Posts tagged HIV

It’s very good news that the Global Fund is re-opening for business. Now we can stop wasting time, which is the most precious resource in this fight against HIV, TB and malaria, because wasting time is wasting lives. The new funding window at the Global Fund needs to be opened as soon as possible, be as big as possible, and be open to all affected countries to support treatment scale-up. Now is not the time to be conservative and keep money in the bank that could go toward getting life-saving pills into peoples’ bodies.
Sharonann Lynch, HIV/AIDS Policy Advisor at the MSF Access Campaign, on the Global Fund resuming new health grants. Years of hard work, coupled with new scientific advances, bring hope that with proper funding we can push back the three diseases that kill millions every year.
DRC: A Fashion Show Featuring Women Living with HIV This past March was designated women’s month in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In order to close it out on a high note, Doctors Without Borders teams in DRC did something a little unusual. Along with Médecins du Monde and the Réseau National Des Organisations d’Assise Communautaires des PVV (the RNOAC, a national network of community-based organizations that assists people with HIV/AIDS), they organized a fashion show on March 30 that featured 12 women living with HIV/AIDS. The goal was threefold: to fight discrimination against people living with HIV, to alert the public to the tragic lack of access to treatment in the country, and to show what is possible when treatment is made available. The fashion show was designed to send the message that with proper treatment, people with HIV/AIDS can live a normal life and even flourish. In front of a supportive, cheering audience, the women walked with poise and dignity, pausing at the end of the runway to deliver short messages in proud, confident voices. “Do I look ill to you?” one woman said. “I’ve been living with HIV for 14 years and I’m doing great, thanks to ARVs!” another announced. “I’ve broken the silence,” said a third. “Now it’s up to you to make my voice heard!” Photo: DRC 2012 © MSF Women living with HIV walk in the March 30 fashion show in Kinshasa.

DRC: A Fashion Show Featuring Women Living with HIV

This past March was designated women’s month in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In order to close it out on a high note, Doctors Without Borders teams in DRC did something a little unusual. Along with Médecins du Monde and the Réseau National Des Organisations d’Assise Communautaires des PVV (the RNOAC, a national network of community-based organizations that assists people with HIV/AIDS), they organized a fashion show on March 30 that featured 12 women living with HIV/AIDS. The goal was threefold: to fight discrimination against people living with HIV, to alert the public to the tragic lack of access to treatment in the country, and to show what is possible when treatment is made available.

The fashion show was designed to send the message that with proper treatment, people with HIV/AIDS can live a normal life and even flourish.

In front of a supportive, cheering audience, the women walked with poise and dignity, pausing at the end of the runway to deliver short messages in proud, confident voices.

“Do I look ill to you?” one woman said.

“I’ve been living with HIV for 14 years and I’m doing great, thanks to ARVs!” another announced.

“I’ve broken the silence,” said a third. “Now it’s up to you to make my voice heard!”

Photo: DRC 2012 © MSF
Women living with HIV walk in the March 30 fashion show in Kinshasa.

Better Treatment for HIV-Positive Pregnant Women The World Health Organization recently issued new guidelines to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV. The recommendations include getting more women on treatment sooner and staying on it for life. The guidelines have the support of Doctors Without Borders. Read more on this article from Voice of America. Photo: MSF / Brendan Bannon MSF HIV specialist Dr. Eamonn Vitt examines an HIV positive Ugandan woman who’s 7 months pregnant. (Nov. 2009)

Better Treatment for HIV-Positive Pregnant Women

The World Health Organization recently issued new guidelines to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV. The recommendations include getting more women on treatment sooner and staying on it for life. The guidelines have the support of Doctors Without Borders. Read more on this article from Voice of America. Photo: MSF / Brendan Bannon
MSF HIV specialist Dr. Eamonn Vitt examines an HIV positive Ugandan woman who’s 7 months pregnant. (Nov. 2009)

HIV in infants born to HIV-positive mothers is a big problem in the developing world. There are around 2 million HIV-positive children in developing countries, whereas in the United Kingdom, for example, there are just 70. So, we’ve almost got rid of this problem in the West, but in the developing world it’s a big problem.
Dr. Nathan Ford, MSF Medical Aid Coordinator, in an interview on Voice of America about better treatment for HIV-positive pregnant women.
Novartis’s Day in Court Set for July 10, 2012 India’s Supreme Court will now begin hearing a challenge to the country’s patent law by the Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis on July 10, 2012.The Novartis Supreme Court case is the final act in a legal battle that stretches back six years and has significant ramifications for India’s future capacity to produce low-cost generic medicines for its people, and for patients across developing countries. Given the possible implications for generic production and the availability of affordable medicines from India, MSF, along with other treatment providers, patient groups and affected communities, has appealed to Novartis to drop its case against the “pharmacy of the developing world”. MSF launched a social media campaign calling for Novartis to stop its legal attacks against India which threaten access to medicines for its patients. To participate in the Stop Novartis campaign, visit www.msfaccess.org/STOPnovartis WE NEED YOUR HELP!SIGN THIS PETITION TODAY!

Novartis’s Day in Court Set for July 10, 2012 India’s Supreme Court will now begin hearing a challenge to the country’s patent law by the Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis on July 10, 2012.

The Novartis Supreme Court case is the final act in a legal battle that stretches back six years and has significant ramifications for India’s future capacity to produce low-cost generic medicines for its people, and for patients across developing countries.

Given the possible implications for generic production and the availability of affordable medicines from India, MSF, along with other treatment providers, patient groups and affected communities, has appealed to Novartis to drop its case against the “pharmacy of the developing world”.

MSF launched a social media campaign calling for Novartis to stop its legal attacks against India which threaten access to medicines for its patients. To participate in the Stop Novartis campaign, visit www.msfaccess.org/STOPnovartis

WE NEED YOUR HELP!
SIGN THIS PETITION TODAY!

The pharmaceutical company Novartis continues to put profits above people by challenging a seven-year old Indian court ruling that, if overturned, would have a devastating effect on access to generic forms of essential medicines, including HIV medications, in the developing world.

#STOPNovartis

There will be nothing left to defend if we lose, people are definitely on edge about this case.
Leena Menghaney,
a manager based in New Delhi for Doctors Without Borders, which advocates for generic drugs.

Leena Menghaney is speaking about the Novartis case involving the production of life giving generic medications that are produced in India.

Quote taken from New York Times Article “India’s Supreme Court to Hear Dispute on Drug Patents By Vikas Bajaj and Andrew Pollack”

HELP US STOP NOVARTIS, SIGN THE PETITION!
The Need For Urgent HIV and TB Treatment in Myanmar. Tens of thousands of people living with HIV and tuberculosis (TB) in Myanmar are unable to access lifesaving antiretroviral therapy (ART), a dire situation exacerbated by the recent cancellation of a new round of funding from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria. “Lives in the Balance,” a new report from Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), outlines the situation for people affected by HIV and tuberculosis (TB), with a special focus on multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), in Myanmar today. It calls for urgent funding and assistance to be made available by the international donor community to help Myanmar close the devastating gap between people’s need and people’s access to treatment for HIV and TB. Infographic by Will Owen

The Need For Urgent HIV and TB Treatment in Myanmar.

Tens of thousands of people living with HIV and tuberculosis (TB) in Myanmar are unable to access lifesaving antiretroviral therapy (ART), a dire situation exacerbated by the recent cancellation of a new round of funding from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria.

“Lives in the Balance,” a new report from Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), outlines the situation for people affected by HIV and tuberculosis (TB), with a special focus on multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), in Myanmar today. It calls for urgent funding and assistance to be made available by the international donor community to help Myanmar close the devastating gap between people’s need and people’s access to treatment for HIV and TB.

Infographic by Will Owen

The math is simple. Rapidly scaling up HIV and TB treatment now will prevent further transmission and save both lives and money. Fewer people infected means fewer lives lost, and fewer people in need of treatment. It is critical that donors help Myanmar ensure that more patients across the country receive treatment for HIV and MDR-TB.
Peter Paul de Groote,
MSF head of mission in Myanmar

Speaking on the dire effects of the recent cancellation of a new round of funding from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria.
“While international attention focuses on Myanmar, a health crisis in the country looms large. An estimated 85,000 people infected with HIV in Myanmar are not receiving lifesaving treatment. This is an improvement on previous years with new momentum in the country to tackle the crisis. However, the recent retreat of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria threatens to undo improvements, leaving tens of thousands of people living with HIV and TB without treatment and a large scale crisis unchecked.” —Joe Belliveau, MSF operations manager in Myanmar This article originally appeared in Thailand’s The Nation newspaper. Meeting with patients at an MSF clinic in southern Myanmar. Photo: Myanmar 2011 © Veronique Terrasse/MSF

“While international attention focuses on Myanmar, a health crisis in the country looms large. An estimated 85,000 people infected with HIV in Myanmar are not receiving lifesaving treatment.

This is an improvement on previous years with new momentum in the country to tackle the crisis. However, the recent retreat of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria threatens to undo improvements, leaving tens of thousands of people living with HIV and TB without treatment and a large scale crisis unchecked.”

—Joe Belliveau, MSF operations manager in Myanmar

This article originally appeared in Thailand’s The Nation newspaper.

Meeting with patients at an MSF clinic in southern Myanmar.

Photo: Myanmar 2011 © Veronique Terrasse/MSF

Myanmar: Urgent Action Needed Against HIV and TB Between 15,000 and 20,000 people living with HIV die every year in Myanmar because of lack of access to lifesaving ART. TB prevalence in Myanmar is more than three times the global average and Myanmar is among the 27 countries with the highest MDR-TB rates in the world. Like non-resistant TB, MDR-TB is easily transmitted through the air and can infect perfectly healthy people, but requires far more complex and lengthy treatment. MSF currently treats more than 23,000 HIV patients in Myanmar. An additional 6,000 people will be enrolled in MSF clinics in 2012. Worlwide, MSF treats more than 170,000 people living with HIV. Photo: Myanmar 2012 © Greg Constantine. A young man co-infected with HIV and TB at MSF’s clinic in Yangon.

Myanmar: Urgent Action Needed Against HIV and TB

Between 15,000 and 20,000 people living with HIV die every year in Myanmar because of lack of access to lifesaving ART. TB prevalence in Myanmar is more than three times the global average and Myanmar is among the 27 countries with the highest MDR-TB rates in the world. Like non-resistant TB, MDR-TB is easily transmitted through the air and can infect perfectly healthy people, but requires far more complex and lengthy treatment.

MSF currently treats more than 23,000 HIV patients in Myanmar. An additional 6,000 people will be enrolled in MSF clinics in 2012. Worlwide, MSF treats more than 170,000 people living with HIV.

Photo: Myanmar 2012 © Greg Constantine. A young man co-infected with HIV and TB at MSF’s clinic in Yangon.

HELP AVAAZ GET TO 50,000 SIGNATURES! In days, a multi-billion dollar Swiss pharma company may get the Indian Supreme Court to shut down our supply of affordable medicines. Only we can stop this outrage.PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION! Novartis is suing [the Indian] government so it can squeeze more profits from the sick and needy. If Novartis wins, it will threaten Indian companies’ ability to produce low-cost medicines for malaria, AIDS, cancer and other life-threatening diseases, depriving millions around the world of the treatments they desperately need and threatening thousands of Indian jobs. But people power can push Novartis to drop the suit before the final ruling. Learn more.

HELP AVAAZ GET TO 50,000 SIGNATURES!

In days, a multi-billion dollar Swiss pharma company may get the Indian Supreme Court to shut down our supply of affordable medicines. Only we can stop this outrage.

PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION!

Novartis is suing [the Indian] government so it can squeeze more profits from the sick and needy. If Novartis wins, it will threaten Indian companies’ ability to produce low-cost medicines for malaria, AIDS, cancer and other life-threatening diseases, depriving millions around the world of the treatments they desperately need and threatening thousands of Indian jobs. But people power can push Novartis to drop the suit before the final ruling. Learn more.

KILLING THOUSANDS TO MAKE MILLIONS In days, a multi-billion dollar Swiss pharma company may get the Indian Supreme Court to shut down our supply of affordable medicines. Only we can stop this outrage. PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION! Novartis is suing [the Indian] government so it can squeeze more profits from the sick and needy. If Novartis wins, it will threaten Indian companies’ ability to produce low-cost medicines for malaria, AIDS, cancer and other life-threatening diseases, depriving millions around the world of the treatments they desperately need and threatening thousands of Indian jobs. But people power can push Novartis to drop the suit before the final ruling. Learn more.

KILLING THOUSANDS TO MAKE MILLIONS

In days, a multi-billion dollar Swiss pharma company may get the Indian Supreme Court to shut down our supply of affordable medicines. Only we can stop this outrage.

PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION!

Novartis is suing [the Indian] government so it can squeeze more profits from the sick and needy. If Novartis wins, it will threaten Indian companies’ ability to produce low-cost medicines for malaria, AIDS, cancer and other life-threatening diseases, depriving millions around the world of the treatments they desperately need and threatening thousands of Indian jobs. But people power can push Novartis to drop the suit before the final ruling. Learn more.

More Than 500 People March in Nairobi to Demand Donors Keep Their Promises

Like these demonstrators, MSF calls on the Global Fund and donors to immediately raise the resources necessary for the minimum lifeline the Fund has extended to countries otherwise facing disruptions this year, as well as providing a new regular funding opportunity.

“Ten years ago, there was a landmark decision to support the roll out of HIV, TB, and malaria prevention and treatment in countries that couldn’t completely support programs on their own,” said Dr. Jennifer Cohn, of MSF Access Campaign in East Africa. “MSF has been part of the effort over the last decade to treat patients, introduce new treatments, and develop simple ways to deliver them. We have seen the positive impact of the Global Fund and other international health initiatives on individuals and communities, with deaths and sickness plummeting.”

Read the Press Release from MSF regarding their response to the Global Fund’s announcement.

Over the past few years the sense of urgency which once defined the work of the fund has become greatly diminished, and the board basically gave themselves a holiday instead of stepping up and doing their job and ensuring that the funding shortfall was made up. On the one hand, they have a new ambitious strategy for change; and on the other, they have effectively closed for business. And it is this lack of coherence that we find troubling – and patients will come to find deadly.

Sharonann Lynch,
MSF HIV Adviser speaking to the Global Fund regarding it’s legacy and future.


Read the full article from The Guardian here.