Help Me Become a Voice for Change [GUEST BLOG]

Posted by Ben Banks
Ashland, Virginia
July 20, 2011

Ben and his wife Kasiah at a
Foundation event. (Photo: EGPAF)

My name is Ben Banks and for nearly a decade I have been a Foundation Ambassador for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. Last year I graduated from Walden University with a Master’s degree in public health. Walden University is dedicated to advancing positive social change through programs that inspire students to use their education and skills for the greater good.

My experience at the university encouraged me to make a difference and one way I’m doing that is through my work as an Ambassador at the Foundation.

I was recently featured in a video entitled, "this is HIV. live your life," which has been submitted to the Walden University Scholars of Change video contest. If I win, I will be presented with $2,500 to donate to a charity of my choice. I need your help to make this happen.

Click past the jump to learn how you can help my video win, and earn the Foundation $2,500 to help save lives around the world.

IAS 2011 Coverage: Pediatric HIV/AIDS Highlighted on First Day of Conference

Posted by Robert Yule
Rome, Italy
July 18, 2011

Ima Chima, Technical Adviser in the
Foundation's South Africa office, presents
at IAS 2011. (Photo: EGPAF/Robert Yule)

Eliminating pediatric HIV and AIDS was high on the agenda on the first day of the sixth International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment, and Prevention in Rome.

The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation kicked things off with a morning session on the role of community in preventing new HIV infections in infants and children, and keeping their mothers healthy. The Foundation was joined by representatives from CARE, the Regional Psychosocial Support Initiative (REPSSI), the Global Fund, and the London School of Health and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) in a panel discussion.

Click past the jump to hear from Foundation Senior Media Relations Manager Bob Yule, on-site in Rome.

Tools for Journalists Covering IAS 2011 Conference in Rome

Posted by Robert Yule
Rome, Italy
July 16, 2011

Foundation VP of Research
Dr. Laura Guay talks to
journalists at IAS 2011.
(Photo EGPAF/Bob Yule)

This coming week, the Foundation will be highlighting the latest research on issues related to children and HIV at the sixth annual International AIDS Society (IAS) conference in Rome.

For journalists attending the conference – and for those covering it from afar – we’ve produced an updated and expanded handbook on the issue of pediatric AIDS.

Click past the jump to read A Journalist’s Guide to Reporting on Pediatric HIV and AIDS, and to learn how to get updates on the latest developments in pediatric AIDS coming out of Rome.

What We're Reading: Prevention of HIV in the News Before Global Research Conference

Posted by Jeffrey T. Safrit, Ph.D., Director of Clinical and Basic Research
Los Angeles, California
July 15, 2011

In advance of the largest global HIV/AIDS conference of the year next week in Rome, there have already been several breaking news stories and research updates about HIV prevention.

Three of these stories, including preventing HIV transmission through breastfeeding, preventing sexual transmission through the use of antiretroviral drugs, and HIV vaccine research, are what we’re reading this week.

Click past the jump to learn more about these stories and what they mean for the long term in the fight to eliminate HIV and AIDS.

Beyond the Clinic Doors: Involving Communities in the Fight to Eliminate Pediatric AIDS

Posted by Jen Pollakusky
Washington, D.C.
July 12, 2011

A nurse in Malawi leads a support group
at an antenatal clinic. (Photo: James
Pursey/EGPAF)

Stopping the spread of pediatric HIV and AIDS starts with a pill, a doctor, and a hospital – or does it?

While medicines and medical services are vital to improving the health of children, women, and families living with HIV, the simple reality is that preventing and treating HIV and AIDS doesn’t begin or end at the clinic doors.

The fight against HIV also takes place in communities, where local attitudes and opinions may influence community action, and affect whether women and children have access to important HIV/AIDS services.

Click past the jump to read more about how the Foundation is reaching out to communities around Africa in the fight to eliminate pediatric AIDS.

National Public Radio Hears the Stories of Mothers and Children and HIV in Mozambique

Posted by Denise Alves
Maputo, Mozambique
July 8, 2011

Malita Manuel Timane is one of many
mothers in Macia district that has given
birth to an HIV-free child because of
antiretroviral drugs she received during
pregnancy. (Photo: Denise Alves/EGPAF)

Earlier this week, the stories of mothers and children and HIV in Mozambique were told on National Public Radio's All Things Considered radio program. A couple of months ago, Foundation Communications and Advocacy officer for Mozambique Denise Alves had the opportunity to hear those stories in person when she accompanied NPR reporters Melissa Block and Andrea Hsu to a health center in the town of Macia, located in the southeastern corner of Mozambique.

The reporters were in Mozambique for a new series about women and childbirth. Their main objective in visiting Gaza province – an area with extremely high HIV rates – was to learn about the Foundation's successes in helping HIV-positive mothers give birth to HIV-negative babies.

Click past the jump to read Denise's first-person account of the trip to Macia.