The Global Fight Against HIV/AIDS: Has the United Nations Successfully Securitized HIV/AIDS?

HIV/AIDS is an urgent health issue in many areas of the world, particularly in Africa. In addition to reaching pandemic status, HIV/AIDS is also being elevated to the level of a security threat. While this is occurring both nationally and internationally, the United Nations is leading this securitization attempt. The UN has been able to engage in this attempt as it is the most influential international organization and the leading norm promoting organization. Securitization is an analytic process that traces how issues become identified and understood as security threats. This concept originated within the Copenhagen school of security studies, and this is the framework that this paper relies on to analyze the connection between HIV/AIDS and security. The connection between HIV/AIDS and security is now widely internalized, accepted and even promoted by national governments, international organizations, and non-governmental organizations. However, the successful securitization of HIV/AIDS has yet to be fully explored, understood, or tested. This paper undertakes this task, and relies on the Copenhagen process of securitization to trace the security discourse initiated from the UN, down through four selected case studies. It identifies which of the key Copenhagen requirements for securitization have been met, and which have not been met, ultimately leading to the conclusion that the United Nations prompted a successful internal securitization and an unsuccessful external securitization. This paper concludes that the current Copenhagen school process of securitization is flawed and is inadequate for studying today’s emerging non-traditional threats. In particular, it is unable to trace the securitization of HIV/AIDS as a result of stringent and unrepresentative criterions. It attempts to move forward by offering a rationale and direction to begin updating the Copenhagen process of securitization

Tattoo-associated Mycobacterium haemophilum Skin Infection in Immunocompetent Adult, 2009

After a laboratory-confirmed case of Mycobacterium haemophilum skin infection in a recently tattooed immunocompetent adult was reported, we investigated to identify the infection source and additional cases. We found 1 laboratory-confirmed and 1 suspected case among immunocompetent adults who had been tattooed at the same parlor

Completion of the Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Series Among Adolescent Users and Nonusers of School-Based Health Centers

Objectives: Uptake and completion of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine series among adolescents are suboptimal in the United States. We examined immunization registry data to determine completion of the 3-dose HPV vaccine series among adolescents in Seattle, Washington, born during 1995-2000 who received ≥1 dose of HPV vaccine. Methods: Immunization data included the administrating facility, which identified adolescents who used school-based health centers (SBHCs) for any HPV vaccine dose. We calculated completion of the 3-dose series at any time and on time by the 13th birthday. We stratified analyses by sex and assessed differences in on-time and any-time completion between users and nonusers of SBHCs. Results: Overall, 67.9% (8612 of 12 676) of females and 41.8% (3560 of 8521) of males with ≥1 dose of HPV vaccine completed the 3-dose series. Compared with female SBHC nonusers, female SBHC users had 37% higher odds of completing the series at any time (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.37; 95% CI, 1.19-1.58) and 33% higher odds of completing the series on time (aOR = 1.33; 95% CI, 1.08-1.64). Compared with male SBHC nonusers, male SBHC users had 45% higher odds of completing the series at any time (aOR = 1.45; 95% CI, 1.23-1.70) and 79% higher odds of completing the series on time (aOR = 1.79; 95% CI, 1.11-2.89). Conclusion: Adolescent SBHC users had higher odds of completing the HPV vaccine series than adolescents who received all doses in traditional health care settings. SBHCs should be leveraged to increase adolescent immunization rates. </jats:sec

Accuracy of Medical Examiner’s Assessment for Near–Real-Time Surveillance of Fatal Drug Overdoses, King County, Washington, March 2017–February 2018

Objectives Up-to-date information on the occurrence of drug overdose is critical to guide public health response. The objective of our study was to evaluate a near–real-time fatal drug overdose surveillance system to improve timeliness of drug overdose monitoring. Methods We analyzed data on deaths in the King County (Washington) Medical Examiner’s Office (KCMEO) jurisdiction that occurred during March 1, 2017–February 28, 2018, and that had routine toxicology test results. Medical examiners (MEs) classified probable drug overdoses on the basis of information obtained through the death investigation and autopsy. We calculated sensitivity, positive predictive value, specificity, and negative predictive value of MEs’ classification by using the final death certificate as the gold standard. Results KCMEO investigated 2480 deaths; 1389 underwent routine toxicology testing, and 361 were toxicologically confirmed drug overdoses from opioid, stimulant, or euphoric drugs. Sensitivity of the probable overdose classification was 83%, positive predictive value was 89%, specificity was 96%, and negative predictive value was 94%. Probable overdoses were classified a median of 1 day after the event, whereas the final death certificate confirming an overdose was received by KCMEO an average of 63 days after the event. Conclusions King County MEs’ probable overdose classification provides a near–real-time indicator of fatal drug overdoses, which can guide rapid local public health responses to the drug overdose epidemic. </jats:sec