Kaisernetwork.org (Washington, DC)
1 December 2008
(Page 2 of 5)
Reports, Initiatives
The Kaiser Family Foundation on Wednesday announced several new media productions developed in coordination with partner organizations.
BET: As part of BET and the Kaiser Family Foundation's Rap-It-Up partnership, BET will air a television show titled "Are You Positive?" confronting the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS in the black community.
MTV: As part of MTV's ongoing campaign with the Kaiser Family Foundation titled "It's Your (Sex) Life," MTV will dedicate all on-air promotion time between Nov. 24 and Dec. 1 to public service announcements promoting safer sex and HIV testing. MTV also will run "on-screen takeovers" on Dec. 1 during programming to refer viewers to additional IYSL resources. MTV on Dec. 1 also will air a documentary titled "The Diary of Kelly Rowland" describing the recent travels of singer Kelly Rowland to Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania and around the U.S. to meet with young people affected by HIV/AIDS.
Univision: Univision on Dec. 8 will devote a special episode of "The Cristina Show" to promoting awareness of the impact of HIV/AIDS on the Hispanic community. The program will feature Hispanics living with HIV and their families, many of whom are currently profiled in the campaign "Soy ... (I am...)" launched this fall by Univision and the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Regional media partners of the Global Media AIDS Initiative -- a project conceived and run by the Kaiser Family Foundation with support by the United Nations to mobilize media around the world in response to HIV/AIDS -- also announced new programs in observance of World AIDS Day. Summaries appear below.
African Broadcast Media Partnership Against HIV/AIDS: ABMP will launch a new series of public service announcements under its "Imagine an HIV-Free Generation ... It Begins With YOU" campaign, which uses soccer to promote healthy lifestyles and responsible choices.
Asia Broadcasting Union: In partnership with the Asia-Pacific Media AIDS Initiative, ABU will offer rights-free television programs on HIV/AIDS to broadcasters in the region.
Caribbean Broadcast Media Partnership on HIV/AIDS: CBMP's public information campaign, "LIVE UP. Love. Protect. Respect," will air a special World AIDS Day edition of the television magazine program (Kaiser Family Foundation release, 11/26).
In addition, several other HIV/AIDS organizations announced new initiatives. Summaries appear below.
AIDS Healthcare Foundation: AHF hosted a 24-hour marathon of no-cost, rapid HIV testing from Nov. 29 - Nov. 30 in Hollywood, Calif. The testing program is part of AHF's "One Million Tests" campaign, which is a coalition of organizations collaborating to provide one million no-cost HIV tests in conjunction with World AIDS Day (AHF release, 11/27).
Global Fund: The Global Fund on Friday announced that programs supported by the fund helped provide treatment for two million HIV-positive people, an increase of 43% from the previous year (Global Fund release, 12/1).
Broadcast Coverage
NPR's "Weekend Edition Sunday": The program on Sunday examined HIV among children and teenagers. The segment includes comments from Khadijah Tribble, executive director of Pediatric AIDS/HIV Care in Washington, D.C., and an HIV-positive teenager and her grandmother (Chang, "Weekend Edition Sunday," NPR, 11/30). Audio of the segment is available online.
CNN's "International Correspondents": The program on Friday examined the challenges faced by journalists who cover HIV/AIDS. The segment includes comments from Larry Altman, medical correspondent for the New York Times; Sarah Boseley, health editor for London's Guardian; and photojournalist Gideon Mendel (Newton, "International Correspondents," CNN, 11/28). Video of the segment is available online.
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HIV/AIDS Cases in Asia Could Reach 10M by 2010, Officials Say
[Dec 01, 2008]
The number of HIV/AIDS cases in Asia could reach 10 million by 2010 -- more than double current estimates -- unless countries take increased action to curb the spread of the disease, health officials said on Friday at the launch of an online database on HIV/AIDS in the Asia-Pacific region, AFP/Google.com reports. The database -- available at aidsdatahub.org -- includes information on HIV/AIDS prevalence, risky behaviors and government responses in various Asian countries and regions within certain countries (AFP/Google.com, 11/28). It was launched by officials from UNICEF, UNAIDS, the World Health Organization and the Asian Development Bank in Manila, the Philippines (Xinhuanet, 11/28).
According to the officials, there could be 500,000 new HIV/AIDS cases annually unless countries take increased action against the disease. In addition, Amala Reddy of UNAIDS said that about 50 million women in the region are at risk of the disease because of the behaviors of their husbands and partners. Reddy added that HIV/AIDS prevalence in Asia likely would reach 3% to 5% at most and is still concentrated among groups such as commercial sex workers, injection drug users and men who have sex with men. In addition, an estimated 75 million men in the region frequent sex workers, who number about 10 million, Reddy said, adding that there are 20 million IDUs and MSM in Asia. ABD Special Advisor Ian Anderson said that HIV/AIDS could have a serious effect on the region because many people living with the disease are in their economically productive years. "Because it is relatively small, this is the time to keep it small," he said, adding, "So we won't have to put the genie back in the bottle later."
In some Asian countries, such men may continue to have sex with their wives and other women, Reddy added (AFP/Google.com, 11/28). WHO Regional Advisor on HIV/AIDS Massimo Ghidinelli said WHO cannot determine a "fully accurate picture" on how MSM are contributing to the spread of HIV/AIDS because of the sensitivity of the issue and government neglect. "It is a new phenomenon, and we have insufficient understandings and studies," Ghidinelli said, adding, "The problem may be much greater than what we have believed." Reddy said that there should be "aggressive promotion of condom usage" to address the issue. She added, "We know the ways. It is only that political leaders have to have the political will to do the right things" (Xinhuanet, 11/28).
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Chinese Health Officials, UNAIDS Pledge To Fight HIV-Associated Stigma, Discrimination; Reduce Spread of HIV Among Migrant Workers
[Dec 01, 2008]
Chinese health officials and UNAIDS on Sunday pledged to fight HIV-associated stigma and discrimination by displaying a large red ribbon, an international symbol of HIV/AIDS awareness, at the Olympic Bird's Nest stadium in Beijing, AP/Google.com reports.
Chinese Health Minister Chen Zhu at the ceremony said, "Stigma and discrimination are major obstacles in an effective response to AIDS," adding, "We need to engage all sectors of society in China to combat these issues and work together to stop the disease." Bernhard Schwartlander, UNAIDS country coordinator in China, added that people are reluctant to "come forward" for HIV testing because they are afraid of stigma. In addition, people at risk of HIV "won't talk to their partners and colleagues about HIV/AIDS -- putting themselves and others potentially at risk," Schwartlander said (AP/Google.com, 11/30).
Health officials in China also recently discussed efforts to reduce the spread of HIV among migrant workers and other groups. Although HIV in China has been most common among injection drug users, men who have sex with men, commercial sex workers and people who received tainted blood, the virus is "highly prevalent among specific groups such as migrant workers, and in regions -- particularly remote areas -- and the countryside," Wang Weizhen, deputy director of HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment at the Ministry of Health, said (Hornby, Reuters,11/30). HIV also has increased among MSM in recent years, according to a survey conducted by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Hornby, Reuters, 11/28).
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