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Hey fever! The surprise benefit of allergies

Long-suffering victims of allergies such as asthma and hay fever might enjoy a surprise benefit, according to research led by the University of New South Wales (UNSW).

24 Jul 2008

Congress approves global AIDS bill which will save millions of lives

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) lauded the U.S. House of Representatives for passing legislation (today's House vote to concur on the Senate amended House PEPFAR bill: 303 to 115) re-authorizing PEPFAR (the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief), the successful US global AIDS program.

24 Jul 2008

A dangerous precedent in HIV

Infection with HIV could quadruple in certain populations if people with HIV follow potentially misleading advice contained in a statement from the Swiss Federal Commission for HIV/AIDS, University of New South Wales (UNSW) research warns.

24 Jul 2008

Life expectancy of HIV patients increases

HIV-infected patients in high income countries are living some 13 years longer thanks to improvements in combination antiretroval therapy (cART), according to new research by the University of Bristol published in a HIV Special Issue of The Lancet today.

24 Jul 2008

Raltegravir drug combo works against highly resistant strain of HIV

A study involving an international team of scientists has discovered that a new drug when combined with other anti-HIV medications, is particularly effective against a highly resistant strain of the HIV virus.

24 Jul 2008

CDC to release revised HIV/AIDS estimates in August JAMA

CDC on Tuesday announced that it will release new estimates of annual HIV incidence in the U.S. in the Aug. 3 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, Reuters reports.

24 Jul 2008

Sexual taboos hampering HIV/AIDS efforts in Pakistan

Taboos about sex in Pakistan make it difficult to address HIV/AIDS and are hindering efforts to curb the spread of the disease, according to a study published recently in the Lancet Infectious Diseases, the New York Times reports.

24 Jul 2008

Australia, Fiji establish coalition to address impact of HIV/AIDS on business

The Fiji Australia Business Council and UNAIDS on Monday agreed to a partnership under which they will develop a business coalition in Fiji to strengthen the private sector's response to HIV/AIDS, the Fiji Times reports (Fiji Times, 7/22).

24 Jul 2008

Washington Post examines HIV/AIDS among Hispanics in U.S.

HIV/AIDS among the Hispanic community in the U.S. is reaching what some public health experts are calling a "simmering public health crisis," the Washington Post reports.

24 Jul 2008

Short-film features Oklahoma prison program that teaches women how to prevent HIV

The Tulsa World on Sunday examined a short documentary film about incarcerated women in Oklahoma and a peer education program that teaches them about HIV prevention and other social issues.

23 Jul 2008

Human Rights Watch urges Iran to release or charge two HIV/AIDS advocates

Human Rights Watch on Monday said that Iranian authorities have not disclosed why two physicians known for their work on HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment were detained last month or where they are being held, BBC News reports.

23 Jul 2008

Column discusses HIV/AIDS risks for black women

If the popular television series "Sex and the City" "chronicl[ed] the sexually liberated adventures of four black women" instead of white women, "one of the lead characters could credibly have tested positive for" HIV, Johnathon Briggs, director of communications at the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, writes in a Chicago Tribune opinion piece.

23 Jul 2008

Antiretroviral treatment programs should take poverty, hunger into account, report says

Programs that provide access to no-cost antiretroviral drugs have had a significant impact on people living with HIV/AIDS, but they also should take into account the effects of poverty and hunger, according to a report recently released by the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development, PlusNews reports.

23 Jul 2008

Singapore Ministry of Health calls on more physicians to offer anonymous rapid HIV tests

Singapore's Ministry of Health recently called on more private general practitioners in the country to provide anonymous rapid HIV tests, which currently are available only at two clinics, the Straits Times reports.

23 Jul 2008

Researchers urge integrating TB into HIV care

In resource-limited settings where tuberculosis is a major cause of mortality among HIV patients and where a multidrug-resistant TB epidemic is emerging, researchers are pressing for approaches to integrate TB prevention and treatment into HIV care and treatment.

22 Jul 2008

Gilead initiates phase III trial of Elvitegravir

Gilead Sciences, Inc. has announced that it has begun enrolling patients in a Phase III clinical trial of its investigational antiretroviral agent elvitegravir (GS 9137), a novel oral integrase inhibitor that is being evaluated for the treatment of HIV-1 infection.

22 Jul 2008

16% of all new HIV cases reported in Canada linked to immigrants

About 16% of all new HIV cases reported in Canada in 2005 were linked to immigrants from countries where HIV is prevalent, according to a report recently released by the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, the CP/Toronto Star reports.

22 Jul 2008

Russia considers ending mandatory HIV testing for foreigners entering country

Following U.S. Senate approval of legislation to reauthorize the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief that includes a provision to ease HIV/AIDS-related travel restrictions, Russian government officials have said they are considering replicating the U.S. measure, "an indication that Russia may end mandatory HIV tests for foreign residents," the Moscow Times reports.

22 Jul 2008

Southern U.S. not receiving adequate Federal funding to provide HIV/AIDS prevention, support, report says

The Southern U.S. is not receiving enough federal funding to provide adequate HIV prevention, treatment and support programs, according to a report scheduled to be released on Monday by the Southern AIDS Coalition, the Birmingham News reports.

22 Jul 2008

PBS' 'News Hour' examines efforts of Baylor's Pediatric AIDS Corps to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa

PBS' "News Hour with Jim Lehrer" on Thursday examined efforts from the Baylor College of Medicine's Pediatric AIDS Corps to fight HIV/AIDS among children in Malawi.

22 Jul 2008