ICAAC: Incidence of non-AIDS-defining cancers remains higher for HIV-positive individuals despite HAART

The risk of Hodgkin's lymphoma and anal, liver and lung cancers all remain higher for HIV-positive than HIV-negative individuals in the post-HAART era, according to an analysis of US veterans. Results were presented as a poster at the 47th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy in Chicago this week.

These non-AIDS-defining cancers were commonly occurring at CD4 cell counts that would not automatically lead a doctor to recommend treatment based on current guidelines, and in the case of prostate cancer, half of diagnoses occured in people with CD4 cell counts above 350 cells/mm3, the upper threshold of immune damage at which many people might be offered HIV treatment.
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Uganda: Alienating Gays, Lesbians Will Spark Backfire

Ugandan moralist and pastor, Martin Ssempa, argued while being hosted on KFM's Hard Talk that it is untrue that gays and lesbians face discrimination when seeking HIV/Aids treatment, care and counselling at public and private health clinics.

While I found this argument absolutely under-researched, it proved to me just how much our local HIV/Aids care organisations and leaders are failing to understand the links between hetero and homosexual HIV transmission
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International Lutherans Counsel ELCA In Developing HIV And AIDS Strategy

Discrimination and stigma, poverty and hunger, distribution of medicine and access to health care are critical issues to consider in addressing the HIV and AIDS pandemic, according to Lutherans from Africa, Asia, Europe, South America and the United States.

In an effort to inform and advise members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) as the church develops an HIV and AIDS strategy, some Lutherans from around the world were invited here Sept. 10 to share with ELCA churchwide staff their experiences in HIV and AIDS work.

The center of the church's action is not on the virus but on the person, not on the disease but in the discrimination, said the Rev. Lisandro Orlov, a pastor of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in Argentina (Iglesia Evangelica Luterana Unida), Buenos Aires. read more

Partnership The Key To Tackling HIV, STDs in PNG

This week in Port Moresby, a landmark partnership, the PNG-Australia Sexual Health Improvement Program (PASHIP), has been formalised to tackle the spread and treatment of Sexually Transmitted Infections, particularly HIV.

The PNG Government, the Australian Government and local and Australian NGOs have joined together in a 50 million Kina ($20 million AUD) program to take a proactive approach in tackling the scourge of HIV that is estimated to affect up to 2.5% - or 150,000 people in Papua New Guinea.

Caritas Australia, is in charge of rolling out the new partnership in the Southern Highlands, Simbu and the National Capital District of PNG, whilst four other NGOs and health providers will be involved in a total of eight provinces. read more

New standard emerges for HIV and Aids management in the workplace

A new South African National Standards (Sans) system, which will improve HIV and Aids management in the workplace, was launched by the South African Bearau of Standards (SABS). Education, Training and Counselling (ETC) MD Linzi Smith says that Sans 16001:2007 can be successfully implemented in all workplace environments including the public sector, the private sector, and the nongovernmental sector.

Smith states that many organisations have been implementing HIV and Aids workplace programmes on a trial-and-error basis, identifying what works, and what does not, through a process of elimination. However, she adds that there is still a lack of support from senior and middle management in implementing such programmes. read more