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AIDS groups stage White House protest

Obama, Hill Dems criticized over AIDS drug funding

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AIDS activists protest at the White House with empty pill bottles Wednesday. (Blade photo by Michael Key)

About 50 AIDS activists carried signs made with empty pill bottles in front of the White House Wednesday in a protest over what they say is a failure by President Obama and Democratic leaders in Congress to allocate emergency funds for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program known as ADAP.

The activists, led by the national AIDS advocacy groups Housing Works and AIDS Healthcare Foundation, said the pill bottles represent the more than 3,200 people in nine states currently on waiting lists to receive life-saving AIDS drugs.

ā€œThese are pill bottles that need to be filled with prescriptions,ā€ said Christine Campbell, Housing Worksā€™ vice president for national advocacy and organizing. Ā ā€œOver 3,000 people are on these waiting lists. These represent lives,ā€ She said.

Campbell and Michael Weinstein, president of AIDS Healthcare Foundation, called on the White House and Congress to immediately approve a supplemental funding allocation of $101 million, which they said was needed to eliminate the waiting lists before the end of the year.

Other groups that participated in the White House protest included ADAP Advocacy Association, Campaign to End AIDS, and Community Access National Network.

Organizers crafted the signs by attaching the pill bottles to poster boards to form words that spelled out the names of nine states with ADAP waiting lists and slogans such as ā€œADAP Saves Livesā€ and ā€œWait Lists = Death.ā€

As tourists and passersby stood on the sidewalk in front of the White House, several of the protesters spoke to a small crowd that gathered to observe the demonstration.

ā€œI am one of those patients that are on these waiting lists,ā€ said Rick Lanza, who traveled from Ohio to participate in the protest. ā€œI have had medication through ADAP since 1997 and this year my medication has been cut off,ā€ he said.

ā€œWithout these medications, Iā€™m going to die, and Iā€™m not ready to,ā€ he said.

In a news conference on Tuesday, three AIDS patients joined Campbell, Weinstein and officials with other AIDS groups in describing their fears of contracting AIDS-related illnesses that could threaten their lives if waiting lists force them off their medications.

ā€œI have no idea where Iā€™m going to get my mediation in November,ā€ said Jacksonville, Fla., resident Jeffrey Voyles, who told of how state officials informed him he would likely be placed on an ADAP waiting list.

ā€œMy [viral load] numbers have been undetectable since Iā€™ve started the medication and right now I have a lot of fear about becoming resistant from the medications that Iā€™ve been on for four years,ā€ he said.

Voyles was referring to warnings by AIDS doctors that interrupting a regimen of anti-retroviral drugs that check the AIDS virus could lead to the virus becoming resistant to the drugs, making them ineffective when someone resumes taking them.

ADAP is part of the federal Ryan White CARE Act program. It operates in partnership with all 50 states, which share in meeting the cost of subsidizing drugs that could cost $10,000 or more for a patient each year. The program is aimed at low-income people who donā€™t have private health insurance or who are not eligible for government health programs like Medicaid.

State and federal health officials say the severe shortage in funding for the program is due to several developments, including the economic recession that has greatly curtailed revenue flowing into states. The number of people in need of the program has also shot up due to the success of the drugs, which are keeping most AIDS patients alive and relatively healthy.

The National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors, which conducts an annual assessment of state ADAPs, determined earlier this year that $126 million in federal supplemental funds was needed to eliminate the waiting lists. The Obama administration responded by allocating $25 million, a sum most AIDS groups say is inadequate.

With support from the White House, a House of Representatives appropriations panel approved a $50 million increase in the ADAP budget for fiscal year 2011.

But the Obama administration, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) have declined to back a Republican-backed bill in the Senate that calls for immediately transferring $126 million in unspent funds from the multi-billion dollar federal stimulus program to ADAP.

The Senate bill, the Access ADAP Act, was introduced by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and co-sponsored by four other Senate Republicans. No Democrats have signed on to the bill so far.

ā€œThere is a legislative solution thatā€™s on the table today that Congress could act on before they adjourn,ā€ said Weinstein in discussing the Coburn bill.

ā€œThe argument that this is not appropriate ā€” the stimulus money ā€” compared to all the things youā€™ve read about, all the pork thatā€™s been thrown into that, itā€™s really an affront to people living with HIV/AIDS,ā€ he said.

A number of AIDS groups and activists have expressed support for the bill as a one-time emergency measure to address the ADAP waiting lists.

ā€œTo me, shifting unspent stimulus funds over to ADAP seems like a practical solution to a most dire situation,ā€ said Dan Oā€™Neill, an official with D.C.ā€™s Gay/Bi/Trans HIV Prevention Working Group. ā€œOtherwise people will die.ā€

While agreeing that more funds are urgently needed for ADAP, other national AIDS groups have expressed disagreement over AIDS Healthcare Foundationā€™s sharp criticism of the Obama administration and Speaker Pelosi on AIDS issues, saying Obama and Pelosi have each taken action to boost overall AIDS funding and advance AIDS programs.

ā€œIncreased resources for HIV/AIDS care, treatment, prevention and research has been one of the Speakerā€™s highest priorities throughout her entire congressional career,ā€ said Pelosi spokesperson Drew Hammill. ā€œSince becoming speaker, discretionary funding for HIV/AIDS has increased by over $500 million.ā€

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Monkeypox

US contributes more than $90 million to fight mpox outbreak in Africa

WHO and Africa CDC has declared a public health emergency

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The U.S. has contributed more than $90 million to the fight against the mpox outbreak in Africa. (Photo courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

The U.S. has contributed more than $90 million to the fight against the mpox outbreak in Africa.

The U.S. Agency for International Development on Tuesday in a press release announced “up to an additional” $35 million “in emergency health assistance to bolster response efforts for the clade I mpox outbreak in Central and Eastern Africa, pending congressional notification.” The press release notes the Biden-Harris administration previously pledged more than $55 million to fight the outbreak in Congo and other African countries.

“The additional assistance announced today will enable USAID to continue working closely with affected countries, as well as regional and global health partners, to expand support and reduce the impact of this outbreak as it continues to evolve,” it reads. “USAID support includes assistance with surveillance, diagnostics, risk communication and community engagement, infection prevention and control, case management, and vaccination planning and coordination.” 

The World Health Organization and the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week declared the outbreak a public health emergency.

The Washington Blade last week reported there are more than 17,000 suspected mpox cases across in Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, and other African countries. The outbreak has claimed more than 500 lives, mostly in Congo.Ā 

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Mpox outbreak in Africa declared global health emergency

ONE: 10 million vaccine doses needed on the continent

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The declaration of a public health emergency over an mpox outbreak in Africa has prompted calls for additional vaccine doses for the continent. (Photo courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Medical facilities that provide treatment to gay and bisexual men in some East African countries are already collaborating with them to prevent the spread of a new wave of mpox cases after the World Health Organization on Wednesday declared a global health emergency.

The collaboration, both in Uganda and Kenya, comes amid WHO’s latestĀ reportĀ released on Aug. 12, which reveals that nine out of every 10 reported mpox cases are men with sex as the most common cause of infection.Ā 

The global mpox outbreak report ā€” based on data that national authorities collected between January 2022 and June of this year ā€” notes 87,189 of the 90,410 reported cases were men. Ninety-six percent of whom were infected through sex.

Sexual contact as the leading mode of transmission accounted for 19,102 of 22,802 cases, followed by non-sexual person-to-person contact. Genital rash was the most common symptom, followed by fever and systemic rash.

The WHO report states the pattern of mpox virus transmission has persisted over the last six months, with 97 percent of new cases reporting sexual contact through oral, vaginal, or anal sex with infected people.Ā 

ā€œSexual transmission has been recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo among sex workers and men who have sex with men,ā€ the report reads. ā€œAmong cases exposed through sexual contact in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, some individuals present only with genital lesions, rather than the more typical extensive rash associated with the virus.ā€

The growing mpox cases, which are now more than 2,800 reported cases in at least 13 African countries that include Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and prompted the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week to declare the disease a public health emergency for resource mobilization on the continent to tackle it.

ā€œAfrica has long been on the frontlines in the fight against infectious diseases, often with limited resources,” said Africa CDC Director General Jean Kaseya. “The battle against Mpox demands a global response. We need your support, expertise, and solidarity. The world cannot afford to turn a blind eye to this crisis.ā€ 

The disease has so far claimed more than 500 lives, mostly in Congo, even as the Africa CDC notes suspected mpox cases across the continent have surged past 17,000, compared to 7,146 cases in 2022 and 14,957 cases last year. Ā Ā 

ā€œThis is just the tip of the iceberg when we consider the many weaknesses in surveillance, laboratory testing, and contact tracing,ā€ Kaseya said.  

WHO, led by Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, also followed the Africa CDCā€™s move by declaring the mpox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.

The latest WHO report reveals that men, including those who identify as gay and bisexual, constitute most mpox cases in Kenya and Uganda. The two countries have recorded their first cases, and has put queer rights organizations and health care centers that treat the LGBTQ community on high alert.Ā 

The Uganda Minority Shelters Consortium, for example, confirmed to the Washington Blade that the collaboration with health service providers to prevent the spread of mpox among gay and bisexual men is ā€œnascent and uneven.ā€ 

ā€œWhile some community-led health service providers such as Ark Wellness Clinic, Children of the Sun Clinic, Ice Breakers Uganda Clinic, and Happy Family Youth Clinic, have demonstrated commendable efforts, widespread collaboration on mpox prevention remains a significant gap,ā€ UMSC Coordinator John Grace stated. ā€œThis is particularly evident when compared to the response to the previous Red Eyes outbreak within the LGBT community.ā€

Grace noted that as of Wednesday, there were no known queer-friendly health service providers to offer mpox vaccinations to men who have sex with men. He called for health care centers to provide inclusive services and a more coordinated approach.

Although Grace pointed out the fear of discrimination ā€” and particularly Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act ā€” remains a big barrier to mpox prevention through testing, vaccination, and treatment among queer people, he confirmed no mpox cases have been reported among the LGBTQ community.

Uganda so far has reported two mpox cases ā€” refugees who had travelled from Congo.

ā€œWe are for the most part encouraging safer sex practices even after potential future vaccinations are conducted as it can also be spread through bodily fluids like saliva and sweat,ā€ Grace said. 

Grace also noted that raising awareness about mpox among the queer community and seeking treatment when infected remains a challenge due to the historical and ongoing homophobic stigma and that more comprehensive and reliable advocacy is needed. He said Grindr and other digital platforms have been crucial in raising awareness.

The declarations of mpox as a global health emergency have already attracted demand for global leaders to support African countries to swiftly obtain the necessary vaccines and diagnostics.

ā€œHistory shows we must act quickly and decisively when a public health emergency strikes. The current Mpox outbreak in Africa is one such emergency,ā€ said ONE Global Health Senior Policy Director Jenny Ottenhoff.

ONE is a global, nonpartisan organization that advocates for the investments needed to create economic opportunities and healthier lives in Africa.

Ottenhoff warned failure to support the African countries with medical supplies needed to tackle mpox would leave the continent defenseless against the virus.  

To ensure that African countries are adequately supported, ONE wants governments and pharmaceutical companies to urgently increase the provision of mpox vaccines so that the most affected African countries have affordable access to them. It also notes 10 million vaccine doses are currently needed to control the mpox outbreak in Africa, yet the continent has only 200,000 doses.

The Blade has reached out to Ishtar MSM, a community-based healthcare center in Nairobi, Kenya, that offers to service to gay and bisexual men, about their response to the mpox outbreak. 

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White House urged to expand PrEP coverage for injectable form

HIV/AIDS service organizations made call on Wednesday

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Apretude is a long-lasting PrEP injection that has proven to be significantly more effective at reducing the risk of sexually-acquired HIV. (Photo courtesy of ViiV Healthcare)

A coalition of 63 organizations dedicated to ending HIV called on the Biden-Harris administration on Wednesday to require insurers to cover long-acting pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) without cost-sharing.

In a letter to Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the groups emphasized the need for broad and equitable access to PrEP free of insurance barriers.

Long-acting PrEP is an injectable form of PrEP that’s effective over a long period of time. The FDA approved Apretude (cabotegravir extended-release injectable suspension) as the first and only long-acting injectable PrEP in late 2021. It’s intended for adults and adolescents weighing at least 77 lbs. who are at risk for HIV through sex.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force updated its recommendation for PrEP on Aug. 22, 2023, to include new medications such as the first long-acting PrEP drug. The coalition wants CMS to issue guidance requiring insurers to cover all forms of PrEP, including current and future FDA-approved drugs.

“Long-acting PrEP can be the answer to low PrEP uptake, particularly in communities not using PrEP today,” said Carl Schmid, executive director of the HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute. “The Biden administration has an opportunity to ensure that people with private insurance can access PrEP now and into the future, free of any cost-sharing, with properly worded guidance to insurers.”

Currently, only 36 percent of those who could benefit from PrEP are using it. Significant disparities exist among racial and ethnic groups. Black people constitute 39 percent of new HIV diagnoses but only 14 percent of PrEP users, while Latinos represent 31 percent of new diagnoses but only 18 percent of PrEP users. In contrast, white people represent 24 percent of HIV diagnoses but 64 percent of PrEP users.

The groups also want CMS to prohibit insurers from employing prior authorization for PrEP, citing it as a significant barrier to access. Several states, including New York and California, already prohibit prior authorization for PrEP.

Modeling conducted for HIV+Hep, based on clinical trials of a once every 2-month injection, suggests that 87 percent more HIV cases would be averted compared to daily oral PrEP, with $4.25 billion in averted healthcare costs over 10 years.

Despite guidance issued to insurers in July 2021, PrEP users continue to report being charged cost-sharing for both the drug and ancillary services. A recent review of claims data found that 36 percent of PrEP users were charged for their drugs, and even 31 percent of those using generic PrEP faced cost-sharing.

The coalition’s letter follows a more detailed communication sent by HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute to the Biden administration on July 2.

Signatories to the community letter include Advocates for Youth, AIDS United, Equality California, Fenway Health, Human Rights Campaign, and the National Coalition of STD Directors, among others.

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