KENYA: New guidelines follow recall of faulty HIV test

The Kenyan government has changed its HIV testing algorithm following the withdrawal of a widely used brand of HIV test on warnings from UN World Health Organization (WHO).

In November, WHO removed the Standard Diagnostics Bioline® HIV 1/2 3.0 Rapid HIV Test Kit from its list of approved rapid test kits with immediate effect; the alert was issued after Bioline failed quality assurance tests.
http://www.plusnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=94586

HIV/AIDS: Ten big stories in 2011

It's been a roller coaster of a year in HIV and AIDS. AIDS turned 30 in 2011, and with new evidence of the effectiveness of HIV treatment as prevention, experts are increasingly talking about "the end of AIDS". At the same time, however, funding for HIV has become ever more uncertain, jeopardizing efforts to put new, life-saving science into action.

http://www.plusnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=94562

Access to Medicines for HIV after January 2016: Strategies and Options for Least Developed Countries

This document seeks to analyse how LDCs have utilized the 2016 extension to facilitate the production and access to HIV and other medicines for their populations; discuss what can be done to maximize the opportunities provided by the current extensions; describe the potential implications of LDCs having to implement the TRIPS Agreement with respect to pharmaceuticals and test data protection; fill the gaps in the understanding of the process for further extension of the transition period for pharmaceutical products; and provide recommendations on how LDCs should proceed to seek further extensions.
http://www.unaids.org/en/media/unaids/contentassets/documents/unaidspublication/2011/JC2258_techbrief_TRIPS-access-medicines-LDC_en.pdf 

Global HIV/AIDS Response : Progress Report 2011

Global progress in both preventing and treating HIV emphasizes the benefits of sustaining investment in HIV/AIDS over the longer term. The latest report by the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and UNAIDS Report on the Global HIV/AIDS Response indicates that increased access to HIV services resulted in a 15% reduction of new infections over the past decade and a 22% decline in AIDS-related deaths in the last five years.

"It has taken the world ten years to achieve this level of momentum," says Gottfried Hirnschall, Director of WHO's HIV Department. "There is now a very real possibility of getting ahead of the epidemic. But this can only be achieved by both sustaining and accelerating this momentum over the next decade and beyond."

Advances in HIV science and programme innovations over the past year add hope for future progress. In times of economic austerity it will be essential to rapidly apply new science, technologies and approaches to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of HIV programmes in countries.
http://www.unaids.org/en/media/unaids/contentassets/documents/unaidspublication/2011/20111130_UA_Report_en.pdf 

ICASA leaders’ panel: Keeping the promise in the HIV response

African leaders met on Monday 5 December at a special roundtable session during the International Conference of AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA 2011) to take stock of the efforts and promises made towards the AIDS response, the challenges and the way forward to fulfill these commitments.

Participants at the roundtable session were UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé, former president of Botswana, Mr Festus Gontebanye Mogae, Ambassador Eric Goosby, United States Global AIDS Coordinator, Minister of Health of Algeria, Mr Oueld Zbel Yastahel Kadad, Minister of Health of Rwanda, Dr Agnes Binagwaho, Minister of Health of Mali, Ms Madeleine Ba Diallo, African Union Social Affairs Commissioner Ms Bience Gawanas and the President of the World Council of Churches, Abune Paulos I.

http://www.unaids.org/en/resources/presscentre/featurestories/2011/december/20111205leaderspanel/ 

Using Participatory Research and Action to Address the HIV-related Vulnerabilities of Adolescent Girls in Tanzania

Girls and young women are more likely to be HIV-positive than their male peers, due in large part to an array of gender inequalities that negatively impact their mental and physical well- being. Vijana Tunaweza Newala, or Newala Youth Can, is a participatory research and action project in the Newala District of Tanzania, aimed at both understanding and responding to girls’ HIV-related vulnerabilities. The project’s overarching purpose was to design and qualitatively assess a pilot intervention model to address their most pressing needs.This report highlights the project’s four phases of action: formative research, intervention design, peer education program, and assessment.

http://www.icrw.org/files/publications/Using-Participatory-Research-Action-Address-HIV-related-Vulnerabilities-Adolescent-Girls.pdf 

Global HIV/AIDS Response : Progress Report 2011

Global progress in both preventing and treating HIV emphasizes the benefits of sustaining investment in HIV/AIDS over the longer term. The latest report by the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and UNAIDS Report on the Global HIV/AIDS Response indicates that increased access to HIV services resulted in a 15% reduction of new infections over the past decade and a 22% decline in AIDS-related deaths in the last five years.

"It has taken the world ten years to achieve this level of momentum," says Gottfried Hirnschall, Director of WHO's HIV Department. "There is now a very real possibility of getting ahead of the epidemic. But this can only be achieved by both sustaining and accelerating this momentum over the next decade and beyond."

Advances in HIV science and programme innovations over the past year add hope for future progress. In times of economic austerity it will be essential to rapidly apply new science, technologies and approaches to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of HIV programmes in countries.
http://www.unaids.org/en/media/unaids/contentassets/documents/unaidspublication/2011/20111130_UA_Report_en.pdf