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All Party Parliamentary Group For Parkinson's Disease Announces Report & Parkinson's Disease Society Launches Fair Care For Parkinson's
When: 8 July 2009 6:00pm - 8:00pm
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New HIV/AIDS Initiative In Tanzania Aims To Increase Condom Availability
Condom vending machines will be unveiled on Monday in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, as part of a six-year pilot HIV prevention initiative in the country, Tanzania"s The Citizen reports. Daniel Crapper of Population Services International said, "We are working very hard to ensure that condoms are widely available to the people." About 100 machines -- at a cost of about 380,000 Kenyan shillings, or $350 -- will be installed in various bars in Dar es Salaam. The project also will be carried out in Morogoro, Iringa and Mbeya before being rolled out to other regions across the country, according to Crapper. "Bars and night clubs are in our targets because they have the highest risk of unsafe sex, especially when people get drunk," Crapper said, adding, "This will enable condoms to be available almost daily." He noted that the condoms will be offered at a lower cost compared with some retail outlets and that the new initiative will not interfere with condom distribution systems throughout the country. According to The Citizen, the condoms will be available for purchase from the vending machines for 100 shillings, or about $1. John Wanyancha, PSI"s HIV/AIDS program manager, said that the project"s leaders focused on targeting areas with high HIV/AIDS rates after research revealed that inaccessibility to condoms at night was a major challenge in efforts to curb the spread of the disease. He noted that about 324 million condoms have been distributed in Tanzania since 2001 (Mbani, The Citizen, 5/15).
News of the day
Sen. McConnell Says Filibuster Of Supreme Court Nominee Sotomayor Remains Possible
Appearing on CBS" "Face the Nation" on Sunday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnel (R-Ky.) said that Senate Republicans have not ruled out a filibuster on the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor, The Hill reports. Although McConnell acknowledged that he has "consistently opposed filibustering judges," he added that the "precedent was established" when Democrats filibustered Miguel Estrada, an appeals court nominee under former President George W. Bush. When asked to clarify his statement, McConnell added, "The Democrats have firmly established that as a precedent, but that doesn"t mean you are going to use it" (Blake, The Hill, 6/14). McConnell also said that it is "way too early to be talking about whether or not anybody opposes this nominee" (Schieffer, "Face the Nation," CBS, 6/14).According to The Hill, McConnell is the first top GOP senator to state that a filibuster is a possibility, as most other Republicans have said only that it is too early to determine if it should be an option. Republicans "face a difficult path" if they choose to filibuster Sotomayor because party members have long decried judicial filibusters, The Hill reports (The Hill, 6/14).
Sexual Health

Chagas Disease Not Addressed By World Health Assembly

The World Health Organization (WHO) has cut short its annual health ministers meeting because of influenza A (H1N1) preparations and has postponed discussions about Chagas disease. Much needed progress in diagnosing and treating people for this neglected disease must not be further delayed, warned the international medical humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Mç©decins Sans Frontiç¨res (MSF) today. This week"s World Health Assembly (WHA), the annual gathering of health ministers in Geneva, was an opportunity for countries to commit collectively to stepping up the fight against Chagas, a largely neglected tropical disease endemic in many Latin American countries, which affects an estimated 14 million people and kills about 15,000 people every year. "At the 100th anniversary of the discovery of Chagas we had expected that the WHA would adopt a resolution where all affected countries agree to integrate care of acute and chronic Chagas patients into their primary healthcare systems, and to invest more in research," said Roger Teck, MSF director of operations. "People affected by this neglected disease are once again neglected. However, even though Chagas is now off the WHA agenda, this should not be used as an excuse for inaction. Governments of endemic countries should step up through developing and implementing better national and international protocols to fight against Chagas." Chagas programs have traditionally focused on preventing the disease by controlling the "kissing bugs," the blood-sucking insects that transmit the disease. But MSF"s experience in Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Bolivia since 1999 has shown that prevention is far from enough. "The focus on prevention ignores the needs of those who are already infected and are suffering in silence. In endemic countries, governments should actively screen, diagnose, and treat many more patients," said Gemma Ortiz, senior advocacy officer for Chagas at MSF. "Access to diagnostics and treatment must be made a priority." MSF also urges WHO member states to review a range of alternative financing mechanisms, such as prize funds, to stimulate research and development for better tools to diagnose and treat Chagas patients in all stages of the disease. The lack of commercial incentives to invest in research and development has meant that Chagas has been neglected for decades. Chagas is an infectious disease caused by the trypanosoma cruzi parasite. Originating in Latin America, more and more cases are being reported in the U.S., Europe, Australia, and Japan as a result of migration and mobility. In its chronic form, Chagas causes heart and gastrointestinal tract disease, leading to disability and death. Since 1999, MSF has implemented Chagas projects in Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Bolivia. Currently, MSF is working in three suburban districts in Cochabamba in Bolivia, the country with the highest recorded Chagas prevalence. MSF works with the Bolivian Ministry of Health in five primary healthcare centers, where children and adults up to 50 years of age are diagnosed and treated. A new Chagas project will open in the rural area of Cochabamba this year. MSF has continuously advocated for scaled up access to diagnosis and treatment and their integration into primary healthcare. Doctors Without Borders/Mç©decins Sans Frontiç¨res


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