AIDS Action Weekly Update

• This Week in Washington
  • National Native American AIDS Prevention Center (NNAAPC) Visits AIDS Action
  • AIDS Action Co-Hosts Ugandan First Lady
  • AIDS Action Staff Attend Hepatitis C Briefing at Senate
  • NORA Continues Push for Supplemental Funding for HIV/AIDS
  • AIDS Action Reinvigorates Its Push for ETHA
  • Member Action Requested to Support Comprehensive Prevention
  • AIDSWatch 2002 -- Grassroots Participation Needed From Key States
• In the News
  • Complacency Could Fuel HIV Surge
  • Minorities Underrepresented in Clinical Studies
  • Applications Requested -- Ryan White CARE Act Title III Planning Grant
  • New SPNS Grant Initiative Announced for Information Technology in HIV Care
  • New Community-Based Dental Partnership Grant Initiative Announced
  • HIV/AIDS-Related Cable Programming Funding Available From Cable Positive
  • This Mother's Day -- Don't Forget Your Mother and AIDS Action!
• AIDS Action Board Member Highlight

This Week in Washington

National Native American AIDS Prevention Center (NNAAPC) Visits AIDS Action

Michael Bird, Executive Director of NNAAPC and former President of the American Public Health Association (APHA), met with AIDS Action staff to review and discuss needs of Native Americans in HIV prevention and surveillance. The meeting is the first step in an action plan that allows the NNAAPC and AIDS Action to work in collaboration to increase opportunities for HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care in America's indigenous population. NNAAPC is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation governed by an entirely Native American Board of Directors. NNAAPC's mission is to stop the spread of HIV and related diseases among American Indians, Alaskan Natives, Native Hawaiians, and to improve the quality of life for those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.

AIDS Action Co-Hosts Ugandan First Lady

AIDS Action, along with The AIDS Healthcare Foundation, AHF Global Immunity the Uganda Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS and former U.S. Senators Dennis DeConcini (D-AZ) and Steve Simms (R-ID), hosted a reception for Ugandan First Lady Janet Museveni. In honor of her dedication to fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic in her country, First Lady Museveni received the first-ever Global AIDS Leadership Award from an international consortium of HIV/AIDS organizations. Approximately 800,000 Ugandans are living with HIV/AIDS and as many as one million Ugandan children have been orphaned by the disease. However, Uganda has been able to decrease its infection rate from more than 30% to about 6% due to HIV/AIDS education and prevention initiatives.

AIDS Action Staff Attend Hepatitis C Briefing at Senate

AIDS Action staff attended a Senate Briefing sponsored by the Hepatitis Foundation outlining the challenges the nation is going to face due to the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV). There are approximately three million Americans living with HCV or the Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), many of which are also living with HIV co-infection. The Senate was urged to address HCV education and prevention. As HCV infection is often "silent," and many people live with infection for years before a diagnosis, early education and intervention are key to reducing medical cost from liver disease, advanced liver cancers, and cirrhosis. Additionally, risk factors for HCV infection are similar to those of HIV (injection drug use, contact with infected blood, etc.), prevention and education efforts must be increased for Americans.

HIV and HCV co-infection has recently come to light in the United States with as many as 40 percent of Americans living with HIV are also living with HCV. Recent studies are showing that HCV progression is quicker and more severe in individuals living with HIV. There is also data to suggest that HIV progression is accelerated among people co-infected with HCV.

NORA Continues Push for Supplemental Funding for HIV/AIDS

On May 6, 2002, the National Organizations Responding to AIDS (NORA) sent a letter to members of the House of Representatives requesting their support to increase multilateral funding provided to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and U.S. bilateral funding provided through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). NORA also included a letter signed by over 70 members of the House of Representatives urging an additional $750 million to fight HIV/AIDS globally in the FY 2002 Supplemental bill. The letter, signed by 23 health, labor, religious, professional, and advocacy organizations, strongly urged appropriators to include additional funding in the FY 2002 Supplemental bill to continue to address the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

AIDS Action Reinvigorates Its Push for ETHA

AIDS Action reinvigorated their effort to add congressional cosponsors for the Early Treatment for HIV Act (ETHA), which has been referred by the House Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Health (H.R. 2063) and the Senate Finance Committee Subcommittee on Health (S. 987). States can now offer Medicaid coverage to HIV positive individuals who are not yet disabled but must go through a laborious process of applying for waivers from the federal government that requires cost savings within the Medicaid program but ignores savings from other federal HIV/AIDS programs. The Early Treatment for HIV Act would allow states to offer health coverage through Medicaid without being forced to apply for the federal waiver. To take action and contact your member regarding this legislation, visit AIDS Action's Legislative Action Center: www.aidsaction.org.

Member Action Requested to Support Comprehensive Prevention

On Friday, May 3, 2002, AIDS Action alerted the membership regarding The Family Life Education Act, which would provide $100 million in block grants to the states to support sex education that includes medically accurate messages about both abstinence and contraception. The Family Life Education Act, introduced by Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA), also provides for enhancing parent-child communication, developing decision-making and negotiation skills and providing education from a public health approach. AIDS Action is currently urging members of the Senate Finance Committee to expand the current abstinence-only funding included in the welfare reauthorization legislation to allow greater state flexibility to fund sex education and HIV/STD programs that teach both abstinence and contraception. To learn more about this important legislation, visit AIDS Action's Legislative Action Center at www.aidsaction.org.

AIDSWatch 2002 -- Grassroots Participation Needed From Key States

Preparation for AIDSWatch 2002 -- June 9-11 in Washington, DC -- is well underway. To date, over 550 registrations have been received at the AIDSWatch office. Strong grassroots participation in AIDSWatch can have a significant impact on the appropriations process. While all members of Congress play an important role in the appropriations process, among the most important Senators and Representatives to reach during AIDSWatch are the members of the Senate and House Labor-Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittees. For more information about AIDSWatch 2002 registration information: www.aidsaction.org or you can contact Darin Johnson at AIDS Action: 202-530-8030 x3024, djohnson@aidsaction.org.

In the News

Complacency Could Fuel HIV Surge

On Monday, May 6, 2002, Reuters reported on a study done by Datamonitor, a London based consultancy, that showed an increasing complacency among teenagers in developed nations regarding safe sex. The report warned of the possibility of diagnosed HIV infections in the United States doubling by 2010, an increase by 50% in Britain from 17,000 to 34,000 cases by 2005, and from 25,000 in 2002 to 37,000 by 2005 in Germany. To read the article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_1966000/1966037.stm.

Minorities Underrepresented in Clinical Studies

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (May 2, 2002) found that African American and Hispanic patients are underrepresented in HIV clinical studies of new treatments and experimental drugs. The study found that African Americans make up 33% of adults receiving HIV care, but only 23% of clinical studies and Hispanics make up 15% of HIV patients and 11% of clinical studies. This is a significant concern for the larger HIV population because we must ensure that any treatments or drugs are going to be effective on the all HIV infected patients. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A18539-2002May1.html.

Applications Requested -- Ryan White CARE Act Title III Planning Grant

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resource and Services Administration and HIV/AIDS Bureau (HRSA/HAB) has grant funds available to plan for the establishment of primary care services. A portion of the funding for the planning grant program is sponsored by the Minority HIV/AIDS Initiative to address unmet needs of communities of color. The Year 2002 Planning Grant Program supports public and private nonprofit entities in their planning efforts to develop high quality primary health care services for people living with HIV/AIDS or at risk of infection in rural, underserved communities, and/or communities of color. In FY 2002, HRSA/HAB anticipate awarding 90 planning grants. Applications are due by May 31, 2002. For more information or a grant application: http://hab.hrsa.gov/grants/2002PlanningGrant_files/02planninggrants.htm.

New SPNS Grant Initiative Announced for Information Technology in HIV Care

The Health Resources Administration (HRSA) HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB) Offices have announced a new grant opportunity under the Special Projects of National Significance (SPNS) initiative. In a collaborative process with the Agency for Healthcare Research Quality (AHRQ), these grants will seek to improve the impact and quality of care for people living with HIV through Information Technology. The grant program, operated through the AIDS Education and Training Centers (AETCs) evaluates the effectiveness of Information Technology (IT) to improve the delivery and quality of care to underserved HIV infected individuals. There are three areas of emphasis: (1) optimizing the delivery of health care; (2) optimizing outcomes and quality of health care; and (3) assessing the cost-effectiveness of IT interventions. Grants will be awarded for a four-year period and the application deadline is June 12, 2002. For more information: http://hab.hrsa.gov/grants/itguidancefinal.htm.

New Community-Based Dental Partnership Grant Initiative Announced

The Health Resources Administration (HRSA) HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB) Offices have announced a new grant opportunity under the Dental Reimbursement Program. These grant opportunities are designed to increase the access to oral health care for people living with HIV in community-based settings, and to provide support, education and training of students and residents enrolled in accredited dental education programs while providing care for people living with HIV under the supervision of a dentist in a community based setting. Funds will be awarded to up to 20 institutions including dental schools, post-doctorate programs and schools of dental hygiene for up to three years. Preference for funding will be given to proposals advocating partnerships in un-served and underserved communities and in areas where HIV positive populations have unmet oral health needs. Applications are encouraged from organizations that utilize multi-partner community-based collaborations and develop innovative programs. The application deadline for the Community-Based Dental Partnership grants is June 14, 2002. For more information: http://hab.hrsa.gov/grants/dental02.htm.

HIV/AIDS-Related Cable Programming Funding Available From Cable Positive

Cable Positive, which seeks to use the resources of the cable industry to raise HIV/AIDS awareness and compassion, makes funds available through its Tony Cox Fund for Local HIV/AIDS Programming to fund the production of HIV/AIDS-related cable programming, including public service announcements. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations, with special consideration given to AIDS service organizations and cable systems and producers partnering with them. Grants range from $500 to $20,000. Applications are due June 7. For more information: http://www.cablepositive.org/programs-tonycox.html or contact Jesse Giuliani at 212-459-1547 or jesse@cablepositive.org.

This Mother's Day -- Don't Forget Your Mother and AIDS Action!

AIDS Action has partnered with Proflowers.com. When you order flowers through the Proflowers.com link on the AIDS Action website, you will not only receive beautiful flowers and plants shipped directly from their grower but you will also help support AIDS Action. Ten percent of all sales go to helping AIDS Action advocate for those who are affected by HIV/AIDS throughout the United States. On Mother's Day, Sunday, May 12, make your mom smile with some flowers while also supporting the fight against HIV/AIDS. Visit www.aidsaction.org and click directly on the link to Proflowers.com at the bottom of the main page. For questions, please contact AIDS Action at (202) 530-8030 or network@aidsaction.org.

AIDS Action Board Member Highlight

The AIDS Action Council Board of Directors consists of local HIV/AIDS service providers throughout the United States. Each week, the Update will highlight one of these service providers and the work they are doing to fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic in their region.

AIDS Task Force of Greater Cleveland (ATGC) is the oldest AIDS service organization in Ohio. The Taskforce serves as a primary provider in Cleveland of both community based HIV prevention education, and non-medical direct services to people living with HIV and AIDS. With a staff of nearly 60 and over 20 "Collaborating Agencies," ATGC is not only a direct service provider but also a coordinating body for the entire Cleveland metropolitan area. To learn more: http://www.aidstaskforce.org/.