Another recognition of his lifelong dedication to advancing peace and equality, Archbishop Desmond Tutu has been awarded the ‘Human Rights Global Treasure’ Award The award was announced during a virtual programme on International Human Rights Day, Thursday 10 December. The event included a conversation with four former UN High Commissioners for Human Rights – Mary…
U.C President elect Joe Biden announced yesterday that he has chosen Dr. Rochelle Walensky, currently chief of infectious diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital, to run the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Walensky has conducted pioneering research on HIV/AIDS and has worked closely as a collaborator and much esteemed colleague with the Desmond Tutu…
The following article was originally published in the Journal of the International AIDS Society on 28 November 2020. DTHF researchers Katherine Gill and Linda-Gail Bekker are co-authors. The full article can be accessed using the link below. HIV incidence remains high among African adolescent girls and young women (AGYW), who would benefit from pre‐exposure…
Battles won – and lost – against AIDS hold valuable lessons for managing COVID-19 Sonali Pal Chaudhury/NurPhoto via Getty Images Linda-Gail Bekker, University of Cape Town World AIDS Day this year finds us still deep amid another pandemic – COVID-19. The highly infectious novel coronavirus has swept across the world, devastating health systems and laying…
10 November 2020 – The Desmond Tutu HIV Centre and Health Foundation welcome the announcement that another trial of long-acting injectable antiretroviral cabotegravir has demonstrated safety and efficacy in the prevention of HIV in cisgender women in Africa. Study sponsors ViiV, NIAID and the HPTN announced yesterday that the randomised part of the landmark trial…
*The following press release was published by African Alliance on Monday 09 November 2020. South Africa’s newest COVID-19 vaccine trial is another crucial step in ensuring a future vaccine works for South Africans and should be commended, says advocacy group the African Alliance and partner, the Vaccine Advocacy Resource Group. “Historically, Africa has had…
Vaccine may strengthen immune response to viral infections, including SARS CoV2 South African scientists from the Universities of the Witwatersrand and Cape Town are launching a clinical trial to test whether the childhood vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) can protect front-line health-care workers from COVID-19, or reduce the severity of illness for…
30 September 2020 – The Desmond Tutu Health foundation bids a sad farewell to Timothy Ray Brown today, who was the first person to be cured of HIV. Brown was declared ‘cured’ in 2008 following a complicated stem cell transplant for lymphoma. He became known as the “Berlin Patient” based on the city in which…
The Desmond Tutu Health Foundation welcomes the positive opinion of the European Medicines Agency on the monthly dapivirine vaginal ring for use by cisgender women over the age of 18 in developing countries to reduce their risk of HIV-1 infection. “Women in Africa have been left behind by progress against HIV for far too long,…
