AFRO-NETS> Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report - Fri, 30 Nov 2001

[Cecilia Snyder <csnyder@ccmc.org>]

Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report - Fri, 30 Nov 2001
-----------------------------------------------

* Microbicides Development Act Reintroduced in Senate; Only AIDS-
  Related Legislation to Coincide With World AIDS Day
* Researchers, Officials, Actors Tell Young People How to Fight
  HIV/AIDS
* World AIDS Day Is a Global Event
* Mbeki Defends South Africa's AIDS Policy, Refuses to Declare AIDS
  National Emergency
* GlaxoSmithKline Cutting Price of Drugs
* Newspapers Across the Country Feature AIDS-Related Stories in Ad-
  vance of World AIDS Day
* South African Public Health System Does Not Provide Post-Exposure
  Treatment to Prevent HIV Infection to Rape Victims
* Nigeria Will Buy Generic Drugs for AIDS Treatment Trial


--
Microbicides Development Act Reintroduced in Senate; Only AIDS-
Related Legislation to Coincide With World AIDS Day

Senators will introduce legislation today calling on the CDC and NIH 
to "redoubl[e]" their efforts to develop microbicides, which could 
help prevent the spread of HIV and other STDs in women and their sex-
ual partners, according to a press release from the Global Campaign 
for Microbicides. Sen. Jon Corzine (D-N.J.) will introduce the 
Microbicides Development Act of 2002 with the support of Sens. 
Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Dodd (D-
Conn.) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.). A similar act was introduced in the 
House in June by Rep. Connie Morella (R-Md.) to boost federal 
spending on microbicide development (Global Campaign for Microbicides 
release, 11/29). Microbicides are substances used to kill a number of 
viruses and bacteria and work similarly to spermicides (Kaiser Daily 
HIV/AIDS Report, 11/27/00). Corzine said that the act "could save 
millions of lives within a decade. ... Federal support for microbi-
cide research and development is crucial if we are going to produce 
another form of prevention" (Global Campaign for Microbicides re-
lease, 11/29).


--
Researchers, Officials, Actors Tell Young People How to Fight 
HIV/AIDS

College students and other young people can fight HIV/AIDS by speak-
ing out about the disease and taking measures to protect themselves, 
a panel of researchers, health officials and celebrities said yester-
day during a discussion at George Washington University. The talk, 
which was sponsored by the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Founda-
tion, focused on how young people can help combat AIDS both in their 
communities and abroad. Panelists included Scott Evertz, director of 
the White House Office of National AIDS Policy; Florence Ngobeni, a 
South African HIV/AIDS counselor; Dr. Richard Koup, chief of the im-
munology laboratory at NIH's Vaccine Research Center; Dr. Allan Gold-
stein, chair of biochemistry and molecular biology at George Washing-
ton University; and actors Kim Webster of "West Wing" and Scott Wolf, 
who is best known for "Party of Five." The panelists said that uni-
versity students could fight HIV/AIDS by openly discussing the dis-
ease and organizing events on campus that could benefit AIDS chari-
ties and organizations. Koup and Goldstein said that the focus of the 
fight against AIDS should be on a successful HIV vaccine. "Hopefully, 
through vaccination, a world without AIDS is possible," Koup said. 
Dr. Gary Simon, a GWU professor of medicine and the director of the 
university's HIV Clinical Trials Unit, encouraged students to become 
"vaccine volunteers" by either promoting the search for a vaccine or 
enrolling in clinical vaccine trials.

South Africa

Ngobeni said that the South African government needs to do more to 
fight HIV/AIDS in its nation. "We need leadership," she said, adding 
that she would like to see the government increase AIDS funding and 
be more proactive about creating and implementing AIDS policies. 
Ngobeni also commented on the court case between the Treatment Action 
Campaign and the South African government in which TAC sued the gov-
ernment for failing to provide free nevirapine -- which can prevent 
vertical transmission -- to HIV-positive pregnant women in all South 
African public hospitals. Ngobeni said the trial is a "good thing" 
because the government "owes it" to South Africans to tell them 
"where they stand" on the issue of nevirapine and AIDS drugs. She 
added that people should push for the expansion of AIDS drug programs 
and broader access to medicines. However, she noted that there have 
been improvements in South African AIDS policy, citing the addition 
of AIDS information to school curricula. In addition, Ngobeni said 
that it is important to allow all children, especially those affected 
by AIDS, access to education and social services because children who 
cannot access these things "will end up destitute and prone to [HIV] 
infection."

Domestic and International Funding

Evertz said that young people "are being infected with HIV at unac-
ceptable rates" and that the Bush administration wants to fight 
HIV/AIDS among this group. Stating that young people who believe they 
"have a future" are less likely to engage in behaviors that put them 
at risk for HIV infection, Evertz said that "comprehensive" preven-
tion programs are needed. Peer education is one method that has been 
shown to be effective, he said. However, Evertz said that the Bush 
administration wants to fight HIV/AIDS among the entire U.S. popula-
tion. "We don't care if you're a man who has sex with a man. We don't 
care if you're an intravenous drug user. ... We're going to reach out 
with compassion," he said. Evertz said the administration will con-
tinue to fund CDC prevention programs and will contribute to the 
Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. "We want to remain the 
largest donor" to the fund, he said, adding that the administration 
plans to increase its donation (Meredith McGroarty, Kaiser Daily 
HIV/AIDS Report, 11/30). A kaisernetwork.org HealthCast of the panel 
discussion is available online.


--
World AIDS Day Is a Global Event

The Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report has compiled the following list of 
events taking place in recognition of World AIDS Day around the 
world:

* Canada: The Canadian AIDS Society launched its first national AIDS 
awareness campaign on Nov. 25, continuing through Saturday. The cam-
paign is focused on the "key role" men play in reducing HIV transmis-
sion (Canadian AIDS Society release, 11/23). In a separate event in 
Toronto, the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance will launch their global 
campaign on HIV/AIDS at its Sunday service, where an offering for the 
World Council of Churches' HIV/AIDS projects in Africa will be col-
lected. Parallel events will take place in Australia, India, Switzer-
land, Germany, Hong Kong, Kenya, Ecuador and Russia. The alliance 
"urg[es] churches to reject all forms of stigmatization and discrimi-
nation of people living with HIV/AIDS, promoting HIV/AIDS prevention 
activities and mobilizing resources to prevent HIV/AIDS" (Canadian 
Press, 11/27). 

* China: The first televised play on HIV/AIDS will air during prime 
time on Saturday, Agence France-Presse reports. The play, which 
"stresses that AIDS can hit anyone," may be viewed by the 92% of Chi-
nese who have access to television. The play comes at a time when ex-
perts are warning that China "is standing on the brink of an epi-
demic" (Agence France-Presse, 11/28).

* France: Health Minister Bernard Kouchner on Wednesday announced 
France's three-year plan to fight HIV/AIDS, the Associated Press re-
ports. The plan, which includes a commitment of $58 million in 2002, 
will kick off on Saturday with a television campaign (Associated 
Press, 11/28).

* Ireland: The Irish Times reports that it is set to publish a 12-
page supplement on Saturday that will include information and materi-
als to help with classroom discussions of HIV/AIDS (Irish Times, 
11/27).

* South Africa: A day of poetry, singing, traditional dance and 
speeches to "bring people together" will conclude with a flame-
lighting ceremony in each of the country's nine provinces, with or-
ganizers encouraging citizens to "light their own candles ... wher-
ever they happen to be at 7 pm" (Xinhua News Agency, 11/26). Also, 
Partnership Against HIV/AIDS has begun a door-to-door campaign to 
"address discrimination, deepen understanding of HIV/AIDS care issues 
and link families to local services." The campaign concludes on Sat-
urday after a Friday event where 7,000 volunteers will "hit the 
streets" passing out educational flyers and stickers (South African 
Press Association, 11/28).

* United Kingdom: Mayor of Darlington County Isobel Hartley will re-
lease 1,000 red balloons on Saturday to mark World AIDS Day in a re-
gion that has experienced a 14% increase in the number of HIV infec-
tions since 1999, the U.K.'s Northern Echo reports. Tim Holmes, 
health promotion specialist for Darlington and the Dales Primary Care 
Group, emphasized that HIV/AIDS "must remain within the public con-
sciousness all year round and not just on Dec. 1" (Northern Echo, 
11/28).


--
Mbeki Defends South Africa's AIDS Policy, Refuses to Declare AIDS Na-
tional Emergency

Only hours after University of Witwatersrand Health Sciences Depart-
ment faculty members called on the government to declare AIDS a na-
tional emergency and offer antiretroviral drugs to all rape victims 
and pregnant women, South African President Thabo Mbeki defended the 
nation's AIDS policy, saying that AIDS could "not be considered an 
emergency," USA Today reports (Singer, USA Today, 11/30). The profes-
sors told the government, "We cannot afford to be overwhelmed into a 
state of nonaction and must respond to this crisis with energetic na-
tional commitment, even in the face of competing budgetary priori-
ties," to which Mbeki responded, "We have a policy. We have a pro-
gram. I don't think there is any reason to change that policy or pro-
gram." (Murphy, Baltimore Sun, 11/30). The faculty members' call to 
action comes as the Treatment Action Campaign, along with the Chil-
dren's Rights Center and Haroon Saloojee, a physician from the Uni-
versity of Witwatersrand, began a court case on Monday against the 
South African National Department of Health and eight of nine provin-
cial health ministers. The suit alleges that government health offi-
cials are "violating [AIDS] sufferers' constitutional right to life 
and health care" by not providing the antiretroviral drug nevirapine 
to the nation's pregnant women to reduce the risk of vertical trans-
mission (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 11/21). According to the Bal-
timore Sun, South Africa's government insists that "the drug is too 
expensive and may be toxic" and is running a two-year pilot program 
to "test the drug's effectiveness rather than make it widely avail-
able." Mbeki said, "There are all sorts of questions. Let's have a 
look at whether we have the capacity to dispense it in the public 
health system" (Baltimore Sun, 11/30). Mbeki added that women who are 
unable to afford formula for their children "would pass the disease 
on to their babies whether or not they were given" the drug, as HIV 
can be transmitted through breastfeeding (USA Today, 11/30). 


--
GlaxoSmithKline Cutting Price of Drugs

Mbeki's reaffirmation that the government will not change its AIDS 
policy came amid an announcement from drug maker GlaxoSmithKline that 
it will cut 20% off the price of two "key" antiretrovirals in South 
Africa beginning in 2002, Reuters reports. The company said it will 
discount lamivudine and the combination lamivudine/zidovudine treat-
ment Combivir. Reuters reports that a month's supply of Combivir 
would cost $77.22, down from $97.51. The price cut is targeted at the 
private sector and is aimed at "those who could benefit from lower 
prices under existing medical schemes." Reuters reports, however, 
that any company's discounted drugs will still remain "beyond the 
reach of most African governments and people in the world's poorest 
continent" (Reuters, 11/30).

'Emperor' Mbeki?

By "denying needy moms-to-be" access to the drug nevirapine, Mbeki is 
"play[ing] God," an Atlanta Journal-Constitution editorial states. 
With almost 25% of all pregnant women in the country testing HIV-
positive, and 70,000 infants born HIV-positive annually, the edito-
rial says that Mbeki is "a simple moron for the games he's willing to 
play with people's lives. AIDS is now the leading cause of death for 
South Africa's adults, and yet Emperor Mbeki still refuses to set 
aside his fiddle." The editorial adds that nevirapine has "been 
proved effective" and by choosing not to administer the drug "as 
widely as possible, Mbeki and his administration ensure a painful, 
lingering death for thousands of babies." The editorial concludes, 
"Forcing AIDS patients into court to beg for free, available, effec-
tive medication is beyond immoral" (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 
11/30).


--
Newspapers Across the Country Feature AIDS-Related Stories in Advance 
of World AIDS Day

Many newspapers are covering HIV/AIDS-related stories today in ad-
vance of World AIDS Day tomorrow. A brief description of some of 
these articles, listed in alphabetical order by newspaper, follows:

* Baltimore Sun, "Initiative Aims to Increase HIV Testing, Counsel-
ing": Discusses the Baltimore's new plan to stop the "skyrocketing" 
number of HIV/AIDS cases (Sugg, Baltimore Sun, 11/30).

* Cincinnati Enquirer, "AIDS Infects More Locally": Advocates in 
Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana warn that the number of new HIV/AIDS cases 
is rising (Bonfield, Cincinnati Enquirer, 11/30).

* Denver Post, "'AIDS Kids' Embrace Future": Reports on a Colorado 
hospital program that works specifically with the growing number of 
children and teens born with HIV/AIDS (Auge, Denver Post, 11/30).

* AP/Detroit News, "AIDS Leaves World Scarred": Reports on the 
"transforming and scarring" effect HIV/AIDS has had on the world in 
the last 20 years (Nessman, AP/Detroit News, 11/30).

* AP/New Orleans Times-Picayune, "Artist's Massive Painting Sets Size 
Record, Honors Young People Touched by AIDS": Covers tomorrow's un-
veiling at the North Carolina Museum of Art of the "largest [paint-
ing] by a single artist." Pieces of the painting will be sold to 
benefit children with AIDS (Waggoner, AP/New Orleans Times-Picayune, 
11/30).

* Wall Street Journal, "Enlisting Multinationals in Battle": Reports 
that U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Richard Holbrooke is urg-
ing multinational companies working in Africa and other "AIDS-
wracked" areas to offer AIDS-related benefits to their employees 
(Schoofs, Wall Street Journal, 11/30).

* Wall Street Journal, "New Challenges in Fighting AIDS": Examines 
the difficulties that arise now that AIDS treatments are affordable 
enough for one person, "but only one," in many African families (Zim-
merman, Wall Street Journal, 11/30).

* Washington Post, "District Convenes Meeting on AIDS": Reports on 
D.C.'s AIDS conference, which began yesterday, that aims to "drive 
down the AIDS rate" in the city (DeMillo, Washington Post, 11/30).


--
South African Public Health System Does Not Provide Post-Exposure 
Treatment to Prevent HIV Infection to Rape Victims

New York Times Series Repo 
South African women who are raped do not have access to post-exposure 
treatment with antiretroviral drugs to prevent HIV infection and of-
ten do not know the HIV status of the rapist, the New York Times re-
ports in today's installment of its "Death and Denial" series about 
AIDS in Hlabisa, South Africa. Dr. Steve Gericke, a private practi-
tioner with a clinic in Mtubatuba, said that "rape by an HIV positive 
man is a death sentence" and "treatment is not available." The "best 
medical response" to HIV exposure from rape or a needlestick is a 
month's dosage of three antiretroviral drugs, which costs about $500 
in the KwaZulu-Natal province, the Times reports. The "next-best 
choice" is a "starter pack" -- three days' worth of two drugs that 
costs about $35. But Gericke said that even if the drugs were avail-
able cost-free, young women often would not get them in time. Clinics 
like Gericke's keep the kits in their offices in case staff are ex-
posed through needlesticks, but they "cannot afford to give them" to 
rape victims (McNeil, New York Times, 11/30).


--
Nigeria Will Buy Generic Drugs for AIDS Treatment Trial

In an accompanying article, the Times reports that Nigeria next month 
will begin a trial program to provide generic antiretroviral drugs to 
citizens "at a fraction of the cost of Western-produced drugs." Nige-
ria will import the drugs from Indian drug makers Cipla and Rambazy. 
The government will begin treatment at 18 centers across the country 
with a "limited number" of patients for the first three months and 
then "gradually expand" the plan to include 100 centers and 10,000 
patients in the first year, a figure "scaled back" from initial esti-
mates of 15,000 patients, which was "thought to be too ambitious" 
(McNeil, New York Times, 11/30). Both of the Times articles, in addi-
tion to the previous articles in the series, are available online at 
nytimes.com/international.

--
The Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, 
a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, by National 
Journal Group Inc. c 2001 by National Journal Group Inc. and Kaiser 
Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

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