LGBT POV

Los Angeles-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which provides medical care and/or services to more than 139,000 individuals in 23 countries worldwide, is in Vienna, Austria for the International AIDS Conference. At a news conference, Terri Ford, AHF’s Senior Director of Global Policy and Advocacy, added AHF’s voice to those of protesters calling for greater funding to stem the increase in HIV, especially among gay men. Ford held up AHF’s “Who’s better on AIDS?” full-page advertisement, which compares President Barack Obama’s AIDS record to that of President George W. Bush. The ad ran in the influencial ‘Politico’ last week and is on bus shelter in Washington, DC near the White House. AHF reports that posters and post cards of the ad are “extremely popular” at the AIDS conference.

Ford, who recently oversaw AHF’s 2009 ‘Testing Millions’ campaign – AHF’s successful World AIDS Day HIV testing campaign that tested 4,270,226 people in 23 countries – is also part of a huge host a satellite session today, July 21^st titled “Test and Treat: Getting to 10 Million on Treatment.” The ‘Testing Millions’ campaign is the focus of a 34 minute documentary short film titled “If Not Now…” by filmmaker Louise Hogarth, which will be shown during the session.

In a press release for the event, Ford says:

“Our world AIDS Day testing campaigns over the past two years have helped shatter myths about testing models and we are honored to share what we’ve learned from these campaigns and learn what our distinguished panelists have to share here in Vienna.

Advances in rapid testing technology combined with a real eagerness by thousands and thousands of people around the world to access HIV testing services spurred us to completely rethink our testing and counseling model. As consensus builds that both cost containment and treatment-as-prevention must play larger roles in the global AIDS fight, the ‘Test and Treat’ model that we are discussing today offers a straightforward yet crucial roadmap to vastly scaling up the number of those on treatment. This is a real matter of life and death for men, women and children around the world. We must hear their call — they want to be tested – to know their status and to stay alive. It is up to us to act quickly to save their lives.”

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AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) has organized a protest for Tuesday morning at 10:00 AM to call out the New York-based Bristol Myers Squibb Co. (BMS) over its pricing and policies for its key HIV/AIDS drug, Reyataz, which AHF says is one of the most expensive first-line AIDS treatment in the US.  The protest is scheduled to take place outside the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Century City just prior to an 11:30 AM presentation by Lamberto Andreotti to investors—his first as BMS’ CEO—at the Goldman Sachs Global Healthcare Conference 2010.

Please click inside to read AHF’s press release about why they are protesting.

BIENESTAR, the Latino HIV/AIDS and social services organization, is collecting life-saving medications to be sent to earthquake-devastated Haiti. This collection will take place February 1st. through February 5th at all BIENESTAR centers.

The medications can be donated and dropped off at a BIENESTAR center near you (see the list below). These medications should be unexpired, not require refrigeration and preferably sealed.

Medications needed more urgently: Antiretrovirals, Medications to treat Opportunistic Infections, Antifungals, Antivirals, Antibiotics, Antiparasite drugs, Antiallergics and Pediatrics.

Monetary donations can be made through AIDS Healthcare Foundation – click on DONATIONS, and in honor of HAITI. Please click inside to see the drop-off locations and more ways to donate.

What California AIDS activists fear the most may be about to happen: it appears that California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has “blue penciled” cuts to the state’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program. Assemblymember Dave Jones, who chairs the Assembly Health Committee, held a special public hearing Dec. 1 in Los Angeles regarding ADAP funding. Today he issued a letter, signed by 37 colleagues, asking the governor to restore the cuts before he submits his budget next month. Click inside to read more about the letter, the hearing and what faces AIDS activists in California. UPDATED: ASSEMBLYMEMBER JONE’S FULL LETTER AT THE END OF THE POST

Openly gay Rep Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) is sick with the H1N1 virus – sometimes called the “swine flu.”

Baldwin said in the release:

“Like many Americans, I’m feeling the effects of this nasty virus. I very much regret missing House business, including floor consideration of a bill I strongly support to overhaul our financial system and ensure that Wall St. and big banks can no longer abuse the public trust. Thankfully, I am already beginning to feel better and hope to be back to full strength very soon.”

Ruth Tittle at Capitol Drugs in West Hollywood is providing free vaccine clinic today, Saturday – see here – and check with the AIDS Healthcare Foundation to see if they are providing the vaccine. Click inside for more information.

There are also simple everyday steps you can take to prevent flu infections:

● Wash your hands often.

● Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth

● Avoid close contact with sick individuals

● If you are sick, stay home from work or school

As AIDS Healthcare Foundation consultant Miki Jackson reported previously on LGBT POV – the state is considering making drastic cuts to HIV/AIDS social services – including the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) to help stem the state budget crisis. The latest information is that California faces a $20.7 BILLION deficit.

In light of these concerns, Assemblymember Dave Jones, chair of the Assembly Health Committee, is holding a hearing on World AIDS Day tomorrow, Dec. 1, from 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at the Ronald Reagan State Office Building, 300 S. Spring Street, 1st Floor Auditorium, in downtown Los Angeles.

The public is invited. Click inside to see the list of expected and invited speakers.

Dana Miller, a former chair of AIDS Project Los Angeles and producer of their annual Commitment to Life awards, is a columnist for Frontiers In LA, where this piece originally appeared. As this column indicates, he has proposed re-shaping AIDS Inc in the past to make it more efficient. But given this dire economy and the loss of more funding, this might be a good time to jump-start the discussion.

TODAY – AHF is providing free 20 minute confidential HIV tests at their Out of the Closet store in Hollywood. The KIIS FM (102.7 on your radio dial) street team will also be there for encouragement. This goes until 2:00pm today – the second day of their 16-hour campaign. Click inside for details.