The World Health Organisation (WHO) team, which is in Pakistan to probe the recent outbreak of HIV in the country's Sindh province, began its inquiry by visiting a children's treatment centre and sought more information from its staff about the patients, according to a media report on Friday.

The Pakistan government had sought the WHO's help to probe the spread of HIV in the country, that has till now affected over 600 people, mostly children.

Till now 681 HIV positive cases have been identified among the 21,375 tested in Ratodero town of Larkana district in the north-west part of the province. Out of the affected, 537 are between the age group of 2 to 15 years.

Health officials have attributed the cause to the use of unsanitary equipment, unsafe blood transfusion and rampant malpractice often at the hands of quacks.

According to a UN report, Pakistan now has the second-fastest growing rate of HIV in Asia, with about 20,000 new infections in 2017 alone.

The team, that arrived in the country on Tuesday visited the children's treatment centre for HIV/AIDS in Chandka Medical College on Thursday. 
They also enquired about the facilities and the protocol for treating the disease, the Dawn newspaper reported.

Olive Morgan, the team leader, said that WHO was ready to help patients suffering from the deadly virus.

He said that the scope of the delegation was to dig out the reasons behind the spread of the deadly disease and also see from where it had travelled to the area.

Project manager of Sindh AIDS Control Programme accompanied the team members, who would also visit a hospital in Ratodero to personally observe the ongoing process of blood screening for HIV.

Earlier, the team held a meeting with Azra Pechuho, Sindh Minister for Health and other stakeholders to review the overall situation regarding the outbreak of HIV/AIDS in the area and the efforts put in so far to fight the virus.

The participants in the meeting discussed proposals as how to best handle the situation. The delegation also handed over AIDS medicines to the minister.

Pechuho said that since the outbreak of the virus, the health department had set up blood screening camps in and around Ratodero to test the population and opened treatment centres in hospitals.

She termed the situation a "challenge" and expressed optimism about overcoming it in near future.

She said that both Global Fund and Sindh government were financially contributing towards efforts to combat the virus and "we are planning to systematically and scientifically spend the funds."

The minister said that so far 712 people have been diagnosed as infected by the virus.

She said that during their stay, the foreign delegates would interact with different communities, visit blood screening camps and treatment centres and compile a report with the findings and reasons which led to the virus' spread.&nbsp;

The World Health Organisation (WHO) team, which is in Pakistan to probe the recent outbreak of HIV in the country's Sindh province, began its inquiry by visiting a children's treatment centre and sought more information from its staff about the patients, according to a media report on Friday.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) team, which is in Pakistan to probe the recent outbreak of HIV in the country's Sindh province, began its inquiry by visiting a children's treatment centre and sought more information from its staff about the patients, according to a media report on Friday. The Pakistan government had sought the WHO's help to probe the spread of HIV in the country, that has till now affected over 600 people, mostly children. Till now 681 HIV positive cases have been identified among the 21,375 tested in Ratodero town of Larkana district in the north-west part of the province. Out of the affected, 537 are between the age group of 2 to 15 years. Health officials have attributed the cause to the use of unsanitary equipment, unsafe blood transfusion and rampant malpractice often at the hands of quacks. According to a UN report, Pakistan now has the second-fastest growing rate of HIV in Asia, with about 20,000 new infections in 2017 alone. The team, that arrived in the country on Tuesday visited the children's treatment centre for HIV/AIDS in Chandka Medical College on Thursday. They also enquired about the facilities and the protocol for treating the disease, the Dawn newspaper reported. Olive Morgan, the team leader, said that WHO was ready to help patients suffering from the deadly virus. He said that the scope of the delegation was to dig out the reasons behind the spread of the deadly disease and also see from where it had travelled to the area. Project manager of Sindh AIDS Control Programme accompanied the team members, who would also visit a hospital in Ratodero to personally observe the ongoing process of blood screening for HIV. Earlier, the team held a meeting with Azra Pechuho, Sindh Minister for Health and other stakeholders to review the overall situation regarding the outbreak of HIV/AIDS in the area and the efforts put in so far to fight the virus. The participants in the meeting discussed proposals as how to best handle the situation. The delegation also handed over AIDS medicines to the minister. Pechuho said that since the outbreak of the virus, the health department had set up blood screening camps in and around Ratodero to test the population and opened treatment centres in hospitals. She termed the situation a "challenge" and expressed optimism about overcoming it in near future. She said that both Global Fund and Sindh government were financially contributing towards efforts to combat the virus and "we are planning to systematically and scientifically spend the funds." The minister said that so far 712 people have been diagnosed as infected by the virus. She said that during their stay, the foreign delegates would interact with different communities, visit blood screening camps and treatment centres and compile a report with the findings and reasons which led to the virus' spread.

WHO begins probe in spread of HIV cases in Pakistan

In the dusty town of Ratodero in southern Pakistan, doctors are struggling to cope with an alarming outbreak of young patients infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, with almost 700 of new cases over the past few months, most of them children. But many of the families cannot afford proper treatment, which usually involves regular trips to Karachi for medicines.

Pakistan province struggles with hundreds of cases of children infected with HIV

The Pakistan government has sought the help of the World Health Organisation (WHO) to probe the recent outbreak of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/panic-spreads-in-southern-pakistan-after-400-test-hiv-positive-219292">HIV in the country’s Sindh province</a>, that has till now affected over 600 people, mostly children, according to a media report.

Till now 681 HIV positive cases have been identified among the 21,375 tested in Ratodero town of Larkana district in the north-west part of the province. Out of the affected 537 are between the ages of 2 to 15. Health officials have attributed the cause to the use of unsanitary equipment, unsafe blood transfusion and rampant malpractice often at the hands of quacks.

“We are expecting a 10-member rapid response team from the WHO and Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to arrive in a few days and we will be able to know the exact reason for the outbreak of the disease in Ratodero,” Zafar Mirza, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services, was quoted as saying by the Dawn.

The CDC is a leading public health institute in the US and works with several public health institutions in Pakistan. “We have a hypothesis that they became infected with HIV either through unscreened blood transfusions or usage of infected syringes as they are usually re-packed and re-used in unhygienic conditions. The third reason could be the lack of infection prevention and control and unprotected sex,” he said.

Police last month arrested a doctor for allegedly transferring the virus to his patients. 17 quacks in the district were also held and their clinics sealed earlier this month. Mirza said they have ordered 50,000 more HIV test kits to screen all possible patients and three more HIV treatment centres being planned in Mirpurkhas, Nawabshah and Hyderabad in the province.

He said that the number of reported HIV cases in Pakistan was much lower than the actual number of cases.

According to estimates, 163,000 people were infected with HIV in the country but only 25,000 were registered with state-run HIV programmes and out of that, only about 16,000 came regularly for treatment and medicines. He recalled that there had been HIV outbreaks in the country in the past, including in Sindh in 2016 and in Punjab in 2008.

“Our problem here is that HIV is seen as a big stigma. We need to deal with it with frankness,” Mirza said. According to a UN report, Pakistan now has the second-fastest growing rate of HIV in Asia, with about 20,000 new infections in 2017 alone.

The Pakistan government has sought the help of the World Health Organisation (WHO) to probe the recent outbreak of HIV in the country’s Sindh province, that has till now affected over 600 people, mostly children, according to a media report.

The Pakistan government has sought the help of the World Health Organisation (WHO) to probe the recent outbreak of HIV in the country’s Sindh province, that has till now affected over 600 people, mostly children, according to a media report. Till now 681 HIV positive cases have been identified among the 21,375 tested in Ratodero town of Larkana district in the north-west part of the province. Out of the affected 537 are between the ages of 2 to 15. Health officials have attributed the cause to the use of unsanitary equipment, unsafe blood transfusion and rampant malpractice often at the hands of quacks. “We are expecting a 10-member rapid response team from the WHO and Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to arrive in a few days and we will be able to know the exact reason for the outbreak of the disease in Ratodero,” Zafar Mirza, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services, was quoted as saying by the Dawn. The CDC is a leading public health institute in the US and works with several public health institutions in Pakistan. “We have a hypothesis that they became infected with HIV either through unscreened blood transfusions or usage of infected syringes as they are usually re-packed and re-used in unhygienic conditions. The third reason could be the lack of infection prevention and control and unprotected sex,” he said. Police last month arrested a doctor for allegedly transferring the virus to his patients. 17 quacks in the district were also held and their clinics sealed earlier this month. Mirza said they have ordered 50,000 more HIV test kits to screen all possible patients and three more HIV treatment centres being planned in Mirpurkhas, Nawabshah and Hyderabad in the province. He said that the number of reported HIV cases in Pakistan was much lower than the actual number of cases. According to estimates, 163,000 people were infected with HIV in the country but only 25,000 were registered with state-run HIV programmes and out of that, only about 16,000 came regularly for treatment and medicines. He recalled that there had been HIV outbreaks in the country in the past, including in Sindh in 2016 and in Punjab in 2008. “Our problem here is that HIV is seen as a big stigma. We need to deal with it with frankness,” Mirza said. According to a UN report, Pakistan now has the second-fastest growing rate of HIV in Asia, with about 20,000 new infections in 2017 alone.

Pakistan: 537 out of 681 HIV affected between the age of 2 to 15, WHO to investigate

Oscar-winning actress Julianne Moore said her experience of caring for someone infected with the AIDS virus had spurred her decision to help promote the documentary '5B' about the unsung heroes who looked after AIDS sufferers in the 1980s.

The film, screened during the first week of the Cannes Film Festival, tells the story of Ward 5B at the San Francisco General Hospital, the first specialist care unit for people with HIV/AIDs in the United States.

In an interview with Reuters at Cannes, Moore, 58, said she lost a friend to the virus just after graduating from college.

"It was the end of 1984 and it was a friend who had gone to Mexico, and everyone said he had caught the flu &nbsp;- and he died two weeks later and I was shocked," Moore said.

Later on, the actress, whose best-known films include 'Magnolia'&nbsp;and 'The Hours', came to help care for an AIDS sufferer at a care unit in New York where friends and family were allowed to come in look after patients.

"By 1985 a lot of people I knew were sick ... and by 88 I was caring for somebody in a ward...I saw this movie and was so incredibly moved," she said.

The film delves into how nurses who saw a rise in patients with the condition decided to set up a care centre, dismayed by the lack of humanity many were shown at the time.

Cliff Morrison - one of the driving forces behind the treatment centre where the staff ignored ideas of clinical detachment and had physical contact with patients - said fear about the epidemic and suspicion about how it spread was one of the hurdles carers had to deal with.

"All of a sudden I found myself at a cocktail party and someone asked me what I did and everyone just spread back," Morrison told Reuters, as he discussed the film with Moore.

Dan Krauss, who co-directed the film with Paul Haggis, said '5B' had a message for modern day viewers.

"It's about compassion and it's about dignity and it's about respect," Krauss said.

"If we can inject that into the national conversation inside the United States and elsewhere I think we will have accomplished something needed right now," he said.

Every year movie stars, models and the super-rich attend a major HIV-AIDS fundraising event during the Cannes Film Festival, the AmfAR dinner, put on by the U.S.-based Foundation For AIDS Research.

This year's event on May 23 comes after an HIV-positive man in Britain became the second known adult worldwide to be cleared of the AIDS virus, according to his doctors, after he received a bone marrow transplant from an HIV-resistant donor.

Oscar-winning actress Julianne Moore said her experience of caring for someone infected with the AIDS virus had spurred her decision to help promote the documentary '5B' about the unsung heroes who looked after AIDS sufferers in the 1980s.

Oscar-winning actress Julianne Moore said her experience of caring for someone infected with the AIDS virus had spurred her decision to help promote the documentary '5B' about the unsung heroes who looked after AIDS sufferers in the 1980s. The film, screened during the first week of the Cannes Film Festival, tells the story of Ward 5B at the San Francisco General Hospital, the first specialist care unit for people with HIV/AIDs in the United States. In an interview with Reuters at Cannes, Moore, 58, said she lost a friend to the virus just after graduating from college. "It was the end of 1984 and it was a friend who had gone to Mexico, and everyone said he had caught the flu - and he died two weeks later and I was shocked," Moore said. Later on, the actress, whose best-known films include 'Magnolia' and 'The Hours', came to help care for an AIDS sufferer at a care unit in New York where friends and family were allowed to come in look after patients. "By 1985 a lot of people I knew were sick ... and by 88 I was caring for somebody in a ward...I saw this movie and was so incredibly moved," she said. The film delves into how nurses who saw a rise in patients with the condition decided to set up a care centre, dismayed by the lack of humanity many were shown at the time. Cliff Morrison - one of the driving forces behind the treatment centre where the staff ignored ideas of clinical detachment and had physical contact with patients - said fear about the epidemic and suspicion about how it spread was one of the hurdles carers had to deal with. "All of a sudden I found myself at a cocktail party and someone asked me what I did and everyone just spread back," Morrison told Reuters, as he discussed the film with Moore. Dan Krauss, who co-directed the film with Paul Haggis, said '5B' had a message for modern day viewers. "It's about compassion and it's about dignity and it's about respect," Krauss said. "If we can inject that into the national conversation inside the United States and elsewhere I think we will have accomplished something needed right now," he said. Every year movie stars, models and the super-rich attend a major HIV-AIDS fundraising event during the Cannes Film Festival, the AmfAR dinner, put on by the U.S.-based Foundation For AIDS Research. This year's event on May 23 comes after an HIV-positive man in Britain became the second known adult worldwide to be cleared of the AIDS virus, according to his doctors, after he received a bone marrow transplant from an HIV-resistant donor.

Julianne Moore says personal experiences spurred her to back AIDS ward documentary

The&nbsp;kidney&nbsp;of a 35-year-old HIV-positive woman has been transplanted into another patient with the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/world-aids-day-1-hiv-infection-every-17-seconds-in-2016-25477">virus that causes AIDS</a>, US surgeons announced Thursday, in a major medical breakthrough. 
 
The surgeons at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore performed the operation on Monday, calling it the first in the world of its kind. 
 
"I'm feeling good," said the donor, Nina Martinez, at a news conference on Thursday following the surgery. 
 
The recipient, who has not been identified, is doing "beautifully," said Christine Durand, associate professor of medicine and oncology at Johns Hopkins. 
 
They are "incredibly grateful for this gift and now we just monitor for the long term outcomes," Durand said. 
 
Martinez initially wanted to donate the&nbsp;kidney&nbsp;to a friend, but after that friend died, she pursued her wish to be an organ donor, Johns Hopkins said. 
 
The Atlanta resident, who was inspired to donate her&nbsp;kidney&nbsp;by an episode of "Grey's Anatomy," said she was excited to be part of a medical first.&nbsp; 
 
"I knew that I was the one that they had been waiting for," she said. "For anyone considering embarking on this journey, it's doable. 
 
"I've just showed you how and I'm very excited to see who the first follow-on might be." 
 
Before this transplant operation, doctors had believed it too risky to leave an HIV-positive patient with only one&nbsp;kidney. 
 
The decision to move forward with the transplant highlights the confidence scientists have in current anti-retroviral medication, which allows those with HIV to lead normal, productive lives. 
 
Thousands of people die each year in the United States awaiting organ transplants. 
 
'Doors are now open' 
 
Dorry Segev, an associate professor of surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said about 500-600 HIV-positive patients could donate organs each year, benefiting about 1,000 people with the virus. 
 
Until now, HIV-positive patients could receive organs from dead HIV-positive patients but not from anyone living with the virus. 
 
They could also previously receive an organ from someone who was not HIV-positive.&nbsp; 
 
The possibility of using organs from living donors would significantly change the equation. 
 
Johns Hopkins University Hospital received authorization in 2016 to move ahead with the first transplant from a living donor with HIV. Surgeons had been waiting to find compatible patients. 
 
Martinez and the recipient of her&nbsp;kidney&nbsp;will have to keep taking their anti-retroviral medication. 
 
"The doors are now open for people living with HIV to become&nbsp;kidney&nbsp;donors," said Segev.&nbsp;"Now anybody can do this anywhere in the world, provided that they screen the patients accordingly. 
 
"For us, this is not only a celebration of transplantation but a celebration of the progress of HIV care," he said. 
 
"And the fact that 30 years ago, a disease that was basically a death sentence has been so transformed, that today somebody with HIV can save somebody else's life." 
 
Like other countries, the United States suffers from a shortage of donor kidneys and there is a waiting list of around 100,000 people, according to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. 
 
Durand said about 10,000 HIV-positive patients are currently suffering&nbsp;kidney&nbsp;failure and on dialysis.

The kidney of a 35-year-old HIV-positive woman has been transplanted into another patient with the virus that causes AIDS, US surgeons announced Thursday, in a major medical breakthrough.

The kidney of a 35-year-old HIV-positive woman has been transplanted into another patient with the virus that causes AIDS, US surgeons announced Thursday, in a major medical breakthrough. The surgeons at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore performed the operation on Monday, calling it the first in the world of its kind. "I'm feeling good," said the donor, Nina Martinez, at a news conference on Thursday following the surgery. The recipient, who has not been identified, is doing "beautifully," said Christine Durand, associate professor of medicine and oncology at Johns Hopkins. They are "incredibly grateful for this gift and now we just monitor for the long term outcomes," Durand said. Martinez initially wanted to donate the kidney to a friend, but after that friend died, she pursued her wish to be an organ donor, Johns Hopkins said. The Atlanta resident, who was inspired to donate her kidney by an episode of "Grey's Anatomy," said she was excited to be part of a medical first. "I knew that I was the one that they had been waiting for," she said. "For anyone considering embarking on this journey, it's doable. "I've just showed you how and I'm very excited to see who the first follow-on might be." Before this transplant operation, doctors had believed it too risky to leave an HIV-positive patient with only one kidney. The decision to move forward with the transplant highlights the confidence scientists have in current anti-retroviral medication, which allows those with HIV to lead normal, productive lives. Thousands of people die each year in the United States awaiting organ transplants. 'Doors are now open' Dorry Segev, an associate professor of surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said about 500-600 HIV-positive patients could donate organs each year, benefiting about 1,000 people with the virus. Until now, HIV-positive patients could receive organs from dead HIV-positive patients but not from anyone living with the virus. They could also previously receive an organ from someone who was not HIV-positive. The possibility of using organs from living donors would significantly change the equation. Johns Hopkins University Hospital received authorization in 2016 to move ahead with the first transplant from a living donor with HIV. Surgeons had been waiting to find compatible patients. Martinez and the recipient of her kidney will have to keep taking their anti-retroviral medication. "The doors are now open for people living with HIV to become kidney donors," said Segev. "Now anybody can do this anywhere in the world, provided that they screen the patients accordingly. "For us, this is not only a celebration of transplantation but a celebration of the progress of HIV care," he said. "And the fact that 30 years ago, a disease that was basically a death sentence has been so transformed, that today somebody with HIV can save somebody else's life." Like other countries, the United States suffers from a shortage of donor kidneys and there is a waiting list of around 100,000 people, according to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. Durand said about 10,000 HIV-positive patients are currently suffering kidney failure and on dialysis.

US performs first kidney transplant from living donor with HIV

HIV biologist Prof Ravindra Gupta presents second patient with AIDS remission

An HIV-positive man in Britain has become the second known adult worldwide to be cleared of the AIDS virus after he received a bone marrow transplant from an HIV resistant donor, his doctors said.

Almost three years after receiving bone marrow stem cells from a donor with a rare genetic mutation that resists HIV infection - and more than 18 months after coming off antiretroviral drugs - highly sensitive tests still show no trace of the man's previous HIV infection.

"There is no virus there that we can measure. We can't detect anything," said Ravindra Gupta, a professor and HIV biologist who co-led a team of doctors treating the man.

The case is proof of the concept that scientists will one day be able to end AIDS, the doctors said but does not mean a cure for HIV has been found.

Gupta described his patient as "functionally cured" and "in remission", but cautioned: "It's too early to say he's cured."

The man is being called "the London patient", in part because his case is similar to the first known case of a functional cure of HIV - in an American man, Timothy Brown, who became known as the Berlin patient when he underwent similar treatment in Germany in 2007 which also cleared his HIV.

Brown, who had been living in Berlin, has since moved to the United States and, according to HIV experts, is still HIV-free.

Some 37 million people worldwide are currently infected with HIV and the AIDS pandemic has killed around 35 million people worldwide since it began in the 1980s. Scientific research into the complex virus has in recent years led to the development of drug combinations that can keep it at bay in most patients.

Gupta, now at Cambridge University, treated the London patient when he was working at University College London. The man had contracted HIV in 2003, Gupta said, and in 2012 was also diagnosed with a type of blood cancer called Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

Last chance

In 2016, when he was very sick with cancer, doctors decided to seek a transplant match for him. "This was really his last chance of survival," Gupta told Reuters in an interview.

The donor - who was unrelated - had a genetic mutation known as 'CCR5 delta 32', which confers resistance to HIV.

The transplant went relatively smoothly, Gupta said, but there were some side effects, including the patient suffering a period of "graft-versus-host" disease - a condition in which donor immune cells attack the recipient's immune cells.

Most experts say it is inconceivable such treatments could be a way of curing all patients. The procedure is expensive, complex and risky. To do this in others, exact match donors would have to be found in the tiny proportion of people - most of them of northern European descent - who have the CCR5 mutation that makes them resistant to the virus.

Specialists said it is also not yet clear whether the CCR5 resistance is the only key - or whether the graft versus host disease may have been just as important. Both the Berlin and London patients had this complication, which may have played a role in the loss of HIV-infected cells, Gupta said.

Sharon Lewin, an expert at Australia's Doherty Institute and co-chair of the International AIDS Society's cure research advisory board, told Reuters the London case points to new avenues for study.

"We haven't cured HIV, but (this) gives us hope that it's going to be feasible one day to eliminate the virus," she said.

Gupta said his team plans to use these findings to explore potential new HIV treatment strategies. "We need to understand if we could knock out this (CCR5) receptor in people with HIV, which may be possible with gene therapy," he said.

The London patient, whose case was set to be reported in the journal Nature and presented at a medical conference in Seattle on Tuesday, has asked his medical team not to reveal his name, age, nationality or other details.

An HIV-positive man in Britain has become the second known adult worldwide to be cleared of the AIDS virus after he received a bone marrow transplant from an HIV resistant donor, his doctors said.

An HIV-positive man in Britain has become the second known adult worldwide to be cleared of the AIDS virus after he received a bone marrow transplant from an HIV resistant donor, his doctors said. Almost three years after receiving bone marrow stem cells from a donor with a rare genetic mutation that resists HIV infection - and more than 18 months after coming off antiretroviral drugs - highly sensitive tests still show no trace of the man's previous HIV infection. "There is no virus there that we can measure. We can't detect anything," said Ravindra Gupta, a professor and HIV biologist who co-led a team of doctors treating the man. The case is proof of the concept that scientists will one day be able to end AIDS, the doctors said but does not mean a cure for HIV has been found. Gupta described his patient as "functionally cured" and "in remission", but cautioned: "It's too early to say he's cured." The man is being called "the London patient", in part because his case is similar to the first known case of a functional cure of HIV - in an American man, Timothy Brown, who became known as the Berlin patient when he underwent similar treatment in Germany in 2007 which also cleared his HIV. Brown, who had been living in Berlin, has since moved to the United States and, according to HIV experts, is still HIV-free. Some 37 million people worldwide are currently infected with HIV and the AIDS pandemic has killed around 35 million people worldwide since it began in the 1980s. Scientific research into the complex virus has in recent years led to the development of drug combinations that can keep it at bay in most patients. Gupta, now at Cambridge University, treated the London patient when he was working at University College London. The man had contracted HIV in 2003, Gupta said, and in 2012 was also diagnosed with a type of blood cancer called Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Last chance In 2016, when he was very sick with cancer, doctors decided to seek a transplant match for him. "This was really his last chance of survival," Gupta told Reuters in an interview. The donor - who was unrelated - had a genetic mutation known as 'CCR5 delta 32', which confers resistance to HIV. The transplant went relatively smoothly, Gupta said, but there were some side effects, including the patient suffering a period of "graft-versus-host" disease - a condition in which donor immune cells attack the recipient's immune cells. Most experts say it is inconceivable such treatments could be a way of curing all patients. The procedure is expensive, complex and risky. To do this in others, exact match donors would have to be found in the tiny proportion of people - most of them of northern European descent - who have the CCR5 mutation that makes them resistant to the virus. Specialists said it is also not yet clear whether the CCR5 resistance is the only key - or whether the graft versus host disease may have been just as important. Both the Berlin and London patients had this complication, which may have played a role in the loss of HIV-infected cells, Gupta said. Sharon Lewin, an expert at Australia's Doherty Institute and co-chair of the International AIDS Society's cure research advisory board, told Reuters the London case points to new avenues for study. "We haven't cured HIV, but (this) gives us hope that it's going to be feasible one day to eliminate the virus," she said. Gupta said his team plans to use these findings to explore potential new HIV treatment strategies. "We need to understand if we could knock out this (CCR5) receptor in people with HIV, which may be possible with gene therapy," he said. The London patient, whose case was set to be reported in the journal Nature and presented at a medical conference in Seattle on Tuesday, has asked his medical team not to reveal his name, age, nationality or other details.

UK man cleared for AIDS after stem cell transplant, becomes second patient to be free of HIV

A London man infected with HIV may be the second person in the world to beat the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/uk-man-cleared-for-aids-after-stem-cell-transplant-becomes-second-patient-to-be-free-of-hiv-201196">virus that causes AIDS</a>, researchers reported Monday, a finding advancing the costly and challenging search for a cure.

The research team was co-led by Indian origin Dr Ravindra Gupta Londoner who is a professor and HIV biologist.&nbsp;

Professor Ravindra Gupta is a virologist at University College London.

Dr Gupta has two teams under him working for the cure of HIV in London and in South Africa, at the Africa Health Research Institute.

Gupta's research career is focused on the emergence of global HIV drug resistance. Having completed his specialist medical training in infectious diseases and a Masters in International Public Health, he now works on clinical/epidemiological aspects of drug resistance as well as in vitro investigation of susceptibility to protease inhibitors, a major class of drugs now being widely used to tackle first-line treatment failure globally.

“There is no virus there that we can measure. We can’t detect anything,” Ravindra Gupta, the doctor who co-lead the man’s treatment team, told Reuters.

Gupta said the London patient was “functionally cured” and is in remission, but said it was too early to officially say he is cured.

In 2007, Timothy Ray Brown became the first person to be cured of HIV after receiving a bone marrow stem cell transplant, to treat leukemia, from someone who was naturally immune to the virus.

AIDS virus currently affects some 37 million people globally.

A London man infected with HIV may be the second person in the world to beat the virus that causes AIDS, researchers reported Monday, a finding advancing the costly and challenging search for a cure.

A London man infected with HIV may be the second person in the world to beat the virus that causes AIDS, researchers reported Monday, a finding advancing the costly and challenging search for a cure. The research team was co-led by Indian origin Dr Ravindra Gupta Londoner who is a professor and HIV biologist. Professor Ravindra Gupta is a virologist at University College London. Dr Gupta has two teams under him working for the cure of HIV in London and in South Africa, at the Africa Health Research Institute. Gupta's research career is focused on the emergence of global HIV drug resistance. Having completed his specialist medical training in infectious diseases and a Masters in International Public Health, he now works on clinical/epidemiological aspects of drug resistance as well as in vitro investigation of susceptibility to protease inhibitors, a major class of drugs now being widely used to tackle first-line treatment failure globally. “There is no virus there that we can measure. We can’t detect anything,” Ravindra Gupta, the doctor who co-lead the man’s treatment team, told Reuters. Gupta said the London patient was “functionally cured” and is in remission, but said it was too early to officially say he is cured. In 2007, Timothy Ray Brown became the first person to be cured of HIV after receiving a bone marrow stem cell transplant, to treat leukemia, from someone who was naturally immune to the virus. AIDS virus currently affects some 37 million people globally.

Indian-origin Dr Ravindra Gupta co-led team that helped person beat AIDS

Chinese gay dating app Blued is halting new user registration for a week, it said on Sunday, following media reports that underage users caught HIV after going on dates set up via the world`s largest networking app for the LGBT community.

China has a vibrant lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender scene (LGBT), though activists say conservative attitudes among some groups in society have prompted occasional government clampdowns.

On Saturday, citing academic research, financial magazine Caixin said juveniles were heavily involved in the gay dating app, where some teenagers had even hosted live streaming.

It added that many gay teenagers had unprotected sex through the app and contracted HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

In response, Blued vowed to launch a "comprehensive content audit and regulation," and crack down on juvenile users posing as adults and on texts, pictures and groups that involve minors.

"Blued always forbids juveniles from logging on and using the app," it said in a statement on its verified account on China`s Twitter-like Weibo.&nbsp;

The company added that it had enabled artificial intelligence to weed out pornographic content since last year, and vowed to further support AIDS prevention work.

The Beijing-based company did not immediately reply to a request from Reuters for comment on Sunday.

Blued, which was launched in 2010 and now boasts 40 million registered users, is backed by state-run media Beijing News. It is the brainchild of a former policeman who quit his job to play Cupid to millions of gay men in China.

Grindr, a Los Angeles-based gay dating app well-known globally, is also owned by a Chinese company.&nbsp;

Chinese gay dating app Blued is halting new user registration for a week, it said on Sunday, following media reports that underage users caught HIV after going on dates set up via the world`s largest networking app for the LGBT community.

Chinese gay dating app Blued is halting new user registration for a week, it said on Sunday, following media reports that underage users caught HIV after going on dates set up via the world`s largest networking app for the LGBT community. China has a vibrant lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender scene (LGBT), though activists say conservative attitudes among some groups in society have prompted occasional government clampdowns. On Saturday, citing academic research, financial magazine Caixin said juveniles were heavily involved in the gay dating app, where some teenagers had even hosted live streaming. It added that many gay teenagers had unprotected sex through the app and contracted HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. In response, Blued vowed to launch a "comprehensive content audit and regulation," and crack down on juvenile users posing as adults and on texts, pictures and groups that involve minors. "Blued always forbids juveniles from logging on and using the app," it said in a statement on its verified account on China`s Twitter-like Weibo. The company added that it had enabled artificial intelligence to weed out pornographic content since last year, and vowed to further support AIDS prevention work. The Beijing-based company did not immediately reply to a request from Reuters for comment on Sunday. Blued, which was launched in 2010 and now boasts 40 million registered users, is backed by state-run media Beijing News. It is the brainchild of a former policeman who quit his job to play Cupid to millions of gay men in China. Grindr, a Los Angeles-based gay dating app well-known globally, is also owned by a Chinese company.

Chinese gay dating app halts registration after underage HIV report

Days after a pregnant woman died in Tamil Nadu after she contracted HIV through infected blood transfusion, the youth whose blood was transfused into her body also died on Sunday.

The 19-year old youth committed suicide after he came to know that his blood was transmitted into the pregnant woman.

Speaking to ANI, the mother of the deceased 19-year old boy said, "He was fine but as he saw the news that his blood was transfused to a pregnant lady. He thought that he should not live and consumed rat poison."

The deceased who was not aware of his medical status&nbsp;unknowingly donated blood on November 30.

He recently found out that he was HIV positive after he underwent a medical checkup as a requirement for a foreign job.

After learning about his HIV, the youth also asked the blood bank at Sivakasi to not to use the blood, however by then, the blood had already been transfused to a Sattur-based pregnant woman by the first week of December.

Following the alleged medical negligence in Tamil Nadu, the Madras High Court on Thursday took sue moto cognisance of the incident.

The court had ordered the state government to file a detailed status report in the matter by January 3, 2019.

The court also declined a petition seeking an urgent hearing in the matter and stated that the matter would be heard as a regular case as and when the case reopens.

(With inputs from agencies)

Days after a pregnant woman died in Tamil Nadu after she contracted HIV through infected blood transfusion, the youth whose blood was transfused into her body also died on Sunday.

Days after a pregnant woman died in Tamil Nadu after she contracted HIV through infected blood transfusion, the youth whose blood was transfused into her body also died on Sunday. The 19-year old youth committed suicide after he came to know that his blood was transmitted into the pregnant woman. Speaking to ANI, the mother of the deceased 19-year old boy said, "He was fine but as he saw the news that his blood was transfused to a pregnant lady. He thought that he should not live and consumed rat poison." The deceased who was not aware of his medical status unknowingly donated blood on November 30. He recently found out that he was HIV positive after he underwent a medical checkup as a requirement for a foreign job. After learning about his HIV, the youth also asked the blood bank at Sivakasi to not to use the blood, however by then, the blood had already been transfused to a Sattur-based pregnant woman by the first week of December. Following the alleged medical negligence in Tamil Nadu, the Madras High Court on Thursday took sue moto cognisance of the incident. The court had ordered the state government to file a detailed status report in the matter by January 3, 2019. The court also declined a petition seeking an urgent hearing in the matter and stated that the matter would be heard as a regular case as and when the case reopens. (With inputs from agencies)

Tamil Nadu: Teen commits suicide after his HIV-infected blood gets transfused to pregnant woman

As&nbsp;Venezuela's hyperinflation and chronic medicine shortages leave&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/opinions/fighting-the-scourge-of-aids-180628">HIV</a>&nbsp;patients&nbsp;with little hope of obtaining life-saving anti-retroviral medications, many are now&nbsp;relying on the leaves of a tropical tree known called the guasimo.

Patients&nbsp;say they collect around 50 of the leaves, run them through a blender with water, and then strain the green liquid.

Doctors and&nbsp;patients&nbsp;alike have questioned the effectiveness of the&nbsp;remedy, which has for years been used as a complement to pharmaceutical treatment.

But&nbsp;HIV&nbsp;patients, hoping to ward off AIDS, increasingly see it as better than nothing.

For years&nbsp;patients&nbsp;received anti-retrovirals provided for free by the state, but supplies dried up as the country's socialist economic system unravelled.

Dr Carlos Perez began recommending the treatment at the start of 2018 when the shortage of&nbsp;antiretrovirals&nbsp;became acute. He tells&nbsp;patients&nbsp;to drink the guasimo&nbsp;leaf&nbsp;beverage twice a day for a month.

"It is a complementary treatment," said Perez, who is part of a group called Solidarity Action that helps provide care for&nbsp;HIV&nbsp;patients. "(One) component of these leaves is tannin, a biochemical component that apparently has antiviral properties."

The Information Ministry did not respond to a request for comment on the medicine shortages.

Antiretrovirals&nbsp;are available for those who can afford them, but few can. A box of 30 pills costs about $85 dollars, the equivalent of nearly a year of a minimum wage. Annual inflation reached 1.3 million per cent in November.

The&nbsp;Venezuela&nbsp;office of the Joint United Nations Programme on&nbsp;HIV&nbsp;and AIDS said in an email that&nbsp;Venezuela&nbsp;had 120,000 people who were&nbsp;HIV&nbsp;positive as of 2016, 61 per cent of whom were taking antiretrovirals.

Other doctors say the only real solution for&nbsp;HIV&nbsp;patients&nbsp;is for the government to create functioning policies that ensure the availability of medication.

As Venezuela's hyperinflation and chronic medicine shortages leave HIV patients with little hope of obtaining life-saving anti-retroviral medications, many are now relying on the leaves of a tropical tree known called the guasimo.

As Venezuela's hyperinflation and chronic medicine shortages leave HIV patients with little hope of obtaining life-saving anti-retroviral medications, many are now relying on the leaves of a tropical tree known called the guasimo. Patients say they collect around 50 of the leaves, run them through a blender with water, and then strain the green liquid. Doctors and patients alike have questioned the effectiveness of the remedy, which has for years been used as a complement to pharmaceutical treatment. But HIV patients, hoping to ward off AIDS, increasingly see it as better than nothing. For years patients received anti-retrovirals provided for free by the state, but supplies dried up as the country's socialist economic system unravelled. Dr Carlos Perez began recommending the treatment at the start of 2018 when the shortage of antiretrovirals became acute. He tells patients to drink the guasimo leaf beverage twice a day for a month. "It is a complementary treatment," said Perez, who is part of a group called Solidarity Action that helps provide care for HIV patients. "(One) component of these leaves is tannin, a biochemical component that apparently has antiviral properties." The Information Ministry did not respond to a request for comment on the medicine shortages. Antiretrovirals are available for those who can afford them, but few can. A box of 30 pills costs about $85 dollars, the equivalent of nearly a year of a minimum wage. Annual inflation reached 1.3 million per cent in November. The Venezuela office of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS said in an email that Venezuela had 120,000 people who were HIV positive as of 2016, 61 per cent of whom were taking antiretrovirals. Other doctors say the only real solution for HIV patients is for the government to create functioning policies that ensure the availability of medication.

With no antiretrovirals, Venezuela HIV patients rely on leaf remedy

“Know your status” is the theme for this year’s World AIDS Day on December 1. Knowing HIV status is a critical step to ensure one is not infected, and if infected, to get treatment at the earliest. This is a theme focussed to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030. India with an estimated 2.1 million HIV infections has a long way to go to end the epidemic. This can only happen by ensuring all the infected know their HIV status and are put on treatment so that the transmission can be made negligible by strong preventive measures. Early HIV testing and early treatment significantly prevents HIV transmission. 
 
HIV testing is for everybody who has any risk of acquiring HIV infection, may be through self-behaviour (sexual and/or injecting) or infected mother to child or accidental prick by infected needle/syringe and blood transfusion. HIV testing is not only for the high-risk groups (HRG) like the female sex workers, men having sex with men, transgenders and injection drug users; their population is miniscule compared to the total population of India. The infection is concentrated among HRGs but in terms of absolute numbers, the infection is higher among general population. The lesser the proportion, it becomes more difficult to detect the infection. There is a strong need for everybody to come out of inhibition, and get HIV tested. More men transmit HIV to their spouses than vice versa; which gets passed on to the unborn innocent in the womb. In 2017, an estimated 87,580 people got HIV infected. Out of this number, 22,677 were pregnant women.&nbsp;

At the moment, the country is gearing up for elimination of mother to child transmission of HIV by 2020. Under the initiative, all pregnant mothers need to undergo HIV testing; if HIV is detected, they are initiated on ART as early as possible, thus preventing the spread of the virus to the unborn and then, the newborn is provided with ART prophylaxis for a period of six weeks, followed by six months of exclusive breastfeeding. These guidelines, provided by the World Health Organization, have been adopted by the country. In 2015, Cuba made history by becoming the first country to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV; in 2016, Thailand became the first South East Asian country to achieve the goal and this year Malaysia achieved the same; it is also possible for India to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV.&nbsp;

The HIV/AIDS 2017 Act, promulgated by the Government of India states anybody stigmatising and/or discriminating against an HIV infected or affected will be penalised. If workplaces, schools and colleges force anyone to get tested against their knowledge and consent, the aggrieved can take strict action and also if admissions and job offers are denied on the basis of the candidate’s HIV status, then the institute can be marked by law with harsh punishments. It also talks of penalisation for breaching confidentiality of HIV testing. There are around 20,000 centres spread across the country, which are run by the government, and provide HIV testing free of cost. They also maintain confidentiality and provide confirmed results; they also provide counselling and connect the positives to ART centres for treatment. HIV testing is also freely available at private laboratories but they only conduct screening test and have no provision for counselling; for confirmation they refer to the government centres.

The reason to feel inhibited or stigmatised is getting weaker by the day. The world has come a long way with regard to HIV/AIDS outbreak since 1980s. From being a virtual death sentence with the infected destined to die through severe suffering of remaining in bed for months to years in skin and bones and unable to even self-care, HIV has now become a manageable disease. With the available free-of-cost antiretroviral treatment (ART) in the public sector, with one pill a day, the virus is manageable to an eventual state of undetectable form making the individual non-infectious and this state has to be maintained throughout his/her lifetime with that single pill. There are many individuals who were diagnosed in the 80s but are still living a healthy life in 2018; this affirms ART is effective and the science surrounding it is true. In India, around 29.7 million pregnancies occur every year. The ART also prevents transmission of HIV from the mother to the child. But for this to happen, the first step is detection of the HIV infected pregnancies. Thus, pregnant mothers need to undergo HIV testing.&nbsp;

So, let’s join hands and move on a progressive path towards ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic with the critical step of HIV testing without any inhibition. The message needs to be spread and practiced widely, across sections, ages, poor or wealthy, illiterate or literate, minority or majority, and by people living in rural or urban set-ups. Testing is important during high risk behavior and pregnancy. The law protects HIV positives from any stigma and discrimination.&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-fighting-the-scourge-of-aids-2691045">original article)</a>

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

“Know your status” is the theme for this year’s World AIDS Day on December 1. Knowing HIV status is a critical step to ensure one is not infected, and if infected, to get treatment at the earliest.

“Know your status” is the theme for this year’s World AIDS Day on December 1. Knowing HIV status is a critical step to ensure one is not infected, and if infected, to get treatment at the earliest. This is a theme focussed to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030. India with an estimated 2.1 million HIV infections has a long way to go to end the epidemic. This can only happen by ensuring all the infected know their HIV status and are put on treatment so that the transmission can be made negligible by strong preventive measures. Early HIV testing and early treatment significantly prevents HIV transmission. HIV testing is for everybody who has any risk of acquiring HIV infection, may be through self-behaviour (sexual and/or injecting) or infected mother to child or accidental prick by infected needle/syringe and blood transfusion. HIV testing is not only for the high-risk groups (HRG) like the female sex workers, men having sex with men, transgenders and injection drug users; their population is miniscule compared to the total population of India. The infection is concentrated among HRGs but in terms of absolute numbers, the infection is higher among general population. The lesser the proportion, it becomes more difficult to detect the infection. There is a strong need for everybody to come out of inhibition, and get HIV tested. More men transmit HIV to their spouses than vice versa; which gets passed on to the unborn innocent in the womb. In 2017, an estimated 87,580 people got HIV infected. Out of this number, 22,677 were pregnant women. At the moment, the country is gearing up for elimination of mother to child transmission of HIV by 2020. Under the initiative, all pregnant mothers need to undergo HIV testing; if HIV is detected, they are initiated on ART as early as possible, thus preventing the spread of the virus to the unborn and then, the newborn is provided with ART prophylaxis for a period of six weeks, followed by six months of exclusive breastfeeding. These guidelines, provided by the World Health Organization, have been adopted by the country. In 2015, Cuba made history by becoming the first country to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV; in 2016, Thailand became the first South East Asian country to achieve the goal and this year Malaysia achieved the same; it is also possible for India to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV. The HIV/AIDS 2017 Act, promulgated by the Government of India states anybody stigmatising and/or discriminating against an HIV infected or affected will be penalised. If workplaces, schools and colleges force anyone to get tested against their knowledge and consent, the aggrieved can take strict action and also if admissions and job offers are denied on the basis of the candidate’s HIV status, then the institute can be marked by law with harsh punishments. It also talks of penalisation for breaching confidentiality of HIV testing. There are around 20,000 centres spread across the country, which are run by the government, and provide HIV testing free of cost. They also maintain confidentiality and provide confirmed results; they also provide counselling and connect the positives to ART centres for treatment. HIV testing is also freely available at private laboratories but they only conduct screening test and have no provision for counselling; for confirmation they refer to the government centres. The reason to feel inhibited or stigmatised is getting weaker by the day. The world has come a long way with regard to HIV/AIDS outbreak since 1980s. From being a virtual death sentence with the infected destined to die through severe suffering of remaining in bed for months to years in skin and bones and unable to even self-care, HIV has now become a manageable disease. With the available free-of-cost antiretroviral treatment (ART) in the public sector, with one pill a day, the virus is manageable to an eventual state of undetectable form making the individual non-infectious and this state has to be maintained throughout his/her lifetime with that single pill. There are many individuals who were diagnosed in the 80s but are still living a healthy life in 2018; this affirms ART is effective and the science surrounding it is true. In India, around 29.7 million pregnancies occur every year. The ART also prevents transmission of HIV from the mother to the child. But for this to happen, the first step is detection of the HIV infected pregnancies. Thus, pregnant mothers need to undergo HIV testing. So, let’s join hands and move on a progressive path towards ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic with the critical step of HIV testing without any inhibition. The message needs to be spread and practiced widely, across sections, ages, poor or wealthy, illiterate or literate, minority or majority, and by people living in rural or urban set-ups. Testing is important during high risk behavior and pregnancy. The law protects HIV positives from any stigma and discrimination. (This article was originally published on DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Fighting the scourge of AIDS

An estimated 120,000 children and adolescents aged 0-19 were living with HIV in India in 2017, the highest number in South Asia, according a report by UNICEF which warned that around 80 adolescents will be dying of AIDS every day globally by 2030 if progress in preventing transmission is not accelerated.&nbsp;

The report noted that South Asia has made substantial progress in reducing HIV risks and vulnerability among children, adolescents, pregnant women and mothers.&nbsp;

In India, an estimated 120,000 children and adolescents aged 0-19 were living with HIV in 2017. In Pakistan, this number was 5,800, followed by Nepal (1,600) and Bangladesh (less than 1,000), according to the UNICEF report released Thursday 'Children, HIV and AIDS: The World in 2030.'&nbsp;

In 2017, the estimated number of children under 5 years old newly diagnosed with HIV was 43 per cent lower than the comparable estimate in 2010&nbsp;a decline greater than the 35 per cent recorded globally.&nbsp;

The estimated share of those aged 0-14 living with HIV who had been initiated on lifesaving antiretroviral therapy (ART) was 73 per cent in 2017, an increase of nearly 50 percentage points from 2010.&nbsp;

The report, however, warned that by 2030, around 80 adolescents will be dying of AIDS every day if "we don't accelerate progress in preventing transmission."

The report said current trends indicate AIDS-related deaths and new infections are slowing, but the downward trajectory is not happening fast enough.&nbsp; 
"The report makes it clear, without the shadow of a doubt, that the world is off track when it comes to ending AIDS among children and adolescents by 2030," said UNICEF chief Henrietta Fore.&nbsp;

More than half of those children known to be dying of AIDS won't reach the age of five, the report reveals. Prevention and infection treatment efforts, Fore noted, are still missing the mark, specifically when it comes to "HIV transmission from mothers to babies. Programmes to treat the virus and prevent it from spreading among older children are nowhere near where they should be."

The number of mother-to-child infections have fallen by around 40 per cent in the last eight years, but girls still account for two-thirds of all adolescent HIV infections, and rates of infection among older children are the slowest to decline, according to current data.

Further, the report cites a global target reduction in the number of HIV-infected children by 2030 to 1.4 million, while the projected number today of 1.9 million, shows that the world is off-track by around 500,000.&nbsp;

Currently, three million persons 19 years and younger, are infected with HIV worldwide. Two million new infections could be averted by 2030, if global targets are met this means providing adequate access to HIV prevention, care and treatment services, and testing and diagnoses.&nbsp;

The major shortfalls show slow progress in prevention among the young, and a failure to address the key drivers of the epidemic. Many infected children and adolescents are unaware of their illness, and even when tested HIV-positive, rarely adhere to proper treatment.&nbsp;

The UNICEF vision for an AIDS-free generation entails upscaling family-centred testing to help identify children living with HIV who have not been diagnosed, and greater use of digital platforms to improve education when it comes to HIV and AIDS contraction and prevention.

An estimated 120,000 children and adolescents aged 0-19 were living with HIV in India in 2017, the highest number in South Asia, according a report by UNICEF which warned that around 80 adolescents will be dying of AIDS every day globally by 2030 if progress in preventing transmission is not accelerated.

An estimated 120,000 children and adolescents aged 0-19 were living with HIV in India in 2017, the highest number in South Asia, according a report by UNICEF which warned that around 80 adolescents will be dying of AIDS every day globally by 2030 if progress in preventing transmission is not accelerated. The report noted that South Asia has made substantial progress in reducing HIV risks and vulnerability among children, adolescents, pregnant women and mothers. In India, an estimated 120,000 children and adolescents aged 0-19 were living with HIV in 2017. In Pakistan, this number was 5,800, followed by Nepal (1,600) and Bangladesh (less than 1,000), according to the UNICEF report released Thursday 'Children, HIV and AIDS: The World in 2030.' In 2017, the estimated number of children under 5 years old newly diagnosed with HIV was 43 per cent lower than the comparable estimate in 2010 a decline greater than the 35 per cent recorded globally. The estimated share of those aged 0-14 living with HIV who had been initiated on lifesaving antiretroviral therapy (ART) was 73 per cent in 2017, an increase of nearly 50 percentage points from 2010. The report, however, warned that by 2030, around 80 adolescents will be dying of AIDS every day if "we don't accelerate progress in preventing transmission." The report said current trends indicate AIDS-related deaths and new infections are slowing, but the downward trajectory is not happening fast enough. "The report makes it clear, without the shadow of a doubt, that the world is off track when it comes to ending AIDS among children and adolescents by 2030," said UNICEF chief Henrietta Fore. More than half of those children known to be dying of AIDS won't reach the age of five, the report reveals. Prevention and infection treatment efforts, Fore noted, are still missing the mark, specifically when it comes to "HIV transmission from mothers to babies. Programmes to treat the virus and prevent it from spreading among older children are nowhere near where they should be." The number of mother-to-child infections have fallen by around 40 per cent in the last eight years, but girls still account for two-thirds of all adolescent HIV infections, and rates of infection among older children are the slowest to decline, according to current data. Further, the report cites a global target reduction in the number of HIV-infected children by 2030 to 1.4 million, while the projected number today of 1.9 million, shows that the world is off-track by around 500,000. Currently, three million persons 19 years and younger, are infected with HIV worldwide. Two million new infections could be averted by 2030, if global targets are met this means providing adequate access to HIV prevention, care and treatment services, and testing and diagnoses. The major shortfalls show slow progress in prevention among the young, and a failure to address the key drivers of the epidemic. Many infected children and adolescents are unaware of their illness, and even when tested HIV-positive, rarely adhere to proper treatment. The UNICEF vision for an AIDS-free generation entails upscaling family-centred testing to help identify children living with HIV who have not been diagnosed, and greater use of digital platforms to improve education when it comes to HIV and AIDS contraction and prevention.

In 2017, 120,000 children and adolescents were living with HIV in India: UN Report

A US-based&nbsp;MD Anderson&nbsp;cancer centre has pulled out its name out of an event to be held in IIT Madras after Baba Ramdev was named as the chief guest in the event.&nbsp;

The event is scheduled to be held in Chennai on February 4 and is based on Cancer prevention and treatment.&nbsp;

The theme of the event is &quot;Cancer prevention and treatment: from Ancient Medicine to Modern Medicine&quot;.&nbsp;

MD Anderson cancer centre which is based at the University of Texas&nbsp;took to Twitter to disclose its back out from the event.&nbsp;

It tweeted &quot;In the past, MD Anderson has sponsored this conference through its Global Academic Program. But this year, we&rsquo;re not a sponsor. Our name and logo are being used without permission, and we&rsquo;ve requested they be removed from promotional materials.&rdquo;

In the past, the Yog Guru had made several controversial and unscientific statements.

He said that Yoga and medicines from his Patanjali had the power to cure Cancer and AIDS.

Despite the fact that till date, no comprehensive cure has been found for the two deadly diseases.&nbsp;

He also supported Himant Biswa&#39;s comment&nbsp;on cancer patients wherein the Assam Health Minister had called cancer sufferings as sins of their past.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

 
 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The event is scheduled to be held in Chennai on February 4 and is based on cancer prevention and treatment

A US-based MD Anderson cancer centre has pulled out its name out of an event to be held in IIT Madras after Baba Ramdev was named as the chief guest in the event. The event is scheduled to be held in Chennai on February 4 and is based on Cancer prevention and treatment. The theme of the event is "Cancer prevention and treatment: from Ancient Medicine to Modern Medicine". MD Anderson cancer centre which is based at the University of Texas took to Twitter to disclose its back out from the event. It tweeted "In the past, MD Anderson has sponsored this conference through its Global Academic Program. But this year, we’re not a sponsor. Our name and logo are being used without permission, and we’ve requested they be removed from promotional materials.” In the past, the Yog Guru had made several controversial and unscientific statements. He said that Yoga and medicines from his Patanjali had the power to cure Cancer and AIDS. Despite the fact that till date, no comprehensive cure has been found for the two deadly diseases. He also supported Himant Biswa's comment on cancer patients wherein the Assam Health Minister had called cancer sufferings as sins of their past.

US cancer centre backs out of event after Ramdev is named chief guest

A local quack in the district of Unnao has spread the deadly disease of AIDS among 21 people by injecting them with infected needles, an official said on Monday.

The incident was reported in Bangarmau area of the district, where the officials have identified one Rajendra Yadav behind this incident.&nbsp;

An FIR has been registered against him.

Chief Medical Officer Sushil Choudhury said that the probe found that quack Rajendra Kumar, living in a neighbouring village, had used a single syringe for injection in the name of cheaper treatment.&nbsp;

&quot;This was the reason behind the significant rise in the number HIV cases.&quot;&nbsp;

The CMO said the doctors checked 566 people in Bangarmau and its adjoining villages, where 21 were found HIV positive.&nbsp;

All the patients have been shifted to the KGMU in Lucknow. Most of the cases are from Premganj and Chakmirapur villages.&nbsp;

&ldquo;Now, the doctors are checking all the patients, who have been given injection by Rajendra Yadav,&rdquo; he stated.

The FIR against Rajendra was registered by Bangarmau community health centre In-Charge Pramod Dohre on January 31 and police was investigating the matter. The quack is absconding for the past one week.

(With inputs from Agencies)

In the camps, 566 people were examined of whom 21 were found to be infected with HIV

A local quack in the district of Unnao has spread the deadly disease of AIDS among 21 people by injecting them with infected needles, an official said on Monday. The incident was reported in Bangarmau area of the district, where the officials have identified one Rajendra Yadav behind this incident. An FIR has been registered against him. Chief Medical Officer Sushil Choudhury said that the probe found that quack Rajendra Kumar, living in a neighbouring village, had used a single syringe for injection in the name of cheaper treatment. "This was the reason behind the significant rise in the number HIV cases." The CMO said the doctors checked 566 people in Bangarmau and its adjoining villages, where 21 were found HIV positive. All the patients have been shifted to the KGMU in Lucknow. Most of the cases are from Premganj and Chakmirapur villages. “Now, the doctors are checking all the patients, who have been given injection by Rajendra Yadav,” he stated. The FIR against Rajendra was registered by Bangarmau community health centre In-Charge Pramod Dohre on January 31 and police was investigating the matter. The quack is absconding for the past one week. (With inputs from Agencies)

21 infected with HIV in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao after use of same injection

Scientists announced the launch of another large HIV vaccine efficacy study on Thursday, fuelling hopes for a protective shot against the virus that causes AIDS, despite past disappointments.

The start of the new trial involving 2,600 women in southern Africa means that for the first time in more than a decade there are now two big HIV vaccine clinical trials taking place at the same time.

The new study is testing a two-vaccine combination developed by Johnson &amp; Johnson with the US&nbsp;National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation. The first vaccine, also backed by NIH, began a trial last November.

Both studies aim to build on the modest success of a previous trial in Thailand in 2009, when an earlier vaccine showed a 31-percent reduction in infections.

&quot;We&#39;re making progress,&quot; said J&amp;J Chief Scientific Officer Paul Stoffels, who believes it should be possible to achieve effectiveness above 50 per cent.

&quot;That is the goal. Hopefully, we get much higher,&quot; he told Reuters.

The new vaccines require one dose to prime the immune system and a second shot to boost the body&#39;s response.

Significantly, J&amp;J&#39;s latest vaccine uses so-called mosaic technology to combine immune-stimulating proteins from different HIV strains, representing different types of virus from around the world, which should produce a &quot;global&quot; vaccine.

One reason why making an HIV vaccine has proved so difficult in the past is the variability of the virus.

Although modern HIV drugs have turned the disease from a death sentence into a chronic condition, a vaccine is still seen as critical in rolling back the pandemic, since the number of people infected is still growing.

Some 37 million individuals around the world currently have HIV and around 1.8 million became newly infected last year.

For the new study, sexually active women in South Africa, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe will be given the experimental vaccine or a placebo and then followed for three years to see if it prevents infections.

Initial clinical results reported at an AIDS conference in Paris in July showed the mosaic vaccine was safe and elicited a good immune response in healthy volunteers.

Scientists announced the launch of another large HIV vaccine efficacy study on Thursday, fuelling hopes for a protective shot against the virus that causes AIDS, despite past disappointments

Scientists announced the launch of another large HIV vaccine efficacy study on Thursday, fuelling hopes for a protective shot against the virus that causes AIDS, despite past disappointments. The start of the new trial involving 2,600 women in southern Africa means that for the first time in more than a decade there are now two big HIV vaccine clinical trials taking place at the same time. The new study is testing a two-vaccine combination developed by Johnson & Johnson with the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The first vaccine, also backed by NIH, began a trial last November. Both studies aim to build on the modest success of a previous trial in Thailand in 2009, when an earlier vaccine showed a 31-percent reduction in infections. "We're making progress," said J&J Chief Scientific Officer Paul Stoffels, who believes it should be possible to achieve effectiveness above 50 per cent. "That is the goal. Hopefully, we get much higher," he told Reuters. The new vaccines require one dose to prime the immune system and a second shot to boost the body's response. Significantly, J&J's latest vaccine uses so-called mosaic technology to combine immune-stimulating proteins from different HIV strains, representing different types of virus from around the world, which should produce a "global" vaccine. One reason why making an HIV vaccine has proved so difficult in the past is the variability of the virus. Although modern HIV drugs have turned the disease from a death sentence into a chronic condition, a vaccine is still seen as critical in rolling back the pandemic, since the number of people infected is still growing. Some 37 million individuals around the world currently have HIV and around 1.8 million became newly infected last year. For the new study, sexually active women in South Africa, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe will be given the experimental vaccine or a placebo and then followed for three years to see if it prevents infections. Initial clinical results reported at an AIDS conference in Paris in July showed the mosaic vaccine was safe and elicited a good immune response in healthy volunteers.

Hopes for HIV vaccine buoyed by start of second big trial

Worried about your local chemist&rsquo;s judgemental looks every time you ask for a condom? Well, here&rsquo;s some good news for you. You can now get condoms home delivered, that too for free.

Yes, you heard that right. No, this isn&rsquo;t a joke.

On Wednesday, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) launched &lsquo;Love Condoms&rsquo; as a measure to reduce new cases of HIV/AIDS in India. According to the United Nations, 2.1 million people in India are infected with HIV.&nbsp;

AHF said the initiative was the first of its kind.

The global charity has posted a video on YouTube titled India&rsquo;s first &lsquo;Free Condom Store&rsquo; in which they tell you how to get your hands on &lsquo;Love Condoms&rsquo;. It says you can either call on 1800 102 8102 (toll-free) or drop an email at <meta charset="utf-8" /><a href="mailto:freecondomstoreahf@gmail.com">freecondomstoreahf@gmail.com</a>&nbsp;to get a supply delivered to their doorstep.

&ldquo;We encourage individuals and organisations to send in a request of minimum one box (144 pieces). Delivery will be made within a week to any major city of India,&rdquo; said Dr V Sam Prasad, AHF&rsquo;s programme director for India.

So what are you waiting for? Go on, place your order now!

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/m3Bi1jvm7r8" width="560"></iframe>

(WION)

On Wednesday, AHF launched ?Love Condoms? as a measure to reduce new cases of HIV/AIDS in the country

Worried about your local chemist’s judgemental looks every time you ask for a condom? Well, here’s some good news for you. You can now get condoms home delivered, that too for free. Yes, you heard that right. No, this isn’t a joke. On Wednesday, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) launched ‘Love Condoms’ as a measure to reduce new cases of HIV/AIDS in India. According to the United Nations, 2.1 million people in India are infected with HIV. AHF said the initiative was the first of its kind. The global charity has posted a video on YouTube titled India’s first ‘Free Condom Store’ in which they tell you how to get your hands on ‘Love Condoms’. It says you can either call on 1800 102 8102 (toll-free) or drop an email at freecondomstoreahf@gmail.com to get a supply delivered to their doorstep. “We encourage individuals and organisations to send in a request of minimum one box (144 pieces). Delivery will be made within a week to any major city of India,” said Dr V Sam Prasad, AHF’s programme director for India. So what are you waiting for? Go on, place your order now! (WION)

Want free condoms delivered at your doorstep? Find out how

US actor Charlie Sheen, who announced last year he is HIV-positive, said other celebrities should come forward if they have contracted the virus to help lift its stigma. 
 
In an interview with German Playboy released today, the &quot;Two and a Half Men&quot; and &quot;Platoon&quot; star said famous people infected with the AIDS virus had a responsibility to speak out. 
 
&quot;There is a lot of prejudice against HIV-positive people and I hope to change that,&quot; Sheen said. 
 
&quot;It would be good if more celebrities announced that they are infected with HIV. That would help things.&quot; 
 
The 50-year-old actor revealed in an interview aired on national television last November that he is HIV-positive. 
 
He said he hadn&#39;t sought the role of a public advocate but that it had been thrust upon him. 
 
&quot;People approach me on the street and congratulate me on having the courage,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;Whether I want to or not, It is important to teach about sexually transmitted diseases.&quot; 
 
Sheen stressed that he had turned his back on his bad-boy ways and aimed to make productive use of his life. 
 
&quot;I want to stay healthy and do good. I want to make peace with the past, live in the present and look toward the future,&quot; he said. 
 
Asked about the US presidential election, Sheen warned against Republican hopeful Donald Trump, calling him a &quot;catastrophe&quot;. 
 
&quot;He&#39;s a damn clown. This circus had better get out of town before it hits the Oval Office,&quot; he said. &quot;You&#39;d be better off voting for me.&quot; 
 
In April, Los Angeles police opened a criminal investigation against Sheen, reportedly linked to claims that he had threatened to kill his ex-fiancee Scottine Ross. 
 
 
(AFP)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

'There is a lot of prejudice against HIV-positive people and I hope to change that,' the 'Two and a Half Men' star said

US actor Charlie Sheen, who announced last year he is HIV-positive, said other celebrities should come forward if they have contracted the virus to help lift its stigma. In an interview with German Playboy released today, the "Two and a Half Men" and "Platoon" star said famous people infected with the AIDS virus had a responsibility to speak out. "There is a lot of prejudice against HIV-positive people and I hope to change that," Sheen said. "It would be good if more celebrities announced that they are infected with HIV. That would help things." The 50-year-old actor revealed in an interview aired on national television last November that he is HIV-positive. He said he hadn't sought the role of a public advocate but that it had been thrust upon him. "People approach me on the street and congratulate me on having the courage," he said. "Whether I want to or not, It is important to teach about sexually transmitted diseases." Sheen stressed that he had turned his back on his bad-boy ways and aimed to make productive use of his life. "I want to stay healthy and do good. I want to make peace with the past, live in the present and look toward the future," he said. Asked about the US presidential election, Sheen warned against Republican hopeful Donald Trump, calling him a "catastrophe". "He's a damn clown. This circus had better get out of town before it hits the Oval Office," he said. "You'd be better off voting for me." In April, Los Angeles police opened a criminal investigation against Sheen, reportedly linked to claims that he had threatened to kill his ex-fiancee Scottine Ross. (AFP)

Charlie Sheen urges other HIV-positive stars to come forward and lift stigma?

Some 2.5 million people are still becoming infected with HIV every year even as drugs have slashed the death rate and virus-carriers live longer than ever, a global AIDS study said today. 
 
New infections have plateaued for the past 10 years after a steep dip from the peak rate of 3.3 million in 1997, said the authors of a comprehensive analysis in The Lancet HIV journal. 
 
It was published to coincide with the International AIDS conference underway in Durban, South Africa to assess progress in stemming an outbreak that has killed more than 30 million people since the 1980s. 
 
The report paints &quot;a worrying picture of slow progress in reducing new HIV infections,&quot; according to lead author Haidong Wang from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, Seattle. 
 
This could be worsened by &quot;stagnating&quot; funding for HIV/AIDS programmes and medicines. 
 
&quot;Therefore, a massive scale-up of efforts from governments and international agencies will be required to meet the estimated $36 billion (33 billion euros) needed every year to realise the goal of ending AIDS by 2030,&quot; IHME director Christopher Murray said in a statement. 
 
Over the past 15 years, countries have contributed $110 billion in &quot;development assistance&quot; for HIV/AIDS programmes. 
 
Today, there are some 38.8 million people living with the AIDS-causing virus, a steady increase from 28 million in 2000 thanks to the advent in 1996 of life-prolonging antiretroviral therapy (ART). 
 
Annual AIDS deaths have declined from a peak of 1.8 million in 2005 to 1.2 million in 2015. 
 
There is no AIDS cure or vaccine. 
 
ART cocktails suppress the virus, enabling people to live long lives, though the drugs are expensive and can have side effects. 
 
 
Dramatic change required 
 
Use of antiretrovirals, for long the preserve of the rich, grew from 6.4 percent of infected men in 2005 to 38.6 percent ten years later, and from 3.3 percent to 42.4 percent for women over the same period, the study found. 
 
Another factor that has helped cut the death rate was education and medicines to prevent infected women passing the virus onto their unborn children, said the report. 
 
The study saw researchers collate HIV data recorded from 1980 to 2015 for 195 countries. 
 
In spite of advances, most countries are still far from achieving the UNAIDS goal of ensuring that by 2020, 90 percent of infected people will know their status, and 90 percent of those will receive ART. 
 
In 2015, 41 percent of HIV-infected people received ART, said the report. 
 
The picture varied vastly between countries and regions. 
 
In 2015, 1.8 million new HIV infections, some 75 percent, were in sub-Saharan Africa, followed by 212,500 (8.5 percent) in south Asia. 
 
&quot;The highest rates of infection were in southern Africa, with more than one percent of the population per year becoming infected in Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland,&quot; said the report. 
 
In Europe, the highest rate of new infections was in Russia (57,340) and Ukraine (13,490). 
 
&quot;Global efforts have had less impact on the incidence of new infections than on HIV mortality,&quot; concluded the report. 
 
&quot;Ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 will require a dramatic change in how HIV prevention is pursued.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

New infections have plateaued for the past 10 years after a steep dip from the peak rate of 3.3 million in 1997

Some 2.5 million people are still becoming infected with HIV every year even as drugs have slashed the death rate and virus-carriers live longer than ever, a global AIDS study said today. New infections have plateaued for the past 10 years after a steep dip from the peak rate of 3.3 million in 1997, said the authors of a comprehensive analysis in The Lancet HIV journal. It was published to coincide with the International AIDS conference underway in Durban, South Africa to assess progress in stemming an outbreak that has killed more than 30 million people since the 1980s. The report paints "a worrying picture of slow progress in reducing new HIV infections," according to lead author Haidong Wang from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, Seattle. This could be worsened by "stagnating" funding for HIV/AIDS programmes and medicines. "Therefore, a massive scale-up of efforts from governments and international agencies will be required to meet the estimated $36 billion (33 billion euros) needed every year to realise the goal of ending AIDS by 2030," IHME director Christopher Murray said in a statement. Over the past 15 years, countries have contributed $110 billion in "development assistance" for HIV/AIDS programmes. Today, there are some 38.8 million people living with the AIDS-causing virus, a steady increase from 28 million in 2000 thanks to the advent in 1996 of life-prolonging antiretroviral therapy (ART). Annual AIDS deaths have declined from a peak of 1.8 million in 2005 to 1.2 million in 2015. There is no AIDS cure or vaccine. ART cocktails suppress the virus, enabling people to live long lives, though the drugs are expensive and can have side effects. Dramatic change required Use of antiretrovirals, for long the preserve of the rich, grew from 6.4 percent of infected men in 2005 to 38.6 percent ten years later, and from 3.3 percent to 42.4 percent for women over the same period, the study found. Another factor that has helped cut the death rate was education and medicines to prevent infected women passing the virus onto their unborn children, said the report. The study saw researchers collate HIV data recorded from 1980 to 2015 for 195 countries. In spite of advances, most countries are still far from achieving the UNAIDS goal of ensuring that by 2020, 90 percent of infected people will know their status, and 90 percent of those will receive ART. In 2015, 41 percent of HIV-infected people received ART, said the report. The picture varied vastly between countries and regions. In 2015, 1.8 million new HIV infections, some 75 percent, were in sub-Saharan Africa, followed by 212,500 (8.5 percent) in south Asia. "The highest rates of infection were in southern Africa, with more than one percent of the population per year becoming infected in Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland," said the report. In Europe, the highest rate of new infections was in Russia (57,340) and Ukraine (13,490). "Global efforts have had less impact on the incidence of new infections than on HIV mortality," concluded the report. "Ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 will require a dramatic change in how HIV prevention is pursued." (AFP)

2.5 million people suffer from HIV every year

HIV, AIDS remains the leading cause of death among Africans aged between 10 and 19, &nbsp;United Nations Children&#39;s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) chief Anthony Lake said on Monday at the start of a major international conference on the virus. 
 
&quot;Despite remarkable global progress in tackling the HIV/AIDS pandemic, much work remains to be done to protect children and adolescents from infection, sickness and death,&quot; Lake said in a statement released on the first day of AIDS 2016, held in the South African city of Durban. 
 
&quot;AIDS is still the number two cause of death for those aged 10-19 globally - and number one in Africa,&quot; added the head of the UN children`s agency. 
 
According to UNICEF, AIDS-related deaths among people aged between 15 and 19 have more than doubled since 2000, with 29 new infections within this age group taking place across the world every hour. 
 
&quot;Girls are particularly vulnerable, making up about 65 per cent of new adolescent infections worldwide,&quot; said the statement. 
 
&quot;In sub-Saharan Africa, which accounts for about 70 per cent of people in the world living with HIV, three out of every four adolescents newly infected by HIV in 2015 were girls.&quot; 
 
Some 68 per cent of 52,000 young people surveyed in 16 countries said they did not want to be tested, both because they were afraid of an HIV-positive result, and because they were worried about social stigma. 
 
Meanwhile, new mother-to-child infections taking place during childbirth or breastfeeding have dropped by 70 per cent since 2000. 
 
In 2015, just six countries - all but one in Africa - accounted for half of new infections among under-14s: India, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania. 
 
&quot;The undeniable progress we have made in the last three decades does not mean that our struggle is over,&quot; said Lake. 
 
&quot;The battle against AIDS will not be over until we redouble prevention and treatment efforts; until we reach those young lives still being denied the progress that millions before them have enjoyed; and until we end the stigma and fear that prevent so many young people from getting tested.&quot; 
 
AIDS 2016, the 21st International AIDS Conference, brings together 18,000 scientists, politicians, activists, jurists, and donors. 
 
(AFP)

UNICEF: AIDS-related deaths among people aged between 15 and 19 have more than doubled since 2000

HIV, AIDS remains the leading cause of death among Africans aged between 10 and 19, United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) chief Anthony Lake said on Monday at the start of a major international conference on the virus. "Despite remarkable global progress in tackling the HIV/AIDS pandemic, much work remains to be done to protect children and adolescents from infection, sickness and death," Lake said in a statement released on the first day of AIDS 2016, held in the South African city of Durban. "AIDS is still the number two cause of death for those aged 10-19 globally - and number one in Africa," added the head of the UN children`s agency. According to UNICEF, AIDS-related deaths among people aged between 15 and 19 have more than doubled since 2000, with 29 new infections within this age group taking place across the world every hour. "Girls are particularly vulnerable, making up about 65 per cent of new adolescent infections worldwide," said the statement. "In sub-Saharan Africa, which accounts for about 70 per cent of people in the world living with HIV, three out of every four adolescents newly infected by HIV in 2015 were girls." Some 68 per cent of 52,000 young people surveyed in 16 countries said they did not want to be tested, both because they were afraid of an HIV-positive result, and because they were worried about social stigma. Meanwhile, new mother-to-child infections taking place during childbirth or breastfeeding have dropped by 70 per cent since 2000. In 2015, just six countries - all but one in Africa - accounted for half of new infections among under-14s: India, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania. "The undeniable progress we have made in the last three decades does not mean that our struggle is over," said Lake. "The battle against AIDS will not be over until we redouble prevention and treatment efforts; until we reach those young lives still being denied the progress that millions before them have enjoyed; and until we end the stigma and fear that prevent so many young people from getting tested." AIDS 2016, the 21st International AIDS Conference, brings together 18,000 scientists, politicians, activists, jurists, and donors. (AFP)

HIV, AIDS top killers of African adolescents

British singer Elton John told a concert in Moscow he still wanted to meet President Vladimir Putin to discuss his concerns about gay rights and AIDS in Russia, despite the Kremlin leader not having time to meet him this time round.

John, performing at a luxury shopping and&nbsp;entertainment&nbsp;centre in the Russian capital on Monday night as part of a world tour, sounded disappointed about not getting to meet Putin, but said he would return to try to see him.

&quot;As some of you may know I hoped to meet with President Putin on this trip,&quot; said John, whose music has been popular in Russia since the Soviet era, told the audience.

&quot;Although it wasn&#39;t possible, I&#39;m deeply grateful to him for inviting me to discuss some serious issues in Russia including LGBT, HIV and AIDS, and I very much hope we will find time in future to meet.&quot;

Putin&#39;s spokesman said last week that the Russian leader&#39;s schedule did not match up with John&#39;s, but that a meeting might take place &quot;next time.&quot; Putin had to fly to Kazakhstan on Tuesday morning for a meeting.

In September Putin phoned the singer, who has used his status as one of the world&#39;s most famous gay celebrities to push for equal rights for homosexuals around the world, to say he would be willing to meet up after John, 69, requested a meeting.

Western governments and human rights activists have criticised the Russian authorities for their treatment of gay people, and John has previously spoken out against a 2013 law banning the dissemination of &quot;gay propaganda&quot; among young Russians.

Putin has said he is not prejudiced against gay people.

John has also expressed alarm about the scale of Russia&#39;s AIDS epidemic.

The number of people registered HIV-positive passed the 1 million mark earlier this year and the country&#39;s top AIDS specialist warned the rate of infection had reached record levels.

British singer Elton John told a concert in Moscow he still wanted to meet President Vladimir Putin to discuss his concerns about gay rights and AIDS in Russia, but the Kremlin leader didn't have time

British singer Elton John told a concert in Moscow he still wanted to meet President Vladimir Putin to discuss his concerns about gay rights and AIDS in Russia, despite the Kremlin leader not having time to meet him this time round. John, performing at a luxury shopping and entertainment centre in the Russian capital on Monday night as part of a world tour, sounded disappointed about not getting to meet Putin, but said he would return to try to see him. "As some of you may know I hoped to meet with President Putin on this trip," said John, whose music has been popular in Russia since the Soviet era, told the audience. "Although it wasn't possible, I'm deeply grateful to him for inviting me to discuss some serious issues in Russia including LGBT, HIV and AIDS, and I very much hope we will find time in future to meet." Putin's spokesman said last week that the Russian leader's schedule did not match up with John's, but that a meeting might take place "next time." Putin had to fly to Kazakhstan on Tuesday morning for a meeting. In September Putin phoned the singer, who has used his status as one of the world's most famous gay celebrities to push for equal rights for homosexuals around the world, to say he would be willing to meet up after John, 69, requested a meeting. Western governments and human rights activists have criticised the Russian authorities for their treatment of gay people, and John has previously spoken out against a 2013 law banning the dissemination of "gay propaganda" among young Russians. Putin has said he is not prejudiced against gay people. John has also expressed alarm about the scale of Russia's AIDS epidemic. The number of people registered HIV-positive passed the 1 million mark earlier this year and the country's top AIDS specialist warned the rate of infection had reached record levels.

Elton John tells Russians he still wants to meet Putin to discuss gay rights

United Nations targets for HIV testing and treatment may seem expensive at first but are very cost-effective way to boost the survival rate in the long run. 
 
According to a research at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), the University of Cape Town and the Yale School of Public Health, which estimated the likely impact of the so-called &quot;90-90-90&quot; program, concluded that the program is an economical way to increase survival, reduce the number of children orphaned by HIV, and contain the global AIDS epidemic. 
 
&quot;Based on our findings, there is nothing overstated about the suggestion that 90-90-90 could lay the foundation for a healthier, more just and equitable world for future generations,&quot; says Rochelle P. Walensky, of the MGH Division of Infectious Disease, who led the study that will appear in the May 31 online edition of Annals of Internal Medicine. 
 
&quot;Yes it would be very expensive, but it would be worth every penny&quot;, said Walensky Launched in September 2014 by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the 90-90-90 program has three key objectives - diagnosing 90 percent of HIV-infected persons worldwide; linking 90 percent of identified cases to antiretroviral therapy (ART); and achieving virologic suppression among 90 percent of ART recipients. 
 
The program`s overall goal is achieving viral suppression - reducing the viral load to an undetectable level - among 73 percent of HIV-infected persons worldwide by 2020, a marked improvement from current estimates of 24 percent.Critics have expressed concern that successful implementation of 90-90-90 would require unprecedented cash infusions from donor organizations such as the President`s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the Global Fund, and the World Bank.Countering this concern, study`s co-author Linda-Gail Bekker, notes, &quot;Recent funding from these sources has been flat. Our goal for this study was to provide donors and partner countries with pragmatic estimates of what it will cost and what return they can expect by investing in 90-90-90.&quot; 
 
Publication of the study coincides with a June 8-10 United Nations meeting of world leaders, HIV program implementers, government representatives and other key stakeholders to solidify a plan to put an end to the global AIDS epidemic by 2030.The research has been published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

U.N. program for battling AIDS is expensive but cost effective in the long run and boosts survival rate.

United Nations targets for HIV testing and treatment may seem expensive at first but are very cost-effective way to boost the survival rate in the long run. According to a research at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), the University of Cape Town and the Yale School of Public Health, which estimated the likely impact of the so-called "90-90-90" program, concluded that the program is an economical way to increase survival, reduce the number of children orphaned by HIV, and contain the global AIDS epidemic. "Based on our findings, there is nothing overstated about the suggestion that 90-90-90 could lay the foundation for a healthier, more just and equitable world for future generations," says Rochelle P. Walensky, of the MGH Division of Infectious Disease, who led the study that will appear in the May 31 online edition of Annals of Internal Medicine. "Yes it would be very expensive, but it would be worth every penny", said Walensky Launched in September 2014 by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the 90-90-90 program has three key objectives - diagnosing 90 percent of HIV-infected persons worldwide; linking 90 percent of identified cases to antiretroviral therapy (ART); and achieving virologic suppression among 90 percent of ART recipients. The program`s overall goal is achieving viral suppression - reducing the viral load to an undetectable level - among 73 percent of HIV-infected persons worldwide by 2020, a marked improvement from current estimates of 24 percent.Critics have expressed concern that successful implementation of 90-90-90 would require unprecedented cash infusions from donor organizations such as the President`s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the Global Fund, and the World Bank.Countering this concern, study`s co-author Linda-Gail Bekker, notes, "Recent funding from these sources has been flat. Our goal for this study was to provide donors and partner countries with pragmatic estimates of what it will cost and what return they can expect by investing in 90-90-90." Publication of the study coincides with a June 8-10 United Nations meeting of world leaders, HIV program implementers, government representatives and other key stakeholders to solidify a plan to put an end to the global AIDS epidemic by 2030.The research has been published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

UN''s ''90-90-90'' program may cost-effectively battle AIDS

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