The Hippocratic Oath written in the 5th century BC in ancient Greece was an oath historically taken by all healthcare practitioners swearing to practice medicine honestly. This oath was meant to encourage integrity among doctors, and ensure the minimization of negative effects their work might have on people. Hippocratic Oath I swear by Apollo the physician, and Asclepius, and Hygieia and Panacea and all the gods and goddesses as my witnesses, that, according to my ability and … [Read more...]
Eugenics in this Newest of Millennia
U.S. Conference on AIDS 2013 – Highlights from Day 1
The annual U.S. Conference on AIDS (USCA) opened yesterday, Sunday, September 8, 2013 in New Orleans. Organized by the National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC), the conference has drawn more than 1,700 stakeholders from all fronts of the HIV/AIDS epidemic—from case managers and physicians, to public health workers and advocates, people living with HIV/AIDS, and policymakers – for four days of information sharing. Among the highlights of the first day of the conference were two plenary … [Read more...]
Hepatitis Testing Day (2nd Annual) celebrated on May 19
May 1 marked the start of the month-long observance of Hepatitis Awareness Month. The observance is an important element of government-wide efforts to raise awareness about viral hepatitis and decrease health disparities by educating communities about the benefits of viral hepatitis prevention, testing, care, and treatment. Throughout the month of May, HHS and our partners who support the Action Plan for the Prevention, Care and Treatment of Viral Hepatitis will be engaged in a variety of … [Read more...]
Norton 360 Suite Review
There is no such thing as one hundred percent secure internet browsing. There are too many threats out there at the moment and new one emerging every day. That being said, there are certainly products, like Norton 360, that are very affordable and can efficiently and effectively mitigate the risk of security issues with your home PCs. Symantec, the company responsible for all Norton products, has made leaps and bounds with their internet security suites over the years. Proactive addressing of … [Read more...]
Cervical Cancer in Women, no simple proposition !
Preventing cancer, as we know, is no simple proposition. We have clues about what practices may help—say, exercising regularly, nixing cigarettes, and eating real, healthful food. But when we see even hyper-fit celebrities like Lance Armstrong fall victim, it’s easy to wonder whether there’s much we can do to prevent tumors in our own bodies. But when it comes to cervical cancer in women, the answer in many cases is a resounding “yes.” So much so, in fact, that the Centers for Disease … [Read more...]
Cervical Health Awareness Month
JANUARY IS CERVICAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH What is Cervical Health Awareness Month? The United States Congress designated January as Cervical Health Awareness Month. During January, you may wish to highlight issues related to cervical cancer, HPV disease and the importance of early detection. Some of the issues you may wish to highlight are personal stories of women and family members/caregivers battling issues related to their persistent HPV/precancer and/or cervical cancer. You may … [Read more...]
HIV: A Mad Mutation or the Wrath of God?
'Human immunodeficiency virus' (HIV) is a lentivirus (a member of the retrovirus family) that causes 'acquired immunodeficiency syndrome' (AIDS), a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive. HIV infects vital cells in the human immune system such as helper T cells (specifically CD4+ T cells), macrophages, and dendritic cells. HIV infection leads to low levels of CD4+ T cells through three main … [Read more...]
HIV Vaccine Awareness Day – May 18, Deb LeBel, AIDS.gov
HIV Vaccine Awareness Day: Moving toward a safe and effective preventive HIV vaccine May 17, 2012 Tomorrow (May 18th) is HIV Vaccine Awareness Day (HVAD). This annual observance is a day for education about the importance of preventive HIV vaccine research. And, on this day, we pause to recognize and thank the thousands of volunteers, community members, health professionals, and scientists who are working together to find a safe and effective HIV vaccine. Please read and … [Read more...]
Viral Hepatitis Disparities Among African Americans
Reducing Viral Hepatitis Disparities Among African Americans As we observe African American History Month, we are also working to raise awareness of the silent epidemic of viral hepatitis in the Black community. You may have seen the blog post earlier this month by my colleague Dr. Nadine Gracia, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health. She highlighted some of the troubling viral hepatitis disparities in the African American community, recognizing the need for more … [Read more...]
National Latino AIDS Awareness Day (NLAAD) to Redouble Our Efforts
By James Albino and Miguel Gomez According to CDC estimates , 9,400 Latinos in the United States were newly infected with HIV in 2009. Latinos make up 16% of the U.S. population, but approximately 20% of new infections. Sixty-four percent (or nearly two-thirds) of all HIV infections in the Latino community occur among gay and bisexual men. Among women, 1,700 heterosexual Latinas became infected in 2009, making them more than four times more likely to become infected with HIV than white … [Read more...]
World Hepatitis Day 2011 – Whitehouse commemorates first Official Day!
Celebrating the FIRST INTERNATIONAL 'World Hepatitis Day' , this 2011, July 28th. Today, I was honored to participate in a special White House event to commemorate the first official World Hepatitis Day. This event was one of many held across the United States and around the world for communities to join together and focus attention on the global health threat of viral hepatitis and promote actions to confront it. Worldwide, one in twelve persons are estimated to be living with … [Read more...]
HRSA Guide for HIV/AIDS Clinical Care
HRSA Guide for HIV/AIDS Clinical Care Thanks to advances in detection and treatment, more people are living longer with HIV – but with increased life expectancy comes more complex care. In light of rapidly changing conditions in HIV care, HRSA’s HIV/AIDS Bureau has developed the Guide for HIV/AIDS Clinical Care, a comprehensive roadmap for physicians, nurse-practitioners, dentists, and other clinicians on how best to manage the long-term care of patients. The newly-released volume … [Read more...]
NORD Foundation – May 2011
May 2011 ~ eNews NORD to Co-sponsor 1st Annual Rare Diseases/Orphan Products Summit NORD will co-sponsor the 1st Annual Rare Diseases/Orphan Products Summit on Oct 11-13, under the auspices of the Drug Information Association (DIA). Collaborating organizations include EURORDIS (the European Rare Disease Organization), FDA, NIH, and Duke Clinical Research Institute. In addition to plenary sessions with senior government, industry, and patient speakers, there will be three tracks at the … [Read more...]
HHS Action Plan – Prevent, Care, and Treat Viral Hepatitis
HHS Announces New Action Plan to Prevent, Care, and Treat Viral Hepatitis Today, May 12, 2011, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released Combating the Silent Epidemic: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Action Plan for the Prevention, Care and Treatment of Viral Hepatitis (read the full “Action Plan” here, PDF 672KB). At 1 pm EST today, HHS officials and community representatives will meet in Washington DC to discuss the Action Plan. I encourage you … [Read more...]
National Women & Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day: Take Action!
National Women & Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day: What Can You Do? Take Action! Today is the sixth annual National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, a nationwide initiative coordinated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health (OWH) to make more people aware of the increasing impact that this deadly epidemic is having on women and girls in the United States. This is the time when we ask individuals and organizations across the country to … [Read more...]