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Opinions: The Pope and condoms; fighting HIV/AIDS in South Africa; malaria eradication or control; health care workers; foreign aid in Haiti

Reflecting on Pope Benedict XVI's recent statements regarding the use of condoms to prevent the transmission of HIV, Michael Gerson writes in a Washington Post column.

24 Nov 2010

First Edition: November 24, 2010

In today's headlines, the political skirmishes of health overhaul debate continue, with liberals pressing the new law's congressional opponents not to accept federal health insurance coverage.

24 Nov 2010

Catholics for Choice comments on Vatican's clarification on condom usage

Jon O'Brien, president of Catholics for Choice, issued the following statement on the most recent news from the Vatican on condom use.

24 Nov 2010

GCM supports iPrEx Study to prevent HIV infection among MSM

The Global Campaign for Microbicides (GCM) welcomes today's news from the Division of AIDS (DAIDS) of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) of the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Gladstone Institutes of the University of California, San Francisco that daily use of oral emtricitabine (FTC) with tenofovir (TDF) in one tablet shows promise to safely and effectively help to prevent HIV infection among men who have sex with men (MSM).

24 Nov 2010

IAS calls on Burmese Government to reverse ruling to shut down charitable HIV/AIDS clinic

The International AIDS Society (IAS) calls on the Burmese Government to reverse a ruling made on November 18 to shut down a charitable HIV/AIDS clinic in Rangoon. The government demand came just one day after Aung San Suu Kyi, the recently released Nobel Peace Prize laureate visited the centre to show her support.

24 Nov 2010

Important queries about PrEP, iPrEx trial for HIV infection

The results of the iPrEx PrEP effectiveness trial of once-daily TDF/FTC (brand name Truvada) in gay men, transgender women and other men who have sex with men are a landmark in HIV prevention research.

24 Nov 2010

HIV treatment drugs also help prevent HIV infection in high-risk men: Study

In a significant advance for HIV prevention research, a clinical trial confirms that the same drugs used for treating HIV can also help prevent HIV infection in the first place.

24 Nov 2010

UNAIDS 2010 report documents significant progress in reducing pediatric HIV infection

The just-released UNAIDS 2010 report on the global AIDS epidemic reflects that there is increased momentum to eliminate pediatric HIV and AIDS worldwide, and documents significant progress in increasing access to services to prevent mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV, reducing new infections in children, and providing treatment for children, mothers, and families living with the virus.

24 Nov 2010

iPrEx study: PrEP reduces HIV infection risk among gay, bisexual men

A daily dose of an oral antiretroviral drug, currently approved to treat HIV infection, reduced the risk of acquiring HIV infection by 43.8 percent among men who have sex with men.

24 Nov 2010

IAS expresses mixed reaction to the Pope's comments on condom usage

The International AIDS Society (IAS) cautiously notes the comments from Pope Benedict that condom use could, in specific circumstances, be acceptable, but calls on the Pope and the Catholic Church to come out clearly and strongly in support of all evidence-based methods of HIV prevention, including condom use.

24 Nov 2010

iPrEx trial shows reduction in new HIV infections

Results of the world's first efficacy trial of an HIV-prevention approach called oral pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, were released online in the New England Journal of Medicine today.

24 Nov 2010

AHF commends Congressman Rohrabacher for exposing AIDS funding grab by China

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), today lauded California Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-46th) for recent comments exposing an AIDS funding grab by the country of China—now the world's second largest economy— in its dealings with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM). In a speech last week on the House floor, Rohrabacher chided China for its dealings with the Fund.

24 Nov 2010

National AIDS Fund and AIDS Action announce merger

On Monday, November 22, the National AIDS Fund (NAF) and AIDS Action announced details of a merger that will create a stronger national organization in the fight against HIV/AIDS, called AIDS United. Mark Ishaug, current President and CEO of AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC), will assume the helm of AIDS United in early 2011, when the new organization officially launches.

24 Nov 2010

iPrEx oral PrEP study achieves major milestone in HIV prevention research

This is a great day in the fight against AIDS. The positive results of the iPrEx oral PrEP study are a major milestone in HIV prevention research and provide important information about how antiretroviral drugs might be used for prevention by HIV-negative people at high risk for HIV infection, said AVAC Executive Director Mitchell Warren.

24 Nov 2010

AP reports on 'significant' clarification of Pope's comments on condoms to prevent HIV

The Associated Press/Washington Post reports that after questions arose about Pope Benedict XVI's comments on the use of condoms to prevent HIV, which one translation "implied that he was referring primarily to homosexual sex, when condoms aren't being used as a form of contraception," Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi "told reporters Tuesday that he asked the pope whether he intended his comments to only apply to male prostitutes.

24 Nov 2010

Daily oral antiretroviral reduces HIV infection risk in MSM by 44%, study finds

A study that included nearly 2,500 HIV-negative men and transgender women who have sex with men has shown that a daily dose of Truvada, a pill containing the AIDS drugs emtricitabine and tenofovir, "can reduce risk of contracting [HIV] by an average of 44% - and by more than 70% if the subjects" follow the regimen closely, Los Angeles Times reports (Maugh, 11/23).

24 Nov 2010

UNAIDS report finds new HIV infections dropped by 20% over 10 years, deaths from AIDS-related illness dropped by 20% over 5 years

The number of new HIV infections has dropped by about one-fifth over the past decade but millions of people are still missing out on major progress in prevention and treatment, according to the annual UNAIDS report released Tuesday, Agence France-Presse reports.

23 Nov 2010

ViiV Healthcare awards $20 million to Idenix for GSK2248761 clinical milestone

Idenix Pharmaceuticals, Inc, a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of drugs for the treatment of human viral diseases, today announced that the Company will receive a payment of $20 million from the ViiV Healthcare Company for the achievement of a clinical milestone relating to GSK2248761.

23 Nov 2010

Pope's statement on condoms to reduce HIV has potential to save tens of thousands of lives, says GAA

The Pope's statement that the use of condoms are justified "in the intention of reducing the risk of HIV infection" is a startling and welcome shift by the Vatican that has the potential to save tens of thousands of lives, says Dr. Paul Zeitz, executive director of the Global AIDS Alliance (GAA).

23 Nov 2010

First African tapped as new head of U.N. population fund

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced on Friday that former Nigerian Health Minister Babatunde Osotimehin has been appointed to head to head the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA), the U.K. Press Association reports.

22 Nov 2010