God, AIDS, Africa & HOPE

Reflections / Gedanken

09/30/2011 • 2:24 am Comments Off on R.I.P. Dr Robert Frascino

R.I.P. Dr Robert Frascino

HIV and AIDS are not knowing boundaries and the internet is one of the excellent tools to connect people. And astonishing enough you get used to people you don’t know at all but somehow you feel attached. I would say all people living with the virus or working in the field of HIV and AIDS know about the website: thebody.com. A vast source of information and people can write with their experience and problems and there are doctors answering those questions – which means that others can also benefit from the answers by reading them.

Robert James Frascino, M.D. was one of those doctors working for the website and he passed away a couple of days ago – age 59 years old. Known as “Dr. Bob” to so many, he was incredible and inspiring and I loved like thousands others to read his responses: they were qualified but full of compassion, humour and somehow hitting the nail. Dr. Bob was a brilliant immunologist who was working in HIV well before he became HIV positive in 1991. In the mid-90s, he and his husband, Steve Natterstad, M.D. formed a charity called The Robert James Frascino AIDS Foundation which has raised more than $1,500,000 for various HIV/AIDS causes. Each year, Bob and Steve, both pianists, perform at their benefit called A Concerted Effort.

Bob started working with TheBody.com in May 2000 in the Q&A forums. He has touched millions of people through his Q&A forums on HIV prevention and HIV-related fatigue and anemia, as well as his blog. He answered nearly 30,000 questions over that time period — truly astounding. No matter how insane or serious the question, Bob always found a way to bring humor to every response. He never sugar-coated anything, never shied away from his political inclinations and never met a pun he didn’t like. His singular wit made his forums a must read for HIV-positive and HIV-negative people alike.

Dr Bob was one of the familiar faces on the internet, which I grew attached to. And I always promised myself, that my next travel to the USA will include a try to visit him. I truly believe that he was one of the few people who celebrated life to the fullest but at the same time cared much about his fellow men. I will somehow miss him and his answers…… R.I.P.

the late Dr Robert Frascino

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

09/19/2011 • 7:53 am Comments Off on Danger looming….

Danger looming….

HIV/AIDS is shifting out of the eye of the public – it seems that the drugs available transformed a deadly disease into a chronic one. Only people deeper involved notice that we have not yet turned the tide and that still millions dying as a consequence of HIV/AIDS.

There are many reasons for things could go terribly wrong again and just as food for thoughts I want to highlight some of them coming from the political sector:

* India-EU Trade deal

According to UN AIDS 86% of people around the world taking medication the pills come as generics from India. The EU and India negotiating in the moment a free-trade deal which is a danger to the manufacturing of generic medicine because the deal delays or extends patents, requires exclusivity and looks for harsher border controls enforcement rules.

* USA deals

The USA is in the moment negotiating several deals with different partners, amongst them  Mercosur (the common market of South America), but also with Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam (Trans-Pacific partnership trade agreement). In these agreements, the USA pushes for stricter patent rights and new forms of intellectual property enforcement to intercept generics more easily. The trans pacific partnership trade agreement will be a draft for further agreements between the USA and the developing world and threatens the well-being of HIV/AIDS patients around the world while protecting the big pharmaceutical industry.

* Global AIDS Fund and research

The Global AIDS Fund lacks money and more and more countries are not paying in but negotiating one to one agreements with their perspective partner countries. The aim to bring all patients on treatment and to turn the tide is threatened. The financial crisis and the inability of the political elite to modernize economics and bring back stability means that money for research is also getting less. We not only need new drugs, the aim is still to eradicate HIV and AIDS and to create a cure for the syndrome.

 

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

08/20/2011 • 10:02 am Comments Off on Thanks to Rotary

Thanks to Rotary

Thursday afternoon the Rotary Club of Signal Hill as the host club for the matching grant handed over a Nissan Livina Acenta 1,6 to HOPE Cape Town.

The Rotary Clubs and Districts involved with this Matching Grant (for the vehicle and insurance for 3 years) are:
Signal Hill (South Africa)  –   Gelsenkirchen-Schloss Horst  (Germany) – District D1870 (Germany) –  Chateau Salin Dieuze Morhage (France) – District 1790  (France).
The match from The Rotary Foundation and a huge contribution from the Rotary Club of  St Wendel (Germany) in District 1860, which is a District in Future Vision added the necessary funds.

HOPE Cape Town is grateful to all sponsors and supporters, especially as we celebrate the 10th anniversary of HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust and the Rotary Club of Signal Hill is one of the Founding Fathers of the organisation.

Filed under: HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, , , , , , , , , , ,

08/17/2011 • 9:33 am Comments Off on Young, gay, religious and the thread of HIV.. a deadly mix?

Young, gay, religious and the thread of HIV.. a deadly mix?

In one of the newsletters relating to HIV issues I found this email. I am touched because once again I am reminded how difficult it is for a young person from a religious background and family to be gay and when HIV is added as a concern – faith becomes a deadly threat. There is so much still to do to get it right and to bring faith to be the liberating factor, not the killing factor… The burden to carry seems for this young man, having life still in front of him, too heavy. The RC youth day in Madrid where so many young people gather now for prayers and to meet the pope – wouldn’t that not be a great opportunity to bring out this powerful message that God loves unconditional – no “but” added. Just love and acceptance.

 Young, depressed and confused – Aug 14, 2011

I am 16 year old gay teenager. My 20 year old boyfriend recently found out he may be HIV positive. The doctor told him his viral load is very low and that the virus is almost detectable in his blood and that he needs to revisit in 6 months again to do another hiv test to see if he is really positive. I am confused. We had unprotected sex before his results. I topped him but did not ejaculate inside of him. I am not circumcised and I am really worried about my chances of infection. I got a test done privately with my boyfriend by his doctor but it came back negative. It’s been eight weeks since that incident and I have noticed slight pains under my arms pits, on my legs near my groin areas and even under my chin, but the area is not swollen. I am very depressed because I was being very young and stupid.  My parents will surely kill me if they knew I have contracted this disease. There is the possibility of me being thrown out of the house because my father is a pastor. I have not been sleeping nor eating much and it’s really affecting my grades in school. I hate myself of being gay and wonder why this has happened to me. At the same time the pressure of all this is really overwhelming and I don’t want to make the wrong decision in killing myself. Nobody understands besides my boyfriend but this lifestyle is looked down upon from the church and many people in our society. Please sir, I need your advice. Thanks.

Source: http://www.thebody.com/Forums/AIDS/Mental/Q216792.html?ic=700101

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

08/12/2011 • 8:55 pm Comments Off on South African HAART programme now open to all

South African HAART programme now open to all

All HIV patients with a CD4 count of 350 or less will now get government HAART treatment, Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe announced today during a SANAC meeting. This is indeed good news for South African living with the virus. He also revealed that from 13,5 million newly tested South African, some two million people were tested positive.

More info:

http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/arv-program-open-to-all-now-1.1116850

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

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