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JANUARY 2016
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Fresh appeal to take life-changing test Walkers carrying decorated lanterns and umbrellas
A candlelit walk took place through Birmingham city centre, culminating in an hour of reflection and celebration, to mark World AIDS Day. More than 50 supporters joined the procession in December organised by Umbrella: a new sexual health service for people of all ages, genders and orientations across Birmingham and Solihull which is led by University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB). Starting at ABPlus in Digbeth the procession moved on to Birmingham LGBT in Holloway Circus, Pure Bar and Kitchen in Waterloo Street and then to St Philip’s Cathedral for music, dance and presentations to recognise the strength of those affected by and living with HIV and AIDS – and to remember those who have been lost. The walkers carried lanterns and umbrellas which had been decorated by young people across Birmingham during a series of education and arts workshops in schools and colleges. David Viney, Health & Wellbeing manager at Birmingham LGBT, an Umbrella partner, said: “The aim was to bring together professionals working in sexual health and HIV support with people who have experienced first-hand the issues around living with HIV. Hopefully the
candlelit walk has helped to raise awareness to a wider audience.” World AIDS Day came at the end of National HIV Testing Week, with Birmingham health chiefs warning about the dangers of at-risk individuals failing to get themselves regularly tested. Late diagnosis is one of the major problems facing health care workers in the battle against the virus – and the Midlands has some of hte worst rates in the country. People diagnosed promptly with HIV, with treatment started early, can expect near normal life expectancy. But with late diagnosis life expectancy is reduced, sometimes dramatically,
and those people will also end up spending more time in hospital. According to the latest figures the highest rates of late diagnosis (52 per cent) were found in the Midlands and the East of England and in Birmingham, between 2012 and 2014, 45 per cent of cases were diagnosed late. Dr Kaveh Manavi, HIV lead at UHB, said: “Late HIV diagnosis is a particular problem facing us in the fight against this disease. “Once a person is infected, the infection will remain in the system and in due course, if not treated, will destroy their immune system – and it does that regardless of their age, race, gender or sexual orientation. “We don’t want to see people being diagnosed late because we have got very good medicines that can prevent the virus from destroying the immune system if caught early enough. “Testing is confidential, easy, free and readily available via the Umbrella service. You can go to a drop-in clinic, book an appointment or have a test kit sent to your home. It couldn’t be any easier.” For more information about HIV testing, diagnosis and treatment visit www.umbrellahealth.co.uk.
UHB haematologist awarded CBE in New Year’s Honours Trust Consultant Professor Charles Craddock has been awarded a CBE for services to medicine and medical research in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours. Prof Craddock is Director of the Blood and Marrow Transplant Unit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (QEHB) and Professor of Haemato-oncology at the University of Birmingham. He is also Director of the Centre for Clinical Haematology at QEHB and was Transitional Director of the Institute of Translational Medicine which opened on the hospital site in July 2015. In 2003, Professor Craddock co-founded the charity Cure Leukaemia, which has established a regional network of specialist research nurses and subsequently played a leading role in establishing the national Bloodwise Trials Acceleration Programme. Prof Craddock has stated that it is now realistic to believe we will be able to find cures for almost all forms of blood cancer within the next 30 years. His work has helped thousands of people suffering with blood cancer including former professional footballers Geoff Thomas and Stiliyan Petrov. Dame Julie Moore, Chief Executive of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, said: “I am delighted to hear that Prof Craddock’s life-saving work has been recognised in the New Year’s Honours. He is dedicated to his profession and thoroughly deserves this accolade for his commitment to improving people’s lives through medicine.” Prof Craddock studied medicine at Oxford University and underwent postgraduate training in haematology at the Hammersmith Hospital, London, the Institute of Molecular Medicine at the University of Oxford and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre at the University of Washington, Seattle. In 1999 he was appointed Director of the Blood and Marrow Transplant Unit at the QE and in 2004 took up a newly created Chair of Haemato-oncology at the University of Birmingham. In the past decade the BMT unit has grown rapidly to become the second largest adult transplant programme in the UK. The Centre for Clinical Haematology houses an integrated clinical leukaemia and transplant programme and an early phase trial unit serving one of the largest catchment areas in Europe.
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