Do you know that you have AIDS? In a dramatic effort to gain sympathy for HIV/AIDS patients as well as increased funding for AIDS research at amfAR (American Federation for AIDS Research), amfAR's Chairman of the Board, Kenneth Cole, is personally financing and overseeing hundreds of millions of dollars of expenditures on a global advertising campaign entitled "WE ALL HAVE AIDS...IF ONE OF US DOES." Every Viacom division is involved in the campaign and 123 messages have aired to date, totaling $600 million in media value. Additionally, Viacom properties, including CBS, UPN, MTV, BET, VH1 and Showtime, have produced more than 46 television shows with HIV/AIDS themes seen by millions worldwide as well as the picture above that showcases many celebrity AIDS spokespersons, including Richard Gere, Whoopi Goldberg, Tom Hanks, Elton John, Ashley Judd, Alicia Keys, Larry Kramer, Rosie O’Donnell, Elizabeth Taylor, Greg Louganis and Will Smith. FAIR believes such an ad campaign by amfAR, Viacom and Hollywood is disrespectful and insensitive to the suffering experienced by everyone with non-AIDS illnesses, including the sixteen that kill a million more Americans than AIDS annually and the six thousand orphan (rare) diseases. On behalf of our thousands of members and supporters in all fifty states, we respectfully request that Viacom cease their involvement in this amfAR/Hollywood effort immediately. Kenneth Cole, Liz Taylor, Sharon Stone & amfAR While amfAR Chairman Kenneth Cole tells everyone they have AIDS, Liz Taylor has demanded more funding for HIV/AIDS in Congress and Sharon Stone, as Chairman of amfAR’s Campaign for AIDS Research, has beseeched every American for years on almost-daily radio ads to send more money to  amfAR (click here to listen to Sharon's ad). Cole, Stone and Taylor continue to volunteer their efforts to raise millions for amfAR. Do all of amfAR's employee's donate their time, as do the FAIR Foundation's CEO and Board of Directors? For a full report that discloses total compensation of amfAR's officers, directors, as well as other salaries, wages, pension and employee benefits of $5,442,557 read their IRS Form 990 here. It also includes their CEO, Jerome Radwin's, total compensation package of $320,134 as well as significant expenses for lobbying "to change public opinion and Congress." Indeed, Cole, Stone and Taylor have been very successful. Sharon Stone, PEOPLE Magazine and FAIR In Sharon Stone's continuing effort to promote amfAR and their research funding budget, she states in a PEOPLE Magazine interview, “It’s a harder battle now” and “it’s much worse." Read our rebuttal, submitted to the Editor of PEOPLE here for the "Letters to the Editor" section. Global HIV/AIDS.. "Placing AIDS in proper perspective." As reported by the Associated Press's Margie Mason, cardiovascular disease kills 13 million each year, which is almost triple the number who die of AIDS, malaria and TB combined. Full story here. Within the USA.. From the Centers for Disease Control: HIV/AIDS deaths continue to decline significantly The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released its estimate here for 2004 HIV/AIDS deaths. The total has fallen again, from the 18,017 estimated for last year to 15,798 this year, providing further evidence of the laudable success of HIV/AIDS researchers and the need for re-evaluation of present HIV/AIDS research funding with a portion allocated to other illnesses. See the differential that this latest success has created here. Note that the title of the CDC report references that the estimate is in regards to the "United States," but at the bottom it states that the report includes "US Dependencies, possessions and associated nations." 15,798 or 11,919? With the help of FAIR member Saundra Sowders of Converse, Indiana, FAIR contacted the Dept. of Health in all 50 States and the District of Columbia. The States' total of HIV/AIDS deaths is 11,919 which is significantly lower than the 15,798 reported by the CDC. Since many States' statistics are not current, recent falling deaths rates are not fully recognized and the actual number is likely to be less than 11,919. To see the number of deaths in your state, click the map. New 2007 NIH Funding allocations released--most diseases receiving less Has this success against HIV/AIDS been recognized by the National Institutes of Health with reallocation of HIV/AIDS funding? Check the 2007 funding for HIV and your disease of interest here to see if your disease of interest is receiving less, and if there is any appreciable difference from its 2007 unding versus that for HIV disease.

..and how is the non-profit San Francisco AIDS Foundation faring?

Of the $20,905,589 in revenues for the year ended June 30, 2004, 74.9% came from private giving and 25.1% from government grants at the federal, state and local levels. Their Executive Director, Patricia Christen, suffered in comparison to amfAR's Jerome Radwin as Christen only earned $202,281 in total compensation. Read their Form 990s here that bring to light $3.97 million in salaries and wages, a $1.31 million loss on a "special event," $2.4 million in housing subsidies to HIV/AIDS patients and of the $5 million in grants, $4.6 went outside of San Francisco and the Golden State, indeed, to the Pangrea Global AIDS foundation.

FAIR's New Exhibition Banner

When Dr. Darling exhibits he brings the FAIR Foundation banner which states our name and logo as in the header of this page. We believe our newest banner, which will hang behind Dr. Darling at his next convention exhibitions, states the issue with emphasis. Click our logo to view it.

New World-wide HIV Cases Down for Good?

As reported by John Donnelly in the NY Times, new research suggests that the number of fresh HIV infections worldwide appears to have peaked, according to a report by leading AIDS researchers published in the British health journal The Lancet.

HIV Infections in San Francisco Down Again-Almost 10%

New HIV cases have fallen by almost 10 percent over the past five years, the city's first decline in infections since the late 1980s, health officials said in this article from the Associated Press.
Although a dated story, another SF report is further evidence of the great success against HIV/AIDS. Ben Perkins, director of AIDS Action's MALE Center, a wellness and prevention center serving MSM (men having sex with men), suspects the advocacy in San Francisco around the drug, crystal methamphetamine, may have contributed to the decrease in infection rates. Click on the Golden Gate for that second SF story.

FAIR Communicates with MSNBC's
The Ethical Edge: Everyday Ethics

A new television show on MSNBC, The Ethical Edge, Everyday Ethics (if  taken down by MSNBC view it on our site here), is now focusing on the pressing ethical issues of our day. Our Founder' and CEO, Richard Darling, DDS, gives presentations throughout the country entitled "Ethical Issues in the Allocation of Federal Dollars for Disease Research." Dr. Darling communicated with The Ethical Edge's Host and MSNBC Anchor and News Correspondent, Chris Jansing, with a request that Ms. Jansing consider the ethics involved in disproportionate disease research funding as a topic and you may view that communication on MSNBC here.

FAIR endorses the Ad Hoc Committee
for Medical Research Funding...

and has applied for membership in this consortium of organizations calling on increased medical research funding by Congress for the NIH. For more information on the organizations that comprise this group, click their logo. To view our request for membership, click here.

Your Donation to FAIR Counts!

In the fight for fairness in funding to balance the scales of justice, remember that every dollar counts. All of the progress we have made in educating America on the unfairness of present research policy has been made possible by your generous support. Please click here and make a "Memorial," "In Memory of," or a general donation to help us change our government's policies to insure proper research allocations for your disease of interest. Remember, no donation is too small!

The HIV/AIDS Clinical Trials Parade Continues

In May there were 1,742 HIV/AIDS Clinical Trials, in August, 1,865, in October 2,233, in December 2,293, now 2,454. Find out how many for your disease by clicking here. For example, there are a total of only 244 clinical trials for Parkinson's disease and also 244 for Alzheimer's Disease. 

FAIR Members' Soapbox Alerts continue; this month to those suffering from Parkinson's disease, diabetes and heart disease. Click the Soapbox logo to send an alert to President Bush, VP Cheney, your Senators and/or your Representatives today!

Focus Disease:  Parkinson's disease (PD)

• Parkinson's disease is a brain disorder.  It occurs when certain nerve cells (neurons) in the brain die or become impaired. Normally, these cells produce a vital chemical known as dopamine. Dopamine allows smooth, coordinated function of  muscles and movement.  When approximately 80% of the dopamine-producing cells are damaged, the symptoms of PD appear. PD is not contagious. The AMA has concluded that genetics play a role in the development of PD.  

• PD is common: There are more than 1.5 million Americans who live with Parkinson’s disease, with 60,000 new cases diagnosed each year. Compare to AIDS: AIDS sufferers total approximately 950,000 with estimates of 30-40,000 new infections per year.

• Parkinson's disease causes great suffering: Symptoms generally include tremor, muscle stiffness or rigidity, slowness of movement (called ‘bradykinesia’), and loss of balance. While medication masks some symptoms for a limited period, generally four to eight years, dose-limiting side-effects do occur after time. Eventually the medications lose their effectiveness, leaving the victim unable to move, speak or swallow.

• Caregivers.... are Angels to the ill. They make it possible to live with dignity while ill.

• A FAIR first: Profiling...a patient, a caregiver and a book.
  We regularly profile heroic patients, and for the first time FAIR is not only profiling a patient, Milly Kondracke, but also her wonderful care-giving husband and the book he wrote as a tribute to her. We believe you will enjoy reading Saving Milly: Love, Politics, and Parkinson's Disease, and, at the same time, gain great knowledge about this disease and an amazing woman, Milly, who died from it. Tributes to Milly from her friends may be viewed here and you may read reviews and purchase this book at Amazon.com by clicking on the book.   (Note: FAIR has no financial interest in this book.)

• Parkinson's disease treatment: Leading scientists describe Parkinson's as the “most curable” brain disorder. They hope for truly effective therapy and/or cure within this decade.

• PD is costly: In 1997, researchers estimated that the annual economic burden associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD) in the United States was $25 billion.

• Parkinson's disease & Stem Cell Research? Stem cell research can provide breakthrough treatments and cures for diseases and injuries that affect millions of Americans with Parkinson’s Disease, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, cystic fibrosis, multiple sclerosis, sickle cell disease, HIV/AIDS, osteoporosis, ALS, autism, severe burns and spinal cord injury.

• Fairness? The NIH is spending $12,403 research dollars on each patient death from PD in 2007 versus $182,807 on each patient death from AIDS. The NIH is spending $148 per PD patient in research versus $3,040 per AIDS patient. Jeffrey C. Martin, Chairman of the Board, Parkinson’s Action Network, stated, “While the NIH has a new emphasis on translational research under Director Zerhouni, the resources necessary to truly yield the payoff we are seeking have not yet been committed.”

• Clinical Research Trials: Parkinson's disease, 244; HIV/AIDS = 2,454. Deaths from Parkinson's disease: 17,898; from HIV/AIDS: 15,798

• Parkinson's Disease & The FAIR Foundation: In every presentation given by The FAIR Foundation, Parkinson's Disease is highlighted in the powerful ABC/ADA John Stossel Video. It features another hero in the battle for more research funding: Joan Samuelson, J.D., who has persevered against PD to be President of the Parkinson’s Action Network. Please take a few moments to view the video HERE (used with authorization--high speed connection required).

• Parkinson's Disease and all other diseases except HIV/AIDS would receive larger research allocations under the FAIR Foundation's recommended policies.

Facts on Parkinson's Disease from Parkinson's Action Network,  National Parkinson Foundation, Parkinson's Disease Foundation, American Parkinson Disease Foundation, Parkinson's Disease Research Society.

You have helped us grow rapidly, but we need more members to change Congress and the NIH. Please encourage new membership by posting this in chat rooms, Blogs, internet support groups, and by forwarding it to your associates, friends and relatives with your recommendation that they join free HERE. With strength in numbers, we WILL achieve fair and equitable NIH distributions for Parkinson's disease as well as ALL other diseases. 

The FAIR Foundation, 78629 Bougainvillea Drive, Palm Desert, CA 92211   E-mail: fair@dc.rr.com

FAIR Mission Statement: The FAIR Foundation is dedicated to fair and equitable distribution of research funds by the government for all diseases, including the 16 that kill a million more Americans than AIDS. A disease’s mortality rate shall be given emphasis in determining allocations and other secondary factors shall be utilized to insure diseases that cause great suffering but have low mortality rates will also receive significantly increased funding.