Recent News About NIH-Sponsored Studies

The NIH recently announced news about the following two NIH-sponsored research studies:

• January 10, 2012: Vitamin D May Improve Bone Health in Those Taking Anti-HIV Drug
  
  “Vitamin D may help prevent hormonal changes that can lead to bone loss among those being treated for HIV with the drug tenofovir, according to the results of a National Institutes of Health network study of adolescents with HIV.”
  
  For more information, read the NIH press release.
   
• January 9, 2012: NIH Study Shows HIV-Exposed Children at High Risk of Language Delay
  
  “Children exposed to HIV before birth are at risk for language impairments, according to a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and other institutions.”
  
  For more information, read the NIH press release.

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CDC Releases an Interactive Tool to Access Surveillance Data for HIV/AIDS and Other Diseases

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP) recently released Atlas, an interactive tool that allows people to access the surveillance data collected by NCHHSTP and create detailed reports, maps, tables, charts, and graphs.

Currently, the Atlas includes NCHHSTP surveillance data for HIV, AIDS, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and primary and secondary syphilis. Tuberculosis (TB) and viral hepatitis surveillance data will be added to the Atlas over the coming year.

The Atlas will help community leaders, public health professionals, policymakers, and health care providers understand the geographic patterns and data trends of these diseases.

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CDC Awards $339 Million to Health Departments for High-Impact HIV Prevention

“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has begun awarding a total of almost $339 million to state and local health departments across the United States to fund HIV prevention activities this year. The awards are for the first year of a five-year funding cycle and represent a new direction for CDC HIV funding designed to achieve a higher level of impact with every federal HIV prevention dollar spent.

“The awards are a critical component of CDC's new high-impact approach to HIV prevention and better align resources to reflect the geographic burden of the HIV epidemic today. As part of this funding announcement, CDC is also providing the health departments with new, specific guidance for prioritizing the most effective prevention programs that will have the greatest impact on reducing new HIV infections. …

“The funds are allocated to individual health departments according to a formula that better matches resources to the geographic burden of HIV, as measured by the number of people reported living with HIV in each jurisdiction. This new funding approach ensures that many areas with heavier HIV burdens receive urgently needed funding increases.”

More information is available:

• CDC: Press release
• CDC: Fact sheet

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