2006

Bulgaria Demands Quick Appeal In Libyan AIDS Case: Associated Press - December 29, 2006; SOFIA, Bulgaria - Bulgaria is insisting that an appeal by five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor sentenced to death in an AIDS case in Libya should be heard speedily, the foreign minister said Friday. We will follow and exhaust all means of defense that Libya s judiciary offers, Ivailo Kalfin told reporters.
44 count federal indictment unsealed: Associated Press - December 27, 2006; CONCORD, N.H. - Federal authorities have unsealed a 44-count indictment against a New Hampshire woman and four Californians on fraud and conspiracy charges involving a drug used to treat people infected with HIV. U.S. Attorney Tom Colantuono said the indictment charges Beth Handy of Milford and the four Californians wi
Airline passenger's strange note about 'blood' delays: Associated Press - December 25, 2006; PORTLAND, Maine - A New York-to-Portland flight carrying former Maine Gov. Angus King was delayed for more than two hours on Christmas Eve after a passenger passed along a note about blood and death. The man, whose name was not released, gave the note to another passenger, Tammy Budek, who gave it to a flight attendant
Poor Records Plague Bush AIDS Effort: Associated Press - December 25, 2006; Rita Beamish; WASHINGTON - President Bush s ambitious AIDS-fighting program in poor countries has pushed so hard for fast results that basic record keeping and accountability often went by the wayside, making it hard to judge the true success, according to government audits and officials. Investigators found the three-year-old, $15-
Web site grants holiday wishes for children with HIV/AIDS: Associated Press - December 24, 2006; Daniela Flores; TRENTON, N.J. - Shimmy Mehta discovered the satisfaction that comes from helping others as a toddler when he visited an elderly neighbor. He grew up volunteering at food banks and toy drives, and helped out at an HIV/AIDS care center when he was in college. All that had to stop, though, when he graduated from Rutgers U
Santa Cruz schools rethink blood drives after gay student barred: Associated Press - December 24, 2006; SANTA CRUZ, Calif. - A gay student prevented from donating blood because of his sexual history has stirred debate among Santa Cruz school officials over whether to continue hosting campus blood drives. Ronnie Childers, 17, student body president at Harbor High School, said he volunteered at a blood drive at his school
Annan 'Concerned' on Libya AIDS Sentence: Associated Press - December 23, 2006; UNITED NATIONS - Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Friday he was deeply concerned about a Libyan court s decision to reimpose death sentences on five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor convicted of infecting children with HIV. Annan offered U.N. support for the children and for efforts to find a humane solution
Valeant Sells HIV and Cancer Programs: Associated Press - December 22, 2006; ALISO VIEJO, Calif. - Drug developer Valeant Pharmaceuticals International said Friday it will sell its HIV and cancer development programs to Ardea Biosciences, formerly Intrabiotics Pharmaceuticals. Under the agreement, Valeant will retain an option to reacquire rights to commercialize the HIV program outside the U.S
Bush Disappointed by Libyan Death Ruling: Associated Press - December 21, 2006; WASHINGTON - President Bush told Bulgarian President Georgi Purvanov on Thursday that he was disappointed with a Libyan court decision to reimpose the death sentences on Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor accused of infecting Libyan children with the HIV virus. Bush spoke with Purvanov on the phone from the Whit
AIDS research program at U of M to close due to lack of funding: Associated Press - December 20, 2006; ST. PAUL - After 20 years of running clinical trials, an AIDS research program at the University of Minnesota is closing due to a cut in funding from the National Institutes of Health. The NIH has cut back on grants for domestic research for HIV and AIDS, and instead plans to perform clinical trials in developing natio
Bulgarians Deplore Libyan Death Sentences For 5 Nurses: Associated Press - December 20, 2006; SOFIA, Bulgaria - Death sentences handed down in Libya for five Bulgarian nurses accused of deliberately infecting 400 children with HIV triggered outrage Wednesday in Bulgaria, where the rulings were described as a political farce and a mockery of justice. A court in Tripoli on Tuesday convicted the nurses and a
Vatican cardinal: Chastity fights AIDS: Associated Press - December 20, 2006; By Frances D'Emilio; ROME - Fidelity in marriage and premarital abstinence from sex are the key weapons in the fight against AIDS, a senior cardinal who prepared a study on condom use said Wednesday. Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan, who heads the Vatican office for health care, told The Associated Press that it was not yet known if the Vat
Gov. Corzine allows needle exchange for drug users: Associated Press - December 19, 2006; Beth DeFalco; TRENTON, N.J. - New Jersey on Tuesday shed its status as the only state without a way for drug addicts to easily get clean syringes as the governor signed into law a needle exchange program aimed at combatting the spread of deadly diseases. It s long overdue, Gov. Jon S. Corzine said. We need to protect those we don t
Libyan Court Condemns Bulgarian Nurses: Associated Press - December 19, 2006; Willa Thayer; TRIPOLI, Libya - A court convicted five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor Tuesday of deliberately infecting 400 children with HIV and sentenced them to death, despite scientific evidence the youngsters had the virus before the medical workers came to Libya. The United States and Europe re
Bush signs 3 health care-related bills: Associated Press - December 19, 2006; WASHINGTON - President Bush on Tuesday signed bills to raise federal funding for autism, shift AIDS money to rural areas and the South and create a government unit to oversee response to a bird flu pandemic or bioterrorism attack. The autism bill increases federal funding by 50 percent for the disorder, which afflicts
EU Condemns Libyan Death Sentence On Bulgarian Nurses: Associated Press - December 19, 2006; BRUSSELS - The European Union Tuesday denounced a Libyan court s decision to condemn five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor to death after finding them guilty of infecting 400 children with the HIV virus. E.U. spokesman Johannes Laitenberger said there was no immediate decision on E.U. action against Libya, but
Libyan Court Convicts Medics Of Infecting Children With HIV: Associated Press - December 19, 2006; Khaled El-Deeb and Willa Thayer; A Libyan court on Tuesday convicted five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor of deliberately infecting 400 children with the AIDS virus and condemned them to death, provoking shouts of approval from the children s relatives. God is great! yelled Ibrahim Mohammed al-Aurabi, the father of an infected child, as soon
Yahoo exec, GOP strategist to lead The ONE Campaign's board: Associated Press - December 18, 2006; SAN FRANCISCO - The ONE Campaign, the nonprofit launched by U2 frontman Bono that s dedicated to fighting global AIDS and poverty, has tapped a prominent Republican strategist and an outgoing Yahoo Inc. executive to serve as co-chairmen on its board of directors. Jack Oliver recently worked as an adviser and strategist
Vertex HIV Candidate Dropped by Glaxo: Vertex HIV Drug Candidate Development Halted by GlaxoSmithKline Because of Formulation Problem: Associated Press - December 18, 2006; NEW YORK - Biotech drug developer Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. said Monday in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing that British drug maker GlaxoSmithKline PLC will stop developing an HIV drug covered under a collaboration between the two companies. The affected drug is brecanavir, also known VX-385. GlaxoSmithKli
New chief executive of AIDS organization intends to battle stigma: Psychologist Marjorie Hill of Gay Men's Heatlh Crisis has work cut out for her: Associated Press - December 18, 2006; For more than two decades, Marjorie Hill has been touched by AIDS. In 1983, as the acronym AIDS was only just beginning to enter the public conversation, Hill watched a friend die. The next decade, as director of former Mayor David N. Dinkins Office for the Lesbian and Gay Community, Hill attended so many funerals - at
International Community Urged To Continue Latin America AIDS Fight: Associated Press - December 15, 2006; UNITED NATIONS - Although the rate of new HIV infections is leveling off in parts of Latin America, health officials urged the international community to keep supporting programs to fight the disease and keep those with the virus alive. At a Thursday briefing hosted by the U.N. AIDS agency, health officials from Latin
Mo. man proves that being disabled doesn't mean being unable: Associated Press - December 14, 2006; Diana Romeo; COLUMBIA, Mo. - If Dave Roberts has learned one thing in his 32-year career in vocational rehabilitation, it is that disability is a normal part of life. In a normal part of one s community you are going to run into someone with disabilities, Roberts said. What we are against is the short bus syndrome. The short bus is
2 studies in Africa find circumcising adult men can cut HIV risk by half: Associated Press - December 13, 2006; WASHINGTON -- Circumcising adult men may cut in half their risk of getting the AIDS virus through heterosexual intercourse, the U.S. government announced today, as it shut down two studies in Africa testing the link. The National Institutes of Health closed the studies in Kenya and Ugan
Report: Connecticut Latinos Face Health Crisis: Associated Press - December 12, 2006; Dave Collins; HARTFORD, Conn. - Connecticut s Latinos are facing a health crisis, suffering higher rates of major illnesses such as cancer and diabetes while being less likely to have health insurance than other ethnic groups, according to a new report by a Hispanic advocacy group. The nonprofit Hispanic Health Council released the
Report Defends Experiments on Monkeys: Associated Press - December 12, 2006; LONDON - There are strong scientific reasons for British scientists to continue research using monkeys in carefully selected research problems, especially when it is the only way to save human lives, a committee of experts said Tuesday. There is a strong scientific case for maintaining work on non-human primates for ca
New AIDS funds may help bring transportation to rural patients: Associated Press - December 11, 2006; Desiree Hunter; MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Patients living with HIV/AIDS in rural parts of the country often find themselves struggling not only with their health problems, but also with finding ways to travel for medical help located miles away in urban areas. Advocates said Monday that long-awaited transportation programs in parts of the So
New Jersey lawmakers approve needle exchanges for drug users: Associated Press - December 11, 2006; Beth DeFalco; TRENTON, N.J. - After years of debate, New Jersey s lawmakers on Monday voted to allow pilot programs that offer intravenous drug users legal access to sterile syringes. Aimed at combatting the spread of HIV, AIDS, hepatitis C and other blood-borne diseases, the measure allows six municipalities to set up programs in w
In Haiti, number of children orphaned by AIDS grows: Associated Press - December 11, 2006; Tim Collie; PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - Charline might become a poet. Maybe a teacher or a diplomat. She might become a voice for all the children here who live alone or afraid in the city and in villages where people seem to die a lot. But Charline is just 16. She takes pride in her role as surrogate mother to the other children.
AIDS Group's Ads To Criticize Pfizer's Viagra Marketing: Associated Press - December 11, 2006; NEW YORK - An AIDS organization is launching an advertising campaign that says Pfizer Inc. s (PFE) marketing of Viagra encourages recreational use of the drug, which fosters the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV. The AIDS Healthcare Foundation will begin its campaign this Wednesday by taking out a
New Jersey close to permitting needle exchanges for drug users: Associated Press - December 11, 2006; Tom Hester Jr.; TRENTON, N.J. - New Jersey is closer than ever to providing sterile needles to intravenous drug users. The Assembly and Senate are slated to vote Monday on legislation that would give drug users access to clean needles in a bid to combat the spread of HIV, AIDS, hepatitis C and other blood-borne diseases. New Jersey is
Rising Use Of Injecting Drugs In India Hikes HIV Risk: Associated Press - December 11, 2006; NEW DELHI - The easy availability of cheap pharmaceuticals and the lax implementation of laws controlling the sale of such drugs in India are causing more and more people to inject drugs, raising the risk of HIV infections, HIV-AIDS experts said Monday. The transition from inhaling to injecting is rising at a rapi
After years of debate, NJ lawmakers to vote on needle exchanges: Associated Press - December 9, 2006; Angela Delli Santi; TRENTON, N.J. - In a public showdown 13 years in the making, New Jersey lawmakers are to decide Monday whether to allow clean needles to be handed out to drug abusers through startup programs in six cities. Needle exchanges, which are up for votes in both houses, have long been advocated by medical and health experts a
Tajikistan Grapples With Drug Addiction: Associated Press - December 9, 2006; Mike Eckel; DUSHANBE, Tajikistan - Central Asia s poorest county is also one of the world s leading transit routes for heroin, opium and other drugs from Afghanistan . Sergei Makhkamov has been caught in the flood. I tried it, I liked it and it went from there, said the haggard, fidgety, out-of-work 24-year-old who got hooked on
US Congress Sends AIDS Care Bill To Bush: Associated Press - December 9, 2006; WASHINGTON - AIDS legislation sent to President George W. Bush will shift care and treatment money to rural areas and the South as Congress voted to renew the largest program for people with HIV/AIDS. The House early Saturday agreed by voice vote to renew the $2.1 billion annual Ryan White CARE Act. The Senate passed t
Sex Worker Stabs Client in Condom Fight: Associated Press - December 8, 2006; PHNOM PENH, Cambodia - A Cambodian man has been stabbed by a sex worker in a brawl, after he refused her request to wear a condom, police said Friday. Suon Da, 25, was knifed twice in the abdominal area by Sa Rida, a 24-year-old sex worker, during the fight at a brothel in Battambang province Wednesday, said Koam Roeuy
Less Than 10% Of HIV-Pos Indians Get Free Drugs - Report: Associated Press - December 8, 2006; NEW DELHI - The Indian government provides free drug treatment to less than 10% of its citizens infected with HIV, according to a news report Friday. India s National AIDS Control Organization - the AIDS arm of the country s health ministry - told the Supreme Court that only 46,000 people were receiving antiretroviral
Study Says Malaria Helps Spread HIV: Associated Press - December 7, 2006; Lauran Neergaard; WASHINGTON - Malaria is fueling the spread of AIDS in Africa by boosting the HIV in people s bodies for weeks at a time, says a study that pins down the deadly interplay between the dual scourges. It s a vicious cycle as people weakened by HIV are, in turn, more vulnerable to malaria. University of Washington researche
Study Disputes Case in Libyan AIDS Trial: Associated Press - December 6, 2006; Racing against a courtroom deadline, scientists have produced new evidence that a Palestinian doctor and five Bulgarian nurses at a Libyan hospital did not deliberately infect hundreds of children with the AIDS virus. The health care workers are on trial in a Libyan court, where a verdict is expected in two weeks.
Russell Simmons Raising Money for Africa: Associated Press - December 6, 2006; Betsy Vereckey; NEW YORK - Hip-hop and fashion mogul Russell Simmons said Tuesday he s selling bling to help raise money for the development and empowerment of Africans. The 49-year-old entrepreneur announced his Green Initiative jewelry, which is manufactured and designed by Simmons Jewelry Co. Twenty-five percent of proceeds from sa
Admirers Swarm Bill Clinton in Hanoi: Associated Press - December 6, 2006; Ben Stocking; HANOI, Vietnam - Former President Clinton was swarmed for autographs, handshakes and photographs on the streets of Hanoi Wednesday by throngs of admirers whose warm welcome contrasted sharply with the restrained reception given President Bush last month. Clinton, in town to sign an agreement between his foundation and
AIDS bill deal ends urban-rural stalemate, Cal gets $260 million: Associated Press - December 5, 2006; Devlin Barrett; WASHINGTON - Northeast lawmakers dropped their opposition Tuesday to renewal of the biggest federal AIDS funding program, ending a months-long standoff that pitted urban against rural areas. The agreement by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and fellow New York and New Jersey lawmakers came in the final days of the GOP-contr
Feingold, Coleman fault Bush policy on Somalia: Associated Press - December 5, 2006; Frederic J. Frommer; WASHINGTON - Returning from a trip to Africa, Sen. Russ Feingold faulted the Bush administration for what he called a failure to develop a policy on Somalia , even as the Wisconsin Democrat praised U.S. efforts to combat AIDS on the continent. Feingold, who will chair the Senate Foreign Relations African Affairs subcom
Sen. Clinton strikes deal on AIDS bill, preserves most NY funding: Associated Press - December 5, 2006; Devlin Barrett; WASHINGTON - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton struck a deal Tuesday with GOP leaders to free up more money for AIDS funding in rural states, while softening cuts to larger states such as New York and New Jersey. The deal ends a months-long standoff that pitted cities where the disease first made its mark against the rural c
State just begins to address AIDS among women: 21% Of Kentuckians Newly Diagnosed With Disease Are Female: Associated Press - December 4, 2006; LOUISVILLE - Hundreds of women in Kentucky are living with AIDS, and women account for nearly a quarter of Kentuckians diagnosed each year with the disease. Vicki Johnson, an AIDS coordinator for the Kentucky Department for Public Health, said some people still think AIDS is a disease of gay men. Well, it s not, she s
Clinton to Help Cambodia Kids With AIDS: Associated Press - December 4, 2006; Ker Munthit; PHNOM PENH, Cambodia - Former President Bill Clinton praised Cambodia s efforts in fighting HIV/AIDS and pledged Monday to work with the government to expand treatment for children living with the disease. I think that the leadership you have shown ... gives us hope that Cambodia can be a model for the rest of Asia and
Bulgaria Protests Libyan Min's Statement On AIDS Trial: Associated Press - December 4, 2006; SOFIA, Bulgaria - Bulgaria Monday sharply protested against Libya s health minister, who reportedly linked the AIDS epidemic in his country with the work of five Bulgarian nurses accused of infecting children. The nurses and a Palestinian doctor have been charged with purposely infecting more than 400 Libyan children w
Myanmar Junta Denies HIV Is On The Rise: Associated Press - December 3, 2006; YANGON, Myanmar - Myanmar s military junta insisted its HIV rates are not on the rise, calling such allegations a campaign by opponents to destabilize the country, the state-run media said Sunday. Earlier this week, U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said he would seek to introduce a U.N. Security Council resolution that call
Obama discusses sexuality, spirituality at AIDS conference: Associated Press - December 1, 2006; Gillian Flaccus; LAKE FOREST, Calif. - Potential presidential candidate Barack Obama stood before one of the country s largest evangelical churches Friday for a frank discussion of sexuality and spirituality that included the declaration that condoms should be made more widely available to fight AIDS. The Democratic senator s appearanc
Magic Johnson in campaign to end disease in black community: Associated Press - December 1, 2006; Solvej Schou; LOS ANGELES - Fifteen years after disclosing he was HIV-positive, wide-smiling former basketball star Earvin Magic Johnson marked World AIDS day Friday by unveiling a campaign to end the disease within the black community. I Stand with Magic: Campaign to End Black AIDS is a joint effort between the Magic Johnson Founda
Hope lives in South Africa AIDS clinic: Associated Press - December 1, 2006; Terry Leonard; ELANDSDOORN, South Africa - Four women emaciated by AIDS, perilously close to death and abandoned by the state health care system, cling tenaciously to life at a remote clinic where doctors give them one last fighting chance. The women, sent home to die by doctors at a state hospital, arrived critically ill. Their immu
Bush: AIDS pandemic 'can be defeated': Associated Press - December 1, 2006; Deb Riechmann; WASHINGTON - President Bush marked Worlds AIDS Day as a time to remember the United States responsibility to help the 39 million people living with the disease around the world. The pandemic of HIV/AIDS can be defeated, Bush said Friday in the Roosevelt Room, where he and the first lady met with Health and Human Servic
Warnings, Worship Mark World AIDS Day: Associated Press - December 1, 2006; David McHugh; BERLIN - World AIDS Day was marked around the globe Friday by somber religious services, boisterous demonstrations and warnings that far more needs to be done to treat and prevent the disease in order to avert millions of additional deaths. Ukraine s President Viktor Yushchenko conceded his country was losing ground in
U.S. AIDS Program Revolutionizes Kenya: Associated Press - December 1, 2006; Chris Tomlinson; NAIROBI, Kenya - Every day hundreds of Kenyans from every walk of life visit the Hope Center at the Coptic Hospital in Kenya s capital to meet with doctors and receive life-prolonging HIV drugs, compliments of the United States . Before President Bush started his signature HIV program, the people at Hope Center would h
Conservative evangelicals angry over Obama's presence at AIDS summit: Associated Press - December 1, 2006; LAKE FOREST, Calif. - When famed pastor and best-selling author Rick Warren invited Barack Obama to his upcoming Global Summit on AIDS, it sparked protests from some evangelical Christians angered over the U.S. senator s stance on abortion. Warren ignored calls to disinvite Obama, and the Illinois Democrat and potentio
UN Drug Agency Chief Urges Universal Access To AIDS Care: Associated Press - December 1, 2006; VIENNA - The head of the U.N. drug agency called on Friday for greater efforts to ensure universal access to AIDS treatment, care and support programs, particularly among those who fall through the cracks of society. Antonio Maria Costa, head of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, said vulnerable groups - injecting dru
Ukraine President Concerned Over Country's AIDS Epidemic: Associated Press - December 1, 2006; KIEV - Ukraine has failed to stem one of the fastest-growing AIDS epidemics in Europe, the president warned Friday, arguing that new measures are needed to tackle the escalating problem. President Viktor Yushchenko said that 100,000 Ukrainians, one-tenth of them children, have been officially registered as HIV-positive
Doctors Without Borders Seeks Affordable AIDS Treatment: Associated Press - December 1, 2006; MOSCOW - International institutions must work out ways to help developing countries afford expensive new AIDS treatments, Doctors Without Borders said on World AIDS Day. New WHO-recommended drug regimens for patients starting treatment can be up to six times more expensive than today s most commonly used combination,
On World AIDS Day, advocates to press for needle exchanges: Associated Press - November 30, 2006; Angela Delli Santi; TRENTON, N.J. - Thousands of people suffering from HIV and AIDS in New Jersey could have been spared the disease had the state made it legal to provide needles to intravenous drug users, according to advocates for such a measure. But, 13 years after the first push for such a program here, New Jersey now is the lone sta
Retailers Tap Holiday Giving Spirit: Associated Press - November 30, 2006; Walk into any Gap clothing store this holiday season and expect to see red T-shirts, red hats and red bracelets. Of course decorating with red is nothing unusual this time of year, but the merchandise is meant to remind customers of something not often associated with the holidays: the global AIDS epidemic. Gap is one
Experts Plan Strategies to Prevent HIV: Associated Press - November 30, 2006; Maria Cheng; LONDON, United Kingdom - Circumcision, microbicides and microfinance. These are some of the most promising options being examined as potential ways to prevent AIDS. As World AIDS Day is marked Friday, some public health experts are saying the current focus on universal access to lifesaving antiretroviral drugs has had
Iman Promotes Auction for AIDS Funds: Associated Press - November 30, 2006; NEW YORK - Iman is marking an anniversary she wishes she didn t have to: the 25th year of AIDS. She s a celebrity spokeswoman for Keep a Child Alive, which provides drugs for AIDS and HIV patients, and to support World AIDS Day on Friday, the organization is holding a charity auction on the Charity Folks Web site to ra
Annan Seeks Political, Public Accountability In AIDS Fight: Associated Press - November 30, 2006; NEW YORK - U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan called on people ahead of World AIDS Day on Friday to hold their leaders accountable and to keep momentum strong in the fight against AIDS. At a public commemoration ceremony held at St. Bartholomew s Church in New York on Thursday, Annan told the audience that the virus, wh
AIDS Said Cuts South Africa Teens' Life Span: Associated Press - November 30, 2006; Clare Nullis; CAPE TOWN, South Africa - Fewer than half of South Africa s 15-year-olds will live to see their 60th birthday because of HIV/AIDS, according to a new report. An estimated 950 people died per day during 2006 from AIDS-related diseases and a further 1,400 were infected each day - a total of 530,000 new infections, said t
US' Clinton To Unveil Low Cost AIDS Drugs For Children: Associated Press - November 30, 2006; NEW DELHI - Former U.S. President Bill Clinton was set to announce an agreement Thursday to cut prices of HIV and AIDS treatments for children, making the lifesaving drugs far more accessible worldwide, according to a statement from his organization. Three Indian pharmaceutical companies have agreed to supply antiretro
Malaysia Says Spread Of AIDS Could Hurt Economy: Associated Press - November 30, 2006; KUALA LUMPUR - The spread of AIDS threatens to drag down the Malaysian economy, so the government will continue to provide low-cost locally produced generic drugs to contain the disease, an official said Thursday. If the country doesn t take stronger measures to stop AIDS, the country faces the risk of an epidemic with
Needle Exchange Program on Rise in India: Associated Press - November 29, 2006; Nirmala George; NEW DELHI - It s the beginning of another workday in New Delhi s bustling Kotla Mubarakpur market, and among the busiest lanes is Nashewali Gali - Addiction Alley in Hindi. Men sidle down the lane, an infamous hangout for addicts, to a sparsely furnished whitewashed room that s become a front line in India s battle aga
Hundreds Attend Oklahoma HIV/STD Conference: Associated Press - November 29, 2006; Christina Good Voice; OKLAHOMA CITY - After living with HIV for 21 years, there are few outward signs that 46-year-old Tommy Chesbro has the virus, except for a combination of 12 pills that he takes every morning. Chesbro was one of more than 300 people who attended the Oklahoma HIV/STD Conference Wednesday where AIDS, HIV and sexually tran
Senator, rapper Ludacris meet to talk about young people: Associated Press - November 29, 2006; Deanna Bellandi; CHICAGO - U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, contemplating a run for president, met privately Wednesday with rapper Ludacris to talk about young people. We talked about empowering the youth, said the artist, whose real name is Chris Bridges. Bridges was in town to launch the YouthAIDS Kick Me campaign to raise HIV/AIDS awareness
Study: Break From HIV Drugs Doubles Risk Of Death: Associated Press - November 29, 2006; NEW YORK - One of the largest-ever studies of HIV treatment has found that patients who temporarily stop taking their powerful medicines more than double their risk of dying. Many HIV patients have sought doctors permission to periodically take a break from the tiresome regimen of AIDS-fighting drugs, which can cause i
Famed Pastor Defends Invitation to Obama: Associated Press - November 29, 2006; Nedra Pickler; WASHINGTON - Famed pastor and best-selling author Rick Warren on Wednesday defended his invitation to Sen. Barack Obama to speak at his church despite objections from some evangelicals who oppose the Democrat s support for abortion rights. Obama is one of nearly 60 speakers scheduled to address the second annual Global
Shanghai Reports 70% Jump In New HIV/AIDS Cases This Yr: Associated Press - November 29, 2006; SHANGHAI - The number of newly reported AIDS cases and HIV infections has jumped 70% from last year in Shanghai, China s largest city, the government said Wednesday. The 621 new HIV/AIDS cases reported through Nov. 20 of this year brought Shanghai s total to 2,216, of whom 97 have died, said an official at the Shanghai
'Beat the Drum' to raise money for charities on World AIDS Day: Associated Press - November 28, 2006; LOS ANGELES - Beat the Drum, a 2003 film depicting the impact of AIDS on African children, will air Friday on 40,000 flights on 34 airlines to coincide with World AIDS Day. The screenings will raise $300,000 for African charities, said Bill Grant, president of Entertainment in Motion. The company licensed the film to A
Michigan lawmakers hear debate about medical marijuana: Associated Press - November 28, 2006; Tim Martin; LANSING, Mich. - Charles Snyder III says his rare disorder, nail patella syndrome, sometimes leaves him in so much pain he d nearly be bedridden without pain medication - such as marijuana. Snyder supports a bill discussed Tuesday in the state House that would make it legal for patients with debilitating medical condit
Man charged with donating HIV tainted blood: Associated Press - November 28, 2006; CROWN POINT, Ind. - A Hammond man was jailed without bond Tuesday after prosecutors charged him with donating blood even though he knew he was HIV positive. Michael D. Ivy, 45, could face two to eight years in prison if convicted of selling HIV contaminated blood. Authorities said Ivy was told in December 2002 he could
Prominent Chinese AIDS activist missing for 3 days returns to work: After being held by police, HIV symposium cancelled: Associated Press - November 28, 2006; BEJING - A prominent Chinese AIDS activist who was organizing a symposium to help people with the disease fight for their legal rights was released Monday after being held by police for three days, a colleague said. Wan Yanhai was taken in for questioning by four police officers on Friday and returned to work late Mond
Ex-President Bill Clinton To Visit Cambodia AIDS Project: Associated Press - November 28, 2006; PHNOM PENH, Cambodia - Former U.S. President Bill Clinton will visit Cambodia next week to tour a project on combating AIDS, a spokesman for the former president s foundation said Tuesday. The visit, scheduled to begin next Monday, is part of a wider tour that Clinton is scheduled to take through Asian countries hit by
WHO Says AIDS Situation In Indonesia "Not Under Control": Associated Press - November 28, 2006; JAKARTA - The World Health Organization warned Tuesday that AIDS is not under control in Indonesia as the government predicted that up to a million people may be infected by 2010. The WHO expressed concerned about an increasing number of infections among intravenous drug users, sex workers, and heterosexuals in the eas
Saudi Arabia More Open About AIDS: Associated Press - November 27, 2006; Donna Abu-Nasr; JIDDAH, Saudi Arabia - The 35-year-old mother of six flinched when asked if she has told her children that she and her husband were diagnosed with AIDS four months ago. She never will, she said. Can you imagine what their reaction will be? We ll be treated like pariahs, said Umm Muhammad, a Jiddah resident who decline
Containing AIDS Now Could Save 28M Live By 2030 -Research: Associated Press - November 27, 2006; LONDON - If the world acts now to decisively contain the AIDS pandemic, 28 million lives could be saved by 2030. According to research published online Monday in the Public Library of Science s Medicine journal, AIDS is set to join heart disease and stroke as one of the leading causes of death worldwide. AIDS currently
Singapore Forms Panel to Fight HIV: Associated Press - November 27, 2006; SINGAPORE - Singapore has formed a national policy committee to combat the rise of HIV cases, local media reported Monday. The announcement came with the news that 137 HIV cases had been reported from July through October, bringing the total of new cases this year to 286, Channel NewsAsia quoted the Health Ministry as
Execs, Wonks Debate India's Economy: Associated Press - November 26, 2006; NEW DELHI - A potential water shortage and the spread of HIV infections pose some of the biggest risks to India s economic future, the country s finance minister said Sunday as business executives from around the world discussed the opportunities and challenges facing its booming economy. Volatile global oil prices als
India Finance Minister: Water Shortage, HIV Pose Big Econ Risks: Associated Press - November 26, 2006; NEW DELHI - A potential water shortage and the spread of HIV infections posed some of the biggest risks to India s economic future, the country s finance minister said Sunday as business executives from around the world gathered to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing its booming economy. Volatile global oil
Chinese AIDS Activist Is Missing After Meeting With Police: The Associated Press - November 25, 2006; BEIJING -- A prominent Chinese AIDS activist has gone missing after meeting with police, the activist s organization said Saturday, amid a suspected clampdown ahead of World AIDS Day. Four police officers showed up at the Beijing offices of Aizhi, an AIDS advocacy group, on Friday morning and questioned Wan Yanhai for
Kansas Man Gets Prison Time in HIV Case: Associated Press - November 23, 2006; LAWRENCE, Kan. - An HIV-positive man accused of knowingly exposing three women to the virus has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison. Robert Richardson II, 30, apologized at his sentencing Wednesday, but he argued that while his behavior was unethical, it wasn t criminal. Richardson was found guilty last mont
AIDS to Be 3rd Leading Cause of Death: Associated Press - November 27, 2006; Maria Cheng; LONDON - Within the next 25 years, AIDS is set to join heart disease and stroke as the top three causes of death worldwide, according to a study published online Monday. When global mortality projections were last calculated a decade ago, researchers had assumed the number of AIDS cases would be declining. Instead, it
China HIV Cases Up 28% So Far This Year - State Media: Associated Press - November 21, 2006; BEIJING - China s reported cases of HIV/AIDS jumped 30% in the first 10 months of 2006 with intravenous drug use the biggest source of infection, the Health Ministry said Wednesday. Joel Rehnstrom, coordinator for the UNAIDS China office, said the increase in reported cases indicates that China is doing more testing a
UN: HIV Epidemic Grows To 39.5M Cases, But Care Improves: Associated Press - November 21, 2006; GENEVA - The global HIV epidemic is growing, leaving an estimated 39.5 million people worldwide infected with the deadly virus, the U.N. said Tuesday. AIDS has claimed 2.9 million lives this year and another 4.3 million people became infected with HIV, according to the U.N. s AIDS epidemic update report, published on T
Vatican Concludes Study on Condoms: Associated Press - November 20, 2006; VATICAN CITY - The Vatican s office for health care has concluded a study on the use of condoms in the fight against AIDS, and a long-awaited report on it is now being examined by the Vatican s doctrinal watchdog, a senior cardinal said Tuesday. But the prelate gave no indication of the position the study takes or when
Priest Who Founded AIDS Orphanage Dies: Associated Press - November 20, 2006; Elizabeth A. Kennedy; NAIROBI, Kenya - The Rev. Angelo D Agostino, an American priest who opened one of the first orphanages for HIV-positive children in Kenya and fought to make AIDS drugs affordable to the poor, died Monday of a heart attack. He was 80. D Agostino had been hospitalized for a week with abdominal pain and died after surgery
WHO: Small Gains In African Health By Local Initiatives: Associated Press - November 20, 2006; LONDON - African countries are developing innovative methods to tackle illness and disease, but health problems across the continent remain enormous, the World Health Organization said in a report released Monday. The U.N. health agency s report assesses the enormity of problems ranging from the ongoing AIDS crisis to
South African Gays Often Face Harsh Reality: Associated Press - November 19, 2006; Terry Leonard; SOWETO, South Africa - At an unlicensed bar in an inconspicuous house, men and women sip lukewarm beer, mingle, flirt and dance to driving music called kwaito. They share a secret. The bar, or shebeen, in the black township of Soweto in Johannesburg, is a place where young, black gays don t have to hide who they are, w
Summit targets language, cultural barriers to Latino health care: Associated Press - November 18, 2006; Dionne Walker; RICHMOND, Va. - Plagued by colon problems, Margarita Morales waited quietly Friday at Cross Over Ministry, a clinic in the city s Latino-rich south side. Moments later, the Guatemalan was seen by Spanish-speaking specialists who offered services within her meager budget - a big difference from her experience at a nearb
Man with HIV allowed a private court hearing: Associated Press - November 18, 2006; KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A man charged with failing to tell sexual partners he was HIV-positive was granted more privacy recently when a judge closed a court proceeding to the public. Citing a 1988 Missouri law, attorneys for 40-year-old Albert L. Spicer succeeded in barring two spectators and a reporter Tuesday from a heari
Possible presidential contenders Obama, Brownback to get HIV tests: Associated Press - November 17, 2006; Michael R. Blood; LOS ANGELES - Another sign of the new Washington: bipartisan HIV testing. At a World AIDS Day conference in California next month, two potential 2008 presidential rivals - Sens. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and Sam Brownback, R-Kan. - each will take an HIV test and encourage others to do the same. To reduce stigma around the
Data shows shocking statistics of child abuse in Zim: Associated Press - November 17, 2006; Angus Shaw; New data shows a child is abused every hour in Zimbabwe and more than half the reported cases involve sexual abuse, a coalition of child protection groups said on Friday. Are Zimbabweans really horrified by these statistics? said Childline director Audrey Gumbo. Are we really being jolted into action? Because this is w
Judge tentatively rejects San Diego County medical marijuana suit: Associated Press - Thursday, November 16, 2006; Allison Hoffman, Associated Press Writer; SAN DIEGO - A state judge on Thursday tentatively rejected San Diego County s challenge of California s decade-old law permitting marijuana use for medical purposes. After issuing his ruling, Superior Court Judge William R. Nevitt, Jr. heard oral arguments from the county and the state. San Diego County lawyers maintai
Study: Condom Use Increasing in Africa: Associated Press - Thursday, November 16, 2006; Maria Cheng, AP Medical Writer; LONDON, United Kingdom - Amid all the dire warnings about the AIDS pandemic, researchers announce some good news: Young African women report they are increasingly using condoms with their partners. The study, published in the British journal The Lancet, analyzed data in 18 African countries from 1993 to 2001, looking a
Man Ordered to End Claims of Cancer Cure: Associated Press - November 15, 2006; Lucas L. Johnson II; NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A man who purports to have the cure for terminal illnesses such as cancer and AIDS must remove the claims from his Web site under a temporary injunction issued Wednesday by a circuit court judge. The Tennessee attorney general s office sought the injunction against Oludare Samuel Olomoshua, saying he
US President To Visit Bird Flu, Aids Lab In Vietnam: Associated Press - November 15, 2006; HANOI - Vietnam , hailed for beating back bird flu and rallying against AIDS, is getting a chance to impress U.S. President George W. Bush by showing just how much it has done. Bush is expected to visit the Pasteur Institute - one of the country s top research institutes for communicable diseases - in Ho Chi Minh City
Doctor charged in sex case gets license suspended: Associated Press - November 15, 2006; ATLANTA - The state medical board has suspended the license of an emergency room doctor who has been jailed for trying to have sex with a 15-year-old boy he met over the Internet. The Composite State Board of Medical Examiners acted Nov. 3 to suspend Adam Lebowitz s license. Lebowitz, 47, of Decatur, was arrested Nov.
DPH requires health care providers to report HIV patient names: Associated Press - November 14, 2006; BOSTON - Health care providers for HIV patients in Massachusetts will now be required to give their patients names to state authorities for the purpose of more accurately monitoring the number of cases. Department of Public Health spokeswoman Donna Rheume said the DPH board voted unanimously Tuesday to enact the new re
Oxfam, MSF: many poor lack access to drugs 5 years after WTO medicines declaration: Associated Press - November 14, 2006; The humanitarian groups Medecins Sans Frontieres and Oxfam said Tuesday that live-saving medicines remain out of reach for most Africans infected with the AIDS virus five years after a historic declaration enabled developing nations to override patents and copy expensive Western drugs. MSF, also known by its English na
Ex-teacher pleads not guilty to abusing student: Associated Press - November 13, 2006; NEWARK, N.J. - A former Newark teacher pleaded not guilty Monday to charges that he sexually abused a student who now has the virus that causes AIDS. The 14 counts against Hassan Vann include failing to notify a sexual partner that he had a sexually transmitted disease. The victim claims he had unprotected sex solely w
Philly, AIDS patient settle suit over EMT responders: Associated Press - November 13, 2006; PHILADELPHIA - The city settled a lawsuit Monday that accused Philadelphia officials of failing to comply with an earlier settlement over the treatment of AIDS patients. In September 2004, the Justice Department intervened in a lawsuit filed by an AIDS patient alleging that emergency medical technicians employed by the
More South Africans With AIDS Getting Treatment From Govt: Associated Press - November 13, 2006; CAPE TOWN - More than 235,000 South Africans with AIDS are receiving anti-retroviral medicines in the public health sector, up 55,000 from the end of June, the government said Monday. Officials said this proved the government s commitment to giving free drugs to all those in need. For years, the government of the count
Hunger Seen as Big Enemy in War on AIDS: Associated Press - November 12, 2006; Stevenson Jacobs; CANGE, Haiti - AIDS made Marie Lourdes Israel so sick she could barely move her bowed, stick-thin body. The medicine almost killed her. Her plight wasn t due to a problem with the drug, but with something more basic: She had no food, and taking the AIDS cocktail on an empty stomach caused severe stomach aches, dizzines
Clerics launch project against AIDS in Arab world: Associated Press - November 10, 2006; For the first time in the Arab world, Muslim and Christian clerics from 20 countries have together launched a project to tackle HIV/AIDS in their societies. Announced at the end of the four-day Regional Forum for Religious Leaders on AIDS, the scheme aims to break the stigma attached the disease in the Arab world as we
Doctor charged with felony for withholding HIV status: Associated Press - November 10, 2006; JONESBORO, Ga. - The Clayton County sheriff s department has charged an Emory School of Medicine doctor with a felony for not revealing his HIV-positive status to a 16-year-old boy who says he had sex with the physician. Adam Lebowitz, 47, a resident at Emory School of Medicine and an emergency room doctor at Grady Mem
HIV Life Expectancy Is Extended to 24 Years: Associated Press - November 10, 2006; ATLANTA - An American diagnosed with the AIDS virus can expect to live for about 24 years on average, and the cost of health care over those two-plus decades is more than $600,000, new research indicates. Both life expectancy and the cost of care have risen from earlier estimates, mainly because of expensive and effect
FBI joins investigation into doctor's past: Associated Press - November 10, 2006; ATLANTA - The FBI has joined the investigation into the past of an Emory School of Medicine doctor who says he is HIV positive and who is charged with soliciting sex from an underage teenager. Coweta County Assistant District Attorney Ray Mayer said Thursday that federal agents are deciding whether to file the addition
Bird Flu Expert Wins WHO Nomination: Associated Press - November 8, 2006; Eliane Engeler; GENEVA - Dr. Margaret Chan, who spearheaded the World Health Organization s fight against bird flu, was chosen Wednesday to head the agency and lead the international assault on polio, AIDS and other global scourges, becoming the first Chinese to win such a high-profile United Nations post. Chan, 59, was Hong Kong s he
South Africa Said to Change Stance on AIDS: Associated Press - November 8, 2006; Clare Nullis; CAPE TOWN, South Africa - The South African government, long reluctant to face up to the country s overwhelming number of AIDS deaths and infections, has finally changed its stance, AIDS activists said Wednesday. The deputy president, Phumzile Mlambo-Ncguka, who was named last month to head a revitalized government cou
US Policy A Key Issue As WHO Chooses Its Next Leader Wednesday: Associated Press - November 7, 2006; GENEVA - The Bush administration s drug and sexual-health policy is a key issue as the World Health Organization chooses its next leader, a post that wields great power in allocating billions of dollars in funds to alleviate misery around the world. After two days of closed-door deliberations, WHO is set to announce it
IMF: South African Economic Growth Impressive; More Must Be Done: Associated Press - November 7, 2006; JOHANNESBURG - South Africa needs faster growth and more economic reforms to tackle poverty, unemployment and AIDS, a top official at the International Monetary Fund said Tuesday. John Lipsky, first deputy managing director of the IMF, spoke at the conclusion of his visit to South Africa Tuesday. Lipsky met with Fi
Arab League Meets On Breaking Region's Silence On HIV/AIDS: Associated Press - November 7, 2006; CAIRO - Religious and political leaders Tuesday expressed their concern over the number of cases of HIV - the virus that causes AIDS - in the Arab world and stressed the need to break the region s silence over the deadly epidemic. More than 300 Muslim and Christian leaders from 20 Arab states gathered in Cairo at the A
US accused of interference ahead of vote for next WHO chief: Associated Press - November 7, 2006; Geneva - The World Health Organization is convening this week to pick its next leader, and some leading public health officials are worried the new chief may not have the strength to stand up to Washington on drug and sexual health policy. Critics say WHO has been largely controlled behind the scenes by the
UN wants greater efforts to prevent AIDS among women, children in Asia-Pacific: Associated Press - November 6, 2006; KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - The United Nations on Monday called for greater efforts to prevent and treat AIDS among pregnant women and newborns in the Asia-Pacific region, where some 930,000 more people became infected last year. The call for better integration of HIV treatment and maternal health services was made at the
Alicia Keys Talks About African Charity: Associated Press - November 6, 2006; Nekesa Mumbi Moody; NEW YORK - As more celebrities get involved in helping African nations overcome debt, AIDS and poverty, some cynics have questioned whether their motives are spurred by good intentions or publicity - most notably, with Madonna s recent trip to Malawi to adopt a child. Alicia Keys, who is hosting her annual Black Ball c
Successful Test Of HIV Gene Therapy Encourages Large Trial: Associated Press - November 6, 2006; WASHINGTON - The first test of a potential new gene therapy for HIV - the virus that causes AIDS - was encouraging enough for researchers to launch a more extensive trial. The goal of this phase I trial was safety and feasibility, and the results established that, said lead researcher Dr. Carl June. But the results als
Dick Clark's curios to rock auction block: Associated Press - November 6, 2006; NEW YORK - Fifty years after his first appearance on the show that became known as American Bandstand, Dick Clark is ready to let go of the microphone. The famed host is auctioning a number of items from his personal collection of musical memorabilia, including the microphone he used beginning July 9, 1956 - his first
Teen forum in Dothan on HIV/AIDS awareness: Associated Press - November 4, 2006; DOTHAN, Ala. - Organizers of an HIV/AIDS awareness forum for teenagers expect a large turnout for the event in Dothan on Thursday. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System has partnered with the Black Entertainment Television Network for the Rap-It-Up forum, set for 6:30 p.m. at the Dothan Opera House. The panel discus
Medical marijuana at a crossroads 10 years later: Associated Press - November 4, 2006; David Kravets; SAN FRANCISCO - A decade ago, California voters were the nation s first to approve medical marijuana, and 10 other states have since followed suit. But the future of the landmark California statute is no clearer now than when voters headed to the polls on Nov. 5, 1996. The federal government still refuses to recognize
California 'Pot Docs' Put Selves at Risk: Associated Press - November 4, 2006; Lisa Leff; COOL, Calif. - Dr. Mollie Fry never thought telling her patients where to get the medicine she recommended for pain, depression and nausea would be a problem. Federal drug agents who raided her home and office thought otherwise, and she was indicted last year on felony charges of conspiring to distribute marijuana.
Libya AIDS Verdict to Be Issued Dec. 19: Associated Press - November 4, 2006; Khaled El-Deeb; TRIPOLI, Libya - Five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor accused of infecting hundreds of Libyan children with AIDS addressed a court hearing their retrial for the first time on Saturday, reiterating their innocence. The judge set a verdict date for Dec. 19 in the case, which has drawn international protests and
Teacher charged with sexually abusing student who got sick: Associated Press - November 3, 2006; NEWARK, N.J. - Prosecutors want a former Newark teacher accused by a student of infecting him with the virus that causes AIDS to be tested for the disease. Hassan Vann, 29, a former music teacher at West Side High School in Newark, was indicted Thursday, accused of sexually abusing a student who now has AIDS, the Essex
AIDS group passes over Kolbe in search for executive director: Associated Press - November 2, 2006; Jennifer Talhelm; WASHINGTON - Retiring Arizona Rep. Jim Kolbe is apparently no longer being considered to lead the Geneva-based Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The Global Fund board members had planned to announce their choice for a new executive director during their meeting this week in Guatemala
Famous piano being sent to Dallas for exhibit: Associated Press - November 1, 2006; DALLAS - The piano on which John Lennon composed Imagine is being sent to Dallas by pop star George Michael to be featured in a photographic exhibition celebrating peace. The piano will be shipped to Goss Gallery for the display, which will include the work of three war photographers. The gallery is owned by Michael s
Vt. Student Charged With Needle Stabbing: Associated Press - November 1, 2006; John Curran; ST. ALBANS, Vt. - A 16-year-old boy accused of jabbing more than a dozen other students with a hypodermic needle he found in the street was charged Wednesday with aggravated assault, authorities said. Justin Darrah, a sophomore at Bellows Free Academy, was cited on 13 counts and ordered to appear in court Nov. 9, accor
Supermodel comes home to North Country to film AIDS documentary: Associated Press - November 1, 2006; WATERTOWN, N.Y. - Supermodel Maggie Rizer returned to her hometown this week to begin working on an AIDS documentary being directed by Alexandra Kerry, the daughter of U.S. Sen. John Kerry. The film, titled Maggie and Me, is being produced by AIDS activist Suzanne Engo, whose father is a former ambassador to the United
Study Dispels Some Sexual Behavior Myths: Associated Press - October 31, 2006; Maria Cheng; LONDON - In the first comprehensive global study of sexual behavior, British researchers found that people aren t losing their virginity at ever younger ages, married people have the most sex, and there is no firm link between promiscuity and sexually transmitted diseases. The study was published Wednesday as part of a
Court holds off rent rise in NYC housing for people with HIV: Associated Press - October 30, 2006; Jennifer Peltz, Associated Press Writer; NEW YORK -- More than 2,000 poor people who have the AIDS virus and live in government-subsidized apartments around the city won a last-minute reprieve Monday night from major rent increases. Their rent had been scheduled to rise Wednesday. But a federal court blocked the change for at least 45 days to allow time for a
New TB Strains Expose Need For New Drugs, Diagnostics: Associated Press - October 30, 2006; PARIS - When scientists noticed that a deadly new form of tuberculosis was on the rise earlier this year, they had to confront another problem: old drugs and diagnostics that don t cater to emergencies. The TB drugs prescribed today are more than 40 years old, and they require patients to undergo a marathon 6-to-9-mont
Guyanese Officials Criticize US Preacher: Associated Press - October 29, 2006; GEORGETOWN, Guyana - Guyanese health officials have criticized an American television evangelist for a series of advertisements they say suggest people can be cured of HIV/AIDS by attending the preacher s services in this South American nation. The ministry of Rev. Ernest Angley, a Pentecostal preacher who exhorts illn
School clinics movement grows to deliver care to children: Associated Press - October 26, 2006; Candice Choi; DELHI, N.Y. - When MacKenzie Oliver s asthma flared up during gym class, she headed to the doctor s office - just a two-minute walk away. A nurse practitioner sat her down, checked her breathing, then let her rest. Then I just walked back to class, the 15-year-old sophomore said. School-based clinics, like this one in
Libyan Children With HIV Treated In European Hospitals: Associated Press - October 26, 2006; PARIS - Nearly 400 children who Libyan authorities say were intentionally infected with the virus that causes AIDS are now being treated in European hospitals, French and Italian officials said Thursday. French Foreign Ministry spokesman Jean-Baptiste Mattei said he hoped the move would improve relations with Libya as
Kazakh Doctors Claim Persecution, Demand Higher Salaries: Associated Press - October 26, 2006; ALMATY, Kazakhstan - Alleging they were being persecuted for a rash of HIV cases in which scores of children were infected, doctors in southern Kazakhstan appealed to lawmakers Thursday to end what they called unprecedented pressure on them. The doctors also demanded pay raises, saying they would otherwise have to keep
Star Power Ad Urges Voting: Associated Press - October 25, 2006; Jim Kuhnhenn; WASHINGTON - Few political ads - few ads, period - have this kind of star power. ONE.org, an anti-poverty organization, is airing a public service announcement that features actors George Clooney, Don Cheadle, Alfre Woodard, Julia Roberts, NFL quarterback Tom Brady, singer Toby Keith and others that urges viewers to vo
Japanese Group Appeals for AIDS Orphans: Associated Press - October 25, 2006; Sarah Dilorenzo; UNITED NATIONS - A Japanese organization that fights AIDS unveiled a new program Wednesday aimed at engaging the 12 million African children orphaned by the deadly disease by getting them to play soccer. The joint Japanese-African program seeks to address the social disruptions AIDS has caused on the continent by estab
Gates Pledges $23M for HIV in India: Associated Press - October 24, 2006; NEW DELHI - The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on Tuesday pledged $23 million to help Indian health authorities in their efforts to combat HIV. The funds, to be disbursed over the next three years, will be used to enhance the capacity of the government of India s HIV prevention response, Tadataka Yamada of the Found
Researchers withdraw plan to conduct AIDS experiments on endangered African monkeys: Associated Press - October 23, 2006; Mike Stobbe; ATLANTA - A research center has dropped a controversial proposal to conduct medical experiments on up to 100 endangered African monkeys that are natural carriers of a form of the AIDS virus but do not get sick from it. The Yerkes National Primate Research Center sought to use sooty mangabey monkeys in a first-of-its ki
China Opens 206 Methadone Clinics In Anti-heroin Campaign: Associated Press - October 20, 2006; BEIJING - China has opened 206 methadone clinics over the past four months in a campaign to combat heroin addiction and reduce the spread of the AIDS virus by addicts sharing needles, a news report said Friday. The new outlets bring the number of methadone clinics to 307, the official Xinhua News Agency said. It didn t
Measure to provide sterile needles to drug users advances: Associated Press - October 19, 2006; Angela Delli Santi; TRENTON, N.J. - Led by a lawmaker and physician who promised this bill is going to come out of this committee today, an Assembly health panel advanced a measure that would make New Jersey the last state in the country to provide sterile needles to intravenous drug users. The bill would allow six cities or towns to set
GAO Advises Agency on Condom Information: Associated Press - October 19, 2006; Kevin Freking; WASHINGTON - Government auditors reminded the Bush administration Thursday that literature distributed by federally funded abstinence programs must contain medically accurate information about condoms effectiveness in preventing sexually transmitted diseases. The Government Accountability Office did not make any judgme
Cleveland schools to start some sex ed in kindergarten: Associated Press - October 19, 2006; CLEVELAND - City schools will expand sex education curriculum to include age-appropriate lessons that begin as early as kindergarten, officials said. The initiative comes as Cleveland s teen birth rates are high but dropping - about 40 of every 1,000 girls ages 15-19 become pregnant every year, according to state data
Pharmacist pleads guilty to selling bogus medication: Associated Press - October 18, 2006; KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A Kansas City-area pharmacist pleaded guilty Wednesday to two counts of selling counterfeit or misbranded medication. Douglas Albers, 55, of Leawood, Kan., was indicted last year as part of a ring prosecutors said planned to sell $42 million in stolen, misbranded and bogus pharmaceutical drugs, such
Official Pushes AIDS Awareness in Zambia: Associated Press - October 18, 2006; Lewis Mwanwangombe; LUSAKA, Zambia - The new U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, Mark Dybul, called for increased awareness and greater efforts in the fight against HIV/AIDS during his first visit to Zambia on Wednesday. The U.S. government has committed $149 million in 2006 to programs that fight HIV/AIDS in this poor southern African nation t
Germany Sets Agenda for Next Year's G-8: Associated Press - October 18, 2006; David Mchugh; BERLIN - Germany will invite African nations for talks on development, HIV/AIDS and poverty when it hosts the Group of Eight summit next year, but it won t push for rising powers such as India or China to enter the exclusive club.
AIDS Forum in Harbin Spurs Heated Local Debate: Associated Press - October 17, 2006; BEIJING - An AIDS-prevention seminar held for prostitutes has sparked a heated debate in a northeast Chinese city, state media reported yesterday. The two-hour seminar was held last week in Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang province, by the city s disease prevention center, the Beijing News said. The center is overse
Appeals court questions Livermore biodefense lab: Associated Press - October 16, 2006; David Kravets; SAN FRANCISCO - The federal government s plan to research lethal agents such as HIV and anthrax in a San Francisco Bay area suburb hit a legal snag Monday when an appeals court ruled the Energy Department must consider what would happen if the lab were attacked by terrorists. Acting in a case brought by neighbors of th
Boy Madonna wants to adopt leaves Malawi: Associated Press - October 16, 2006; Raphael Tenthani; LILONGWE, Malawi - A chartered plane carrying a 1-year-old boy that Madonna is seeking to adopt left Malawi on Monday, an immigration official said. The boy, David Banda, was accompanied on the plane by two Britons and two Americans, one of whom listed her occupation as nanny, according to the immigration official at t
AIDS Activist Jeff Getty Dies at 49: The Associated Press - October 15, 2006; JOSHUA TREE, Calif. (AP) -- Jeff Getty, a prominent AIDS activist who in 1995 received the first bone-marrow transplant from a baboon to treat the disease, has died. He was 49. Getty died Monday of heart failure, following treatment for cancer and a long struggle with AIDS, at the High Desert Medical Center in Joshua T
Madonna, Ritchie pursue adoption: Associated Press - October 14, 2006; Madonna and her husband, Guy Ritchie, jetted out of Malawi early Friday, after gaining preliminary custody of a 1-year-old boy they want to adopt in an apparently streamlined procedure that sparked criticism from a child protection organization. In a statement later, Madonna s spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg confirmed the ad
Verdict in HIV exposure case puts Kansas man in small group: Associated Press - October 14, 2006; LAWRENCE, Kan. - A Douglas County man has joined a small group of people across the country tried and convicted for exposing people to the virus that causes AIDS. Women who had sex with Robert Richardson II said he either never told them of his HIV-positive status, lied about it outright or took off a condom during sex
New Fund Created To Help Myanmar Fight 3 Killer Diseases: Associated Press - October 13, 2006; YANGON - Myanmar will receive $99.5 million in foreign aid to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, the three leading causes of death in the country, replacing funds withdrawn by a U.N.-formed international fund, state-run media reported Friday. The aid comes from a newly created consortium known as the Three Diseases
N.J. needle exchange measure advances: Associated Press - October 12, 2006; Angela Delli Santi; TRENTON, N.J. - A measure aimed at curbing the spread of HIV/AIDS by supplying intravenous drug abusers with clean needles cleared the Senate budget committee Thursday, moving the contentious bill farther along in the Senate than it s ever gone before. New Jersey continues to be the only state in the union that doesn t
Oprah Winfrey, Bono promote new clothing line and iPod to fight AIDS in Africa: Associated Press - October 12, 2006; Ashley M. Heher; CHICAGO - Talk show host Oprah Winfrey and humanitarian rocker Bono hit the city s Magnificent Mile on Thursday for a shopping spree to promote a new line of clothing, accessories and gadgets, including a special-edition iPod, that will raise money to fight AIDS in Africa. Dozens of (Product) Red items will go on sale
New HIV Infections In Australia Up 40% From 2000 - Study: Associated Press - October 12, 2006; SYDNEY - The number of new HIV cases in Australia has surged more than 40% over the past five years, according to findings released Thursday. The study by the National Center in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research found that the number of new HIV infections reported in Australia rose from 656 in 2000 to 930 in 2005,
Kolbe see no conflict in effort to get world AIDS prevention job: Associated Press - October 11, 2006; Jennifer Talhelm; WASHINGTON - Retiring Arizona Rep. Jim Kolbe is up for a job leading a group whose funding he helped determine as chairman of a House appropriations subcommittee. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria confirmed this week that Kolbe, a Republican, is one of five finalists to become its next executive d
African Adoptions Raise Big Question: Associated Press - October 11, 2006; Celean Jacobson; JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - Reports that Madonna may have adopted a Malawian child have focused attention on foreign adoptions in Africa - and raised questions about whether it s in an African child s best interest to be spirited away to the wealthy West. Are celebrities doing it for the right reasons and not to make
China Medical Cites Success in HIV Tools: China Medical Technologies Says It's Successful in Developing HIV Tools: Associated Press - October 11, 2006; NEW YORK - Medical device maker China Medical Technologies said Wednesday it successfully developed two HIV diagnostic reagents, used in the detection of the disease. In a statement, the Beijing-based company said the Chinese Ministry of Health chose the technology as one of its sponsored innovative research projects o
WHO AIDS chief says injecting drugs are a big danger in spread across Asia: Associated Press - October 10, 2006; HANOI, Vietnam More work must focus on injecting drug users and men who have sex with men to prevent the spread of HIV in the Asia-Pacific region, a top World Health Organization official said. Dr. Kevin De Cock, director of the WHO s Geneva-based HIV/AIDS department, told The Associated Press on Monday that the human
Bush administration seeks approval of social conditions for recipients of AIDS money: Associated Press - October 10, 2006; WASHINGTON The Bush administration sought Tuesday to overturn a court decision that lets nonprofit AIDS groups apply for federal funding without signing pledges to oppose prostitution and sex trafficking. At least one of the groups, DKT International Inc., has refused to sign the pledge because it helps distribute cond
Malawian Claims Madonna Adopted His Son: Associated Press - October 10, 2006; Raphael Tenthani; LIPUNGA, Malawi - Madonna has adopted a 1-year-old Malawian boy whose mother died a month after childbirth, the baby s father claimed Tuesday, saying he was happy his son was escaping poverty. Malawian government officials said last week the pop star planned to adopt a Malawian boy while she is in the impoverished Afri
Officials Challenge AIDS Funding Ruling: Associated Press - October 10, 2006; WASHINGTON - The Bush administration sought Tuesday to overturn a court decision that lets nonprofit AIDS groups apply for federal funding without signing a pledge opposing prostitution and sex trafficking. At least one of the groups, DKT International Inc., has refused to sign the pledge because it helps distribute co
GenVec to Get $3.6 Million HIV Funds: Associated Press - October 10, 2006; GAITHERSBURG, Md. - Biotech drug developer GenVec Inc. said Tuesday it will receive up to $3.6 million in new funds from the National Institutes of Health to research a vaccine for HIV. The company said the new award raises funding for the program to $53 million over the life of a subcontract, which extends until the e
Governments Committed to New Airline Tax: Associated Press - October 9, 2006; Eliane Engeler; GENEVA - Nineteen governments are committed to levying a tax on airline tickets as part of a new way to treat people in poor countries for AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, France s foreign minister said Monday. We need to be and can be even more, said Philippe Douste-Blazy, who heads the program called UNITAID which bri
Bill Gates talks with Nigerian president on humanitarian issues: Associated Press - October 8, 2006; ABUJA, Nigeria - Microsoft founder Bill Gates met Nigeria s president this weekend for talks on fighting poverty and disease on the world s poorest continent, a senior official said Sunday. Information Minister Frank Nweke said Gates arrived in Nigeria with his wife, Melinda, on Saturday and met with President Olusegun
Madonna Visits 3rd Malawi Orphanage: Associated Press - October 7, 2006; Raphael Tenthani; LILONGWE, Malawi - Madonna visited another orphanage in Malawi on Saturday amid persistent rumors that she plans to adopt a boy who lost his parents to AIDS. It was the pop star s third visit to an orphanage in as many days. She arrived in the impoverished country Wednesday and Malawian government officials have said r
Man pleads not guilty by mental defect in clinic crash: Associated Press - October 7, 2006; LA CROSSE, Wis. - An Iowa man who crashed his minivan into a medical clinic and then went on a damage rampage inside pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity by mental defect to felony charges stemming from the July incident. Geoffrey Fitzgerald, 51, did not contest a state psychologist s finding that he
Princess Stephanie Decries Condom Use Opposition: Associated Press -October 06,2006; GENEVA -- Princess Stephanie of Monaco said Friday it was a shame the Roman Catholic Church opposed the use of condoms in the fight against AIDS. In her first speech as goodwill ambassador for the U.N. AIDS agency, Stephanie said there was no alternative to the use of condoms in the prevention of HIV/AIDS.
Not All Doctors Ready to Test for HIV: Associated Press - October 6, 2006; Mike Stobbe, AP Medical Writer; ATLANTA - Don t expect your doctor to nudge you toward an HIV test anytime soon, despite bold new government advice that most Americans be tested for the AIDS virus. Public health experts say testing in many parts of the country probably won t get going for a year, maybe longer, because of a complex tangle of state law
AIDS fight subject of Tuskegee 'Teach-In': Associated Press - October 5, 2006; TUSKEGEE, Ala. - LIFE AIDS, an organization created by college students dedicated to stopping the AIDS pandemic within the black community, will host its Third Annual Historically Black College and University Teach-In and Town Hall Meeting at Tuskegee University this weekend. This year s program theme titled AIDS in Bl
Madonna Visits Malawi, May Adopt Child: Associated Press - October 4, 2006; Raphael Tenthani, Associated Press Writer; BLANTYRE, Malawi -- Madonna arrived in Malawi on Wednesday on a mission to help AIDS orphans -- and may leave with a child adopted in this impoverished southern African country. Andrina Mchiela, secretary to the minister for gender and child welfare, said the pop star planned to adopt a child and launch six projects to
New stronger Wash rules for health care providers: Associated Press - October 3, 2006; SEATTLE - Patients have more comprehensive rights while health care practitioners face more restrictions under new rules adopted by the state Health Department. The new regulations, which took effect Sunday, would make it easier for the state to discipline health care professionals accused of sexual misconduct. Previo
Bath & Body Works launches candle collaboration with Elton John: Associated Press - October 3, 2006; NEW YORK - Limited Brands Inc. s Bath & Body Works is latching on to the star power of Sir Elton John and his passion for candles - in time for the holiday season. The Columbus, Ohio-based company announced a new collection of home fragrances - a collaboration between the rock star and Harry Slatkin, president of H
Company includes Ohio inmates' health records as part of lawsuit: Associated Press - October 3, 2006; AKRON, Ohio - County officials say they are outraged that a health care company has included dozens of jail inmates detailed medical records in court documents available to the public. The records are typically kept secret under federal privacy laws. NaphCare Inc. included files from 2004 and 2005, which in some cases
Gilead Sciences to acquire Myogen: Associated Press - October 3, 2006; DENVER -- Gilead Sciences Inc., a leading producer of HIV drugs, said Monday it plans to acquire biotech Myogen Inc. for about $2.5 billion in cash, signaling a surprising expansion into treatments for pulmonary diseases. Gilead agreed to pay Myogen shareholders $52.50 a share, a premium of almost 50 percent over the s
Africans Face Crisis Because Aid Wasted: Associated Press - October 2, 2006; Anthony Mitchell; NAIROBI, Kenya - Millions of Africans face food shortages that could lead to starvation because much of the $5.6 billion in aid spent each year to help them is wasted, a humanitarian aid organization said Tuesday. International aid arrives too late, is targeted at the wrong things and is usually only a short-term measu
Man convicted of intentionally exposing four women to HIV: Associated Press - October 2, 2006; LAWRENCE, Kansas - A Lawrence man was found guilty Monday of knowingly exposing three women to the virus that causes AIDS. He was acquitted of exposing a fourth woman. Attorneys for Robert Richardson II, 30, had told jurors that he had been taking an extensive series of drugs to lower the amount of the virus in his blo
Scientists test drugs for HIV dementia: Associated Press - October 2, 2006; Lauran Neergaard, AP Medical Writer; It s an Achilles heel of HIV therapy: The AIDS virus can sneak into the brain to cause dementia , despite today s best medicines. Now scientists are beginning to test drugs that may protect against the memory loss and other symptoms of so-called neuroAIDS, which afflicts at least one in five people with HIV and is beco
Survey: Many in Europe Confused on AIDS: Associated Press - October 2, 2006; BRUSSELS, Belgium -- Almost half of the European Union population continues to have misconceptions about the ways in which HIV/AIDS can be spread, the European Commission said Monday. A survey by the EU executive found that although many know that sharing needles, receiving infected blood and having unprotected sex wer
2 Americans Win Nobel Prize in Medicine: Associated Press - October 2, 2006; Matt Moore and Karl Ritter, Associated Press Writers; STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- Americans Andrew Z. Fire and Craig C. Mello won the Nobel Prize in medicine Monday for discovering a powerful way to turn off the effect of specific genes, opening a potential new avenue for fighting diseases as diverse as cancer and AIDS. The process, called RNA interference, also is being studied
Congress adjourns, leaving much work undone: Incumbents are preoccupied with getting reelected: Associated Press - October 1, 2006; Jim Abrams; WASHINGTON -- Lawmakers were off to the campaign trail after the Republicans, in danger of losing their control of Congress, sought to play to their strength by pushing through a series of security-related bills. In a flurry of activity before their departure early yesterday morning, the Senate gave final approval to $
Controversial campaign labels HIV a 'gay disease': The Associated Press - October 1, 2006; One of Southern California s most influential gay institutions has launched a controversial ad campaign that describes HIV as a gay disease. The L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center s departure from 20 years of countering the idea of AIDS as a gay plague is designed to reach gay men who have grown complacent about the illness
Sen. Clinton blocks cut to NY's AIDS funding: Associated Press - September 29, 2006; WASHINGTON (AP) - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton took the congressional fight over HIV/AIDS funding to the floor of the U.S. Senate Friday, seeking to prevent treatment dollars from leaving New York and other big states. With little time left before lawmakers leave Congress for a month of intense campaigning, the Senate i
$88m for HIV programmes: Associated Press - September 29, 2006; Dublin, Ireland - Ireland committed $88.7m on Friday to the global foundation run by former US President Bill Clinton, becoming the largest national contributor to its programme fighting HIV and Aids. Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern and Clinton signed an agreement committing Ireland to pay $76.1m to the Health Minist
Wheaton Academy students raise $403,000 for AIDS projects in Zambia: Associated Press - September 29, 2006; WEST CHICAGO, Ill. - Wheaton Academy, a private Christian high school, has raised $403,000 since 2002 for projects benefiting families ravaged by AIDS in the southern African country of Zambia . Experts say the small school is at the forefront of a growing evangelical effort to assist rather than judge AIDS victims.
Fate of AIDS bill is uncertain in Senate: Associated Press - September 29, 2006; Erica Werner; WASHINGTON - Supporters of a bill to shift AIDS money from urban to rural areas failed Friday to overcome objections from senators in New York and New Jersey but maneuvered to force a vote when Congress returns after the November elections. That left the fate of the $2.1 billion Ryan White CARE Act uncertain. The House
Deaths lead agriculture head to urge care eating raw oysters: Associated Press - September 29, 2006; ATLANTA - The Georgia Department of Agriculture is urging people be careful eating raw oysters after the deaths of two Savannah-area women. Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin said the Chatham County women are believed to have died from Vibrio vulnificus -- a naturally occurring marine micro-organism that can be deadl
India to increase HIV treatment centers: Associated Press - Friday September 29, 2006; Nirmala George, Associated Press Writer; Indian authorities plan to nearly double the number of treatment centers providing free drugs and medical care to people battling HIV/AIDS, a senior official said Friday. The National AIDS Control Organization, part of India s health ministry, hopes to reach about 85,000 people with drugs and treatment once all the tre
63 Kazakh HIV cases blamed on blood sales: Associated Press - September 29, 2006; Bagila Bukharbayeva; SHYMKENT, Kazakhstan -- This industrial city is reeling after learning that at least 63 children have been infected with HIV through medical negligence that many blame on corruption and the illicit sale of blood. At least five infected toddlers have died after receiving injections or blood transfusions in hospitals in
Disputed AIDS funding bill passes House: Associated Press - Thursday, September 28, 2006; Erica Werner, Associated Press Writer; The House agreed Thursday night to send more AIDS care money to rural areas and the South, overcoming angry opposition from big-state lawmakers who stand to lose millions. It s shameful and disgraceful, shouted Rep. Eliot Engel (news, bio, voting record), D-N.Y., before lawmakers voted 325-98 to amend the $2.1 billion
Inmate in Landmark Case Charged Again: Associated Press - September 28, 2006; BALTIMORE - A transgendered inmate freed from prison last year because she was dying of AIDS has been charged with using a forged Maryland death certificate to get new criminal charges dismissed. Dee Deirdre Farmer, 41, was charged Wednesday with forging a Baltimore Circuit Court order to change the death certificate o
Elton John Gives Advice to Whitney, Clay: Associated Press - September 27, 2006; Los Angeles - How wonderful celeb news is when Elton John s in the world. The ever-opinionated popster weighs in on a variety of subjects in a two-part Access Hollywood interview, including Whitney Houston and Clay Aiken. On Houston, who recently filed for divorce from Bobby Brown after 14 years of marriage, John says,
OraSure Developing Consumer HIV Test: OraSure Technologies Starts Developing Consumer Version of Oral HIV Test: Associated Press - September 27, 2006; BETHLEHEM, Pa. (AP) -- OraSure Technologies Inc., which makes a rapid HIV test, said it began testing on its over-the-counter version of its OraQuick Advance Rapid HIV antibody test. The laboratory studies on the oral test are part of the initial stage in its application asking for Food and Drug Administration approval
Money Fight Stalls AIDS Bill in Senate: Associated Press - Tuesday, September 26, 2006; Erica Werner; WASHINGTON -- A bill that would shift millions of dollars for AIDS care to rural areas is being held up in the Senate by Democrats from California, New York and New Jersey, whose states would lose out. The objections threaten to stall passage of the $2.1 billion Ryan White CARE Act before Congress wraps up work this we
Recent Body-Parts Scandals Prompt Review: Associated Press - September 23, 2006; Marilynn Marchione; SAN DIEGO - The nation s tissue bankers are considering new rules aimed at preserving public trust in their industry, following two recent scandals that made some of them appear more like body snatchers than people who help improve the lives of millions of Americans. The leading professional association will vote next
University to distribute free condoms in campus bathrooms: Associated Press - September 23, 2006; COLUMBIA, Mo. - The University of Missouri-Columbia, will soon be the first in the Big 12 Conference to distribute free condoms in residential hall bathrooms, school officials said Friday. Health advocates said the pilot program will help lower the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and prevent unwanted pregnancie
Arican Companies to Make Anti-HIV Drug: Associated Press - Friday, September 22, 2006; BASEL, Switzerland -- Roche Holding AG said Friday it will help three African companies to produce one of its anti-HIV drugs. Roche will provide the companies - Aspen Pharmacare in South Africa , and Cosmos Ltd. and Universal Corp. Ltd. in Kenya - with the technical assistance necess
More Drug-Resistant TB Seen in U.S.: Associated Press - Friday, September 22, 2006; Jordan Robertson, Associated Press Writer; SAN FRANCISCO -- The worst forms of the killer tuberculosis bug have been gaining ground in the United States , alarming public health officials over imported drug-resistant strains of a disease that is mostly under control in this country. Although the number of drug-resistant TB cases in the U.S. is small compared to
US Protests Lead WHO To Withdraw AIDS Resolution: Associated Press - September 22, 2006; AUCKLAND - A resolution calling for universal access to HIV/AIDS treatment has been withdrawn from the World Health Organization s Asia conference because the U.S. insisted on changing it, senior officials said Friday. American officials submitted a series of last-minute amendments to remove expressions of support in t
AIDS bill advances despite complaints from big-state lawmakers: Associated Press - September 21, 2006; WASHINGTON - A spending bill that would send more AIDS money to the South has passed a House committee despite opposition from some big-state lawmakers. Representatives from southern and rural states say revisions to the Ryan White CARE Act of 1990 were necessary because of how the epidemic has changed over the years.
CDC Backs HIV Test for All Between 13-64: Associated Press - September 21, 2006; Mike Stobbe, AP Medical Writer; ATLANTA -- All Americans between the ages of 13 and 64 should be routinely tested for HIV to help catch infections earlier and stop the spread of the deadly virus, federal health recommendations announced Thursday say. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said HIV testing should become about as common as
Chicago man sentenced to 15 years in cabdriver's death: Associated Press - September 20, 2006; CHICAGO -- An AIDS activist and former city of Chicago health department employee was sentenced to 15 years in prison Wednesday for running over a cabdriver with his own taxi. Cook County Circuit Court Judge James M. Schreier sentenced Michael Jackson after a hearing that lasted several hours. With credit for good beha
Jolie and Pitt Give $1 Million Gifts: Associated Press - September 20, 2006; WASHINGTON -- Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are giving gifts of $1 million each to two humanitarian organizations, an adviser to the couple said Wednesday. The recipients are Global Action for Children and Medecins sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders. In the most troubled parts of the world -- places that much of th
Officials: Students Shared a Lancet: Associated Press - Tuesday, September 19, 2006; Salina, Kansas -- A high school science teacher was suspended for allowing students to use the same instrument to draw blood from their fingers as part of a class project, district officials said Tuesday. About 50 juniors and seniors in two science classes at Salina High School South used the same lancet, or small pin,
HIV positive man charged with raping young girl in Baldwin Co.: Associated Press - September 19, 2006; BAY MINETTE, Ala. - A 32-year-old Baldwin County man, charged with raping a 5-year-old girl, said he knew he was HIV positive at the time, according to authorities. Baldwin County sheriff s officers said the man, tentatively identified as Julio Cesar Cruz Martinez, was arrested Friday and charged with first-degree rape
NJ moves step closer to providing sterile syringes to drug users: Associated Press - September 18, 2006; Angela Delli Santi; TRENTON, N.J. - After a marathon public hearing that began Monday morning and ended after dusk, New Jersey moved a step closer to becoming the last state in the country to provide intravenous drug users access to clean needles. The Senate health committee approved a compromise measure that would grant six cities and to
Kerry urges people to confront AIDS, global warming, abortion: Associated Press - September 18, 2006; Michael R. Blood; MALIBU, Calif. - Democratic Sen. John Kerry on Monday urged people of faith to work cooperatively on problems such as poverty, global warming and reducing the number of abortions - godly tasks that transcend the nation s culture wars. In a speech laced with anecdotes of his own journey of faith, Kerry, a Roman Catholic
Lawmakers to debate needle exchange, attorney general nominee: Associated Press - September 17, 2006; Tom Hester Jr.; TRENTON, N.J. - State senators will debate this week whether New Jersey should allow drug addicts to receive clean needles to combat HIV and AIDS. They will also consider Gov. Jon S. Corzine s nomination of Stuart Rabner as attorney general. Special legislative committees will meanwhile take their efforts on the road t
Limestone prison AIDS inmates cite improvements since suit: Associated Press - September 16, 2006; ATHENS, Ala. - Inmates in the AIDS unit at Limestone Correctional Facility say the food is better and medical help seems improved since the settlement of a suit over their medical care in June. But some would like inmates to be able to provide hospice care to those dying in the unit, as they once did. Generally, we rec
San Diego leading backlash against California medical marijuana law: Associated Press - September 16, 2006; Allison Hoffman; SAN DIEGO - This seaside city was a bystander as liberal strongholds like San Francisco and Santa Cruz created identification cards for sick patients who use marijuana and wrote regulations to permit storefront pot dispensaries. Now, 10 years after Californians voted to decriminalize marijuana for medical purposes, con
Bono, Wife Promote T-Shirt for AIDS Fund: Associated Press - September 15, 2006; CHICAGO - The lead singer of the band U-2 brought his fight against AIDS and poverty to town. Bono and his wife, Ali Hewson, visited the downtown Nordstrom store Saturday to promote a designer T-shirt that will raise money to pay for AIDS medication and medical care in Africa. The shirts are emblazoned with the logo of
Miami Medicare fraud crackdown nets more than 100 arrests: Associated Press - September 15, 2006; Curt Anderson; MIAMI - Medicare recipient J.D. got a $3,500 artificial leg and a $2,900 arm prosthesis. For F.R., it was a $2,320 prosthetic arm with locking elbow and a $6,840 artificial leg. Medicare provided M.C. with a $1,200 shoulder apparatus and a $1,700 device for a below-knee amputation. Each of these people, identified in c
Laura Bush Aiding Clinton Conference: Associated Press - September 14, 2006; Jennifer Loven; WASHINGTON - Another member of the Bush family is getting cozy with former President Clinton. First lady Laura Bush joins the former president as a keynote speaker opening his three-day Clinton Global Initiative in New York next week. Clinton has famously formed a close friendship with the current president s dad. Clin
Southerners urge swift action on AIDS legislation: Associated Press - September 14, 2006; Ben Evans; WASHINGTON - As lawmakers wrangle over renewing landmark AIDS legislation in the waning days of the session, several Republican senators joined Southern health officials Thursday in urging Congress to quickly pass the bill, insisting that the South is witnessing an emerging epidemic that demands new federal funding.
Panelists say world must awaken to African crisis: Associated Press - September 14, 2006; Tom Coyne; SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Many Africans are dying needlessly because wealthy countries are not doing enough to end poverty and to stop diseases from devastating the continent, speakers at a forum at the University of Notre Dame said Thursday. They need our help to stay alive, said Jeffrey Sachs, director of the United Nation
Bulgaria Sees Death Sentences Likely In Libyan AIDS Trial: Associated Press - September 14, 2006; SOFIA, Bulgaria - A senior Bulgarian official said Thursday Libya would likely convict five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor accused of purposely infecting children with HIV. Feim Chaushev, the deputy foreign minister who handles the case, said in his opinion: the death sentences would likely be confirmed, b
South Africa Confirms New Case Of TB Strain In Johannesburg: Associated Press - September 14, 2006; JOHANNESBURG - A woman who left hospital even though she d been diagnosed with a deadly new tuberculosis strain is the first confirmed case of the strain in South Africa s most populous province, health officials said Thursday. The officials said the woman was persuaded to return to a Johannesburg hospital Wednesday an
Bristol-Myers, Medivir in HIV Drug Pact: Bristol-Myers Squibb and Medivir Enter Pact to Develop New HIV Treatment: Associated Press - September 13, 2006; NEW YORK - Drug maker Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and Swedish drug developer Medivir AB said Wednesday they entered a collaboration to develop and sell a new HIV treatment. Under the agreement, Princeton, N.J.-based Bristol-Myers will pay Medivir $7.5 million upfront to help develop Medivir s MIV-170 drug candidate. Mediv
Rumors Impede Vaccinations in Some Areas: Associated Press - September 13, 2006; Maria Cheng and John Alechenu; KANO, Nigeria - For Ramatu Garba, the polio vaccine is more curse than savior � part of an evil conspiracy hatched in the West to sterilize Nigerian girls. Allah used Muslim scientists to expose the Western plot of using polio vaccines to reduce our population, said the 28-year-old Muslim food vendor in this northern N
Experts Urge Fight Against TB in Africa: Associated Press - September 12, 2006; Public health experts accused the World Bank Tuesday of neglecting Africa s fight against tuberculosis, saying the institution should spend more fighting a disease whose resurgence in recent years has been linked to AIDS. The World Bank is spending virtually nothing on Africa s TB emergency, said Joanne Carter, of Resu
Zimbabwe Tensions Rise Ahead Of Proposed National Strike: Associated Press - September 12, 2006; HARARE, Zimbabwe - Police and the Zimbabwean government declared a planned nationwide strike and protest marches illegal Tuesday and warned measures were in place to stop street gatherings. The main labor federation, the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, scheduled a strike and processions in cities and towns across th
AIDS-Inspired Altarpiece Tours America: Associated Press - September 11, 2006; F.N. D'Alessio; CHICAGO - As the twin scourges of AIDS and unemployment ravaged their rural district, the women of the South African fishing village of Hamburg decided to fight back with the weapons they were given: embroidery needles. And what began as their simple plan to earn money for medicine through handicrafts has led to the cr
40-year-old accused of sex with 11-year-old says she looked older: Associated Press - September 11, 2006; MILWAUKEE - The oldest man charged in the case of an 11-year-old girl who authorities say had sex with as many as 20 people says she had looked like she was 19 or 20 to him. She looked grown to me, man, Freeman Gurley said in a telephone interview Sunday night with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel from the Milwaukee Coun
Pope to Visit the City of Altoetting: Associated Press - September 11, 2006; Vanessa Gera; ALTOETTING, Germany - Pope Benedict XVI traveled to the city of Altoetting to hold Mass on Monday, as his sentimental homecoming to Bavaria drew well-wishers and Roman Catholics eager to hear his words. Benedict left Munich by helicopter for the short hop to the city, where he was met by Bavarian Governor Edmund Stoibe
Romney exerts control over Department of Public Health: Associated Press - September 10, 2006; BOSTON - Gov. Mitt Romney has increasingly exerted control over the Department of Public Health and its decisions, including on such issues as the sale of needles to prevent AIDS and the giveaway of baby formula, officials said. The scrutiny and action by Romney, a Republican who is considering a run for president in 2
Pope Says Not to Reject God for Science: Associated Press - September 10, 2006; David McHugh; MUNICH, Germany - Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday warned modern societies not to let faith in science and technology make them deaf to God s message, and suggested that Asia and Africa could teach the wealthier West something about faith. In his sermon to some 250,000 pilgrims at an open-air Mass in Munich, Benedict said m
Two Charged in Alleged Wisconsin Sex Assaults: Associated Press - September 9, 2006; Carrie Antlfinger; MILWAUKEE - Two more people were charged Friday in the case of an 11-year-old girl who authorities say had sex with as many as 20 people as a 16-year-old girl coached her. Freeman Gurley, 40, the 16-year-old s uncle, and Darnell Chaney, 17, were charged with two counts of first-degree sexual assault of a child. The 16
South Africa Curbs AIDS Minister Influence: Associated Press - September 9, 2006; Terry Leonard; JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - The government scaled back the influence of its embattled minister for AIDS policy after a group of international scientists labeled South Africa s program inefficient and immoral and called for her to be fired. Government spokesman Themba Maseko defended Health Minister Dr. Manto Tshabalal
11-year-old girl in sex assault case has HIV, alderman says: Associated Press - September 8, 2006; Carrie Antlfinger; MILWAUKEE - An 11-year-old girl who allegedly had sex with as many as 20 people as a 16-year-old girl watched and coached her has had HIV since birth, an alderman who met with the family said Friday. Alderman Mike McGee Jr. told The Associated Press that he met with the girl Thursday and described her as distraught.
Study: South Africa Deaths Rise Sharply: Associated Press - September 8, 2006; South Africa s death rate rose sharply over a seven-year period and the increase is partly due to the country s staggering AIDS epidemic, the government said. The government statistical office said the death rate for women aged 20 to 39 had more than tripled between 1997 and 2004, and had more than doubled for men aged
Judge declines to dismiss charges in HIV Case: Associated Press - September 8, 2006; LAWRENCE, Kansas - A man charged with knowingly exposing four women to the virus that causes AIDS will go to trial after a Douglas County judge declined to dismiss the charges. Robert W. Richardson II, 30, had argued that the state s law on HIV exposure was too vague. But Judge Stephen Six ruled that the law is not unc
AIDS expert to head Gates-funded global health studies in Seattle: Associated Press - September 8, 2006; SEATTLE - University of Washington officials, twice rebuffed by candidates to head the new Global Health Department, have turned to a faculty member known for expertise on AIDS and infectious diseases. Dr. King K. Holmes, 69, currently director of the university s Center for AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases, was
Florida drug company owners sentenced to prison in fraud case: Associated Press - September 7, 2006; SAVANNAH, Georgia - The owners of a Florida-based company that dealt in blood derivatives used in treatment of cancer and other illnesses have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms in a multimillion-dollar drug fraud case. U.S. District Judge B. Avant Edenfield sentenced Martin J. Bradley III, 41, of Coral Cables, Fla
Killer TB Strain Found In 28 South African Hospitals: Associated Press - September 7, 2006; JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - A killer strain of extremely drug-resistant tuberculosis has been found in at least 28 hospitals across South Africa and might have spilled across borders, a specialist said Thursday. The super bug could jeopardize efforts to deal with an AIDS epidemic that has hit South Africa particularly
Rihanna, Zac Posen to Make Fashion Rock: Associated Press - September 6, 2006; Samantha Critchell; New York - Fashion will rock this week when two young artists - singer Rihanna and designer Zac Posen - get together for a charity event. The two are teaming to create the outfits the Barbados-born Rihanna will wear for the Fashion Rocks concert, the high-wattage kickoff to New York Fashion Week. The concert, which inc
Scientists Rip S. African AIDS Policies: Associated Press - September 6, 2006; Terry Leonard; JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - More than 80 international scientists and academics condemned South Africa s AIDS policies as ineffective and immoral and called for the firing of the health minister in a letter to President Thabo Mbeki released Wednesday. The scientists called Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang an e
Lisa Marie Presley Stars in Viva Glam Ad: Associated Press - September 6, 2006; Samantha Critchell; NEW YORK - Lisa Marie Presley, Debbie Harry, Eve and Dita Von Teese are the newest crop of unlikely makeup models in MAC Cosmetics Viva Glam ad campaign. It s not just the spokesmodels who are unusual, it s also the product they promote: 100 percent of the sales of Viva Glam lipsticks and lip glosses are donated to HIV
AP Interview: Fatal TB Likely Widespread: Associated Press - September 5, 2006; Michelle Faul; TUGELA FERRY, South Africa - A deadly new strain of extremely drug-resistant tuberculosis discovered in South Africa is likely to have spread beyond the rural area where 52 of the 53 people diagnosed with it have died, the doctor who discovered the super bug said. The extent of the outbreak in the Kwazulu-Natal region
'Voguing' Dancer Willi Ninja Dies at 45: Associated Press - September 5, 2006; Marcus Franklin; NEW YORK - Dancer Willi Ninja, whose skill in the gender-bending art of voguing influenced Madonna and was immortalized in the documentary film Paris Is Burning, has died, friends and relatives said Tuesday. Ninja died Saturday of AIDS-related illnesses at New York Hospital Medical Center of Queens, they said. He was 4
Doing the dirty work: Associated Press - September 5, 2006; Katy Brandenburg; FREDERICK, Md. - Jessica McMullen s job includes burning bloody carpets and picking up pieces of brain matter. Ms. McMullen is the local manager of Advanced Bio-Treatment, an Atlanta-based company that specializes in cleaning up heavy-duty messes. The firm steps in after suicides and murders, in the aftermath of unatte
Mutombo's Aid for Hospital Lifts Congo: Associated Press - September 3, 2006; Beth Duff-Brown; KINSHASA, Congo - Two hospitals, named for two mothers. One is mired in the past; the other represents beaten-down Congo s hopes for a better future. The 2,000-bed Mama Yemo, named after the mother of Mobutu Sese Seko, the late strongman, was once the pride of Central Africa. Now the public facility is in such bad shap
Illinois appellate court overturns $2 million verdict in HIV case: Associated Press - September 2, 2006; CHICAGO - The Illinois Appellate Court has overturned a $2 million award for a woman who sued her fiance s parents for allegedly hiding he was HIV-positive until a month before he died of AIDS. The woman, identified in court papers only as Jane Doe, sued Albert Dilling s parents, alleging Elizabeth and Kirkpatrick Dill
Korver ready to bring hoops, help to Africa: Associated Press - September 1, 2006; Dan Gelston; PHILADELPHIA - Kyle Korver would hardly seem to have the worldwide recognition of his Philadelphia 76ers teammate, Allen Iverson. But the 3-point ace discovered just how global the NBA has become in a visit last summer to Beijing. I d walk down the street and kids would come up to me and say, Kyle Korver! Three-point s
Deadly TB Strain Found in South Africa: Associated Press - Friday, September 1, 2006; Maria Cheng, AP Medical Writer; LONDON, United Kingdom (AP) - A new, deadly strain of tuberculosis has killed 52 of 53 people infected in the last year in South Africa , the World Health Organization said Friday, calling for improved measures to treat and diagnose the virus. The strain was discovered in the Kwazulu-Natal region of South Afri
Zanizibar Muslim leader: Ban Freddie Mercury party Reason? He was gay: Associated Press - August 31, 2006; ZANZIBAR, Tanzania - A huge beach party to honor late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury must be stopped because the Zanzibar-born rock star was gay, a Muslim leader said Thursday. Mercury, who died of AIDS in 1991, violated Islam with his flamboyant lifestyle, said Azan Khalid of Zanzibar s Association for Islamic Mobiliz
Advice to Patients Who Got Human Tissue: Associated Press - August 31, 2006; Marilynn Marchione; For the second time in a year, people who received tendons, cartilage and other parts from donated cadavers are being urged to get tested for hepatitis and the AIDS virus because of scandals involving tissue suppliers. How much risk do they face? Answering that is tough right now because federal officials will not say
GenVec HIV Vaccine Studies Encouraging: GenVec Says Early Stage Clinical Trial Data Supports Undertaking More Advanced Studies: Associated Press - August 31, 2006; GAITHERSBURG, Md. - Biotech drug developer GenVec Inc. said Thursday that early stage clinical results for its HIV vaccine support a rationale for further development of the compound. The company said a vaccine using its adenovector-based technology stimulated the immune system in 40 volunteers against the HIV virus af
Obama trip focuses new attention on AIDS' toll in Africa: Associated Press - August 30, 2006; Christopher Wills; SIAYA, Kenya - Dancing and singing under the shade of an ondero tree, Mary Ahenda Otieno told her story. How she lost one son and then another to AIDS. How their wives died, too, leaving eight orphans for Otieno to raise. How she did menial jobs like weeding other people s crops to raise money. Millions of Africans
Situation Still Dire for Zimbabweans: Associated Press - August 30, 2006; Angus Shaw; HARARE, Zimbabwe - A new report by human rights activists Wednesday paints a grim picture of life in Zimbabwe, more than a year after authorities demolished urban houses, shelters and market stalls in a campaign called Operation Drive Out Trash. The Solidarity Peace Trust, a group of Zimbabwean and South African church
FDA Weighs Oversight of Body Parts Trade: Associated Press - August 30, 2006; Andrew Bridges; WASHINGTON - Federal health officials urged doctors Wednesday to offer HIV and other tests to patients who received transplanted tissues collected by a body parts broker in North Carolina. The Food and Drug Administration investigation is the second involving tainted tissue this year and led the agency earlier in the d
South Africa Medical Council: 336,000 Died Of AIDS In Past Yr: Associated Press - August 29, 2006; CAPE TOWN - More than a third of a million South Africans have died of AIDS over the past year, the head of the country s Medical Research Council said Tuesday. There are now an estimated 5.54 million HIV-positive South Africans, or about 11.6% of the country s population, and the highest country total in the world.
Libyan Prosecutors In AIDS Trial Demand Death Sentence: Associated Press - August 29, 2006; TRIPOLI - Prosecutors on Tuesday demanded the death sentence for five Bulgarian medics and a Palestinian doctor accused of intentionally infecting Libyan children with the HIV virus. The five Bulgarian nurses and the Palestinian are charged with infecting more than 400 children with HIV - the virus that causes AIDS - a
South Africa Ordered to Offer AIDS Care: Associated Press - August 28, 2006; DURBAN, South Africa - A South African judge Monday ordered the government to start providing anti-AIDS medication immediately to sick prisoners at a Durban prison, throwing out an appeal by the health and prison ministries against an earlier ruling. Judge Chris Nicholson said the government was in contempt of court fo
Obama highlights success stories in visit to Nairobi slum: Associated Press - August 27, 2006; Christopher Wills; NAIROBI, Kenya -- Charity Mwende and her husband are a financial success story -- or what passes for one in what may be Africa s largest slum. They run Miugo Shop, a tiny convenience store they began with aid from a loan program meant to offer new opportunities to the people of Kibera. But Mwende says things are st
Obama returns to father's village with new fame, new message: Associated Press - August 26, 2006; Christopher Wills; KOGELO, Kenya - Sen. Barack Obama pushed through surging crowds and hurtled down roads lined with screaming fans Saturday before settling into the calm of a quiet meal with his grandmother in the Kenyan hamlet where his father grew up and is buried. Obama stopped at his father s grave for a few moments before ending hi
Hundreds Welcome Sen. Obama in Kenya: Associated Press - August 25, 2006; Christopher Wills; NAIROBI, Kenya - Hundreds of U.S. Embassy employees and their families cheered and sang to greet Sen. Barack Obama after he met Friday with President Mwai Kibaki during Obama s first trip to his father s homeland since taking office. Obama also met survivors of the 1998 bombing of the U.S. Embassy and laid a wreath in
Company offers system to sterilize band instruments: Associated Press - August 24, 2006; Jay Lindsay; BOSTON - Summer vacation is nearly over, and the folks at an Andover company have a question for students returning to school band practice: Do you know where your instrument has been? Lips that once blew on the rented or borrowed flutes, piccolos, and clarinets being distributed may have left germs that aren t gone, a
Senator Obama to Take HIV Test in Kenya: Associated Press - August 24, 2006; Anthony Mitchell; NAIROBI