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HIV In The News

 HIV Medication Coverage Begins to Fail Throughout U.S. as More ADAPs Start Waiting Lists

This winter may be a bleak one for many HIVers who seek help from U.S. AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs). Although they're meant to be a safety net for low-income HIVers with limited or no health insurance, several ADAPs throughout the country are struggling to provide HIV meds to those who need them. As TheBody.com's managing editor Myles Helfand explains in his latest blog entry, waiting lists and other restrictions are ballooning in many states. As a result, a growing number of HIV-positive people are finding themselves cut off from their flow of HIV meds, with no clear way to afford the steep price tag of treatment. (Blog entry from TheBody.com)

U.S. Congress Votes to Extend Ryan White CARE Act -- a Little Bit

The Ryan White CARE Act has been spared -- at least for 30 days. Both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives recently passed resolutions to continue the HIV/AIDS service funding program past its Sept. 30 expiration date and through late October. If the Senate approves the continuation, which is expected this week, this will buy lawmakers the time they need to renew the act. Failure to renew, or even a brief interruption in funding, could have catastrophic effects on HIV/AIDS clinics and programs all over the U.S. that rely on Ryan White funds to keep their doors open. (Article from Southern Voice)

HIV activists have been working on getting the Ryan White CARE Act reauthorized for over a year. Take a look at TheBody.com's collection of articles on the CARE Act for the skinny on this struggle, as well as explanations of what the CARE Act does and why it's so important.

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Maybe an individual mandate is a tax cut

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OF INTEREST . . .

George Stephanopoulos tried to argue today that by requiring all Americans to get health insurance, President Obama was imposing a tax increase on those Americans who don't have insurance - because he's requiring them to pay money for something (an odd argument, since by that definition, shopping for food, or buying a CD, is a tax increase).

OF NOTE . . . . . . .

But in any case, if one wants to argue that making someone pay a monthly fee for insurance is a tax increase, then lowering the monthly premiums for the rest of us - which supposedly Obama's plan is going to do - would be a tax cut for the rest of us. And considering more of us are insured than uninsured, that would mean most of the country would be getting a pretty large tax cut. So there.

OF COURSE . . . .

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HIV In The News from THE BODY dated 17 September 2009

New "Report Card" Finds HIV Drug Industry Doesn't Make the Grade

Abbott Laboratories: F. Roche: D. Boehringer Ingelheim: D+. If the nine major HIV drug companies were in school, most would probably be in detention, according to a new "report card" issued by the AIDS Treatment Activists Coalition (ATAC). ATAC graded the drug companies in five different categories, including fair pricing and their relationship with the HIV community. Some did alright -- Merck & Co. and Tibotec both got B's -- but most didn't fare as well. In this one-on-one interview, we get the nitty-gritty on this telling report from longtime HIV/AIDS journalist and activist Bob Huff, a member of ATAC?s board of directors. (Article from TheBody.com)

Dear Elton John: You're Too Gay and Old to Adopt an HIV-Positive Boy. Signed, Ukraine

It's a sad day when an HIV-positive child is stuck in an orphanage, unlikely ever to be adopted. However, the Ukranian Family, Youth and Sports Minister Yuriy Pavlenko apparently felt confident in rejecting singer/songwriter Elton John's bid to adopt a 14-month old HIV-positive boy named Lev. After all, Elton John didn't meet the criteria: He was neither legally married (he's in a civil union) nor young enough, according to Ukraine's rules. Pavlenko seemed to care little that the adoption would transform Lev's life and perhaps spur other people to adopt HIV-positive children in resource-poor countries. (Article from TheBody.com)

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Obama Keeps Up Health Care Push, Citing Uninsured

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The following has been clipped from The New York Times dated 09 September 2009:
__________________________

NEWS ANALYSIS; Despite Fears, Health Care Overhaul Is Moving Ahead (September 9, 2009 http://.nytimes.com/2009/09/09/health/policy/09assess.html?fta=y

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WHO Can I Turn To

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The following has been clipped from GNP+ posted Monday, 04 May 2009
________________________________

WHO Considerations on influenza A(H1N1) and HIV

The World Health Organisation has released "Considerations on Influenza A (H1N1) and HIV." The considerations state that considering the potential impact of emerging influenza A(H1N1) virus infection, HIV/AIDS programmes and services need to be aware of relevant risks and have plans for prevention and treatment.

There is no documented information on clinical interactions between HIV and influenza A(H1N1) virus, whose transmission, incubation period and clinical manifestations have generally been similar to those of seasonal influenza viruses. There is insufficient information on complications and spectrum of illness but complications are likely to be similar to those of seasonal influenza. Age and other groups with increased risk for complications of seasonal influenza include persons with immunodeficiency diseases, including HIV infection. Therefore, HIV-infected persons should be considered as a high risk and a priority population for preventive and therapeutic strategies against influenza including emerging influenza A(H1N1) virus infection.

There is at present no specific vaccine against influenza A(H1N1) but the general recommendations for seasonal influenza immunization in HIV-infected individuals should be followed. The recommendations for seasonal influenza vaccination in HIV-infected persons are to vaccinate annually with the trivalent inactivated vaccine, irrespective of CD4 cell count, although individuals with advanced HIV disease may not mount an adequate antibody response to influenza vaccine. If antiviral agents are in adequate supply, post-exposure prophylaxis is recommended for HIV-infected persons who are household contacts of individuals with influenza A(H1N1).

The complete document, including information on medications and doses can be found here: Considerations on influenza A(H1N1) and HIV infection 26.82 Kb:

http://www.gnpplus.net/images/stories/2009%20who%20considerations%20influenza%20a%20and%20hiv.pdf

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Well We All Need Someone We Can Lean On

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The following has been clipped from The Sunday New York Times published 7 September 2009

OF INTEREST . . .

A More Perfect Death by ROSS DOUTHAT

Our move toward physician-assisted suicide springs from the same quest that leads us to spend nearly twice as much on health care as any other developed nation.

OF NOTE . . . . . . .

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/07/opinion/07douthat.html?th&emc=th

OF COURSE . . . .

Time will tell!

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Davis: California AIDS Clearinghouse Closes

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OF INTEREST . . .

The economy damages . . . alright, affects . . . everything with which it comes into contact.

OF NOTE . . . . . . .

Davis: California AIDS Clearinghouse Closes

OF COURSE . . . .

My only question is, in this day and age of the pandemic, what else is going to happen?

Posted using ShareThis

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In memoriam martyres. . . requiescant in pacem.

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OF INTEREST . . .
Today, 29 August, 2009, is the 20th anniversary of the death of my younger brother Gerard from complications due to HIV+/AIDS.  The map above shows the disbursement of the pandemic.
OF NOTE . . . . . . .
The pandemic continues, not only in Africa, but throughout the world, even here in the United States.
OF COURSE . . . .
Don't forget to pray for the angels, or the angels will forget to pray for us. ( - Leonard Cohen )

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The following has been clipped from the Village Voice online:

OF INTEREST . . .

After 24 years, AIDS Walk is still pulling big money, but this year's number was down.

OF NOTE . . . . . . .

This year's Walk in New York raised $5.6 million in contributions for AIDS care and prevention. That's shy of the $7 million plus the event raised last year, and the $6.9 million raised in 2007. In fact, this was the only year, except for 1995, Walk-day receipts have declined since the first AIDS Walk in 1986.

OF COURSE . . . .

AIDS Walk founder and producer Craig R. Miller seemed to acknowledge the effect of the economy on contributions in his statement. "For forty-five thousand participants, and hundreds of thousands of their sponsors," he said, "to have raised $5,603,409 in the midst of this historically difficult recession, leaves me in awe of these GMHC supporters." (Supporters can still make a general donation to AIDS Walk here.)

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The following have been clipped from POZ 09/2009 Feedback: ___________________________

OF INTEREST . . .

No mention of curbing homophobia? That’s one of the biggest roadblocks to [HIV] prevention and care and universal access. The government has stated that [homophobia] is a huge driver of HIV infections, but [it has] not done anything about it. We must call for a federal campaign against it to curb HIV transmission in all populations. - Andy from Berkeley, CA

OF NOTE . . . . . . .

Let’s quit throwing money away on pie-in-the-sky notions and start improving the lives of people who are living with [the virus]. Perhaps the most important step is to create some sort of health care mechanism by which all people living with HIV are not automatically expected to be poor in order to qualify for lifesaving programs. - David from Laramie, WY

OF COURSE . . . .

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