Archive for January, 2009

How is AIDS treated?

When HIV was identified in the 1980s, there were few drugs to treat HIV and associated opportunistic infections. Since then, a number of drugs have been developed to address both HIV / AIDS and opportunistic infections. For many people, including children, these treatments have extended and improved their quality of life. HIV Scientists at the National Institute of Health estimate since 1989, antiretroviral drugs Americans have tested positive during the years of life extended. But none of these drugs can cure HIV / AIDS, many have side effects that may be severe, and most are expensive. In addition, after 20 years on drugs against AIDS, some people develop resistance to drugs and no longer respond to treatment. New drugs are studied and developed to assist this group of people .

Diseases neglected by mass media

Although one in six people worldwide is affected by so-called neglected diseases, like Chagas disease, African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) and leishmaniasis-these have little space in the mass media coverage according to article published in PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases.

In the study, researchers at the University of Bordeaux (France) and the Agency for Health Protection of the Great Britain, analyzed eleven international impact mass, circulating in English, in the period 1 January 2003 to June 1, 2007. Researchers also interviewed nine journalists. Read the rest of this entry »