HUD OFFERS $9.1 MILLION TO HIV/AIDS HOUSING PROGRAMS

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced this week that it is offering up to $9.1 million to address the critical housing needs of low-income persons and families living with HIV/AIDS including homeless individuals and families. HUD’s funding notice is offered through the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) Program.

“These grants will allow States and local communities to forge new partnerships and develop strategies to meet the housing needs of low-income and homeless persons living with HIV/AIDs,” said Mercedes Márquez, HUD’s Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development. “By offering our local partners these funds, we are giving them the necessary tools to provide real hope for those who might otherwise end up on the streets without the care they need.”

HUD is making grants available new community partnerships to develop an Integrated HIV/AIDS Housing Plan (IHHP). The IHHP is a collaborative process that will seek to improve the delivery of housing and services to low-income individuals and families living with HIV/AIDS. Applications must be submitted by August 2, 2011.

HOPWA grants support the Obama Administration’s National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) and the Opening Doors: The Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness. Together these initiatives address goals to: prevent and end homelessness; increase the supply of affordable housing; and increase the coordination of mainstream housing resources and other health and human services.

HUD requires prospective grantees to submit their applications online through Grants.gov. Any changes to HUD-published funding notices will be made available to the public through a Federal Register public and published on Grants.gov. Applicants are urged to sign up for Grants.gov’s notifications service to receive periodic updates or changes to this grant offering.

Happy HIV Vaccine Awareness Day!

In addition to being International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, it's also HIV Vaccine Awareness Day! HIV Vaccine Awareness Day provides an opportunity to acknowledge the more than 35,000 individuals who have volunteered for preventive HIV vaccine trials over the past 25 years.

A Call to Action: Leveraging Private Sector Support for the National HIV/AIDS Strategy

Melody C. Barnes, Assistant to the President and Director of the Domestic Policy Council, recently wrote about the importance of private sector initiatives in the fight against AIDS saying:

When President Obama released the National HIV/AIDS Strategy in July 2010, he said, “The Federal government can’t do this alone, nor should it.  Success will require the commitment of governments at all levels, businesses, faith communities, philanthropy, the scientific and medical communities, educational institutions, people living with HIV, and others.” 

Clearly, success at achieving our aggressive goals in the Strategy depends not only on Federal leadership, but new investments and new partnerships from all parts society.  We know that some of our biggest successes in fighting HIV/AIDS have come about because of private sector initiatives, and we’ve called on businesses and foundations to provide that next level of leadership by stepping up their efforts in a few targeted areas.  We want to hear about your successful partnerships and new ideas for working together.

Read the entire article here.

Obama requests increased spending on HIV/AIDS programs

President Obama's 2012 budget proposal includes modest increases for certain HIV/AIDS programs, including an extra $105 million for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program, which helps people pay for expensive lifesaving drugs.

White House Officials to discuss Presidential provisions for LGBT Americans and those living with HIV and AIDS

Today, Tuesday, February 15 at 10:00 AM Eastern, Melody Barnes, Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council and Jeffrey S. Crowley, Director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy will hold an on-the-record conference call with reporters to discuss the President’s proposed fiscal year 2012 budget request, specifically on the provisions that impact LGBT Americans and those living with HIV and AIDS. 

Information about the budget is available at www.budget.gov.  A fact sheet on “Expanding Opportunities for the LGBT Community” is available here, and a fact sheet on “Fighting the HIV/AIDS Epidemic and Supporting People Living with HIV/AIDS” is available here.

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SETTLES WITH COSMETOLOGY SCHOOL ON ALLEGATIONS OF HIV DISCRIMINATION

The Justice Department announced on Monday the settlement of an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) complaint against Modern Hairstyling Institute Inc. in Bayamón, Puerto Rico.

The Justice Department initiated its investigation in response to an allegation that Modern Hairstyling Institute Inc. discriminated against an HIV-positive applicant by denying her enrollment. Modern Hairstyling Institute Inc.’s cooperation in arriving at this agreement was an important factor in resolving the matter promptly, the department said.

Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Modern Hairstyling Institute Inc. made an offer of enrollment to the complainant, will cease requesting information about HIV/AIDS status from future applicants and will provide training to all employees about discrimination on the basis of disability. Modern Hairstyling Institute Inc. will also pay a $5,000 civil penalty to the United States and $8,000 in damages to the complainant.

“It is critical that we continue to work to eradicate discriminatory and stigmatizing treatment towards individuals with HIV based on unfounded fears and stereotypes,” said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. “The ADA clearly protects individuals with HIV and other disabilities from this kind of exclusion or marginalization.”

Title III of the ADA prohibits public accommodations, such as Modern Hairstyling Institute Inc. from excluding people with disabilities, including people with HIV, from enjoying the services, goods and accommodations provided. Those interested in learning out more about federal disability rights statutes can call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301, 800-514-0383 (TTY), or access the ADA website at www.ada.gov.

Curing HIV with bone marrow transplants is unrealistic, experts say

 
Reports that a German man had been cured of HIV by a bone marrow transplant should not be misunderstood to mean that the procedure will benefit the average patient, experts say, noting that current antiretroviral therapies are still more practical.

United States and South Africa Sign Partnership Framework on HIV/AIDS

On December 14, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and South Africa’s International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana Mashabane signed a Partnership Framework that will guide future efforts to combat HIV/AIDS in South Africa. The Partnership Framework under the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) provides a five-year joint strategic plan of cooperation among the Government of South Africa, the U.S. Government and other stakeholders.

The Framework supports the goals of South Africa’s national strategy to fight HIV/AIDS, while also contributing to PEPFAR’s global goals for prevention, care and treatment. The Framework emphasizes sustainability, local expertise, coordination and accountability in the fight against AIDS. 

The PEPFAR Framework will build on existing U.S. support for South Africa’s efforts to provide HIV prevention, treatment and care for millions of people in the country. In 2010 alone, PEPFAR funds have supported treatment for nearly 920,000 adults and children in South Africa, while more than five million South Africans have been tested for HIV and received HIV counseling with U.S. support. 

President Barack Obama has made the fight against AIDS a cornerstone of his Global Health Initiative. A key principle of the Initiative is support for country ownership, and through the Partnership Framework, the United States will support South Africa in building the capacity to sustain its progress on HIV/AIDS for the long term. 

GLAAD, GMHC Call on NY Dept of Health to Pull HIV/AIDS PSA

Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC), the nation's oldest HIV/AIDS prevention, care and advocacy provider, today joined the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), the nation's leading lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) media advocacy and anti-defamation organization, to demand that the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene pull a sensationalistic and stigmatizing television public service announcement aimed at gay and bisexual men.


The PSA, which is intended to encourage condom usage among gay and bisexual men, claims that those with HIV face a higher risk of bone loss, dementia, and anal cancer. While older adults living with HIV may be at greater risk of these conditions, the PSA creates a grim picture of what it is like to live with HIV that could further stigmatize HIV/AIDS, as well as gay and bisexual men.

"We know from our longstanding HIV prevention work that portraying gay and bisexual men as dispensing diseases is counterproductive," said Marjorie Hill, PhD, GMHC's Chief Executive Officer. "Studies have shown that using scare tactics is not effective. Including gay men's input, while recognizing their strength and resiliency, in the creation of HIV prevention education is effective. Gay men are part of the prevention solution, not the problem."

Both GLAAD and GMHC have reached out to the department to demand that the commercial be pulled and to offer assistance with framing the conversation around HIV/AIDS more accurately.
"While it's extremely important that we continue to educate New Yorkers about HIV/AIDS prevention, the sensationalized nature of the commercial, including its tabloid-like fear tactics, misses the mark in fairly and accurately representing what it's like to live with HIV/AIDS," said GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios. "It's our hope that the department will work with us to create a PSA that promotes safety and solutions, rather than stigma and stereotype."

From the very beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, gay men have been developing courageous and innovative solutions to reducing HIV, often alongside communities of color and heterosexual people. GMHC and GLAAD realize that there is still a pressing need for safer sex education and that HIV and AIDS are still critical public health issues. Yet the educational material must avoid perpetuating damaging stigmas that harm gay and bisexual men.

United States and South Africa to Sign Partnership Framework on HIV/AIDS

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and South Africa’s International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana Mashabane will sign a Partnership Framework that will guide future efforts to combat HIV/AIDS in South Africa.  The signing ceremony will take place on Tuesday, December 14, 2010 at 2:45 p.m. in the Treaty Room at the Department of State. 

The Partnership Framework under the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) provides a five-year joint strategic plan of cooperation among the Government of South Africa, the U.S. Government, and other stakeholders.

Jeans for Life

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) and Out of the Closet proudly announce the 2010 JEANS FOR LIFE campaign. Everyone has jeans and most of us have a few pair that need a new home. Whether they’re blue, red, faded or acid-washed,  Jeans for Life needs them! The Jeans for Life program is a fun, easy way for everyone to donate toward the care of people living with HIV/AIDS. By simply donating a pair of jeans you can reach people around the world.

Celebrity Digital Death campaign hits million dollar mark

Keep a Child Alive’s (KCA) co-founders Leigh Blake and Alicia Keys proudly announced today that the DIGITAL DEATH campaign has reached its anticipated goal of $1 million. The public as well as the artists who participated in the campaign donated to raise half a million dollars in less than one week and today pharma billionaire and noted philanthropist Stewart Rahr has generously offered to match this amount. The campaign launched on Wednesday, December 1st, World AIDS Day, as part of KCA’s larger fundraising effort BUY LIFE which was developed by advertising agency TBWA\Chiat\Day New York.

“From the bottom of my heart, thank you to all of the fans, friends and artists who stood together for this cause and saved real lives,” said Keys. “I am humbled by the outpour of support from everyone.”

Starting today, all participating artists including Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian, Ryan Seacrest, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Jennifer Hudson, Khloe Kardashian, Lenny Kravitz, Jay Sean, Swizz Beatz, Serena Williams, The Buried Life, Elijah Wood, Janelle Monae, Nikki Sixx, Kimberly Cole, David LaChapelle, Daphne Guinness and Bronson Pelletier will return online now that their digital lives have been bought back and the intended goal of $1 million has been collectively raised for KCA.

“Although we never expected to raise $1 million overnight, we are completely blown away that we were able to achieve our goal in less than a week. We are moved by the many generous donations and by the amount of support we've received from the public,” said Blake. “Over 3,600 people have joined the fight and sacrificed their own digital lives for this important cause and we intend to continue this movement.”

The public is still able to donate and sacrifice their own digital lives at www.buylife.org, where they can upload a photo and ask friends and colleagues to buy back their lives to support Keep a Child Alive.

About 20% of Americans with HIV don't know they're positive

About 45% of all American adults said they have been tested for HIV at least once, and 20% of those who are positive don't know it, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Live In A World Where No Child Is Born With HIV

ONE's latest video highlights something remarkable: We now know how to stop the HIV virus from passing from a mother to her child -- and we can prevent any baby from being born with HIV.

Join ONE today and add your name to the hundreds of thousands around the world who are working to make sure that all babies are born healthy and HIV-free.

U.S. Reports Encouraging Progress in Saving Lives through Smart Investments

Reflecting America’s commitment to saving lives affected by HIV/AIDS, the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) announced encouraging new results achieved by its efforts to support countries in providing HIV prevention, treatment and care to their people. Among these results, the U.S. is directly supporting life-saving antiretroviral treatment for more than 3.2 million men, women and children worldwide as of September 30, 2010, up from less than 2.5 million in 2009. In the coming years, the U.S. has committed to directly support more than four million people on treatment, more than doubling the number of people directly supported on treatment during the first five years of PEPFAR.

Combating HIV/AIDS is a shared global responsibility. In addition to PEPFAR’s direct impact, many also benefit from programs supported by the U.S. and other donors through the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Of the estimated 5.2 million individuals in low- and middle-income countries who currently receive treatment, nearly 4.7 million receive support through PEPFAR bilateral programs, the Global Fund, or both. The U.S. is the first and largest donor to the Global Fund, having provided more than $5.1 billion to date and announced an historic multi-year pledge of $4 billion for 2011-2013, a 38 percent increase in U.S. support.

Support for prevention of new HIV infections, and for care and support for those affected by HIV, are other areas in which PEPFAR programs show encouraging progress. PEPFAR directly supported antiretroviral prophylaxis to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission for more than 600,000 HIV-positive pregnant women in fiscal year 2010, allowing more than 114,000 infants to be born HIV-free. Through its partnerships with more than 30 countries, PEPFAR directly supported 11 million people with care and support, including nearly 3.8 million orphans and vulnerable children, in fiscal year 2010 alone. PEPFAR directly supported HIV counseling and testing for nearly 33 million people in fiscal year 2010, providing a critical entry point to prevention, treatment, and care.

Building on these and other global health successes supported by the American people, President Barack Obama put forward an ambitious U.S. Global Health Initiative to support countries as they improve the health of their own people. The Initiative seeks to save the greatest number of lives in a sustainable way by building upon what works. The U.S. will continue to work with the global community to build on success to date by making smart investments to save more lives.

For more information, visit the newly redesigned PEPFAR website, www.PEPFAR.gov.

President Obama Welcomes New HIV Prevention Research Results

Today, the National Institutes of Health announced findings on recent HIV prevention research.  The study finds that a daily dose of an oral antiretroviral drug taken by HIV-negative gay and bisexual men reduced the risk of acquiring HIV infection by 43.8 percent, and had even higher rates of effectiveness, up to 73 percent, among those participants who adhered most closely to the daily drug regimen.

“I am encouraged by this announcement of groundbreaking research on HIV prevention. While more work is needed, these kinds of studies could mark the beginning of a new era in HIV prevention. As this research continues, the importance of using proven HIV prevention methods cannot be overstated,” said President Obama.

One of the President’s top HIV/AIDS policy priorities was the development and implementation of a National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS), which was released in July 2010. As underlined in the NHAS, no HIV prevention method is 100 percent effective, and a combination of approaches including, among other steps, consistent condom use, will be necessary to prevent HIV infection.  Nevertheless, the research results announced this past summer of an effective microbicide and today’s results fall directly in line with priority recommendations in the NHAS.  Moreover, today’s study suggests that antiretroviral medication may serve as one more valuable tool as we seek to develop the best combinations of effective approaches to prevent HIV infection.

The first major prevention breakthrough of the AIDS era?

Gay men who stuck to a daily dose of an antiretroviral drug were 70 percent less likely to become infected with HIV, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

"That's huge. That says it all for me," said Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health. The therapy would cost more than $12,000 per year in the U.S. currently, though generic versions of the drug are available in some developing countries for as little as 40 cents per day.

Are HIV-positive people being unfairly prosecuted?

HIV-positive people are being prosecuted for normally legal actions under laws based on "intolerable ignorance" about how the virus is transmitted and without regard to extenuating circumstances, according to a report from the Center for HIV Law and Policy.

Check out a state-by-state list of laws concerning HIV transmission at HIVLawAndPolicy.org.

White House Office of National AIDS Policy hosts HIV and Aging meeting

On Wednesday, October 27, 2010 from 8:30am-12:00 pm, the White House Office of National AIDS Policy is hosting an HIV and Aging meeting.   The purpose of the meeting is to raise awareness about people who are aging with HIV or contracting HIV as seniors; to explore unique clinical manifestations of HIV infection among older adults; to discuss existing services for seniors living with HIV and highlight successes as well as gaps; and to discuss targeted strategies for federal and non-federal stakeholders to realize the vision of the President’s National HIV/AIDS Strategy. 

This meeting is part of a series of discussions that have been convened at the White House by the Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP) over the past year.  Past meetings have focused on women, youth, Latinos and other groups.  Past meetings have also focused on issues such as HIV and housing or public-private partnerships.  For details about previous meetings, please refer to the blog section on ONAP’s website at   www.whitehouse.gov/onap.   

This event will be live streamed at www.whitehouse.gov/live.

Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains and Rocky Mountain CARES team up to raise HIV awareness

Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains has announced its partnership with Rocky Mountain CARES to collaborate to heighten awareness around public health issues with an emphasis on HIV through education, advocacy work and by providing high quality health care in keeping with the organizations’ mutual commitment to public health.

 

“We are excited to collaborate with Planned Parenthood. Our partnership is one that grew naturally provided our common interests in helping communities affected by and infected with HIV and creating an inclusive, safe environment for those we help, free of stigma and discrimination. We hope our relationship will play an important role in the community and improve HIV prevention for all at-risk communities,” said RMC Medical Director Dr. Benjamin Young.

 

Together RMC and PPRM serve the entire state. While RMC is Denver-based, people travel across the state and across the country to attain RMC’s world-class centralized medical care, case management, pharmacy assistance and peer support system. PPRM has 23 health centers throughout the state, all of which offer HIV testing and referrals and patient education.

 

“PPRM has consistently provided HIV testing and referrals as part of our comprehensive reproductive health care and basic primary care services and we are proud to partner with Rocky Mountain CARES. Our organizations share the mutual goals of increasing awareness and access to affordable, quality health care and empowering people to make informed, responsible choices about their sexual and reproductive health,” said Amy Dickson, PPRM vice president of Clinical Services.

 

A joint venture is planned for Worlds AIDS Day on Dec. 1 to raise awareness about the importance of education, testing, and the availability of accurate, timely information on HIV/AIDS research as well as long-term treatment options at the community level.