| | | | |  | | By Carmen Paun, Ben Leonard, Evan Peng and Erin Schumaker | Presented by Walmart | | | | | |  Progress against HIV lags international goals, but the UN is feeling hopeful. | Getty Images | When the United Nations last summer estimated there were 1.1 million to 1.8 million HIV infections in 2021, it called it “painful” news and an indication that “the response to the AIDS pandemic has been derailed by global crises.” Today, when it announced its 2022 estimate – 1 million to 1.7 million – the UN’s HIV and AIDS program was far more hopeful, declaring “there is a clear path that ends AIDS” by its target date of 2030. Still, the slight progress in 2022 falls well short of UN goals, which sought to drive down new infections of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, to 500,000 by 2020, and to 200,000 by 2030. This year, in announcing its latest figures, UNAIDS took the long view and that picture is brighter. In 2010, it had estimated HIV infections at 1.6 million to 2.8 million. Regional gains: Eastern and Southern Africa, the part of the world most heavily impacted by HIV, more than halved the number of new HIV infections and deaths from AIDS when compared to 2010. Western and Central Africa also saw a similar trend. The decline in the number of new HIV infections was more modest in North America and Central and Western Europe, the Caribbean and Asia Pacific, ranging from 23 percent to 14 percent, respectively. Backsliding: But other regions experienced a sharp increase in the number of new HIV infections when compared to 2010, with the highest in the Middle East and North Africa, which saw a 61 percent hike. The region has the lowest burden of the virus in the world but it also has the lowest level of treatment globally, according to UNAIDS: only 50 percent of the people living with HIV receive treatment. Eastern Europe and Central Asia also recorded a near doubling of the new infections when compared to just over a decade ago. That’s due to a “challenging legal environment, human rights violations and military conflict,” UNAIDS said. It’s also the only region in the world experiencing an increase in AIDS-related deaths, which are 46 percent higher than in 2010. The region includes Russia and Ukraine, where the groups most affected by HIV are gay men and those who inject illegal drugs. The number of new HIV infections also rose in Latin America, albeit by a more modest 8 percent when compared to the other regions recording increases. That’s because progress in preventing infection in the region has been sluggish, UNAIDS said. Gay men and transgender people tend to be the most impacted by the virus, based on partial data from the region.
|  | | On Capitol Hill: House appropriators approved legislation on Wednesday to reup the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, but public health advocates worry that politics could threaten future funding. The program’s reauthorization for five years, due this year, is in doubt after Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) raised concerns that the Biden administration is using PEPFAR to support abortion-rights groups in developing countries.
| | A message from Walmart: Nearly 133 million Americans live with a chronic condition who need accessible, affordable medication to help them stay healthy. Walmart pharmacies offer prescriptions for medications that treat heart disease, diabetes and high cholesterol starting at $4 per month. With 90% of the U.S. population living within 10 miles of a Walmart store or pharmacy, Walmart is increasing the accessibility of services and medications that help millions of Americans live a little better. Learn more. | | | | | | | 
Kunming, China | Evan Peng | | This is where we explore the ideas and innovators shaping health care. The Federal Trade Commission is reportedly investigating OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, about whether it has put "personal reputations and data at risk." Share any thoughts, news, tips and feedback with Ben Leonard at bleonard@politico.com, Ruth Reader at rreader@politico.com, Carmen Paun at cpaun@politico.com or Erin Schumaker at eschumaker@politico.com. Send tips securely through SecureDrop, Signal, Telegram or WhatsApp. Today on our Pulse Check podcast, Katherine Ellen Foley talks with Adam Cancryn about why Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is holding up the nomination of Monica Bertagnolli to lead the National Institutes of Health because he's dissatisfied with the Biden administration's efforts to lower drug prices.
| | | | | | | UNLEASH THE FUTURE OF HEALTHCARE WITH POLITICO, A 7/20 INTERACTIVE EVENT: Imagine a future where rare genetic diseases are not only treatable, but potentially curable. Where our approach to chronic illness takes a monumental leap forward. That future is already taking shape in the form of next-generation health care treatments such as gene therapy. Join POLITICO on Thursday, July 20 and delve into the burgeoning field of gene therapies, which hold the power to redefine our health care landscape. Are you ready to explore this new frontier in health care? Don't miss this chance to be part of the conversation. REGISTER NOW. | | | | | | | | | 
AI's getting into health care, sometimes with the FDA's endorsement, sometimes without. | Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images | Artificial intelligence is finding its way into health care, usually with the Food and Drug Administration’s endorsement — but regulation has lagged. In this environment, some device-makers are marketing their technology in a different way from what the agency has approved it for, according to a new study published by New York University researchers in JAMA Network Open. The researchers examined medical device applications the FDA cleared between November 2021 and March 2022 on the grounds that the devices were similar to those on the FDA’s list of AI-enabled devices. They found that 4 in 5 matched the FDA clearance summary in marketing materials characterizing whether or not the devices used AI. But nearly 13 percent of the device-makers marketed their products by saying they were leaning on AI when, in fact, their FDA clearance summaries didn’t mention the use of AI. The makers of the remaining 7 percent used marketing terms like “smart” or “predictive,” suggesting the possibility that they also incorporate artificial intelligence. Why it matters: The researchers argue that any discrepancy between clearance and marketing could pose consumer-safety risks. They said that “outdated” FDA guidance could be at play, as well as a dearth of agency resources. “The aim of this study was not to suggest developers were creating and marketing unsafe or untrustworthy devices but to show the need for study on the topic and more uniform guidelines around marketing of software-heavy devices,” the researchers wrote.
| | | | A message from Walmart:   | | | | | | |  Care that can move from hospital to home is limited. | AFP via Getty Images | Moving more care from hospital to home has the potential to offer savings and greater patient comfort. But Stephen Dorner, chief innovation and clinical officer for Mass General Brigham’s home health care program, thinks the amount of care that can move is limited for now. The hospital was one of the first adopters of hospital-to-home care after beginning a program in 2016. From that experience, Dorner puts the total amount of care for all patients that can move to the home at 10 percent. That’s less than many hope — and could be a blow to the lawmakers who see moving care to the home as a potential fix for Medicare’s solvency woes. Even so: Dorner predicts technological advances and reimbursement certainty could eventually push that percentage closer to 40. But experimentation with the shift to at-home care — which grew to nearly 300 hospitals in 37 states after Covid hit — could also face headwinds if Congress allows waivers issued during the pandemic to expire at the end of 2024. Those waivers set equivalent Medicare reimbursement rates for care provided at home. “The market is probably looking for greater certainty of what’s going to happen come January 1, 2025, before we really see the explosion of technology,” said Dorner.
| | A message from Walmart: Walmart is on a mission to transform the cost and convenience of healthcare in communities across the country. By increasing the accessibility of services and medications for customers with heart disease, diabetes and more, Walmart helps millions of Americans live a little better:
● Walmart pharmacies offer prescriptions for medications that treat heart disease, diabetes, cholesterol and more, starting at just $4 per month
● Walmart provides healthcare access to over 4,000 HRSA designated medically underserved areas
● 90% of the U.S. population lives within 10 miles of Walmart store or pharmacy
With nearly 133 million Americans living with a chronic condition, Walmart’s mission is to help people save money and “live better” by committing to making healthcare more accessible, convenient and affordable for customers in the communities they serve.
Learn more about Walmart’s commitment to Health & Wellness. | | | | | | | SUBSCRIBE TO POWER SWITCH: The energy landscape is profoundly transforming. Power Switch is a daily newsletter that unlocks the most important stories driving the energy sector and the political forces shaping critical decisions about your energy future, from production to storage, distribution to consumption. Don’t miss out on Power Switch, your guide to the politics of energy transformation in America and around the world. SUBSCRIBE TODAY. | | | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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