Getting to Zero: HIV by the numbers

• 25 million: number of deaths caused by HIV/AIDS since 1981
• 2.5 million: number of HIV-related deaths averted by antiretroviral treatment (ART) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) since 1995
• 34 million: number of people living with HIV worldwide at the end of 2010
• 3.4 million: number of children under 15 years living with HIV
• 68%: percentage of HIV-positive persons living in sub-Saharan Africa
• 2.7 million: number of new HIV infections worldwide in 2010, a 21% decrease from 1997
• 50%: worldwide percentage of HIV-infected persons who aware of their status
• 96%: reduction in sexual transmission of HIV between serodiscordant partners with antiretroviral therapy observed in the HPTN052 trial

• 61%: percentage of new HIV infections in the United States occurring among men who have sex with men (MSMs) as of 2009
• 44%: percentage of new HIV infections in the United States occurring among Blacks as of 2009
• 2%: Adult HIV prevalence in Baltimore city in 2009; adult HIV prevalence in Haiti in 2009
• 5%: Adult HIV prevalence in Baltimore zip code 21205, directly northeast of the Johns Hopkins medical campus, in 2009; adult HIV prevalence in Gabon in 2009
• 37.5%: HIV prevalence among MSMs in Baltimore city; the proportion of new HIV infections among MSMs in Baltimore has increased to nearly the same levels as in 1985
• 76.9%: percentage of HIV-infected MSMs in Baltimore city who are unaware of their status
• 312: Median CD4 count at HIV diagnosis in the Baltimore-Towson metropolitan area (current guidelines recommend initiating ART at CD4 counts 350-500)
• 6,411: Number of HIV-positive people in the United States currently on AIDS drugs assistance program (ADAP) waiting lists

• 6.65 million: number of HIV-infected people currently receiving ART in low- and middle-income countries
• 3.3 million: number of people currently receiving ART through Global Fund grants
• $2.2 billion: unfulfilled pledges to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria
• 2: number of countries (USA and UK) that have honored their pledges to the Global Fund

• ZERO: number of new grants that will be awarded by the Global Fund for the next two years in response to budget shortfall; UNAIDS goal by 2015 (0 new infections, 0 discrimination, 0 AIDS-related deaths)

Obama Appoints New Executive Director of Global Health Initiative

In 2009, President Obama set aside $63 billion under his Global Health Initiative at the State Department in order to help develop health systems overseas, with a special focus on the health of women and infants.

Lois Quam, former executive of UnitedHealth Group, has just been appointed executive director of the Global Health Initiative. She is currently CEO of Tysvar, a private company ‘working towards sustainability and a new green economy.’

Oh, and pro-lifers are already slapping their tails — awesome.

For more see:http://www.minnpost.com/politicalagenda/2011/01/26/25229/lois_quam_to_head_obamas_global_health_initiative

International AIDS Conference

The 18th International AIDS Conference began yesterday in Vienna. A great opportunity to take a step back and reflect upon the road ahead in the context of stagnant funding and ever greater challenges in the prevention of transmission. If you can’t afford the flight, there are live webcasts on the Kaiser Family Foundation website.

Losing battles, but have we lost the war?

Dinavance Kamukama, 28, front right, with her cousins in Kampala, Uganda. She is on a waiting list for AIDS medication. Photo courtesy The New York Times

This was a distressing headline to read: “In Uganda, AIDS War is Falling Apart.” Uganda, long the poster child for successful HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, is now suffering. Dire lack of public and private funds has left thousands without ARV access and highlighted the cracks in Uganda’s “ABCs” program–Abstain, Be faithful, Contraception.

Will the global recession spell the end of the war against HIV/AIDS?

Mo’ Money for Global Health Experiences!

This is kind of old news, but President Daniels recently approved the creation of Johns Hopkins global health awards, 85 grants for students in all divisions to pursue international public health experiences. Thirty of them are designated for undergraduates, but that leaves 55 for graduate students (us!)

Read more: http://gazette.jhu.edu/2010/03/08/new-global-health-opps-for-students/#ixzz0mRQPh8qN