Date: Fri, 28 Jul 1995 09:35:18 +0500 From: ghmcleaf{CONTRACTOR/ASPEN/ghmcleaf}%NAC-GATEWAY.ASPEN@ace.aspensys.com AIDS Daily Summary July 28, 1995 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National AIDS Clearinghouse makes available the following information as a public service only. Providing this information does not constitute endorsement by the CDC, the CDC Clearinghouse, or any other organization. Reproduction of this text is encouraged; however, copies may not be sold, and the CDC Clearinghouse should be cited as the source of this information. Copyright 1995, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD ************************************************************ "Senate Votes to Continue AIDS Program" "House Rebuffs Many Budget Amendments" "Scarlet Letters" "Swazi Insurance Firm Starts Screening for AIDS" "TB Rate in Mass. Lowest in a Century" "Boxing-Loughran Threatens to Pull Out of Fight Over AIDS Scare" "Chugai Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd.: Tokyo Expands..." "New Antiviral Drug Could Slow AIDS-Related Blindness" "Spin Doctor" ************************************************************ "Senate Votes to Continue AIDS Program" Washington Post (07/28/95) P. A10; Dewar, Helen By a vote of 97 to 3, the Senate Thursday approved reauthorization of the Ryan White CARE Act--a $633-million program named for a young Indiana hemophiliac who died after contracting HIV from a blood transfusion. During the hearings, Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) repeatedly criticized homosexuals and called AIDS prevention programs in schools and the federal government "thinly veiled attempts to restructure values of American families in favor of the homosexual lifestyle." Though Helms was soundly defeated on the reauthorization issue, he did win some minor victories, including unanimous approval of a provision making attendance optional at federal workplace AIDS prevention programs. The Senator failed, however, to freeze spending levels for the Ryan White program through the year 2000. The approved bill puts no limits on spending for the program. The Senate also passed a Helms proposal that prohibits the use of any Ryan White funds to promote homosexuality or intravenous drug use. But later the Senate also approved a proposal by Sen. Nancy Kassebaum (R-Kan.) to bar spending for activities that directly promote drug use or any sexual activity. The Ryan White CARE Act expires at the end of September, unless it is reauthorized by Congress. The House will consider its version of the act in September, shortly before spending bills for the coming fiscal year are passed. Related Story: New York Times (07/28) P. A16; Washington Times (07/28) P. A8; Philadelphia Inquirer (07/28) P. A6 "House Rebuffs Many Budget Amendments" New York Times (07/28/95) P. A18; Gray, Jerry The House of Representatives has rejected many spending bill amendments that sought to protect billions of dollars in housing and environmental protection programs. The spending bill provides nearly $80 billion for the 1996 fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1, for veterans benefits, housing programs, and several agencies that deal with science, the environment, and space exploration. However, the bill eliminates more than $10 billion from 1995 spending levels by cutting dozens of programs, including President Clinton's community service program AmeriCorps. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) received more than $19 billion for fiscal 1996, but would lose 25 percent of its 1995 budget or 5.6 billion. The HUD budget includes $2.5 billion for public housing modernization and $1 billion for "special needs" housing for the elderly, the disabled, and people with AIDS. "Scarlet Letters" Baltimore Sun (07/28/95) P. 1D; Schoettler, Carl Mail handler Tim Snodgrass, who has been fired by the postal service for his refusal to deliver mail to a couple with AIDS, voiced fears and prejudices that continue to surround AIDS after almost a decade of research, education, and publicity. Snodgrass said he was afraid of becoming infected with HIV from envelopes Pat and Fred Grounds had licked or from cutting himself on their mail slot. For years, the public has been told that HIV is only spread through intimate contact with blood, semen, vaginal secretions, or breast milk. But people like Snodgrass continue to fear people with AIDS. The stigma related to AIDS is not new to the Grounds, for Pat has been barred from a tanning studio and rejected by a manicurist. The couple, however, received a great deal of sympathy from across the country for their mail delivery problems. Pat believes her strong faith in God protects her from bitterness and anger, and keeps her and her husband alive. "Swazi Insurance Firm Starts Screening for AIDS" Reuters (07/27/95) The Swaziland Royal Insurance Corporation has introduced mandatory HIV testing for clients applying to take out life policies of more than 25,000 rand ($6,868). "This is done to curb the high number of claims made to the corporation in which the cause of death is AIDS-related," a company spokesman said. If the insurance company did not begin screening for HIV, he added, it would be faced with many problems. The Health Ministry estimated that about 80,000 of the southern African kingdom's 900,000 citizens were HIV-infected by the end of February. It was predicted that about 9,000 would die from AIDS-related illnesses in 1996. "TB Rate in Mass. Lowest in a Century" Boston Globe (07/26/95) P. 18; Kong, Delores The rate of tuberculosis (TB) cases has fallen to the lowest level in more than a century, health officials announced earlier this week. The rate is now down to less than 6 cases for every 100,000 individuals, a decline due to state-funded TB clinics, public health nursing visits, and other aspects of the public health system, the officials said. Despite the drop, the TB rate remains much higher among such groups as the homeless, immigrants, and minorities. This rate could increase again if cost-cutting pressures force hospitals to close TB control clinics, public health officials predicted. Although the state funds TB clinics at hospitals and other locations, it does not pay for all of the facilities' expenses, explained Dr. Alfred DeMaria Jr., assistant public health commissioner. "Boxing-Loughran Threatens to Pull Out of Fight Over AIDS Scare" Reuters (07/26/95) On Wednesday, WBO welterweight champion Eamonn Loughran threatened to pull out of his title fight against Luvuyo Kakaza of South Africa unless Kakaza is tested for HIV. Loughran, who is from Northern Ireland, said he was worried about recent reports that 34 professional boxers in South Africa had tested HIV-positive. "That causes me a lot of concern," said Loughran. "Chugai Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd.: Tokyo Expands..." Healthwire (07/26/95) Chugai Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. intends to expand its operations in the United States with Chugai Biopharmaceuticals Inc. (CBI) in an effort to enhance its global research and development network. CBI's mission is to identify genes that cause disease and eventually develop a fully integrated commercial company. CBI is currently conducting human clinical tests on an antiviral agent that may be used in the treatment of AIDS. In addition, CBI plans to research viral and bacteria infections, various cancers, and cardiovascular disease. "New Antiviral Drug Could Slow AIDS-Related Blindness" American Medical News (07/17/95) Vol. 38, No. 26, P. 23 Cidofovir--the first of a new class of antiviral drugs--appears to help AIDS patients ward off the blinding cytomegalovirus infection, according to manufacturer Gilead Sciences. The drug's potential is beginning to draw attention to nucleotide analogs to fight AIDS-related infections, as well as HIV, experts say. "We believe this class of drugs does confer some real advantages to patients," says Gilead's Dr. Howard Jaffe. Nucleotide analogs, cousins to nucleoside analogs such as AZT, have a chemical structure that allows them to enter any cell and begin working without having to be "turned on," explains Dr. Arnold Friedland of St. Jude's Children's Hospital. Tests show that cidofovir fought blindness progression for 120 days, compared to just 50 days for the current treatment, says Jaffe. As a result of this success, Gilead has begun early human testing of an oral HIV therapy that would work similarly, although results are years in the future. "Spin Doctor" Advocate (07/25/95) No. 686, P. 35; Gallagher, John The June 15 appointment of Dr. R. Scott Hitt as chair of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS was hardly surprising to anyone but Hitt himself. However, Hitt's combination of political savvy and support for the president made him a clear choice to defend the panel against charges that it was redundant and the product of political expediency. Hitt's appointment was also a beacon of his potential importance in the forthcoming electoral battle, when President Clinton will need to ensure the support of gay voters. The 36-year-old physician's many qualifications include serving as a board member of AIDS Project Los Angeles and the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, as a co-chair of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, and a member of Access Now for Gay and Lesbian Equality. "I don't think there's an aspect of this battle that Scott hasn't been exposed to," according to David Mixner, a friend and political ally of Hitt's, who has also advised Clinton on gay matters.