NEW APPROACHES IN TREATMENT OF CHRONIC DISEASES CAUSED BY THE HEPATITIS B (HBV) AND HEPATITIS C (HCV) VIRUSES
Sofia, July 27 2015 Prof. R. Argirova - virologist, Tokuda hospital, Sofia Хроничните инфекции, причинени от вируса на хепатит В (HBV) и хепатит С (HCV) са широко разпространени в света, при хронифициране причиняват тежко протичащи и продължителни заболявания, често преминаващи във фиброза, цироза, чернодробна недостатъчност и първичен чернодробен карцином с фатален изход и представляват огромен товар за всички здравни системи. И двете инфекции увреждат силно черния дроб и са най-честата причина за чернодробна трансплантация. И двата вируса са хепатотропни, предават се по кръвен и полов път, но структурата, репликацията, както и имунният отговор към двата вируса се различава съществено, а оттам – и естественият ход на инфекцията с тези вируси е различен. Погледнато от историческа гледна точка, и двете инфекции се третираха доскоро с терапия, базирана на интерферон-алфа (IFN-alpha). Пегилираните IFNs обаче показват малка ефективност при множество странични действия. През последните няколко години се наблюдава бързо подобрение на лечението, особено на инфекцията с HCV, при която към пегилираните интерферони се добавиха т.нар. DAAs – direct-acting antivirals. Ясно се очертава тенденция към преминаване към безинтерферонови режими. Независимо от хепатотропността си, двата вируса се различават по вирусната си структура и стратегия на репликация, което обуславя и различаващо се терапевтично поведение. Ето някои от основните вирусологични различия между тях. HBV е ДНК-съдържащ вирус с непълна двойно-верижна ДНК, а HCV съдържа РНК. Жизненият цикъл на HBV (Фиг.1) започва с навлизане на вируса в клетката чрез рецепторен механизъм, следва разсъбличане (вирусът се е освободил от външната си обвивка и се превръща в нуклеокапсид) и вирусната ДНК влиза в ядрото на клетката. 
Фиг.1 Схематично представяне на жизнения цикъл на HBV (описанието в текста). Източник: www.medscape.org. cccDNA – матрица за вирусната репликация, персистира дълго време и обяснява хроничното вирусоносителство и възможността за реактивиране на инфекцията. Тя не е директна мишена на антивирусната терапия.
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Third UN Conference on financing for the Sustainable Development Goals 2015-2020
Addis Ababa, July 13-16 2015
The Third UN International Conference on Financing for Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2015-2020 took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia between 13th and 16th of July. UN representatives, ministers, parliamentarians and representatives of civil society organizations (CSO) gathered to set the main goals for development and the means for their financing. In the field of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). The main goals for the 2015-2020 time frame are achieving gender equality, women empowerment and ensuring access to SRHR for women and girls as a whole, as well as finding the financing for achieving those goals. In other words – according to the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) and its UN partners, it means access to contraception for 225 mln. women has to be ensured for the program period , as well as almost 40 bln. annually for sexual and reproductive healthcare. The attending CSO’s main concerns are the focusing on the economical side of the matter, rather than the fact that the underlying principles of SDGs are irrevocable human rights, which they state in this declaration The final outcome document
BFPA participated in the Annual meeting of the National Network for Children (NNC)
Veliko Turnovo, June 18-21 2015
From 18th to 21st June in Veliko Turnovo the National Network for Children (NNC) held its Annual Meeting and General Assembly. It was a dynamic, multi-layer event, which gave a chance to its over 200 participants to express themselves, to share, to learn, to establish partnerships. During the first two days BFPA was represented at the event by Ralitza Zgalevska who took part in the thematic working group “Child and youth participation”. The definition of CYP was established within the working group and sub-groups were formed to work on the determined priority activities. The aim of the working group is to achieve a shared understanding of CYP among the members of the Network, to elaborate a model of cooperation between the children and youth on one hand, and the NNC on the other, as well as changing the attitude of the general public towards child and youth participation.
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Low uptake of HIV testing and no HIV positivity in stable serodiscordant heterosexual partners of long-term treated HIV-infected Thais
Bangkok, June 15 2015 
Имаме удоволствието да ви представим едно от последните проучвания с водещ автор д-р Надя Кънчева Ландолт „Слаб интерес към ХИВ тестване и липса на разпространение на ХИВ сред стабилни серодискордантни хетеросексуални партньори с дългосрочно лечение на ХИВ (тайландци)”. През последните 7 години Надя живее в Банкок, Тайланд. В момента тя работи в HIV-NAT (HIV Netherlands Australia Thailand Research Collaboration) и е част от научно-изследователския институт към Тайландския Червен кръст по ХИВ. Основен фокус в работата й са въпроси, свързани с ХИВ, кръвно и сексуално преносими инфекции, както и въпроси на репродуктивното здраве.
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Our participation in this year edition of TEDхMladostWomen
Sofia, May 30 2015
TED is a non-profit organization dedicated to ideas that Deserve dissemination and propagation. TED started 25 years ago as a conference in California, and grew up as global movement that supports ideas that change the world via different initiatives. The annual TED conference invites world leading minds and activists to deliver a talk not longer than 18 minutes. Afterwards their presentations are given for free to TED.com. Among TED speakers are Bill Gates, Al Gore, Melinda Gates, Jane Goodal, Elisabeth Gilbert, sir Richard Branson, Isabel Aliende, Gorden Brown, Jane Fonda and many other inspiring personalities. The annual TED conference is held in California and is aired worldwide. TEDGlobal is conducted every year in Oxford, UK. Various media TED initiatives include the TED.com, channel, where every day new TEDTalks are loaded and the Open Translation project that provides subtitles and the opportunity TEDTalks to be translated form volunteers in many languages worldwide. TED established the annual TED prize given to outstanding figures. The prize give the opportunity people to realize their ideas; TEDx, that gives to different people and/or groups to create local TEDx events under a strict license and the TEDFellows program, that helps innovators all over the world to become part of the TED community and enlarge the impact of its remarkable projects and activities.
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Together with the Roma medical students at the 89th primary school in Sofia’s Drujba district
 Sofia, May 11 2015
We share the event through the eyes of Dr. Radosveta Stamenkova: “The district of Drujba is far from being elite one, and so the 89th primary school does not fall into the category of the “elite” schools. They call it – you guessed it – “the Roma school”. Roma medical students had a chat with the Roma students of the school – 5th to 8th grade - on relevant topics – what their dreams are, where they would like to continue their education, what is their most wanted professional realization. Despite the school being in the capital of Bulgaria, as well as in distant rural areas, there are a lot of cases of early school dropouts, early marriages and therefore lack of opportunities for further development. After the children spoke, the medical students told their personal stories. Without exaggeration and omitting the truth – “as is”, both charged and charging emotionally. “If they tell you that you are good for nothing, don’t believe them”, “At the university you’ll meet interesting people, just keep studying”, “You can do it, be persistent – if you want to become a good football player, you have to train daily, even in rainy weather. The same is with school”, “Learning new things continues throughout your life, whether you want to be a doctor, a programmer or a master chef” are just a part of the messages the children received from us. If we were able to influence the perceptions even of just one of them, we have achieved our goal…. A huge “Thank you” to all colleagues. Personally, Zlaty managed made me cry (after she began crying herself)….. and we finished the event with the film “We are not an exception” .
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