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Transdiaspora Network with the NewsStudy Cites Toll of AIDS Policy in South Africa. (Nov.26, 2008)
A new study by Harvard researchers estimates that the South African government would have prevented the premature deaths of 365,000 people earlier this decade if it had provided antiretroviral drugs to AIDS patients and widely administered drugs to help prevent pregnant women from infecting their babies.
The Harvard study concluded that the policies grew out of President Thabo Mbeki’s denial of the well-established scientific consensus about the viral cause of AIDS and the essential role of antiretroviral drugs in treating it.
They estimated that by 2005, South Africa could have been helping half those in need but had reached only 23 percent. By comparison, Botswana was already providing treatment to 85 percent of those in need, and Namibia to 71 percent.
The document’s authors conceded that H.I.V. might be one cause of AIDS but contended that there were many others, like other diseases and malnutrition. Click here to learn more.
Grim HIV/AIDS Figures for Caribbean. (Nov.20, 2008) Recent figures released as part of the Caribbean Launch of the 2008 UNAIDS Global Report show HIV/AIDS epidemics in the region appear to be stabilizing. While AIDS remains one of the leading causes of death among people ages 25-44 in the Caribbean epidemics occur in the context of high levels of poverty and unemployment, gender and other inequalities, as well as HIV/AIDS stigma, "all of which can fuel the spread of HIV as well as hinder efforts to control the epidemics," said UNAIDS. "There is, too, a need for the development of more effective surveillance systems so that the region can truly know its epidemic," UNAIDS concluded.
Understanding the Issues: The Candidates on HIV/AIDS. (Oct.27, 2008)
While both candidates for president have made statements that they want to combat HIV/AIDS, a comparison of the voting records, public statements and other actions shows John McCain has very few specifics to address the crisis and has a history of supporting legislation that damages and impedes the process of addressing the HIV epidemic in America. Here are what Barack Obama and McCain, respectively, have said about the HIV/AIDS crisis.
Obama's plans to combat HIV/AIDS can be found here.
You have the opportunity to become a Certified American Red Cross volunteer and join together with neighbors in East Flatbush as a disaster services volunteer. Getting connected to your neighborhood, you can provide humanitarian help during large local New York City disasters. The training will be held on Oct.26, Sunday, from 1:30pm to 5:30pm, at 203 East 37 Street (b/w Church Ave. and Linden Blvd). To attend, please RSVP to Gil Monrose at gmonrose@yahoo.com and register online. A few hours of training, a lifetime of rewards!
Adolescent Migration study presentation at Columbia University. (Sept.27, 2008)
The development and gradual establishment of a transnational community whose members live at various points in their lives both in the United States and the Dominican Republic has been observed since the 1960's. This study was designed to enhance the understanding of the current process and experience of adolescent moves between the two countries.study represents a unique collaboration between The Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health (HDPFH) academic faculty, Center for Community Health and Education professional staff, and researchers at Profamilia in the Domincan Republic. The presentation is expected to happen on Monday, September 29, from 12:30pm to 1:45pm, at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. (More)
The
On Wednesday, leaders from business, government, philanthropy, and religion will again gather in New York City for the fourth Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting to find innovative solutions to some of the world's most pressing challenges � and you can watch it all unfold, live via webcast on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at www.clintonglobalinitiative.org.
Distinguished guests will include Her Royal Highness Rania Al-Abdullah, Queen of Jordan, President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, Senator Barack Obama, Senator John McCain, Bill Gates, Founder and Co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Gordon Brown, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, President Ren� Preval of the Republic of Haiti, Tony Blair, Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Mayor Michael Bloomberg of the City of New York, John Chambers, CEO of Cisco Systems, Muhammad Yunus, Founder and Managing Director of Grameen Bank, Bono, Lead Singer of U2, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California, Lance Armstrong, Founder and Chairman of the Board of the Lance Armstrong Foundation, Larry Page, Co-Founder of Google, T. Boone Pickens, Founder and Chairman of BP Capital Management, Rick Warren, Pastor of Saddleback Church, and Tom Brokaw, Special Correspondent for NBC News.
Crown Heights Family Fun Health Fair. (Sept.19, 2008)
On September 21, from 2:00pm to 6:00pm, a number of Brooklyn-based organizations are sponsoring a special health fair where family members will not only have access to critical information, but also where they will enjoy the day in a very festive environment: free screenings, raffles, face painting, clown, bouncy ride, and prizes. That day, the weather is going to be spectacular, so you do not have excuses to stay at home. Go out and stop by Crown Heights Family Fun Health Fair at Hamilton-Metz Park (Lefferts Park) which is located in Albany Ave. between Lefferts Ave. and East New York Ave.
Transportation: B12 bus to East New York and Albany Aves.
HIV story of resilience at Cinema Village. (Sept.18, 2008)
In the South Bronx, a young doctor embarks on a research project to find out why black women are being infected with the HIV virus at an alarming rate. Dr. Mehret Mandefro takes us into the lives and relationships of two of her female patients, Chevelle and Tara, as they identify and struggle with the social factors that put them at risk. Chevelle, abandoned by her family as a teenager, became addicted to drugs and dependent on sex with men to get attention and cash. Tara suffered sexual abuse for much of her life and resorted to sex work to survive. (Learn more) At Chelsea, the Caribbean Art will be waiting for your visit. (Sept.15, 2008) The 5th annual ART OFF the MAIN: African, Caribbean & Latin American Art Fair will run October 2-5 at the Metropolitan Pavilion, in New York�s Chelsea art district. The name of the fair, ART OFF the MAIN speaks to the fact that many of the artists showcased, in spite of highly accomplished works, are for the most part either under-represented or absent from the American mainstream. ART OFF the MAIN is defined by both geography and culture. It is the first art fair ever to showcase the combined works from Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America- three regions which share many historical, ethnic and political experiences resulting in cultural expressions with common elements. ART OFF the MAIN widens the exposure of both emerging and contemporary art from these regions by providing an accessible venue where emerging and established galleries, arts organizations and artists can showcase their collections. (Learn more) CHAMP is combating misinformation about HIV. (Sept.12, 2008)
This summer people living with HIV in the
� May 2008: An HIV positive man in
� May 2008: Another HIV positive man in
� July 2008: An HIV positive woman in
� August 2008: A
The media has picked up these stories, framing the accused as maliciously trying to spread the disease, even in cases where transmission is impossible. This spreads misinformation, threatening to undo decades of community education efforts.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have long said that saliva, tears, or sweat do not present an appreciable risk of HIV transmission, but severe sentences have been upheld for people living with HIV in the U.S.
It's time for the CDC to support the work of advocates in this fight against the senseless criminalization of HIV positive people in the
You can help! CHAMP is calling on the CDC to adopt a communications strategy to combat dangerously misleading information concerning the transmission and communicability of HIV to counter these criminal prosecutions of people living with HIV. Join the community sign-on letter to add your voice to the effort. Click here to read and sign the letter.
The deadline for signatures is September 30th. For more information, please contact Coco Jervis at 212.937.7955 x 50 or coco@champnetwork.org.
EMERGENCY!! - Jamaica Disaster Relief 2008. (Sept.4, 2008)
On August 28, Tropical Storm Gustav made landfall in eastern Jamaica. The storm caused substantial damage to infrastructure and flooding in at least 72 communities, rendering 120 roads impassable and affecting 65 percent of the country's water supply. Hurricane Gustav also claimed several lives in the most populous English-speaking island of the Caribbean.
Jamaica Impact, Inc. (JAMPACT), in partnership with the Jamaican Northeast Diaspora Advisory Board, and several other community groups have formed a coalition to create awareness and raise funds to mitigate the damages sustained by Gustav. This collaborative effort will streamline disaster relief activities here in the Diaspora by ensuring efficient garnering and utilization of our limited resources. The coalition is collaborating with Jamaica's Office of Disaster Preparedness & Emergency Managment, and other relevant authorities to assist with the disaster relief and recovery (Learn more).
The Fight for a National AIDS Strategy and the Presidential Candidates' Positions on the Domestic AIDS Crisis. (Sept.3, 2008)
Last fall, a call to action signed by more than 100 HIV/AIDS organizations demanded that the presidential candidates commit to developing a comprehensive National AIDS Strategy that confronts the stigma, homophobia and violence at the heart of the epidemic.
New York City Health Department Releases Estimate of Yearly HIV Infections. (Aug.29, 2008)
New York City, with more than 100,000 people living with HIV, has long been considered the epicenter of the U.S. epidemic. The new incidence estimate supports that impression, showing that 72 of every 100,000 of New Yorkers were newly infected in 2006, compared to 23 per 100,000 nationally. The reasons for that disparity are partly demographic. The populations that bear the greatest burden nationally � blacks, for example, and men who have sex with men � are highly represented in New York City. Because HIV is more prevalent within those groups, the risk of HIV infection per sexual contact is higher.
To estimate the city�s incidence rate, Health Department researchers started with the total number of new HIV diagnoses made during 2006 (3,863 in New York City) and used a laboratory test to distinguish recent from long-standing infections. They then used the CDC�s new statistical technique to estimate the total number of recent infections, both among people who were tested and among people who weren�t. By combining the two calculations, they were able to estimate incidence for the city as a whole and for many subgroups. (Read more) Caribbean Labor Day Carnival Parade. (Aug.28, 2008) For the 41st year in a row, Carnival lovers and revelers from across the United States, and abroad will converge in Brooklyn, New York in celebration of the West Indian Carnival Festival & Parade. The annual Brooklyn celebration begins Thursday, August 28th with events and concerts on the Brooklyn Museum grounds, and culminates on Monday, September 1st with the renowned Labor Day Carnival Parade on Eastern Parkway. The parade will have elaborately designed costumes, vendors selling crafts, books, clothing, art, jewelry, and West Indian food, and there will be live performances by steel bands and mas bands in front of the viewing stage at the Brooklyn Library.
Ford Foundation Calls for Increased Focus on Social Dimensions of HIV/AIDS. (Aug.20, 2008)
According to the Ford Foundation, while people around the globe are living longer than ever with the disease, deeply entrenched social taboos continue to stand in the way of AIDS sufferers living lives characterized by dignity, purpose, and access to opportunity. To achieve that goal, the foundation is asking global leaders to come together around initiatives that advance human rights, elevate leaders from marginalized groups to the highest levels of the AIDS movement, promote government accountability on both the medical and social progress fronts, and ensure an equitable distribution of AIDS programs and services.
"With millions gaining access to life-saving drugs and treatment, the battle against AIDS enters a critical phase," said Ford Foundation deputy vice president Jacob A. Gayle, who heads up the Global Initiative on HIV/AIDS. "We must address the long-term, deeply entrenched social challenges that stand in the way of people living full and productive lives with the disease. This means confronting head on the discrimination and lack of opportunity that made so many vulnerable to the disease in the first place." (Read the article)
Rally to Protest Budget Cuts to HIV/AIDS Services. (Aug.12, 2008) What Is Being Asked For?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announces new
The release of these new incidence estimates is a significant sentinel
For more information on the 2006 HIV incidence estimates including CDC's
The XVII International AIDS Conference (IAC) kicks off this weekend in Mexico City, and CHAMP has it covered! (July 28, 2008) Caribbean American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day TDN Team Helps AIDS Walk New York Raise Record $7.05 Million Transdiaspora |