Louise Nordstrom, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - One of the scientists sharing the Nobel Prize in medicine for discovering the HIV virus said Saturday he believes there will be a therapeutic vaccine to treat it within five years.

Luc Montagnier said in Sweden he believes it is "a matter of four to five years" before a therapeutic vaccine to treat HIV infection is developed."

He did not elaborate as to why he believes scientists are close.

Scientists have developed lifesaving drugs that can inhibit the disease but there is no vaccine to prevent or treat HIV infection. Finding a vaccine has proved elusive in the past, with the most recent trials ending in failure.

However, a therapeutic vaccine would be a key step in fighting the virus, he said. A therapeutic vaccine would be given to people who are already infected, in order to lessen the impact of the disease while a preventative vaccine would, ideally, protect people from HIV.

So far, scientists have focused on drugs to fight the disease because they have been proving effective. In developed countries, AIDS has become manageable, rather than fatal, because of the drugs.

HIV was first identified 25 years ago but still poses difficult challenges. Scientists cannot explain, for example, why it causes the immune system to collapse.

Montagnier, together with other Nobel laureates, began arriving in Stockholm on Saturday ahead of a week of Nobel festivities that culminates with a lavish banquet and awards ceremony Dec. 10.

The 76-year old scientist shares one-half of the US$1.2-million prize with 61-year-old Francoise Barre-Sinoussi, also of France, for their research on HIV. The other half goes to Germany's Harald zur Hausen, 72, for showing a viral cause for cervical cancer.

Sweden's King Carl Gustaf will hand over the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine on Wednesday, along with the awards in chemistry, physics, literature and economics. The Nobel Peace Prize is presented at a separate ceremony in Oslo, Norway.

Original article can be found here.

Just a reminder that today, Dec. 1, is World AIDS Day. Take some time to peruse the official World AIDS Day website! Wear something red today to raise awareness without saying a word.

Steve Gutterman, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MOSCOW - A top Russian anti-AIDS co-ordinator has lambasted the government's approach to fighting HIV, saying the number of registered cases is growing 10 per cent a year despite increased federal funding.

Vadim Pokrovsky, head of the state-funded Federal AIDS Centre which is charged with co-ordinating efforts, points to a misguided focus on treatment instead of prevention.

He says it has undermined efforts to combat AIDS.

Pokrovsky says Russia still has no national policy on fighting AIDS.

Each day about 130 new cases are registered in Russia.

Pokrovsky estimates there are more than a million Russians infected with HIV - or almost one per cent of the country's 142 million population.

Officially, Russia has registered less than half that number at 470,000.

A large number are young drug users infected by dirty needles or tainted communal drug supplies, experts say.

However, widespread social stigmas, misinformation and official denial mean many people remain unaware they are at risk of being infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Some regional governors "have simply refused to acknowledge the problem of AIDS," Pokrovsky said Friday.

Others, assuming higher spending would make the problem go away, have done little to publicize the problem, he said.

"Everyone needs to understand that this is a threat to the nation, and it's necessary to mobilize as one would for war," Pokrovsky said.

He urged the government to devise a clear strategy for informing citizens about HIV, and said funding would have to be used more wisely for results.

Starting in 2006, the government - enriched with oil-boom proceeds - exponentially increased funding for the battle against AIDS as part of a push to improve health care and stem Russia's population decline.

The government says budget spending for HIV-related activities last year amounted to 10.7 billion rubles ($445 million) and was more than 50 times higher than in 2005.

Article originally found here.

We are thankful that the Stephen Lewis Foundation chose to feature the Servers Against AIDS Day in their most recent newsletter, Grassroots. The excerpt is found below (click to enlarge) and the whole newsletter can be found on the SLF website.

Dear Mountain Movers,

While you haven’t heard news from us for awhile, it is not to say that things haven’t been happening!

We are so thankful that one of our major goals is being fulfilled in the upcoming month. We have often described The Mountain Movement as a mobilizing force. Thanks to our partners in the region, the Servers Against AIDS program has spread to the Grande Prairie region. HIV North Society in Grande Prairie will be hosting their first-ever Servers Against AIDS Day on December 5, as part of World AIDS Day, which lands officially on December 1. We are very excited about this new partnership in Alberta.

Secondly, it seems the idea has spread across the border and quite far East! Keep A Child Alive is a global organization advocating for children affected by HIV/AIDS and has offices based in New York, London, and South Africa. A representative for that organization stumbled across the Servers Against AIDS website and inquired about getting involved in the program. The details are still coming together, but it looks like it will be a New York City- wide event with funds going to HIV/AIDS organizations.

Lastly, you can now read about The Mountain Movement in a book entitled Expedition to the Edge: Stories of Worldwide Adventure, by Lynn Martel. Lynn is a freelance writer and journalist based in Canmore, Alberta, who devotes her writing to mountain culture, people, and adventurers. In her book, Lynn captured our Winter 2007 event (The Aroka Project) and Paul’s 1488 km trek across New Zealand to raise awareness and funds for HIV/AIDS. Many thanks to Lynn for her ongoing efforts of capturing The Mountain Movement events in the local newspapers here in The Rockies.

Well, folks, that’s all for now! The website is updated regularly with interesting articles about HIV/AIDS and information pertinent to our efforts with the campaign.

‘Til next time!

Meghan and Paul