God, AIDS, Africa & HOPE

Reflections / Gedanken

07/14/2010 • 3:00 pm Comments Off on HIV figures around the world

HIV figures around the world

A major international conference on AIDS starts in Vienna on July 18, when thousands of scientists, health workers, activists, and government officials will gather to discuss the latest advances against the disease.

An estimated 33.4 million people worldwide are infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes AIDS, according to figures issued by the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

Here are some AIDS figures from around the world:

THE GLOBAL PICTURE:

* Global deaths from AIDS reached an estimated 2 million in 2008, the same number as in 2007. Since the AIDS pandemic started in the early 1980s, almost 60 million people have been infected with the virus and 25 million have died of HIV-related causes.

* In 2008, around 430,000 children were born with HIV, bringing to 2.1 million the total number of children under 15 living with HIV. Young people account for around 40 percent of all new adult (those aged 15 and over) HIV infections worldwide.

* The annual number of new HIV infections remained the same in 2008 as for 2007 at 2.7 million. This is down from 3.0 million in 2001.

* Although 33.4 million people had the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in 2008, more of them are living with HIV than ever before, at least in part due to the beneficial effects of AIDS drugs known as antiretroviral therapy. There are currently 26.3 million adults over 25 living with HIV.

AFRICA & ASIA:

* Sub-Saharan Africa remains the region most heavily affected by HIV, accounting for 67 percent of all people living with the virus worldwide, 71 percent of AIDS-related deaths and 91 percent of all new infections among children.

* An estimated 1.9 million people were newly infected with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa in 2008, bringing to 22.4 million the number of Africans living with HIV.

* The nine countries in southern Africa continue to bear a disproportionate share of the global AIDS burden. Each of them has an adult HIV rate of more than 10 percent.

* With an adult HIV prevalence of 26 percent in 2007, Swaziland has the most severe level of infection in the world. Lesotho’s epidemic seems to have stabilised, with an adult HIV rate of 23.2 percent in 2008.

* South Africa continues to be home to the world’s largest population of people living with HIV — 5.7 million in 2007. More than 250,000 South Africans died of AIDS-related diseases in 2008 and almost 2 million children there have lost one or both parents to the epidemic.

* Asia, home to 60 percent of the world’s population, is second only to sub-Saharan Africa in terms of people living with HIV. An estimated 4.7 million people were living with HIV in Asia in 2008.

* India accounts for roughly half of Asia’s HIV cases. With the exception of Thailand, where HIV affects 1.4 percent of adults, every country in Asia has an adult HIV infection rate of less than 1 percent.

OTHER REGIONS:

* Rates of HIV in eastern Europe and Central Asia are on the rise, with severe and growing epidemics in the Ukraine and Russia. With an adult HIV prevalence of 1.6 percent in 2007, Ukraine has the highest prevalence in all of Europe. In eastern Europe 1.5 million people were living with HIV.

* In Latin America, new HIV infections totalled an estimated 170,000 in 2008 bringing to 2 million the number of people living with HIV there. An estimated 77,000 people died of AIDS-related illnesses there last year.

* There were 2.3 million people living with HIV in 2008 in North America and western and central Europe.

Sources: Reuters/UNAIDS
yahoo news: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/22/20100713/tsc-uk-aids-figures-factbox-011ccfa.html

Filed under: HIV and AIDS, HIV Prevention, HIV Treatment, Medical and Research, Politics and Society, , , , , , , , ,

04/15/2010 • 10:38 pm 1

POZ.com – Treatment News : New Therapy Shows Potential as an Anti-HIV Medication

New Therapy Shows Potential as an Anti-HIV Medication

A new antibody-based therapy prevents HIV from infecting CD4 cells and could become a potent antiviral treatment, according to an announcement by Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, which is developing the therapy. The new data are from a study published online ahead of print in The Journal of Experimental Medicine.

Peregrine’s experimental agent works by blocking phosphatidylserine (PS), a molecule normally found on the inside of cell membranes but can become exposed on the outside of the membranes of viruses and virally infected cells. Exposed PS, researchers believe, enables viruses such as HIV to evade immune recognition and dampens the body’s normal response to infection.

In previous experiments, researchers found that an anti-PS antibody called bavituximab had antiviral activity against a number of viruses as well as anti-cancer properties. That drug is in Phase I and II studies for HIV, hepatitis C virus (HCV) and several types of cancer.

In the most recent published experiment, Anthony Moody, MD, from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, and his colleagues studied four antibodies targeted to PS. When the antibodies bound with PS on the surface of an immune cell called a monocyte, the researchers explained, the monocyte released chemical messengers called chemokines that blocked HIV from docking with CD4 cells.

“This publication is the latest in a series of presentations and publications that supports the potential of PS as a target in HIV infection and provides new insights into the unique mechanisms of action of our PS-targeting antibodies,” said Steven W. King, president and CEO of Peregrine. “While past studies have focused on the broad nature of the PS target, these new data reveal that some of these antibodies may also have highly specific effects.”

Moody and his colleagues found that the antibodies, in test tubes, blocked HIV infection of CD4 cells about 85 percent of the time. The specific area on the CD4 cell where the chemokines blocked entry was the CCR5 receptor—which is the target of the antiretroviral drugs Selzentry (maraviroc) and vicriviroc, and which is the receptor used by most strains of HIV to infect cells.

Moreover, Barton Haynes, MD, director of the Duke Human Vaccine Institute and senior author of the study, commented, “These results indicate that targeting a host cell lipid such as PS as an anti-viral strategy is a promising concept of relevance to new therapeutic and possibly prophylactic innovations for HIV.”

Source:

POZ – POZ Magazine – POZ.com – Treatment News : New Therapy Shows Potential as an Anti-HIV Medication.

Filed under: HIV and AIDS, HIV Treatment, Medical and Research, , ,

02/18/2010 • 10:43 pm 1

18.02.2010 office work and good news

Today is mainly an office work day – so many things are waiting to be finalised. In the morning still sitting together with a colleague of mine and exchanging ideas. In the afternoon reading some emails I discover that the South-African Government has agreed to change their guidelines for HIV treatment and that now the 350 mark of the CD4 count is significant for the begin of the treatment. This is indeed good news . I have my little doubts whether the implementation will be smoothly and were the money is coming for all those now eligible for treatment, but we will see.

Another good news is the insight, the local minister of health of the Western Cape gave in saying that there is a good understanding between the Western Cape and the national government in health issues. No jealousy or there like. Also good to hear and my prayers are, that this will last longer than the world cup 2010 is in town.
All steps in the right direction and if correct implemented, we will see many South African being able to contribute to the countries well-being instead of dying to early.

Filed under: HIV and AIDS, Politics and Society, Reflection, , , , , , ,

01/30/2010 • 6:10 pm Comments Off on POZ.com – Treatment News : Long-Lasting HIV Nucleoside Analogue in Development

POZ.com – Treatment News : Long-Lasting HIV Nucleoside Analogue in Development

An interesting article and a promising one as well:

POZ – POZ Magazine – POZ.com – Treatment News : Long-Lasting HIV Nucleoside Analogue in Development.

Filed under: HIV and AIDS, HIV Treatment, Medical and Research, , ,

01/28/2010 • 10:31 pm 1

28.01.2010 Students from Chicago

After a days work and quite some meetings I am invited to give a talk for students of the University of Chicago, who are on a course in Cape Town. The students listen very attentive while I try to bring them closer the grim reality of HIV and AIDS in South Africa. Yes, we have made progress, yes, there are almost one million people on treatment – but also yes, there are problems with adherence and compliance, yes, it is a reality that still hundreds of South Africans die every day as a consequence of HIV and AIDS. And yes, there are logistical problems, and yes, they are instances, where treatment is not given – lack of money, resources, man power – you name it.

And yes, we haven’t reached the peak of the problem yet – the Soccer World Cup 2010 and all its tales cover nicely up for all the things not running well in our country. It is not the time to debate them now – now is the time for fun and joy and soccer. The world should see, what we have achieved so far – and yes, we have achieved a lot, but the reality starts again on the 12.07,2010 when the FIFA circus is moving on to the next country and South Africa is left alone…

Let’s see

Filed under: HIV and AIDS, Politics and Society, Reflection, Society and living environment, , , , , ,

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