At the end of last month, the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA) convened for its first meeting of 2012. It was my privilege to lead that meeting, my first as PACHA’s new chairperson. Our agenda was a very full one and the discussions thoughtful, rich, and informative. As we embarked on our work, we…
PACHA Meeting Examines Women and HIV, Other Issues at Winter Meeting
March 12, 2012 • 1 comment • By Nancy Mahon, Senior Vice President of M·A·C Cosmetics and Executive Director of the M·A·C AIDS Fund, Chair of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA)
Youth Programme Aims to Strengthen the Participation of Young People at AIDS 2012
If previous International AIDS Conferences are any indication, young people will comprise one of the most actively engaged delegations at AIDS 2012. This is welcomed news, as the leadership and involvement of young people is critical to the goal of achieving an AIDS-free generation. HIV significantly affects young people. In the U.S., young people aged…
New Frontiers in HIV Testing
March 9, 2012 • 1 comment • By Ronald Valdiserri, M.D., M.P.H., Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health, Infectious Diseases, and Director, Office of HIV/AIDS Policy, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
It is understandable why advances in the development of anti-HIV drugs have so dominated media stories about the AIDS epidemic in recent years. The advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy has had such a tremendous impact on HIV morbidity and mortality that early commentators of the phenomenon often referred to “the Lazarus effect” when describing…
Pursuing the Goals of the NHAS for Women
March 8, 2012 • 1 comment • By Vera Yakovchenko, MPH, Public Health Analyst, Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
As National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day nears, I wanted to share highlights of actions that have unfolded since our last blog post on achieving the goals of the NHAS for women. Impact of HIV on Women in the U.S. Nearly 300,000 women in the United States are living with HIV/AIDS and, according to…
National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
March 8, 2012 • 1 comment • By Nancy C. Lee, M.D., Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health - Women’s Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Today, nearly 300,000 women are living with HIV in the United States. While men represent the majority of AIDS diagnoses, as well as new and existing HIV infections, the impact of HIV/AIDS on women has grown since the beginning of the epidemic. Compared with women of other races/ethnicities, African American women continue to be disproportionally…
The Impact of Missed Health Care Visits on HIV Outcomes and Mortality
March 8, 2012 • 2 comments • By Miguel Gomez, Director, AIDS.gov, and Senior Communications Advisor, Office of HIV/AIDS Policy, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
At the 19th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) [external disclaimer] this week, Dr. Ron Valdiserri, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Health for Infectious Diseases, spoke with Dr. Michael Horberg, Director of HIV/AIDS for Kaiser Permanente and a member of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA). They discussed the paper Dr. Horberg is presenting…
On the Passing of Representative Donald Payne
March 6, 2012 • 2 comments • By Eric Goosby, Ambassador, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator
Cross-posted from DipNote U.S. Department of State Official Blog
Cross-posted from DipNote U.S. Department of State Official Blog
The global health community lost one of its strongest champions today with the death of Representative Donald Payne. Rep. Payne was a tireless advocate for humanitarian support to developing countries, particularly in Africa. He served for 25 years in Congress and was a trailblazer for public health and human rights for people worldwide. In 2003,…
Highlights from CROI 2012
March 6, 2012 • 2 comments • By Ronald Valdiserri, M.D., M.P.H., Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health, Infectious Diseases, and Director, Office of HIV/AIDS Policy, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
The 19th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) officially opened in Seattle on Monday afternoon, March 5th. Over 4,200 researchers, providers, community leaders, and advocates from 83 countries gathered at the Washington State Convention Center to hear the opening plenary session. The first presentation was from Dr. Dennis Burton, an internationally renowned expert in…