| prevention-news@cdcnpin.org 2004-11-04, 7:15 pm |
| CDC HIV/STD/TB Prevention News Update
Monday, November 01, 2004
The CDC National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention provides the follo=
wing information as a public service only. Providing synopses of key scie=
ntific articles and lay media reports on HIV/AIDS, other sexually transmi=
tted diseases and tuberculosis does not constitute CDC endorsement. The f=
ollowing summaries were prepared without conducting any additional resear=
ch or investigation into the facts and statements made in the articles be=
ing summarized, and therefore readers are expressly cautioned against rel=
ying on the validity or invalidity of any statements made in these summar=
ies. This daily update also includes information from CDC and other gover=
nment agencies, such as background on Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Repo=
rt (MMWR) articles, fact sheets and announcements. Reproduction of this t=
ext is encouraged; however, copies may not be sold, and the CDC HIV/STD/T=
B Prevention News Update should be cited as the source of the=20
information. Contact the sources of the articles abstracted below for ful=
l texts of the articles.
HEADLINES
NATIONAL NEWS
ILLINOIS: =93Syringe Law Not Making an Impact=94
ILLINOIS: =93Health Officials Shut Lab Over HIV Test Kits=94
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
GLOBAL: =93EU Proposes Help to Poor Countries Seeking Cheap Drugs=94
CANADA: =93Saskatchewan Plans to Make Safety-Engineered Needles Mandatory=
; Labor Groups Happy=94
MALAWI: =93Malawi Says It's Having Trouble Accessing Global AIDS Fund=94
MEDICAL NEWS
AUSTRALIA: =93Surgeon, Test (and Heal) Thyself: Sharps Injuries and Hepat=
itis C Risk=94
LOCAL AND COMMUNITY NEWS
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: =93Charity Expects to Triple Production of Meals to=
Go=94
NEWS BRIEFS
MALAWI: =93UN Pledges $83 Million for Malawi Orphans=94
UGANDA: =931,000 Volunteers to Participate in AIDS Vaccine Research in Ug=
anda=94
THAILAND: =93More than 80,000 Young People in Thailand Suffer from AIDS=94
GEORGIA: =935 Students Show TB Exposure=94
************************************************************
NATIONAL NEWS=09
************************************************************
ILLINOIS:
=93Syringe Law Not Making an Impact=94
Chicago Sun-Times (10.27.04)::Dave McKinney=20
Citing a lack of public awareness, one of the largest pharmacy chain=
s in Illinois reports relatively few people have taken advantage of a Jul=
y 2003 state law allowing the non-prescription sale of hypodermic syringe=
s.=20
=93I don't think there has been a real large difference for us so fa=
r in the sale of syringes,=94 said Michael Polzin, spokesperson for Walgr=
eens. =93It's not like all of a sudden our sales have doubled. That's not=
the case,=94 said Polzin. =93A lot of that is because there's still some=
education that needs to be done among the public that they don't need a =
prescription for that.=94 Polzin would not release Walgreens sales data, =
citing proprietary concerns. The Illinois Department of Health does not t=
rack the sales, an agency spokesperson said.
Before the bill sponsored by state Sen. Donne Trotter (D-Chicago) pa=
ssed, there were concerns that drug abuse rates would jump if syringes we=
re more accessible. There is no evidence that has occurred.=20
Some remain opposed to the law. =93I don't like the concept,=94 said=
state Sen. Kathleen Wojcik (R-Schaumburg), who voted against the bill. =93=
I don't think we're helping the situation. I think we should be out there=
trying to help people get on their two feet and get off drugs, not makin=
g it easier [to use drugs] by being able to get the needles,=94 she said.
AIDS Foundation of Chicago lobbied hard to get the bill signed into =
law. Its associate director, David Munar, acknowledged that many of those=
in need of needle access remain unaware of the new law, but maintained t=
he approach would benefit public health. =93We're finding we need to do a=
lot more education about the availability of non-prescription syringe sa=
les,=94 he said.=20
=20
ILLINOIS:
=93Health Officials Shut Lab Over HIV Test Kits=94
Associated Press (10.29.04)
The US Food and Drug Administration and the Illinois Department of P=
ublic Health have ordered the closing of the lab at Raani Corp. in Bedfor=
d Park for allegedly manufacturing HIV test kits.=20
Earlier this month, a routine fire inspection discovered the lab, wh=
ich had been built without permits inside the factory, according to Bedfo=
rd Park Building Coordinator Steve Edwards. A search found packages of HI=
V diagnostic kits and a locked refrigerator containing vials labeled HIV-=
positive serum, he said.
Edward said the US attorney's office is asking local officials to re=
frain from commenting. FDA Deputy Regional Inspector Andrew Bonanno would=
only confirm that an investigation is underway.=20
Raani makes skin lotions and shampoos under contracts for other comp=
anies. COO Tehsel Dhaliwal said Raani was manufacturing the HIV kits for =
a client. FDA said Raani is not on the list of companies licensed to manu=
facture HIV test kits. Dhaliwal said the company does not need a license =
because the kits are not sold domestically. FDA officials agreed that a l=
icense is not required to produce kits sold outside the United States but=
said they are investigating other issues at the plant.
Illinois Health Department spokesperson Tom Schafer said Raani =93ha=
s voluntarily given up the things that were labeled HIV,=94 but added, =93=
I don't know if anybody knows yet what it actually is.=94 Dhaliwal denied=
that the lab had active virus. He called material on hand =93samples=94 =
used for =93quality control=94 tests on the effectiveness of the kits.
************************************************************
INTERNATIONAL NEWS=09
************************************************************
GLOBAL:
=93EU Proposes Help to Poor Countries Seeking Cheap Drugs=94
Associated Press (10.29.04)
On Friday, the European Union's head office proposed new regulations=
to permit the export of cheap generic copies of patented drugs to poor c=
ountries hit by AIDS and other killer epidemics.
The regulation, if approved by EU's Parliament and 25 national gover=
nments, would implement an agreement made last year at the World Trade Or=
ganization. The arrangement allows countries hard-hit by public health cr=
ises to invoke =93compulsory licensing=94 to override patents on expensiv=
e drugs and obtain generics from manufacturers in other countries. Small =
payments would go to the patent holders.
Previously, governments could issue compulsory licenses only for use=
in their own countries: They were banned from exporting the generics to =
the majority of nations that have no domestic pharmaceutical manufacturin=
g capability.
Under the European Commission's proposal, reimportation of the drugs=
into the EU would be prohibited. If the drugs were smuggled back in, pat=
ent holders would be allowed to use existing national laws to enforce the=
ir rights. The regulation is expected to be submitted for approval early =
next year.=20
Even as it welcomed the move, Oxfam called on the EU to cut red tape=
that could impede poor nations' efforts to get generics.
Frits Bolkestein, the EU's internal market commissioner, said, =93Th=
e WTO decision and our proposed regulation can help save lives by helping=
countries in need to acquire affordable medicines, without undermining t=
he patent system, which is one of the main incentives for the research an=
d development of new medicines.=94
CANADA:
=93Saskatchewan Plans to Make Safety-Engineered Needles Mandatory; Labor =
Groups Happy=94
Canadian Press (10.28.04)
Saskatchewan will introduce regulations calling for the mandatory us=
e of safety-engineered needles, Labor Minister Deb Higgins announced Thur=
sday at the Saskatchewan Federation of Labor's annual convention. Delegat=
es, many of whom have been actively campaigning for safe needles for year=
s, applauded the announcement.=20
At least 2,000 needle-stick accidents occur yearly in Saskatchewan, =
and it is estimated that many more go unreported. The spring-loaded safet=
y needles retract into the barrel after each use, virtually eliminating t=
he risk of workers accidentally being stuck and becoming infected with bl=
ood-borne diseases like HIV/AIDS and hepatitis.=20
According to Barbara Cape, president of Local 299 of the Service Emp=
loyees International Union, mandatory use of safety needles =97 which can=
reduce needle-stick accidents by up to 90 percent =97 will dramatically =
impact paramedics, police and firefighters, and heath care, education and=
corrections employees. Getting stuck with a dirty needle is an acutely s=
tressful experience for workers, who then must undergo testing for two ye=
ars to ensure they have not contracted HIV or hepatitis B or C, said Cape=
.. =93Even something as simple as relations with your spouse are affected =
by that, because you don't know,=94 she added.=20
Higgins will consult with health authorities, unions and other stake=
holders and hopes the new regulations could be implemented as early as ne=
xt spring. While it is not known how much the new needles will cost or wh=
o will pay for them, Higgins said she expects little opposition from regi=
onal health authorities. =93This really gets down to=85 safe work practic=
es and safe working conditions, and it's something that needs to be done,=
=94 she noted.
MALAWI:=20
=93Malawi Says It's Having Trouble Accessing Global AIDS Fund=94
Associated Press (10.29.04)::Raphael Tenthani
On Friday, Malawian officials told Stephen Lewis, UN special envoy f=
or AIDS in Africa, that the nation is having difficulty with procedures n=
ecessary to obtain money from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malar=
ia. =93We have only spent $11 million in two years out of $44 million ple=
dged to us,=94 said Mary Shaba, principal secretary for nutrition and HIV=
/AIDS in the Health Ministry. Due to that gap, the amount pledged to Mala=
wi has been cut from $240 million to $186 million, she said.=20
Lewis was in Malawi to review its antiretroviral program, which AIDS=
experts say is hampered by a lack of drugs and the health workers needed=
to help administer them. About 8,000 people are receiving therapy; the g=
oal had been to reach 20,000 people with therapy by the end of 2004.
Lewis' visit might help the nation with its difficulties in qualifyi=
ng for Global Fund money, said Shaba. Malawi hopes to use the savings fro=
m cheap generic drugs to expand its antiretroviral treatment program to 4=
4,000 people next year. =20
************************************************************
MEDICAL NEWS=09
************************************************************
AUSTRALIA:
=93Surgeon, Test (and Heal) Thyself: Sharps Injuries and Hepatitis C Risk=
=94
Medical Journal of Australia (10.04.04) Vol. 181; No. 7: P.366-367:: Katr=
ina J.R. Watson
The author noted that sharps injuries to surgeons are common but und=
er-recognized and under-reported. The overall risks of blood-borne viruse=
s being transmitted to surgeons are low, with hepatitis C posing the grea=
test transmission risk. Recent trials, according to the report, show that=
early treatment of acute hepatitis C results in a cure rate near 100 per=
cent.
The study suggests that surgeons and operating-room staff should be =
encouraged to report and follow-up sharps injuries to allow for early det=
ection and treatment, and it recommends that surgeons should have regular=
tests for blood-borne viruses since exposure to such diseases can go unr=
ecognized.
=93The evidence,=94 the report stated, =93shows that surgeons should=
not be barred from operating while waiting for an HCV RNA result after k=
nown exposure to patients positive for HCV RNA, as the risk of transmissi=
on is extremely low. However, surgeons who are known to be HCV RNA-positi=
ve should not perform exposure-prone procedures (procedures where the han=
ds are in a body cavity with sharp instruments but limited visibility) un=
til after successful treatment (i.e., RNA-PCR testing negative repeatedly=
6 months after treatment). Surgeons,=94 the study concluded, =93should b=
e reassured that early detection of HCV is associated with an extremely h=
igh chance of a cure with prompt treatment.=94
************************************************************
LOCAL AND COMMUNITY NEWS=09
************************************************************
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA:
=93Charity Expects to Triple Production of Meals to Go=94
Washington Post (10.31.04)::Nicole Fuller
For the past 16 years, Food & Friends has delivered nutritious meals=
for people with AIDS or other life-threatening diseases from a church-ba=
sement kitchen and a dirt-floor warehouse in Southeast Washington. Now, t=
hanks to $8.7 million in donations, the charity has moved into a new faci=
lity complete with an industrial-size kitchen and staff offices.
Each day, Food & Friends delivers more than 1,000 meals to clients t=
hroughout the Washington region. And during the move, no one missed a mea=
l. =93Everything we do at Food & Friends has always been the triumph of h=
ope over the odds,=94 said its Executive Director Craig M. Shniderman. Th=
e organization, which was founded in 1988, now employs 55 full-time staff=
and has around 750 regular volunteers. Shniderman credits much of the ch=
arity's growth to volunteers from churches, private companies and schools=
..=20
Organizers hope that the new 25,000 square-foot facility, located at=
219 Riggs Rd., NE, will allow them to triple the number of prepared meal=
s. Along with three meals, =93Groceries to Go=94 =97 bags of nonperishabl=
e food items =97 are delivered daily to clients in Washington and 14 coun=
ties in Maryland and Virginia. Food & Friends purchases 85 percent of the=
food products used to prepare meals wholesale, and the remainder is prov=
ided by donations and the Capital Area Food Bank, said Shniderman.=20
While Food & Friends started out providing meals to HIV/AIDS patient=
s, several years ago it began expanding its service to people with other =
serious illnesses. =93We would be literally driving by the house of someo=
ne with advanced colon cancer to deliver to someone with AIDS,=94 Shnider=
man said. =93So it really came to us as an issue of morality whether to i=
gnore people with other illnesses, and it struck us as just not compassio=
nate.=94=20
In addition to meals, the charity offers cooking classes and dietary=
seminars.=20
************************************************************
NEWS BRIEFS =09
************************************************************
MALAWI:=20
=93UN Pledges $83 Million for Malawi Orphans=94
Agence France Presse (10.30.04)
On Saturday, the UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa pledged $83=
million to assist Malawi's children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. =93Malawi will=
have 1 million orphans by the year 2010,=94 said Stephen Lewis, who was =
in Lilongwe at the end of a four-day visit to assess the country's free a=
ntiretroviral program. Malawi's strategic plan for AIDS orphans, whom the=
nation estimates to number 700,000, is =93quite impressive,=94 said Lewi=
s. He also pledged support for Malawi's plan to treat 80,000 HIV patients=
by December 2005. Lewis said the =93flow of resources must continue. It'=
s very important that there is no break in the supply of drugs so that th=
e target of 80,000 is reachable.=94 That 9,000 Malawians already receive =
treatment is a =93magnificent achievement and a window of hope.=94 The ta=
rget is to get 40,000 on treatment by June 2005, said Lewis, adding that =
UNICEF is now procuring drugs for Malawi. =20
UGANDA:
=931,000 Volunteers to Participate in AIDS Vaccine Research in Uganda=94
Xinhua News Agency (11.01.04)
One thousand volunteers in the Masaka district of Uganda have been i=
dentified to participate in a feasibility study of preventative HIV/AIDS =
vaccine efficacy trials, organized by the Uganda Virus Research Institute=
, the Medical Research Council and the International AIDS Vaccine Initiat=
ive. The study is expected to last at least two years. The volunteers, ag=
es 18-60, are from local communities in the southern district and must be=
HIV-negative and in good health. They will undergo periodic HIV testing.=
=20
THAILAND:
=93More than 80,000 Young People in Thailand Suffer from AIDS=94
Xinhua News Agency (10.31.04)
More than 80,000 Thais ages 15-24 now have AIDS, and the majority of=
them are women, Sudarat Keyuraphan, the country's public health minister=
, said Sunday. Each year, nearly 20,000 people develop AIDS and by 2006, =
Thailand will have more than one million AIDS patients, Sudarat warned. A=
ccording to a recent survey, just one in three young Thais use condoms.=20
GEORGIA:
=935 Students Show TB Exposure=94
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (10.30.04)::Laura Diamond
On Friday, Gwinnett County school officials announced that an additi=
onal five students have tested positive to TB exposure at Peachtree Ridge=
High School, bringing the total number exposed to eight. County health d=
epartment spokesperson Vernon Goins said the eight will undergo chest X-r=
ays and lab tests to see if they have active TB. The testing of more than=
100 students and some teachers followed the news that a ninth-grader had=
been diagnosed with TB earlier this month.=20
************************************************************
The Prevention News Mailing List is maintained by the National Prevention=
Information Network (NPIN), part of the Centers for Disease Control and =
Prevention's National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention. Regular post=
ings include the Prevention News Update, conference announcements, curren=
t funding opportunities, select articles from the Morbidity and Mortality=
Weekly Report series and announcements about new NPIN products and servi=
ces.
To join the PreventioNews listserv, send a blank e-mail to prevention-new=
s-subscribe@cdcnpin.org. For instructions on how to remove yourself from =
the listserv, send a blank e-mail to prevention-news-unsubscribe@cdcnpin.=
org.
You can also join or leave the PreventioNews listserv from the NPIN Web s=
ite at: http://www.cdcnpin.org/scripts/prevention_news.asp.
Back issues of the CDC HIV/STD/TB Prevention News Update can be found at =
http://www.cdcnpin.org/scripts/locates/LocateNews.asp. You can search for=
back issues in the Prevention News Update Database at http://www.cdcnpin=
..org/news/.
We'd like to know what you think of the Prevention News Update. Please ta=
ke a minute to send an e-mail with your comments to update-feedback@cdcnp=
in.org. With your help, we will continue to improve this service to bette=
r meet your information needs.
Please send all other e-mail inquiries to info@cdcnpin.org.
**This message may be copied and distributed; however, it may not be dist=
ributed for profit.**
************************************************************
You are currently subscribed to prevention-news as: ssah-submit@ezmort.co=
m
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-prevention-news-1356515G@listm=
anager.aspensys.com
***********************************************************
For AIDS/HIV+ resources, visit the s.s.a.h+ website at :
http://www.webcom.com/benny/ssah/ssah+.html
***********************************************************
|