Reports Examine HIV/AIDS Issues in Myanmar; Global HIV/AIDS Awareness; AIDS Orphans in Africa; World AIDS Day 2004 News Coverage

• "Myanmar: Update on HIV/AIDS Policy," International Crisis Group: The latest ICG report says that Myanmar's HIV prevalence rate is not only a public health issue but also has security implications for neighboring countries. In addition, the epidemic might present an opportunity to strengthen the country's civil society. Although some government obstacles have been removed and international aid has helped the country implement social structures, more work is needed to improve the country's capacity to fight HIV/AIDS, including more technical aid and training, according to the report (ICG release, 12/16).
  
  
• National Survey on Awareness of Global HIV/AIDS, Friends of the Global Fight: The recently-released poll data show that 83% of U.S. adults who participated are concerned with the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and 76% of them believe that the pandemic is a "disaster that demands a humanitarian and altruistic response." The survey, which was conducted by Harris Interactive, surveyed 2,114 U.S. adults online between Oct. 20 and Oct. 25. The survey also found that 50% of respondents said they were "likely" to give money to the fight against HIV/AIDS (Friends of the Global Fight release, 12/20).
  
  
• "Reaching Out to Africa's Orphans," World Bank Group: HIV/AIDS is causing more African children to drop out of school, and the increasing number of AIDS orphans is creating a heavy financial burden on children, households and communities, according to the report. A lack of proper education, parental relationships and guidance might cause AIDS orphans to be less able to raise children, invest in education and become productive adults, the report concludes (World Bank Group release, 12/15).
  
  
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• "Public Opinion on the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in the United States," Kaiser Family Foundation: The November/December edition of the Kaiser Family Foundation's health poll report found that 41% of people in the United States polled said they followed 2004 World AIDS Day news "very" or "somewhat" closely, which represents an increase over past years. Thirty-five percent of respondents said they followed World AIDS Day news closely in 2003, and 22% said they followed the news closely in 1998 (Kaiser Family Foundation release, 12/16).
  

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