The Impact of HIV-Hepatitis Co-Infection May is Hepatitis Awareness Month, an observance intended to remind us of the high, under-recognized hepatitis-associated disease burden in this country and of the often neglected opportunities for prevention and care. An estimated 3.5-5.3 million Americans have chronic viral hepatitis, which is a leading cause of primary liver cancer. People living with HIV are disproportionately affected by viral hepatitis and the related adverse health … [Read more...]
care2 – Invest in Life-Saving Vaccines for Kids
Each year, pneumonia and diarrhea kill more children than HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined, but we can help. Tell world leaders to save lives by funding two proven pneumonia and diarrhea vaccines. » Vaccines are the best way to save millions; they've proven to be cheap, easy to give and, most of all, effective. Not only do they save lives now, vaccines dramatically reduce the likelihood of future disabilities and illness, making sure that children have the chance to grow up to be … [Read more...]
The STIGMA must Stop with HIV/AIDS
It is a Civil Right to Live Free from Discrimination on the Basis of HIV/AIDS Status When the Attorney General, Eric H. Holder, Jr., signed the Justice Department’s operational plan (PDF 354 KB) for implementing the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, he underscored the Department’s leadership role in eradicating discrimination against those living with HIV/AIDS. The Civil Rights Division has significant enforcement authority over the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Fair Housing Act, and the … [Read more...]
Celebrate HHS: Approaching 30 Years of HIV/AIDS in the United States
Approaching 30 Years of HIV/AIDS in the United States In less than two months, we will mark the 30th anniversary of the first reported cases of what we now know as AIDS. In June 1981, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported a rare form of pneumonia diagnosed in five, previously healthy, gay men from Los Angeles. The report raised concerns that these five men had been exposed to something that caused their profound immune suppression. Now we know that their … [Read more...]
SAMHSA, Behavioral Health – National HIV/AIDS Strategy (Part I)
Behavioral Health and the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (Part I) As the recently appointed Federal inter-agency liaison for HIV/AIDS at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), I am pleased to join the discussion here on the AIDS.gov blog about how the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) is being implemented across the Federal government. In support of the NHAS, SAMHSA is engaged in a variety of activities that address the behavioral health needs of people at high … [Read more...]