Estimated worldwide HIV infections: 64 524 305 at noon on Wednesday, September 28
Fact: Women aged 15 to 24 in South Africa are substantially more likely to be HIV-positive than their male counterparts, according to a study published in the September 23 issue of the journal AIDS. Audrey Pettifor and colleagues from the University of North Carolina, the University of California and the University of the Witwatersrand from March to August 2003 conducted household surveys and HIV tests among 11 904 15- to 24-year-olds in South Africa, finding that 15,5% of the women and 4,8% of the men tested HIV-positive. The study also examined the extent to which men and women engaged in risky behaviours, including having a larger number of sexual partners and using condoms inconsistently.
Source: Kaisernetwork.com
Estimated worldwide HIV infections: 64 423 509 at noon on Wednesday September 21
On the march: The HIV/Aids pandemic is affecting African military troops’ ability to defend their countries and operate peacekeeping missions on the continent. The Pretoria-based Institute for Security Studies estimates that HIV prevalence rates among some African soldiers are as much as twice the rate among the general population, although few armed forces have reliable figures.
‘HIV and other diseases represent a readiness challenge to militaries throughout the world, and security for us all demands that we pay attention to this,” United States Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Theresa Whalen recently told a meeting of African military health officers in Cape Town. In Uganda, Aids-related diseases are the largest cause of death among troops, according to Kenneth Ochen, a military physician.
To address the issue, the South African government, in partnership with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, in 2003 began a five-year initiative called Project Phidisa, or Prolong Life, to treat HIV-positive members of the South African National Defence Force. Over the past two years, the project has established five clinics, has tested more than 2 900 troops,and is providing 834 force members and their dependents with care. The later phases of the project aim to analyse the role of nutritional supplements and traditional medicines in delaying the progression of HIV infection.
Source: Kaiser Network
Estimated worldwide HIV infections: 64 322 790 at 12.05pm on September 14
Hurricane havoc: Federal officials, drug companies and Aids organisations are working to provide care to the nearly 8 000 HIV-positive people displaced two weeks ago by Hurricane Katrina.
In the aftermath of the hurricane, health providers in Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and other states are reporting that displaced HIV/Aids patients are arriving at their clinics seeking new prescriptions and medical care. In response to the need, several Aids service organisations have partnered with clinics in other cities to provide temporary housing and medication for HIV-positive patients.
According to Nicholos Bellos, president of the Dallas-based Southwestern Infectious Disease Associates, HIV/Aids patients have complex medical histories that are often well-documented at their clinics. ‘Not many of these people had a chance to go by and pick up their medical records on the way out of town,” he said.
In addition, HIV-positive patients can develop drug resistance if they miss doses of their medication, making the virus more difficult to treat. Federal officials have said they are working to streamline care to HIV-positive patients after the hurricane destroyed the Biloxi and New Orleans service centres of the Health Resources and Services Administration agency that provides funding for people living with HIV — and left the centres in Hattiesburg, Mississippi , and Mobile, Alabama, flooded and without power. Several drug companies also have offered to provide medication to patients at no cost.
Source: AP/Miami Herald
Estimated worldwide HIV infections: 64 223 178 at 2pm on September 7
European divide: A new iron curtain has emerged between East and West, triggered by Aids. Figures from UNAids show that in the West there are currently 570 000 people living with HIV. Countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia have the highest rates of new infections in the world. The total number of people living with HIV is now 1,2-million, with 250 000 new cases identified in the past year alone.
In Ukraine, 1% of the population has the disease — the highest rate in Europe.
Source: bbc.co.uk