23 October 2017
October 23 marks the Day of Action to End Violence Against Women Living With HIV, organized annually by the Positive Women’s Network–USA. This year, the group highlighted the intersectoins between economic security, health and violence against women living with HIV. This day of action is necessary because:
27 October 2017
The Philippines' Commission on Population (POPCOM) came out with new way to reach more young people in its continuing campaign to address teenage pregnancy and HIV/AIDS. A total of 200 junior high school students from the cities of Surigao, Cabadbaran, Butuan and the province of Agusan del Norte joined the Adolescent Health and Development (AHD) Film Dissemination conducted in said areas, respectively. The selected short…
31 October 2017
In a meeting with women living with HIV in Abuja, Nigeria, UNAIDS spokesperson Richard Amenya said that West and Central Africa requires urgent access to HIV treatment. Coordinated and concerted efforts are especially needed to scale up interventions for women and children living with HIV.
One of the outcomes of the meeting of women living with HIV is to suggest ways to improve funding and access to anti-…
11 October 2017
The Eastern Cape Provincial Government is embarking on a two-day HIV Prevention Programme for Young Adolescent Girls and Women. According to a government spokesperson, Sonwabo Mbananga, the meeting is an outcome of the Provincial Young Women and Girls Camp last year where adolescent girls (15-19 years) engaged in addressing different issues that…
30 October 2017
According to the UNAIDS latest report, 19.5 million people are using antiretroviral medicines to stop the HIV virus from spreading to their immune system and the death toll from the virus has reduced from 1.9 million in 2005 to 1 million in 2016. However, there is still no easy way for women to protect themselves from acquiring HIV during sex. One type of drug can, but only if taken daily. Condoms can serve as protection…
The purpose of this Technical Brief is to assist Global Fund applicants in their efforts to include and expand programs to remove human rights and gender-related barriers to HIV prevention, diagnosis and treatment services. This Brief discusses the barriers these programs help to remove, the various forms the programs take, the need to cost and allocate budget for them, and how to implement them in effective ways and at appropriate scale. It…
This study aims to move beyond ‘relative age gaps’ to address how much ‘specific age groups’ contribute to HIV risk in men and women in South Africa. To do so, a population-based cohort study from 2004-2015 in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa was analyzed. The study included women 15-49 years and men 15-55 years. This study found non-linear associations between partner age and risk of HIV infection among men and women.
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20 October 2017
A high percentage of women recently diagnosed with HIV have previously received this diagnosis but have not undergone HIV medical care, a recent study from the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report found. Renee Stein, from the United States' Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, and colleagues analyzed data from 61 state and local health departments and 123 community-based organizations.
The…
25 October 2017
Leading HIV and AIDS researchers, Professors Salim and Quarraisha Abdool Karim, have been named the recipients of the esteemed Institute for Human Virology (IHV) Lifetime Achievement Award for exceptional public service for their contributions to the global AIDS response. The prestigious award will be presented by Dr Robert Gallo, who discovered HIV as the cause of AIDS, at the 19th International meeting of the IHV…
23 October 2017
"Why is HIV still the leading cause of death among girls aged 15 and 19 and how can we change this?,"asks Njabulo Mbanda, Health Systems coordinator of KwaNdengezi. Each week, 2,300 girls and young women are infected with HIV in South Africa. The nearest comparator is Uganda, with about 700 infections in this group per week. Great strides have been made in destigmatising HIV, and most schoolchildren can explain the…
13 October 2017
The Positive Women's Network - USA is using multimedia technology to support recently diagnosed or isolated women living with HIV as they seek answers through their new project, #PWNCares. In a series of short videos, women with HIV, including women of trans experience, will share their experiences, wisdom they have learned through years of living with the virus and encouragement for women who are struggling with their…
11 October 2017
The International Day of the Girl Child addresses the needs and challenges girls face while promoting their empowerment and human rights. One of the key challenges many adolescent girls face is HIV. Every week, across the world, 6,900 adolescent girls and young women (ages 15-24) are newly infected with HIV. Only 1 in 3 adolescent girls and young women have comprehensive and correct knowledge of how to prevent HIV.…
In collaboration with UN Women, the ATHENA Network, AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition (AVAC) and Salamander Trust have undertaken a multistage review of the global status of women’s access to antiretroviral therapy (ART). This global review takes place during a turning point in the HIV epidemic where increasing focus is placed on strategic investments in health. This review is informed by a gender-responsive and human rights-based…
10 October 2017
A study by Department of Psychiatry, Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), has revealed depression among women living with HIV in north Karnataka remains under-diagnosed and under-treated and has negative impact on adherence and immunity, leading to rapid progression of the infection. According to Dr. Shivanand B. Hiremath, one of the researchers of the study, the aim was to assess the prevalence and socio-…
10 October 2017
Earlier this month, Liberian President and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ellen Johnson Sirleaf warned that Africa would continue to be stalked by poverty, hunger, and famine until governments provide smallholder farmers with secure rights to land. According to the World Bank, more than 90 per cent of Africa’s rural land is undocumented. Africa’s small family farmers – already burdened by soil degradation, climate change,…
10 October 2017
As part of global efforts to end AIDS as a public health threat, UNAIDS, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and partners have launched a new road map to reduce new HIV infections. The HIV prevention 2020 road map was launched at the first meeting of the Global HIV Prevention Coalition. The coalition is chaired by the Executive Directors of UNAIDS and UNFPA and brings together United Nations Member States, civil…
10 October 2017
Cervical cancer is the leading cause of death among women living with HIV in Uganda. According to a research study conducted by Dr. Noleb Mugisha, despite being on regular anti-retroviral therapy and regular care in HIV clinics, women living with HIV are usually diagnosed with cervical cancer at a much later stage. This is due to the lack of screening guidelines for cervical cancer at HIV clinics, including no space,…
15 September 2017
Today, there is widespread recognition that gender-based violence (GBV) is a human rights violation and pervasive global health challenge with many consequences for women and girls including physical injury, psychological trauma, unwanted pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. We need to take stock of emerging evidence which shows that GBV has a significant impact on women’s use of HIV…
This report shows significant increases in the number of people receiving treatment for HIV, diagnosis and treatment for tuberculosis (TB) and having an insecticide treated net to prevent malaria. The Global Fund Results Report 2017, with cumulative results through the end of 2016, shows a decline of one-third in the number of people dying from AIDS, TB and malaria in the countries where the Global Fund invests. Yet, young people, in…
25 September 2017
Civil society organizations in Uganda have asked manufacturers of female condoms to redesign them to enhance their usability. According to Salome Atim, advocacy officer of Action for Better Health (ABH) with the National Forum for People Living with HIV/AIDS (NAFOPHANU), several women complained that female condoms are not comfortable and difficult to use. Women are also dissatisfied with the social and cultural…