UNAIDS News and Research

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UNAIDS, NEPAD sign MoU to collaborate in efforts to fight HIV

UNAIDS and the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) Agency on Tuesday "signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) calling for strategic collaboration to advance sustainable responses to HIV, health and development across the African continent," according to a UNAIDS press release. "

29 Mar 2012

Progress in AIDS fight must be an impetus for increasing investment, sustaining advancements in Africa

In this post in the Huffington Post's "Impact" blog, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe examines the role of the fight against AIDS in sustaining economic and social development in Africa. "Africa is breaking records," he writes, noting the economic growth, increased access to information, a rise in democracy, a decline in poverty, increased school enrollment -- especially for girls -- and a decline in AIDS-related deaths on the continent.

16 Mar 2012

Viewpoints: Health costs crushing Detroit; Military care still faces funding issues; Romneycare scores

Legacy costs are bankrupting Detroit just as they crushed its automakers. Firefighters can retire at 55 and earn 70% of their highest salary plus a 2.25% annual cost-of-living inflator in perpetuity. The result? Employee benefits alone now make up about half of the city's general fund. Health costs have grown by more than 60% since 2008 while the city's pension bill has quadrupled to $200 million.

16 Mar 2012

Joint U.N. statement on closure of drug detention camps is 'unequivocal'

Daniel Wolfe, director of the International Harm Reduction Development Program, part of the Open Society Public Health Program, writes in the Open Society Foundations' blog about "a recent joint U.N. statement calling for the immediate closure of the hundreds of centers in which drug users are detained in the name of treatment," saying the statement "came not a moment too soon."

14 Mar 2012

Narcotic drug use should be treated as illness, U.N. drug office director says

"Prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, reintegration and health have to be recognized as key elements in our strategy" to fight drug demand, supply and trafficking, U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime Executive Director Yuri Fedotov said Monday at the opening session of the U.N. Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna, United Press International reports.

14 Mar 2012

Inovio achieves strong T cell immune responses in PENNVAX-B Phase I HIV study

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that it has achieved strong T cell immune responses in a Phase I clinical study of PENNVAX-B, its product for the treatment of the HIV subtype prevalent in North America and Europe, in HIV-positive subjects.

13 Mar 2012

Report calls for compensation for people infected by HIV through illegal blood sales in China

A new report, "jointly published by the Korekata AIDS Law Center in Beijing and the U.S.-based non-governmental organization Asia Catalyst," calls for the Chinese government to conduct "a full and independent investigation into the number of people affected" by illegal blood selling in central China in the 1990s that helped to spread HIV, "an official apology to the people affected, as well as compensation," BMJ reports.

10 Mar 2012

WHO criticized for not efficiently communicating recommendations on HIV, contraception to African women, PlusNews reports

"HIV organizations, researchers and activists have criticized the WHO and UNAIDS for not clearly communicating guidelines on HIV and hormonal contraception to African women, who remain the most affected by the continent's high HIV prevalence rates," PlusNews reports.

3 Mar 2012

Europe conference to discuss on new HIV indicator diseases

Today, heterosexuals in Europe are at particular risk of carrying HIV for so long that they remain undiagnosed until their immune system starts to fail and they become ill. An international study under the leadership of the HIV in Europe initiative has now revealed that a number of diseases, including herpes zoster and certain forms of cancer, should be on the list of indicators for having HIV - and thus serve to prompt health care professionals to suggest an HIV-test to their patients.

2 Mar 2012

New York Times profiles UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé

The New York Times profiles UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé, recounting some of his successes since becoming the head of the agency; quoting several colleagues about their experiences working with him; and providing a brief history of his family life, which he says helped him develop his diplomatic skills.

22 Feb 2012

WHO confirms recommendations regarding HIV, female hormonal contraceptives after review of studies

"A stakeholder consultation convened by the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva has reviewed recent epidemiological studies related to HIV transmission and acquisition by women using hormonal contraceptives," a UNAIDS press statement reports.

18 Feb 2012

Donor fatigue, funding cutbacks could mean another 50 years of AIDS epidemic, UNAIDS deputy executive director says

"With enough money spent in the right way, the world could soon reduce new HIV infections to zero, but global apathy and the financial crisis mean it might take another 50 years to stop the AIDS epidemic, a U.N. expert has said," AlertNet reports.

13 Feb 2012

Health status of indigenous populations across Asia unknown, putting them at risk, experts say

"The health of millions of indigenous people across Asia is at risk, experts say, as lack of recognition of their legal status hinders data collection, making their medical problems invisible in most national health surveys," IRIN reports.

10 Feb 2012

UNAIDS says Africa must rely less on foreign aid for HIV/AIDS treatment, prevention programs

Speaking on Saturday at the African Union Summit, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe said huge advances in HIV treatment and prevention have been made over the past decade in Africa, "but these gains 'are not sustainable,' ... because they are heavily dependent on foreign aid," the Zimbabwean reports.

31 Jan 2012

Two initiatives launched at WEF with aim of ending new HIV infections among children by 2015

"Two groundbreaking initiatives, aimed at realistically achieving the once-unthinkable goal of ending new HIV infections among children by the end of 2015, were launched simultaneously at the World Economic Forum's Annual Conference in Davos" on Friday, according to a Business Leadership Council press release.

30 Jan 2012

OraQuick HIV1/2 test as accurate as traditional blood test

A saliva test used to diagnose the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), is comparable in accuracy to the traditional blood test, according to a new study led by the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) and McGill University.

25 Jan 2012

China releases updated statistics on HIV/AIDS

"A total of 28,000 people died of HIV/AIDS in China in 2011, and another 48,000 in the country were found newly infected by the virus, according to an official publication" released on Saturday by China's Ministry of Health, UNAIDS, and the WHO, Xinhua/China Daily reports.

24 Jan 2012

UNAIDS officials say progress being made against HIV/AIDS in Africa, Asia

Speaking at a media briefing in Geneva on Thursday, Sheila Tlou, UNAIDS director of the regional support team for Eastern and Southern Africa, said the region is making progress in scaling up access to prevention and treatment services, including behavior change and prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programs, the U.N. News Centre reports.

21 Jan 2012

'Money well spent today means less money spent tomorrow' on HIV/AIDS

This Lancet Infectious Diseases editorial responds to the Global HIV/AIDS Response 2011 progress report (.pdf) launched by WHO, UNICEF, and UNAIDS on November 30, writing that the report "contains much good news on treatment and prevention, but the gains made by past efforts are jeopardized by the ongoing global financial crisis and dwindling funds."

21 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