Tuberculosis deaths similar to aids as main cause of death around world

It assists in providing care & treatment amenities for those who are fighting against HIV. More than half of people living with HIV in San Francisco are over the age of 50, and HIV causes unique challenges in this population.

The city is relying heavily on two initiatives. One of the initiatives is getting people suffering with HIV into an antiretroviral treatment program much faster than before, sometimes the same day they are diagnosed. “This improves clinical and public health outcomes by preserving health, extending life expectancy and reducing HIV transmission”. This has been somewhat controversial. The pill has been under a few scrutiny, as a few people who took the treatment have since used condoms less during intercourse and, as a result, have contracted other sexually transmitted diseases.

“When it comes to the deadlier forms of the disease – such as multidrug-resistant TB – the news is particularly bleak”, said Grania Brigden, interim medical director of Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres) Access Campaign. She added there’s no reason to withhold a lifesaving preventive drug for fear of promiscuity.

“The diseases are killing at the same rate”, said Dr. Mario Raviglione who is the director of the WHO’s Global TB Program, noting that “there is a real disproportionate funding level” for the disease. “I would never do that”.

“Secondly, the use of daily oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is recommended as a prevention choice for people at substantial risk of HIV infection as part of combination prevention approaches”.

Dr. Susan Buchbinder speaks during a press conference to announce additional funds toward the “get to zero” HIV/AIDS initiative at City Hall in San Francisco, California, on Thursday, October 29, 2015.

San Francisco – Since the 1980’s, San Francisco has been setting the model in the US on how to fight against HIV.

But other counties in California haven’t.

San Francisco has made significant strides in the past several years in Getting to Zero, with a goal to reduce new HIV infections and HIV-associated deaths by 90 percent Citywide by 2020. Annual rates dipped slightly after that, then went up again previous year.

The city has already committed a total of $54 million to HIV and AIDS research, care and prevention in the San Francisco area this year alone. According to WHO’s Global Tuberculosis report 2015, most deaths could have easily been prevented.

The city will focus a lot of its outreach on young men and men of color, who are disproportionately affected by HIV.

Johanna Brown, a transgender woman who was diagnosed with HIV in 1988 and AIDS in 1995, spoke of the importance of connecting with the right health providers, counselors and peers.

“There will be a time when people can live without fear”, Dr Taing said. Out of the 9.6 million, only 6 million of new cases get reported to the organization. “We don’t have to be anxious about stigma, being judged, people pointing fingers at us”.

She has since found a job as a vocational nurse, and her viral loads are undetectable, Brown said.

“I’m not dying”, she said.