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University of Western Ontario receives FDA approval to begin SAV001 HIV trial

The first and only preventative HIV vaccine based on a genetically modified killed whole virus has received approval by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to start human clinical trials.

21 Dec 2011

Vacc-4x nasal vaccine can effectively treat HIV

Thirty years after AIDS was first described, there is still no effective vaccine against the HIV virus. Worldwide, roughly 33 million people are HIV-positive. Researchers are working to find out whether a HIV vaccine developed by a Norwegian biotech company can be administered nasally.

21 Dec 2011

UC Davis professor monitors world's hot spots for signs of emerging diseases

It's not a matter of if a worldwide pandemic will strike but when, say experts like veterinarian and epidemiologist Jonna Mazet, a professor in the Department of Medicine and Epidemiology in the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine. That's why Mazet, who leads an early warning pandemic system called PREDICT, monitors the world's hot spots, or "hot interfaces" for signs of emerging diseases.

21 Dec 2011

Opinion pieces address federal funding ban on domestic, global health spending for needle-exchange programs

The FY12 Appropriations Agreement recently passed by Congress includes reinstatements of bans on the domestic and international use of federal funds for needle-exchange programs, the Haiwai'i News Daily reports.

21 Dec 2011

WHO approves three Mylan ARV therapies to treat HIV/AIDS

Mylan Inc. today announced that its subsidiary Mylan Laboratories Limited has received approval for three antiretroviral (ARV) therapies used to treat HIV/AIDS under the World Health Organization's (WHO) Prequalification of Medicines Programme. The products include:

20 Dec 2011

Routine criminal prosecutions for HIV nondisclosure should be abolished, say experts

Routine criminal prosecutions for not disclosing HIV status should be abolished, write three HIV/AIDS experts in an article in CMAJ.

20 Dec 2011

Same sex marriage legalization improves health, reduces stress among gay men: Study

According to US researchers legalizing same-sex marriage may create a healthier environment for gay men. The number of visits by gay men to health clinics dropped significantly after same-sex unions were allowed in the state Massachusetts. This was regardless of whether the men were in a stable relationship, reported the American Journal of Public Health.

19 Dec 2011

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to expand coverage of MNT

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has prepared a request to submit to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to expand coverage of medical nutrition therapy (MNT) for specific diseases, including hypertension, obesity, and cancer, as part of the CMS National Coverage Determination (NCD) Process.

19 Dec 2011

Women, girls affected by HIV in Indonesia face poverty

"The number of reported HIV cases has tripled in Indonesia in recent years, curtailing productivity and trapping affected girls and women, especially, in poverty, according to a recent U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) report," PlusNews reports.

17 Dec 2011

Balancing optimism and realism in battle against HIV/AIDS

In his monthly column "Pulling It Together," Kaiser Family Foundation President and CEO Drew Altman discusses a recent conversation between The Daily Show host Jon Stewart and U2 lead singer Bono that "captures the tension between the opportunity for new optimism and the continuing need for realism about the AIDS epidemic."

17 Dec 2011

Study: Dentists' role in medical checkups

A study in the American Journal of Public Health indicates that many people who don't have regular contact with a physician still see a dentist at least once a year -- potentially positioning these professionals to spot the early signs of chronic illnesses.

17 Dec 2011

UNAIDS Board convenes, approves global efforts to meet 2015 HIV/AIDS targets

The UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board "convened from 13-15 December to review and follow up on recommendations of the 2011 U.N. General Assembly High-Level Meeting on AIDS," a UNAIDS press release states.

17 Dec 2011

3-year study identifies key interventions to reduce maternal, newborn, child deaths

A three-year study conducted by the WHO, Aga Khan University, and the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH) "has identified key interventions to reduce maternal, newborn and child deaths," PANA/Afrique en Ligne reports.

17 Dec 2011

Immediate ART appears preferable to deferring treatment among recently infected HIV patients

Among people recently infected with HIV, immediate antiretroviral therapy (ART) appears preferable to deferring treatment, according to a new study published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases and now available online.

17 Dec 2011

Behavioral interventions reduce STIs and improve condom use

Behavioral interventions aimed at reducing sexual risk behaviors, such as unprotected sex, are effective at both promoting condom use and reducing sexually transmitted infections (STIs) long after the initial intervention, according to a new report in the December 15 issue of the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes.

16 Dec 2011

Global Fund releases 'Information Note' on Transitional Funding Mechanism

The Center for Global Health Policy's "ScienceSpeaks" blog reports on a recently released "Information Note" from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria "explaining the Transitional Funding Mechanism (TFM) that the Fund Board recently decided would replace a Round 11 funding cycle.

16 Dec 2011

HIV testing remains important amid push for expanded treatment in Africa

"With a needle puncture on your finger and a drop of blood, the magic of modern science can give you a rapid HIV test in seconds, and so, knowing your status, you are better able to negotiate the rocky road of surviving HIV where timely detection is key," Farai Sevenzo, a columnist and filmmaker, writes in this BBC News opinion piece, part of a series from African journalists.

16 Dec 2011

Gates Foundation, Grand Challenges to develop new diagnostics for tropical diseases

Grand Challenges Canada and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have teamed up on an unprecedented global effort to discover and develop affordable, easy-to-use tools to help developing country health workers rapidly diagnose diseases in rural communities. The expected result: more timely and appropriate treatment of illnesses in poor countries, potentially saving countless lives.

16 Dec 2011

Viewpoints: Wyden and Ryan on their Medicare plan; Frist on the need for international health aid

Few issues draw more heated partisan rhetoric than the future of Medicare. Seniors are a reliable and powerful voting bloc, and both Republicans and Democrats are guilty of exploiting Medicare to frighten and entice voters. But turning discussions of Medicare's future into the third rail of American politics does nothing to guarantee that Medicare will continue to be a lifeline for America's seniors.

16 Dec 2011

Virco Lab launches HIV/AIDS EHR technology

Virco Lab, Inc., the U.S. affiliate of Virco BVBA, today announced the launch of AVIGA and AVIGA REPORTER. AVIGA is a web-based electronic health record (EHR) solution with HIV/AIDS disease-specific functionality and AVIGA REPORTER is a web-based, data-reporting module designed specifically for the purposes of conducting HIV/AIDS research and providing reporting capabilities.

15 Dec 2011