Kampala Key, Vulnerable and Priority Populations (KVP) News

Dear Colleague, Today is  National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day . On this day, we join together in taking actions to prevent HIV among gay and bisexual men and ensure that all gay and bisexual men living with HIV get the care they need to stay healthy. Gay and bisexual men are severely affected by HIV. More than 26,000 gay and bisexual men received an HIV diagnosis in 2015, representing two-thirds of all new diagnoses in the United States,   and diagnoses increased among Hispanic/Latino gay and bisexual men from 2010 to 2014. However, recent trends suggest that prevention efforts are slowing the spread of HIV among some gay and bisexual men. From 2010 to 2014, HIV diagnoses fell among white gay and bisexual men and remained stable among African American gay and bisexual men after years of increases. Scientific advances have shown that antiretroviral therapy (ART) preserves the health of people living with HIV. We also have strong evidence of the preven...

The ten most asked mental health questions facing LGBTIQQ and LGBTIQQ PLHIV in Uganda between 2004-2017 are around: Self-esteem Self-respect Self-determination Intra-personal practices that preserve life Inter-personal relations Emotional adjustment Sexual citizenship Financial independence Gender Euphoria Coping, balancing and problem-solving We continue bringing you write ups on emotional and mental health. In this one we bring you an article by Dr. David R. Tophor.   David R. Topor, PhD, MS-HPEd   Writes about “Feeling okay about feeling bad is good for your mental health.” In the article that came out in the Harvard Health Publishing Magazine of the Harvard Medical School,  accept, rather than negatively judge, one’s emotional experiences led to fewer negative emotions when confronted with daily stressors. For more read: When you have a negative emotion, are you upset or disappointed in yourself? Do you feel “bad” or “guilty” ab...

We searched for precedents we could share with you when it comes to writing oneself into policy, programming and making data inclusive. There are tips to learn from Kelli Rogers’ article which we have brought to you in full below: Kelli Rogers  writes: BANGKOK — In May 2016, several well-known nongovernmental organizations, foundations, businesses, and advocacy groups announced a partnership in the name of improving gender data. Then, they went dark. This week, Equal Measures 2030 — a new global cross-sector initiative born from hours of meetings in London conference rooms and offices in six focus countries from El Salvador to Indonesia — emerged after a year of research and tough decisions. During that time, it got clear on where to focus time and resources to ensure that the initiative’s work will be additive rather than duplicative. The partnership, funded by  Plan International  and the  Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation...

The  Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise  has announced that it will partner with  IAS the world’s largest association of HIV professionals, to host the operations of the Enterprise into the future.  The Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise promotes coordination, collaboration and resource mobilization to accelerate the development of preventive HIV vaccines. While the Enterprise has operated as a free-standing organization since its founding in 2005, a recent strategic review, which involved consultations with leaders in academia, industry and advocacy for HIV vaccine development, found that the Enterprise could carry out its mission more efficiently and effectively by partnering with a suitable host organization.  IAS was selected from among a number of highly qualified organizations that applied to host the Enterprise through a process announced by the Enterprise board in May 2017. Under the new arrangement, the Enterprise will continue to support efforts to expand,...

Cancer treatment and awareness in Uganda is gaining more focus and grassroots are increasingly getting involved in mobilizing at that level for screening. We bring you articles on cancer and the progressive in cancer medicine. We hope you will enjoy our choice articles. We are grateful to IAS and   Geneviève Almouzni, Director of the Institut Curie Research Center and CNRS Research Director In recognition of  World Cancer Research Day  (24 September 2017), we are sharing a number of new research insights and materials from the recent International AIDS Society (IAS)  HIV Cure & Cancer Forum  to support accessibility of the latest science in the field. This includes a collaboration with Geneviève Almouzni, Director of the Institut Curie Research Centre and CNRS Research Director, sharing her key take-aways from the Forum, along with the scientific meeting report published in the  Journal of Virus Eradication . The future of rese...

New high-quality antiretroviral therapy to be launched in South Africa, Kenya and over 90 low- and middle-income countries at reduced price Negotiated pricing agreements have lowered costs and will improve access to quality treatment for people living with HIV   New York – A breakthrough pricing agreement has been announced which will accelerate the availability of the first affordable, generic, single-pill HIV treatment regimen containing dolutegravir (DTG) to public sector purchasers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) at around US$75 per person, per year. The agreement is expected to accelerate treatment rollout as part of global efforts to reach all 36.7 million people living with HIV with high-quality antiretroviral therapy. UNAIDS estimates that in 2016, just over half (19.5 million) of all people living with HIV had access to the lifesaving medicines. DTG, a best-in-class integrase inhibitor, is widely used in high-income countries and is recommended...