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Also in global health news: Polio in Afghanistan; Goosby interview; water shortages in Mexico City; clean water device

Agence France-Presse examines the re-emergence of polio in Afghanistan, which is one of four countries where the disease is endemic. According to AFP, "Health care, or the lack of it, is one of many problems facing Afghanistan, eight years after a war to topple the extremist Taliban regime and the arrival of billions of dollars in international aid." Although UNICEF recently launched a three-day immunization campaign in the country, the "ongoing Taliban insurgency, virulent in the south -- Helmand, Uruzgan and Kandahar provinces in particular -- has meant many children are not being reached," AFP writes (O'Donnell, 9/14).

14 Sep 2009

Washington Post examines HIV/AIDS rights, responsibilities questions

The Washington Post examines how African countries are "grappling with debates over what rights and duties to give those living with [HIV/AIDS] -- a growing segment of the population that remains largely hidden." The newspaper writes: "Across the continent, lawmakers are considering whether to make criminals of those who infect others with HIV, allow bosses to test workers for the virus, punish women who pass it to their babies and give constitutional protections to those with HIV."

14 Sep 2009

Malnutrition, poor sanitary conditions and HIV leads to defective immune system

The most common causes worldwide include malnutrition, poor sanitary conditions and human immune deficiency virus (HIV) infection. Other causes of temporary or permanent damage to the immune system include old age, medications (e.g. cortisone, cytostatic drugs), radiotherapy, stress after surgery and malignant tumors of the bone marrow and the lymph nodes.

14 Sep 2009

Phase III STARTMRK clinical study on ISENTRESS in comparison to efavirenz

ISENTRESS , an integrase inhibitor from Merck & Co., Inc., was studied in comparison to efavirenz in maintaining viral load suppression to undetectable levels (less than 50 copies/mL) and at improving CD4 cell counts in previously untreated (treatment-naïve) HIV-1-infected patients through 96 weeks in a Phase III study called STARTMRK.

14 Sep 2009

National Conference on Latinos and AIDS

To educate healthcare professionals on how to improve the Latino community's access to HIV/AIDS treatment and care, Minority Health Care Communications (MHCC) will hold the National Conference on Latinos and AIDS, September 14-15th, 2009, at the New York Academy of Medicine in New York.

14 Sep 2009

Tobira Therapeutics presents TBR-652 in vitro data for treating HIV at the 49th ICAAC

Tobira Therapeutics Inc., a clinical stage biotechnology company committed to research and product discovery for the treatment of life-threatening and life-altering infectious diseases, today announced results from an in vitro study evaluating TBR-652 in combination with lopinavir (LPV), darunavir (DRV), atazanavir (ATV), tenofovir (TDF), etravirine (ETV), and raltegravir (RAL) using the infectious replicative assay deCIPhR.

14 Sep 2009

AIDS Healthcare Foundation calls on CA Governor to sign Assembly Bill 221 without delay

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the operator of the largest non-government HIV testing program in California, today praised the California Legislature for its passage of Assembly Bill 221, which cleared the Assembly on final concurrence (61-0) today and moves on to the Governor’s desk. AB 221 updates and streamlines the training of counselors for rapid HIV testing by exempting persons administering finger stick rapid HIV tests from the requirement for certification as a limited phlebotomy technician (LPT). It is widely expected that Schwarzenegger will sign the bill.

14 Sep 2009

Recent releases: HIV and nutrition; new global health journal; male circumcision; Chagas disease; malaria research methods

"Despite calls from national and international organizations to integrate HIV and nutritional programs, data are lacking on how such programs can be effectively implemented in resource-poor settings, on the optimum content and duration of nutritional support, and on ideal target recipients," write the authors of a Clinical Infectious Diseases review that examines the relationship between HIV, nutritional deficiencies and food insecurity.

14 Sep 2009

Prevention and treatment of pneumonia are critical to reducing child mortality

New World Health Organization data to be published in this week's edition of the Lancet will shed new light on two leading causes of pneumonia, the world's leading killer of children under age 5, both globally and within specific countries.

14 Sep 2009

Ratification of U.N. agency for women could be delayed

Cuba, Egypt, Iran and Sudan "have mounted a last-minute campaign to delay ratification" by the U.N. general assembly of a new agency, "which would have a budget of around $1 billion and consolidate four existing bodies that deal with women's issues," the Guardian reports.

14 Sep 2009

IRIN examines report on varying cost of ARVs for countries with similar socioeconomic status

IRIN examines a recent report (.pdf) that found varying price rates countries pay for antiretrovirals (ARVs) - with "some nations … paying up to three times more for the life-prolonging medicines than others with similar HIV prevalence and income levels."

11 Sep 2009

HIV/AIDS patients in U.S. have no long-term treatment options: ATAC report card

With the estimated 1.2 million people with HIV/AIDS in the United States expected to live close to a normal life span, the majority of pharmaceutical companies are not developing innovative, new long-term treatment options that offer improved efficacy, safety and tolerability when taken for decades, according to a report card on the pharmaceutical industry released today by the AIDS Treatment Activists Coalition's (ATAC) Drug Development Committee.

11 Sep 2009

Quintiles partners with the University of Pretoria

Quintiles, the only fully integrated biopharmaceutical services company offering clinical, commercial, consulting and capital solutions worldwide, today announced a strategic alliance agreement with the University of Pretoria as part of its industry unique Prime Site program, an initiative to accelerate the development of new and more effective medicines.

11 Sep 2009

Drug manufacturers are seeking out needle-free systems

Many of the novel biopharmaceutical drugs developed now can only be delivered by injection, and this has biologic manufacturers seeking out the most patient-friendly options, including needle-free systems.

11 Sep 2009

Proposal calls for Medicare coverage of HIV screening

A new government proposal calls for Medicare beneficiaries to receive coverage for Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection screening.

11 Sep 2009

New World Health Organization data emphasizes on two leading causes of pneumonia

New World Health Organization data to be published in this week's edition of The Lancet will shed new light on two leading causes of pneumonia, the world’s leading killer of children under age 5, both globally and within specific countries.

11 Sep 2009

Under-five mortality rate continues to decline

UNICEF today released new figures that show the rate of deaths of children under five years of age continued to decline in 2008.

11 Sep 2009

Also in Global Health news: PEPFAR in Swaziland; GSK HIV patent pool; Pediatric ARVs in Uganda; PNG declares health emergency; Israeli, ECOWAS agreement; Somali children

PEPFAR on Wednesday donated eight computers to Swaziland's Ministry of Health to aid in the country's ability to track the progress of the nation's HIV/AIDS programs, the Swazi Observer reports. According to the newspaper, the computers will be distributed to regional clinics across the country (Masilela, 9/10).

10 Sep 2009

St. Vincent develops the first-ever HIV educational widget

Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers and the New York State Department of Health (DOH) today unveiled a novel Web-based technology to rapidly instruct health care providers throughout New York State about HIV diagnosis and prevention.

10 Sep 2009

Complete Genomics sequences and delivers 14 human genomes

Complete Genomics Inc., a third-generation human genome sequencing company, announced today that it has sequenced, analyzed and delivered 14 human genomes to customers since March 2009.

10 Sep 2009