November 26, 2003

This Week In Washington
1. Ending Omnibus Bill to Include 7 appropriations bills, including Labor, HHS & Education
2. House and Senate Pass Historic Medicare Bill
3. CDC/HRSA Advisory Committee Meets in Washington, DC

In the News
1. Nationally, Syphilis Cases Are on the Rise for Second Year Running
2. Protesters Decry Cirque du Soleil for Discriminating against HIV Positive Acrobat

In the Community
1. World AIDS Day Commemorated around the Globe

Announcements
1. CDC Offers Assistance to Community Organizations Applying for HIV Prevention Funds under CDC Program Announcement 04064
2. HHS Soliciting Abstracts for Steps to a HealthierUS Summit
3. CDC Funding Available for Programs Improving the Health, Education, and Well-Being of Young People
4. Second Annual Conference on Women & HIV—Translating Research into Practice to Convene on December

This Week in Washington
1. Year-Ending Omnibus Bill to Include 7 appropriations bills, including Labor, HHS & Education
Negotiations are now under way in Congress to pass a seven bill omnibus appropriations bill in early December in the House of Representatives and late January in the Senate. The omnibus package will include the following appropriations bills: 1) Agriculture (HR 2673); 2) Commerce-Justice –State (HR 2799); 3) District of Columbia (HR 2765); 4) Foreign Operations (HR 2800); 5) Labor, Health and Human Services and Education (Labor-H, HR 2660); 6) Transportation and Treasury (HR 2989); and 7) Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development (HR 2861).

Work on an omnibus appropriations package stalled last week due to disagreement over a portion of the bill on overtime pay. Specifically, the Senate-passed version of the bill contained language that would have blocked the Labor Department from implementing new rules placing restrictions on eligibility for overtime pay. The rules would make some workers who currently qualify for overtime pay ineligible. Faced with a threat from the House Republican leadership of removing Labor-H from the omnibus bill and funding it at the fiscal year (FY) 2003 level in a one year, long-term Continuing Resolution (CR), Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA), Chairman of the Senate Labor-H Appropriations Subcommittee, agreed to have the language removed from the bill so as to ensure an increase in funding for the programs in the bill, which include a number of HIV programs, including the Ryan White CARE Act.

The omnibus package is now slated to be voted on in the House the week of December 8 and in the Senate the week of January 20. The House and Senate have passed a CR to fund the government at current FY 2003 levels until January 31, 2004 to ensure that the government will not shut down prior to the passage of the omnibus appropriations package in the House and the Senate and its signing by President Bush. There is a $4 billion discrepancy in the bill’s spending that has yet to be off-set by savings in other parts of the bill. There is talk that Congress and the White House are considering an across-the-board 0.4% cut in the funding for every government agency to offset the $3 billion of Congressional spending that is not covered by the un-obligated $900 million from FY03.

AIDS Action will continue to monitor the appropriations process for FY 2004 and report its developments in future Weekly Update reports. To view the allocations in the Labor-Health and Human Services-Education conference agreement, go to http://appropriations.house.gov/_files/04LHDetailConf.pdf.

2. House and Senate Pass Historic Medicare Bill
As this issue of the Weekly Update goes to press, the most significant expansion of Medicare benefits since the program’s creation in 1965 is ready to be signed into law by President Bush. As reported in the last issue of The Weekly Update, the House and Senate had to approve the Medicare conference report (HR 1 — H Rept. 108-391) before sending it to the President for his signature. The House adopted the report on Saturday, November 22, and the Senate followed suit on Tuesday, November 25.

Unfortunately, a provision that will adversely affect six million individuals who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid—50,000 of whom are people living with AIDS (PWAs)—was included in the final version of the Medicare bill. Under the current system, individuals who have benefited from the drug benefit through their dual eligibility are provided with a “wrap-around” drug benefit, meaning drug costs that are not covered under Medicare can be paid for by the states through Medicaid. The new provision, which will take effect in 2006, eliminates this assistance. The new Medicare bill prohibits states from providing this benefit, forcing individuals with dual eligibility to participate in the new Medicare prescription drug plan with its deductible and premium structure. Dually eligible PWAs with extremely limited resources will likely not be able to pay for the costs necessary to participate in the new drug program; so, left without the assistance of Medicaid, 50,000 PWAs might not have access to life-saving medications.

The provision regarding dual eligibility was one of several changes, including increased competition between traditional Medicare and health insurance programs that made for contentious debate on the floor of the House and the Senate when the bill was being offered for a final vote in each legislative body. The House finally approved the legislation on November 22 at 6:00 a.m., with a vote that began at 3:00 a.m. and lasted for two hours and 51 minutes, extending the vote significantly beyond the standard 15 minutes. During the nearly three-hour extension, supporters of the bill in the House battled to win a majority of the votes. They eventually succeeded, with a final vote of 220 to 215 in favor of the new Medicare plan.

In the Senate, Democrats tried to block the bill with two different strategies: a filibuster and several budget points of order. They were not able to rally enough support for either. Senators voted for cloture (i.e., to cease debate, ending the chance of a filibuster) by a vote of 70 to 29. They also voted to waive all budget points of order, 61 to 39. The Senate finally passed the bill Tuesday by a 54 to 44 vote.

It is unfortunate that a Medicare bill which will so adversely affect six million seniors and persons with disabilities (including 50,000 PWAs) was approved in both the House and the Senate; however, it was not voted in without controversy. There are many lawmakers who are concerned about the effects that this new Medicare plan will have on millions of American citizens. And opportunities for advocacy are not over yet. AIDS Action will be working with other advocacy groups to positively influence the implementation of the new Medicare regulations as administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

3. CDC/HRSA Advisory Committee Meets in Washington, DC
On November 20 and 21, 2003, a meeting of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Advisory Committee on HIV and STD Prevention and Treatment (CHAC) was held in Washington, DC. AIDS Action attended.

The primary focus of the two-day meeting was a discussion of the draft report and recommendations by the committee’s Ryan White CARE Act Reauthorization Workgroup. In addition, the meeting included updates from the CDC and HRSA on current programs; a presentation on, and discussion of, the CDC’s new Advancing HIV Prevention: New Strategies for a Changing Epidemic initiative; and a presentation on, and discussion of, trends in STD surveillance and Syphilis Elimination.

CHAC’s Ryan White CARE Act Reauthorization Workgroup was charged with drafting a set of formal recommendations on a number of reauthorization issues, including the future of the CARE Act, on behalf of the full committee and in preparation for the upcoming, third Congressional reauthorization of the Ryan White CARE Act in 2005. As part of this process, the workgroup sought the comments of providers and consumers of CARE Act funded services on the future directions of HIV/AIDS care and treatment programs and other issues. The workgroup held three public forums in Washington, DC, Miami, FL. and Los Angeles, CA. The workgroup also accepted written comments from those who were unable to attend. Once the comments had been collected and reviewed, the group drafted a report with a set of recommendations, which was presented to the full committee at this meeting.

The recommendations of the workgroup were divided into five major areas: 1) CARE Act Reauthorization, Structure and Appropriations; 2) Administration/Management; 3) Distribution of Resources; 4) Health Care Services; and 5) Removing Barriers to Care. The group recommended reauthorizing the CARE Act and retaining most of its current structure. Other areas that the workgroup explored included increasing coordination of service delivery between distinct CARE Act-funded programs, and between CARE Act-funded programs and other heath care services; increased consumer participation in planning for Titles II and III; the creation of formal grievance procedures; service priorities; addressing stigma and discrimination; and implementation of the Early Treatment for HIV Act (ETHA).

The workgroup chose not to draft specific recommendations for the distribution of resources, explaining that its members had not yet had the opportunity to review the recent Institutes of Medicine (IOM) report on HIV case reporting. Further, they are still awaiting other data from HRSA on the hold harmless provision (which limits the amount by which Ryan White CARE Act funding can be reduced in certain cities) and the current formula structure. They anticipate making formal recommendations once they have all the information.

Members of the full CHAC had the opportunity to offer amendments to the full report, in general, and the proposed recommendations in particular. The workgroup will synthesize these changes into the next draft of the report. On the second day of the meeting, the central topic was the new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) initiative, Advancing HIV Prevention: New Strategies for a Changing Epidemic took. Dr. Ida Onorato, MD and Dr. Raul Romaguera, DMD, MPH presented an update for the CDC. They explained that the aim of the initiative is to reduce barriers to early diagnosis of HIV infection; and to increase access to, and use of, quality medical care, treatment, and prevention services for people living with HIV. The overall goal of the initiative is to reduce HIV transmission by concentrating on the following four strategies:

• Make voluntary HIV testing a routine part of medical care;
• Implement new models for diagnosing HIV infections outside medial settings;
• Prevent new infections by working with persons diagnosed with HIV and their partner; and
• Further decrease perinatal HIV transmission.

Also during the meeting, the HRSA/CDC advisory committee questioned HRSA’s ability to care for all the new people whom the CDC’s initiative could potentially find with the current level of funding. The advisory committee will try to secure a meeting with Secretary of Health Tommy Thompson to discuss this Initiative as well as the care and treatment implications it might cause.

Yet another topic covered during the meeting was trends in the CDC’s STD surveillance and syphilis elimination. John Douglas from the CDC explained that the “elimination goal,” started in 1998, is the absence of syphilis in 90 percent of all counties in the United States. In the CDC publication MMWR on Primary and Secondary Syphilis—United States, 2002, it is noted that, after declining every year during the period between 1990 and 2000, the rate of syphilis in the United States increased in 2001 and in 2002 by a rate of 12.4 percent. (For more information on the rise in U.S. syphilis, see item one in the “In the News” section.) In an ensuing discussion on the elimination of syphilis, it was noted that transmission rates from mothers to their unborn infants is twice as high as for syphilis as it is for HIV.

The advisory committee plans to initiate a workgroup to discuss the intersection between HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. The next meeting of the joint Advisory Group will be held in May 2004.

MMWR on Primary and Secondary Syphilis—United States, 2002 http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5246a1.htm

In the News
1. Nationally, Syphilis Cases Are on the Rise for Second Year Running
For the second consecutive year, the number of syphilis cases in the U.S. increased, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced in its an analysis of national surveillance data that appeared in the November 21 issue of MMWR Weekly. The results of the analysis are a cause for concern within the field of HIV for two reasons. First, syphilis and HIV are both transmitted primarily through unprotected sex; so, people who have exposed themselves to syphilis through unprotected sex have also risked being exposed to HIV. Second, people who have syphilis are at greater risk for contracting HIV.

The two-year increase in 2001 and 2002 occurred only in men, following a ten-year decline in overall syphilis rates between 1990 and 2000. At the same time, the number of syphilis cases declined for the twelfth year in a row among women and non-Hispanic Black people—although, at 22.6 percent, the rate of decrease among non-Hispanic Black women was far higher than the 2.2 percent rate of decrease for non-Hispanic Black men. In addition, the CDC estimated that over 40 percent of the reported syphilis cases in occurred in men who have sex with men (MSM), leading the agency to conclude that “…intervention strategies are needed to prevent syphilis among MSM”—or, men who have sex with men.

The CDC noted that efforts are under way to address the increasing rate of syphilis among MSM. Through a pilot program, for example, the agency is evaluating the national collection of information on the behaviors and risk factors for people with syphilis to improve national surveillance. In the analysis, the CDC further stated that, in 2002, it had collaborated with local health departments to conduct “an assessment of sex behaviors and sexually transmitted disease occurrence in eight U.S. cities that have reported increases in syphilis cases among MSM.” CDC has also funded intervention s in these cities. In addition, the CDC added, “because a substantial number of MSM with syphilis report meeting anonymous partners in venues such as bathhouses and Internet chat rooms, [the] CDC is developing and evaluating new strategies for locating and treating sex partners (e.g., using e-mail addresses of contacts) to ensure that they receive adequate treatment.”

In the concluding paragraph of the analysis, the CDC credits itself with helping to reduce the rate of syphilis in the South, in women, and in non-Hispanic black people by launching the National Syphilis Elimination Plan. Syphilis prevention efforts, it stressed, must be continued among these populations. It most also modified and expanded to prevent and control syphilis in other populations. “The increase in syphilis among MSM raises challenges for the control and eventual elimination of syphilis,” it suggested. As a result, the CDC is working with public health organizations at the state and local level to develop and evaluate effective intervention strategies for MSM, including education, risk reduction, appropriate screening and treatment, and community mobilization.

To read the MMWR Weekly article on which this news brief is based, link to http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5246a1.htm.

2. Protesters Decry Cirque du Soleil for Discriminating against HIV Positive Acrobat
In San Francisco, protests were being waged against the circus company, Cirque du Soleil, for firing one of its acrobats earlier this after learning he was HIV positive, the Associated Press reported on Yahoo! News. The protest against the company stems from a federal employment discrimination complaint, filed in July 2003 by Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund on behalf of the former Cirque du Soleil employee. Although the complaint is still pending; Cirque du Soleil has acknowledged that it fired the employee in question days before he was to join the circus in Las Vegas because of the risk he might pose to the other performers, AP revealed. His dismissal came after he had disclosed his HIV sero-status to Cirque du Soleil doctors and spent four months training with the company, according to the San Francisco Chronicle on Saturday, November 22.

The SF Chronicle also reported that the Canadian Cirque has some HIV positive employees, but all are working on assignments the company deems as safe for other employees and spectators. However, the former employee’s attorney, Hayley Gorenberg informed AP that her client has not been offered any other performing jobs with the circus. But, even if he had, she argued, it would be irrelevant because medical studies show the chance of transmitting HIV through sports is very low.

According to a Lamda Legal press release, supporters of the acrobat, who hails from Silver Spring, MD, include Patrick Jeffrey, an Olympic diver in 1988 and 1986; Eric Anderson, the first openly gay high school or collegiate male sports coach; Dr. Paul Volderbing, MD, a leading and long-time authority on national and international HIV issues; and Rudy Galindo, a U.S. men’s figure-skating champion.

Mr. Galindo explained his support as follows, “As an athlete who has lived, worked, and competed successfully for three years while being treated medically for HIV, I fully support [the former employee of Cirque du Soleil] who was wrongfully discriminated against because of having the disease. There are many thousands of Americans with HIV who contribute every day to the betterment of our society, who despite their serious medical problem extend every effort to live full and productive lives.” He continued, “My sincere hope and prayer is that Cirque du Soleil reconsiders their grossly unfair and heartless decision, and that they reinstate [him] immediately—wishing him well and supporting his determination to be the best athlete and entertainer that he can be.”

The complaint against Cirque du Soleil further emphasizes how discrimination related to HIV is still widespread in America. As the ACLU’s recent report HIV & Civil Rights: A Report from the Frontlines of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic makes clear, discrimination continues to be a barrier against health for HIV positive and HIV negative persons alike. Efforts must continue to be made to counteract discrimination and to combat stigma nationwide.

To read the articles on which this news brief is based, link to the following:
Associated Press on Yahoo! News, http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=529&ncid=529&e=12&u=/ap/20031121/ap_en_ot/cirque_hiv_2;
The San Francisco Chronicle,
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/11/22/BAGG838H771.DTL; and
To read the ACLU report, link to: http://www.aclu.org/HIVAIDS/HIVAIDS.cfm?ID=14376&c=89.

In the Community
1. World AIDS Day around the Globe
Since 1988, when the World Health Organization declared December 1 World AIDS Day, it has been commemorated around the world every year. Sponsored by UNAIDS and cosponsored by nine, prominent international organizations (whose names are listed at the end of this article), this year’s World AIDS Day builds on the two-year campaign, in 2002. With the slogan “Live and Let Live,” the campaign’s central theme is stigma and discrimination.

Stigma and discrimination associated with HIV can be detrimental to HIV prevention, care, and support efforts. UNAIDS believes that stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV impairs individuals ability to seek out the care they need. UNAIDS explains its views further on the organization’s Web site, “The stigma of HIV and AIDS relates to deep taboos within society…. Stigma and discrimination can lead to depression, lack of self-worth and despair for people living with HIV. But people living with the disease are not the only ones endangered by this fear and prejudice. Negative attitudes about HIV can create a climate in which people become more afraid of the stigma and discrimination associated with the disease than of the disease itself. When fear and discrimination prevail, people may choose to ignore the possibility that they may be HIV-positive—even if they know they have taken risks. And people may decide not to take measures to protect themselves in fear that, in doing so, they could be associating themselves with HIV. All of this helps to create an environment in which the disease can more easily spread.”

The site continues, “This year's World AIDS campaign encourages both individuals and institutions to reflect on how they respond to those living with HIV and AIDS. With challenging posters and television images the campaign clearly shows how the most painful symptoms of HIV and AIDS are often the reactions of others. When someone feels safe within their own community, they are more likely to take responsibility for their HIV status. This is why it is so important for all of us to examine our own attitudes. We need to ask ourselves: are we helping to create an environment where people can take responsibility for themselves and others? Or do our attitudes contribute to an environment of shame, fear and denial that prevents people from taking action? Only by confronting stigma and discrimination across the world will the fight against HIV/AIDS be won.”
Activities for World AIDS Day will be held around the world. A sampling of the scheduled activities in countries around the world is provided below. A fuller list of global events can be found at http://www.unaids.org/Unaids/EN/Events/World+AIDS+Day+2003/World+AIDS+Day+events+2003.asp.

Australia:
The AIDS Council of South Australia is planning an AIDS Awareness Week from November 22 to December 1. The week’s events will begin on Saturday, November 22.

Canada:
The Interagency Coalition on AIDS and Development (ICAD), with support from Health Canada will be organizing a series of one-day workshops throughout the country on measuring stigma and discrimination.

Czech Republic:
The Czech AIDS Help Society, together with the Czech National AIDS Programme, is organizing a day-long fundraising event called “Red Ribbon” in Wenceslas Square, Prague, on Monday, December 1, 2003. HIV counseling and testing will be available at the site.

Ecuador:
In Guayaquil, Ecuador, The Vida Libre Foundation is organizing a number of activities around December 1. They will include the unveiling of a gigantic Red Ribbon in front of the Hospital in Guayaquil on November 28. The following day, November 29, there will be a seminar on HIV and AIDS that focuses on gay people and hairdressers. Condoms and red ribbons will be distributed.

India:
The Swami Vivekananda Cultural Foundation is organizing events, including workshops for sex workers and truckers and events with the media. On November 30, 3,000 students will “walk for life” from the National Stadium to India Gate.

Malawi:
The Malawi Network of AIDS Service Organizations (MANASO), the national umbrella body for organizations implementing HIV/AIDS activities in Malawi, is planning to launch its 2004 World AIDS Campaign on December 1 in the Karonga district of Malawi’s northern region. The guest of honor will be the Vice President of Malawi, Right Honourable Justin Malewezi.

Nigeria:
In Abuja, Nigeria, President Obasanjo will brief the press on November 30 and lead an AIDS walk on December 1. UNESCO plans a number of activities in Abuja as well, including a press conference, an awareness campaign, workplace training, a new prevention through education initiative. UNESCO will also give its support for community theatre and work with people living with HIV.

Uganda:
The 12 contestants from this year's popular Big Brother Africa, a reality television show, will take part in a number of activities to raise awareness of the impact of HIV/AIDS on young Africans. The housemates from Angola, Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe will be in Kampala from November 28 to December 1. Each will be accompanied by a young person living with HIV from their respective countries. The theme for their youth-focused mission in Uganda will be "Celebrate Youth, Celebrate Life - Africa United against Stigma and Discrimination."

In the U.S., World AIDS Day activities will take place in cities across the country. Below are examples of such events, taken from a variety of sources.

For more information on U.S. events, consult http://www.omhrc.gov/worldaidsday/state.htm.

Arizona:
On Sunday, November 30, 2003, First Evangelical Lutheran Church, in Mesa, Arizona, will be holding an Interfaith Prayer Service for Solidarity and Remembrance worship in memory and honor of those affected by and infected with HIV. Sections of the AIDS Memorial Quilt will be on display at the church throughout the weekend.

San Francisco Bay area:
At 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 30, there will be an advance community screening of the new documentary film "Pills, Profits & Protest: Voices of Global AIDS Activists" in Parkway Theater, 1834 Park Boulevard, Oakland, CA.

New York:
On Monday, December 1, UNICEF, in partnership with the Kaiser Family Foundation, Nickelodeon and the teen network (known as “The N,”) will screen excerpts from two new specials on young people and HIV, The Courage to Live: Kids, South Africa and AIDS and A Walk In Your Shoes: Living With HIV/AIDS for an audience of 200 young people from the New York area. Stephen Lewis, the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, will moderate a post-show discussion with a panel of HIV positive young people from Africa and the U.S. RSVP to mmishel@kff.org or call (650) 234.9251.

Seattle:
The Lifelong AIDS Alliance, the Puget Sound Global AIDS Action Coalition, Seattle University, CityClub, and the United Nations Foundation will host a community forum to address “this crisis of mega-proportions.” The event begins at 6:00 p.m. on December 1 at the Seattle University Reflection Pond, with a candlelight vigil featuring addresses by Representative Adam Smith (D-WA), activist Tim Costello, and Loyce Mbewa, a woman from Kenya who has been deeply affected personally by HIV. For more information, visit http://www.apathyislethal.org or call (206) 957-1611.

Washington, DC:
The George Washington University (GWU) School of Public Health and Health Services will be holding a special World AIDS Day event on December 1. A meeting in GWU’s Ross Hall will feature a 15-minute overview of the role stigma and discrimination play in the AIDS epidemic and an introduction of the AIDS film, A Closer Walk. More information is available at: http://www.globalhealth.org/news/article/3750/newsletter.

Television programming for World AIDS Day will include the following shows, listed by network:

BBC
In preparation for World Aids Day, the BBC has scheduled two weeks of special programming dedicated to HIV/AIDS. The BBC's AIDS season, which features special reports on HIV from around the world—premiered on November 16 with UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot as the first guest.

MTV
Music Television and OneWorld International will announce the winner of the first-annual Staying Alive Award on World AIDS Day. The award was launched to recognize the contribution of an individual to increasing awareness of HIV/AIDS. Young people from around the world were invited to produce and submit original audio or video public service announcements that convey the messages of Staying Alive, MTV's award-winning HIV/AIDS awareness campaign. The Staying Alive campaign is a partnership between MTV, Family Health International, Kaiser Family Foundation, UNAIDS, and the World Bank.

VH1
At 9:00 p.m. on December 1, actor Ashley Judd will host AIDS: A Pop Culture History The purpose of the program is to reveal how pop culture has influenced the way the public experiences the epidemic over the past 20 years. It will also explore the influence of pop culture on the American psyche as well as the limits of its reach.

In addition, VH1 will air the 90-minute version of the concert special, 46664 at 10:00 p.m. on December 1. Named after the numbers Nelson Mandela was assigned during his 18-year confinement on Robben Island in Capetown, the concert is part of Mr. Mandela's worldwide, music-led campaign to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS in Africa and to call on citizens around the world to pressure their governments to respond to HIV as an international emergency. The 46664 Concert will take place at Greenpoint Stadium in Cape Town this weekend, November 29. An estimated forty-thousand people are expected to attend the three-hour show, which will be broadcast free to hundreds of millions around the world via TV, Web cast, and radio. Those who have committed to joining South African artists onstage in Cape Town include 50 Cent, Anastacia, Baaba Maal, Beyonce, and Bono.

Cosponsors for World AIDS Day include the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF); The World Food Programme (WFP); United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA); United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP); International Labour Organization (ILO); United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); the World Health Organization (WHO); and the World Bank.

Announcements
1. CDC Offers Assistance to Community Organizations Applying for HIV Prevention Funds under CDC Program Announcement 04064
The following information was excerpted from an announcement by the Centers for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces “Technical Assistance for CDC Program Announcement (PA) 04064: HIV Prevention Projects for Community-Based Organizations,” a live program broadcast simultaneously via satellite, Dish Network, Webcast, and Web conference, to air on Thursday, December 4, 2003, at 1 pm EST. This 2½-hour forum will discuss the goals and objectives of the program announcement, eligibility criteria, tips for completing the application, and where to go for further technical assistance. The program highlights important changes in the new program announcement including:

• CDC’s new procedures for replicating effective interventions;
• The consolidation of six separate program announcements into PA 04064; and
• New program “indicators,” and how they will be used to evaluate grantee performance.

Agenda topics include the program announcement and application process, program evaluation, technical assistance, and capacity-building assistance. Following the presentations, panel members will address questions submitted by viewers via phone, fax or email. The broadcast is a “must-see” for those community-based organizations that provide HIV prevention services and are applying for CDC funding, as well as for the health department representatives who work with them.
Organizations are responsible for finding their own viewing sites (i.e., locating an existing site or setting up a new site). New satellite viewing sites are encouraged to register as soon as possible—all open, registered sites will be listed on the broadcast Web site so that viewers can access available viewing location information. Health departments and other community organizations with satellite viewing capabilities are strongly encouraged to assist CBOs by recruiting or providing viewing sites, or by inviting community HIV/AIDS prevention partners to view this broadcast. For more information about the broadcast, satellite specifications, or to register a viewing site, go to www.cdcnpin.org/broadcast/ or call 800-458-5231.

In addition to being available on satellite, the broadcast will be available on Dish Network’s channel 9602. Those who would prefer to access the broadcast via Web conference or Webcast may do so at http://intermedia.crawford.com/cdc/cbo. Replays of both the Web conference and Webcast will be available for viewing at a later time, and videotapes and DVDs of the broadcast may be ordered, while supplies last, by calling 800-458-5231. Web site will be available by November 26, 2003; please check back.

2. Department of Health and Human Services Soliciting Abstracts for Steps to a HealthierUS Summit
The second Steps to a HealthierUS Summit, a national gathering focusing on chronic disease prevention and health promotion, will be held next spring, April 29 to 30, 2004, in Baltimore, MD. In preparation for the event, the Steps initiative is soliciting abstracts related to the summit’s main themes. They are as follows: chronic disease and health promotion prevention (including HIV related efforts), asthma, obesity, diabetes, heart disease and stroke, and cancer, as well as lifestyle choices, including nutrition, physical activity, and tobacco use. (Summit themes can be viewed at http://www.healthierus.gov/steps/summit.html.). In addition, the initiative seeks abstracts for presentations explaining how e-health, health communication, health literacy, information technology, provider/patient communication, and Web applications are an important part of preventing chronic disease and promoting healthy behaviors. The deadline for receiving abstracts is November 30, 2003.

The Steps initiative is committed to bringing policymakers, the health, education, and business communities, and the public together to establish model programs and policies that foster healthy behavior changes, encourage healthier lifestyle choices, and reduce disparities in health care. According to the Steps to a HealthierUS Web site, the initiative is bringing these leaders together to establish programs and policies that will transform the current system from a “disease-care system” to a healthcare system.

3. CDC Funding Available for Programs Improving the Health, Education, and Well-Being of Young People
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a Notice of Availability of Funds for which eligible youth-serving organizations with programs in HIV prevention education may apply. The following paragraphs have been excerpted from the notice:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the availability of fiscal year (FY) 2004 funds for a cooperative agreement program for Programs to Improve the Health, Education, and Well-Being of Young People. This program addresses the "Healthy People 2010" focus areas of Diabetes, Educational and Community-Based Programs, Family Planning, Food Safety, HIV, Nutrition and Overweight, and Sexually Transmitted Diseases. This program also addresses Goal One, Objective Three, Strategies One, Two, and Six of CDC’s HIV Prevention Strategic Plan Through 2005 (found at http://www.cdc.gov/nchstp/od/hiv_plan/default.htm).

The purpose of the program is to improve the education, health, and well-being of young people by strengthening coordinated school health programs and by enabling other youth-serving organizations to address health risks. Award recipients will emphasize efforts to help young people avoid risks. This may also include efforts to involve parents in programs to improve the health of youth.

The notice continues as follows: Measurable outcomes of the program will be in alignment with the following performance goal and measure for the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP): Reduce the percentage of HIV-related risk behaviors among school-aged youth through the dissemination of HIV prevention education programs. Performance is measured by the percentage of high school students who are taught about HIV/AIDS prevention in school and the proportion of adolescents (grades 9-12) who abstain from sexual intercourse or use condoms if currently sexually active.

The application deadline for this funding is December 8, 2003. To read the CDC announcement in its entirety, link to http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/04010.htm.

4. Second Annual Conference on Women & HIV—Translating Research into Practice to Convene on December 4
The New York Center for AIDS Research (NYCAR) will be convening the Second Annual Conference on Women & HIV—Translating Research into Practice in New York City on Thursday, December 4, 2003.at Hunter College Schools for the Health Professions. The goal of this annual course is to disseminate recent research findings and clinical guidelines on the treatment of HIV in women, the prevention of peri-natal transmission of HIV and other viral co-infections, the treatment of women co-infected with Hepatitis C and other existing and emerging HIV related co-morbidities, interactions and side effects of antiretroviral therapies, and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases including cervical and rectal HPV (human papillomavirus) infection.

As NYCAR points out on its Web site, “New developments are occurring rapidly in our knowledge of HIV disease in women. Recent research has shown gender differences in women: women progress more rapidly at lower HIV viral loads. A number of issues have become complex clinical problems, notably the treatment of STDs, especially HPV; the management of women who are pregnant or who intend to conceive and the effect of the antiretroviral medications on the developing fetus and long-term prognosis of the mother; the multiple drug interactions of anti-retroviral medications with Hormone Replacement Therapy; and the treatment of existing and emerging HIV related co-morbidities, especially HCV [hepatitis C virus].

The course is designed to give, participants the skills to manage HIV infection in women, diagnose and treat HPV infection in HIV positive women, diagnose and treat hepatitis C in HIV positive women, and diagnose and treat sexually transmitted diseases and other gynecological problems in HIV positive women. Registration fees are as follows: $50 before November 15; $75 after November 15; and $85 on-site. For further conference and registration information, link to http://www.nycar.org/womenhiv/registration.html.

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