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THERE WILL BE NO MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 4
AIDS WALK DETROIT
It’s time to get serious about collecting pledges for the team. Our team number is 111.This is a very important fundraiser for us that is needed to maintain our meeting and office space in Ferndale. Check out our donor site at https://www.kintera.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=237545&lis=1&kntae237545=4B82D1C100F248C8B78895FC0C2815AF&supId=185153310&team=2040194 Remember every penny you raise comes directly back to WINGS. Collect your pledges for team #111, you do not have to attend the walk in order to submit pledges. Our goal this year is $5000.00, so give us a helping hand by registering today! So far, we show only 3 members have registered for the team!
Calendar
August 31 thru Sept 3 Edwin H Drescher Jr Memorial Weekend at Higgins Lake
September 4 NO MEETING
September 11 Round Table Discussion 7PM
September 14-16 Board, Committee and Planning Meetings at the Cottages
September 18 Semi-Annual Membership Meeting (Financial Update)
September 25 Round Table Discussion 7PM
October 2 Pot Luck Dinner 7PM
October 9 Round Table Discussion 7PM
October 16 Pot Luck Dinner 7PM
October 23 Round Table Discussion 7PM
October 26-28 Halloween Weekend at the Cottages
November ?? Cottage Clean-up weekend
Event Details
Edwin H Drescher Jr Memorial Weekend at Higgins Lake
Our 11th Annual weekend to Higgins Lake will be for 3 nights this year from Friday, August 31 thru Monday, September 3. There will be snacks provided on Friday afternoon, 8 delicious meals, and 3 nights lodging. There is no charge for this trip as it was provided for by the WINGS Retreat Trust, however there is a refundable reservation fee of $25.00. Transportation will be on your own. The trip coordinator, Jerry Shupe, will be taking requests for reservations at jshupe1@comcast.net or get your application by emailing reservations@wingsmi.org or print it out from our website at www.wingsmi.org We are currently at 76 and counting!! This will be our BIGGEST weekend ever!
Board and Committee Members Meeting
The Board of Directors and all Committees will meet the weekend of September 14-16 at the cottages in Applegate, MI all Board and committee members are encouraged to be present. We ask that you make every effort to attend these important meetings. Your cottages will be named that weekend. Most meetings will be held on Saturday, but why not make a weekend of it and enjoy your cottages. You may check in as early as Thursday morning for a nice extended stay. Remember you must supply your own sheets (Queen size) and towels. Plan to bring your significant other for a relaxing weekend. Reserve your spot at retreat@wingsmi.org . An itinerary will be provided soon!
Membership Meeting
Six months have passed since our last membership/election meeting, on Tuesday, September 18th we will convene our semi-annual membership Financial Update Meeting. Please plan to attend to help in the planning stages as we move forward. Pizza, antipasto, and beverages will be available after the meeting.
Halloween Weekend at the Cottages, Applegate, MI
Here is your chance to experience the GREAT new Cottages on the Lake with a little (or a lot of) partying. Halloween will be celebrated at our cottages in Applegate this year. The whole complex is reserved for this FUN filled weekend. Not only will we have our regular contests-pumpkin carving, costume, and Cabin decorating. We will also have a Great community bon fire, progressive meals starting Cabin 1 and ending at Cabin 7. Plus there are many events going on in town including a Flannel Festival (Hmmm, wonder what that’s all about?). There will be a charge of $15 per person which includes your lodging, meals, pumpkins to carve, and a host of other surprises brought to you by your hosts Jim & Joe! There are only 30 spaces and it is first come first serve with paid reservations. It’s time to get a move on, to get a reservation sheet simply send your request to reservations@wingsmi.org and put Halloween in the subject line.
Cottage Clean-Up Weekend (NEW DATES)
Our cottage clean-up has been delayed due to Thanksgiving rentals, we will now close down at the end of November. Our cottages will be shut down for the Winter on December 1. We need members and volunteers to plan to spend the weekend of November 2-4 at the cottages to help with the Fall clean-up. There are many tasks to be preformed such as storing all outdoor furniture, cleaning up the grounds, etc. Then on the weekend of Dec 1-3 we will perform Winterization of the compound including draining all water lines, sealing doors and windows, shutting down and securing the cabins, etc. Those that volunteer for this shut down will be given top (meaning first) priority for use of the cottages next year! Sign up today at workbee@wingsmi.org
From the Thursday Morning eNews
AIDS Prevention Project M.A.P.P. ANNOUNCES Patient C.H.A.T.S. "Lipodystrophy and Body Changes: What You Need to Know"
Contact: Royale` Theus 248-545-1435 ext. 111 rtheus@aidsprevention.org
Midwest M.A.P.P. is pleased to share information regarding two educational teleconferences made possible through a grant from Abbott Laboratories. Patients C.H.A.T.S.-Both teleconferences will provide the latest information on lipodystrophy in HIV/AIDS treatment. Each 1 1/2 teleconference will be confidential and include an anonymous question and answer period. You can easily access this teleweb from home with the use of a phone line, or your clinic may choose to make this teleconference available in a group setting in which you will only require a speaker phone and a phone line to access the call. There are two dates to choose from: Date: Wed, September 5th Date : Tues, September 11thTime: 6:00PM EDT Time: 12:00 Noon EDT Dial free:1.800.264.7882
Hip-hop group, liquor company lend support to AIDS cause
Jason A. Michael Originally printed 08/23/2007 (Issue 1534 - Between The Lines News)
DETROIT - They hail from the Conant Gardens neighborhood on the East Side, and their hearts remain in their city as they travel the globe. And Detroit hip-hop group Slum Village came home last week, teaming up with Remy Martin to donate $7,500 to AIDS Partnership Michigan. The donation, which was presented Friday at APM's Detroit office, was part of the popular cognac maker's Black Music Month program, which kicked off in June. Remy Martin picked 10 up-and-coming artists to play shows in their hometowns. Each artist or group picked a charitable cause, and the company made a donation on their behalf. "It's a big epidemic going on in the city of Detr oit - and in the black and Latino community especially," said Slum Village's T3, R.L. Altman, explaining why the group picked AIDS as its cause. Slum Village recorded for the Capitol Records label before going independent. It has recorded five albums to date, the latest being a self-titled disc released in 2005. While at APM, Slum Village met 17 of the agency's employees and learned what each did. When it was her turn to speak, executive director Barb Murray talked about the agency's history. "In the early days, to be blunt with you gentlemen, we helped a lot of people die," she said. "Now we help people live."
WINGS Lakefront Cottages are open thru November
Planning a staff meeting or a weekend retreat for your clients? WINGS Positive Social Opportunities Network has the facility within a hour of Detroit to meet, relax, and refocus your energies. We offer accommodations for up to 30 in a fairly private compound for your use. Contact Mike at (810)359-2800 today to plan your event for this Fall or next Spring. We are proud to be able to offer this great facility to our community and hope to see you there soon! Check out a few of the cottages at www.wingsmi.org/cabins.htm. This project is funded entirely by the Edwin H Drescher Jr Memorial Trust.
Affirmations Needs some Volunteers Give a call to Brandon @ 248.398.7105
Front Desk
All next week (August 20-24th), Jon (our Office Manager) needs to catch up on a few tasks throughout the center. In order to accomplish this, we are looking to staff the front desk with wonderful volunteers from 9am to 5pm each day. If you have worked the front desk before, please let me know if you would be willing to take a shift next week! If you are new to the front desk, but are interested in helping out, let me know ASAP so that Jon and I can train you!
Greeters
We have lost our wonderful Tuesday and Wednesday night greeters due to job changes. Therefore, we are looking for replacements. If you think you might like to sit at the front desk with our evening receptionists, guide center users to their appropriate meeting rooms, take down demographic information of center traffic, and just be the first smiling face people see as they enter our facility, Greeting is for you! The commitment is weekly from around 6-9pm each evening. Interested? Let's talk.
Face Painting
Ann from the Ferndale Downtown Development Authority just called with an urgent request for a Face Painter for Thursdays on the Nine tomorrow evening. If you are able to paint faces and would like to give a few hours of your time for this fun event tomorrow (August 16th) evening, send Ann an email to ann@downtownferndale.com.
Ceramics
A few months ago, all the staff at Affirmations painted ceramic blocks to hang around our Drinking Fountain on the first level... Now that they are painted, we need help hanging them in a decorative fashion :) If you are artsy and would like to help me hang up these tiles, let me know ASAP. I can work around your schedule!
Happenings
Aug 31 Edwin H Drescher Jr Memorial Weekend at Higgins Lake
WINGS 10th Annual weekend to Higgins Lake will be for 3 nights this year from Friday, August 31 thru Monday, September 3. There will be snacks provided on Friday afternoon, 8 delicious meals, and 3 nights lodging. There is no charge for this trip as it was provided for by the Edwin H Drescher Jr Living Trust, however there is a refundable reservation fee of $25.00 returned upon your arrival. Transportation will be on your own. The first 100 paid reservations will attend. So why not spend the holiday weekend lakeside among friends and enjoy the roaring bon fires, boating and swimming in Higgins Lake, and some just plain Good food and FUN where you can be all that you are! Get your registration form by writing to reservations@wingsmi.org
Sept 16 AIDS Walk Detroit www.aidswalkdetroit.org
Sept 22 HIV_Social Campout at Campit. It is being created by a guy in my space. You will have to go to mySpace and create an account to get to the info after you are added as a friend. Once you create an account search for HIV_Social Campout and add as a friend, after you are approved by Jeff then you can see his blogs on this page for the info..
Sept 29-30 AIDS WALKS Michigan events will be taking place the weekend of September 30th. There are a total of seven AIDS Walks taking place throughout Michigan to raise important funds for local HIV/AIDS services. To get further information, register to walk or form a team, please visit www.aidswalkmichigan.org
Ann Arbor, Sunday, September 30, 2007, Detroit Edison Parking Lot (corner of Main and William)
Bay City/Saginaw/Midland , Saturday, September 29, 2007 Wenonah Park - Friendship Shell Downtown Bay City
Detroit , Saturday, September 29, 2007, Belle Isle Nature Zoo
Flint , Saturday, September 29, 2007, University Pavilion
Grand Rapids , Saturday, September 29, 2007, First Place Building (207 E. Fulton)
Lansing/East Lansing , Sunday, September 30, 2007, Valley Court Park
Traverse City, Sunday, September 30, 2007, Grand Traverse County Civic Center
Oct 12 Horizons Project founder retirement dinner
Twenty years ago, she had a vision that has saved lives and human spirits. Now, Kathryn Wright, D.O., founder of The Horizons Project, is retiring. A special retirement dinner and Inaugural fundraiser will be held Thursday, Oct. 18 from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Roostertail on the Detroit River. Dr. Wright sought to provide nonjudgmental, youth-sensitive care to adolescents and young adults living with HIV/AIDS. In 1994, she founded the Horizons Project which has evolved into Detroit's premier HIV/AIDS agency for Youth. Proceeds from the event will directly support the Horizons Project of the Children's Hospital of Michigan. For more information contact Linda Hyter at (313) 924-9493 or by email at lhyter@dmc.org
Nov 1-2 13th Annual STD & HIV Conference
Conference to be held at the Ann Arbor Marriott Ypsilanti. For complete information go to www.hihivnews/std_hiv_conference_2007.htm
Dec 1 WOMEN'S HEALTH CONFERENCE, COBO HALL, 8:00-4:30PM The Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (ANAC) of Southeast Michigan, St. John Health, Henry Ford Health Systems, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Wayne County Department of Health, The Detroit Health Department and Gilead Sciences would like to invite you to join them in hosting a women’s conference and health fair. The event will take place on Saturday, December 1, 2007 at Cobo Hall and Convention Center located in the heart of downtown Detroit. ANAC has worked with many of the Detroit area community leaders in HIV/AIDS care in the past. We have enjoyed an extraordinarily good working relationship with many of you. It would be an honor to work with you once again to bring health education and prevention strategies to the women of the greater Detroit area. The conference Chair of this event is Michelle Caffey, CNP. I know many of you know Michelle and respect her expertise. I am sure many of you would enjoy working with her on this very important event.If you would like to participate in this project, please contact Michelle Caffey at the Detroit Health Department at (313) 876-4687 or at the Pontiac Health Department at (248) 322-6747. A response letter will follow if you choose to participate. Please contact Michelle by August 30, 2007 if you would like to join us in this very important effort (Michelle.Caffey@stjohn.org). Please join us at our first community partner’s planning meeting scheduled for Thursday, September 13, 2007 at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History at 5:30-7:00pm. The museum is located at 315 E. Warren Ave. Detroit, MI 48201. Please RSVP to Ms Laura Hughes at lauraannhughes@gmail.com or (313) 494-5894.
In the News
HIV contract 'unnecessary' says State Health official
By Todd A. Heywood Originally printed 08/23/2007 (Issue 1534 - Between The Lines News)
LANSING-A controversial contract being used by officials from the Ingham County Health Department is now coming under fire from the Michigan Department of Community Health. The contract has been used by the ICHD for "at least 17 years," according to written responses from the department. The contract states that HIV positive persons agree to follow the HIV felony exposure law which requires them to inform future sexual and needle sharing partners about their HIV status before engaging in behavior which might spread the virus. The document also says the HIV positive person will tell past sexual partners within four weeks. The ICHD, in responses to a 19-question BTL request, said the contract had been approved since 2001 by the MDCH HIV/AIDS Prevention and Intervention Section. But TJ Bulcholz, spokesperson for MDCH, said that is not true. "Nobody at HAPIS approved that contract," Bulcholz said. "Secondly it is not a contract. That is too strong of a word. It's an agreement that people will follow the law. And the County needs to change the language to reflect that, in our opinion, if they are going to continue to use this." Bulcholz said the law is already clear that a person infected with HIV had certain responsibilities, and the contract was a "social contract" and "unnecessary." ICHD Deputy Health Officer Renee Canady wrote in her response, "Since 2001, the practices of our health department have been reviewed by state accrediting agencies and the Michigan Department of Community Health HIV/AIDS Prevention and Intervention Section. Their reviews have found our HIV control practices, including the contract document referenced above, to be sound and in compliance with the law." Canady was unavailable for comment as of press time. But Royal Oak attorney and HIV law specialist Kendra Kleber said, "It is imperative MCDH steps up and does something about it, unless of course they tacitly approve it." Given the response of the Michigan Department of Community Health, we assume that the Ingham health officials will do the right thing and drop this so-called 'contract.' The contract deters individuals from going to the health department to be tested, which could, in turn, lead to the spread of HIV," said American Civil Liberties Union Legal Director Michael J. Steinberg. Attacking the phrase contract, Kleber went further in her condemnation of the paperwork. "It is not a legal contract because the health department is not promising to do something as well. There is no mutuality of promises. Reinforcing the idea that this has no point. It is not irrational to wonder what unfriendly, untoward thing are they going to do with it."
Rights Groups Call on Homeland Security Department To Investigate Death of HIV-Positive Person at Immigration Detention Center
Los Angeles Times, 8/29
The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California and Human Rights Watch in a letter sent on Monday to the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General called on the department to investigate the death of an HIV-positive inmate at a San Pedro, Calif., immigration detention center, the Los Angeles Times reports. According to the letter, the homeland security department should investigate the death of Victor Arellano -- who was transgender and went by the name Victoria --on the grounds that Arellano was denied vital medical care. The letter also called on the department to look into the apparent transfer of more than 20 detainees who saw the events leading up to Arellano's death to other facilities, according to the Times (Krikorian/Vara-Orta, Los Angeles Times, 8/29). Arellano's family plans to file a wrongful death suit against the U.S. government that claims Arellano was denied vital medical treatment while in custody. Attorneys for Arellano's family say that while in custody, Arellano's condition deteriorated to the point that fellow detainees urged staff to provide medical care. Roman Silberfeld, the family's attorney, said that 70 detainees signed a petition urging that Arellano receive medical attention. When Arellano's condition became critical, Arellano was transferred to a San Pedro hospital and died several days later (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 8/13).According to HRW researcher Megan McLemore, who visited the San Pedro facility on Aug. 22 and was one of the letter's authors, she visited the facility to interview two other HIV-positive inmates and Arellano's cellmates as part of a report. When she arrived at the facility, McLemore said that she discovered more than 20 witnesses, all of whom had signed the petition, had been transferred. According to HRW, the transfers occurred less than 24 hours before McLemore's visit. HRW and the ACLU chapter in the letter wrote that witnesses said Immigration and Customs Enforcement staff at the San Pedro facility did not respond in a timely manner to the "numerous and increasingly desperate requests for urgent medical care" for Arellano. "Detainees have alleged that despite being aware that Arellano was a person with HIV who was in need of life-sustaining medication, (the San Pedro facility's) medical care providers did not provide the appropriate care, causing Arellano needless suffering and ultimately leading to his tragic and painful death," the letter said. A spokesperson for Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) said that two unrelated deaths at federal detention centers this year have prompted an investigation by the Office of Inspector General into the quality of medical care at such facilities. Waxman's office earlier this month approached the homeland security's Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties to inquire if Arellano's death could be investigated, the spokesperson added. The agency has not responded, according to the Times. Virginia Kice, an ICE spokesperson, said that privacy laws prevent the agency from discussing treatment details. She added that the agency spends more than $98 million annually on medical services for detainees. In addition, detainees in ICE custody undergo medical screenings, and those with acute or chronic medical needs are referred to a health care provider, Kice said, adding that detainees with infectious diseases are put in health care facilities. The "public must realize that when individuals come into ICE custody with severe health problems or terminal illnesses, regardless of the treatment they receive, there is the potential that they will succumb to their condition," Kice said. Arellano's death has "sparked an outcry among immigration rights officials and organizations that monitor the health of prisoners in federal and state facilities nationwide," according to the Times. About 30,000 undocumented immigrants are in detention facilities throughout the U.S.
University of Pittsburgh Awarded $16M Grant To Study HIV, Develop New Antiretrovirals
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 8/27
The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine has received a $16 million grant from NIH to study HIV and help develop new antiretroviral drugs, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 8/27). According to a University of Pittsburgh Medical Center release, the five-year grant will be used to establish the Pittsburgh Center for HIV Protein Interactions. The center will be funded jointly by NIH's National Institute of General Medical Sciences and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (UPMC release, 8/27).The center is one of three being funded by NIH. It will specialize in developing methods and tools for understanding what happens to HIV structurally and at the atomic level after it infects cells, the Tribune-Review reports. "We know how HIV attaches to its host and how it gains entry to cells, but what happens between when it first enters into the cells and when it integrates itself into the host genome is still a mystery," Angela Gronenborn, a UPMC professor and chair of the Pittsburgh School of Medicine department of structural biology, said. She added, "By elucidating the important events during this period, we believe we'll learn a great deal about ... how the virus can be stopped."The other two centers are led by Alan Frankel, a biochemist at the University of California-San Francisco, and Wesley Sundquist, a biochemist at the University of Utah. The three centers will make the methods and tools they develop available to the HIV research community as part of its effort to collaborate with researchers nationally and worldwide, the Tribune-Review reports.
North Carolina Health Commission Recommends Requiring HIV Testing Among Pregnant Women
Quillin, Raleigh News & Observer, 8/25
The North Carolina Commission for Public Health on Wednesday voted to recommend requiring HIV tests for all pregnant women in the state immediately before delivery if they have not already been tested in the third trimester of pregnancy, the AP/Myrtle Beach News & Observer reports. Under current regulations, pregnant women in the state are given the option of receiving an HIV test as part of prenatal care. The regulation would require women who come to a medical facility to deliver to be tested if their HIV/AIDS status is unknown. The commission, which makes rules for medical practitioners in the state, also recommended requiring HIV testing for infants who are brought to a medical facility (AP/Myrtle Beach News & Observer, 8/24). The regulation must be approved by the North Carolina Rules Review Commission, and it is unclear when it would take effect. "Our goal is to not have any babies born in our state with HIV infection," state Health Director Leah Devlin said, adding, "There is no excuse for it. There are a lot of available medications and other things we can do that can reduce the transmission to infants, and we need to put in place every tool that we have to do that".
New York Gov. Spitzer Signs Measure Allowing Rape Survivors To Request HIV Tests for Indicted Suspects
AP/Long Island Newsday, 8/23
New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D) on Thursday signed into law a measure allowing rape survivors to request that indicted suspects undergo an HIV test, the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports (Wiessner, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, 8/24). The measure requires that indicted suspects be tested under a court order and that the results be provided to the survivor and the suspect (AP/Long Island Newsday, 8/23). The New York Legislature in June approved the measure. The state's current law requires HIV tests after conviction of rape.Supporters of the measure, which was submitted by the state Division of Criminal Justice Services, said that the measure would help rape survivors have access to all information about the virus before they decide whether to take antiretroviral drugs for post-exposure prophylaxis. However, some opponents said the bill might give rape survivors a false sense of security if suspects test negative, adding that survivors might stop taking antiretrovirals prematurely (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 6/25).Spitzer in a statement said that sexual assault survivors "have a right to information that impacts their health, ability to receive timely treatment and peace of mind." Assembly member Daniel O'Donnell (D) said that if the person indicted did not commit the rape, then survivors and officials would be "making decisions" based on false information (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, 8/24). According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, most states either permit or require HIV testing among rape suspects after conviction, the AP/Newsday reports.
Some People Living With HIV/AIDS in Maryland Piecing Together Treatment, Services Because of Clinic Closure, Advocates Say
Washington Post, 8/23
Some people living with HIV/AIDS in Maryland have been "forced to look elsewhere" for treatment and other support services following the closure of the Washington, D.C.-based Whitman-Walker Clinic's Takoma Park, Md., facility in September 2005, the Washington Post reports. According to the Post, some HIV-positive people living in the area are trying to find new resources for prescriptions, case management, emergency food vouchers, and mental health and nutrition counseling (Dickson, Washington Post, 8/23). The clinic -- which serves about 7,000 HIV-positive individuals in the Washington, D.C., area -- in May 2005 approved $2.5 million in cuts and announced it would end permanently services in the Northern Virginia and Maryland suburbs. Whitman-Walker in September 2005 shut down its Takoma Park facility, but the Virginia Department of Health; Alexandria, Va.; and Fairfax and Arlington counties in Virginia pledged to provide as much as $590,000 to allow Whitman-Walker to keep its Northern Virginia clinic operating until the end of 2006. Whitman-Walker in October 2006 announced that it would maintain its operations and clinic in Northern Virginia beyond 2006 because its financial situation had improved (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 10/12/06). Following the closure, some Maryland residents have found treatment and support services at local health departments or through advocacy, outreach and other programs, the Post reports. Others -- including many people from Prince George's and Montgomery counties in Maryland -- turned to the Whitman-Walker clinic in the district, according to the Post. The district facility serves more than 1,900 people from suburban Maryland, most of whom live in Prince George's and Montgomery counties, according to spokesperson Chip Lewis. Before the closure of the Takoma Park facility, the district clinic served 1,200 people from suburban Maryland. Erin Bradley, a spokesperson for the Prince George's Department of Health, said there are options for HIV-positive people living in suburban Maryland. Bradley added that funds previously allocated to the Takoma Park clinic have been dispersed to other social agencies offering services such as transportation to medical appointments, emergency food vouchers, and mental health, nutrition and substance-abuse counseling. Andrew Spieldenner, director of programs for the National Association of People with AIDS, said he disagreed with Bradley's assessment. He added that people living with the disease in the area are inconvenienced and denied access to care because they are required to go to several locations for what they used to receive at one facility. According to the Post, HIV testing services also have been affected by the closure. The Suburban Maryland AIDS Reduction Team, which performs confidential HIV screening, had to find a new location to conduct testing after the closure. SMART now offers no-cost testing on Wednesdays at the Holy Redeemer Metropolitan Community Church in College Park, Md. The group also offers tests at the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and SMART members operate a van in Prince George's County on Fridays. "We may not be able to do all the things we used to, but we are still here and we're trying," James Coleman, program director of SMART, said, adding, "The bottom line is that we just want people to get tested".
Internationally
Japan To Assign Counselors to Core Hospitals To Provide People Affected by HIV/AIDS With Psychological Support, Officials Say
Kyodo News/ Japan Today, 8/24
Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare plans to assign counselors to certain hospitals nationwide to provide people living with HIV/AIDS and their families with psychological support, ministry officials announced Friday, Kyodo News/Japan Today reports. The core hospitals are being established specifically to provide HIV/AIDS treatment services, and they eventually will cover every prefecture in the country (Kyodo News/Japan Today, 8/24).The number of people newly diagnosed with HIV and those who developed AIDS in Japan in 2006 reached record highs of 914 and 390, respectively, according to data released by the Japanese AIDS Surveillance Committee. In addition, the report found that the number of people in Japan receiving no-cost HIV tests increased by 16.2% in 2006, suggesting that HIV/AIDS awareness in the country is increasing (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 2/9).Although the number of people living with HIV in Japan is increasing, disparities still exist between regions and facilities in the country that offer counseling for people affected by the virus, according to Kyodo News/Japan Today. The health ministry aims to narrow such disparities by assigning at least one counselor to every core hospital, the officials said, adding that counselors greatly contribute to HIV/AIDS treatment. The ministry plans to request 90 million yen, or about $776,000, for labor and training expenses for the fiscal year 2008 budget, which begins April 1, according to officials. About 380 local hospitals are designated nationwide to provide HIV/AIDS treatment, and the core hospitals in each prefecture are expected to support the medical practices and training sessions of local hospitals, the officials said.
Girls, Women Trafficked in Asia for Commercial Sex Work Emerging as HIV/AIDS Risk Factor, Report Says
AP/PR-Inside.com, 8/22
Young women and girls in Asia who are trafficked for commercial sex work are emerging as an HIV/AIDS risk factor, according to a report released by the United Nations Wednesday at the 8th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific, the AP/PR-Inside.com reports (Nessman, AP/PR-Inside.com, 8/22). The conference brings together more than 2,500 delegates from Asian countries to discuss fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS, as well as providing treatment and support to people living with the disease. An estimated 8.6 million people living in the Asia-Pacific region are HIV-positive (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 8/23).The report, titled "Human Trafficking and HIV," focused on the estimated 150,000 to 200,000 people from South Asia trafficked and forced into labor annually, usually as sex workers. According to the AP/PR-Inside.com, the number represents only 50% of the people who are trafficked in all of Asia. The report examined the intersection between HIV and trafficking in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, the AP/PR-Insider.com reports.Although there are few reliable statistics about HIV among trafficked people, one study estimated that 25% of trafficked women in Mumbai, India, are HIV-positive, Caitlin Wiesen-Antin, United Nations Development Programme regional HIV/AIDS coordinator in Asia and the Pacific, said. She added that another study found 60% to 70% of 218 trafficked sex workers from Nepal who were later rescued in Mumbai were HIV-positive. According to Wiesen-Antin, the increase in the number of infrastructure projects across the region, as well as the sex work that accompanies project workers, has the potential to further spread HIV across the Asia-Pacific.The report recommended that governments work to merge their anti-trafficking and HIV prevention efforts. It also called for a renewed focus on issues that make women more vulnerable to both trafficking and HIV transmission, including gender inequality, violence, poverty and a lack of education (AP/PR-Inside.com, 8/22)."Both human trafficking and HIV greatly threaten human development and security," Wiesen-Antin said, adding, "Neither HIV/AIDS nor human trafficking have been integrated or mainstreamed adequately, either at policy or programmatic levels" (Sirilal, Reuters, 8/22). Wiesen-Antin said that it is "absolutely critical that we take action now".
