The Kaiser Family Foundation has added a new section to their website, devoted entirely to global health issues. The site has a wealth of resources. There’s “policy tracker” that provides information on global-health related congressional and administrative actions. There’s a global “fast-facts” section that gives you stats on how many people have HIV, TB […]
The threat of swine flu could be particularly grave for people infected with HIV, so the Centers for Disease Control has published interim guidelines for doctors treating HIV- positive patients. Here’s a link to the guidelines, http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/guidance_HIV.htm. And here’s the CDC’s intro to those guidelines: “Any influenza carries potential risks for persons with HIV infection. […]
With PEPFAR seemingly at risk of being shortchanged by the Obama administration, there was a special urgency to Wednesday’s Capitol Hill briefing about the future of global health programs. The debate was framed, in health advocate speak, as vertical vs. horizontal. In other words, are vertical programs like PEPFAR, focused specifically on HIV/AIDS, draining money and […]
As expected, the White House did nominate Dr. Eric Goosby to be the Global AIDS Coordinator on Monday. Here’s a statement from the Global Center and HIVMA on his appointment. Global HIV/AIDS Experts Hail Choice of Eric Goosby to Head OGAC Call on Obama to Fully Fund PEPFAR The Center for Global Health Policy and the […]
AIDS experts are anxiously awaiting word from the White House about the selection of a new Global AIDS Coordinator. Last we heard, Dr. Eric Goosby was supposed to be tapped for the position today. But there’s nothing official yet from the White House or the State Department. Meanwhile, swine flu is (justifiably) getting loads of […]
Women face a severe burden when it comes to tuberculosis. In fact, the latest WHO report on TB states that women are likely to wait longer than men before they seek medical attention, in part because of the social stigma attached to TB. TB is the biggest infectious disease killer of women of child-bearing age. I […]
As we await two vital tidbits of news on global health funding—one from the White House and one from Capitol Hill—there’s a new report from the Kaiser Family Foundation that helps put the battle for more money into perspective. The Kaiser report–a concise outline and history of US global health policy and spending–shows that spending on […]
As the global economic crisis takes an increasingly steep toll on access to HIV/AIDS drugs in the developing world, the new head of UNAIDS, Michel Sidibe, floated an innovative solution—calling for Africa to develop its own generic manufacturing capacity for antiretroviral drugs. Sidibe said such a move would increase access to ARVs, while also developing […]
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) and the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) are conducting a search for a director to lead their new TB and HIV research center in Durban, South Africa. The director will oversee the development and implementation of the Center’s research plan, lead efforts to obtain research funding, and establish a […]
In the past week, three stories about severe TB or HIV drug shortages have landed in our inbox. From Uganda to Burma to South Africa, TB and HIV patients are being forced to go without desperately needed medications. The latest story is the most troubling. An article in the Globe and Mail recounts the story […]
HIV
While plan will target 48 “hot spots” with services, and people at high risks with PrEP, will it change policies that fuel HIV? More details are […]
Tuberculosis
With the release of a “pre-final text” of updated guidelines for treatment of multidrug- and rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis, the World Health Organization made official substantial changes to […]
Research & Development
A trial to test the safety of, and immune response prompted by, the latest candidate for a vaccine to protect against Zika virus infection has begun […]
Policy
Drawing on previously published findings and on-the-ground interviews, a report from Planned Parenthood details damage to global health gains, including in closed programs, weakened civil society, […]