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Recent releases: limiting corruption; mental health; U.S. global health policies; non-physician administered ARV; African health ministers

A Lancet Infectious Diseases Reflection and Reaction piece says while PEPFAR's "investment of over US$228 million into Mozambique in 2008 alone" resulted in "an exponential increase in the number of people on" ARVs and boosted prevention programs, "[t]here is more money available for HIV/AIDS than can reasonably be spent, especially given Mozambique's poor infrastructure and large geographical area. Unfortunately, one side-effect has been an associated increase in corruption." To maximize aid money and limit corruption, "careful and creative resource management will be needed," the author concludes (Johnson, 9/09).

24 Aug 2009

Pharmaceutical manufacturers increase lobbying

The Associated Press reports: "The pharmaceutical industry's primary trade group spent nearly $6.2 million lobbying in the second quarter on health care reform provisions, confirmation of two top federal officials and other issues, according to a recent disclosure report.

24 Aug 2009

WHO recommends against using homeopathic treatments for HIV, TB, malaria, influenza, infant diarrhea

The WHO has warned that people with conditions such as HIV, tuberculosis and malaria should not rely on homeopathic treatments, the BBC reports. The agency was responding to a June letter (full text available here), in which researchers from the Voice of Young Science Network called on the agency "to condemn the promotion of homeopathy for treating TB, infant diarrhoea, influenza, malaria and HIV."

23 Aug 2009

Condom Olympics event to select an ambassador from Miss Universe contestants to spread messages about HIV prevention

The Miss Universe contestants continued preparations for Sunday night's pageant by competing today in the Condom Olympics - tossing water-filled condoms to test their strength and playing "Wild Fire Infection" games that demonstrate the serious side of HIV infection.

21 Aug 2009

Newspapers examine debate over affordable drugs in developing countries

The Los Angeles Times examines how "activists in Washington, and Thailand and other developing countries are accusing the Obama administration of endangering access to affordable drugs to fight AIDS and other epidemic diseases."

21 Aug 2009

Influenza A H1N1 Real Time RT-PCR tests detect RNA of H1N1 influenza virus

Focus Diagnostics, the infectious disease diagnostics business of Quest Diagnostics Incorporated, today announced that its Influenza A H1N1 (2009) Real Time RT-PCR test is now available as a test kit for use by "high complexity" clinical laboratories in the U.S.

21 Aug 2009

NYT Magazine interviews Clinton on global women's issues

The New York Times Magazine, as part of a special issue that focuses on women worldwide, published an interview with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton who "staked her claim as an advocate for global women's issues in 1995, when, as first lady, she gave an impassioned speech at a United Nations conference in Beijing." The interview was conducted ahead of her 11-day, seven country tour of Africa.

20 Aug 2009

Cambodia's maternal mortality; drugs in Uganda; cholera risk in Zimbabwe; HIV laws in Niger

A lack of outreach by public health officials and rural villagers' preference for traditional midwives have hindered efforts to reduce maternal morality in Cambodia, government officials said recently at regional conference, the Phnom Penh Post reports.

20 Aug 2009

Chemical components of elderberry, cinnamon and green tea extracts block HIV viruses from infecting cells

The development of new antiviral drugs has had a tremendous impact on the quality of life and life expectancy of HIV-positive and AIDS patients, as the drugs effectively disrupt the replication cycle of the HIV virus. Yet the regular use of those drugs - such as zidovudine (also known as azidothymidine or AZT), protease inhibitors, and highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) involving multidrug therapies - has led to resistant HIV strains.

20 Aug 2009

Some HIV-positive Ugandans' not receiving antiretrovirals

Some HIV-positive people in Uganda "cannot be put on the national antiretroviral [ARV] programme because it is already saturated and funds for new patients are not available," the Independent reports. According to the newspaper, roughly 360,000 HIV-positive Ugandans are eligible for antiretroviral treatment because their CD4 counts are below the WHO's threshold of 350; however, about half of them currently do not have access to ARVs.

20 Aug 2009

Oticon Medical to globally market the FDA approved Ponto bone anchored hearing system

Oticon Medical, a global medical device company within the William Demant Group, announced today that it has obtained 501(k) clearance from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to market the innovative Ponto bone anchored hearing system.

20 Aug 2009

Newly joined Vice President to provide leadership for IAVI's fundraising strategy

Dianne Stewart, former head of Board and Donor relations at the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, has joined the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) as Vice President of Resource Development. In her role at IAVI, Ms. Stewart will provide leadership for the organization’s fundraising strategy focused on both the public and private sectors.

20 Aug 2009

Study reveals long term benefits of swimming for children with asthma

Research has shown that swimming aids asthma symptoms in children. The activity has been proven to be an effective non-pharmacological intervention for children and adolescents, according to a study in Respirology published by Wiley-Blackwell.

20 Aug 2009

Nurses and clinical officers in Africa know when a person should receive antiretroviral therapy

Nurses and clinical officers (non-physician clinicians, NPCs) are capable of determining when a person should receive antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV/AIDS. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access journal Human Resources for Health suggest that this should ease the strain on overstretched doctors in sub-Saharan Africa and thereby help increase access to antiretroviral therapy, particularly in rural areas.

19 Aug 2009

The Gambia introduces pneumococcal immunisation programme

The Gambia, Minister of Health Dr. Mariatou Jallow administered the first dose of the pneumococcal vaccine to Gambian children at a rural clinic outside Banjul today. Joined by the Gambia’s Vice President, Mrs. Isatou Njie-Saidy, Dr. Jallow and hundreds of Gambian citizens celebrated this historic event, which marks the first step in the rollout of the Gambia’s national pneumococcal immunisation programme.

19 Aug 2009

U.S. Food and Drug Administration launches new Center for Tobacco Products

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today launched its new Center for Tobacco Products in an historic effort to curb the hundreds of thousands of deaths caused by those products each year.

19 Aug 2009

U.S. FDA approval of miconazole MBT represents a significant milestone for Strativa Pharmaceuticals

Strativa Pharmaceuticals, the proprietary products division of a wholly owned subsidiary of Par Pharmaceutical Companies, Inc. (NYSE: PRX), today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted the new drug application (NDA) for miconazole Lauriad((R)) mucoadhesive buccal tablets (MBT) to treat oropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC).

19 Aug 2009

BioAlliance Pharma's new drug application for oropharyngeal candidiasis treatment accepted by the FDA

BioAlliance Pharma SA (Paris:BIO), a company dedicated to the treatment and supportive care of cancer and AIDS patients, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted the new drug application (NDA) for miconazole Lauriad® (Loramyc®) Mucoadhesive Buccal Tablets (MBT) to treat oropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC). Miconazole Lauriad® delivers the antifungal miconazole via a mucoadhesive buccal tablet that is designed to enable once-daily dosing of the active ingredient at the site of infection.

19 Aug 2009

Bloomberg reports on HIV-treatment failure in China; New York Times examines ARV shortage in Romania

An analysis of 48,785 HIV-positive patients enrolled in China's National Free Antiretroviral Treatment Program over a five-year period revealed that "[h]alf of China's AIDS patients stopped responding to treatment over five years and didn't have access to the back-up drugs available in developed nations," according to an Annals of Internal Medicine study, Bloomberg reports.

19 Aug 2009

Global Fund awards Tanzania $111 million grant for ITNs

Tanzania will receive an $111 million grant from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria for insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) to be used in the country's fight against malaria, Ray Chambers, U.N. special envoy for malaria, said at a meeting in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Monday, Reuters reports.

19 Aug 2009

AIDS News and Research

Recent releases: limiting corruption; mental health; U.S. global health policies; non-physician administered ARV; African health ministers

Pharmaceutical manufacturers increase lobbying

WHO recommends against using homeopathic treatments for HIV, TB, malaria, influenza, infant diarrhea

Condom Olympics event to select an ambassador from Miss Universe contestants to spread messages about HIV prevention

Newspapers examine debate over affordable drugs in developing countries

Influenza A H1N1 Real Time RT-PCR tests detect RNA of H1N1 influenza virus

NYT Magazine interviews Clinton on global women's issues

Cambodia's maternal mortality; drugs in Uganda; cholera risk in Zimbabwe; HIV laws in Niger

Chemical components of elderberry, cinnamon and green tea extracts block HIV viruses from infecting cells

Some HIV-positive Ugandans' not receiving antiretrovirals

Oticon Medical to globally market the FDA approved Ponto bone anchored hearing system

Newly joined Vice President to provide leadership for IAVI's fundraising strategy

Study reveals long term benefits of swimming for children with asthma

Nurses and clinical officers in Africa know when a person should receive antiretroviral therapy

The Gambia introduces pneumococcal immunisation programme

U.S. Food and Drug Administration launches new Center for Tobacco Products

U.S. FDA approval of miconazole MBT represents a significant milestone for Strativa Pharmaceuticals

BioAlliance Pharma's new drug application for oropharyngeal candidiasis treatment accepted by the FDA

Bloomberg reports on HIV-treatment failure in China; New York Times examines ARV shortage in Romania

Global Fund awards Tanzania $111 million grant for ITNs

Improving healthcare sustainability through carbon data

A New Approach to Preventing Bladder Cancer Recurrence

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

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