The following post first appeared in the Art for AIDS International Blog on December 31, 2011. 2011 was a mixed bag in the global response to AIDS. While exciting medical breakthroughs in treatment and prevention hint at tremendous potential to reduce the transmission of HIV, these were often offset by reduced financial investment,  profiteering, and [...]

For the first time…ever…tuberculosis (TB) is on the decline according to new data published today in the WHO 2011 global tuberculosis control report. This also report shows that the number of people dying from the disease fell to its lowest level in a decade (1.4 million in 2010, after reaching 1.8 million in 2003). Some [...]

Spanish researchers announced last week that they’ve identified a vaccine that could one day drastically reduce the impact of HIV on the human body. While this is undoubtedly a significant and exciting medical breakthrough with regard to both prevention and treatment of HIV, few articles have put it in a proper context. Since I’ve heard more than [...]

On 26-27 August, North Star Alliance and global security services company G4S teamed up to conduct cricket clinics with young people focused on raising awareness about sexually transmitted infections (STI) and HIV in Malawi, and about North Star Alliance’s local roadside health clinic. The event was hosted by Mpumelelo “Pommie” Mbangwa, a former cricketer with [...]

Here is an infographic collaboratively released by GOOD and Column Five Media that highlights the current state of the global AIDS epidemic and traces the slowly shifting perception of the American public towards HIV and AIDS. While there have been some tremendous gains made in the past few years in the global response to AIDS (noticeably the declining [...]

30 years ago, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a report outlining five cases of what was believed to be a rare form of pneumonia. In retrospect, this report would be the first official one to outline what is now recognized widely as the HIV epidemic. Unfortunately, what this CDC report could give little indication of was that these five cases foretold the most severe epidemic in modern times. What was equally unpredictable, however, was that the story of AIDS would be one not only of tragedy, but one of resilience, solidarity, and innovation.

Thirty years into the response to HIV, an estimated 3000 young people are newly infected with HIV everyday. Many young people living with HIV still do not have access to treatment and only 34% of all young people have correct and comprehensive knowledge about HIV and how to protect themselves. That is why more than [...]

In November I published a post highlighting an exciting new UNAIDS campaign called #PreventionRevolution that sought to capitalize on the power of Social Media Networks to help raise awareness about HIV and AIDS.  While UNAIDS had dabbled with Social Media marketing in the past, #PreventionRevolution represented in many ways their first holisitic multi-platform campaign, which, for those [...]

With 2010 now behind us, I thought it fitting to reflect back on a year that saw  both major steps forward in the global fight against HIV/AIDS, as well as many steps backwards. For some, medical advances from improved ARV’s, and a breakthrough on the microbicide front, gave cause for great celebration.  For others, who continued to [...]

This year it seems there has been considerable hype leading up to World AIDS Day.  UNAIDS released their 2010 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic, the Pope finally acknowledged the valuable role of safe sex in the fight against AIDS, and celebrities everywhere are logging off of twitter to raise funds for the pediatric care of [...]