http://www.aidsmap.com/en/news/3369C722-D439-4EE2-A13F-D6F373EE36EF.asp
A clinical trial of a vaccine against a major cause of pneumonia and meningitis has shown that it can prevent three out of four cases of reinfection in HIV-infected adults in Africa.
http://www.aidsmap.com/en/news/BEF8C8CE-BC45-4DD4-B859-00E42D5F9459.asp
TB Trials
Abbott, a leading HIV/AIDS research company announced on 28th. April that The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved once-daily dosing of lopinavir/ritonavir tablets and oral solution (Kaletra; Abbott Laboratories) for adult patients with HIV-1 who have previously taken antiretroviral therapy and have 2 or fewer key mutations in the virus’ protease gene.
A little bit history here from AIDSInfo: Lopinavir/ritonavir in capsule and oral solution form was approved by the FDA on September 15, 2000, for use with other antiretrovirals in the treatment of HIV infection in adults and children 6 months of age or older. Lopinavir/ritonavir in tablet form was approved by the FDA on October 28, 2005. In March 2006, the capsule form of the medicine was phased out in the U.S. in favor of the new tablet.
once-daily dosing of lopinavir/ritonavir tablets and oral solution means lopinavir/ritonavir can be used noce or twice a day (as recommended before) combining with other therapies. This will be an easiler way of treatment and may reduce further poor adherence among HIV-diagnosed patients, which is critical for immunosupression and virological suppression.
Gary Pratt et.al reviewed HIV in older people last year and documented that there were several reasons why older people were at risk.
1. The few HIV prevention campaigns that do exist do not target the elderly.
2. Older people may not consider themselves at risk of HIV infection.
3. Health care providers may not consider the diagnosis in older patients and therefore may not undertake HIV testing or may attribute symptoms of HIV to ‘normal ageing’.
4. Despite the stereotypes, many older people lead sexually active lives. Studies of sexual activity in people aged over 50 showed that 81.5% were involved in one or more sexual relationships including sex with prostitutes,and a national US survey suggested that only a small minority of people over 70 consistently used condoms. Older women may be especially at risk because age-related vaginal thinning and dryness can cause tears in the vaginal wall.
5. The increase in foreign travel makes access to countries with thriving sex industries easier.
6. The introduction and usage of potency drugs has extended the sex lives of many elderly males.
7. Injection drug usage, despite our misconceptions, is a contributor to HIV transmission in older people. In the USA, injection drug use accounts for more than 16% of AIDS cases in those aged 50 or over.
8. The stigma of HIV may be perceived to be greater in the elderly population leading them to hide their diagnosis or avoid testing.
The paper is a very good review in Age and Aging. My colleague – Ruth Smith present some important findings at the joint conference of the British HIV Association (BHIVA) and the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) last week. In the United Kingdom, one in twelve HIV diagnoses are of a person over the age of 50. Whilst rates of late diagnosis are high in older adults, just under half of these diagnoses are thought to be of an infection that was acquired when the person was over the age of 50.
Never too late.
It’s a good thing though. We need to bring people together to remove stigma related to HIV. China authority said this change won’t have a significant impact on the HIV epidemic in China. Yes and No. In China, the most serious problem is internal migration. It benefits the economic development a lot but inevitably causes problems such as prostitution, education, transportation, pollution etc etc. Most international population movement is actually emigration instead of immigration. Because of the small proportion of HIV positive individuals of the whole immigration population, it probably won’t make a big difference. However, in an other hand, several factors may effect the epidemic, for example, short-term visitors are likely to engage in risky behaviour, condom use is still not very common in China despite of free provision, many young girls favour foreigners for various reasons, HIV testing requests a lot a lot more efforts to promote, Chinese hold very different attitudes toward testing, treatment, sex and HIV compared to Britain and Americans. ….
If let the whole nation vote, the proposal might wouldn’t get passed. Thanks we are not a democracy country! pros and cons.
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the following informaiton is from http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100428/ap_on_re_as/as_china_aids
China lifts travel ban against people with HIV/中国不再禁止国外艾滋病等患者入境.
BEIJING – China has scrapped a 20-year travel ban that barred people with HIV and AIDS from entering the country, just days ahead of the opening of the Shanghai Expo, which hopes to welcome millions of overseas visitors.
The decision announced by China’s Cabinet, the State Council, follows similar moves by the United States and South Korea to eliminate travel restrictions for people with the HIV virus. Both lifted their bans on visitors with HIV on Jan. 1.
China’s ban had been launched based on “limited knowledge” of HIV at the time and had proven inconvenient for the country when hosting international events, the official Xinhua News Agency quoted the Cabinet as saying. The Shanghai Expo begins Saturday and runs for six months.
The State Council said in a statement posted to its website late Tuesday that the government passed amendments on April 19, revising the Border Quarantine Law as well as China’s Law on Control of the Entry and Exit of Aliens. The changes were effective immediately.
The move also includes scrapping entry restrictions for people with leprosy and sexually transmitted diseases.
The State Council said that the government realized such restrictions had limited effect on preventing and controlling the spread of diseases in the country, according to Xinhua. The Cabinet did not immediately respond to faxed questions.
AIDS was the top killer among infectious diseases in China for the first time in 2008, a fact that may reflect improved reporting of HIV/AIDS statistics in recent years. Despite greater openness, the government remains sensitive about the disease, regularly cracking down on activists and patients who seek more support and rights.
Government statistics show that by the end of October 2009, the number of Chinese confirmed to be living with HIV-AIDS was 319,877, up from 264,302 in 2008 and 135,630 in 2005. But Health Minister Chen Zhu has said the actual level of infections is probably near 740,000.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed China’s decision and urged other countries that still bar people with HIV to change their laws as soon as possible. “Punitive policies and practices only hamper the global AIDS response,” he said in a statement.
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