News

Viral Hepatitis Updates from the HHS Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy (OHAIDP)

HHS Viral Hepatitis Website Launch
As part of efforts to increase awareness of viral hepatitis in May, Hepatitis Awareness Month, OHAIDP launched a new, dedicated HHS viral hepatitis page at HHS.gov/hepatitis!  This new website will enable OHAIDP to expand commitment to fostering partnerships and action in the fight against viral hepatitis. OHAIDP is continuing to add resources and content for and about viral hepatitis while working to amplify viral hepatitis updates, policies, and partners’ work. You are encouraged to visit the new website and check out recent blogs, learn more about viral hepatitis, and learn how to get involved. Be sure to check back often, as blogs, announcements, and resources are being continually updated.

– Truvada is the First Antiretroviral Medicine to be Licensed in Europe for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, in Combination with Safer-Sex Practices, to Reduce the Risk of Sexually Acquired HIV-1 in Adults at High Risk –

FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 22, 2016-- Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) today announced that the European Commission has granted marketing authorization for once-daily Truvada(emtricitabine 200 mg/tenofovir disoproxil 245 mg; FTC/TDF) in combination with safer-sex practices to reduce the risk of sexually acquired HIV-1 infection among uninfected adults at high risk, a strategy known as pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP. Truvada was approved by the European Medicines Agency in 2005 for use in combination with other antiretroviral agents for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in adults aged 18 years and over, and is currently the most prescribed antiretroviral medicine in Europe as part of combination therapy.

The marketing authorization allows for the marketing of Truvada for PrEP in all 28 countries of the European Union, subject to national regulatory authority approval of required pharmacovigilance materials in each country.

A report from IDSA Global Health

When the 2000 International AIDS Conference convened in Durban, South Africa, the government of the host country denied existence of the virus, and, worldwide, just 700,000 of an estimated 30 million people living with HIV were receiving the antiretroviral treatment they needed to stay alive.

The 2016 International AIDS Conference returned to the South African city and to a country that is home to the largest HIV treatment program in the world, while more than 17 million people globally are accessing antiretroviral treatment.

Still, with an estimated 37 million people living with HIV worldwide, the world faces the need to ensure treatment for at least 20 million more. Prisoners, men who have sex with men, transgender women, people engaged in sex work, and people who inject drugs remain at disproportionately high risk for HIV, with disproportionately low access to services. Women continue to surpass men in new infections, while men, behind in diagnosis and treatment, surpass women in AIDS-related deaths. And still, fewer than one in three of the 2.6 million children living with HIV are accessing antiretroviral treatment. With all of these challenges now, discussions noted, the future holds the prospect of the largest generation in history approaching the age of greatest risk for HIV.

The Bureau of Communicable Disease (BCD) at the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYCDOHMH) is seeking an experienced public health physician to lead the Viral Hepatitis Program (VHP).  BCD oversees surveillance and outbreak investigations for more than 70 reportable diseases.  Within the Bureau of Communicable Disease, the Viral Hepatitis Program conducts surveillance and outbreak investigations for more than 70 reportable diseases.  Within the Bureau of Communicable Disease, the Viral Hepatitis Program conducts surveillance and applied research, policy and program development and implementation, program evaluation, provider training, community outreach, and public awareness initiatives, in the areas of prevention, linkage to care and treatment for Hepatitis B and C.

PRESS RELEASE
Brussels/Berlin, 29 July 2016

The European AIDS Treatment Agenda - the first international catalogue of patients' demands and principles in research - originated in 1991. EATA was signed by the major European AIDS Service Organisations. EATA was the basis for the foundation of EATG in 1992. EATG celebrates the 25th anniversary of European treatment activism by publishing historic documents.

These 25 years have seen substantial changes in HIV activism and advocacy. One of the key outcomes from the early days of this work is the establishment and operation of the European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG), one of the largest networks of people living with and affected by HIV in Europe.

“Testing is the entry step to saving lives and must be fully accessible”

The OptTEST (Optimising Testing and Linkage to Care) project contributed to the global and European discussion about innovative and effective HIV testing strategies and linkage to care at the AIDS2016 Conference in Durban, South Africa. Scale up of testing and access to life-saving medication alongside the elimination of stigma and discrimination towards certain key populations are essential and cannot be delayed if we want to achieve the UNAIDS 90-90-90 target, and stop the HIV epidemic in Europe1.

EATG is not only represented by a legion of capable members, but also hosts the European Networking Zone together with AIDS Action Europe and ECUO. A delegation of almost 30 members.

The presence of a large and strong delegation of the communities of people living with and affected by HIV in Europe and Central Asia is even more important as both the IAS and the AIDS Conferences will come to Europe (2017 - Paris, 2018 - Amsterdam). We will start building bridges to our communities across the globe to explore the common issues, tasks and missions that await us in the effective response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic on the community's side.

The Community Consensus Statement is a joint initiative of AVAC, EATG, MSMGF, GNP+, HIV i-Base, the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, ITPC and NAM/aidsmap.

On the eve of the 2016 International AIDS Conference, eight global HIV advocacy groups have released a consensus statement setting out basic principles for provision of antiretroviral treatment (ART) and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Please read it and sign your support at www.hivt4p.org. 

On June 30 - July 1, 2016, the 2nd Paris NASH Symposium French-US Meetings 2016 Edition was held in Paris, France. The symposium was organized by Arun Sanyal of the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, and Lawrence Serfaty of the Hopital Saint-Antoine, APHP, Inserm, Universite Pierre & Marie Curie.

World Health (WHO) Organization Award

In April 2016, the Flagstaff International Relief Effort (FIRE) was honored to be selected as one of five organizations to be recognized by the WHO (World Health Organization) and EASL (European Association for Study of the Liver) for innovative hepatitis screening programs. 

FIRE's project will be included in the first edition of WHO's "Hepatitis Screening Guidelines." Meredith Potts, FIRE's Executive Director, also presented this project at EASL's annual International Liver Congress in Barcelona, Spain.