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Copyright – Matthijs Immink/IAS opening ceremony

News

AGILE Covid-19 drug testing platform opens new trial in South Africa

NewsOctober 7, 2021

A new international trial to assess whether high doses of the antiparasitic drug nitazoxanide could help treat patients…

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Dr. Katherine is a medical doctor, public health s Dr. Katherine is a medical doctor, public health specialist and senior researcher at the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation (DTHF) in Cape Town specializing in HIV Prevention Clinical Trials, adolescent and STI research. She has been a medical doctor for 20 years and has more than 10 years experience running a clinical Trial site in Cape Town. We are very proud to have Dr Gill as part of the DTHF medical team and trust that her knowledge and expertise will be invaluable to the Medicines Patent Pool and in driving access to infectious disease medicines in low-and middle-income countries like South Africa.
As we gather around the globe on this significant As we gather around the globe on this significant World AIDS Day, we feel compelled to amplify the collective voice that echoes in our hearts: the voice that speaks of compassion, resilience, and a shared commitment to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Today, we reflect on the progress we've made, acknowledge the hurdles still before us, and renew our dedication to a world free from the shackles of HIV/AIDS. 
In the spirit of solidarity, let us recommit ourselves to the principle that no one is left behind. The fight against HIV/AIDS is not just a scientific endeavor; it is a movement fueled by empathy, understanding, and a fierce determination to break down the barriers that perpetuate the spread of this virus. 

Our journey towards a world without AIDS demands that we confront stigma and discrimination head-on. To truly make strides in prevention and treatment, we must create environments where individuals are not judged for their status but are instead embraced with open hearts and open minds. We must empower communities with knowledge, resources, and the tools necessary to protect themselves and their loved ones. This includes access to testing, treatment, and prevention methods that are not only effective but also context-specific, adaptable and feasible. 

We have done the science and we know now that antiretroviral-based pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) dramatically reduces HIV incidence amongst individuals at risk for HIV acquisition when access, adherence, and persistence are high. We also now know that individuals on anti-HIV treatment, whose viral load is not detectable, are not infectious to their intimate partners. We now need to focus on the optimisation of preventative and treatment measures by offering product choice and differentiated access.  But this requires ongoing advocacy, and we call on governments and the pharmaceutical companies to accelerate their access programmes and expedite their cost negotiations, , remembering that in the time it took you to read this post, 4 adolescents died of preventable causes, and in this past week, 4000 adolescent girls and women became infected with HIV. 

https://bit.ly/47Cm3Dv
Dolutegravir is a key component of HIV treatment. Dolutegravir is a key component of HIV treatment. It is a highly effective antiretroviral medicine that is used to treat HIV infection in adults and children. Pictured above are member of our team at our Masi site, excited and celebrating 1 billion doses of Dolutegravir supplied to 120 countries. 
#medicinespatentpool #Dolutegravir #DTG
We stand in solidarity with fellow health care wor We stand in solidarity with fellow health care workers who courageously provide medical care and relief from suffering in the catastrophic and devastating situations of war, conflict and peril in Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, the Far East and across the globe.
South Africa remains haunted by gender-based viole South Africa remains haunted by gender-based violence and yet the shadows of unreported incidents loom large. Behind the statistics lie countless untold stories. But gender-based violence is not just a statistic, it's the reality for over half of South African Women and extends beyond the explicitly violent acts and includes a spectrum of behaviours that contribute to the perpetuation of a culture of discrimination and harm. 

Did you know there is a significant association between HIV risk and higher levels of gender-based violence? In some regions women who have been physically or sexually abused are 50% more likely to acquire HIV. Let’s not forget how gender-based violence also increases the risk and incidence of sexually transmitted infections, forced or unwanted pregnancy, unsafe abortions, maternal mortality, adverse pregnancy outcomes and malnutrition. It is also the insidious, normalized discrimination faced daily, especially by women and the LGBTI+ community. 

Let's break the chains of silence, challenge the norms, and demand accountability. Imagine a South Africa where everyone, regardless of gender, identity or sexual orientation, lives free from fear and violence. 

#BreakTheSilence #EndGBV #SpeakUp
#desmondtutuhealthfoundation #mobileclinics #inthe #desmondtutuhealthfoundation #mobileclinics #inthenewstoday #HIVprevention #sexualandreproductivehealth
Join our final #wemovewebinar of the year on Tuesd Join our final #wemovewebinar of the year on Tuesday, 28th of November, in conversation with experts and advocates on the topic of "Digital Tools and Engagement Approaches to promote sexual and reproductive health care services." 14h00 SAST. Looking forward to e-meeting you there and having a diverse and insightful discussion.

Scan the QR code to register or copy this link into your browser: https://bit.ly/47zBsnx
#sexualhealth #adolecentresearch
The Genital Inflammation Test (GIFT), is a low-cos The Genital Inflammation Test (GIFT), is a low-cost device that detects vaginal inflammation, one of the biggest drivers of HIV risk and adverse pregnancy outcomes in low and middle income countries. It has been co-developed in South Africa by an almost exclusively female team, through collaborative approaches, spanning multiple disciplines. DTHF has been running the local (Western Cape) component of the GIFT study with the team from the University of Cape Town. 

Learn more at www.gift.org.za, or email gift@uct.ac.za or join their first webinar on the 29th November in a series called “Women up to KNOW good”. Scan the QR code on the image to register or copy and paste this link into your browser:  https://bit.ly/GIFTWebinar1
In recognition of transgender awareness week, we w In recognition of transgender awareness week, we would like to remind you that at DTHF we aim to create a space that is safe and caters to everyone. Our LGBT+ Health Division is staffed by a diverse, primarily LGBT-identifying team with ample experience working to improve the health and wellbeing of LGBTQI+ communities. 

Follow the link below to find out a little bit more about what they offer: 
https://desmondtutuhealthfoundation.org.za/what-we-do/lgbthealthdivision/
Or give them a call on: +27 (0)21 650 1736 #trans #transgender #transgenderadvocate #lgbtqia #lgbtq🌈 #lgbtq #lgbtqcommunity #lgbt🌈 #lgbtqsupport #lgbtqhealth #LGBTQhealth #LGBTQHealthcare #lgbtqhealthcare
We are gearing up for our last WeMove Webinar for We are gearing up for our last WeMove Webinar for 2023 -- we will be sharing the speaker line-up and talk topics soon, please block out your calendars for the webinar in the meantime. You can also go ahead and register at the link below or by scanning the QR code. 

This is the registration link:
https://bit.ly/47zBsnx

#Wemove #webinar #digitaltools #SRH #digitalhealthcare #mHealth
The Union World Conference on Lung Health is happe The Union World Conference on Lung Health is happening this week in Paris and DTHF is there. Dr Keren Middelkoop will be co-chairing a session on evidence-based intervention to influence policy. Also look out for the following two oral presentations where DTHF was involved:

Han L, Dagnew A, Fairlie L, Innes JC, Middelkoop K, Naidoo K, Tameris M, Wilkinson RJ, Schlehuber L, Dunne M, Schmidt A. “Safety of the investigational tuberculosis vaccine M72/AS01E-4 in people living with HIV” 

Banholzer N, Middelkoop K, Leukes J, Zurcher K, Wood R, Egger M, Fenner L. "Spatiotemporal modeling of Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmission risks using environmental, clinical, and patient movement data"

Dr Keren Middelkoop (MBChB, MPH, PhD) is a clinician with more than 20 years of experience working in one of the highest TB and HIV burdened countries in the world. Her work has spanned observational and epidemiological studies and clinical trials in TB and HIV. Most recently she has served as Principal Investigator on clinical trials assessing biomedical interventions for TB prevention – both infection and disease.
It's a busy day for DTHF's @doclgb @careypike @dvo It's a busy day for DTHF's @doclgb @careypike @dvoradavey at the South African HIV Clinicians Society conference tomorrow. 

#HIVtreatment #HIVprevention #longacting #CABLA #hivandpregnancy
This week, at the Southern African HIV Clinicians This week, at the Southern African HIV Clinicians Society conference, our@katherinemgill, will be chairing, not one but two speaker sessions; one on opportunistic infections in HIV and the other on neglected co-infections.
#HIVtreatment #HIVprevention
The South African HIV Clinicians Society conferenc The South African HIV Clinicians Society conference is happening this week in Cape Town. Day 1 see our own @doclgb  and @sheetalkassim presenting on the advances in HIV treatment and the latest on HIV vaccines. 

#HIVtreatment #HIVprevention #HIVvaccines #HIVresearch
Are you attending the EDCTP forum in Paris this we Are you attending the EDCTP forum in Paris this week? If yes, please come and engage with us at our oral and poster presentations. 

Looking for career or research advice? Our very own Catherine Orrell will be at a "meet the expert" session. 

Here is the Abstract book: http://www.edctp.org/web/app/uploads/2023/11/Abstract_book_Eleventh_EDCTP_Forum.pdf

#EDCTP #EDCTPconference #conference #ParisConference #Research #thepowerofsharingscience
We currently have some openings and are actively r We currently have some openings and are actively recruiting ! For more information please visit the DTHF 'vacancy' page. 

https://applybe.com/hiv-research/search/index

#wearehiring #applynow #vacancies #jobsearch #researchfellows #labmanager #communicationscoordinator #jobopening
Stay in the know with the DTHF research spotlight Stay in the know with the DTHF research spotlight 💡 where we bring you recently published work, summarised into three convenient "swipes".

This week's paper summary is on diet, physical activity and obesity among people on anti-retroviral therapy: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09540121.2021.2012556

#researchspotlight #betterthananabstract #researchsummary #HIVTreatment #openaccess
CALL TO ACTION!!! Follow the link to sign up and s CALL TO ACTION!!! Follow the link to sign up and speak out in support of the young people declaration calling on the pharmaceutical industry, governments, funding bodies, and researchers to do their part to accelerate access of effective long-acting antiviral drugs to all for treatment and prevention of HIV. 

https://bit.ly/3SmwWEF

#thetimeisnow #calltoaction #accessforall #accelrateaccess #longactingprep #longactingART #CABLA #youngpeople #declaration #workshoponHIVandadolescence
Here is the final line-up for our #WeMove webinar Here is the final line-up for our #WeMove webinar happening later today... you can still register by following this link https://bit.ly/471ogHY or by scanning the QR code

#adolescenthealth #adolescentresearch #wemove #webinar #researchmethods
These are the panellists for our discussion in tom These are the panellists for our discussion in tomorrow's #wemove webinar on "Participatory research methods with adolescents" 14h00 SAST. 

This is a free CPD accredited webinar hosted in collaboration with IAVI @iaviorg 
To register, you can click this link https://bit.ly/471ogHY or download the file below and click on the link or scan the QR code
#adolescenthealth #adolescentresearch #wemove #webinar #researchmethods
Professor Rebecca Hodes will be chairing our discu Professor Rebecca Hodes will be chairing our discussion on "Participatory research methods with adolescents" in tomorrow's #wemove webinar. 

Have you registered for this free webinar yet? IAVI @iaviorg 
#adolescenthealth #adolescentresearch #wemove #webinar #researchmethods
Our local speaker for Tuesday's webinar is Dr Lynn Our local speaker for Tuesday's webinar is Dr Lynn Hendrick. Research Ambition @researchambitionza 

This is a free CPD accredited webinar hosted in collaboration with @iaviorg To register, you can click this link https://bit.ly/471ogHY or download the file below and click on the link or scan the QR code
#adolescenthealth #adolescentresearch #wemove #webinar #researchmethods
Join our #wemove webinar on Tuesday, 31st October Join our #wemove webinar on Tuesday, 31st October 2023, in conversation with experts and advocates on the topic of "Participatory Research Methods with Adolescents" 14h00 SAST. Our keynote speaker for Tuesday's webinar is Professor Claudia Mitchell. 

This is a free CPD accredited webinar hosted in collaboration with @iaviorg IAVI 

To register, you can click this link https://bit.ly/471ogHY or download the file below and click on the link or scan the QR code
#adolescenthealth #adolescentresearch #wemove #webinar #researchmethods
Yet another day to choose ourselves at the Mpilo H Yet another day to choose ourselves at the Mpilo Health Park -- we choose our mind, body and sexual health every day… Join our family and let’s get healthy together! 
If you are between 15 and 30 years old, come get your sign-up form at the health park. Bring along a copy of your ID/birth certificate. We are there weekdays between 08h30-17h00.
Price: R150 for the whole year 
#IchooseMyBody #mpilo #healthpark #masi #masiphumele #health
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Robert Appelbaum - Board Member

Robert is a senior partner of Webber Wentzel, a major South African law firm. Robert specialises in mergers and acquisitions, project related and other transactional work, in the main in the health and technology arenas.  Robert has worked in, and is expert in a number of African jurisdictions including Angola, Botswana, Ghana, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Mozambique, Kenya, Namibia and others.

Robert was lead attorney  for Business Unity South Africa and Business 4 South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic and he was and remains led attorney to the South African National Department of Health in relation to COVID-19 vaccines.

Robert was previously Honorary Business Representative for the Middle East and Africa Group for International Enterprise Singapore; the government agency driving Singapore’s external economy. He has also been recognized in several International journals as an expert several legal fields. Robert has BA and LLB degrees from the University of the Witwatersrand.

Robert is the co-author of two books, namely “Public Offers of Company Securities” and of “Business Rescue and Compromise Offers”.

Kevin Osborne - Board Member

With over 25 years of experience in the health and development sector – from the nurturing of non-government and community based HIV organisations in South Africa to leading international science based advocacy agencies –  Kevin brings a solid understanding of policy and service delivery integration that is grounded in community centered realities.

With a background in education and human rights, Kevin has managed a number of large scale international and regional HIV programmes by forging sustainable partnerships with government, communities, UN agencies, the private sector and other development stakeholders. Many of these have intentionally focused on addressing the structural barriers that impede service access – especially for key populations. The PLHIV Stigma Index – which is now routinely used as a tool to capture changes in HIV- related stigma and which has been applied in over 45 countries – was his brainchild.

His leadership roles include being the Executive Director of the International AIDS Society in Geneva;  the chief of party for the PEPFAR- and USAID-supported key population focused LINKAGES project in Washington, DC; the Country Director for PATH in South Africa and the International Planned Parenthood Federation’s Global HIV Advisor in London.

Kevin has been living with HIV for over half his life and is a passionate advocate for ensuring that policies and strategies make a tangible difference in the lives of those whose voices are either seldom heard, listened to or discounted.

Thank you!

Your application form was sent successfully. Candidates who are selected for interviews will be requested to furnish additional certified information that may be required to make a final selection.

Job Application Form

     

    What is the Purpose of This Form

    To assist the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation in selecting a person for an advertised post. This form may be used to identify candidates to be interviewed. Since all applicants cannot be interviewed, you need to fill in this form completely, accurately and legibly. This will help to process your application fairly.
     

    Who Should Complete This Form

    Only person wishing to apply for an advertised position at Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation.
     

    Additional Information

    This form requires basic information. Candidates who are selected for interviews will be requested to furnish additional certified information that may be required to make a final selection.
     

    Special Notes

    1. All information will be treated with the strictest confidentiality
      and will not be disclosed or used for any other purpose than to assess the suitability of a person, except in so far as it may be required and permitted by law. Your personal details must correspond with the details in your
      ID or passport.

    2. Passport number in the case of non-South Africans.

    3. This information is required to enable the organisation to comply with the Employment Equity Act, 1998.

    4. This information will only be taken into account if it directly relates to the requirements of the position.

    5. Applicants with substantial qualifications or work experience must attach a CV

     

    A. The advertised post. (All fields are required.)

     

    B. Personal information. (Certain fields are not required.)

     
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    Have you ever been convicted of a criminal offence or been dismissed from employment? *

    One or more of the vacancies above requires professional registration, please attach your professional registration below. (For better deliverability, ensure your attachment is a PDF or Microsoft Word Doc and is smaller than 20MB. You may attach up to 2 files.)

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    Please attach your police clearance information below. (For better deliverability, ensure your attachment is a PDF or Microsoft Word Doc. You may attach up to 2 files and both files, combined need to be lower than 20MB.)

     

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    Provide details of any qualifications obtained, or courses attended, to support your application.
    Name of the school/technical college you graduated from *

    Qualifications obtained at the institution/s name above *

    State which year you obtained these qualifications *

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    Name of the institution/s *

    Qualifications obtained at the institution/s name above *

    State which year you obtained these qualifications *

     

    F. Work Experience (All fields are required.)

    Please state your past work experiences below. Ensure you've added the following details. *

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    If you are currently employed, please specify how much you earn annually below. If you are not currently employed, please specify how much you earned at your last place of employment. *

    What is your salary expectation for the vacancy you are applying for? *

     

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    Please state ALL your references below. include the following *

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    Please upload your updated CV here. Your CV should include Language Proficiency, Qualifications, Work Experience and References. For better deliverability, ensure your attachment is a PDF or Microsoft Word Doc and is smaller than 20MB. *


     

    Declaration

    I declare that all the information provided (including any attachments) is complete and correct to the best of my knowledge. I understand that any false information supplied could lead to my application being disqualified or my discharge if I am appointed. *

     

    Dr Khosi Kubeka

    Dr Khosi Kubeka is a Senior Lecturer in UCT’s Department of Social Development, having joined the department in 2010 as an AW Mellon Postdoctoral Research Fellow. Dr Kubeka represents the interests if the University of Cape Town on the DTHF board. She currently teaches research methods and coordinates all the research programmes in her department. Dr Kubeka’s areas of research and interest lie in Youth Developmental Wellbeing, specifically youth exclusion and inclusion in education, health and the economy, as well as youth contribution to community development.

    Professor Robin Wood - Executive Director

    Professor Robin Wood has had a distinguished career in medicine, both within South Africa and further afield. He is currently the Emeritus Professor of Medicine at the University of Cape Town and director of the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre at the Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine.  His first foot on the ladder was as student medical officer at a hospital in Peru, followed by stints in the United Kingdom and later, Zambia. In 1990 he took up a Clinical Fellowship at Stanford University.

    He subsequently served at the New Somerset Hospital in Cape Town where he became Principal Specialist and Head of Department of Medicine. It was in this setting that he confronted the HIV epidemic leading to the establishment in 2004 of the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre within the Institute for Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine at the University of Cape Town. He has A-rated academic status and has influenced health policies within South Africa and abroad. A prolific writer, he has published numerous research papers, articles and several books and is the recipient of a number of prestigious awards.

    Charles Abrahams

    Charles Abrahams practices as a qualified attorney-at-law with specialist experience in business and human rights law, sovereign debt, complex class action litigation, public interest and human rights law, and competition law. He is a senior partner at Abrahams Kiewitz Incorporated. He frequently participates in and is often invited to contribute to domestic and international conferences and seminars.

    In particular, he has participated as an expert consultant in the mandates of Professor John Ruggie, then Special Representative of the United Nations (UN) Secretary General for Business and Human Rights that led to the adoption by the United Nations Human Rights Council of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. He is currently a consultant for the UN, drafting the commentary on the Guiding Principles of Foreign Debt and Human Rights.  Among other accolades and honours, he was Cape Law Society Human Rights Attorney of the Year, 2012.

    Mpho Ndebele

    Mpho Ndebele is a retired professional social worker who has served on various boards, including the Environmental Development Agency, the National Business Initiative, Black Sash, Impumelelo Innovations Awards, Brimstone Investments and Siphumelele Investments. She served as the first Executive Director of the Social Change Assistance Trust, an independent fundraising and grantmaking development agency.  In 2010 she was appointed the first lay-Canon in the Diocese of Cape Town and the first woman and lay-person to be selected as Chancellor of St George’s Cathedral.

    Thandeka Tutu-Gxashe

    Eldest daughter of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond and Mrs Leah Tutu, Thandeka is deeply concerned about public health. She has a Masters degree in Public Health from Emory University, Atlanta, USA. She has served as Research Project Coordinator, Rollings School of Public Health, Emory University; Director, Africa Projects University of California; and Programme Manager, Perinatal HIV Research Unit, Soweto. Currently, Thandeka is CEO of Tutudesk – an international organisation based in Johannesburg that promotes a simple plastic table that is changing the lives of learners in under-resourced countries around the world, including South Africa.

    Peter Grant

    Peter Grant joined the University of Cape Town Finance Department in 1983. In 1990 he became the second most senior person within the department until his retirement in 2015. He also took on the responsibilities of acting-Director Finance from time to time. The Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation has benefitted greatly from his financial expertise.

    Professor Linda-Gail Bekker - Executive Director

    Professor Linda-Gail Bekker is the deputy director of the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre a research centre within the Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine at the University of Cape Town. She is also the chief operating officer of the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation and immediate past president of the International AIDS Society. She has had a distinguished career as a professor of medicine and is a principal investigator of numerous groundbreaking studies in the field of HIV and TB.

    Zohra Ebrahim - Chair

    Zohra Ebrahim holds an HDE degree from the University of Cape Town. After two years of teaching, she rose to become the national civic coordinator of the United Democratic Front. She subsequently became the first black female President of the South African Institute of People Management. Zohra’s leadership at company and organisational level is rooted in years of community involvement and institution building. She has a profile that few women in South Africa have attained in the community, business, and political fields. Among her awards are the Lebone Women Achievers 1997, and she was elected as one of the Global Leaders of Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum in 1998. Her extensive knowledge, skills and experience across both the private and public sector make her an invaluable member of the DTHF team.

    Professor Linda-Gail Bekker MBChB, DTMH, DCH, FCP (SA), PhD

    “Are you healthy?”   Linda-Gail Bekker believes passionately in the right of every citizen to health and wellbeing. At the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation she has brought together rigorous clinical research with community development.  As an NPO the Foundation is able to raise funds to support outreach projects particularly those engaging youth. With a deep concern for the vulnerability of young people growing up in adverse situations, her vision is to create and sustain a centre of excellence for adolescent health and wellbeing.

    Professor Robin Wood DSc (Med), FR (SA)

    A pioneer in the introduction of treatment and clinical care of people living with HIV and AIDS in South Africa. Robin Wood was a staunch activist for access to antiretroviral therapy when this medication was denied to South Africans. A prolific writer and ardent investigator, his passion is to answer the question, “Why does tuberculosis continue to ravage our communities when the disease is curable and has been brought under control in many urban situations?”