Immunodeficiency

The latest edition of the KwaZulu-Natal HIV-911 Directory of HIV-Related Services is now available. The directory contains information on 2 297 organisations actively involved in HIV, TB and STI-related prevention, treatment and support in the province. It also includes information on organisations providing socio-economic, legal and psycho-social support programmes. Service provider information is categorised by municipality and type of service offered. The database is updated on an annual basis .

There are a number of ways to access the HIV-911 referral network:

Online Directory:www.hiv911.org.za

This report assesses the general levels of transmitted and acquired drug resistance in select geographical areas of low- and middle-income countries. It is based on two distinct data sources: surveys performed to assess transmitted and acquired drug resistance using standardized WHO methods (WHO surveys) and a broad systematic review of the published literature on transmitted and acquired drug resistance. Findings from the monitoring of early warning indicators of HIV drug resistance are also presented and discussed. This report is organized as follows.

This new UNAIDS report contains the latest data on numbers of new HIV infections, numbers of people receiving antiretroviral treatment, AIDS-related deaths and HIV among children. It highlights new scientific opportunities and social progress which are bringing the world closer to UNAIDS vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths.

The report also gives an overview of international and domestic HIV investments and the need for greater value for money and sustainability.

Calling for global solidarity and shared responsibility, the UNAIDS report contains commentaries from global and community leaders as well as people living with and affected by HIV.

Leaders from around the world attending the 2011 High Level Meeting on AIDS committed to work towards the elimination of new HIV infections among children by 2015 and reducing AIDS-related maternal mortality. This is to be accomplished through the implementation of a new Global Plan* for scaling up comprehensive prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV
(PMTCT) programmes. The Global Plan calls for broader thinking and action both within and outside the formal health-care delivery system. An important feature of the plan is its emphasis on community engagement as an integral part of the scale-up strategy.

The global war on drugs is driving the HIV/AIDS pandemic among people who use drugs and their sexual partners. Throughout the world, research has consistently shown that repressive drug law enforcement practices force drug users away from public health services and into hidden environments where HIV risk becomes markedly elevated. Mass incarceration of non-violent drug offenders also plays a major role in increasing HIV risk. This is a critical public health issue in many countries, including the United States, where as many as 25 percent of Americans infected with HIV may pass through correctional facilities annually, and where disproportionate incarceration rates are among the key reasons for markedly higher HIV rates among African Americans.

This guide summarises The Union's experience in developing approaches to integrated TB-HIV care for adults in resource-limited settings. It is recommended for health professionals at the implementation level and national programme staff in charge of policy and practices for collaborative TB-HIV activities.

Between 31 January and 2 February 2012, the World Health Organization (WHO) convened a meeting of experts to discuss recent research on use of hormonal contraception by women at high risk of HIV and those currently living with HIV and its implications. The Technical Consultation brought together 75 participants from 18 countries; 18 agencies were represented. The multidisciplinary group comprised experts in international family planning and HIV, including clinicians, epidemiologists, researchers, programme managers, policy-makers, guideline methodologists, reproductive biologists and pharmacologists, HIV advocates, and women’s health advocates.

The report covers the maternal deaths that were reported to the NCCEMD secretariat by 15th April 2011, and that occurred in the triennium 2008-2010. The same definitions used in previous Saving Mothers reports were used in this report.

Key findings

Within ten years of implementing the national Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) programme in South Africa interventions to prevent mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV are now offered in more than 95% of public antenatal and maternity facilities country-wide. However, this is the first national evaluation to determine the effectiveness of the National PMTCT programme. The 2010 South African PMTCT Evaluation (SAPMTCTE) will serve as a baseline to monitor the effectiveness of the antenatal and intrapartum aspects of the national PMTCT programme (i.e., early MTCT rates).

This report draws on recently collected field data from numerous countries where the International HIV/AIDS Alliance operates to explain why the funding crisis requires urgent action on the part of Global Fund donors and all other stakeholders. The Alliance’s recommendations for responding to the crisis are based on our analysis of the implications of funding shortfalls in the following specific areas: HIV treatment; HIV prevention; care and support; services for key populations at higher risk of HIV infection; and efforts to create an enabling environment.