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Greetings!
With the International AIDS Conference happening later this month in Washington, D.C., much attention is being paid to the almost 30-year struggle to treat and prevent the spread of this global pandemic. The presence of Duke faculty and students at the conference will be strong, with nearly 20 papers being presented and posters on display. In advance of this historic gathering, two DGHI faculty have published expert commentary on domestic and international policies to address the disease.
In Health Affairs, Michael Merson and co-authors examine PEPFAR, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief; its successes, challenges and opportunities to produce an "AIDS-free generation."
The Global Commission on HIV and the Law just released a working paper by Anthony So and Cecilia Oh that raises questions about the current intellectual property rights system to meet the challenges of AIDS.
Read more about these important policy recommendations and watch an interview of our MSc-GH student about his important HIV/AIDS research in Uganda in today's special HIV/AIDS edition of News & Notes.
Until next time,
Geelea Seaford and Everyone at DGHI
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DGHI Work to be Highlighted at AIDS 2012 Conference
Duke University has been leader in HIV/AIDS since the earliest days of its discovery. This includes extensive vaccine research and contributions to the development of an antiretroviral drug, to discovery of an HIV antibody test and of HIV  as the cause of AIDS. The discoveries of many Duke HIV/AIDS researchers will be on display at the upcoming XIX International AIDS Conference July 22-27 in Washington, D.C. Many faculty and researchers from the Duke Global Health Institute will have abstracts highlighted at the global conference, including research on the effects of HIV infection on children with severe malnutrition, female sex workers and the HIV risk among adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa. Research on the effectiveness of home-based mental health services, a program to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission, and mobile voluntary HIV testing campaigns, will also be presented. DGHI faculty member Christina Meade will deliver an oral presentation that links methamphetamine use with sexual abuse and HIV sexual risk behaviors among bar-goers in Cape Town, South Africa. Other DGHI faculty members and researchers whose work will be highlighted at the conference include John Bartlett, Sarah Bartz, Sherryl Broverman, Annie Buchanan, Coleen Cunningham, Anya Drabkin, Michael Freemark, Sara LeGrand, Christina Meade, Giovanna Merli, William Pan, Brian Pence, Eve Puffer, Elizabeth Reddy, Susan Reif, Kathleen Sikkema, Beth Stringfield, Nathan Thielman, Kimberly Walker, Melissa Watt and Kathryn Whetten. 
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Preventing HIV Through Male Circumcision
Prevention is an important part of reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS worldwide. Male circumcision is one effective way to lower the risk of HIV transmission. In this video, Duke Master of Science in Global Health Graduate Edgar Asiimwe shares surprising new findings from his thesis research on the willingness of young men in Uganda to undergo safe male circumcision. His findings are published in the spring 2012 issue of the Global Health Journal (pg. 17-21). Asiimwe worked in collaboration with DGHI mentors Rae Jean Proeschold-Bell, Kim Chapman Page and David Boyd, as well as partners in Uganda. Watch this important and inspiring video of how our students are effecting change in global health.  | Click image to watch video
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Merson Warns of Challenges Ahead for PEPFAR
DGHI Director Michael H. Merson and colleagues suggest that the largest ever global investment in HIV/AIDS by any  one country, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), faces an uphill battle. As a leader of the World Health Organization's Global Programme on AIDS in the 1990s, Merson highlights the advancements that have been made over the past 30 years and warns of the challenges that lie ahead.
"With aggressive new treatment targets set by PEFPAR and the global community, we cannot afford to lose momentum. Continued US leadership, strong political and financial commitment from the international community, and a continued emphasis on HIV prevention are paramount, or the global response could face major setbacks," said Merson.
The article was published in Health Affairs on Monday with co-authors James W. Curran of Emory University, DGHI Research Analyst Caroline Hope Griffith and Duke Global Health Certificate Graduate Braveen Ragunanthan.
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New Approaches to Innovation Required to Combat HIV/AIDS
DGHI faculty member Anthony So, who leads the Program on Global Health and Technology Access based at the  Sanford School of Public Policy, is calling for new approaches to intellectual property and innovation that can better address the challenges of HIV/AIDS.
In a new publication, So and DGHI adjunct assistant professor Cecilia Oh highlight the twin challenges of innovation and access to health technologies that will be instrumental for combating HIV/AIDS today and tomorrow.
"Scaling up treatment and sustaining the momentum of this work will require striking the right incentives, but also ensuring fair returns on the public investment in AIDS. This requires a close look at the dyadic and evolving relationship between intellectual property rights and innovation," write So and Oh in the paper.
The working paper was released Monday as part of the final report of the Global Commission on HIV and the Law.
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Global Health Opportunities
Job Opportunities
Research Analyst, Duke Global Health Institute
Upcoming Conferences
2012 International AIDS Conference, July 22-27, Washington, D.C.
APHA Annual Meeting, Oct. 27-31, San Francisco, CA
Global Symposium on Health Systems Research, Oct. 31-Nov. 3, Beijing, China
61st Annual ASTMH Conference, Nov. 11-15, Atlanta, GA
Faculty
DGHI Global Cancer Research Request for Proposals - due Sept. 1
DukeEngage Faculty Call for Proposals
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