
we also need to understand TB as a disease of the whole organism — the
patient. We need to better understand the delicate balance between the host
and pathogen in the context of the entire biological system. For example, M.
tuberculosis remains latent in about 90 percent of people who are infected;
only 10 percent of these will develop active disease in their lifetime (for
persons also infected with HIV, the likelihood of developing active disease
increases dramatically). Latency is unlikely an “on or off” mechanism but
rather a spectrum of conditions.



Can we identify those people at the more vulnerable end of the spectrum and
treat them before they develop active disease



*2*

*Novel idea to fight poverty is ignored**
**Atlanta Journal-Constitution*

17/11/2009



By Joanne Carter



In the run-up to the G-20 summit this fall, development groups from across
the world rallied behind a currency transaction levy, an innovative new
funding mechanism for addressing global poverty.



A tax of just 0.005 percent on currency exchanges between the U.S. dollar,
the yen, the euro and the British pound, a CTL could generate up to $33
billion in additional funds each year to help the world’s poorest. Yet the
Group of 20 hardly even discussed it.



Considering this levy could help wealthy nations dramatically step up their
development aid without hampering the still-fragile global economy, this was
quite regrettable.



In 2001, the United Nations member states agreed on a set of eight goals for
conquering the most serious problems facing the developing world. Known as
the Millennium Development Goals, they focused on significantly reducing
hunger, poverty, illiteracy and disease by 2015.



While steady progress has been made on these fronts, leading nations aren’t
on pace to meet their professed commitments.



This has allowed grave threats to global health and well-being, like
tuberculosis, to persist. Currently, over 2 billion people are infected with
the disease. Tuberculosis is the leading killer of people with HIV/AIDS.



And, perhaps most frightening, many of the new strains of the disease are
proving resistant to pharmaceutical treatment.



According to the World Health Organization, it would cost roughly $6.7
billion a year to reverse this epidemic. If current funding levels persist,
though, only about half that amount will be available.



The plight of the developing world has been made worse by the global
financial crisis. The U.N. estimates that, in 2009, somewhere between 55
million and 90 million more people will be living in extreme poverty than
originally had been estimated.



A CTL could help meet these challenges and guarantee greater progress toward
the U.N.’s Millennium Development Goals.



Every year, the foreign currency market handles almost $800 trillion in
trades. Taxing those transactions at 0.005 percent — just five-thousandths
of one percent — is small enough that it would have practically no negative
effect on global economic growth. And since the currency exchange market is
already completely computerized, the levy could be collected electronically,
making implementation logistically painless.



The levy could also help address the funding shortfall faced by the Global
Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The group, which funds
countless initiatives aimed at stomping out these destructive diseases, will
need to raise $30 billion in the next year to keep up with the demand for
aid. The CTL could play a part in filling that funding gap.



It’s important to note that the CTL wouldn’t be an alternative to
state-sponsored aid, but rather a healthy supplement. Indeed, traditional
aid is still sorely needed — especially when it comes to improving the
health of children and mothers.



The mortality rate for children under five in sub-Saharan Africa and
Southern Asia in particular has shown nearly no progress. In fact, between
1990 and 2007, the number of under-5 deaths rose from 4.2 million to 4.6
million.



And over half a million women die as a result of childbirth each year —
nearly all of them in the developing world.



The problems afflicting the developing world are as severe as they are
numerous. If G-20 leaders are going to meet their moral obligation to these
countries, they will need to start deploying bold new strategies. By failing
to even consider the CTL in September, they missed one of their greatest
opportunities to do so.



*Joanne Carter is the executive director of RESULTS Educational Fund. She
also sits on the board of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and
Malaria*



*3*

*As HIV/AIDS Public Interest Wanes, Elton John AIDS Foundation Work Becomes
More Urgent**
**Huffington Post*

16/11/2009



David Furnish; Director, Elton John AIDS Foundation



Two weeks ago, President Obama signed the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment
Extension Act of 2009. This crucial measure ensures that half a million
Americans living with HIV will continue to receive the care they desperately
need. But much work remains in the battle against AIDS in America.



We've made great strides in treating and preventing AIDS since Elton John
founded the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) in 1992. New cases of HIV in
the United States have declined dramatically, from 150,000 per year in the
mid-1980s, to 56,000 per year in this decade. This is a direct result of
effective intervention and preventative measures spearheaded and funded not
only by the government, but also by countless nonprofit organizations across
the nation, including EJAF.



Despite the progress of recent years, however, there have been several
troubling developments. Revised statistics from the US Centers for Disease
Control show the AIDS epidemic to be worse than previously thought. At the
same time, fewer and fewer Americans identify AIDS as a public health
priority. In fact, a recent poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that
only six percent of Americans believe AIDS is the most urgent health problem
facing the nation, a decline from 17 percent just three years ago.
Similarly, domestic HIV/AIDS prevention funding has plummeted by 20 percent
since 2002.



It's safe to say that we are still dealing with the same problems, the same
prejudices, and the same roadblocks that stymied efforts to engage the
epidemic aggressively in the early 80s.



That's why the work of EJAF -- and the organizations we support -- continues
to be so critical. Elton is proud that his foundation is today one of the
largest AIDS grant-making organizations. Since its inception, EJAF has
raised more than $150 million to support HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment
programs in 55 countries around the globe. And despite the challenging
economic climate, EJAF remains a steady source of support for HIV/AIDS
programming, through both core partnerships and direct grants.



Over the years, our work in the United States has evolved to meet new and
ever-changing challenges. But two priorities have remained the same.



First, we have never forgotten that the fight against AIDS is a cooperative
effort. That's why we work with so many dedicated and determined
organizations at both the national and local level -- including the National
AIDS Fund, Kaiser Family Foundation, Ford Foundation, MAC AIDS Fund, and
other grant-makers -- to support cutting-edge, community-centered work.
We're proud of EJAF's track record of developing extremely productive
partnerships.



Second, EJAF continues to focus our efforts on the underserved, the
isolated, and the forgotten. For instance, AIDS is now one of the leading
causes of death among young African American women, and rates of incidence
are dramatically higher in the African American community and impoverished
towns in the South. EJAF has prioritized grant making to organizations that
serve these populations. And we continue to proudly support counseling,
treatment, and prevention services for sex workers, the prison population,
men who have sex with men, and those living in extreme poverty. These are
the populations where AIDS has hit the hardest, where we have the most
progress to make, and where we can really make a difference.



We must continue our efforts to fight the HIV virus. But we must also
continue to fight the equally dangerous, infectious, and deadly epidemic of
apathy. No one should be denied access to treatment, prevention, or medical
care because of her or his socioeconomic status or lifestyle. So long as
there are vast, underserved populations of HIV-positive Americans, EJAF will
work with courageous organizations that provide lifesaving care to those in
need.



Under the leadership of President Obama, the US government has demonstrated
a renewed and serious commitment to addressing the root causes of the
domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic. Let's keep the progress going. EJAF is committed
to doing its part; hopefully, Washington is, too.



*4*

*Study pushes for aggressive spending in fight against HIV/AIDS**
**Canadian Press*

17/11/2009



By Allison Cross, Canwest News Service



OTTAWA — A new study led by a Canadian math professor recommends aggressive
and immediate spending to combat HIV/AIDS as the most effective method of
halting the global epidemic.



The study, led by the University of Ottawa’s Robert J. Smith and published
in the journal BMC Public Health, relied on a mathematical model that
determined the spreading speed of HIV/AIDS across the world.



The study then examined the best way to fight the disease, taking into
account the $60 billion already committed globally to the cause.



“If you’re trying to quantify a disease, the general way to do it is to
figure out the number of infections that each person is likely to create,”
Smith said.



The number of people someone with HIV/AIDS will infect will depends on many
factors, like sexual behaviours, but the goal is to get that average number
below one, he said.



“If, on average, (someone) infects less than one person, the disease should
go away on its own,” Smith said. “It’s about finding the tipping point.”



Reducing the average infection rate to one or less is possible, Smith said,
but to achieve it, the world needs to spend their money within the next five
years.



Approximately $60 billion has been committed to fighting the disease, he
said, but the plan is to spend that money gradually over the next 15 to 20
years.



“The main problem is (the donor community) hasn’t got specific plans of what
to do with the money aside from not spending it too quickly,” he said. “The
money is coming in faster than new cases are coming in, so we have the
unique chance to get ahead of the epidemic. This is not going to last long.”



Education campaigns and increased condom use at the local level have been
effective in lowering infection rates, the study says, but without immediate
spending, travel and immigration will make it impossible to control the
epidemic.



“I think most of the traditional views of dealing with HIV have been at a
very local level. People think (they) only need to worry about their country
or . . . province,” Smith said.



“But disease is not a local phenomenon. They don’t respect borders. If you
want to eradicate it in Canada, you need to think of it in Africa. You can’t
just think of it as a Canadian problem.”



Smith and his team of researchers received accolades in August for their
mathematical and biological study on how the planet could best handle an
invasion by zombies.

© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service



*========================*



*UNAIDS WEB.SITE*



*========================*



“Just like you” video campaign against stigma and prejudice launched in
Brazil

*UNAIDS*

17/11/2009



New campaign to be broadcast by television across Brazil highlights rights
of students, gay men, lesbians, people living with HIV, the Afro-Brazilian
population, sex workers, refugees, transsexuals and transvestites and drug
users.



Equal rights and a call to Brazilian society on the issue of the
discrimination experienced daily by men, women and children in the country
are the messages of a powerful ”Just like you” video campaign, launched 16
November in Rio de Janeiro, by UNAIDS in partnership with other United
Nations agencies with the participation of civil society and the government
authorities on human rights.



Ten thirty second films were shown during the launch, films that present a
panorama of the reality faced by each population covered by the campaign –
school students, gay men, lesbians, people living with HIV, the
Afro-Brazilians, sex workers, refugees, transsexuals and transvestites and
drug users. The films will be broadcast in Portuguese on television stations
throughout the country. DVDs and CDs will also be distributed to health care
facilities, schools and the National Business Council on HIV. The films are
also available with subtitles in English and Spanish so they can be shown
internationally.



The campaign launch ceremony was followed by a press conference, at the
Palácio do Itamaraty with the community leaders who recorded the campaign
messages as well as UN officials from UNODC, UNAIDS, UNIFEM, UNESCO, UNHCR
and UNIC. Representatives of the Special Secretariats of Human Rights and of
Policies in Promotion of Racial Equality, the Ministry of Education and
civil society were also present.



Human rights visibility

“Just like you” is a campaign against stigma and prejudice, giving voice and
visibility to the human rights of people often overlooked by society in
Brazil. The films communicate the messages of leaders of each of the
discriminated groups.



The campaign is an initiative against human rights violations and
inequalities in the areas of health, education, employment, public security
and everyday life. It is an opportunity to raise the awareness of Brazilian
society with regard to respecting the differences that characterize each of
the social groups represented in the campaign, reaffirming equal rights.



Everyday stigmas and prejudices

Data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics reveal the
racial and gender inequalities in Brazil through the disparity in average
monthly income: white men earn on average R$ 1,200, considerably more than
white women (R$700), twice that of black men (R$ 600), and three times that
of black women (R$ 400).



The school environment is another example of resistance to diversity. A 2009
survey of 500 state schools done by Anísio Teixeira National Institute of
Educational Research and Studies and Economic Research Institute Foundation,
between 55% and 72% of students, teachers, head teachers and education
workers showed a resistance to diversity and the greatest distance was seen
in relation to homosexuals (72%).



Campaign signature

Prejudice manifests itself through discriminatory attitudes and practices,
such as humiliation, aggression and unfair accusations merely because people
belong to a specific social group.



The United Nations agencies in Brazil joined with a number of civil society
groups for this equal rights campaign including ABGLT (Brazilian Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual, Transvestite and Transsexual Association), AMNB
(Association of Black Brazilian Women), ANTRA (National Articulation of
Transvestites, Transsexual and Transgender Persons), the Brazilian Movement
of People Living with HIV/AIDS and the Brazilian Network of Prostitutes
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