Latest news with #HIVAIDS
The Independent
a day ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Global aid is about more than money and charity – it helps us all
The 21st century began with an idea that now seems out of vogue: that a world with less poverty, fewer preventable diseases, cleaner air, and more peace was a world that was better for everyone. If you're reading this, you've been living through an age of miracles. In your lifetime, challenges that have plagued our species from the beginning have shifted dramatically. The number of parents burying a child before their fifth birthday has fallen by nearly 60 per cent. Women dying in childbirth has fallen by 40 per cent. Vaccines have reached hundreds of millions. HIV/AIDS, once a death sentence, is being beaten back. Poverty has declined at historic rates. But now, that vision has fractured. We live in a world dominated by insecurity. Geopolitics, technological disruption and economic vulnerabilities are all around us. Our societies are experiencing systemic stress resulting in reactions that are akin to a nervous system in survival mode. A lack of economic, political and personal security is leading to a politics of scarcity: one where societies are turning towards economic nationalism, to transactional international relations and an absence of international solidarity. Yet the world hasn't become any less interconnected. Pandemic threats, climate shocks, food insecurity and migration – these are not distant problems. They are shared risks. And they demand shared solutions. This is where the development community has failed. Conversations about development finance are dominated by inputs and institutions: How much should donors give? Through which institutions? At what cost? Is it value for money? Lost in this arithmetic is a simple, transformative idea: development isn't something 'we' do 'for them.' It's something we do with each other, because it makes all of us safer, stronger, and more resilient. The age of miracles in global health has happened because we didn't just fund systems — we have pursued missions, told stories about what's possible, and built political power to fight for those priorities. Ban smoking in public places. Get vaccines to every child. Tackle AIDS. Drop the Debt. These weren't abstract goals. They were visceral, focused, and urgent. And they rallied governments, civil society, and private actors around a common cause. This approach hasn't been without flaws. It was too focused on top-down approaches, assuming that the experts with the money had the answers. In a more complex, contested world, we can no longer afford to treat development finance as something rich countries "give" to poorer ones out of benevolence; or that "poorer" countries should be grateful recipients. Communities need investment at home and abroad. Yet treating this as a zero-sum game that considers only one side of the balance sheet (the costs, not the returns) is the kind of bean-counting that got us here. The truth is, when finance is well-placed, it helps communities withstand shocks, it prevents conflict, it creates jobs and opportunities. And those investments should be mutually reinforcing. Clean, cheap energy access in the north of England means fewer emissions and more economic dynamism. But that energy requires critical minerals and innovations that might just emerge from investments in Zambia or Kenya. A healthy, educated population in the Sahel contributes to global security meaning UK troops are less likely to be put in harm's way. An effective public health system in west Africa helps protect everyone from potential future pandemics and helps the NHS avoid being overwhelmed from its core caseload so it can focus on getting waiting lists down. And in a world of volatility, richer countries need humility to admit that learning is not a one-way street. The innovations that solve problems in Scotland, Wales, England or Northern Ireland might just emerge from Nairobi's digital finance scene, from Bangladesh's community health systems and from those on the front line of the climate crisis who are solving problems as a matter of survival. As richer countries struggle with a collapse of trust and a decline in social cohesion, there is much they can learn from communities that might be cash-poor but are solidarity-rich. This is the vision that shaped what is arguably the world's most successful aid programme – the Marshall Plan - and gave birth to the world's most successful peace project – the European Union. A far-sighted vision combined aid for Europe's reconstruction with preferential trade rules that paved the way for the world's largest common market. Countries that used to fight were bound by common incentives to make each other more prosperous. This created international trading partners, allies, and an international rules-based order and the most peaceful era the world has ever seen. As the world's governments gather in Spain on Monday for the Fourth Financing for Development Conference, they should stop fixating on the plumbing of development finance and start asking what it's for. And the answer lies in the core universal values we all share – no matter where we live. The desire for economic, physical, and psychological security and freedom to fulfil our full potential. This depends on access to basic health care, nutritious food, economic opportunities, and the space to express ourselves. In the jargon of the development finance world, it means aligning concessional finance, policy reform, private capital, and multilateral institutions behind big, audacious goals: resilient health systems, thriving local economies, clean energy access, food security. This also requires a thriving civil society eco-system, focused on movement-building not service delivery. The progressive left needs to build a transnational solidarity movement, akin to what Steve Bannon has inspired on the political right. We have done extraordinary things when we've had a vision to match our resources. The tragedy today is not a lack of money (though we could do with more of it, and governments should stop cutting the very programmes that keep us safe). It's the loss of shared purpose and the mobilisation of communities to fight for the world that they want to live in. Not out of charity but because it's in our collective self-interest.
CBS News
2 days ago
- Health
- CBS News
AIDS Garden Chicago honors trailblazer and former Illinois Rep. Greg Harris
With just days left in Pride Month, AIDS Garden Chicago took the time Thursday to honor former Illinois state representative and longtime LGBTQ+ advocate Greg Harris. On Thursday afternoon, a plaque dedicated to Harris was unveiled at the entrance to the garden, located near the south end of Belmont Harbor. The space memorializes the early days of Chicago's HIV/AIDS epidemic. Harris spoke about those days, and how he and others helped those with HIV in Chicago. "[We asked], 'Where do we serve? Chicago is a huge city, should we limit this to our neighborhood?'" Harris said Thursday. "And the decision we came to then, like a lot of the other HIV-serving groups, is no — if there are people suffering in this neighborhood, that means there are people suffering all over the city of Chicago." A native of Colorado, Harris came to Chicago in 1977 for a job. Politics was not on his radar at first. "I went to work, I partied at night, and that was fine, until my friends started to get sick and die all around me," Harris told CBS News Chicago's Jim Williams in 2023. The AIDS epidemic was ravaging the gay community, and Harris wanted to serve. He and his friends founded Open Hand Chicago. They cooked and delivered meals for those with AIDS, and provided companionship for many who had been shunned. Harris himself was diagnosed with HIV in 1988, and AIDS in 1990. He thought he had been given a death sentence at the time, and he threw himself into public service. Harris served as the chief of staff to the late Ald. Mary Ann Smith in the 48th Ward in Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood. In 2006, he was elected to the Illinois House — becoming one of the first openly gay lawmakers in Illinois. In more than 16 years in the Illinois House, Harris served as House majority leader, and sponsored acts that legalized civil unions and later marriage equality in Illinois. When asked how he wants to be remembered for his time in state and city government, he told Williams in 2023, "as somebody who went and in tried to help some other people." contributed to this report.
CTV News
2 days ago
- Health
- CTV News
12 Edmontonians honoured for HIV advocacy work
Twelve Edmontonians were awarded King Charles III Coronation Medals for their work for the HIV/AIDS movement in Canada. The ceremony took place at city hall on June 26, 2025. (Darcy Seaton/CTV News Edmonton) Twelve Edmontonians received a King Charles III Coronation Medal honouring their work and contributions to the HIV/AIDS movement in Canada. Honourees received the medals, which were handed out by the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General in recognition of King Charles III's coronation, at city hall on Thursday morning. All the local nominees were selected to receive the prestigious award, which is meant to celebrate the recipients and inspire others in the community. 'Our medalists today have done work to support HIV/AIDS sector, all the way from doing things like education, advocacy, letting their story be known, (and) putting a face and a name to HIV and AIDS,' Catherine Broomfield, HIV Edmonton's executive director, told CTV News Edmonton before the ceremony. Broomfield said the stigma around HIV and AIDS is 'crippling' and that many people live in fear after a diagnosis. 'They're fearful for their family or their networks to know that they are living with HIV,' she explained, adding that many are unaware that HIV is not transmissible if they are undergoing treatment. 'People need to know that living with HIV is not a death sentence anymore.' She added that treatment has advanced over the past 40 years, giving the example that a combination of a single pill a day and injectables can treat the virus. Dave McCoy receiving King Charles III Coronation Medal (Darcy Seaton/CTV News Edmonton) Dave McCoy receives a King Charles III Coronation Medal at Edmonton City Hall on June 26, 2025. (Darcy Seaton/CTV News Edmonton) Medal recipient Dave McCoy was honoured for his work as an advocate -- including helping those with HIV have equal access to employment – and for distributing free HIV rapid test kits to pharmacies. He says having access to anonymous test kits is important. 'The biggest point to get across is 'U equals U' so undetectable is untransmissible,' McCoy said ahead of his medal presentation. 'It's been medically proven now and reducing stigmas as a result.' Broomfield highlighted the same message about testing. 'You can get tested and go on with your life, and be a powerful contributor to our city and our country,' she said. More information about HIV Edmonton and the support offered can be found on their website. With files from CTV News Edmonton's Darcy Seaton
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Kenya IVD Market to Reach $68.66 Million by 2032, Growing at 3.2% CAGR, Says Meticulous Research®
Market Growth Driven by High Prevalence of Infectious Diseases, Government Healthcare Initiatives, and Increasing Quality Diagnostics Demand REDDING, Calif., June 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new market research report titled "Kenya IVD Market By Offering (Reagents & Kits, Instruments, Software & Services), Technology (Immunoassay, Point of Care, Molecular Diagnostics, Coagulation), Application (Infectious Diseases, Diabetes, Oncology), Diagnostic Approach (Lab, OTC, PoC), End User - Global Forecast and Analysis to 2032", the Kenya IVD market is projected to reach $68.66 million by 2032, up from an estimated $55.23 million in 2025, growing at a CAGR of 3.2% during the forecast period. The growth of the Kenya IVD market is primarily driven by the nation's substantial burden of infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, which continues to necessitate advanced diagnostic solutions. Kenya faces critical healthcare challenges with approximately 1.4 million people living with HIV and ranking among the highest TB burden countries globally. Simultaneously, government initiatives supporting healthcare sector development and the increasing demand for quality diagnostics are creating unprecedented opportunities for sustainable healthcare improvement, making accurate and timely diagnostic tools increasingly essential for disease management and patient outcomes. Substantial investments in healthcare infrastructure and the growing adoption of personalized medicine approaches are accelerating market development, demonstrating strong confidence in the transformative potential of advanced diagnostic technologies. The increasing integration of molecular diagnostics and point-of-care testing further amplifies this momentum, with healthcare providers recognizing the critical importance of precise diagnostic solutions that can dramatically enhance treatment accuracy and operational efficiency. For more comprehensive insights, download the FREE report sample: Market Drivers and Technology Evolution The Kenya IVD market is experiencing significant transformation through increasingly sophisticated integration between traditional laboratory infrastructure and cutting-edge diagnostic technologies. These innovations are driving rapid advancement in molecular diagnostics and point-of-care solutions, creating a robust technological foundation that addresses critical challenges in infectious disease management and healthcare accessibility across diverse healthcare settings. "The convergence of molecular diagnostic technologies with point-of-care solutions is revolutionizing how Kenya approaches disease detection and management," said Uddhav Sable, Research Director at Meticulous Research®. "Healthcare providers are witnessing unprecedented opportunities to achieve early disease detection while maintaining cost-effective diagnostic capabilities for optimal patient care delivery." Emerging trends demonstrate a multifaceted approach to market development. Healthcare providers are intensely focusing on rapid diagnostic tests and self-testing kits to enhance accessibility, developing comprehensive infectious disease panels for multi-pathogen detection, and creating integrated diagnostic platforms for HIV, TB, and malaria co-infections. The industry is witnessing a significant shift towards community-based testing and mobile health solutions, with particular emphasis on creating versatile diagnostic systems that can seamlessly operate in both urban healthcare facilities and remote rural settings. Growth Opportunities and Market Expansion The market presents significant growth opportunities that extend far beyond traditional laboratory testing paradigms. The shift towards personalized medicine offers the potential to create comprehensive genetic and molecular diagnostic solutions, addressing critical healthcare challenges in precision treatment approaches. Point-of-care applications are rapidly expanding beyond basic infectious disease testing, exploring specialized domains such as diabetes monitoring, cardiovascular diagnostics, and chronic disease management. Particularly promising areas include declining costs of molecular diagnostic technologies improving test accessibility, advancements in rapid diagnostic solutions enhancing patient care capabilities, and the emergence of innovative self-testing models. The potential for integrated digital health connectivity and community-scale diagnostic programs represents a significant frontier of market expansion, especially with the growing adoption of telemedicine and remote healthcare delivery systems. Get Insightful Data on Regions, Market Segments, Customer Landscape, and Top Companies: Market Challenges and Implementation Barriers Despite the market's substantial potential, significant challenges persist. Limited healthcare infrastructure in rural areas continues to restrict diagnostic service delivery across multiple regions. Technical integration complexities with existing laboratory systems remain a critical constraint, particularly in establishing standardized testing protocols and managing quality control standards across diverse healthcare platforms. Economic challenges include high costs of advanced diagnostic equipment affecting widespread adoption, current limitations in cold chain infrastructure impacting reagent storage and distribution, and complex supply chain management for sustainable operations. Healthcare providers must also navigate varying international quality standards, address training requirements for sophisticated diagnostic technologies, and work to gain regulatory approval for innovative point-of-care diagnostic configurations. "While diagnostic capabilities are advancing rapidly, the industry must address fundamental challenges around infrastructure development and healthcare accessibility," noted Uddhav Sable, Research Director at Meticulous Research®. "Success will depend on developing solutions that demonstrate clear clinical value while maintaining compatibility with Kenya's existing healthcare infrastructure and economic constraints." Segment Analysis and Technology Leadership Based on offering, The Reagents & Kits segment is expected to hold the largest market share of 83.4% in 2025, with recurring diagnostic testing requirements being the dominant advantage due to widespread clinical applications and the commercial availability of diverse diagnostic reagents for various diseases. This segment is also anticipated to grow at the highest CAGR of 3.4%, offering promising solutions driven by increased testing volumes for infectious diseases and the expansion of diagnostic capabilities across healthcare facilities. Based on technology applications, Immunoassay/Immunochemistry systems are projected to dominate, accounting for the largest market share of 34.2% in 2025. However, the Whole Blood Glucose Monitoring segment is anticipated to grow at the highest CAGR, offering advanced diabetes management capabilities driven by rising diabetes prevalence and increasing awareness of self-monitoring solutions. Based on end-user applications, Diagnostic Laboratories will hold the largest market share in 2025, with over 200 accredited medical laboratories across Kenya providing critical testing services. Public laboratories, including those under KEMRI and National Public Health Laboratories, serve as the backbone for disease surveillance and outbreak response, highlighting the essential role of laboratory infrastructure in Kenya's healthcare system. Regional Market Dynamics and Healthcare Infrastructure Kenya's IVD market leadership is attributed to progressive healthcare policies, strategic investments in diagnostic infrastructure, and high awareness of disease burden management among healthcare providers. The country's focus on infectious disease control programs, particularly for HIV, TB, and malaria, has created a robust foundation for diagnostic technology adoption. The market is experiencing accelerated growth driven by rapid healthcare infrastructure development, increasing public-private partnerships in healthcare delivery, and extensive investments in laboratory capacity building across both urban and rural areas. Government initiatives supporting universal health coverage and disease prevention programs are further strengthening market expansion opportunities. Access the complete market analysis: Competitive Landscape and Industry Innovation The Kenya IVD market features a dynamic competitive landscape combining international diagnostic leaders with local healthcare providers and emerging technology companies. Global manufacturers are competing alongside specialized diagnostic solution providers and local distributors, each pursuing unique approaches to addressing Kenya's specific healthcare challenges and diagnostic requirements. Key players operating in the Kenya IVD market include Abbott Laboratories (U.S.), Becton, Dickinson and Company (U.S.), bioMérieux SA (France), Danaher Corporation (U.S.), F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd (Switzerland), QIAGEN N.V. (Netherlands), Siemens Healthineers AG (Germany), Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (U.S.), Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., (U.S.), Illumina, Inc. (U.S.), Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co., Ltd (China), The Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Biovet Ltd., and Laboratories & Allied Ltd., among others. About Meticulous Research We are a trusted research partner for leading businesses worldwide, empowering Fortune 500 organizations and emerging enterprises with market intelligence designed to drive revenue transformation and strategic growth. Our insights reveal future growth opportunities, equipping clients with a competitive edge through a versatile suite of research solutions—including syndicated reports, custom research, and direct analyst engagement. To find out more, visit or follow us on LinkedIn Contact: Mr. Khushal BombeMeticulous Market Research Pvt. Ltd.1267 Willis St, Ste 200 Redding,California, 96001, +1-646-781-8004Europe: +44-203-868-8738APAC: +91 744-7780008Email- sales@ Our Website: with us on LinkedIn- Source: Logo: View original content: SOURCE Meticulous Market Research Pvt. Ltd. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
I'm an expert in crafting public health messages: Here are 3 marketing strategies I use to make Philadelphia healthier
In Philadelphia, the leading causes of death are heart disease, cancer and unintentional drug overdose. While some of these deaths are caused by things out of our control – like genetics – many are largely preventable. Preventable deaths are the result of a series of decisions. Whether a person decides to smoke, eat lots of fried foods or be a couch potato, their decisions – sometimes unconsciously – can affect their health. I'm a health communication expert and public health researcher at Temple University in North Philadelphia. I began working in public health in the late 1980s at the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and before that I worked in marketing and public relations. I have spent my career thinking about how health decisions are like many of the decisions consumers make each day around which products to buy. One key difference with health decisions is the inherent risks involved. There isn't much risk in trying a new brand of cereal, but there is risk in riding a motorcycle without a helmet. Many people have a 'that won't happen to me' attitude when making a decision that involves risk. This element of 'risk perception' has guided my interest in health decisions and how to use commercial marketing techniques – the same ones companies use to sell products – to encourage people to get vaccinated, get a colonoscopy or get treated for a medical condition. One strategy I use is segmentation analysis. Segmentation analysis is the process of looking at groups of people who may look like they are all similar on the surface – such as Black women from North Philadelphia – and then breaking them into smaller groups based on differences in their attitudes, beliefs or behaviors. Looking at these 'psychographics' instead of demographics like age or sex can help public health communication researchers better understand how to communicate effectively. For example, I led a study in 2021 that looked at how connected transgender women living in Philadelphia and the San Francisco Bay Area felt to other members of the trans community. We wanted to see if messaging about PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, the medication used to prevent HIV infection, would need to be different depending on how connected they felt. We found that participants who were more engaged with the trans community were not only more knowledgeable about PrEP, but they were also more likely to see the benefits of using it compared with those who were less engaged. This indicates that strategies to reach those not as connected may need to include, for example, providing more basic information about what PrEP is and how it works. Another powerful marketing tool that I use is a process known as perceptual mapping and vector message modeling. Using simple survey answers, we can mathematically model how people are thinking about a health decision and present it in a three-dimensional map. Similar to how someone might think about the relationship between where cities or countries are in relation to each other – such as where Philadelphia is in relation to New York or Chicago – we can take answers from a survey and convert them into distances. We ask people to agree or disagree to statements about the benefits or barriers to a decision and enter their responses into a computer program to create the map. We can then do vector message modeling, which shows how to move the group toward the desired decision. Think back to high school physics when you may have learned about the amount of force, or pushing and pulling, needed to move one object toward another. Vector message modeling helps us figure out which beliefs to push or pull against to get the group to move toward a particular decision, and it helps us create the most persuasive messages for that group. When we use vector modeling along with segmentation analysis, we can also compare how messaging may need to be similar or different for different groups. For example, I used segmentation analysis and then perceptual mapping and vector message modeling to understand how medical mistrust might affect the decision to get vaccinated for COVID-19 among a group of Philadelphians who had not yet been vaccinated. Our team then looked at perceptual maps and vector message modeling by levels of mistrust. The vectors showed that those with high levels of medical mistrust would be more likely to respond to messages that addressed concerns about the pandemic being a hoax, or the worry that minorities wouldn't get the same treatment as others. This allowed us to think about how to build in messages around those issues in public media campaigns or other communication strategies that encourage vaccination. I have used these methods to create and test a number of different communication strategies to influence health decisions. For example, I've developed web-based tools that have been used in hospitals and clinics in Philadelphia to encourage methadone patients with hepatitis C to receive antiviral treatment for their infection, Black cancer patients to take part in a clinical trial or to get genetic testing, and patients with low literacy and higher risk of colorectal cancer to have a colonoscopy. My colleagues and I have also developed posters, booklets and social media posts that encourage low-income and vaccine-hesitant Philadelphians in Kensington to get COVID-19 booster shots; educational slides for low-literacy Philadelphia adults on dirty bombs and how the radioactive weapons might be used in a terror attack; and a comic book for trans women to learn about the benefits of PrEP use. Getting people to make better decisions about their health can be an uphill battle. We all have our reasons for not doing things that are good for us. For example, what did you eat for lunch today? Was it healthy? If not, why did you eat it? My job is to figure out what makes people do what they do, and then help them make decisions that keep them healthy. Read more of our stories about Philadelphia. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Sarah Bauerle Bass, Temple University Read more: Philly residents with opioid addiction get medication from the 'bupe bus' − creating a path for treatment Immigrant moms feel unsafe and unheard when seeking pregnancy care – here's how they'd improve Philly's health care system Mpox, AIDS and COVID-19 show the challenges of targeting public health messaging to specific groups without causing stigma Sarah Bauerle Bass has received funding from a number of organizations, including the National Institutes of Health, the American Cancer Society, Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Departments of Health, and independent pharma research grants from Gilead and Merck.
