[Aug 07, 2008]

      As part of its expanded coverage of the XVII International AIDS Conference, which is being held Aug. 3 through Aug. 8 in Mexico City, the Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report will feature studies and initiatives released during the conference. Summaries of select publications and initiatives appear below.

• "2008 Pipeline Report (.pdf)," Treatment Action Group: The annual report reviews medical technologies that could be beneficial to HIV-positive people within the next few years, including antiretroviral, tuberculosis, hepatitis B and C drugs; diagnostics; vaccines; and microbicides. According to the report, the past five years of inert public research funding, which has resulted in a 20% decrease in real dollars adjusted for inflation, have begun to affect development of new interventions to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS, TB and hepatitis B and C. The report calls for increased public funding for biomedical research, with a five-year, 15% annual increase in funding recommended for NIH. The report also says that greater investment in HIV, TB, and hepatitis research is needed by wealthy and developing countries worldwide (TAG release, 8/3).
  
  
• "From the Ground Up: Building Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Care Programs in Resource-Limited Settings," Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation: The foundation produced the publication with support from the "A Day in the Life of Africa" Foundation/Tides Foundation, the U.S. government, Harvard University and other groups. The guide aims to improve and expand HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment efforts in resource-limited settings. The three-volume publication contains guidelines designed and written for health care providers, managers, policymakers and implementers, as well as the academic community (Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation release, 8/5).
  
  
• "The Life Initiative: Hotels Addressing AIDS," UNAIDS/IMPULSO/CONAES: The initiative is aimed at hotel guests and staff in Mexico and hopes to raise awareness about HIV prevention and discrimination. It also will promote the creation of sustainable HIV/AIDS workplace policies and programs in hotels. The prevention campaign will include the display of HIV/AIDS-related leaflets, posters and brochures; art exhibitions; distribution of no-cost male and female condoms; and HIV/AIDS-related films in all participating hotels (UNAIDS release, 7/23).
  
  
• "Make it Matter (.pdf)," United Nations Population Fund: The report focuses on three goals that it says should be central components of a successful response to HIV/AIDS -- improved access to sexual and reproductive health for girls and young women; the expansion of socioeconomic opportunities for girls and young women; and the end of child marriage. The report also presents national experiences on HIV/AIDS prevention with the aim of scaling up successful initiatives (UNFPA release, 8/6).
  

Kaisernetwork.org is the official webcaster of the XVII International AIDS Conference in Mexico City. Click here to sign up for your Daily Update e-mail during the conference. A webcast of a session about women's rights is available online, and a webcast about antiretrovirals also is available online.