Date: Mon, 09 Dec 96 09:26:24 EST From: "Flynn Mclean" Subject: CDC AIDS Daily Summary 12/09/96 AIDS Daily Summary December 9, 1996 The CDC National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention makes available the following information as a public service only. Providing this information does not constitute endorsement by the CDC. Reproduction of this text is encouraged; however, copies may not be sold, and the CDC National AIDS Clearinghouse should be cited as the source of this information. Copyright 1996, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD ****************************************************** "Health Journal: You Can Take Steps to Close the Leaks in Your Medical Files" "Asylum Law Is Used in New Applications" "A Caution on AIDS Drugs" "Reported Number of HIV Carriers in Mideast Doubles Over Past Two Years" "200,000 Die of AIDS in Malawi in Decade" "Southern African Nations Pledge New Drive to Fight AIDS" "Hungary to Enhance Combat Against AIDS" "AIDS in Jamaica Hits Women, Children" "Hardly Immune to Biz Pressures" "Tuberculosis: Victorian Values?" ****************************************************** "Health Journal: You Can Take Steps to Close the Leaks in Your Medical Files" Wall Street Journal (12/09/96) P. B1; Chase, Marilyn Breaches in the privacy of medical information can have a range of effects, from embarrassment to prejudice. No federal law currently protects the privacy of medical records, but the Health Insurance Accountability Act of 1996 calls for Congress to address this need. Medical information is usually used by insurance companies to pay for treatment. Privacy problems result from leaks of information through the network of agencies that have access to information and from a consumer's own actions, such as buying medical supplies with a credit card, using an 800 number to inquire about treatments, or accessing information on the Internet. Some states offer privacy protection on some health issues, including AIDS, mental health, chemical dependency, and genetic information. "Asylum Law Is Used in New Applications" Washington Times (12/09/96) P. A6 People seeking asylum in the United States are increasingly being accepted on the grounds that they would face persecution in their native countries due to cultural or medical conflicts. Since 1994, when homosexuality was first considered a condition for asylum in the United States, more than 40 people have gained entry based on the fact that they were persecuted in their home country because of their sexual orientation. At least one man, a heterosexual, has been granted asylum based on the fact that he is HIV-positive. "A Caution on AIDS Drugs" Washington Post (12/08/96) P. C6 Continued vigilance in the fight against AIDS is needed, despite optimistic news about drug treatment, according to the editors of the Washington Post. Although protease inhibitors have helped many people with AIDS regain their health and strength, the writers caution that researchers do not know how effective the drugs will be for long-term use. The drugs do not work for all patients, and their high cost makes them inaccessible to many. In conclusion, the editors encourage sustained commitment to prevention and research. "Reported Number of HIV Carriers in Mideast Doubles Over Past Two Years" Xinhua News Agency (12/09/96) The number of people in the Middle East with HIV has doubled in the past two years to 12,000, officials reported at a regional AIDS conference. The conference, sponsored by the Jerusalem AIDS Project, brought together more than 40 Israeli, Palestinian, and Jordanian health professionals and educators. Participants considered how to overcome the region's various conservative and religious barriers to AIDS education. A new task force on AIDS prevention was approved at the conference. "200,000 Die of AIDS in Malawi in Decade" Xinhua News Agency (12/08/96) AIDS has claimed 200,000 lives in Malawi since the first case was reported in 1985, the Sunday Times of Zambia reported. According to the Malawian National AIDS Control Program, about 1 million of the country's 11 million people are HIV-positive. The disease is still not talked about publicly, however, despite high public awareness. More than 20 AIDS support groups have been established with support from local and international donor agencies. "Southern African Nations Pledge New Drive to Fight AIDS" Reuters (12/06/96) A coalition of South African countries resolved on Friday to renew the fight against AIDS. The Southern Africa Development Community said it would focus on anti-discriminatory labor laws, access to inexpensive drugs, and a better flow of information. States in the region have some of the highest HIV infection rates in the world. Moreover, some people have predicted that AIDS may reduce life expectancy in South Africa to 40 years from 63 years in less than 15 years time. "Hungary to Enhance Combat Against AIDS" Xinhua News Agency (12/06/96) New laws being developed in Hungary will call for increased funding for AIDS education and treatment, the chief of the Hungarian AIDS Commission announced Friday. Kokeny Mikaly told participants at a two-day national conference on AIDS that the government will develop laws to standardize regular medical checkups for citizens as part of the country's AIDS campaign. He added that $1.26 million will be allocated to the effort. "AIDS in Jamaica Hits Women, Children" American Medical News (12/02/96) Vol. 39, No. 45, P. 13 The number of AIDS cases in Jamaica is rising, and the disease is increasingly affecting women and children, the country's health ministry reported. During the first nine months of 1996, 300 new AIDS cases were reported--twice as many as were reported during the same period in 1994. By the end of September, a total of 1,823 AIDS cases had been reported on the island since 1982. The ministry reported that, although more men have contracted the disease so far, the rate in women and children is rising quickly. More women of childbearing age are becoming infected and transmitting the virus to their unborn children. "Hardly Immune to Biz Pressures" Crain's Chicago Business (11/25/96) Vol. 19, No. 48, P. 1; Oloroso, Arsenio Jr. A merger between two Chicago non-profit AIDS organizations to form the city's largest AIDS agency is likely to be followed by similar pairings. The Howard Brown Health Center, one of some 250 non-profit AIDS service organizations in the area, is merging with Stop AIDS Chicago to form a new group with assets totaling $2.5 million. As funding for AIDS declines, a shift away from many small agencies toward a few larger organizations is expected. Moreover, the Chicago Department of Health, which distributes about $25 million in city, state, and federal AIDS funds to private groups each year, is advocating consolidation. Small groups favor maintaining a grass-roots approach; however, they risk being overcome by larger organizations. The deal between Stop AIDS and Howard Brown involves no money or exchange of stock, but will combine the organizations' staffs and reduce administrative costs. "Tuberculosis: Victorian Values?" Economist (11/30/96) Vol. 341, No. 7994, P. 58 Although tuberculosis (TB) was believed to have been eradicated in Britain 10 years ago, it has resurged to around 6,000 new cases a year. The Health Visitors' Association, a British organization of nurses and health visitors, blames the resurgence on a return to Victorian social conditions. Members of the group say that many children suffer from malnutrition and poorly housed families are not always supplied with water and fuel. Previous studies have linked TB to poverty and homelessness, but the resurgence of the disease may not necessarily be attributed to poverty, since the general conditions of the poor have improved over time. It is more likely that other changes--like immigration, AIDS, and the emergence of drug-resistant TB--have made people more susceptible to the disease.