BRIEFS

WORLD

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa-
The world must not grow
complacent about AIDS because the
number of new HIV infections still
outpaces the number of those being
treated for the disease, former South
African President Nelson Mandela
said at a benefit concert Saturday.

Since stepping down as South
Africa’s first black president in 1999,
Mandela, whose son died from the
disease, has championed the cause
of people with AIDS.

On Saturday, he drew a crowd of
about 15,000 to his fifth international
awareness concert, held this year
to coincide with World AIDS Day.
Recent U.N. figures estimate that
the number of AIDS cases fell from
almost 40 million last year to 33.2
million in 2007.

“This lower figure suggests that
prevention programs have been
successful in bringing down infection
rates,” Mandela said. “That trend is
encouraging, but it is still alarming
that for every person receiving
treatment, four others are newly
infected.

“If we are to stop the AIDS
epidemic from expanding, we need
to break the cycle of new HIV
infections.

“All of us working together with
government, communities and civil
society can make the difference that is
needed. Together we have the power
to change the course of destiny,” he
said to rapturous applause.

Of South Africa’s 48 million
people, about 5.5 million are infected
with the AIDS virus – the highest
number in the world – and about
900 people in the country die every
day from the disease.

NATION

GALVESTON, Texas – The
University of Texas Medical Branch
might stop offering cancer care
to indigent and undocumented
immigrants to cut costs.

The UTMB set aside about $12
million in this year’s $1.4 billion
annual budget to treat indigent
cancer patients, but that isn’t
enough to meet demand, said Karen
Sexton, vice president and CEO of
hospitals and clinics at the medical
branch.

The medical branch laid off 381
employees last year as it dealt with
inflation, state funding cuts and the
growing number of Texans without
health insurance.

“Any time there’s any restriction
in access to care, there’s pushback
from people who are concerned
about that,” Sexton said. “It doesn’t
feel right to us, either.”

Even if the policy were changed,
the medical branch would not
stop treating cancer patients
already in its care. Once cancer
treatment begins, hospitals and
doctors are ethically bound to
continue.

Unless Texans address the
overall problems of the uninsured
and funding for public hospitals,
cash-strapped institutions must
begin drawing lines, said Howard
Brody, director of the Institute
for the Medical Humanities and
chair of the medical branch’s ethics
committee.

LOCAL

ARLINGTON – Ron Paul won
an informal straw poll of Virginia
Republicans Saturday at the state
party’s annual weekend retreat.

The Texas congressman got 182
of the 479 ballots cast, or 38 percent.
Former Tennessee Sen. Fred
Thompson finished second with 112
votes, with former Arkansas Gov.
Mike Huckabee third with 51.

Dozens of noisy Paul followers
packed the late afternoon speeches,
held in suburban Washington, D.C.
hotel, and the voting afterward.

“They weren’t here yesterday,”
said state GOP chairman John
Hager.

About 700 Republican activists
registered for the Friday and Saturday
event. “We had no indication
until around 3 o’clock that this
would happen.”

Mitt Romney got 43 votes, Sen.
John McCain got 23, California
congressman Duncan Hunter got
19 and Colorado congressman Tom
Tancredo finished with four.