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…
25 September 2017
Since launching the Treat All Strategy in 2016, Botswana is steadily making strides towards the achievement of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) targets. Speaking at a high level side event on "Fast Track: Quickening the Pace of Action to End AIDS" during the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Vice President, Mr Mokgweetsi Masisi said Botswana supported global efforts to reduce new HIV…
26 September 2017
On World Contraception Day, the International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM) shared their latest research on products to protect women from HIV and unintended pregnancy to address overlapping sexual and reproductive health needs. IPM partnered with the Microbicide Trials Network to launch the first clinical trial of a three-month vaginal ring IPM designed to prevent both HIV and unintended pregnancy. The…
20 September 2017
A 15-country study led by the John Hopkins Urban Health Institute and the World Health Organization found that gender stereotypes put girls as young as 10 years old at risk of HIV and depression and lead boys to abuse drugs and commit suicide. This study interviewed 450 adolescents over four years ranging from the United States, Malawi, Belgium and India. The "gender straitjacket," coined by the researchers leaves…
20 September 2017
The North West Social Cluster departments of Health, Social Development, Education and Sport Development together with partners, youth organisations and health stakeholders in the North West province will host a two day summit for adolescent girls and young women under the theme: "Take control of your future" with a view to effectively reach and address the particular needs of adolescent girls and young women through…
17 September 2017
Over 30 percent of HIV and AIDS organizations lost federal funding last year when the Public Health Agency of Canada realigned its priorities for fighting the disease, citing a shift in focus from treatment support to prevention. Due to this, the board of directors of Positive Women's Network in British Columbia announced they were closing their doors. "We have made this difficult decision in response to the shifting…
18 September 2017
Maureen Phiri from Lilingwe, Malawi faced much stigma and discrimination from her schoolmates due to her HIV status. "Due to the stigma that was associated with taking anti-retroviral treatment, it became too hard for me to adhere to my daily dosage and, eventually, I defaulted. I was frequently being taken ill and at one time I was forced to go home. Word had reached the school that I had passed on and my friends…
This study aimed to document spending patterns of young African women receiving cash transfers as part of HIV prevention efforts. Survey data from 1,214 young women in South Africa and qualitative data from 38 participants explored how a cash transfer among young women was spent, provided they attended school. During interviews, young women discussed the significant role of cash transfers for adolescent identity, specifically with regard to…
11 August 2017
Last week, Chile's Ministry of Health (Minsal) launched a new campaign to prevent STIs, especially HIV, after results from a 66% increase in the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections among the young people, going from 2,900 cases confirmed in 2010 to 4,900 in 2016.
The national Always Protect HIV campaign began to spread after two years of silence. It promotes "condom use, HIV testing, access to…
11 September 2017
During the recent launch of the AIDS Council in the Vhembe district of South Africa, Executive Mayor Florence Radzilani said authorities were particularly concerned about the spread of HIV among school girls. “One remains concerned about the high level of infections among girls and young women, hence all of us should put more efforts in fighting against abuse of young women by adult men. We should say not with…
12 September 2017
Communities in Malawi's central region are being encouraged by the Coalition of Women Living with HIV and AIDS in Malawi (COWLHA) to disseminate messages that will lead to the elimination of gender-based violence and HIV among women in the district. COWLHA is implementing a five-year project emphasizing women's empowerment to combat HIV. The organization has trained over 100 community action groups to help disseminate…
11 September 2017
Updated guidance on antiretroviral drugs for pregnant women living with HIV can help women make more informed choices about benefits and harms, say a panel of international experts in The BMJ today. The recommendations, which take a patient's perspective rather than a public health perspective, differ from current guidelines, and are meant to support shared decision making between pregnant women and their healthcare…