AIDS/HIV

Posted by Bethina Abrahams

Kristin Davis of "Sex and the City" fame recently teamed up with Oxfam to address the stigma that surrounds AIDS in South Africa. As an Oxfam Ambassador, Davis has had the opportunity to see how much of the work in the HIV/AIDS field has been carried out. To draw attention to the efforts, as well as the barriers that still remain-specifically that of stigma-Davis spoke at a news conference with members of the Treatment Action Campaign and the AIDS Consortium.

Posted by Bethina Abrahams

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day was created to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS in the Black community. The perception traditionally has been that HIV/AIDS is a disease of the gay community and of IV drug users. However, recent statistics have shown that HIV/AIDS is really everyone's burden and this is especially true of the Black communities. With the African Americans being disproportionately represented among new cases in many parts of the states, it is imperative that Black communities and health services focus on education and prevention. In honour of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, many free testing stations are being set up at health clinics and churches throughout the United States. The push is for people to become educated around HIV/AIDS, to get tested, and if need be, get treated.

Posted by Bethina Abrahams

Ryan Giggs, Rio Ferdinand and Chinese forward Dong Fangzhuo of Manchester United took part in an awareness raising campaign by Unicef in China. The three players met with children impacted by AIDS in the hopes of lifting the stigma that shrouds the topic of AIDS in China. In China, many children who have family members with HIV/AIDS are forced to lie about the situation for fear of becoming socially isolated. The Manchester United players were hoping that their involvement would educate the public, shed light on the situation, and allow people to begin living their lives in the open without fear from their communities.

Posted by Bethina Abrahams

In Sadc, a region in Southern Africa, artists are joining forces with AIDS activists to launch the Sadc Artists AIDS Festival. This week long event, which starts on November 27, coincides with World AIDS Day. There will be performances, workshops, counselling and AIDS tests.The hope is that dialogue will be started around AIDS and that people will be educated and made aware of the issues surrounding HIV.

Posted by Bethina Abrahams

The British Columbia AIDS Walk for Life 2007 is scheduled to take place on September 23rd in Stanley Park. This year's walk will benefit a number of organizations dedicated to meeting the needs of the approximately 13,000 British Columbians with HIV.

These organizations are:

• ASIAN Society for the Intervention of AIDS
• Healing our Spirit HIV/AIDS Society
• McLaren Housing Society of BC
• Positive Women’s Network
• Surrey HIV/AIDS Centre Society
• Vancouver Friends for Life Society
• Camp Moomba
• YouthCO AIDS Society
• A Loving Spoonful, National Congress of Black Women
• Vancouver Native Health Society
• Lower Mainland Purpose Society
• Positive Living Fraser Valley
• Red Road HIV/AIDS Network
• Wings Housing Society.

To get more details and to register for the walk, go to the AIDS Walk for Life website.

Posted by Bethina Abrahams

Camp Moomba Yogathon will be held at the UBC Thunderbird Stadium on Saturday, July 21 to raise money for children impacted by AIDS. Participants collect pledges before hand and on the day of the event they will take part in a 108-minute group yoga session. The yogathon begins at 2pm and also includes vendors, presenters and entertainment.

Posted by Bethina Abrahams

AIDS Research Money Granted

The Gates Foundation has granted the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation $9.7 million over five years to look into issues of AIDS prevention impacting children. Specifically, the grant money will be used to research the transmission of AIDS through breast milk, the immune responses in children, and vaccines suitable for children.

AIDS Vaccines For Children

Pamela W. Barnes, the CEO and president of the Elizabeth Glaser Foundation, stated that investigations into appropriate vaccines for children is of special importance with children accounting for 14% of all new HIV cases. The clinical trials will focus on suitable vaccines already tested in an adult population. The trials will show if vaccines effective in adults will be effective and safe in children.

Posted by Bethina Abrahams

John Howard, the Prime Minister of Australia, has said that he would consider banning HIV-positive immigrants and refugees from Australia. Howard made his remarks in response to new statistics which show that the number of HIV-positive people moving into the Australian state of Victoria had increased by 400% in the last two years. Howard said that humanitarian issues may be cause for exception for his proposed law, but that otherwise HIV-carriers would not be permitted to immigrate.

AIDS activists attending an international conference in Dar-es-Salaam were outraged. Many saw Howard's remarks as a step backwards in the attempt to destigmatize HIV-positive people. Others saw it as a pointed attempt to limit the immigration from Africa.

Although it is important to take steps to limit the spread of infectious disease , and in some cases quarantine and a limit on mobility are enacted, these measures are not used for HIV because of its mode of transmission. HIV is not an airborne pathogen. It cannot be passed simply by being in the vicinity of an infected individual. Therefore, measures which limit mobility are not helpful and only contribute to the stigmatization of individuals. Rather prevention should focus on education as transmission is largely because of behaviour. Only by giving people the means to protect themselves and change behaviour will the spread of AIDS be limited.

Posted by Bethina Abrahams

Pedro Ross Leal, the ambassador of Cuba to Angola, has announced plans to help Angola tackle the problems of AIDS, malaria, and cholera. Currently, there are approximately 400 Cubans working in Angola in health and education. Cuba plans to increase the capacity of Anglola by sending specialists in public health who will work throughout the country and also provide teaching. In addition, Cuba is making plans to send vaccines, antiretroviral drugs, and materials to build pharmaceutical factories.

Cuba has always been different from North American countries in that instead of contributing to the brain drain of Africa, it has tried to combat it by sending Cuban-trained physicians to countries in Africa.

Posted by Bethina Abrahams

The Life Offices' Association, which is the governing organization for 95% of all insurance companies in South Africa, has announced that its members will no longer exclude HIV/AIDS victims and their families from receiving death and disability benefits. In 2005, clauses excluding HIV/AIDS victims were done away with in insurance policies. However, the exclusion clauses in policies taken out before 2005 were still in effect. This latest development means that all policies, regardless of initiation date, will no longer exclude people with HIV/AIDS.

This is a welcome development for many families. In the past, families were driven into financial ruin when policies which they had been paying regularly, were denied them. On behalf of approximately 50 families who were denied coverage, the AIDS Law Project has been tirelessly advocating for the removal of the exclusion clause.

The new focus now will be on obtaining more affordable coverage for people infected with HIV.