Three years ago, President Obama announced an historic comprehensive plan to help turn the tide on HIV/AIDS in the United States: the National HIV/AIDS Strategy. The Strategy has given a new sense of direction, and purpose in our fight against HIV and AIDS. Since the Strategy’s release, scientific developments have advanced our understanding of how to best fight HIV. We now understand that to prevent long-term complications of HIV, treatment is recommended for all adults and … [Read more...]
Dr. Carl Dieffenbach: IAS Conference – Day 4
July 3, 2013 by
Today was the final day of the 7th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment, and Prevention in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia. This week, we’ve asked Dr. Carl Dieffenbach from NIH/NIAID, to share daily dispatches from this important scientific conference via Skype. As Dr. Dieffenbach related, research related to significant HIV treatment advances has been a major scientific highlight of the conference. As he explained, “improvement(s) in the treatment of HIV really has converted HIV from a … [Read more...]
7th International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference
July 1, 2013 by
June 30, 2013, was the opening plenary of the 7th International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment, and Prevention in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia. We asked Dr. Carl Dieffenbach, Director of the Division of AIDS at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), to share highlights from the conference via Skype. Please see his reflections, below. - See more HERE. Dr. Dieffenbach will be sharing highlights from the IAS Conference every day, … [Read more...]
UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board, Progress & Unfinished Business
June 26, 2013 by
© UNESCO/ Cynthia Guttman -From left to right: Special Advisor to the UN Secretary General Ms Amina Mohammed, UNESCO Director-General Ms Irina Bokova, UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director Mr Luiz Loures and Executive Director Mr Michel Sidibé. Collective action has enabled strong progress in the AIDS response but hard work remains to get to zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero-AIDS related deaths, stated the Director-General to the 32nd session of the Programme Coordinating Board … [Read more...]
Grant Funding Application for HIV Prevention in Digital Media, apply today!
June 25, 2013 by
We know that using new media can help HIV/AIDS service organizations extend the reach of their programs and messaging. At the same time, new media is helping to advance the goals of the Digital Government Strategy (DGS), which calls on us “to ask ourselves every day, how are we using technology to make a real difference in people’s lives”? In order to use new media effectively, organizations need to develop communications plans to guide their efforts. To support that critical planning … [Read more...]
HUD AWARDS $32 MILLION TO 30 LOCAL HIV-AIDS HOUSING
June 22, 2013 by
[Last month], the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced $32 million in grant awards to assist more than 1,300 extremely low-income persons and families living with HIV/AIDS annually. The grant awards will provide these households with a stable living environment, which is essential to accessing healthcare and HIV related services. In addition to housing assistance these grant programs will provide access to the needed supportive services in assisting beneficiaries with a … [Read more...]
HIV Testing Sites and Care Services Locator
June 21, 2013 by
A Tool for Clinicians As an HIV physician who sees patients at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, I want to share a valuable resource for you and your patients with you. The HIV Testing Sites and Care Services Locator is a unique, online, location-based search tool that you can use with your patients and clients to help them access testing services, as well as resources for housing, mental health, substance abuse and more. The tool takes advantage of open data from HHS agencies such … [Read more...]
PrEP can reduce HIV risk among people who inject drugs
June 14, 2013 by
DAILY HIV MEDICATIONS NOW PROVEN TO PREVENT HIV AMONG ALL GROUPS AT HIGH RISK A daily dose of a medication used to treat HIV infection reduced the risk of HIV acquisition among people who inject drugs by 49 percent. Those who took the medication most consistently had even higher levels of protection, according to a new study announced today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – in collaboration with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and the Thailand Ministry of … [Read more...]
Caribbean-American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is June 8
June 7, 2013 by
CARIBBEAN-AMERICAN HIV/AIDS AWARENESS DAY HIV IN THE CARIBBEAN REGION Across the globe, countries are making historic gains towards ending the AIDS epidemic and ushering in an AIDS-free generation. They are doing so by using science, innovation, and evidence-based strategies to help save lives. According to the UNAIDS World AIDS Day Report 2012 [PDF 1.13MB], the Caribbean region has the sharpest declines in the number of new HIV infections worldwide since 2001, with a drop of more than 42%. … [Read more...]
HHS – INFORMATION IS POWERFUL MEDICINE CAMPAIGN
May 30, 2013 by
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is proud to announce the launch of the Information Is Powerful Medicine campaign. The campaign contributes to Department-wide efforts guided by the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) to improve health outcomes for all people living with HIV/AIDS. Focusing specifically on Black gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (BMSM) given the significant HIV-related health disparities they face, the campaign … [Read more...]
FUTURE OF HEALTH DEPARTMENT HIV AND HEPATITIS PROGRAMS
May 28, 2013 by
For perhaps the first time in history, the end of HIV/AIDS and hepatitis is within our reach. Recent notable achievements provide promise for success, among them the release of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) and the Viral Hepatitis Action Plan (VHAP) and the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Collectively, these achievements have catalyzed the beginning of a radical transformation in our healthcare systems for communities impacted by HIV and hepatitis. In particular, the ACA … [Read more...]
