Stay Connected to Research and Events at the 2010 CROI Conference

The 17th Conference on Retroviral and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) brings together researchers from across the globe working to understand, prevent, and treat HIV/AIDS. The annual conference will be held next week (February 16-19) in San Francisco and they will be using new media to help conference participants and the general public stay connected to the top research and events throughout the four day meeting.

There are several ways you can stay connected during and even after the conference:

New Study Seeks Best Ways to Prevent Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission, Preserve Maternal and Infant Health

By Laura Sivitz, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, NIH

How can we best curb the risk of HIV transmission from an infected pregnant woman to her baby during pregnancy and breastfeeding while preserving the health of mother and child? The new study PROMISE, for “Promoting Maternal-Infant Survival Everywhere,” is addressing this question. Funded by The National Institutes of Health (NIH), the study, which will be conducted in as many as 18 countries, will enroll nearly 8,000 HIV-infected women who are pregnant or have recently given birth and don’t yet need HIV treatment, and nearly 6,000 HIV-exposed infants of these women.

New Partnership Aims to Tackle DC's HIV/AIDS Epidemic

By Carl W. Dieffenbach

This week, NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. and District of Columbia Mayor Adrian Fenty announced the launch of the D.C. Partnership for HIV/AIDS Progress, an ambitious, research-focused initiative designed to address the District’s HIV/AIDS epidemic.

It’s a much-needed partnership. Our nation’s capital has one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS in the country with at least 3 percent of the city’s adults and adolescents infected with HIV. The number is likely higher as many may not know they are infected. The African-American community bears the greatest burden of the disease, representing 76 percent of D.C.’s HIV/AIDS cases.

Survival of Children with HIV in the United States Has Improved Dramatically Since 1990s, New Analysis Shows

Mortality Rate Still Higher Than for Children without HIV

By Kathy Stover, HIV/AIDS Communications Team Leader, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), NIH

We’re pleased to let you know that NIAID will continue to blog on the federal HIV/AIDS research agenda in 2010. As we begin the new year, let's look back at a research study that was reported on in mid-December that you may have missed. There is some encouraging news about survival rates of children and HIV/AIDS. Please read the full press release.

Making Strides in HIV Research

By Dr. Carl W. Dieffenbach

Earlier this week, we commemorated World AIDS Day, a time to examine the progress that the global community has made against the HIV/AIDS global pandemic. While the statistics remain grim—more than 25 million deaths and 33 million people infected worldwide —there are glimmers of hope.

Through the work of dedicated scientists, clinicians, and volunteers, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has made significant strides in HIV prevention research. Earlier this year, NIH announced that an investigational microbicide was safe and modestly effective in a clinical trial conducted in Africa and the United States. This was the first demonstration that a microbicide —a gel, foam or cream applied topically in the vagina or rectum—could potentially prevent sexual transmission of HIV. This year we also began to evaluate antiviral drug-based microbicides. Clearly a safe and effective microbicide could provide women worldwide a means of protecting themselves against HIV infection.