Mobile HIV testing labs to hit streets in capital

Source: Chinadaily

Country has more than 2,000 centers for those at risk, but some reluctant to use them

Mobile HIV-testing vehicles will hit the streets of the capital, providing free tests to young gay men in particular and helping link the needy with follow-up treatment.

The first five electric minicars with three seats each were launched at an art exhibition held on Tuesday by the UNAIDS China office and the National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention Center to mark Global Zero Discrimination Day, which fell on March 1.

They will travel to areas frequented by gay men, such as certain bars, bath houses and parks to reach out to the group for intervention and care, according to Xiao Dong, head of the team, which currently has 15 volunteers.

"Some of them speak English, and foreigners are welcome to come for the free tests as well," he added. No ID is required.

Oral swab kits are used and give results in 15 minutes, he said. Follow-up counseling and referral to treatment and care will be given to those who test positive.

Wu Zunyou, head of the National Center for AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Disease Control and Prevention, welcomed such a pioneering approach, saying "it would help supplement current testing methods and reach out to the susceptible more actively".

Currently, China has more than 2,000 government HIV testing and counseling outlets for free tests, but many individuals at risk, particularly gay men, are reluctant to go.

According to Wu, the HIV epidemic has been hitting young gay men hard.

Last year, among the newly detected HIV cases involving male students aged 15 to 24, nearly 81 percent contracted the virus via gay sex.

However, "they are difficult to reach for intervention using current testing strategies", Wu said.

Zhao Ke, editor-in-chief of gay magazine Gayspot, said he preferred the latest method, citing easier access.

But he said many young gay men turn to mobile apps to find dates, so "mobile technology should be used to reach out to them as well."More

 

18/2/2016

Lawsuit Highlights China’s HIV Confidentiality Dilemma

Source：Beijing Today

Wang Xin (pseudonym), a young man in Henan Province, recently made headlines when he sued a local hospital for failing to inform him that his wife was infected with HIV during their premarital health check.

Wang and his wife Ye Qing (pseudonym) married last March. Prior to their marriage, the couple conducted a premarital health check at a Yongcheng Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

“My check went smoothly, but doctors asked my wife to take three more blood tests. I had my concerns, but doctors said there was nothing to worry about,” Wang told Xinhua.

The hospital said they told Ye that she was infected with HIV, but kept that information from Wang.

Months after their marriage, Wang also contracted HIV. He insisted that his wife was not properly informed of the risks of the virus. Wang told Beijing Youth Daily that the hospital only told his wife that she was infected with the virus. Both were from the countryside and were not well educated about HIV and its transmission. Wang said he could understand why his wife didn’t tell him about her illness, but he believed the hospital should have informed him.

Last July, Wang filed a lawsuit against the hospital seeking 1.2 million yuan in damages. The local court has not accepted the case, citing a backlog in cases as reason. More

 

23/2/2016

This device helps prevent HIV in women, long-awaited studies show

Source: South China Morning Post

A drug-laced vaginal ring that gives women more control over potential HIV infection can help safely prevent the disease, according to results from two long-awaited studies.

The ring, which contains the antiretroviral drug dapivirine, helped prevent infection in about a third of women overall — and in more than half of women ages 22 and older who used the devices faithfully.

That’s according to the first large, late-stage clinical trials to show that a long-acting microbicide can help halt HIV-1. Results were publiches on Monday.

One study, dubbed ASPIRE, was conducted through the US National Institutes of Health’s Microbicide Trials Network and led by Dr Jared Baeten, vice chairman of global health in the University of Washington’s School of Public Health. A second piece of research, called The Ring Study was led by the nonprofit International Partnership for Microbicides, or IPM.

“I’m really optimistic about the results,” Baetten said. “To see statistically significant HIV protection is a great step forward.”

Results of both studies, which were conducted in Africa, were presented Monday at the annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Boston. More

 

20/2/2016

WHO China Director Sees New Role in Changing Country

Source: Beijing Today

Bernhard Schwartländer has been the World Health Organization (WHO) Representative in China since 2013. Prior to that, he held positions in organizations such as UNAIDS, the World Bank and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

The German national has worked in China before: between 2007 and 2010, he was the UN Country Coordinator on AIDS in Beijing; and in the early 1990s, he came to the country to investigate sexually transmitted infections in the context of public health.

Over time, Schwartländer has seen China rapidly change. With the growing economy, many public health-related problems have been addressed, including access to health insurance and the transmission of infectious diseases. But vulnerable communities persist – especially in rural areas and the western interior. Despite China’s rising standard of living, there are still 70 million people who are stuck in poverty; 40 percent of them end up there because of health problems, Schwartländer said.

The WHO representative sees his role and that of international organizations in China changing. It used to be that WHO helped the country to provide health services, which is what the organization generally does in developing countries. But now, WHO’s work is centered around improving exchanges between China and other countries in research and medicine development, including helping the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) to achieve international standards; and in finding “out-of-the-box” solutions to various problems.

Financing has changed as well. With China’s economic growth, project funds from other countries have basically dried up.

“There’s not a single (government) donor that gives us money for projects in China because they all say, ‘China has enough money; we bring our money to Africa,’” Schwartländer said. “It was a huge change also in terms of the projects and what we do.”

The office now receives project money from new sources, including foundations such as Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies, which are interested in improving China’s drug regulatory system, tobacco control and road safety.

As in other countries, WHO works closely with the Chinese government to support new laws, run pilot projects and – most daunting of all – implement the country’s comprehensive health reforms. More

 

19/2/2016

NGO to make short film on children of HIV-positive people

Source: cnanhui

Hong Kong-based Chi Heng Foundation will make a short film, titled Love, on children of HIV-positive people.

The film's shooting will start in March in the villages of Henan, Anhui and Yunnan provinces and will be uploaded online in May.

It is based on real-life stories of children whose parents are or were infected by the virus and shows the difficulties they face while growing up. A few members of the production team are also those with HIV-positive parents.

"It is touching to see that such children are willing to tell their stories to raise public awareness about the virus. I hope there will be more productions of such nature," says To Chung, founder and chairman of Chi Heng Foundation.

The NGO has helped more than 19,000 students from HIV/AIDS families in 10 provinces in China since 2002. Less than 4 percent of such students are infected by the virus.

"The film's theme is hope. It aims to encourage vulnerable groups to be strong and independent and calls on the public to be more inclusive (socially)," To says.

Hong Kong film director Stanley Kwan, who volunteers with the NGO, will join the short film as well. More

 

17/2/2016

HIV Market: Will Gilead Sciences and GlaxoSmithKline Remain Market Leaders?

Source: Business Finance News

The HIV therapeutic market will cough up space as multiple patents expire in the coming years

Gilead Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) and GlaxoSmithKline Plc (ADR) (NYSE:GSK) are the key players in the HIV therapeutic market. Gilead has a share of approximately 50% of the HIV market, whereas GSK is working to widen its portion.

The mode of action of HIV drugs is very different, since they inhibit the replication process of the HIV virus at multiple stages. The first drug for the treatment of HIV was launched by GSK, called Retrovir (azidothymidine). The drug received FDA approval in 1987. The approval drastically changed research and development in antiretroviral therapy (ART).

After fast-paced research and development, Gilead introduced the once daily, single-tablet regimen, (STRs) Atripla (efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate [TDF]).More

 

1/3/2016

On the Market: Prepare for ‘Chocolate Fest’; Planned Conversion of HIV/AIDS Nursing Home

Source:OBSERVER

Chinese developers China Vanke, along with Slate Property Group and Adam America Real Estate, are planning on converting a former nursing home for HIV and AIDS patients into luxury condos, reports The Wall Street Journal. They purchased 45 Rivington Street for $116 million, and have plans to create roughly 100 apartments in the 150,000-square-foot building. The Lower East Side building was first constructed as a grammar school.

In other conversion news, plans to convert a landmarked Upper West Side church at 361 Central Park West into condos have been put on hold, according to The Real Deal, because the developer, 361 Central Park West LLC, is waiting on approval from the city Board of Standard and Appeals. The developer (an entity tied to Joseph Brunner) is looking for an exemption from zoning regulations. Mr. Brunner paid $42 million for the property in 2014, and a year later Community Board 7 rejected plans for conversion, which lead to the BSA process. The developer’s plans would mean a 35-unit condo.

On a far sweeter note, this year’s Chocolate Fest (yes, that’s a thing) is set to take place at the 92nd Street Y on April 10th, giving us all something to look forward to,per DNA Info. The event will have treats from local and regional chocolatiers, including Raaka Chocolate, Stick With Me Sweets, and Chocolate Moderne—picture a whole lot of bon bons. Cheese company Lucy’s Whey will explain how to pair such sweets with the correct cheese, with Gotham Wines and Liquors doing the wine pairings. And if chocolate isn’t your thing, not to worry—there will be an old-fashioned ice cream cart by Penny Whistle Ice Cream.