welcome to "beyond the headlines". i'm cheryl jennings. every week we focus on a different topic. today we're going to learn more about hiv-aids and the millions of ways it touched our lives.

30 years ago the world first had heard of a terrifying illness. five gay men contacting a strange disease and year later it was given a name that people feared was a death sentence. as lyanne melendez, it was aids. >> in 1981 they referred to it as the gay plague. at the time the survival rate was zero and it made its way to other groups. connie was diagnosed 26 years ago. >> i was told my mother, she started crying. >> fear spread throughout communities because so little was known about disease and san francisco general hospital became a model for aids care. in 1982 dionne worked in the aids ward. >> we really want to prove it was the right thing to do and safe thing to do. >> alan l. auldridge.

>> the names that died echoed through washington, d.c. they reminded everyone of the toll. despite years of advances, the significant ma is still there. >> what is happening, as i sit down like i did recently and tell somebody they are hiv positive, they are still reaction go the same way 30 years ago, you i'm going to die. >> they co-founded black brothers esteem pushing african-americans to get tested. he was diagnosed in 1990. >> there is fear of the unknown but they have to realize that we are living longer. now it's about hiv and aging. >> the world became familiar with the drug azt that prolongs lives. then protease inhibitors were

approved. >> in the current form of therapy has gone from uniformly 100% fatal disease with enormous damage to a treatable disease. >> a new breed of researchers focuses on treating patients earlier to stop the virus from replicating and doing more damage. >> we have sheochb and removing that threat to the body at an earlier time point we show that kavs long term benefit for the patient. >> in the meantime, the vaccine trial continues but it may be some time this one is developed. lyanne melendez, "abc 7 news." >> with me in the studio is one of the co-discoverers of the aids virus, dr. jay levy. he is director of laboratory and human and aids virus. it's such a pleasure to meet you? >> thank you very much.

>> i washed this virus from my entire career. an what an amazing experience it must have been for you? >> we didn't realize what when we found it. we thought was an isolated disease in united states and now when we look at the world epidemic the worst to hit human kind it's surprising. >> what were some of the challenges? >> i think the challenge was the fear. if we starred working on aids, at that time it was called grid, it's something that would affect people or the hospital. we had to assure them we had the right bio safety procedures. >> you probably had people in isolation units? >> we had an 80 square foot lab we were looking at viruses that

cause cancer. we had a small ante room where you put on a mask and you went into a small room where you could work. >> now, 30 years later. >> it's really something. i wish we could have been here faster. what we went through, lots of deaths. >> but people are living now? >> now, people are living normal lives. many of them going back to work with the situation where the drugs are working very well, but we can't be complaisant. we've only this these drugs for ten years, 15 years. we see people getting aids and dying from the result of the treatment. the therapies are better we've got to >> what better. >> what about people who hiv but

don't get infected? >> i think we learned so much from people. these individuals that of been exposed many times. they are subjects we are studying. they have a natural immune response and they get rid of it by an amazing response. >> can our own immune systems can be triggered? >> it's fantastic nature finds people that can survive. look at the long term survivors and we begin that in the mid-80s when we identified people who were perfectly healthy and had the aids virus. >> and never had any symptoms? >> no symptoms and some of them we've been following 30 years, you wouldn't know they have the virus. the secret is inside the body they have a white cell that

produces a protein that suppresses the virus and keeps them healthy. >> so you are working on that? >> our major effort is to identify this protective protein. it not only protects infection but for some people it prevents disease. >> stay right there. dr. levy is going to stay with us. we're going to more about dr. levy and continuing look at hiv and aids. stay w w w w

welcome back to "beyond the headlines". we've been talking about the status of hiv and aids. the museum in washington is marking the 30th anniversary with americans with aids with a special exhibit. several charitable groups has a xrian to raise new awareness with the fight against hiv. they will focus on funding with research and provide help with people living with the disease. >> we have a great arsenal of hiv medications. if someone starts treatment as soon as they are infected they can live a normal life span. >> really about 70, 80 people living with aids to this day. it's more of a chronic thing. >> this month marks the 30th

month anniversary the cdc -- and bay area ground zero and jay levy has been the forefront ever since the beginning. i understand your lab -- >> i thought it would be in some bottom basement but they called a few months ago and they wanted to -- the they took the lab 20 years ago and so they use it as demonstration. >> part a true part of history. >> i want to ask you about, an hiv patient who received a bone marrow transplant for leukemia, 20 months after the procedure hiv has not shown up in his body? >> this is a wonderful story. it's something that i thought would practically impossible. what we're seeing by replacing his bone marrow with cells that

can differentiate into the whole immune system and blood system, over time he has been abe apparently get rid of the virus. we call it a functional cure because you can't be sure the virus isn't hiding out anyway but we don't find virus in his blood. >> we talked about the possibility of a vaccine. are they any closer to that, you do you think? >> you've got two directions. we have drugs to take care of people infected but we wanted to do better. we want a cure. we want what timothy brown represents and what we've actually got to do, we may be looking at a very privileged population where we can go for a cure. what about developing resources in other countries, we need to son the epidemic there.

>> you have done a lot of work with south african children that have aid? >> this is a global society now. any new development in another part of the world comes back to us. we've got to respond to it. ethically we should respond but if we want to think of ourselves there could be new variants coming back and we've got to be prepared, essentially a vaccine is the best approach. >> people managing to live with aidsy, why do some people still die from it? >> they don't have the ability to control the virus with their immune system and the virus is able to get away from the drug and become drug resistant. >> so we have to keep after it and keep them alive for the next treatment. >> we keep them like a cancer person who hopefully you've cured them of the cancer but you have the new drugs.

we want to have the new ain't viral and we've got to -- anti-virl. >> i >> i thinke? >> i think a cure very very expensive but once you open the doorway, i have great convictions of the scientists around the world. they will apply it to many parts of the world. >> in our lifetime? >> definitely in our lifetime. >> thank you so much. that is going to do it for this segment of "beyond the headlines". when we come back we're going to hear from the san francisco aids foundations about recent developments in funding. stay with us. we'll be right back.

welcome back to "beyond the headlines." i'm cheryl jennings. we're talking about the developments of hiv-aids ever since it's discovery 30 years ago. around the globe, activists and world leaders recognized world's

aids day. there was explosion in infections in asia. here is a report. >> the resounding message on the seventh annual world aids day, there is much to be thankful for but there is much to be done. >> it's continuing, the work that makes such a big difference around the world. >> in australia where land marks were flooded as part of a campaign to fight aids, aids activist bono took it one step further. >> we will definitely by 2015 see the first hiv free generation in 30 years. we will do an achievable goal. >> according to the u.n. new infections have declined by 20% worldwide over the past decade. yet the estimated number of children living with aids, 11

asian countries have increased by 2001 and 2009. >> public health officials continue to push screening as the most effective way to combat the spread of the virus. south africa was one of countries hit hardest by the disease. bush wrote in the "washington post" a thousand pressing issues come each day. the continuing fight against global aids is something that america will be remembered. >> fewer than half of all americans, 45% have had an aids test even after guidelines were peangsd had for routine screening. and in the studio with me right now from the san francisco aids foundation is courtney mulhern pearson. the director of aids affairs.

it was found 29 years ago. >> yes. 29 years ago we were the first organization to respond. at the beginning it just to get information out. we didn't know why it was happening. so to gather together and work together to make sure the community was updated on what is going on. >> and what you are doing is the aids walk? >> we have annual walk on july 18th. 25th anniversary walk, it's a big event for us this year. to try to raise awareness and remind people that we're still here and fighting. that people are engaged in a battle, but its fun event. >> it's the greatest experience. i want to ask you about this.

to offer treatment only when the bio count drops to a specific level, but you have something the test and treatment. >> in san francisco last year begin actively rolling out new evidence and increasing evidence we do it earlier and guidelines around that. >> you start treatmenter earlier and you have better health outcomes. and 20% of people that are positive right now that don't know they are positive. everybody really needs to get tested and know that there is treatment available and they can get treatment available. >> i've been tested w myself because i worked with the population, it's nothing.

people shouldn't be afraid of that. there shouldn't be any stigma. >> we're hoping if we roll out more routine testing, that will reduce the stigma of getting tested. it's not on any activity that you may or may not participate in but the level of knowledge the community needs to have. >> how it affecting what you do? >> sometimes it's difficult. we've seen increasing cuts around the bay area and the state level, pretty devastating cuts 2009. so it's so important more than ever that folks come out for our aids walk and other events. donations are needed more and provide these benefits. >> talk about the services. >> san francisco aids foundation, we do testing and

prevention services. we have services because sometimes it's a big driver of the hiv infection and what i do we havets but events but also community events that really focus on health and the health of the community. also we have about 50 or so organizations across the bay area that help with funding. so its range of services. everything from prevention and care to research and treatment access. it's a great group of organizations that help with the walk. >> thank you so much. everybody should sign up for the aids walk. >> it will be fun. >> thank you so much. we have to fake another break but coming up, imagine someone

that has been living with hiv for 30 years. stay with us.

welcome back. we have bob katz us. bob has just turned 60 years old and he has lived with hiv for 30 years now. that is half your life? >> that's right. >> and how lucky you have been able to survive with this virus. we've been talking through the show, people thought it was a death sentence? >> that is true. >> how did you find out? >> it was in 1985. my doctor drew blood and test results got lost. so two weeks after he drew blood

after i gotten out of the hospital i was recovering, he called me up and said. i have news for you. he, at the time, the thinking was that only 50% of people that were positive would develop aids. at the time i didn't believe that. >> so how do you think you managed to survive all this time? >> i wish i knew. >> there is in genetic blessing i have been given. >> have you went on medication immediately? >> i went on medication in 1991. it was azt who nobody was happy with. >> but now you lived through this and you lost a lot of

friends? >> yes. >> that must have been terrible? >> i lost my partner. i've lost 60 friends, co-workers and neighbors. >> and what would you recommend? >> i would recommend that people be responsible and get tested. >> you have do a lot of fund-raising. very physical activity? >> i do the california aids ride in the fall of 1988 and fall and spring. i did the next two aids rides and i skipped and i've done the

last nine. >> and your mom has walked in the aids walk? >> that's right. she is 85. she is fine enough to do it this year. i'll be one of oldest person if not the oldest person on the walk. >> you are such an inspiration. what is your message to people about the aids virus? >> it's a wonderful thing to do to walk ten miles is not as difficult as riding 150 miles on a bike. much more challenging. get out there, it's wonderful event. there is so much joy in the air it's very simple and easy way to raise money. it's great money for the foundation and we appreciate it. >> bob, i appreciate it.

thank you for being here today. >> we are out of time. i want to thank all of our guests on the program. don't miss the 23rd annual aids walk at golden gate park. go to aidswalk.net. you have any more information about any of our guests, it's all available on our website at abc7news.com. if you are looking for community resources in your neighborhood. dial 211 for help. i'm cheryl jennings. thanks so much for joining us. have a great week and we'll see you next time.