HIV/AIDS: Religion not a barrier to HIV treatment

NAIROBI, 22 August 2012 (PlusNews) - Preachers who promise divine healing have often been blamed for turning desperate HIV-positive people against their life-prolonging antiretroviral (ARV) medication and risking their health, but recent research suggests that religious beliefs may not be a barrier to treatment after all. full report

HEALTH: Major price cut for rapid TB test

NAIROBI, 7 August 2012 (PlusNews) - The cost of a highly accurate, rapid diagnostic test for tuberculosis (TB) has been reduced by 40 percent under a new agreement between the US government, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the health financing mechanism, UNITAID. full report

HIV/AIDS: Growing old with HIV

WASHINGTON DC, 26 July 2012 (PlusNews) - It's hard enough dealing with the aches and pains that usually come with getting older, but when you're HIV-positive, ageing brings more chronic illnesses and even more medication; many health systems are not ready to cope with this relatively new phenomenon. full report

HIV/AIDS: New ways to fund the fight

WASHINGTON DC, 25 July 2012 (PlusNews) - While global HIV funding has stayed flat in recent years, poorer countries have quietly been putting more of their own money into financing the HIV response. "Something very interesting has been happening" in Africa, Bernhard Schwartländer, director of strategy at UNAIDS told a plenary session at the 19th International AIDS Conference in Washington DC. full report

HIV/AIDS: New investment in point-of-care evaluation

WASHINGTON DC, 25 July 2012 (PlusNews) - International medicines financing mechanism UNITAID will invest more than US$140 million to evaluate point-of-care HIV diagnostic and monitoring technology in seven African countries. full report

HIV/AIDS: Straight Talk with Mark Eldon-Edington, Global Fund director of country programmes

WASHINGTON DC, 24 July 2012 (PlusNews) - The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria is changing the way it does business, and the way it disburses money. In 2010, after allegations of fraud among fund recipients in Mali, Mauritania and Zambia, the Global Fund put together an independent, high-level panel to review its financial controls and how grant money is spent. The Fund is now implementing the panel's recommendations. full report

HIV/AIDS: Better paediatric HIV formulations

WASHINGTON DC, 23 July 2012 (PlusNews) - Fewer babies are being born HIV-positive, but treatment for the more than three million children living with HIV remains under-researched and underfunded. As part of efforts to boost access to paediatric HIV treatment, researchers are getting creative, moving to better pills, kid-friendly treatment "sprinkles", micro-tabs and even medicine-dispensing pacifiers. full report

HIV/AIDS: "End of AIDS" in sight

WASHINGTON DC, 23 July 2012 (PlusNews) - There is no cure or vaccine yet, but "the end of AIDS" was the buzzword at the opening ceremony of the International AIDS Conference in Washington DC on 22 July. full report

HIV/AIDS: WHO issues guidelines on PrEP

NAIROBI/KAMPALA, 20 July 2012 (PlusNews) - Days after US officials gave unprecedented approval for the use of an antiretroviral drug by HIV-negative people to reduce the risk of their acquiring the HI virus, the World Health Organization has issued guidance to governments on so-called pre-exposure prophylaxis. full report