H1N1 Preparedness, New Media and HIV/AIDS

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is working hard to inform the public about how to prepare for and prevent H1N1 flu.

We wanted to highlight a few new media tools that HHS is using to ensure public engagement and move information quickly.

World's Largest Open Scientific Conference on HIV/AIDS Uses New Media Tools

By Miguel Gomez

This weekend approximately 5,000 of the world’s leading scientists, clinicians, public health experts and community leaders will convene in Cape Town, South Africa, for the 5th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment, and Prevention (IAS 2009) to “examine the latest developments in HIV-related research, and to explore how scientific advances can—in very practical ways—inform the global response to HIV/AIDS.” The conference will run July 19-22, 2009.

Responding Rapidly to Public Health Emergencies Using New Media: Swine Flu

By Jennie Anderson

As many of you know, this week, HHS declared swine flu to be a national public health emergency. At AIDS.gov we're particularly concerned about this issue because people with compromised immune systems, including those living with HIV/AIDS, are more likely to become ill from diseases like the flu.

New media tools can help support our efforts to deliver public health messages quickly and broadly. We are using those tools to spread the word about the swine flu outbreak and to support the public health community's response to it. We ask you to join us in this important mission.

Using Twitter in Response to HIV/AIDS: The Hot New Tool (Today?)

Hurricane Gustav

We've been hearing a lot about Twitter lately. At Texting4Health , Podcamp, and on NPR , people have been talking about Twitter as the "hot/new" tool to help you communicate fast and effectively. Just this last weekend, NPR's Andy Carvin created a StormWire Twitter account to send notifications about the hurricanes and other tropical storms.