Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Emergency Rule Goes Into Effect In Florida, Slashing Access To HIV Meds
ABC News: Florida Department Of Health Cuts To HIV, AIDS Program Enacted As Thousands Risk Losing Access
An emergency rule from the Florida Department of Health went into effect on Sunday that could restrict tens of thousands of people from accessing HIV medication. The state issued cuts to the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), a federal-state partnership that provides free FDA-approved HIV medication for low-income, uninsured or underinsured people. Under the emergency rule, eligibility for ADAP was lowered to include those at or below 130% of the federal poverty level, which equals about $20,345 per year for a one-person household, according to the Department of Health and Human Services (Kekatos, 3/1)
MedPage Today: Substantial HIV Prevalence In U.S. Teens With Syphilis, But Cases Are Declining
An estimated one in 12 U.S. adolescents with early syphilis also have HIV in a national surveillance sample, but the burden of co-occurring syphilis and HIV in teens is decreasing, according to a study. (Haelle, 3/1)
WHO: Denmark Becomes First Country In The European Union To Eliminate Mother-To-Child Transmission Of HIV And Syphilis
The World Health Organization (WHO) has certified Denmark for the elimination of mother-to-child transmission (EMTCT) of HIV and syphilis, recognizing the country's sustained commitment to ensuring every child is born free of these infections. “The elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis marks a major public health achievement for Denmark,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. (2/26)
The Independent: Inside The Battle To End The Aids Pandemic In The Face Of Trump’s Cuts
In a clinic in Cape Town earlier this year, a woman rolled up her sleeve and became the first person enrolled in what is one of the most consequential HIV treatment trials ever attempted on African soil. The researchers watching had spent the better part of a year wondering if this moment would ever come. Fourteen months earlier, the programme – known as BRILLIANT 011 and is the flagship of an Africa-led consortium of scientists researching a potential HIV vaccine – had been days from launch when a stop-work order arrived from Washington. (Hagan, 3/2)
More health and wellness news —
AP: More Organs Are Being Donated After The Heart Stops, Not Brain Death
The vast majority of organ donations once came from people who were brain-dead. Now they’re increasingly coming from people who died when their heart stopped beating, a major shift that can boost transplants but also raises public confusion, researchers reported Thursday. What’s called donation after circulatory death, or DCD, jumped dramatically in a short period: It accounted for 49% of all deceased donors in the U.S. last year, up from 2% in 2000. (Neergaard, 2/26)
San Francisco Chronicle: That Pricey Sunscreen May Be Costing You Protection, Study Says
With springlike warmth returning to the Bay Area, people may be stocking up on sunscreen — and new research suggests cheaper may actually be better. A year’s worth of sunscreen can cost as little as $40 or as much as $1,400, according to a new study from UCSF dermatologists that encourages consumers to get inexpensive sunscreen — which may prompt people to use more of it. (Ho, 2/28)
