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Arkansas Getting $33 Million in HUD Funding
The US Department of Housing and Urban Development has announced $33 million to support affordable housing and community development in the state of Arkansas and the cities of Fort Smith and West Memphis. Officials said the state will receive $17.62 million for the Community Development Block Grant Program; $12.2 million for the HOME Investment Partnerships program; $1.2 million for the Emergency Shelter Grant program; and $544,000 for HUD’s Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS. In addition, Fort Smith will receive $1.21 million, and West Memphis will get $378,000.
Monroe County HIV Infection Numbers Updated
The Monroe County Department of Public Health has issued updated data showing that in 2010, 36 out of the county’s 80 new HIV cases occurred in persons age 24 and younger. Previously, the department had reported a new case count for that year of 78, of which 35 cases were in people younger than 25. A spokesperson said the data can change as additional cases become known.
AIDS Walk Donations Wobbling
The 24th annual AIDS Walk Colorado drew more than 8,000 people to Denver’s Cheesman Park on Saturday. Some walkers remarked that the event was smaller than in years past. In 1997, for example, the walk’s 12,000 registered participants raised $1.4 million. “There is lots of donor fatigue, and people don’t think they need to support it anymore,” said Tim Schuetz, spokesperson for the Colorado AIDS Project, which organizes the event. “People think it is under control. That couldn’t be further from the truth. AIDS has moved out of crisis mode to the chronic mode.” As of March 2010, almost 11,000 Coloradans were living with HIV/AIDS.
Gilead Says 4-in-1 HIV Pill Met Goal in Study
Gilead Sciences Inc. on Monday reported positive results from a study of its “Quad,” which combines four HIV drugs into one tablet. Quad worked at least as well as Atripla, Gilead’s three-in-one pill, after 48 weeks of the 96-week trial, the company said. Eighty-eight percent of the Quad patients achieved the targeted viral load reduction, compared to 84 percent of the Atripla group. Reports of side effects and discontinuation were similar in both groups. Quad combines emtricitabine and tenofovir - the active ingredients in Gilead’s Truvada, which also are contained in Atripla - with elvitegravir and cobicistat, which have yet to be approved. Elvitegravir is intended to stop HIV from integrating with human cells’ genetic material, while cobicistat is meant to boost the other drugs’ effectiveness.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
