2008

Website plays Cupid to battlers of the bulge in India: Reuters NewMedia - December 30, 2008; NEW DELHI (Reuters) - An Indian website promises to deliver king-size romance to millions of overweight men and women in the country, where the plus-sized are often hard-pressed to find a life partner. Obesity, once seen as a quintessentially Western phenomenon, is fast becoming a major health problem in rapidly develo
HIV carriers shouldn't marry - Malaysia politician: Reuters NewMedia - December 22, 2008; KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 22 (Reuters) - HIV carriers should not be allowed to marry, in order to avoid having sick children, a top Malaysian politician was quoted on Monday as saying. Somebody who is very sick like that should not be allowed to get married, Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, chief minister of northern Perak state was
Doctors aid group lists top 10 humanitarian crises: Reuters NewMedia - December 22, 2008; Claudia Parsons; NEW YORK, Dec 22 (Reuters) - Doctors Without Borders issued a top 10 list of humanitarian crises on Monday that included Congo, Somalia , Iraq and Sudan as well as what it called neglected medical emergencies in Myanmar
Study may predict if hepatitis C drugs will work: Reuters NewMedia - December 22, 2008; Julie Steenhuysen; CHICAGO, Dec 22 (Reuters) - Doctors hope to be able to better predict which patients will respond to traditional treatment for the hepatitis C virus using a new method for identifying slight variances in the virus genetic makeup. U.S. researchers said on Monday that the technique may prove useful for other viruses such
Male circumcision lowers cervical cancer risk - study: Reuters NewMedia - December 17, 2008; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor; WASHINGTON, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Three studies published on Wednesday add to evidence that circumcision can protect men from the deadly AIDS virus and the sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer. The reports in the Journal of Infectious Diseases are likely to add to the debate over whether men -- and newbo
European Parliament honours jailed Chinese dissident: Reuters NewMedia - December 17, 2008; Huw Jones; STRASBOURG, Dec 17 (Reuters) - The European Parliament on Wednesday formally awarded its top human rights prize to Chinese dissident Hu Jia, who was jailed for subversion after testifying to the assembly last year. The naming of Hu as the winner of the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in October angered Beijing, w
HIV infects women through healthy tissue - US study: Reuters NewMedia - December 16, 2008; Julie Steenhuysen; CHICAGO, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Instead of infiltrating breaks in the skin, HIV appears to attack normal, healthy genital tissue in women, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday in a study that offers new insight into how the AIDS virus spreads. They said researchers had assumed the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, sought o
Indonesia's Papua drops microchip implants for HIV/AIDS: Reuters NewMedia - December 16, 2008; JAKARTA, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Indonesia has dropped a controversial proposal to implant microchips in HIV/AIDS patients in Papua province, a legislator said on Tuesday, after human rights groups slammed the plan. A lawmaker in Papua, which has the highest number of HIV/AIDS patients in Indonesia, last month proposed usin
U.N.'s Ban urges stronger African unity on Zimbabwe: Reuters NewMedia - December 16, 2008; Claudia Parsons; UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - African countries must exert more pressure on Zimbabwe to end a political stalemate that has contributed to a humanitarian crisis of extreme concern, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said on Monday. In a briefing to the U.N. Security Council that British Foreign Secretary David Miliband cal
Sealing Zimbabwe borders will make matters worse: UK: Reuters NewMedia - December 13, 2008; LONDON (Reuters) - Britain on Friday questioned the wisdom of a U.S. proposal to seal Zimbabwe s borders in order to hasten the collapse of Robert Mugabe s government, saying such a move could have far worse consequences. Mark Malloch Brown , Britain s secretary of state for Africa, said neighboring countries shutting
US FDA advisers back new female condom: Reuters NewMedia - December 11, 2008; Susan Heavey; GAITHERSBURG, Md., Dec 11 (Reuters) - A potentially less-costly version of Female Health Co s condom for women won unanimous backing from a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel on Thursday. A lower price could attract more users and allow health organizations to distribute more of the condoms to help stem t
FDA panel set to weigh new female condom: Reuters NewMedia - December 10, 2008; Susan Heavey; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A new, potentially less expensive version of the female condom faces U.S. regulatory review this week when a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel weighs whether they adequately prevent pregnancy, HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. The FC2 Female Condom, made by Female Health Co,
AIDS transmission rate plummets in US, study finds: Reuters NewMedia - December 9, 2008; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor; WASHINGTON, Dec 9 (Reuters) - AIDS transmission rates have plummeted in the United States and only 5 percent of Americans infected with the AIDS virus will infect someone else in any given year, researchers reported on Tuesday. They said prevention efforts are working, even though the number of people infected with HIV
FDA staff debate data for new female condom: Reuters NewMedia - December 9, 2008; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. health regulatory staff have questioned whether there are enough data to show that Female Health Co s latest condom for women prevents pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, according to documents released on Tuesday. The Chicago-based company is seeking Food and Drug Administration ap
Crackdown on drugs hurts China AIDS fight: report: Reuters NewMedia - December 9, 2008; Lucy Hornby; BEIJING (Reuters) - China s efforts to combat the spread of AIDS among drug users is being undermined by its harsh treatment of drug addicts, Human Rights Watch warned in a report Tuesday. Injecting drugs is one of the main causes of new HIV infections in China, which has helped drive more funding and attention to trea
Nobel winner sees end to AIDS spread within years: Reuters NewMedia - December 6, 2008; Adam Cox; STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - A French scientist who shared this year s Nobel prize for medicine said on Saturday he believed the transmission of AIDS could be eliminated within years. Luc Montagnier, director of the World Foundation for AIDS Research and Prevention, told a news conference together with this year s other winne
World news in brief: Reuters NewMedia - December 5, 2008; -- China pledges to fight AIDS discrimination BEIJING (AP) - Chinese health authorities and the U.N. AIDS agency pledged to fight discrimination against people with the disease in China with the unveiling Sunday of a massive red ribbon, the symbol of AIDS awareness, at the Olympic Bird s Nest stadium in Beijing. Or
Hunger, HIV/AIDS hit Africa with double punch -WFP: Reuters NewMedia - December 5, 2008; Pascal Fletcher; DAKAR, Dec 5 (Reuters) - A persisting food crisis and rising HIV/AIDS infection rates in Africa form a deadly partnership that is destroying livelihoods and undermining economies in the world s poorest continent, U.N. experts said on Friday. This combination could be accentuated by the global economic crisis, which may
Moscow's mayor links gays to spread of AIDS: Reuters NewMedia - December 4, 2008; MOSCOW, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Moscow has banned gays and lesbians from promoting their way of life because they can help spread HIV/AIDS, the Russian capital s 72-year-old mayor was quoted as saying on Thursday by RIA news agency. Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, speaking at an HIV/AIDS conference in Moscow, also said there was no scie
Police remove Chinese AIDS activist from Beijing: Reuters NewMedia - December 3, 2008; Lucy Hornby; BEIJING, Dec 3 (Reuters) - A Chinese woman with HIV was forced back to her home province after ceremonies in Beijing marking World AIDS Day, the second incident in a week in which local officials sought to quiet unflattering exposure about AIDS. Li Xige, who had taken part in AIDS awareness activities in the capital si
INTERVIEW-Africa growth may suffer if AIDS funds fall -W.Bank: Reuters NewMedia - December 3, 2008; Pascal Fletcher; DAKAR, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Africa s economic growth could suffer from the knock-on effect of more people dying from HIV/AIDS if donors cut funding for prevention because of the global financial crisis, the World Bank said on Wednesday. Elizabeth Lule, manager of the bank s AIDS team for Africa, told Reuters that with the
World leaders urged to keep promises to fight AIDS: Reuters NewMedia - December 2, 2008; Pascal Fletcher; DAKAR, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Several hundred African anti-AIDS campaigners paraded giant puppets of U.S. President-elect Barack Obama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Tuesday to demand that they deliver promised funds for plans to fight the disease. Waving some banners reading African children are watching you and
Malian appointed head of UN AIDS program: Reuters NewMedia - December 1, 2008; UNITED NATIONS, Dec 1 (Reuters) - The United Nations appointed Michel Sidibe of Mali on Monday as its top official in the global fight against AIDS. Sidibe will succeed Peter Piot, whose deputy he has been since last year. Piot, a Belgian, has led the U.N. response to the AIDS epidemic as executive director of the Join
Bush says U.S. meets HIV treatment goal early: Reuters NewMedia - December 1, 2008; Jeremy Pelofsky; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has reached the goal of treating 2 million people infected with the virus that causes AIDS months early, President George W. Bush said on Monday, highlighting a bright spot of his tenure before he leaves office next month. Bush and Congress initiated the President s Emergency Pl
More HIV testing can save babies' lives: U.N. report: Reuters NewMedia - December 1, 2008; Louis Charbonneau; UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations on Monday urged countries across the world to expand screening of newborn infants exposed to the virus that causes AIDS, saying it could save the lives of countless children. Without appropriate treatment, half of children with HIV will die from an HIV-related cause by thei
First days after HIV infection may hold vaccine key: Reuters NewMedia - December 1, 2008; Laura MacInnis; GENEVA (Reuters) - The body s initial response to contracting HIV could provide the answers scientists need to develop a vaccine for the AIDS-causing virus, a Nobel-winning expert said on Monday. The AIDS epidemic has killed about 25 million people, and about 33 million worldwide are now infected with HIV. Cocktails o
China's rural migrants are new front in AIDS fight: Reuters NewMedia - November 30, 2008; Lucy Hornby; BEIJING (Reuters) - The new face of AIDS in China is a shy man with a heavy provincial accent, a weathered face and the rough hands of a manual worker. Zhang Xiaohu, a character in an educational film for migrant workers, is part of a trend that worries Chinese officials: the potential for AIDS to spread among the esti
HIV/AIDS discrimination widespread in China--U.N.: Reuters NewMedia - November 28, 2008; BEIJING, Nov 28 (Reuters) - China s efforts to prevent HIV/AIDS-related discrimination have failed to stamp out widespread stigmatisation of sufferers, United Nations. officials said on Wednesday. Subinay Nandy, China country director for the U.N. Development Programme, said China had done a tremendous job implementing
France's Carla Bruni to take up role at AIDS fund: Reuters NewMedia - November 28, 2008; PARIS (Reuters) - French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy will take up a role in the global campaign against AIDS marking a new departure for the model-turned-popstar. Bruni-Sarkozy married President Nicolas Sarkozy in February, less than three months after they met, in a whirlwind romance that generated a blaze of publi
UN warns against cuts to AIDS prevention programmes: Reuters NewMedia - November 28, 2008; Stephanie Nebehay; GENEVA, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Cuts to AIDS prevention programmes because of the global financial crisis could lead to a surge in HIV infections, the United Nations said on Friday. Paul De Lay, a director in the U.N. anti-AIDS agency, said the crisis was of great concern for development programmes as governments examined t
OraSure banks on home HIV test to drive growth: Reuters NewMedia - November 28, 2008; Jennifer Robin Raj; BANGALORE (Reuters) - A rapid HIV test that can be used in the privacy of one s home may reach the supermarket and pharmacy shelves in a year or two, if developer OraSure Technologies Inc (OSUR.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) wins regulatory approval. The over-the-counter (OTC) version of OraSure s rapid HIV t
China sees sharp rise in HIV-positive gay men: Reuters NewMedia - November 28, 2008; BEIJING, Nov 28 (Reuters) - The number of gay men in China who are HIV positive has risen sharply in the last three years, according to a survey of Chinese cities conducted by the Ministry of Health. Men with HIV make up 4.9 percent of the gay population, up from 0.4 percent in 2005, the Xinhua news agency said on Frid
Indonesia AIDS body rejects microchip tagging plan: Reuters NewMedia - November 27, 2008; JAKARTA, Nov 27 (Reuters) - A plan by lawmakers in Indonesia s Papua to require HIV patients to be implanted with microchips to stop them infecting others violates human rights and is unworkable, the national AIDS commission said on Thursday. Under the proposed bylaw, which has caused an uproar among human rights activ
Universal HIV tests would have big impact: study: Reuters NewMedia - November 25, 2008; Michael Kahn; LONDON (Reuters) - Near-universal HIV tests and immediate drug treatment for people who test positive would almost eliminate transmission of the deadly virus within a decade, a computer model showed on Wednesday. Doing this would cost more initially but then save money down the road because there would be fewer HIV-inf
Record number of Britons have HIV: Reuters NewMedia - November 25, 2008; A record number of Britons are now living with HIV, with more than a quarter unaware that they have the infection, according to government figures. The Health Protection Agency (HPA) said an estimated 77,400 people had HIV in 2007, up from 73,000 a year before. Of those with the infection, 28 percent were unaware they
Iran fights rise in sexually transmitted HIV: Reuters NewMedia - November 25, 2008; TEHRAN, Nov 25 (Reuters) - Sexually transmitted HIV infections are on the rise in Iran and the Islamic Republic is setting up telephone hotlines to help fight the problem, a senior official said in comments published on Tuesday. Injecting drug users are the main risk group in Iran, which is on a heroin smuggling route
Inside-out cells offer target for antiviral drugs: Reuters NewMedia - November 24, 2008; Julie Steenhuysen; CHICAGO (Reuters) - An experimental drug cured guinea pigs infected with a fatal hemorrhagic fever virus, raising hope for its use in a broad range of viral diseases including influenza, hepatitis C, HIV, Ebola and others, U.S. researchers said on Sunday. This is a whole new strategy for making antiviral drugs, said Dr
Indonesia's Papua plans to tag AIDS sufferers: Reuters NewMedia - November 21, 2008; JAYAPURA, Indonesia (Reuters) - Indonesia s Papua province is set to pass a bylaw that requires some HIV/AIDS patients to be implanted with microchips in a bid to prevent them infecting others, a lawmaker said on Saturday. Under the bylaw, which has caused uproar among human rights activists, patients who had shown ac
Gilead sees future in HIV and hepatitis C: Reuters NewMedia - November 19, 2008; Deena Beasley; NEW YORK (Reuters) - Gilead Sciences Inc (GILD.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) expects sharp growth in the market for drugs to treat the virus that causes AIDS in coming years as routine HIV testing takes hold, the company s chief executive said on Wednesday. In the U.S., only about half of infected patients a
Early treatment best for AIDS-infected babies: Reuters NewMedia - November 19, 2008; Gene Emery; BOSTON (Reuters) - Sooner is better when it comes to treating infants born with the AIDS virus, HIV, researchers reported on Wednesday. A South African study of 377 babies found that giving newborns drug therapy right away, and not waiting until conventional tests showed a higher risk of becoming ill, cut the death rat
Lesotho struggling in fight against HIV-report: Reuters NewMedia - November 18, 2008; JOHANNESBURG, Nov 18 (Reuters) - The southern African country of Lesotho has failed to test enough people for HIV to make substantial progress in the fight against the virus, Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday. While the U.S.-based group noted that Lesotho was one of the first countries to implement a mass HIV testing
Fake drugs worth $6.6 million seized in Asian raids: Reuters NewMedia - November 17, 2008; PARIS, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Fake drugs worth an estimated $6.6 million have been seized and 27 people were arrested in police raids across Southeast Asia, Interpol said on Monday. More than 16 million counterfeit pills were confiscated between mid-April and September 15 in Cambodia , Ch
Togo says to distribute HIV/AIDS drugs at no cost: Reuters NewMedia - November 15, 2008; LOME: Togo will start distributing free of charge from November 17 the anti-retroviral drugs that extend the lives of HIV/AIDS patients, its government said on Saturday. Anti-retroviral medicines distributed by the network of the Central Supply of Essential and Generic Medicines (CAMEG) will be free of charge from Mond
Gilead says Teva files to sell generic of HIV drug: Reuters NewMedia - November 14, 2008; LOS ANGELES, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Gilead Sciences Inc said on Friday it has been notified that Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd is seeking U.S. regulatory approval to sell a generic version of Gilead s HIV drug Truvada . Gilead said it has 45 days from the receipt of the notification by the U.
Injecting drugs threaten India's AIDS fight - UN: Reuters NewMedia - November 13, 2008; Bappa Majumdar; NEW DELHI, Nov 13 (Reuters) - HIV/AIDS infections will spread like bushfire in parts of India if the country fails to check a spike in the number of intravenous drug users, the United Nations AIDS agency said on Thursday. India has the world s third highest caseload with 2.5 million infections. It has an estimated 200,
Chile says 512 may be infected in HIV scandal: Reuters NewMedia - November 13, 2008; SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Chile s public health system may have failed to notify at least 512 people that they were infected with the HIV virus, Health Minister Alvaro Erazo said on Thursday amid a mushrooming AIDS scandal in Chile. Appearing before the Lower House of Congress, Erazo said health records could not confirm th
Millions will die if AIDS funds stop - U.N.: Reuters NewMedia - November 12, 2008; Bappa Majumdar; NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Millions of people suffering from HIV/AIDS will die if major donors battling a global financial crisis cut funding even for six months, the head of the United Nations AIDS agency said on Wednesday. In such a scenario, the poorest countries in Africa and Asia would bear the brunt, with access to he
Bone marrow transplant suppresses AIDS in patient: Reuters NewMedia - November 12, 2008; BERLIN (Reuters) - A bone marrow transplant using stem cells from a donor with natural genetic resistance to the AIDS virus has left an HIV patient free of infection for nearly two years, German researchers. The patient, an American living in Berlin, was infected with the human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS a
Chile Lawmakers demand probe as HIV scandal deepens: Reuters NewMedia - November 12, 2008; SANTIAGO, Nov 12 (Reuters) - Chilean lawmakers on Wednesday demanded an investigation of a mushrooming AIDS scandal after the government said the public health system had failed to notify at least 320 people that they were infected with HIV virus. Some lawmakers called on the government to declare a health emergency.
Hardest-to-treat form of TB rare in U.S. - study: Reuters NewMedia - November 11, 2008; Will Dunham; WASHINGTON, Nov 11 (Reuters) - The hardest-to-treat form of drug-resistant tuberculosis is a growing threat in many parts of the world, but remains quite rare in the United States , U.S. government health researchers said on Tuesday. From 1993 through 2007, there were 83 cases of extensively drug-resistant TB, or XDR-T
Stem-cell firms surge as Obama fuels funding hopes: Reuters NewMedia - November 11, 2008; BANGALORE (Reuters) - Shares of companies developing therapies based on stem cells surged on Monday, after confirmation over the weekend that U.S. president-elect Barack Obama plans to reverse an existing executive order against federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research. Companies such as Geron Corp and StemCells
Interview - Angola sees AIDS as new post-war threat: Reuters NewMedia - November 10, 2008; Henrique Almeida; * Angola fight against AIDS a priority * Fear of virus spreading from neighbouring nations * Government to bolster spending on awareness, treatment LUANDA, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Angola s 27-year civil war may have caused much bloodshed and destruction but it also acted as a buffer to the deadly AIDS virus, which is now th
Fund grants $2.75 billion to fight AIDS, diseases: Reuters NewMedia - November 10, 2008; Matthias Williams; NEW DELHI, Nov 10 (Reuters) - The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria approved 94 new grants worth $2.75 billion over two years, its executive director said on Monday. Zimbabwe is set to receive $169 million after it returned $7.3 million the fund said had been confiscated by Zimbabwe s Reserve Bank i
Souped-up immune cells catch even disguised HIV: Reuters NewMedia - November 9, 2008; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor; WASHINGTON, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Genetically engineered immune cells can spot the AIDS virus even when it tries to disguise itself, offering a potential new way to treat the incurable infection, researchers reported on Sunday. The killer T-cells, dubbed assassin cells, were able to recognize other cells infected by HIV an
Zimbabwe returns $7 mln aid money to G8 disease fund: Reuters NewMedia - November 7, 2008; Matthias Williams; NEW DELHI, Nov 7 (Reuters) - The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has released $7.3 million of aid money belonging to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the fund s executive director said on Friday. The Global Fund had said the Reserve Bank confiscated the aid money in 2007, and warned on Thursday it woul
Global Fund set to grant $3bn, talks tough on Zimbabwe: Reuters NewMedia - November 6, 2008; Matthias Williams; NEW DELHI, Nov 6 (Reuters) - The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is set to grant up to $3 billion in new funding to help fight the diseases, its executive director, Michel Kazatchkine, said on Thursday. Kazatchkine also said the Global Fund will be extremely firm with Zimbabwe over aid
Gates urges rich countries not to cut health aid: Reuters NewMedia - November 5, 2008; Matthias Williams; Microsoft founder Bill Gates on Wednesday said he was worried the global financial crisis he says could last two to three years might drive rich countries to cut back spending on health aid for the developing world. Echoing comments made last week by U.N. chief Ban Ki-Moon, the billionaire philanthropist said the world
Great Apes Debate leads to EU testing ban proposal: Reuters NewMedia - November 5, 2008; Pete Harrison; BRUSSELS, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Europe s environment chief plans to ban laboratory tests on mankind s closest relatives -- chimpanzees, gorillas, bonobos and orangutans -- in a clampdown on animal testing by the drugs industry and other laboratories. But some animal welfare groups and researchers accused the European Union
Zambia's Sata Pulls Ahead In Presidential Election: Reuters NewMedia - October 31, 2008; LUSAKA (Reuters) - Zambian opposition leader Michael Sata held a lead over acting President Rupiah Banda in the presidential election, according to preliminary results from almost a third of constituencies released on Friday. Sata, who heads the Patriotic Front, had 361,263 votes versus 240,941 votes for Banda, electio
China AIDS patients dying because of "tragic stigma": Reuters NewMedia - October 30, 2008; Emma Graham-Harrison; BEIJING, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Chinese AIDS victims are dying needlessly because a tragic stigma prevents them seeking help in a country where one fifth of people think the disease can be passed on by sharing a toilet, a top activist said on Thursday. The government has promised to hand out free, Chinese-made drugs to any
Zambians vote for president, opposition says rigged: Reuters NewMedia - October 30, 2008; Shapi Shacinda Shapi Shacinda; LUSAKA (Reuters) - Zambians voted for a successor to the late President Levy Mwanawasa on Thursday in an election the main opposition leader accused the ruling party of rigging. A senior intelligence official said troops would be placed on high alert after the polls close to prevent unrest, although campaigning in the
Chile's health minister resigns amid AIDS scandal: Reuters NewMedia - October 28, 2008; SANTIAGO, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Chile s health minister resigned on Tuesday in the wake of an AIDS scandal, a day after the government said President Michelle Bachelet planned a cabinet reshuffle ahead of next year s presidential election. Maria Soledad Barria tendered her resignation to Bachelet, who accepted while on an
Zambian AIDS victims say left in dark ahead of poll: Reuters NewMedia - October 27, 2008; Shapi Shacinda; KAFUE, Zambia , Oct 27 (Reuters) - John Kabamba has to walk 20 kilometres to a clinic for AIDS therapy and he has no idea how candidates in Zambia s presidential election would ease the suffering of about one million ravaged by HIV/AIDS. Zambians complain that the two main contenders in the Oct. 30 poll -- acting Presi
New Merck HIV drug works in untreated patients: Reuters NewMedia - October 26, 2008; WASHINGTON, Oct 26 (Reuters) - A new class of HIV drugs can help control the virus in untreated patients, researchers reported on Sunday. Merck and Co. hopes the findings will open a new market for its drug Isentress, the first drug on the market in a new class called integrase inhibitors. Isentress worked slightly bet
Earlier HIV treatment may be better, study finds: Reuters NewMedia - Sunday, October 26, 2008; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Earlier treatment may be better when it comes to taking drugs for the AIDS virus, researchers reported on Sunday. Patients were more than 70 percent less likely to die when they started taking cocktails of HIV drugs earlier than currently recommended, they told a meeting of infectious disease spe
China bridles as dissident wins top EU rights prize: Reuters NewMedia - October 23, 2008; David Brunnstrom; BRUSSELS, Oct 23 (Reuters) - The European Parliament, in a move that immediately drew a tart rebuke from Beijing, awarded its top human rights prize on Thursday to a Chinese dissident who was jailed for subversion after testifying to the assembly last year. Announcing the award of the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thou
US FDA expands approval for J&J HIV drug: Reuters NewMedia - October 22, 2008; WASHINGTON, Oct 22 (Reuters) - U.S. health regulators have expanded approval for Johnson & Johnson s Prezista in combination with other drugs to treat HIV patients who are just beginning to take medication for the virus, the company said on Wednesday. Prezista, or darunavir, had already been approved for use along
AIDS virus may cause clots, early death - study: Reuters NewMedia - October 20, 2008; WASHINGTON, Oct 20 (Reuters) - The AIDS virus, HIV, may cause blood clots and other problems with blood vessels that can kill patients prematurely even if they are relatively healthy, researchers reported on Monday. They found that patients given breaks from their HIV prescriptions had higher levels of blood proteins a
Botswana's Mogae wins African leadership prize: Reuters NewMedia - October 20, 2008; Adrian Croft and Avril Ormsby; LONDON, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Botswana s former President Festus Mogae won the $5-million Mo Ibrahim Prize for African leadership on Monday for steering his country along a stable, prosperous path and leading the fight against AIDS. Former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan declared Mogae the winner of the world
HIV infections up sharply among Hong Kong gay men: Reuters NewMedia - October 17, 2008; Tan Ee Lyn; HONG KONG, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Up to a third of gay and bisexual men in Hong Kong may be infected with HIV by 2020 if prevention programmes to reduce new infections and promote safe sex fail to work, experts warned. HIV is primarily passed from person to person in Hong Kong through sex.
Women need empowerment in fight against AIDS - UN: Reuters NewMedia - October 17, 2008; BEIJING, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Women must be more involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS, a disease increasingly being spread through sex, and men must also be encouraged to respect women more, a senior U.N. official said on Friday. Nafis Sadik, U.N. special envoy for HIV/AIDS in the Asia-Pacific region, told a poverty al
Dancing, DIY saunas help Thai elderly cope with AIDS: Reuters NewMedia - October 14, 2008; Thin Lei Win; Chiang Mai, Thailand - Resplendent in crisp white blouses, black and fuchsia-striped sarongs and crowns of fresh orchids, the group of ladies in their seventies and eighties look like they re dressed in their Sunday best. They dance and sing, moving delicately as they follow the rhythm. Their leader, an 84-year-old for
U.S. downturn could hurt AIDS vaccine drive: group: Reuters NewMedia - October 14, 2008; Wendell Roelf; CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - A U.S. recession could cut AIDS funding and impede the drive to find a vaccine for the disease, a senior official with a group spearheading vaccine research said on Tuesday. The United States is the center of AIDS vaccine research. Its government contributed $659 million, or 69 percent of the fund
S. Africa wasted time in AIDS fight, minister says: Reuters NewMedia - October 13, 2008; CAPE TOWN, Oct 13 (Reuters) - South Africa s Health Minister said on Monday Thabo Mbeki s government wasted time in fighting HIV/AIDS and vowed to step up efforts after years of controversy when her predecessor advocated beetroot and garlic as treatment. South Africa, which has one of the world s heaviest HIV caseloads
Preview:-AIDS vaccine focus shifts after disappointments: Reuters NewMedia - October 12, 2008; Andrew Quinn; WASHINGTON, Oct 12 (Reuters) - A global AIDS vaccine conference this week will seek fresh strategies against the HIV virus, with experts weighing the value of basic laboratory research against large-scale human clinical trials after a string of disappointments. Approaches focusing on neutralizing antibodies that would
Drug firms agree to invest more in AIDS research: UN: Reuters NewMedia - October 10, 2008; UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Thursday that major pharmaceutical firms promised to invest more on researching treatments for the AIDS virus and diagnostic procedures for poorer regions. The companies also agreed to invest more in prevention, including vaccines and pre- and post-e
Drug-resistant HIV strains turning up in China: Reuters NewMedia - October 10, 2008; Tan Ee Lyn; HONG KONG (Reuters) - Drug-resistant HIV strains are turning up in parts of China as the virus stretches beyond high-risk groups and gains a stronger foothold in the general population, a leading Chinese AIDS researcher said. Chen Zhiwei, director of the AIDS Institute in
Global aid imperiled: Reuters NewMedia - October 7, 2008; Laura MacInnis; GENEVA: Paying hundreds of billions of dollars to rescue the world s financial industry looks set to squeeze humanitarian aid and crimp international efforts to fight disease, feed hungry children, and shelter refugees. Charitable giving and foreign aid flows are likely to dry up as the global economy sours, with risin
No proof circumcision cuts gay male HIV risk-study: Reuters NewMedia - October 7, 2008; Will Dunham; WASHINGTON, Oct 7 (Reuters) - There is not enough evidence to say circumcision protects men from getting the AIDS virus during sex with other men even as studies show it protects them when having sex with women, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday. A review of 15 studies involving 53,567 gay and bisexual men in the
Dissidents tipped for Nobel in anniversary year: Reuters NewMedia - October 6, 2008; John Acher; Dissidents fighting for rights in China , Russia and other countries are among those tipped by experts and bookmakers to win the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize in the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The recipient of this year s peace prize will be announced on October 10 in the Norwegian capital
Nobel medicine prize reopens old AIDS wounds: Reuters NewMedia - October 6, 2008; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor; WASHINGTON, Oct 6 (Reuters) - The decision on Monday to award the Nobel Prize for Medicine to Luc Montagnier and Francoise Barre-Sinoussi for their discovery of the AIDS virus was a snub to U.S. virologist Dr. Robert Gallo, and reopened a bitter and painful dispute over the research. From the beginning, Gallo and Monta
FACTBOX: Some facts on AIDS/Cervical cancer: Reuters NewMedia - October 6, 2008; Niklas Pollard; (Reuters) - Two French scientists who discovered the AIDS virus and a German who found the virus that causes cervical cancer were awarded the 2008 Nobel prize for medicine or physiology on Monday. Here are some details about the diseases: * HIV/AIDS -- Luc Montagnier, director of the World Foundation for AIDS Research
AIDS pioneers, cancer scientist win Nobel prize: Reuters NewMedia - October 6, 2008; Niklas Pollard; STOCKHOLM, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Two French scientists who discovered the AIDS virus and a German who bucked conventional wisdom to find a cause of cervical cancer were awarded the 2008 Nobel prize for medicine on Monday. Luc Montagnier, director of the World Foundation for AIDS Research and Prevention, and Francoise Barre
CDC says 1.1 million Americans infected with HIV: Reuters NewMedia - October 2, 2008; Will Dunham; A new estimate of how many Americans have the AIDS virus puts the number at about 1.1 million, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday. The CDC numbers, based on 2006 data, show the population living with HIV is growing as people become newly infected and as more patients survive thanks to
FACTBOX-Facts on AIDS: Reuters NewMedia - October 2, 2008; Oct 2 (Reuters) - South Africa s new health minister Barbara Hogan vowed on Thursday to make AIDS a top priority after years of controversy over her predecessor s unconventional support for beetroot and garlic as treatments. Here are some key facts on AIDS: -- Global deaths from AIDS reached an estimated 2 million in 2
South Africa health minister vows to make AIDS priority: Reuters NewMedia - October 2, 2008; Rebecca Harrison; PRETORIA, Oct 2 (Reuters) - South Africa s new health minister Barbara Hogan vowed on Thursday to make AIDS a top priority after years of controversy over her predecessor s unconventional support for beetroot and garlic as treatments. Hogan replaced Manto Tshabalala-Msimang who was removed from her post when President
Pfizer drug helps advanced HIV at 48-week mark: Reuters NewMedia - October 1, 2008; Gene Emery; BOSTON, Oct 1 (Reuters) - The Pfizer Inc. (PFE.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) AIDS drug maraviroc helps thwart the HIV virus in nearly half of people who have developed resistance to other treatments, according to two related studies published on Wednesday. At least 42 percent of patients in Europe, North Ame
Study pushes back origin of AIDS pandemic to 1908: Reuters NewMedia - October 1, 2008; Julie Steenhuysen; CHICAGO (Reuters) - The deadly AIDS virus first began spreading among humans at the turn of the 20th century in sub-Saharan Africa, just as modern cities were emerging in the region, U.S. researchers said Wednesday. The finding pushes back the origin of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) by several decades, they re
HIV up sharply among women, gay men in China: Reuters NewMedia - October 1, 2008; Tan Ee Lyn; HONG KONG (Reuters) - HIV infections jumped 8-fold over the past few years in parts of China among gay and bisexual men, according to new data from southern China. Published in Nature, the study found that the proportion of HIV-positive women of child-bearing age doubled in the past 10 years and researchers warned the
Lack of medical workers plagues developing world: Reuters NewMedia - October 1, 2008; Kavita Chandran and Tan Ee Lyn; BANGALORE/HONG KONG (Reuters) - When her baby turned blue, Nivetha Biju rushed the child to the emergency room of an Indian hospital and watched helplessly as the baby lost consciousness because the nurses on duty had no idea what to do. Eventually a doctor saved the baby s life, but many patients are not so lucky in I
New institute to focus on AIDS vaccine: Reuters NewMedia - September 30, 2008; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A new AIDS vaccine research center dedicated to solving one of the stickiest problems holding back development of such a vaccine will open in California, researchers announced on Tuesday. The $30 million facility is a joint venture by the nonprofit Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla and the I
Indian website plays cupid for HIV/AIDS patients: Reuters NewMedia - September 26, 2008; Rituparna Bhowmik; NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Widowed at 30, HIV- positive Chhaya Tope had resigned herself to a life of loneliness, but a website for Indians afflicted with AIDS has given her another chance at love. Tope lost her husband to AIDS. Six months ago, desperation drove her to post her profile on www.positivesaathi.com, and she has
What are U.N. Millennium Development Goals?: Reuters NewMedia - September 25, 2008; Emma Batha; Progress on achieving the Millennium Development Goals, approved in 2000 by U.N. member states and the world s top development organizations, was debated on Thursday by world leaders attending the U.N. General Assembly. The eight goals are meant to be achieved by 2015. Following is a description of them: SLASH POVERTY
Zimbabwe children eating toxic roots, rats - agency: Reuters NewMedia - September 25, 2008; Emma Batha; LONDON, Sept 25 (Reuters) - Children in Zimbabwe are eating rats and inedible roots riddled with toxic parasites to stave off hunger because of chronic food shortages, an aid agency said on Thursday. Save the Children said the most vulnerable faced starvation unless they get food aid in the next couple of weeks. T
HIV on rise among self-injecting drug users -study: Reuters NewMedia - September 23, 2008; Michael Kahn; LONDON, Sept 24 (Reuters) - The rate of HIV infection among people who inject themselves with drugs appears to be rising, according to a study published on Wednesday. An estimated 3 million self-injecting drug users worldwide may be HIV positive, said the analysis of peer-reviewed studies and data from United Nations a
South Africa's Mbeki to exit stage with mixed legacy: Reuters NewMedia - September 20, 2008; JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - President Thabo Mbeki was seen as a consummate tactician inside the ruling ANC but also someone who brooked no dissent and neglected a glaring AIDS epidemic and widespread poverty and crime. Mbeki s almost decade-long grip on power, already weakened by his loss of the African National Congress
500,000 women die in pregnancy, childbirth: UNICEF: Reuters NewMedia - September 20, 2008; Stephanie Nebehay; GENEVA (Reuters) - More than half a million women still die each year in pregnancy and childbirth, often bleeding to death because no emergency obstetrical care is available, the United Nations Children s Fund (UNICEF) said on Friday. Despite modest progress, particularly in Asia, the global maternal mortality toll rem
FACTBOX: What are U.N. Millennium Development Goals?: Reuters NewMedia - September 19, 2008; The U.N. Millennium Development Goals, approved in 2000 by U.N. member states and the world s top development organizations, are the theme of next week s General Assembly gathering of world leaders. The eight goals are meant to be achieved by 2015. Following is a description of them: SLASH POVERTY AND HUNGER * Cut in
Barbershops become urban community health centers: Reuters NewMedia - September 18, 2008; Terri Coles; TORONTO (Reuters) - African-American communities in the shadows of the University of Pittsburgh s buildings are getting sick and dying sooner than their white counterparts, of preventable diseases -- and Dr. Stephen Thomas wants to change it. An outreach initiative involving local barbershops and beauty salons is a ste
WHO slashes estimate of global malaria infections: Reuters NewMedia - September 18, 2008; Laura MacInnis; GENEVA, Sept 18 (Reuters) - The World Health Organisation (WHO) dramatically cut its estimate on Thursday of how many people catch malaria every year, attributing the revision to changes in research methods. The new report, however, kept the number of people who died from the disease broadly the same. The United Nation
Food prices help tip 75 million into hunger in 2007: Reuters NewMedia - September 18, 2008; ROME (Reuters) - Rising food prices are partly to blame for adding 75 million more people to the ranks of the world s hungry in 2007 and lifting the global figure to roughly 925 million, the U.N. s food agency said on Wednesday. Jacques Diouf, head of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), presented the figu
Brazil to make generic version of key AIDS drug: Reuters NewMedia - September 17, 2008; BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil said on Wednesday it will start producing a generic version of a key AIDS drug, the latest step in the country s long-running battle with pharmaceutical giants to bring down the cost of treatment for HIV patients. A locally made generic version of
Australian mining boom linked to HIV spike: Reuters NewMedia - September 17, 2008; Michael Perry; SYDNEY, Sept 17 (Reuters) - Australia s mining boom may be fueling an alarming rise in HIV infections among cashed-up heterosexual outback miners and businessmen in resource-rich states who holiday in Asia, say researchers. Rates of HIV infections in Australia have increased by almost 50 percent in the past eight years
Myriad's HIV drug shows favorable safety profile: Reuters NewMedia - September 17, 2008; Myriad Genetics Inc (MYGN.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) said its experimental oral HIV drug, Vivecon, showed a favorable safety profile in an early-stage trial. The trial was designed as a single ascending dose study to assess the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetic, or the way the body reacts to the dr
Jolie, Pitt donate $2 mln for kids in Ethiopia: Reuters NewMedia - September 15, 2008; LOS ANGELES, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Angelina Jolie and partner Brad Pitt have donated $2 million to create a center, named after their adopted daughter, Zahara, for Ethiopian children affected by AIDS and tuberculosis. The Global Health Committee said the donation from the Jolie-Pitt Foundation would establish a center in
High-priced prostitutes sharing in India's new prosperity: Reuters NewMedia - September 14, 2008; Melanie Lee; NEW DELHI: Zeba, a 23-year-old model and actress, says she has found the perfect job. The money is great, she rubs shoulders with the very wealthy and her working hours are convenient. Zeba is one of thousands of high-price call girls servicing India s nouveau riche and the throng of foreign businessmen drawn to a boom
Child deaths fall slightly to 9.2 mln in 2007-UN: Reuters NewMedia - September 12, 2008; Michael Kahn; LONDON, Sept 12 (Reuters) - More than 9 million children globally died before their fifth birthday in 2007, down slightly from 2006, but a huge gap remains between rich and poor countries, especially in Africa, UNICEF said on Friday. Efforts to promote breastfeeding, immunisations and anti-malaria measures have helped
Oprah Winfrey tops list of most generous stars: Reuters NewMedia - September 12, 2008; LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - She s been named as the highest-paid TV celebrity and one of the world s most powerful women, but American talk-show host Oprah Winfrey is also a big giver, topping a list of the 30 most generous celebrities for the second year running. The second annual list, compiled by The Giving Back Fund, a
Zuma defies odds again to head for presidency: Reuters NewMedia - September 12, 2008; Michael Georgy; JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Close escapes have become a habit for Jacob Zuma, whose corruption trial was called off on Friday and who now looks set to become South Africa s president in a dramatic political comeback. Dismissed as deputy president in 2005 over accusations of corruption, the populist leader avoided trial on
Analysis confirms US AIDS epidemic hits men hard: Reuters NewMedia - September 11, 2008; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor; WASHINGTON, Sept 11 (Reuters) - AIDS remains largely a disease of gay and bisexual men in the United States but also disproportionately infects black women, according to an analysis published on Thursday. Last month, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that more than 56,000 people in the United
Herpes drug may help control AIDS virus: Reuters NewMedia - September 11, 2008; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A cheap, generic drug long used to treat herpes may also help control the AIDS virus, U.S. researchers reported on Wednesday. They found that acyclovir can work against HIV, but only in tissues that are also infected with herpes. The findings, published in the journal Cell Host & Microbe, hel
USAID puts $100 million toward AIDS gel research: Reuters NewMedia - September 8, 2008; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Agency for International Development has offered $100 million to the Eastern Virginia Medical School to work on a gel that might protect men and women from the AIDS virus, the school said on Monday. The money, $20 million a year for five years, will be used to help pay for trials of seve
Big risks for rising number of child brides: Reuters NewMedia - September 4, 2008; Michael Kahn; LONDON: The number of girls in poor countries who marry before the age of 18 will double to 100 million in the next decade, putting many at risk from AIDS, a report said on Thursday. A global food crisis is making matters worse by pushing more families in the developing world to send young daughters into marriage to de
Swazi protests turn violent, unions plan strike: Reuters NewMedia - September 4, 2008; Charles Matsebula; MBABANE (Reuters) - Demonstrators stoned shops, looted a market and set off an explosion, damaging a bus, as a second day of protests for democratic reform in Swaziland turned violent on Thursday. Some 5,000 people marched in Mbabane, capital of the southern African monarchy, calling for multi-party democracy and criti
FACTBOX-What are U.N. Millennium Development Goals?: Reuters NewMedia - September 4, 2008; The world s wealthiest countries are reneging on promises to boost development aid, threatening U.N. targets for slashing poverty by 2015, according to a U.N. report released on Thursday. A reduction in poverty is one of eight Millennium Development Goals approved in 2000 by U.N. member states and the world s top devel
Gene may hold key to neutralizing HIV: study: Reuters NewMedia - September 4, 2008; Julie Steenhuysen; CHICAGO (Reuters) - The AIDS virus is especially hard to fight because few people develop antibodies to neutralize it, but U.S. researchers said on Thursday they have found an immunity gene that may offer a new way to fight back. They said the gene Apobec3 helps mice develop antibodies against an HIV-like virus, and th
Brazil rejects Gilead's AIDS drug patent: Reuters NewMedia - Wednesday, September 3, 2008; RIO DE JANEIRO, Sept 3 (Reuters) - Brazil has rejected a patent request for an AIDS drug made by U.S. firm Gilead (GILD.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), opening the way for cheaper, generic versions to be used in the country s fight against the disease. A health ministry spokesman said on Wednesday the patent
Less talk, more action, Ghana aid conference told: Reuters NewMedia - September 3, 2008; ACCRA (Reuters) - Translating billions of dollars of foreign aid into concrete, timely action that helps the world s poorest is the biggest challenge facing both donor and recipient countries, speakers at an aid conference said on Tuesday. Ministers and officials from more than 100 countries that give and receive aid,
U.S. undertakers admit selling corpses: Reuters NewMedia - September 2, 2008; Jon Hurdle; PHILADELPHIA: Two former Philadelphia funeral directors on Tuesday admitted to selling cadavers to a ring that cut them up and sold the body parts to hospitals for implants. Gerald Garzone and his brother Louis Garzone pleaded guilty to charges that they conspired with others to take bones, skin and organs from 244 bod
US gives Tanzania $99 mln for diseases, farm loans: Reuters NewMedia - Tuesday, September 2, 2008; DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) - Tanzania said on Tuesday it had received a total $99 million in aid from the United States to boost its fight against malaria and HIV/AIDS and to help farmers seeking loans. Bernard Membe, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, said the United States pledged the money duri
Bare-breasted virgins compete for Swaziland king: Reuters NewMedia - September 1, 2008; Phakamisa Ndzamela; LUDZIDZINI ROYAL VILLAGE, Swaziland : Tens of thousands of bare-breasted virgins competed for Swaziland King Mswati III s eye on Monday in a traditional Reed Dance. Walking through the dense crowds in a leopard skin loin cloth, Sub-Saharan Africa s last absolute monarch was expected to choose his 14th wife. Critics
Circumcision problems impair HIV prevention - study: Reuters NewMedia - September 1, 2008; Laura MacInnis; GENEVA, Sept 1 (Reuters) - African health workers need more training and better tools to circumcise men and boys safely for HIV prevention, according to a World Health Organisation (WHO) study chronicling shocking rates of complications. As many as 35 percent of males circumcised by traditional practitioners in Kenya s
AIDS cases seen on the rise in Philippines: Reuters NewMedia - August 28, 2008; Tess Thompson; MANILA, Aug 28 (Reuters) - The Philippines has a lower incidence of HIV than most of its neighbours despite sharing many of the risks, but health officials warned on Thursday that many new cases were now coming to light. A spate of new HIV cases suggests that the Philippines situation might be more accurately describe
HIV spreads in NY at three times the U.S. average: Reuters NewMedia - Wednesday, August 27, 2008; NEW YORK, Aug 27 (Reuters) - New Yorkers are contracting HIV at three times the national rate, the city health department said on Wednesday, attributing the difference to New York s large population of high-risk groups such as gay men and blacks. In 2006, 72 in every 100,000 New Yorkers became infected with HIV, the vi
Free AIDS drugs reduce Malawi death rates: Reuters NewMedia - August 25, 2008; Greater access to free medicine has helped slash AIDS-related deaths in Malawi by 75 percent in the last four years, a senior government official said on Monday. HIV/AIDS has been blamed for 59 percent of deaths among those aged between 15 to 59 years in the southern African country, which has a population of 13 millio
Poor treatment may cause "untreatable" TB - study: Reuters NewMedia - August 24, 2008; WASHINGTON, Aug 24 (Reuters) - Poor treatment may be fueling the rise of an especially hard to treat form of tuberculosis called extensively drug resistant or XDR TB, doctors reported on Sunday. But they said their project, based at a remote Siberian prison, showed they could successfully treat nearly half the patients
Annie Lennox blogs about surgery: Reuters NewMedia - August 18, 2008; LONDON (Reuters) - Former Eurythmics singer Annie Lennox is recovering from spinal surgery after being forced by a back injury to return home early from an AIDS conference in Mexico , the star s Web site said on Monday. She was flown back to Britain last week and had to be wheeled off the plane in a wheelchair. A
Women pass on female condom: Reuters NewMedia - August 14, 2008; Terri Coles; TORONTO (Reuters) - Fifteen years after its debut, the female condom has failed to catch on with women and aid agencies, despite its potential as a powerful tool against AIDS and other sex-related diseases. This is a 15-year scandal born of ignorance and inertia, said Oxfam International spokesperson Farah Karimi, in a
Obama and McCain aim for faith vote at forum: Reuters NewMedia - August 14, 2008; Ed Stoddard; DALLAS: U.S. presidential rivals Barack Obama and John McCain target religious voters on Saturday when as guests of one of America s foremost evangelists they discuss faith in public life, AIDS, the environment and other issues. Religion plays a big role in U.S. politics despite the traditional separation of church and
HIV franchise, new drugs give Gilead momentum: Reuters NewMedia - August 13, 2008; Deena Beasley; LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Gilead Sciences Inc (GILD.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) expects strong sales growth following recent data showing the superiority of its HIV drugs to a competing regimen, its president and chief operation officer told Reuters on Wednesday. Growth for the biotechnology company will als
Uganda turns to mass circumcision in AIDS fight: Reuters NewMedia - August 13, 2008; Frank Nyakairu; KAMPALA (Reuters) - Ugandan authorities have launched a mass circumcision drive with the hope it will reduce HIV/AIDS rates in the east African country. Some studies indicate circumcision could be 70 percent effective in protecting men against infection by the disease during heterosexual intercourse, when used in conju
Kerala reserves govt job for HIV-positive - report: Reuters NewMedia - August 13, 2008; NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The Kerala government has reserved a job for a HIV-positive candidate, a step that has won praise for its sensitivity towards patients afflicted with the killer virus, The Times of India said on Wednesday. The Kerala State AIDS Control Society (KSACS) said they had issued advertisements for the po
Gilead wins OK to promote drug for hepatitis B: Reuters NewMedia - August 12, 2008; LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Gilead Sciences said on Monday it won U.S. approval to promote its AIDS drug Viread for treating adults with chronic hepatitis B. Hepatitis B is a potentially life-threatening infection that can destroy the liver. Gilead estimates that more than 400 million people worldwide have the disease,
Abused Indian women at greater risk of HIV: study: Reuters NewMedia - August 12, 2008; Married women in India who are physically and sexually abused by their husbands are four times more likely to become infected with the AIDS virus than married women who were not abused, a Harvard study said on Tuesday. India has the world s third-largest number of people infected with HIV at 2.47 million cases, accordi
"Elite" HIV wife may hold secret to AIDS vaccine: Reuters NewMedia - August 12, 2008; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor; A woman who has never shown symptoms of infection with the AIDS virus may hold the secret to defeating the virus, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday. Infected at least 10 years ago by her husband, the woman is able somehow to naturally control the deadly and incurable virus -- even though her husband must take cocktails
Vast distances a barrier to combating HIV/AIDS in India: Reuters NewMedia - August 8, 2008; Tan Ee Lyn; NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Vast distances are a major hurdle to India s efforts to curb its soaring HIV rate. India, which has the world s third largest HIV-positive caseload, gives drugs for free to HIV/AIDS patients. But doctors say this is not enough to stop the spread of HIV which is making inroads in rural India, espec
World Bank shifts HIV/AIDS focus in Africa: Reuters NewMedia - August 8, 2008; Lesley Wroughton; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The World Bank on Wednesday unveiled a four-year strategy to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa that shifts focus from emergency response to long-term development. The change was made possible after billions of dollars in grant funding became available from the U.S. Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and the G
Asia must deal bravely with HIV/AIDS: U.N. official: Reuters NewMedia - August 8, 2008; Tan Ee Lyn; HONG KONG (Reuters) - A top U.N. official urged countries in Asia on Thursday to deal squarely and bravely with HIV/AIDS, which he said was being driven dangerously underground because of stigma and conservative attitudes. In Papua New Guinea , India ,
Among gays, young partiers spread HIV: study: Reuters NewMedia - August 7, 2008; Tan Ee Lyn; MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Younger men who binge drink and abuse drugs are the gays and bisexuals most likely to transmit HIV to others, and prevention programs should be developed to target them, U.S. researchers said on Thursday. The study, presented at an international AIDS meeting in Mexico City, also helps explain wh
HIV patients fare just as well with nurses-studies: Reuters NewMedia - August 7, 2008; Tan Ee Lyn; MEXICO CITY, Aug 7 (Reuters) - HIV patients under the care and management of trained nurses fared just as well as patients treated by doctors, if not better, according to two studies that demonstrate ways to replace scarce doctors in Africa. Areas hard hit by the AIDS virus often suffer a shortage of doctors and some o
Only 40 percent in U.S. are HIV-tested, study finds: Reuters NewMedia - August 7, 2008; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. efforts to test nearly everyone for the AIDS virus have stalled and just 40 percent of adults in the country have ever been tested for the fatal and incurable virus, according to a government report on Thursday. New methods are needed to get more people tested, the U.S. Centers for Disease C
Mexicans in U.S. illegally at more risk of AIDS: Reuters NewMedia - August 6, 2008; Mica Rosenberg; MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican men living and working illegally in the United States are more likely to sell their bodies for sex, take drugs or frequent prostitutes than they would have been in their homeland, increasing their risk of AIDS infection, U.S. researchers reported on Wednesday. And if they are deporte
HIV drug resistance found in China's poorest: Reuters NewMedia - August 6, 2008; Tan Ee Lyn; MEXICO CITY: More than 17 percent of HIV patients being treated for their infection in China developed resistance to available drugs by 2006 and 2007, according to a new nationwide survey. With only seven of the more than 20 different HIV drugs available in China, the finding, announced by Chinese government researcher
African ex-leaders to press politicians over AIDS: Reuters NewMedia - August 5, 2008; Mica Rosenberg; MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Former leaders of African countries ravaged by AIDS are launching a regional campaign to put pressure on politicians who they say have not done enough to combat the virus. Former presidents of Botswana , Mozambique , Tanzania and
Mexican sex workers want place at AIDS conference: Reuters NewMedia - August 5, 2008; Tan Ee Lyn; MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A global AIDS conference that opens in Mexico City on Sunday is meant for people infected with HIV, but transsexual sex worker Elma Delea cannot get inside. She will be protesting on the fringes of the six-day biennial event. They (Mexican health authorities) said they had no money for everyone
Kyrgyz medics jailed for infecting children with HIV: Reuters NewMedia - August 5, 2008; BISHKEK, Aug 5 (Reuters) - A court in the Central Asian state of Kyrgyzstan has sentenced three doctors to three-year jail terms for negligence that led to 24 children being infected with HIV, a local official said on Tuesday. The official, who asked not to be named, said the court in the southern Osh region gave five
WHO publishes how-to guide on fighting AIDS: Reuters NewMedia - August 5, 2008; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - What is the best way to set up an AIDS testing clinic? Which are the best drugs to give to people infected with HIV? The World Health Organization released a one-stop guidebook on Tuesday to help low- and middle-income countries seeking to battle the pandemic. It includes advice on distributi
Anti-AIDS gel might help men too, study finds: Reuters NewMedia - August 5, 2008; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A gel designed to protect women from the AIDS virus made using Gilead Sciences drug Viread could protect men from infection during anal sex, British researchers reported on Tuesday. Tests on monkeys showed that a gel made using the drug, known generically as
New AIDS vaccine blueprint calls for more focus: Reuters NewMedia - August 5, 2008; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor; WASHINGTON, Aug 5 (Reuters) - AIDS vaccine researchers should move to smaller, more focused trials and dump any vaccines that do not show strong promise, the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative said on Tuesday. The group, known as IAVI, released a blueprint for how to proceed at an international meeting of AIDS exper
More AIDS risked as poor women trade sex for food: Reuters NewMedia - Monday, August 4, 2008; Mica Rosenberg; MEXICO CITY, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Rising food prices around the world are likely to drive poor women to trade sex for basic goods like fish and cooking oil, raising the risk of new AIDS infections, U.N officials said on Monday. Delegates at a major AIDS conference in Mexico cited the cases of fisherwomen in the Pacific an
U.S. AIDS policies neglect blacks: report: Reuters NewMedia - Monday, August 4, 2008; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. policies and cash may be leading the fight against AIDS globally, but they have neglected the epidemic among black Americans, the Black AIDS Institute said in a report released on Tuesday. While blacks account for one in eight people in the United States , half of all Americans infected with
More health workers needed to fight AIDS: experts: Reuters NewMedia - Monday, August 4, 2008; Tan Ee Lyn; MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Many developing countries that are combating AIDS are facing dire shortages of qualified doctors and nurses as healthcare workers leave for developed countries where they are paid many times more. We need to assist poor countries to train more health staff, provide commensurate salaries to enabl
More than 56,000 in U.S. infected with AIDS each year: Reuters NewMedia - Monday, August 4, 2008; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New estimates show that least 56,000 people become infected with the AIDS virus every year in the United States -- 40 percent more than previous calculations, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Saturday. The CDC stressed that actual infection rates have not risen but said
U.N. report shows world AIDS deaths edging down: Reuters NewMedia - Monday, August 4, 2008; Will Dunham; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of people killed by AIDS worldwide edged down for a second straight year in 2007 after rising for more than two decades amid intensified global efforts to fight the disease, a U.N. agency said on Tuesday. About 33 million people were living with human immunodeficiency virus infections
Gay, bisexual men still at high risk for HIV-study: Reuters NewMedia - Monday, August 4, 2008; Tan Ee Lyn; MEXICO CITY, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Men who have sex with men are 19 times more likely to be infected with HIV than the general population, yet are ignored in many countries, an AIDS group said in a study released on Monday. The report from the American Foundation for AIDS Research or AMFAR suggests the group originally at
Drug addicts benefit from HIV drugs, too: study: Reuters NewMedia - Monday, August 4, 2008; MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Drug abusers benefit just as much from HIV drugs as people who are infected sexually or some other way, Canadian researchers reported on Sunday. Their finding, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and presented at an international AIDS meeting in Mexico City, contradicts
AIDS "silver bullet" still out of reach: Reuters NewMedia - August 1, 2008; Andrew Quinn; JOHANNESBURG, Aug 1 (Reuters) - More than 30 years into the AIDS epidemic, the silver bullet against HIV still looks depressingly out of reach. As scientists, activists and health officials prepare for the International AIDS Society s biennial meeting in Mexico City from Aug. 3-8, hopes for progress toward a vaccine ha
Conservative Malaysia faces uphill battle in HIV fight: Reuters NewMedia - July 31, 2008; Tan Ee Lyn; KUALA LUMPUR, July 31 (Reuters) - Strict laws and conservative attitudes are making the fight against HIV/AIDS harder in predominately Muslim Malaysia as they drive high-risk groups deeper underground. Soliciting and sodomy are outlawed and there are heavy penalties for illegal drug use. While lobbying from activis
Bush signs expansion of U.S. global AIDS programs: Reuters NewMedia - July 30, 2008; Will Dunham; WASHINGTON, July 30 (Reuters) - President George W. Bush on Wednesday signed into law a big expansion of U.S. efforts to fight AIDS in Africa and elsewhere, warning that defeating this scourge requires an unprecedented investment over generations. The measure, which won final congressional passage last week, calls for
FACTBOX-New AIDS figures show only slight decreases: Reuters NewMedia - July 29, 2008; July 29 (Reuters) - New figures from the United Nations show very slight progress against the AIDS virus, with a small drop in new infections since 2001 and more people getting treatment for the fatal and incurable virus. Here are some facts about AIDS in 2007 from the United Nations AIDS agency UNAIDS
South African prisoners face ARV funding crunch: Reuters NewMedia - July 29, 2008; CAPE TOWN, July 29 (Reuters) - A funding shortfall could hurt HIV-positive South African prisoners in need of antiretroviral drugs, a senior correctional services official said on Tuesday. Subashini Moodley, chief deputy commissioner in the Department of Correctional Services told parliament the number of prisoners req
U.S. AIDS policies neglect blacks: report: Reuters NewMedia - July 29, 2008; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. policies and cash may be leading the fight against AIDS globally, but they have neglected the epidemic among black Americans, the Black AIDS Institute said in a report released on Tuesday. While blacks account for one in eight people in the United States , half of all Americans infected with
China rights in focus as Games city haze lifts: Reuters NewMedia - July 29, 2008; Chris Buckley; BEIJING (Reuters) - Olympic host Beijing saw hazy pollution lift on Tuesday, but a damning Amnesty International report brought into sharp view tensions over China s human rights policies ten days before the Games begin. With the 2008 Olympic Games due to open in the shining Bird s Nest Stadium on August 8, the human r
Worldwide AIDS deaths decline slightly: Reuters NewMedia - July 29, 2008; Will Dunham; WASHINGTON - The numbers of people dying of AIDS and becoming infected with the virus that causes it have dropped modestly in recent years amid intensified global efforts to fight the disease, a U.N. agency said on Tuesday. About 33 million people globally were infected with the human immunodeficiency virus in 2007 --
Tanzania says to triple HIV therapy patients: Reuters NewMedia - July 28, 2008; DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) - Tanzania plans to triple the number of HIV/AIDS patients receiving free life-extending drugs to 440,000 by 2010, the country s health minister said on Monday. About 2 million people out of a population of nearly 40 million are infected with the virus that causes AIDS. We plan on providing
Congress sends Bush expanded global AIDS program: Reuters NewMedia - July 24, 2008; Richard Cowan; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Congress on Thursday approved a large expansion of a program to fight AIDS and other diseases raging in Africa and elsewhere, sending the measure to President George W. Bush, who is expected to sign it into law. By a vote of 303-115, the House of Representatives passed the bill authorizing $4
Both drugs and condoms needed to stop HIV: study: Reuters NewMedia - July 24, 2008; HONG KONG (Reuters) - HIV infections could quadruple over 10 years if HIV-positive people who are taking antiretroviral drugs become complacent and stop using condoms, researchers in Australia warned. The warning, published in The Lancet, comes after the Swiss Federal Commission for HIV/AIDS said in a controversial sta
Drugs add 13 years to average life of HIV patient: Reuters NewMedia - July 24, 2008; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor; WASHINGTON, July 24 (Reuters) - Cocktails of HIV drugs help patients live an average of 13 years longer -- if they are lucky enough to get them, researchers reported on Thursday. A person who started taking the drugs at age 20 could, on average, expect to live another 43 years, the researchers report in the Lancet medi
Meditation slows AIDS progression, study finds: Reuters NewMedia - July 24, 2008; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor; WASHINGTON, July 24 (Reuters) - Meditation may slow the worsening of AIDS in just a few weeks, perhaps by affecting the immune system, U.S. researchers reported on Thursday. If the findings are borne out in larger studies, it could offer a cheap and pleasant way to help people battle the incurable and often fatal condi
FDA urges genetic test before using Glaxo AIDS drug: Reuters NewMedia - July 24, 2008; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - AIDS patients should be given a genetic test before treatment with GlaxoSmithKline Plc s drug, Ziagen , to see if they face a higher risk of a potentially fatal reaction, U.S. regulators said on Thursday. For patients who test positive for a specific gene variation, Ziagen treatment is not r
Government to release revised U.S. HIV estimates: Reuters NewMedia - July 23, 2008; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Tuesday it will soon release long-awaited revised estimates of how many Americans become infected with the AIDS virus every year. Activists have been saying the numbers are sharply higher and have been urging the CDC to release the numbe
S.Africa experts hope drugs can curb HIV infection: Reuters NewMedia - Tuesday, July 22, 2008; Researchers in South Africa are investigating whether taking AIDS drugs daily will prevent infections among gay and bisexual men, in the latest effort to combat the epidemic. In a study launched on Tuesday, researchers want to find out whether antiretroviral drugs normally used by people already carrying the HIV virus
Parasitic worms may help fuel AIDS epidemic: study: Reuters NewMedia - July 22, 2008; Will Dunham; People infected with parasitic worms may be much more susceptible to the AIDS virus, according to a study published on Tuesday that may help explain why HIV has hit sub-Saharan Africa particularly hard. The study involving monkeys demonstrated how a type of parasitic worm that causes schistosomiasis, which affects 200
Gilead Sciences 2nd-qtr profit rises 8.6 pct: Reuters NewMedia - July 17, 2008; Deena Beasley; LOS ANGELES - Gilead Sciences Inc (GILD.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) reported an 8.6 percent increase in second-quarter profit on Thursday, driven by higher sales of its drugs that fight the virus that causes AIDS. But the results fell slightly short of Wall Street estimates and Gilead said expenses for th
U.S. drops trial of one AIDS vaccine: Reuters NewMedia - July 17, 2008; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor; WASHINGTON - U.S. AIDS researchers are dropping plans to test one experimental vaccine in people, saying the high-profile failure of a Merck and Co. vaccine last year shows the need to do quicker, more focused studies. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the government s National Institut
Senate passes bill to boost global AIDS funds: Reuters NewMedia - July 16, 2008; Richard Cowan; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate, fending off opposition from some conservative Republicans, voted on Wednesday to spend $48 billion to fight AIDS worldwide over the next five years. By a vote of 80-16, the Senate passed the legislation and ended weeks of delays orchestrated by some Republicans who thought the measure
Gene variant common in Africa ups HIV risk -study: Reuters NewMedia - July 16, 2008; Will Dunham; WASHINGTON, July 16 (Reuters) - A gene variant that emerged thousands of years ago to protect Africans from malaria may raise their vulnerability to HIV infection but help them live longer once infected, researchers said on Wednesday. The findings could help explain why AIDS has hit Africa harder than all other parts o
Key facts on Nelson Mandela: Reuters NewMedia - July 16, 2008; Former South African President, Nelson Mandela, a worldwide icon of freedom and reconciliation, celebrates his 90th birthday on Friday. Here is a short summary of his life: * EARLY LIFE - Born July 18, 1918, son of a counsellor to the paramount chief of the Thembu people near Qunu in what is now Eastern Cape. He is wid
Diabetes makes people more vulnerable to TB: study: Reuters NewMedia - July 14, 2008; Will Dunham; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Diabetes makes a person about three times as likely to develop tuberculosis, and it may be to blame for more than 10 percent of TB cases in India and China , researchers said on Monday. To clarify the link between the diseases, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston examined
Roche to suspend HIV research, seeing no advances: Reuters NewMedia - July 14, 2008; NEW YORK (Reuters) - Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche Holding AG will suspend its HIV research because none of its pending medicines represent significant improvement over existing drugs, a company spokeswoman said on Friday. Research scientists currently working in HIV will be reassigned to other activities, Linda D
Rice gets medal for helping to free HIV medics: Reuters NewMedia - July 9, 2008; SOFIA (Reuters) - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Wednesday received Bulgaria s top honor for helping to free Bulgarian nurses from a Libyan jail. The five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor, who had been sentenced to death on accusations of deliberately infecting 460 Libyan children with HIV, were freed
Gels to protect women from HIV may help men more: Reuters NewMedia - July 8, 2008; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Gels aimed at helping women protect themselves from the AIDS virus may end up helping men as much or more, researchers predicted on Monday. Computer models predict that if and when such gels or creams are perfected, they would reduce the risk that men could get the incurable virus from women.
G8 says committed to fulfilling Africa aid pledge: Reuters NewMedia - July 8, 2008; Yoko Nishikawa; TOYAKO, Japan , July 8 (Reuters) - Leaders from the Group of Eight rich nations reassured skeptics on Tuesday that they were firmly committed to the aid target for Africa that was pledged at Gleneagles in 2005. In 2005, G8 nations vowed to raise annual aid levels by $50 billion by 2010, $25 billion of which was to go t
Former U.S. Senator Jesse Helms dies at 86: Reuters NewMedia - July 5, 2008; WASHINGTON: Jesse Helms, a die-hard anti-communist firebrand who championed a wide range of conservative causes in his 30 years in the U.S. Senate, died early on Friday, aged 86, his foundation said. A blunt-talking product of the Old South, the lawmaker from North Carolina was known as Senator No for opposing just abo
Siberian Jail Is Champion In Fight Against TB: Reuters NewMedia - July 3, 2008; TOMSK, Russia (Reuters) - Alexander Pushkarev, head doctor at the 1,000-bed hospital in a Soviet-era prison nestling at the edge of Siberia, flashed a row of metal teeth with his smile. Welcome to Tomsk Correction Facility No. 1, he said. This is the best treatment for TB in Russia. In the mid-1990s, virulent tube
Foreign aid should boost Africa doctors' pay: WHO: Reuters NewMedia - July 2, 2008; Laura MacInnis; GENEVA (Reuters) - International aid to Africa should be used to boost doctors salaries and bolster the recruitment and training of medical staff, World Health Organization (WHO) experts said on Wednesday. In the latest WHO bulletin, researchers from the U.N. agency and the University of California said there is now a
Bush urges Congress to pass AIDS funds: Reuters NewMedia - July 2, 2008; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush urged Congress on Wednesday to approve funds to fight AIDS in Africa and other countries, and said the issue was high on his agenda for a Group of Eight summit in Japan next week. Members of the U.S. Senate sought last week to pass legislation to more than triple funds to
Factbox: Issues at G8-Africa talks: Reuters NewMedia - July 2, 2008; A group of African leaders are scheduled to meet their counterparts from wealthy nations at a G8 summit in Japan next week. Following are key elements of previous dealings between the G8 and Africa and factors likely to be discussed this time. GLENEAGLES COMMITMENTS, 2005 After several years of increasing focus on Afr
Study finds people with HIV living longer: Reuters NewMedia - July 2, 2008; Michael Kahn; LONDON (Reuters) - People with HIV in the developed world are no more likely to die in the first five years following infection than men and women in the general population, British researchers said on Tuesday. The risk for people infected through sex creeps up after that, according to the study published in the Journa
Political will helping India's AIDS battle: U.N.: Reuters NewMedia - June 30, 2008; Bappa Majumdar; NEW DELHI (Reuters) - A strong political will was stimulating India s fight against AIDS, raising hopes of controlling its spread in the country with the world s third-largest caseload, the U.N. s AIDS agency said on Monday. Politicians were helping generate awareness among people, lobbying for HIV-related legislation
Lennox, Winehouse to Sing At Mandela Birthday Gig: Reuters NewMedia - June 27, 2008; LONDON (Reuters) - Queen, Annie Lennox, Simple Minds, Amy Winehouse and some of Africa s top singers are among the stars expected to perform before Nelson Mandela and nearly 50,000 fans at a London concert on Friday. The tribute to the elder statesman as he approaches his 90th birthday coincides with a disputed electio
Couples' counseling in Africa could cut HIV spread: Reuters NewMedia - June 26, 2008; CHICAGO (Reuters) - Counseling heterosexual couples in Zambia and Rwanda about HIV could avert up to 60 percent of infections, U.S. researchers said on Thursday. Most transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS in these countries is heterosexual, and the researchers said it is mainly among married
US senators push for passage of global AIDS money: Reuters NewMedia - June 26, 2008; Richard Cowan; WASHINGTON, June 26 (Reuters) - Members of the U.S. Senate sought on Thursday to pass bipartisan legislation to more than triple funds to fight AIDS in Africa and other countries, but some Republican foes vowed to block it because of its cost. President George W. Bush had called for a doubling of U.S. funding to help f
South Africa's Aspen wins ARV drug tender, shares soar: Reuters NewMedia - June 26, 2008; JOHANNESBURG, June 26 (Reuters) - South Africa s Aspen Pharmcare Holdings (APNJ.J: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Thursday it had won a significant portion of a tender for anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs, sending its shares up more than 10 percent. Aspen, Africa s largest pharmaceutical manufacturer, said it had secured
EU agency backs J&J's Intelence for some HIV patients.: Reuters NewMedia - June 26, 2008; LONDON, June 26 (Reuters) - The European Medicines Agency has recommended approval of Johnson & Johnson s (JNJ.N: Quote, Profile, Research) Intelence for use in combination with other medicines for the treatment of HIV in adults, the drugs watchdog said on Thursday. Recommendations for marketing approval by the Lon
FACTBOX-Life of Nelson Mandela: Reuters NewMedia - June 26, 2008; Pop stars including Queen, Leona Lewis, Annie Lennox, Simple Minds and Razorlight are expected to perform in London on Friday before Nelson Mandela. The gig in Hyde Park is to celebrate the former South African president s 90th birthday, which falls on July 18. Mandela guided South Africa from the shackles of apartheid
AIDS rates growing among drug users, gays-report: Reuters NewMedia - June 26, 2008; Robert Evans; GENEVA, June 26 (Reuters) - HIV/AIDS infection rates are growing among intravenous drug users, prostitutes and gay men around the globe but they are often viewed as outcasts and refused treatment, according to a report issued on Thursday. The report, from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Socie
Transplant patients should know risks - doctors: Reuters NewMedia - June 25, 2008; Julie Steenhuysen; CHICAGO (Reuters) - New guidelines are needed to inform people about the risks of organ transplants after four organ recipients in Chicago got HIV and hepatitis C from a single donor last year, U.S. doctors said on Wednesday. While tests initially showed the organs to be free from infection, the donor was known to have
Quarter of Ethiopia AIDS patients have stopped drugs: Reuters NewMedia - June 24, 2008; ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Over a quarter of Ethiopia s HIV/AIDS patients on drugs are not taking their medicine because of logistical problems but also due to religious beliefs, the head of a treatment body said on Tuesday. Over 40,000 of Ethiopia s 156,360 HIV/AIDS patients on the life-prolonging medication have discont
Archbishop Tutu urges Senate to pass AIDS bill: Reuters NewMedia - June 19, 2008; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa on Wednesday urged the U.S. Senate to pass a bill that would more than triple spending to fight AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in Africa and other parts of the world. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the legislation in April, but it has stalled in t
China to Award Blood Donors "Medals For Life": WHO: Reuters NewMedia - June 13, 2008; GENEVA (Reuters) - China has improved the safety of its blood supply by drawing in more volunteer donors, some of whom will be awarded Olympics-inspired medals for life, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday. Unpaid donations now make up 98.5 percent of blood stocks used in surgery and emergency treatments
Mozambique to build HIV/AIDS drug plant: Reuters NewMedia - June 13, 2008; Charles Mangwiro; MAPUTO, June 13 (Reuters) - Mozambique has approved the construction of a $23 million pharmaceutical plant that will manufacture drugs to treat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, the African nation s deputy health minister said on Friday. The former Portuguese colony has been hard hit by the AIDS epidemic, with an e
South African court bans AIDS vitamin trials: Reuters NewMedia - June 13, 2008; CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - A South African court on Friday issued an order banning unauthorized clinical trials of vitamin therapies for AIDS conducted by a team including a former adviser to President Thabo Mbeki. The Cape High Court ruled against German physician Matthias Rath and U.S. doctor David Rasnick, a former membe
Bush to seek EU support for new health projects: Reuters NewMedia - June 10, 2008; Jeremy Pelofsky; KRANJ, Slovenia (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush will seek support from the European Union to help combat treatable diseases in Africa and provide additional health care workers there, a White House official said Monday. At the annual U.S.-EU summit Tuesday, Bush plans to ask for financial commitments to treat
Better counting raises HIV rate in U.S. by 25 pct: Reuters NewMedia - June 10, 2008; Daniel Bases; UNITED NATIONS, June 10 (Reuters) - Researchers have been undercounting new cases of HIV infection in the United States , meaning the rate is probably 25 percent higher at 50,000 people per year, the nation s top AIDS doctor said on Tuesday. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectiou
Head of UN's AIDS program Piot to step down: Reuters NewMedia - June 10, 2008; UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations top official in the global fight against AIDS, Peter Piot, is stepping down after 13 years, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said on Tuesday. Ban, in a speech before the 2008 High Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS, praised Piot for being a tireless leader who has been at the vang
Funding gap for AIDS help persists -Global Fund: Reuters NewMedia - Monday, June 9, 2008; Daniel Bases; UNITED NATIONS, June 9 (Reuters) - The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria requires another $7 billion to $8 billion to reach its funding goals for 2008, the fund s executive director, Michel Kazatchkine, said on Monday. The estimated gap, again, this year is around $7 to $8 billion. It is going to incr
Government urges Mozambicans to seek HIV test, drugs: Reuters NewMedia - June 8, 2008; MAPUTO, June 8 (Reuters) - Not enough people are coming forward to get life-prolonging HIV drugs, despite Mozambique being able to provide antiretroviral (ARV) drugs to anyone needing them, the country s health minister said. We have the capacity to supply ARVs to anyone carrying the virus, but we have to convince peop
CARE warns millions at risk after Zimbabwe aid ban: Reuters NewMedia - June 6, 2008; Emelia Sithole-Matarise; JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Millions of Zimbabweans dependent on food and other relief aid are at risk after the Zimbabwean government banned international aid work in the southern African country, CARE International said on Friday. Zimbabwe indefinitely suspended all work by aid groups on Thursday, accusing some of campa
Watchdog warns of risks to media, Chinese staff: Reuters NewMedia - June 6, 2008; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Foreign journalists covering the Beijing Olympics must take care to avoid placing Chinese assistants and news sources at risk of arrest when covering sensitive topics, a U.S. watchdog group said on Thursday. The Committee to Protect Journalists also called on the International Olympic Committee t
HIV rate falls among pregnant women in South Africa: Reuters NewMedia - June 6, 2008; JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - The prevalence of HIV among pregnant women in South Africa fell for the second time in two years last year as a result of intensive prevention campaigns, the health minister said on Thursday. Presenting the health department s budget to parliament, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang said the decline, sho
Hollywood sees cracks in gay "glass closet": Reuters NewMedia - June 5, 2008; Alex Dobuzinskis; LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hollywood s glass closet may not be shattered, but with stars such as Ellen DeGeneres and T.R. Knight openly out and shows like The L Word proving popular in recent years, insiders say being gay or lesbian is no longer a career breaker for celebrities. The California Supreme Court on Wednesday g
Bush pushes G8 countries on disease aid for Africa: Reuters NewMedia - June 5, 2008; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush on Thursday pressed fellow rich nations to make good on their pledges to provide $60 billion to help African countries combat diseases like malaria and HIV/AIDS. The Group of Eight industrialized nations promised the money at their summit in Germany
Longer drug therapy helps babies ward off AIDS: Reuters NewMedia - June 4, 2008; Gene Emery; BOSTON, June 4 (Reuters) - Three months of extra treatment with the drug nevirapine helps babies ward off the AIDS virus longer, and infected women do not need to rush to wean their infants, researchers reported on Wednesday. Separate studies in two African nations address a pressing problem in developing countries, wh
Uganda arrests gay protesters at AIDS meeting: Reuters NewMedia - June 4, 2008; KAMPALA, June 4 (Reuters) - Ugandan police arrested three gay rights demonstrators who stormed a major AIDS conference in Kampala on Wednesday in protest at the government s stance on homosexuality, which is banned in the east African nation. Uganda s government said this week it would not focus any HIV/AIDS prevention
Vertex sells rights to HIV product royalties: Reuters NewMedia - June 3, 2008; NEW YORK, June 3 (Reuters) - Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc(VRTX.O: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Tuesday it sold the rights to future royalties on two HIV drugs under a license agreement with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK.L: Quote, Profile, Research) to unnamed financial investors for a one-time cash payment of $160 million.
Food crisis affects health and disease-WHO head: Reuters NewMedia - June 3, 2008; Laura MacInnis; ROME, June 3 (Reuters) - More than 20 countries already have serious problems of malnutrition and stunted growth as a result of the food crisis that has set back anti-poverty efforts by years, the World Health Organisation head said on Tuesday. In an interview in Rome, where world leaders are meeting to discuss global
Vast distances a barrier to combating HIV/AIDS in India: Reuters NewMedia - June 3, 2008; Tan Ee Lyn; NEW DELHI, June 3 (Reuters) - Vast distances are a major hurdle to India s efforts to curb its soaring HIV rate. India, which has the world s third largest HIV-positive caseload, gives drugs for free to HIV/AIDS patients. But doctors say this is not enough to stop the spread of HIV which is making inroads in rural Indi
Uganda shuns gays in anti-HIV drive: Reuters NewMedia - June 2, 2008; Frank Nyakairu; KAMPALA, June 2 (Reuters) - Uganda s government said on Monday it would not focus any of its HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programmes on outlawed homosexuals because the east African country is short of funds. Gays are one of the drivers of HIV in Uganda, but because of meagre resources we cannot direct our program
AIDS drugs reach 3 million in developing world-WHO: Reuters NewMedia - June 2, 2008; Michael Kahn; LONDON, June 2 (Reuters) - Nearly 3 million people in the developing world now get AIDS drugs -- 1 million more than a year ago -- but two-thirds of those in need still lack access to treatment, the World Health Organisation said on Monday. The increase in use reflects deep cuts in the price of branded medicines and wi
Malawi court approves Madonna adoption: lawyer: Reuters NewMedia - May 28, 2008; Mabvuto Banda; LILONGWE, Malawi (Reuters) - A Malawian court ruled on Wednesday that Madonna may formally adopt the baby boy she took home from an orphanage in the impoverished southern African nation, a lawyer for the U.S. pop star said. We are very happy with what the judge has ruled. It is a positive and beautiful judgment that wi
Global Fund seeks G8 commitment despite slowdown: Reuters NewMedia - May 27, 2008; Darren Ennis; BRUSSELS, May 27 (Reuters) - The world s richest countries must meet their commitments to help less developed nations, despite financial pressures created by the slowing global economy, the head of a leading programme to fight disease said. Michel Kazatchkine, executive director of The Global Fund, said his organisatio
HIV risk in war-torn Afghanistan high - ministry: Reuters NewMedia - May 26, 2008; KABUL, May 26 (Reuters) - The prevalence of HIV is low in Afghanistan , but the potential risk factors for the spread of the disease remain high, the Public Health Ministry said on Monday. So far 435 HIV positive cases have been reported in Afghanistan, the ministry said in a statement, but it is estimated there are 2,
Congo ex-rebel chief Bemba arrested for war crimes: Reuters NewMedia - May 25, 2008; Joe Bavier; KINSHASA: Congolese former rebel warlord Jean-Pierre Bemba was arrested by Belgian authorities in Brussels on Saturday on an International Criminal Court warrant for war crimes committed in the Central African Republic . Bemba, the defeated contender in Democratic Republic of Congo s 2006 presidential election, is accu
Madonna auctions "private concert": Reuters NewMedia - May 23, 2008; Mike Collett-White; MOUGINS, France (Reuters) - Madonna auctioned a private concert late on Thursday at a star-studded dinner, raising 350,000 euros ($560,000) for AIDS charity amfAR. The biggest lot on a night of conspicuous spending was a restored 1976 Porsche 911, which went for 500,000 euros after rap mogul Sean Diddy Combs stopped
Gilead says U.S. upholds one Viread patent: Reuters NewMedia - May 20, 2008; Will Dunham; xLOS ANGELES, May 20 (Reuters) - Gilead Sciences Inc (GILD.O: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Tuesday that U.S. patent officials have upheld one of the four challenged patents covering its AIDS medicine Viread . The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (PTO) has not announced its ruling on the remaining three patents,
Cancer risk soars in HIV-infected people: study: Reuters NewMedia - May 20, 2008; Will Dunham; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - People with HIV have a much higher risk for many cancers, including anal cancer, but a lower risk for prostate cancer, researchers said on Tuesday. Some types of cancers like Kaposi s sarcoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma have long been associated with people infected by the AIDS virus. The study focu
Chronic Diseases Top Causes Of Deaths Globally: WHO: Reuters NewMedia - May 20, 2008; GENEVA (Reuters) - Chronic conditions such as heart disease and stroke, often associated with a Western lifestyle, have become the chief causes of death globally, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Tuesday. The shift from infectious diseases including tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and malaria -- traditionally the big
Under wraps, prostitution rife in north Afghanistan: Reuters NewMedia - May 18, 2008; Tahir Qadiry; MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan (Reuters) - When 19-year-old Fatima returned to her home in northern Afghanistan after years as a refugee in Iran , she struggled desperately to earn a living. She briefly found work with an NGO, before being let go, and then spent two months learning how to weave carpets, before the factory
World Bank shifts HIV/AIDS focus in Africa: Reuters NewMedia - May 14, 2008; Lesley Wroughton; WASHINGTON, May 14 (Reuters) - The World Bank on Wednesday unveiled a four-year strategy to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa that shifts focus from emergency response to long-term development. The change was made possible after billions of dollars in grant funding became available from the U.S. Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief a
Health ministers to debate drug patent dispute: Reuters NewMedia - May 14, 2008; Laura MacInnis; GENEVA, May 14 (Reuters) - Health ministers from around the world will try next week to bridge differences over how to overhaul drug patent rules that developing countries say make life-saving medicines costly and inaccessible. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has struggled to find a way to encourage the development
Eli Lilly to help train doctors on drug-resistant TB: Reuters NewMedia - May 13, 2008; Laura MacInnis; GENEVA (Reuters) - U.S. pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly will donate $1 million to train doctors treating tuberculosis (TB), a disease that infects 9 million people every year and kills nearly 2 million. The interactive online course is meant as a refresher for physicians on the best ways to diagnose, prevent and treat
INTERVIEW-Corruption and AIDS curb Mozambique's development: Reuters NewMedia - May 11, 2008; Charles Mangwiro; MAPUTO, May 11 (Reuters) - Corruption, AIDS and bureaucracy are among the obstacles hampering Mozambique s efforts to reduce poverty, a senior European Union official said on Sunday. The head of the EU delegation in Mozambique, Glauco Calzuola said, however, the government had achieved good results in macro-economic st
Free AIDS drugs slash death rate in Malawi study: Reuters NewMedia - May 9, 2008; Ben Hirschler; LONDON, May 9 (Reuters) - Providing free AIDS drugs to people in northern Malawi has slashed adult mortality rates, vindicating a recent ramp-up in treatment in poor parts of rural Africa, researchers said on Friday. Just eight months after a free clinic opened in Karonga Town in June 2005, the death rate in a rural ar
Drugs Undermine Afghanistan's Efforts to Rebuild: Reuters NewMedia - May 7, 2008; FAIZABAD, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Jam Bigum, a drug addict in Afghanistan s impoverished northern province of Badakhshan, feeds her three-month-old son opium three times a day to keep him quiet. The baby got addicted in my womb. He will die of crying if I don t give him opium. When I give him opium he becomes quiet and
OraSure Technologies sees loss in Q2; shares plunge: Reuters NewMedia - May 6, 2008; May 6 (Reuters) - Diagnostic tests maker OraSure Technologies Inc (OSUR.O: Quote, Profile, Research) posted a higher quarterly profit, but cut its outlook for the second quarter and full year citing inventory issues and legal expenses among reasons, sending its shares down 13 percent to their new year-low. The company
UN in Zambia resumes repatriation of Congo refugees: Reuters NewMedia - May 6, 2008; LUSAKA, May 6 (Reuters) - The United Nations refugee agency and Zambian officials have resumed repatriation of Congolese refugees after suspending the effort due to a lack of funds last year, the agency said on Tuesday. The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says over 64,000 Congolese fled to Zambia during a 1
Mandela to mark 90th birthday at London concert: Reuters NewMedia - May 6, 2008; LONDON (Reuters) - Nelson Mandela will come to London in June to celebrate his 90th birthday with a series of events attended by stars and politicians including Oprah Winfrey, Robert de Niro and Bill Clinton, organizers said on Tuesday. Three days of celebrations will culminate in an evening concert at London s Hyde Pa
Global Fund mulls loans to fight AIDS: Reuters NewMedia - May 4, 2008; James Kilner; MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria may loan cash to developing countries when they grow too wealthy to qualify for grants, the fund s director, Michel Kazatchkine, said on Sunday. Including loans in its remit would allow The Global Fund -- which has raised about $10.8 billion for
INTERVIEW-Russia must grab chance to beat AIDS epidemic-UN: Reuters NewMedia - May 3, 2008; MOSCOW, May 3 (Reuters) - Russia will undo good progress in combating HIV/AIDS and miss the chance to stem the epidemic if it does not offer more help to people who inject themselves with drugs, U.N. AIDS chief Peter Piot said on Saturday. Piot also warned Russia and Ukraine of a rise in the
New immune treatment may control AIDS virus: Reuters NewMedia - May 2, 2008; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A new type of treatment that trains immune system cells to better recognize the AIDS virus may help control the deadly and incurable infection, Australian researchers reported on Friday. Tests on monkeys infected with a similar virus shows the treatment controlled the infection, although it does
Web site challenges stereotypes on HIV/AIDS: Reuters NewMedia - April 30, 2008; A new, viral web site conceived by U.S. college students challenges stereotypes about who might be infected with HIV using a model pioneered by a campaign to raise awareness about Darfur. The site, www.PosorNot.com, was unveiled on Wednesday by MTV, the Kaiser Family Foundation and POZ Magazine and presents viewers wit
Democrat Obama "outraged" by former pastor: Reuters NewMedia - April 30, 2008; Jeff Mason; WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina (Reuters) - Democratic Sen. Barack Obama, trying to quell a political firestorm that has roiled his presidential campaign, strongly denounced his former pastor on Tuesday and called his racially charged comments appalling. The controversy over the Rev. Jeremiah Wright has been a major stum
Many in Brazil want third Lula term but he says no: Reuters NewMedia - April 28, 2008; Ana Nicolaci da Costa; BRASILIA (Reuters) - A slight majority of Brazilians favor changing the constitution to allow President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to run for a third consecutive term in the 2010 election, a poll showed on Monday. Lula, whose popularity rose in April to its highest since he took office in 2003, would also be the favorit
Study shows promising new approach to thwart HIV: Reuters NewMedia - April 28, 2008; Will Dunham; WASHINGTON, April 28 (Reuters) - Researchers have pinpointed a protein in a key human immune system cells needed for the AIDS virus to infect them, and found that turning it off can greatly slow down the deadly virus. Inactivating a protein called ITK in immune system cells called T cells reduces HIV s ability to enter
Physical checks for AIDS nearly as good as lab tests: Reuters NewMedia - April 25, 2008; Stephanie Nebehay; GENEVA, April 25 (Reuters) - AIDS patients in poor countries checked for signs of decline such as fever or weight loss are likely to have nearly the same survival rate as Western patients who undergo costly laboratory tests, researchers said on Friday. Observing clinical symptoms is also almost as effective as laborato
U.N. urges world to help Africa fight malaria: Reuters NewMedia - April 25, 2008; Louis Charbonneau; UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - African countries hardest hit by malaria are failing to contain it and a new U.N. campaign launched on World Malaria Day on Friday aims to ensure that all Africa has access to basic malaria control measures. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said some African countries have fallen behind in
Singer N'Dour urges action to wipe out malaria: Reuters NewMedia - April 25, 2008; Lesley Wroughton; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - African singer and activist Youssou N Dour on Friday challenged the next president of the United States to eradicate malaria, Africa s biggest killer. While there has been steady progress in treating and slowing the spread of the mosquito-borne disease, N Dour said in an interview he believes mal
Rural Farmers Turn Malaria Medics In Sierra Leone: Reuters NewMedia - April 25, 2008; MALLAY, Sierra Leone (Reuters) - A year ago Adama Jongo, a rice and cassava farmer in Sierra Leone, almost died from malaria while pregnant. Now, the 37-year old mother of seven has turned volunteer medic to fight the disease under a pioneering scheme to bring life-saving healthcare closer to rural communities. Mal
Madonna shines light on Malawi with documentary: Reuters NewMedia - April 24, 2008; Michelle Nichols; NEW YORK (Reuters) - A single phone call prompted Madonna to begin charity work in Malawi and it was while making a documentary on the African country s 1 million orphans that she found a baby she decided to adopt. Premiering at New York s Tribeca Film Festival on Thursday, I Am Because We Are, which was written, prod
China vows tough response to Tibet rumor-mongering: Reuters NewMedia - April 24, 2008; BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese authorities will harshly deal with anyone who spreads rumors which excite popular feelings or disturb social harmony in the already restive region of Tibet, the government said on Thursday. The notice, coming just months before the Beijing Olympics, seems to be aimed at Tibetans who listen t
Biodiversity loss hurts drug discovery, says medical book: Reuters NewMedia - April 23, 2008; Neil Chatterjee; SINGAPORE (Reuters) - A new generation of drugs made from nature, from antibiotics to treatments for cancer, may be lost unless the world acts to stop biodiversity loss, according to a new book. These developments could come from chemicals made by frogs, bears and pine trees, but the authors of Sustaining Life warned t
Jane Goodall passes activist torch to world's youth: Reuters NewMedia - April 23, 2008; Barbara Liston; ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - Renowned primatologist Jane Goodall, 74, symbolically passed the torch on Tuesday to a new generation of hand-picked environmental and peace activists whom she gathered this week for the first Jane Goodall Global Youth Summit. The 100 (young people) who are here represent hundreds of thousa
To Fight Prostitution, Some Say Target Clients: Reuters NewMedia - April 21, 2008; LONDON (Reuters) - Would the hundreds of men who paid to have sex with Alicia have cared if they knew she was being held captive by a trafficker who raped her and pimped her, and that she was infected with HIV? I don t think they would have come back. If they really knew, says the Rwandan woman, who was brought from Af
To fight prostitution, some say target clients: Reuters NewMedia - April 21, 2008; Peter Graff; Would the hundreds of men who paid to have sex with Alicia have cared if they knew she was being held captive by a trafficker who raped her and pimped her, and that she was infected with HIV? I don t think they would have come back. If they really knew, says the Rwandan woman, who was brought from Africa to a south Lon
Zimbabwe crisis taints Mbeki, boosts Zuma: Reuters NewMedia - April 16, 2008; Michael Georgy; JOHANNESBURG, April 16 (Reuters) - South African President Thabo Mbeki s refusal to take a tougher line on neighbouring Zimbabwe has further damaged his credibility and handed rival Jacob Zuma another opening to improve his image. Regional leaders last year mandated Mbeki to lead mediation between President Robert Muga
Africa failing to cut infant deaths - report: Reuters NewMedia - April 16, 2008; CAPE TOWN, April 16 (Reuters) - African countries have made the least progress among developing nations towards a U.N. goal of cutting infant and maternal mortality by two thirds by 2015, a new report showed on Wednesday. The 10 countries with the worst infant mortality records were in sub-Saharan Africa, hard hit by H
Abbott Profit Up on Drugs Sales: Reuters NewMedia - April 16, 2008; NEW YORK (Reuters) - Abbott Laboratories Inc said on Wednesday first-quarter earnings increased 34 percent on higher sales of its prescription drugs and medical devices and favorable foreign exchange factors. The company reported strong sales gains for its top medicines, diagnostics and other products even excluding th
Release our relatives, China AIDS victims say: Reuters NewMedia - April 16, 2008; BEIJING, April 16 (Reuters) - A group of Chinese HIV/AIDS sufferers appealed on Wednesday for police to release their relatives, detained after trying to complain to Premier Wen Jiabao about a hospital they said spread the HIV virus. Wen visited Hebei province, next to Beijing, on April 5, and some residents of Shahe i
TIMELINE: Pope Benedict as pontiff: Reuters NewMedia - April 15, 2008; (Reuters) - Pope Benedict lands in Washington on Tuesday to begin a six-day visit to the United States , his first as pontiff. Here is a chronology of major events since Joseph Ratzinger was elected pope on April 19, 2005. April 24, 2005 - Benedict is installed as leader of the Roman Catholic Church at an inaugural Mas
Zimbabwe situation is "dire", ANC says: Reuters NewMedia - April 15, 2008; Marius Bosch; JOHANNESBURG, April 15 (Reuters) - South Africa s ruling ANC, in its strongest criticism of President Thabo Mbeki yet, on Tuesday warned of a dire situation in Zimbabwe which was having a negative impact on all of southern Africa. Mbeki, who has long pursued quiet diplomacy in Zimbabwe and adopted a wait-and-see appro
Chinese AIDS victims detained, harassed: lawyers: Reuters NewMedia - April 14, 2008; BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese police have detained up to eight HIV/AIDS-affected people who tried to complain to Premier Wen Jiabao about a hospital they claimed spread the HIV virus, lawyers for two of the families said on Monday. Wen visited Hebei province next to Beijing on April 5, and some residents of Shahe in the
Theratechnologies to release more tesamorelin data: Reuters NewMedia - April 14, 2008; TORONTO, April 14 (Reuters) - Theratechnologies (TH.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Monday it would release more results from the Phase 3 trial of tesamorelin by the end of the first half of 2008. The company said the last patient had completed 26 weeks of treatment in the confirmatory Phase 3 trial testing of th
Madonna due in Malawi court in late April: Reuters NewMedia - April 11, 2008; LILONGWE (Reuters) - U.S. pop star Madonna is expected to appear in a Malawian court in about two weeks for a final ruling on whether she can adopt a child from the southern African country, court clerks said on Friday. Tentatively the case is expected in court on these dates -- the 22nd, 23rd and 25th (of April), sai
Brazil may reject Gilead's AIDS drug patent: Reuters NewMedia - April 10, 2008; Maria Pia Palermo; RIO DE JANEIRO, April 10 (Reuters) - Brazil has decreed U.S. pharmaceutical firm Gilead s (GILD.O: Quote, Profile, Research) AIDS drug Tenofovir in the public interest , signaling it may reject a patent request due to its high price and import a generic version. The Health Ministry said in a decree published on W
Egypt court jails five men for debauchery: Reuters NewMedia - April 9, 2008; Cynthia Johnston; CAIRO, April 9 (Reuters) - An Egyptian court on Wednesday convicted and jailed five men arrested on morals charges in what rights groups have described as an escalating crackdown on Egyptians living with HIV. Court sources said the men, four of whom are HIV-positive, were sentenced to three years in jail for the habitu
"Idol" charity show hopes to top $100 million: Reuters NewNedia - April 8, 2008; Jill Serjeant; LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - American Idol hosts a star-studded fund-raising special this week aimed at raising more than $100 million for children s charities in the United States and Africa. Idol Gives Back, which last year raised $76 million in the first mass fund-raising venture by a U.S reality TV show, airs a 2 1/2-ho
Brazil says condoms to stem Amazon losses, AIDS: Reuters NewNedia - April 7, 2008; BRASILIA (Reuters) - The Brazilian government began producing condoms on Monday using rubber from trees in the Amazon, a move it said would help preserve the world s largest rainforest and cut dependence on imported contraceptives given away to fight AIDS. Brazil s first government-run condom factory, located in northw
G8 development ministers call for food price steps: Reuters NewNedia - April 6, 2008; Yoko Nishikawa; TOKYO, April 6 (Reuters) - Development ministers from the world s rich nations on Sunday called for action to confront soaring food prices, which they say hurt developing nations as well as donors efforts to help them. Ministers from the Group of Eight (G8) industrialised nations said development assistance needed to b
INTERVIEW-Global Fund considers loans to fight AIDS: Reuters NewMedia - May 4, 2008; James Kilner; MOSCOW, May 4 (Reuters) - The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria may loan cash to developing countries when they grow too wealthy to qualify for grants, the fund s director, Michel Kazatchkine, said on Sunday. Including loans in its remit would allow The Global Fund -- which has raised about $10.8 bill
Africa must make health spending a priority: group: Reuters NewNedia - April 3, 2008; Helen Nyambura-Mwaura; ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Africa must make higher health spending a priority if it is to stop rich nations poaching medical staff and cut deaths from the continent s five biggest killers, an African health campaign group said. Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, malaria, child and maternal mortality kill 8 million Africans every yea
China Jails Rights Activist Outspoken on Tibet: Reuters NewNedia - April 3, 2008; BEIJING (Reuters) - A Buddhist Chinese dissident outspoken on Tibet and other sensitive topics was jailed for three-and-a-half years on Thursday, a conviction likely to become a focus of rights campaigns ahead of the Beijing Olympics. Hu Jia, 34, was found guilty of inciting subversion of state power for criticizing th
Malawi Government Backs Madonna on Adoption: Reuters NewNedia - April 3, 2008; LILONGWE (Reuters) - Malawi s government has recommended that its High Court approve Madonna s adoption of David Banda, the child she met in a Malawian orphanage a year and a half ago. Madonna began adoption proceedings in 2006 and the 2-year-old has been living with the pop star and her film director husband Guy Ritch
U.N. sees progress inadequate on children and AIDS: Reuters NewNedia - April 3, 2008; Patrick Worsnip; UNITED NATIONS, April 3 (Reuters) - Efforts to reduce the number of children dying of HIV/AIDS have made some progress but still fall well short of targets, the U.N. children s agency UNICEF reported on Thursday. Last year, an estimated 2.1 million children worldwide were infected with HIV and 290,000 died. As of 2005,
House passes big hike in global AIDS funds: Reuters NewNedia - April 3, 2008; Will Dunham; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a bill to more than triple spending to fight AIDS in Africa and other parts of the world, one of President George W. Bush s foremost foreign aid quests. The measure, a bipartisan compromise backed by the White House and passed by a vote of 308 to 1
EU follows U.S. with review of Glaxo AIDS drugs: Reuters NewNedia - April 2, 2008; LONDON, April 2 (Reuters) - The European Medicines Agency said on Wednesday it was seeking further information about the safety of certain GlaxoSmithKline Plc (GSK.L: Quote, Profile, Research) AIDS drugs, after a study showed a higher heart-attack risk compared with other HIV medicines. The move follows a similar r
Prospects grow for Zimbabwe election runoff: Reuters NewNedia - April 2, 2008; Stella Mapenzauswa; HARARE, April 2 (Reuters) - Prospects for a runoff in Zimbabwe s election appeared to increase on Wednesday after state media said President Robert Mugabe had failed to win a majority for the first time in nearly three decades. Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai insisted on Tuesday that he would win an outright majori
Madonna expected in Malawi over adoption next week: Reuters NewNedia - April 2, 2008; LILONGWE (Reuters) - American pop star Madonna is due back in Malawi next week for what is expected to be a final court ruling on whether she can adopt a child from the southern African country, airport officials said on Tuesday. A senior official at Lilongwe International Airport told Reuters her jet was cleared for l
Zimbabwe Poll Heads to Runoff: Projections: Reuters NewNedia - April 1, 2008; HARARE (Reuters) - Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai will beat President Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe s crucial election, but be forced into a runoff vote in three weeks, according to a ruling party projection. Two ZANU-PF party sources said on Tuesday the projection showed Tsvangirai falling short of the 51 percent nee
Key facts on Botswana: Reuters NewNedia - April 1, 2008; April 1 (Reuters) - Seretse Khama Ian Khama was inaugurated president of Botswana on Tuesday. Botswana is the world s biggest producer of diamonds and more recently became known for Precious Ramotswe, the heroine of Alexander McCall Smith s fictional Lady Detective series, set in the country s capital of Gaborone.
Mounting concern at Zimbabwe poll delays: Reuters NewMedia - March 31, 2008; Cris Chinaka; HARARE (Reuters) - Concern grew on Monday that long delays in issuing Zimbabwe s election results hid attempts by President Robert Mugabe to cling to power by rigging. Almost 48 hours after polls closed, only 52 of 210 parliamentary constituencies had been declared, showing Mugabe s ZANU-PF party one seat ahead of the
Zimbabwe: Mugabe Hands Out Cars: Reuters NewMedia - March 28, 2008; President Robert Mugabe gave out 450 cars to senior and midlevel doctors at government hospitals in what opponents say is a vote-buying campaign ahead of Saturday s presidential election. Mr. Mugabe presented doctors with keys to the cars at a ceremony in which he blamed Western sanctions for harming health care in
U.S. reviewing safety of Glaxo, Bristol AIDS drugs: Reuters NewMedia - March 27, 2008; Lisa Richwine; WASHINGTON, March 27 (Reuters) - U.S. health officials are reviewing the safety of AIDS drugs sold by GlaxoSmithKline Plc (GSK.L: Quote, Profile, Research) and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co (BMY.N: Quote, Profile, Research) after a study showed a higher heart-attack risk compared with other HIV medicines, the Food and Drug A
TB-HIV co-infections need common effort: U.N. envoy: Reuters NewMedia - March 26, 2008; UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - A U.N. meeting in June will examine the worrisome links between tuberculosis and HIV and how best to help millions of people who have both diseases, the U.N. s special envoy on TB said on Tuesday. What we need from that meeting is to come out of it with a common strategy to scale up efforts t
AIDS cases could jump in Asia by 2020 - UN report: Reuters NewMedia - March 26, 2008; Lewis Krauskopf; UNITED NATIONS, March 26 (Reuters) - The number of people in Asia infected with HIV could jump by almost 8 million by 2020 unless more is done to combat the spread of the virus that causes AIDS, a report presented to the U.N. secretary-general said on Wednesday. That increase could be kept to 3 million if a response pr
Government sees overhaul of AIDS vaccine effort: Reuters NewMedia - Tuesday, March 25, 2008; Andrew Quinn; BETHESDA, Maryland (Reuters) - The U.S. government began a major overhaul of its effort to produce an AIDS vaccine on Tuesday, stressing a return to basic scientific research after the failure of a key clinical trial last year. Government officials at a summit with AIDS scientists pledged to prioritize spending on lab
Strides Arcolab gets first U.S. nod for HIV drug: Reuters NewMedia - March 25, 2008; MUMBAI (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has tentatively approved Strides Arcolab Ltd s stavudine , lamivudine and nevirapine combination drug to treat HIV, the regulator s Web site showed on Tuesday. Shares in the company ended 10.
U.S. Researchers Create Protein Map Of Human Spit: Reuters NewMedia - March 25, 2008; CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. researchers have identified all 1,116 unique proteins found in human saliva glands, a discovery they said on Tuesday could usher in a wave of convenient, spit-based diagnostic tests that could be done without the need for a single drop of blood. As many as 20 percent of the proteins that are fo
Over 1,300 Mozambique teachers die yearly of AIDS: Reuters NewMedia - March 25, 2008; Charles Mangwiro; MAPUTO, March 25 (Reuters) - More than one-sixth of Mozambique s 9,000 teachers are dying of HIV/AIDS each year, lowering the quality of education and jeopardising future development, a government official told Reuters on Tuesday. Education and Culture Minister Aires Aly said in an interview that the pandemic had becom
Key facts about Comoros: Reuters NewMedia - March 24, 2008; GEOGRAPHY: Area: 2,230 sq km. The Comoros cover three small volcanic islands, Grande Comore, Anjouan and Moheli, in the Mozambique channel, 300 km (190 miles) - (Reuters) - Comoros used helicopters on Monday to drop leaflets on rebel Anjouan island, warning that a military assault was imminent and telling locals to sta
CDC says progress against tuberculosis slows in US: Reuters NewMedia - March 20, 2008; Will Dunham; WASHINGTON, March 20 (Reuters) - Tuberculosis is appearing in the United States at the lowest rate ever recorded, with foreign-born people accounting for a majority of the cases, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday. It said 13,293 TB cases were reported in the United States in 2007, with the
Some people may transmit weaker AIDS virus-study: Reuters NewMedia - March 20, 2008; Michael Kahn; LONDON, March 21 (Reuters) - People with a genetic variation that slows down HIV may also be causing a mutation to the AIDS virus that makes it less potent if transmitted to others, researchers said on Friday. The human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS attacks immune system cells. Like other viruses, it cannot r
Obama denounces preacher, says can't disown him: Reuters NewMedia - March 18, 2008; Caren Bohan; PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Tuesday criticized his preacher for racially charged rhetoric but said he could not disown the man who baptized his children and officiated at his wedding. Obama sought to quell a firestorm of controversy ignited when attention was called t
Doctor training urged to fight syphilis spread: Reuters NewMedia - March 18, 2008; Julie Steenhuysen; CHICAGO: Syphilis is making a comeback in developed countries, spurred by illicit drug use and high-risk sexual behaviours, and many doctors are unprepared to recognize and treat it, U.S. researchers said on Monday. They said syphilis has been on the rise since the beginning of the 21st century in high-income countries
In Zimbabwe, Hungry Voters Ask Who Will Feed Us?: Reuters NewMedia - March 17, 2008; SHANGANI, Zimbabwe (Reuters) - With her hand on her cheek, the 68-year-old woman gazes patiently at the cars racing past her, hoping someone will stop and buy the firewood at her feet so that she can feed her three grandchildren. MaNcube, as she is called in her village here in Shangani, a dry arid land 360 km (228 mil
TB killed 1.7 million globally in 2006, WHO says: Reuters NewMedia - March 17, 2008; Will Dunham; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The rate of tuberculosis incidence fell slightly worldwide for a second straight year in 2006, but there were still 9.2 million new cases and the disease killed 1.7 million people, the U.N. health agency said on Monday, The rate decline of 0.6 percent in 2006 compared to 2005 was so modest that t
Clinton, Obama Clash Despite Plan to Talk Issues: Reuters NewMedia - March 15, 2008; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic U.S. presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama clashed on Saturday over his ties to an indicted Chicago businessman and her tax records, despite their agreement two days earlier on the need to focus on issues. Clinton s campaign questioned Obama s judgment in his dealing
India court suspends charges against Richard Gere: Reuters NewMedia - March 14, 2008; NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India s Supreme Court suspended on Friday legal proceedings against Richard Gere, who faced obscenity charges for publicly kissing Bollyood star Shilpa Shetty last year. Gere made headlines when he arched over and kissed Shilpa Shetty, winner of the British reality television show Celebrity Big Br
World Bank, India approve steps to fight corruption: Reuters NewMedia - March 13, 2008; WASHINGTON, March 13 (Reuters) - The World Bank and Indian government on Thursday agreed on steps to root out corruption after a World Bank probe uncovered serious incidents of fraud and corruption in country health projects the bank helped finance. The World Bank said it would work with the Indian government to conduc
Laura Bush calls for U.S. AIDS funding approval: Reuters NewMedia - March 13, 2008; Deborah Charles; PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) - After visiting the world s oldest AIDS clinic and meeting HIV-positive Haitians, U.S. first lady Laura Bush on Thursday urged lawmakers to approve tens of billions of dollars more to combat the disease. As we speak, the second reauthorization of PEPFAR is being discussed in the U.S. Congress,
Second study finds treating herpes won't stop HIV: Reuters NewMedia - March 12, 2008; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A second study has found that treating genital herpes infections does not protect people from the AIDS virus. The study, published on Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine, casts even more doubt on the once hopeful idea that treating the common infection might help put a dent in the AI
J&J, FDA warn of liver risk with HIV drug patients: Reuters NewMedia - March 12, 2008; WASHINGTON, March 12 (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned of reported liver damage and death in patients taking the company s HIV drug Prezista, according to a letter released on Wednesday. The letter, sent by J&J s Tibotec Therapeutics
U.S. syphilis rate up for 7th year in row, CDC says: Reuters NewMedia - March 12, 2008; Will Dunham; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. syphilis rate rose for the seventh straight year in 2007, driven by a continued surge in cases among homosexual and bisexual men, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Wednesday. Since 2000, when the national syphilis rate sank to a low of 2.1 per 100,000 people aft
Foreign donors back away from Indonesia AIDS fight: Reuters NewMedia - March 12, 2008; JAKARTA (Reuters) - Foreign donors who have propped up Indonesia s fight against AIDS/HIV are poised to slash their funding programs, partly because they now consider Indonesia a middle-income country, officials said on Wednesday. Infection rates in Indonesia are increasing rapidly among high-risk population groups, es
Quarter of U.S. teen girls have sex-related disease: Reuters NewMedia - March 11, 2008; Will Dunham; WASHINGTON: More than one in four U.S. teen girls is infected with at least one sexually transmitted disease, and the rate is highest among blacks, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Tuesday. An estimated 3.2 million U.S. girls ages 14 and 19 -- about 26 percent of that age group -- have a sexu
Group gets to test new Merck AIDS drug in gel: Reuters NewMedia - March 11, 2008; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A group working to develop a gel or cream women could use to protect themselves against the AIDS virus said on Tuesday they have permission to use an experimental new drug from Merck and Co (MRK.N: Quote, Profile, Research). It is the sixth HIV drug to be tested by the International Partnership f
Global fund seeks $12 bln to fight AIDS, TB: Reuters NewMedia - March 10, 2008; Haggai Chilabi; LUSAKA, March 10 (Reuters) - The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria hopes to raise over $12 billion by 2012 to help some of the world s poorest nations fight the diseases, its chairman said on Monday. Rajat Gupta expressed confidence that the fund could raise the money after it secured $100 million in
Thailand will override cancer drug patents: Reuters NewMedia - March 10, 2008; BANGKOK, March 10 (Reuters) - Thailand s new government will override international patents on three cancer drugs, new Health Minister Chaiya Sasomsap said on Monday after a month of protests against his review of the controversial policy. Chaiya, under pressure from health activists and doctors who campaigned to have
South Africa worried about affordability of AIDS fight: Reuters NewMedia - March 7, 2008; South Africa , which has one of the world s highest rates of HIV/AIDS, is worried a national programme to fight the disease could founder on a lack of financial resources, it said in a report to the United Nations. An estimated 500,000 people in South Africa are infected with HIV/AIDS each year and close to 1,000 die
Australia to help PNG combat AIDS epidemic: Reuters NewMedia - March 7, 2008; Alexander Rheeney; PORT MORESBY, March 7 (Reuters) - Australia offered more money to help Papua New Guinea combat HIV/AIDS on Friday, saying more needed to be done to fight the growing epidemic in the South Pacific island nation. PNG has the South Pacific s highest rate of HIV/AIDS, with about 64,000, or
Key facts on Prince Harry: Reuters NewMedia - March 1, 2008; (Reuters) - Prince Harry, who is third in line to the throne, has been serving with the army in Afghanistan for 2-1/2 months, the Ministry of Defence said on Thursday. The prince is the first member of the royal family to see action since his uncle, Prince Andrew, flew helicopters in the Falklands War in 1982. Here
Gilead seen gaining share in AIDS drug market: Reuters NewMedia - February 28, 2008; Deena Beasley; LOS ANGELES, Feb 28 (Reuters) - A safety board has recommended that certain AIDS patients taking part in a study of GlaxoSmithKline Plc s (GSK.L: Quote, Profile, Research) Epzicom consider switching to Gilead Sciences Inc s (GILD.O: Quote, Profile, Research)
Home-based programs cut African AIDS deaths: study: Reuters NewMedia - February 28, 2008; Michael Kahn; LONDON (Reuters) - Providing HIV drug cocktails to people in their homes can cut AIDS-related deaths substantially in poor, rural areas of Africa, researchers said on Friday. A study in Uganda showed that hiring local health workers to help people stick to a strict regimen of drugs cut the number of AIDS deaths by more
India mulls overriding drug patents in test case: Reuters NewMedia - February 27, 2008; Jonathan Allen; NEW DELHI, Feb 27 (Reuters) - India s patent office will consider this week whether to override patents on cancer drugs made by Pfizer and Roche and allow a generics firm to export copycat versions to Nepal in the first case of its kind here.
Thai chief drug price negotiator removed from post: Reuters NewMedia - February 26, 2008; BANGKOK, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Thailand s chief negotiator with major drug firms that are battling Bangkok s override of their international patents has been removed from his post, Health Minister Chaiya Sasomsap said on Tuesday. Siriwat Thiptharadon, head of the Food and Drug Administration and an architect of the previo
Malawi drafts law against "healers" of AIDS: Reuters NewMedia - February 26, 2008; LILONGWE, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Malawi has drafted a law to stop traditional healers from claiming they can cure AIDS and religious leaders from advising their flocks to discard treatment for prayer, a government official said on Tuesday. Malawi, with a population of about 13 million, ranks among the countries hardest hit
IMF aims to win over critics in Africa: Reuters NewMedia - February 25, 2008; Daniel Flynn and Mathieu Bonkoungou; OUAGADOUGOU, Feb 25 (Reuters) - There were no crowds waving flags on the dusty streets of Ouagadougou, unusually for an African summit, but then many in Africa feel the arrival of the International Monetary Fund is nothing to cheer about. IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn was in Burkina Faso on
Tests of new AIDS gel show promise for women: Reuters NewMedia - February 25, 2008; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A gel that uses a popular HIV drug to protect women from the AIDS virus is safe and acceptable to women, although it is too early to know if it actually prevents infection, researchers reported on Monday. The gel uses the drug tenofovir , sold under the name
AIDS a major threat to Mozambican economy - IMF: Reuters NewMedia - February 22, 2008; Charles Mangwiro; MAPUTO, Feb 22 (Reuters) - AIDS is becoming a major threat to Mozambique s booming economy, killing off workers who are key to the southern African nation s development, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Friday. More than 16 percent of Mozambicans between the ages of 14 and 49, generally the most economical
China reports rise in sexually transmitted diseases: Reuters NewMedia - February 22, 2008; BEIJING (Reuters) - China unveiled on Friday a large percentage rise in 2007 in diseases transmitted sexually or via blood, including AIDS and syphilis, without reporting exact figures. The number of new AIDS infections soared 45 percent in 2007, compared with 2006, the Health Ministry said in a statement on its Web si
Recruiting African health workers a crime -Lancet: Reuters NewMedia - February 21, 2008; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor; WASHINGTON, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Rich countries are poaching so many African health workers that the practice should be viewed as a crime, a team of international disease experts said on Thursday. More than 13,000 doctors trained in sub-Saharan Africa are now practicing in Britain, the United States ,
China to set AIDS prevention policies for gay men: Reuters NewMedia - February 21, 2008; BEIJING, Feb 21 (Reuters) - China will set policies aimed at stopping the spread of AIDS among gay men as the country seeks to stem growing numbers of HIV infections contracted through sex, state media reported. The Chinese Ministry of Health announced it would formulate policies concerning AIDS prevention and treatmen
Study urges new focus in hunt for emerging diseases: Reuters NewMedia - February 20, 2008; Michael Kahn; LONDON (Reuters) - Health experts are mostly looking in the wrong places for the next AIDS, Ebola, or bird flu and should shift resources from rich countries to the developing world most likely to spawn the next big disease, researchers say. Many of the emerging disease danger zones were most likely to be found in the
South Africa to spend more on AIDS, crime and poverty: Reuters NewMedia - February 20, 2008; Wendell Roelf; CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - South African Finance Minister Trevor Manuel on Wednesday promised billions of rand to help curb a rampant HIV/AIDS pandemic, reduce poverty and fight crime as the country prepares to host the 2010 Soccer World Cup. The host nation has one of the world s highest incidences of murder and rape, with
U.N. taps ex-French minister in anti-poverty drive: Reuters NewMedia - February 19, 2008; UNITED NATIONS, Feb 19 (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed former French foreign minister Philippe Douste-Blazy on Tuesday as a special adviser on raising non-governmental money for U.N. anti-poverty goals. The U.N. Millennium Development Goals aim to halve poverty around the world by 2015, but the
Bush in Rwanda to focus on past, current conflicts: Reuters NewMedia - February 19, 2008; Deborah Charles and Arthur Asiimwe; KIGALI, Feb 19 (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush will commemorate the Rwandan genocide on Tuesday, one of the darkest episodes in Africa s recent history, and call attention to the current conflict in Darfur which he also calls genocide. Moving on from Tanzania , the centrepiece of his five-nation African tour,
Glaxo cuts HIV drug prices for poor countries: Reuters NewMedia - February 19, 2008; LONDON, Feb 19 (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline Plc (GSK.L: Quote, Profile, Research) cut the prices on its range of HIV drugs offered to developing countries, marking the fifth such discount since 1997. The most significant reduction is an almost 40 percent cut on Ziagen , a pill the
Cream to prevent HIV safe, but not effective: study: Reuters NewMedia - February 18, 2008; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A cream designed to protect women from the AIDS virus did not prevent infection, but it was safe, raising hopes that it might be combined with drugs or other compounds to work better, researchers said on Monday. The product, called Carraguard, is the first HIV cream to be tested in advanced trial
AIDS, malaria on WHO chief's agenda in Angola: Reuters NewMedia - February 18, 2008; Paul Simao; JOHANNESBURG, Feb 18 (Reuters) - The director-general of the World Health Organization on Monday met with officials in Angola in a bid to improve cooperation in the fight against AIDS, malaria and other common diseases in the African nation. Oil-rich Angola has struggled to rebuild hospitals, clinics and other parts of
Auction nets over $40 mln for AIDS in Africa: Reuters NewMedia - February 15, 2008; NEW YORK, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Contemporary art collectors opened their wallets on Thursday and shelled out $42.6 million at a Valentine s Day charity auction spearheaded by rocker Bono and British artist Damien Hirst to benefit the fight against AIDS in Africa. Spirited bidding and prices far in excess of pre-sale estim
High dose of Indevus' HIV gel less promising: Review: Reuters NewMedia - February 15, 2008; Feb 15 (Reuters) - Indevus Pharmaceuticals Inc (IDEV.O: Quote, Profile, Research) said an independent data monitoring committee recommended the closure of the high-dose arm in the late-stage trial of PRO 2000, its experimental vaginal microbicide gel for HIV prevention. The committee review found that there is no more
Africa bright spot in Bush foreign policy legacy: Reuters NewMedia - February 14, 2008; Tabassum Zakaria; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush travels this week to Africa, one of the few regions where he can claim globally recognized successes for efforts on AIDS and development in a foreign policy legacy dominated by the Iraq war. But conflicts in Kenya and Darfur will i
FACTBOX-AIDS in Africa: Reuters NewMedia - February 14, 2008; Feb 14 (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush travels to Africa on Friday for a first-hand look at U.S.-sponsored HIV/AIDS programs. Here are some key details about AIDS in the region: * AIDS IN AFRICA: -- Sixty eight percent of all people infected with HIV live in sub-Saharan Africa, where more than three quarters
Malawi Minister Says Madonna Adoption Should Not Be Denied: Reuters NewMedia - February 11, 2008; LILONGWE (Reuters) - A Malawian minister on Monday praised Madonna s efforts to rally support for orphans in the southern African nation and said it would be wrong for the government to deny the pop star s adoption of a child there. Madonna, who is in the process of adopting a Malawian boy, David Banda, hosted a New Yo
Handle on cell escorts AIDS virus, study finds: Reuters NewMedia - February 10, 2008; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Researchers have found another handle that the AIDS virus uses to attack cells, and said this one may explain how it gets into the gut, where it hides out and multiplies for a full assault on the body. The handle is a cell receptor, and its discovery could open new ways to fight the fatal and so
UN envoy urges Indonesia to step up AIDS battle: Reuters NewMedia - Friday, February 8, 2008; JAKARTA, Feb 8 - Indonesia should be more aggressive in preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS to the general population while infection levels are still low, a U.N. special envoy said on Friday. Indonesia faces a growing AIDS problem, particularly among drug users and prostitutes. However, the country s overall estimated H
Russia moves AIDS prisoner to hospital: Reuters NewMedia - Friday, February 8, 2008; Conor Sweeney; MOSCOW - A jailed former oil executive gravely ill with HIV/AIDS was transferred to a specialist clinic on Friday, Russia s prison service said, following an international campaign on his behalf. A former vice-president of the now-defunct Yukos oil company, Vasily Alexanian, 36, says he is nearly blind, has cancer of t
New Thai govt to review drug patent plan: Reuters NewMedia - February 7, 2008; Nopporn Wong-Anan; BANGKOK, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Thailand , which has stunned major drug makers by overriding patents, will review the compulsory licences announced by the previous military-appointed government, Health Minister Chaiya Sasomsap said on Thursday. Chaiya, speaking to reporters as a new government began work after a December el
Idenix says HIV drug promising in early trial: Reuters NewMedia - Wednesday, February 6, 2008; NEW YORK, Feb 6 - Idenix Pharmaceuticals Inc (IDIX.O: Quote, Profile, Research) on Wednesday reported favorable data from a very small early-stage study of its experimental HIV treatment. The biotechnology company said the study of its medicine IDX899, a member of the non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNR
HIV can be passed to babies in pre-chewed food: Reuters NewMedia - February 6, 2008; Will Dunham; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The AIDS virus can be passed from an infected mother to her baby if she pre-chews the child s food as sometimes occurs in developing countries, U.S. government scientists said on Wednesday. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it had identified three cases -- two in Miami and
Egypt HIV case sparks arrests - rights group: Reuters NewMedia - February 6, 2008; CAIRO, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Human Rights Watch criticised Egypt on Wednesday for eight arrests prompted by one man s statement that he was HIV-positive, and said the detentions embodied both ignorance and injustice . The U.S.-based rights group said the men, all arrested since October, were given HIV tests without their c
Herpes drug does not prevent HIV infection: study: Reuters NewMedia - February 4, 2008; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - People who took a drug to reduce outbreaks of genital herpes were not any less likely to become infected with the AIDS virus, an international team of researchers reported on Monday. The findings raised questions about whether the drug, called acyclovir , worked well
CORRECTED: HIV drugs make breast-feeding safer: Reuters NewMedia - February 4, 2008; (Corrects second paragraph to show babies, not mothers, got the drug and 6th paragraph to show babies got vitamins and not placebo.) WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A drug that helps prevent babies from catching the AIDS virus at birth can also protect them while nursing, researchers reported on Monday. Babies of HIV-infected w
Bono, Hirst auction combines art and charity: Reuters NewMedia - February 4, 2008; Christopher Michaud; NEW YORK (Reuters) - The contemporary art world s brightest stars, including Jeff Koons and Damien Hirst, have aligned to provide AIDS relief in Africa with a special auction in New York conceived by Hirst and rock star Bono. The (Red) Auction is estimated to take in up to $29 million and is being billed by Sotheby s a
World Bank head sees Mozambique AIDS spread threat: Reuters NewMedia - February 4, 2008; Lesley Wroughton; MAPUTO - The head of the World Bank said on Monday he was worried very high rates of HIV/AIDS infections and related tuberculosis in Mozambique could spread as new transport routes are developed to meet growing economic activity. World Bank President Robert Zoellick met government officials, donors and non-profit group
HIV therapy does not eliminate transmission risk-WHO: Reuters NewMedia - February 1, 2008; GENEVA, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Anti-retroviral drug treatments can dramatically reduce the level of HIV virus in the blood but transmission risks remain, United Nations health agencies said on Friday. The World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNAIDS , responding to a study published by Switzerland s Federal AIDS Commission, s
INTERVIEW-Global Fund to review India projects for fraud: Reuters NewMedia - February 1, 2008; Jonathan Allen; NEW DELHI, Feb 1 (Reuters) - The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is reviewing its India operations after the World Bank said it found signs of widespread corruption in its own India projects, the Fund s regional head said on Friday. The Fund says it has no evidence right now that any of the more tha
U.N. concerned at rising sexual attacks in Kenya: Reuters NewMedia - Friday, February 1, 2008; GENEVA, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Increasing numbers of Kenyan women and children are raped nightly in displacement camps, where sexual violence is used to threaten and intimidate, United Nations agencies said on Friday. Elisabeth Byrs of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Geneva said there had bee
Migrant mothers stretch thin maternity service: Reuters NewMedia- January 31, 2008; Tim Castle; LONDON (Reuters) - Rising numbers of complex births from women born in foreign countries and a shortage of midwives are putting a strain on maternity services in Britain, medical professionals say. Across Britain the birth rate has been rising steadily since 2001, with the babies of migrants making up two thirds of the
Thai health minister defends drug patent policy: Reuters NewMedia- January 31, 2008; BANGKOK, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Thailand s outgoing Health Minister Mongkol na Songkhla defended on Thursday his unprecedented challenge of foreign drug patent rights, saying the poor would lose if a new government reversed the policy. Mongkol, a hero to health activists and vilified by major drug firms for overriding pate
Group to make anti-AIDS gel from Pfizer drug: Reuters NewMedia- January 30, 2008; WASHINGTON, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Researchers dedicated to finding a gel or cream that could work invisibly to protect women from AIDS the way a condom does said on Wednesday they got permission from Pfizer Inc. (PFE.N: Quote, Profile, Research) to use its newest HIV drug. The International Partnership for Microbicides s
Khodorkovsky on hunger strike over ill colleague: Reuters NewMedia- January 30, 2008; Conor Sweeney; MOSCOW, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Jailed Russian oil boss Mikhail Khodorkovsky has gone on a hunger strike in solidarity with an imprisoned colleague who has been denied treatment for AIDS, his lawyer said on Wednesday. Russia s Supreme Court has refused to release Vasily Alexanian, another jailed executive from Khodorkovsky
Pfizer aims to reformulate HIV prevention drug: report: Reuters NewMedia- January 30, 2008; NEW YORK (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc is seeking to reformulate its HIV drug to prevent the transmission of the virus through a partnership with a nonprofit group, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. The report said Pfizer will license Selzentry, its oral HIV medicine, to the International Partnership for Microbic
Health experts fear HIV crisis for uprooted Kenyans: Reuters NewMedia- January 30, 2008; Laura MacInnis; GENEVA (Reuters) - Thousands of uprooted Kenyans are not getting the HIV medicines they need to survive, and rising sexual attacks in camps stand to further spread the disease, public health experts say. About 15,000 of the more than 250,000 people who have fled political, ethnic and revenge attacks in the month since
Under 1 percent of U.S. adults have HIV: report: Reuters NewMedia- January 29, 2008; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - About one-half of one percent of young adults living in homes in the United States are infected with the AIDS virus, around 600,000 people, the National Center for Health Statistics reported on Tuesday. The agency s snapshot of HIV infection in the United States shows the rate continues to be sta
Theratechnologies mulls options, could sell, merge: Reuters NewMedia - January 29, 2008; TORONTO, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Theratechnologies Inc (TH.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Tuesday it is considering strategic options, including a sale or merger of the company, as well as the licensing of its lead compound tesamorelin. As part of the review of its options, the company has filed for a preliminary bas
Cuban exile to highlight Bush anti-Castro stance: Reuters NewMedia - January 28, 2008; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The mother of a jailed Cuban dissident journalist will be on hand for President George W. Bush s State of the Union speech on Monday to underscore the administration s hard line against the Castro government. Blanca Gonzalez, who was granted political asylum in the United States after leavi
WHO to recommend ways to reduce harm of alcohol: Reuters NewMedia - January 25, 2008; Laura MacInnis; GENEVA (Reuters) - World Health Organization (WHO) experts will recommend ways to fight dangers linked to alcohol, including heart and liver disease, road accidents, suicides and sexually-transmitted infections, a spokeswoman said on Friday. The United Nations agency s executive board this week endorsed efforts to rais
Group says US office rejects Gilead Viread patents: Reuters NewMedia - January 23, 2008; LOS ANGELES, Jan 23 (Reuters) - U.S. patent officials have rejected four patents on Gilead Sciences Inc s (GILD.O: Quote, Profile, Research) AIDS drug Viread , the nonprofit Public Patent Foundation said on Wednesday. Viread, or tenofovir disoproxil fumar
Thousands of French patients hit by clinic scare: Reuters NewMedia - January 23, 2008; LILLE, France (Reuters) - The French health service is recalling thousands of patients who might have been wrongly diagnosed or infected at five substandard radiology clinics, the Health Ministry said in a statement. Health experts said it was the largest such recall in France, adding the case had revealed severe faili
Dell, Microsoft Team Up to Sell (Red) Computers: Reuters NewMedia - January 23, 2008; SEATTLE (Reuters) - Dell Inc and Microsoft Corp are teaming up to release a Product Red computer, donating up to $80 for every one sold to fund AIDS-fighting drugs in Africa. Dell will start selling two (Red) laptops and one desktop running Microsoft Windows Vista on Friday. The two companies will donate $50 for a lapt
Child mortality toll dips below 10 million - UNICEF: Reuters NewMedia - January 22, 2008; Stephanie Nebehay; GENEVA, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Nearly 9.7 million children die each year before their fifth birthday from diseases from pneumonia to malaria, but simple affordable measures could save more lives, the U.N. Children s Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday. While the annual toll is below 10 million for the first time, it still means
WHO chief sees political unrest threatening world health: Reuters NewMedia - January 21, 2008; Laura MacInnis; GENEVA (Reuters) - Post-election violence in Kenya and unrest in Gaza showed how political turmoil can threaten public health, the head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Monday. Margaret Chan, in an address to the United Nations agency s executive board, said she was concerned that upheaval in Kenya after
Experts working on vaccine to fight AIDS in China: Reuters NewMedia - January 21, 2008; Tan Ee Lyn; HONG KONG (Reuters) - Scientists in Hong Kong and China are working on an AIDS vaccine to protect against three variants of HIV sweeping across south and west China, Hong Kong and Taiwan .
FDA clears new Johnson & Johnson HIV drug: Reuters NewMedia - January 19, 2008; Lisa Richwine; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Health-care products maker Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N: Quote, Profile, Research) won U.S. approval to sell a new HIV drug called Intelence for patients with resistance to other therapies, U.S. officials said on Friday. The drug, also known as TMC125 or etravirine, is a new member of the family
Amnesty urges Russia to treat sick prisoner: Reuters NewMedia - January 18, 2008; MOSCOW (Reuters) - Rights group Amnesty International on Friday urged Russia to provide proper treatment for a jailed oil executive who has AIDS and says he could die if he is not moved to a specialized hospital. Russia has snubbed three requests from the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg to move 36-year-old
Ghana Sees Soccer Feast Lifting Image And Economy: Reuters NewMedia - January 18, 2008; ACCRA (Reuters) - While political protests blight Kenya , Ghana will polish its image as a tourism and investment destination when it hosts the 2008 African Nations Cup soccer finals starting on Sunday. Staging Africa s most prestigious sporting event will cast a positive international spotlight on the small but stable
Virus may cause rare but deadly skin cancer: Reuters NewMedia - January 17, 2008; Ben Hirschler; LONDON (Reuters) - A previously unknown virus may be to blame for a rare but deadly form of skin cancer, opening the prospect of new ways to treat and prevent the condition, scientists said on Thursday. Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) mainly affects older people and those whose immune system has been compromised by AIDS or
Ex-Yukos Executive Tells of Blackmail: Reuters NewMedia - January 17, 2008; Christian Lowe; A gravely ill former Yukos executive has accused his jailers of trying to blackmail him into testifying against old associates by denying him the medical treatment he needs to stay alive. The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg made the highly unusual step of issuing three requests for Vasily Aleksanyan, 36, t
US calls arrest of Chinese activist "disturbing": Reuters NewMedia - January 14, 2008; Sue Pleming; WASHINGTON, Jan 14 (Reuters) - The United States said on Monday the arrest in China of prominent AIDS activist and human rights campaigner Hu Jia was disturbing and Washington had raised his case with the authorities in Beijing. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Washington was closely following the arrest
Drug-resistant staph found to be passed in gay sex: Reuters NewMedia - January 14, 2008; A drug-resistant strain of potentially deadly bacteria has moved beyond the borders of U.S. hospitals and is being transmitted among gay men during sex, researchers said on Monday. They said methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, is beginning to appear outside hospitals in San Francisco, Boston, New York
Love, hope for shunned kids in India AIDS school: Reuters NewMedia - January 14, 2008; Krittivas Mukherjee; BHOOGAON, India , Jan 14 (Reuters) - In a smart blue tunic and red ribbons in her hair, 12-year-old Komal s laughing eyes hide a fear of death that stalks every student in her village school. Within months or years she could be dead, but while she lives she is fulfilling a dream -- of going to school again after she wa
Gene scan finds hundreds of possible AIDS targets: Reuters NewMedia- January 11, 2008; Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Researchers have found more than 200 possible new targets for better AIDS drugs by doing a kind of backward search -- looking at human cells to see what resources they have that can be hijacked by the deadly virus. They scanned all the genes in the human genome and found 273 protein-coding genes
HIV doctor files torture complaint against Libya: Reuters NewMedia - January 10, 2008; Anna Mudeva; SOFIA (Reuters) - A Palestinian doctor, who says he was tortured to confess he deliberately infected hundreds of Libyan children with HIV, has filed a complaint against Libya with a U.N. human rights panel, his lawyer said on Thursday. Ashraf Alhajouj and five Bulgarian nurses were sentenced to death in Libya on charge
Nepal radio breaks taboos to fight HIV/AIDS: Reuters NewMedia - January 9, 2008; Gopal Sharma; KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Ignoring social taboos in this conservative nation, a Nepali radio program on safe sex is spreading awareness against HIV/AIDS and offers life-saving advice to young people who are vulnerable to the disease. Confined only to a few towns six years ago, Chatting with my best friend , a youth-friendl
China urged to improve human rights before Olympics: Reuters NewMedia - January 7, 2008; Benjamin Kang Lim; BEIJING (Reuters) - A group of Chinese dissidents has signed an open letter condemning the arrest of an AIDS and environmental activist on subversion charges and urged the government to improve human rights ahead of this year s Olympics. The letter, signed by 57 lawyers, academics, editors, writers and civil rights cam
Malawi to raise pay of civil servants with HIV: Reuters NewMedia - January 7, 2008; Mabvuto Banda; LILONGWE, Jan 7 (Reuters) - Malawi plans to start paying civil servants suffering from HIV/AIDS about $35 a month extra to help them buy more food, Health Minister Marjorie Ngaunje said on Monday. Malawi, with a population of about 13 million, ranks among the countries hardest hit by the pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa,
Some Zimbabwean doctors back at work, union says: Reuters NewMedia - January 3, 2008; Nelson Banya; HARARE, Jan 3 (Reuters) - Some of Zimbabwe s striking state doctors have returned to work on humanitarian grounds but most are still holding out for higher pay, the head of the doctors union said on Thursday. Amon Siveregi, president of the Zimbabwe s Hospital Doctors Association, told Reuters the industrial action had
Rice raises rights concerns as Libya hails ties: Reuters NewMedia - January 3, 2008; Paul Eckert; WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Libya s foreign minister declared an end to confrontation with the United States on Thursday in a rare visit to Washington by a top Libyan diplomat aimed at cementing ties between the former foes. Mohammed Abdel-Rahman Shalgam -- the first Libyan foreign minister to set foot in the U.S. State Dep
"One Campaign" stumps for Africa in New Hampshire: Reuters NewMedia - January 1, 2008; Mark Egan; RYE, N.H., Jan 1 (Reuters) - The war in Iraq , the war on terrorism and how to improve America s image abroad are hot issues as presidential hopefuls court New Hampshire voters before the state s Jan. 8 nominating primary. But former U.S. Marine Michael Castaldo has been working tirelessly since February to focus voter

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