Kaisernetwork.org (Washington, DC)
9 October 2008
Global Challenges
Winners of Nobel Prize for Medicine Voice Concern for Future of HIV/AIDS Funding; Montagnier Discusses Therapeutic Vaccines
[Oct 09, 2008]
Luc Montagnier and Francoise Barre-Sinoussi, two French scientists who jointly were awarded half of the Nobel Prize for medicine earlier this week, spoke with French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Wednesday about the effect that the world financial crisis could have on global funding for HIV/AIDS, the AP/Hartford Courant reports. Both scientists voiced their concerns that international HIV/AIDS funding and research could decrease because of the recent global financial crisis. Montagnier also questioned whether assistance from the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria for medicines in places such as Africa could continue in light of the financial situation, according to the AP/Courant (AP/Hartford Courant, 10/8).
In related news, Montagnier on Tuesday discussed the development of a therapeutic rather than preventive HIV/AIDS vaccine, London's Daily Telegraph reports. Montagnier said that if financial backing is available, the results of a therapeutic vaccine as a possible treatment, which would prevent the virus from progressing in a person already living with HIV, could be published in three to four years. "I think it will be possible with a therapeutic vaccine rather than preventative vaccinations," Montagnier said, adding, "We would give it only to people who are already infected" (Alleyne, Daily Telegraph, 10/7).
On Wednesday, Montagnier also praised Robert Gallo of the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland and French scientist Jean-Claude Chermann, Agence France-Presse reports. Montagnier said that Gallo and Chermann also deserved to be recognized by the Nobel Prize, adding, "One can feel regret that Dr. Chermann and Dr. Gallo weren't on the list" (Agence France-Presse, 10/8).
Editorials
Two newspapers recently published editorials about the 2008 Nobel Prize in medicine. Summaries appear below.
Baltimore Sun: In science, "great things often are accomplished through the collective effort of many individuals," a Sun editorial says, adding that the discovery of HIV in 1983 was "such an achievement." Barre-Sinoussi and Montagnier were awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine for "that breakthrough," the editorial says, adding, "But because of a technicality in the rules governing the award of the prize," Gallo "did not share in the accolades." Nobel Prize "rules are narrowly tailored to reward only those who initially discover scientific principles or phenomena rather than those who put such knowledge to practical use," according to the editorial. It adds that although Gallo was not the "first to identify the virus, it was he who made the crucial connection between HIV and AIDS that allowed scientists to begin developing drugs and vaccines to combat the epidemic's spread." The editorial says that "millions more lives would have been lost before the pandemic was checked" if "not for [Gallo's] pathbreaking research." It concludes, "That work more than qualified him for recognition as a giant as well" (Baltimore Sun, 10/8).
Philadelphia Inquirer: "Congratulations to the three scientists awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine" -- Barre-Sinoussi, Montagnier and Harald zur Hausen, who discovered the human papillomavirus -- "for their work in discovering viruses behind two deadly illnesses," an Inquirer editorial says. About 25 million people have died from AIDS-related causes since the virus that causes it was discovered, and 33 million people are living with HIV worldwide, the editorial says, adding that about 250,000 women die annually from cervical cancer, which is caused by HPV. According to the editorial, after being awarded the Nobel Prize, Montagnier said that the "fight" against HIV/AIDS "is not finished." It concludes, "But both discoveries have helped combat two devastating diseases" (Philadelphia Inquirer, 10/9).
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Program in India Aims To Implement HIV/AIDS Services in Private Maternity Hospitals
[Oct 09, 2008]
India's Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society is launching a campaign that will focus on providing a comprehensive package of HIV/AIDS services to private maternity hospitals in the state in an effort to match services provided at government-run maternity hospitals, The Hindu reports. Such services include counseling, treatment, the prevention of mother-to-child transmission and managing HIV/TB coinfection. A "key requirement" of the program is "to make counseling an integral feature of HIV testing," according to Supriya Sahu, project director of TANSACS.
Private maternity hospitals account for about 38% of the more than 1.1 million deliveries recorded annually in Tamil Nadu, while state-run maternity hospitals account for about 60% of deliveries, according to The Hindu. Under the campaign, TANSACS will provide participating hospitals with training, assistance in developing HIV/AIDS treatment capacity, rapid test kits and informational resources. Participating hospitals will be required to implement the package of services and report to TANSACS. In addition, hospitals will be encouraged to participate in the program under an incentive-based component that provides accreditation. As part of an effort to map private maternity hospitals in the state that conduct at least 50 deliveries monthly, TANSACS has measured 1,400 hospitals against specific parameters, such as quality of basic services, pre-test HIV counseling, services offered when a pregnant woman tests positive and interventions to prevent MTCT (Varma, The Hindu, 10/8).
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Papua New Guinea Launches HIV/AIDS Research Plan
[Oct 09, 2008]
Health officials in Papua New Guinea's capital of Port Moresby on Wednesday launched a national HIV/AIDS research agenda for 2008 to 2013, the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier reports. According to speakers at the agenda's launch, the research plan, as well as the establishment of a research unit in the National AIDS Council Secretariat earlier this month, will bolster the fight against HIV/AIDS in the country.
The agenda establishes a plan and guidelines for HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infection research conducted in Papua New Guinea. Its priorities include: increasing knowledge about the main factors behind HIV transmission in Papua New Guinea; improving understanding of the conditions faced by people affected by the disease; examining the efficacy and appropriateness of the country's response to the disease; and evaluating the economic and social impacts of HIV/AIDS.
At the launch, Governor-General Paulias Matane said that the research agenda comes at a time when Papua New Guinea needs to bolster its response to HIV/AIDS. Health Secretary Clement Malau said that the agenda will help guide the country's response to HIV/AIDS in a direction that can help improve people's lives. Jamie Maxtone-Graham, chair for the Special Parliamentary Committee on HIV/AIDS, said that although leadership is a key factor in curbing the spread of HIV, leaders in Papua New Guinea have not done enough to address the disease (Gerawa, Post-Courier, 10/9).
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Malawi NGOs Express Concern Over Funding as Disbursement Responsibility Is Transferred to Local Authorities
[Oct 09, 2008]
As the disbursement of funding to 3,000 HIV/AIDS community-based organizations in Malawi is being shifted from international nongovernmental organizations to local government authorities, known as district assemblies, a number of groups are expressing concern about the ability of some assemblies to distribute the money, IRIN/PlusNews reports.
Bizwick Mwale, the country's National AIDS Commission executive director, said that the international NGOs, called umbrella bodies, were contracted in 2003 to disperse HIV/AIDS funding from donors and the government until the district assemblies had developed the capacity to take over the task. Mwale said, "We did an assessment after 18 months and found there was still a gap (in capacity), so we extended the contract to umbrellas for another two years, with the view that by that time (the district assemblies) would be ready." Although some responsibilities already have been transferred to the district assemblies, Ishmael Nkosi, a policy and advocacy officer at the Malawi Network of AIDS Service Organisations, said, "Our membership is worried because the process involved will be lengthy, and there are some reports that when a CBO (community-based organization) comes up with a proposal, (the district assemblies) demand a certain percentage from this amount," adding, "There are also concerns that there will be a lot of nepotism in the approving of funds."
The distribution of funding from international donors to local organizations also has proven to be a long and often problematic process, according to IRIN/PlusNews. McBride Nkhalamba -- an HIV/AIDS coordinator at the international NGO ActionAid, which served as one of NAC's umbrella bodies until 18 months ago -- said disbursements from NAC often were late or inconsistent. Groups also experienced delays or the cancellation of grants because they lacked the skills or training to adequately account for funds received in the previous quarter. Nkhalamba said, "An organization has to account through a very vigorous system, and some of the demands are discriminatory, because if you're dealing with a local organization there's only so much you can expect." He added that often so much time passes between when an organization writes a proposal and when it receives the funds that situations on the ground have changed.
According to Mwale, organizations should be prepared for some disruption in the disbursement of grants while district assemblies take over for the umbrella bodies (IRIN/PlusNews, 10/7).
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Science & Medicine
NIAID Grant Awarded to Buffalo University for HIV/AIDS Research
[Oct 09, 2008]
The University of Buffalo's School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences on Tuesday announced that it has received a seven-year, $7.6 million grant from NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for HIV/AIDS research worldwide, Business First of Buffalo reports. The funding will be used to establish clinical pharmacology quality assurance programs and laboratories at the university's Pharmacotherapy Research Center and at the Translational Pharmacology Core in the New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences.
The grant money also will support in-country laboratory specialist training in areas with high HIV/AIDS burdens worldwide, as well as allow researchers to analyze HIV/AIDS clinical trials. The program will train as many as 200 clinical researchers annually and offer clinical audits and other services. Bruce Holm, University of Buffalo senior vice provost and executive director of the Center of Excellence, said the funding is "just the beginning" for many potential projects, adding, "Over the next year to year and a half, we will launch even more of these programs" (Drury, Business First of Buffalo, 10/7).
Although one focus of the fight against HIV/AIDS worldwide is on increasing antiretroviral drug access and conducting clinical trials, such trials need to be carried out in countries with the highest HIV/AIDS burdens worldwide, the Buffalo News reports. However, many countries highly affected by HIV/AIDS do not have adequate facilities or trained specialists, according to the News. To address the issue, the Buffalo program will provide training in pharmacology to researchers who conduct trials on experimental antiretrovirals. The program also will conduct on-site audits, provide HIV/AIDS information and establish a centralized Web site to provide global access to research data. "We are excited about this opportunity to use our expertise and facilities to help fight the global AIDS epidemic," Gene Morse, professor and associate dean for clinical and translational research, said (Rey, Buffalo News, 10/7).
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