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 21st 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.”
The White House released its National AIDS Strategy National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) and accompanying NHAS Federal Implementation Plan on Tuesday. The CDC estimates that approximately 56,000 people become infected with HIV each year and more than 1.1 million Americans are living with HIV. Secretary Sebelius also announced that $30 million of the Affordable Care Act’s Prevention Fund will be dedicated to the implementation of the NHAS.
“We can’t afford complacency – not when in the ten minutes I’ve been talking to you, another American has just contracted HIV,” Secretary Sebelius said. “That’s why our strategy calls for aggressive efforts to educate Americans about how dangerous this disease still is and the steps they can take to protect themselves and their loved ones.”
AIDS Healthcare Foundation was not pleased, saying AIDS programs are “starved” under the plan and that President Obama has failed to lead on combatting HIV/AIDS. More reaction is expected as HIV/AIDS activists consider the new strategy, which some say appears to be modeled on the international plan under President George W. Bush.
Later, President Obama spoke for about 20 minutes at reception in East Room for HIV/AIDS activists. Please click inside for a complete transcript of his remarks.
The long-awaited National AIDS Strategy will be unveiled Tuesday at 2:00p.m. at a White House-sponsored event, followed by a reception with many of the nation’s leaders on HIV/AIDS. The White House press conference will feature Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, White House Domestic Policy Council Director Melody Barnes, Office of National AIDS Policy Director Jeffrey Crowley, and HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Dr. Howard Koh.
A White House press release says the heavy-hitters will “unveil the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) and discuss its goals and details”
But there has been a lot of concern over the plan and how much community input has really been taken seriously, as well as how quickly the administration has acted on the growing lists in several states for AIDS Drug Assistance Program funding. Los Angeles – based AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), which is the largest global AIDS organization, is planning a counter-press conference Tuesday at 3:30 PM Eastern, to discuss some of those issues and to specifically criticize NHAS at the National Press Club with Michael Weinstein, AHF President and Tom Myers, General Counsel & Chief of Public Affairs for AHF.
In a press release, Weinstein previewed his comments:
“The ‘New York Times’ obtained a copy of the President’s AIDS strategy, and from what we’ve learned of it so far, there is really no ‘there’ there. This strategy is a day late and a dollar short: 15 months in the making, and the White House learned what people in the field have known for years. There is no funding, no ‘how to,’ no real leadership.”
‘ AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF)has organized a protest for Tuesday morningat 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.
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:
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services just its decision to cover HIV screening for Medicare beneficiaries. The decision is effective immediately. Click inside to read more – including reaction from the AIDS Healthcare Foundation and UPDATED WITH REACTIONS FROM the New York based-Services and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Elders, and Los Angeles pharmacy owner Ruth Tittle.
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.
Startling and sad news: longtime HIV/AIDS, youth, disability and social services activist and all-around good guy Howard Jacobs died from liver cancer this morning. He was 45, with a birthday coming up. Please click inside for an interview with his former boss West Hollywood City Councilmember Jeff Prang on the circumstances surrounding Howard’s unexpected death and the legacy Howard leaves. UPDATE: A MEMORIAL FOR HOWARD JACOBS WILL BE HELD ON SUNDAY, NOV. 15, AT 1:30PM AT CONGREGATION KOL AMI, 1200 N. LA BREA AVE., WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA 90038.
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.
The White House released its National AIDS Strategy 
The long-awaited National AIDS Strategy will be unveiled Tuesday at 2:00p.m. at a White House-sponsored event, followed by a reception with many of the nation’s leaders on HIV/AIDS. The White House press conference will feature Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, White House Domestic Policy Council Director Melody Barnes, Office of National AIDS Policy Director Jeffrey Crowley, and HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Dr. Howard Koh.
Openly gay Rep Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) is sick with the H1N1 virus – sometimes called the “swine flu.”
There are also simple everyday steps you can take to prevent flu infections:
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services just its decision to cover HIV screening for Medicare beneficiaries. The decision is effective immediately. Click inside to read more – including reaction from the AIDS Healthcare Foundation and UPDATED WITH REACTIONS FROM the New York based-Services and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Elders, and Los Angeles pharmacy owner Ruth Tittle. 
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. 
Longtime HIV/AIDS Activist Howard Jacobs Dies
Subscribe to RSS
