Health
Who Will Care for Infants With H.I.V. Overseas?
The Trump administration has dismissed the few remaining health officials who oversaw care for some of the world’s most vulnerable people: more than 500,000 children and more than 600,000 pregnant women with H.I.V. in low-income countries.
Expert teams that managed programs meant to prevent newborns from acquiring H.I.V. from their mothers and to provide treatment for infected children were eliminated last week in the chaotic reorganization of the Health and Human Services Department.
Some of the consequences of the dismissals are only now coming to light.
While it was known that some staff members devoted to H.I.V. prevention in other countries had been lost, The New York Times has learned that all such experts have now been terminated or are awaiting reassignment at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development.
These maternal health programs are still funded by the President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR. But without personnel to manage the initiatives or to disburse the money, it’s not clear how the work will continue.
The Health and Human Services Department did not respond to a request for comment.
“We hope this is not a sign that treating mothers and children is no longer important in PEPFAR, and that this is a mistake that can be corrected,” said a federal health official who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation.
The stakes are high. Already in sub-Saharan Africa, a child under 15 dies of AIDS every seven minutes.
On Tuesday, a study in The Lancet estimated that suspending PEPFAR could lead to about one million new H.I.V. infections by 2030 and could lead to nearly 500,000 AIDS deaths among children and the orphaning of 2.8 million more.
After the nascent Trump administration froze all foreign aid, Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a waiver permitting delivery of “core lifesaving medicine, medical services” and other activities funded by the United States.
A waiver specific to PEPFAR later explicitly continued support for programs meant to prevent mother-to-child transmission of H.I.V., and to provide treatment of infected women and children.
The paperwork allowing the aid to resume took weeks after the waiver was issued, and several organizations are only just beginning to receive federal funds required to run the programs.
“You can dismantle something very quickly, but now you’re trying to build it back up with a fraction of the staff and potentially 5 percent of the institutional knowledge,” said a federal official who wasn’t authorized to speak to the news media and requested anonymity.
All experts in pediatric H.I.V. were all let go in the gutting of U.S.A.I.D., leaving a single unit at the C.D.C. with the expertise to advise overseas programs. That team was lost in last week’s reorganization, along with another that handles disbursement of funds for 300 grants in more than 40 countries.
Given the State Department waiver, those layoffs came as surprise to the federal health workers and to the organizations that rely on them.
“We clearly understood that H.I.V. services for mothers and children would fall under” the waiver, said Dr. Anja Giphart, executive vice president of medical and scientific affairs at the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.
The foundation depends on the C.D.C. for about 60 percent of its budget. “We were totally blindsided that the whole unit at C.D.C. is being terminated,” she said.
The organization has been promised funds until September. But only a few people were authorized to use the payment system at the C.D.C.
“Everyone is scrambling now to figure out how to pay country teams and partners,” said a C.D.C. official who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation.
Other experts said that they were not surprised by the hollowing out of the C.D.C.’s H.I.V. teams despite the waiver.
“What we’ve seen is that there’s no rhyme and reason to any of the actions that the administration is taking,” said Jirair Ratevosian, who served as the chief of staff for PEPFAR in the Biden administration.
Care for children and pregnant women with H.I.V. is complex.
Infants need an H.I.V. test different from the one used for adults, and infected babies must take a separate set of medications. They succumb quickly to complications when treatment is interrupted.
“Especially when you think about children, time is of the essence,” Dr. Giphart said. “That seems to not really be taken into consideration with all these changes that are being made.”
In low-income countries, pregnant women with H.I.V. usually get treatment at prenatal clinics. Without treatment, one in three pregnant women may pass H.I.V. on to her baby.
Treatment decreases the risk of transmission to less than 1 percent. PEPFAR has prevented nearly eight million such infections in newborns since its inception, in 2003.
The foreign aid freeze imposed in January has resulted in shortages of pediatric H.I.V. drugs in many countries and the delayed delivery of a new H.I.V. drug treatment.
The C.D.C. experts who were let go had been helping low-income countries prepare for this transition, tracking stocks and helping to direct the medications to the places with the most urgent needs, said an official who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation.
“This coordination is especially critical right now because we’re in a period of immense change,” the official said.
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The rates of gastrointestinal (GI) cancers are rising among young adults, with a new peer-reviewed study pointing to the American diet and lifestyle as the primary culprits.
The rising risk in younger generations may be linked more to environmental factors than genetics, stated the report, which was recently published in the British Journal of Surgery.
“Some shared risk factors for early-onset (EO) GI cancer include obesity, sedentary lifestyle, excessive alcohol consumption and smoking,” lead researcher Sara Char, M.D., at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, told Fox News Digital.
RARE CANCER DIAGNOSES SURGE DRAMATICALLY AMONG MILLENNIALS AND GEN X
The study notes that recent generations are more likely to adopt a “Western-pattern diet” and a “sedentary lifestyle.”
Colorectal is the most common type of early-onset GI cancer, but pancreatic, esophageal, gastric, biliary, appendiceal and neuroendocrine cancers are also rising in adults under 50, Char noted.
The report notes that recent generations are more likely to adopt a “Western-pattern diet” and a sedentary lifestyle. (iStock)
Adults born in 1990 have twice the risk of colon cancer and four times the risk of rectal cancer compared to those born in 1950, according to a previous study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
How diet impacts risk
Paul Oberstein, M.D., director of the Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology Program at NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center, told Fox News Digital that a person’s diet does indeed impact the risk of colon cancer.
YOUR FAVORITE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE COULD BE LINKED TO DEADLY FORM OF CANCER, STUDY FINDS
“It is reported from previous studies that when someone has a higher amount of foods typical of a Western diet, they have a higher risk of colon cancer,” said Oberstein, who was not involved in the research.
A “Western diet” typically includes a higher intake of red and processed meats, processed and added sugars, and highly processed and refined grains, according to the oncologist.
Adults born in 1990 have twice the risk of colon cancer and four times the risk of rectal cancer compared to those born in 1950. (iStock)
Processed deli meats, sugary drinks and processed grain snacks are also commonly associated with this type of diet.
Research and recommendations
While the incidence of colon cancer in this group overall remains low, Oberstein recommends investing in more research to explore which factors are causing the increase.
“We need to conduct more research on whether diet, vitamin supplements, alcohol or other things we ingest or use are contributing to this increase,” he said.
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The expert also emphasized the importance of following the recommended colon cancer screening guidelines, which begin at 45 years old for most people, and seeking medical attention if any symptoms appear.
“We need to conduct more research on whether diet, vitamin supplements, alcohol or other things we ingest or use are contributing to this increase,” an oncologist said. (iStock)
Common warning signs include changes in bowel habits, blood in the stool, unexplained back or abdominal pain, or unintentional weight loss, all of which warrant speaking to a doctor for an “urgent evaluation,” according to Char.
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The researcher added that younger individuals can take preventative measures such as not smoking, avoiding excessive alcohol, limiting red meat consumption, staying physically active and maintaining a healthy body weight.
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A new weekly injectable drug could transform the lives of more than eight million people living with Parkinson’s disease, potentially replacing the need for daily pills.
Scientists from the University of South Australia (UniSA) developed a long-acting injectable formulation that provides two key Parkinson’s medications for an entire week.
There is currently no cure for Parkinson’s, which is the second-most common neurological disorder, affecting more than one million Americans, according to the Parkinson’s Foundation.
STANFORD SCIENTISTS ‘TOTALLY SURPRISED’ BY POTENTIAL PARKINSON’S TREATMENT DISCOVERY
To manage symptoms like tremors, rigidity and slow movement, patients typically take daily oral medications, such as levodopa and carbidopa, according to the university’s press release.
This method can be especially difficult for individuals who have trouble swallowing or are otherwise unable to take the pills consistently, leading to irregular medication levels, increased side effects and reduced effectiveness.
Scientists from the University of South Australia developed a long-acting injectable formulation that provides two key Parkinson’s medications for an entire week. (iStock)
Levodopa is the “gold-standard therapy for Parkinson’s,” according to lead researcher Professor Sanjay Garg at UniSA, but its short lifespan means it must be taken several times a day.
The researchers tested an injectable gel implant that combines an FDA-approved biodegradable substance with a pH-sensitive substance to achieve a controlled and sustained drug release.
PARKINSON’S PATIENTS WHO TAKE ‘MAGIC MUSHROOMS’ SEE KEY BENEFITS, STUDY FINDS
The gel is injected through a single shot under the skin or into the muscle tissue, which means there’s no need for a surgical implant and discomfort is minimal, they noted.
The team found that the gel gradually released the key Parkinson’s medications (90% of the levodopa drug and 81% of the carbidopa) over the course of one week.
The findings were published in the journal Drug Delivery and Translational Research.
To manage symptoms like tremors, rigidity and slow movement, patients typically take daily oral medications. (iStock)
“Reducing the frequency of dosing from multiple times a day to a weekly injection is a major step forward in Parkinson’s therapy,” Garg said in the release. “We’re not just improving how the drug is delivered; we’re improving patients’ lives.”
Extensive lab tests confirmed the system’s effectiveness and safety.
“We’re not just improving how the drug is delivered; we’re improving patients’ lives.”
The implant degraded by over 80% within a week and showed no significant toxicity in cell viability tests.
“The implications of this research are profound,” Garg added.
Deepa Nakmode, a PhD student at the University of South Australia, noted that this method is designed to release both levodopa and carbidopa steadily over one week, maintaining consistent plasma levels and reducing the risks associated with fluctuating drug concentrations.
“After years of focused research, it’s incredibly rewarding to see our innovation in long-acting injectables for Parkinson’s disease reach this stage,” he said in the release.
The team’s invention has now been filed for an Australian patent, Nakmode added.
Extensive lab tests confirmed the new medication’s effectiveness and safety, the researchers noted. (iStock)
The technology could also be adapted for other chronic conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, neurodegenerative disorders, chronic pain and infections that require long-term drug delivery, according to Garg.
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The system can be tuned to release drugs over a period ranging from a few days to several weeks, depending on therapeutic needs.
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Scientists hope to start clinical trials in the near future and are exploring opportunities to make the gel commercially available.
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