What is PrEP PrEP stands for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis. It is a daily drug that can be taken by people who don’t have HIV to prevent them from being infected with the virus. It can prevent HIV infection even if the virus enters the body through an exchange of sexual fluids or from an injection. There…
With its signature rainbow banner, the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation’s mobile fleet (Tutu Tester, Tutu Teen Truck, and Tutu Kwik Testers) bring essential healthcare services straight to communities in Cape Town where levels of HIV are high, but levels of treatment are low. In fact, around a fifth of South Africans between 15-49 have HIV.…
Anti Retrovirals (ARVs) suppresses HIV, so if we have a way to manage HIV, why do we need a cure? Less than half of people living with HIV are on treatment. This means that over half of HIV positive people are not on any treatment. With over 2.1 million new HIV infections globally in the year…
The goal for all infectious diseases is to find a drug that can quickly eradicate the infecting pathogen, such as anti-biotics, or a vaccine that can prevent the infections from ever taking root in the body. For HIV, we do not yet have either of these options available as current drugs used for treatment are…
Whilst there isn’t yet a cure for HIV, the virus can go into ‘remission’. This is where the virus is suppressed for a short time by the immune system without the need for antiretrovirals (ARVs). This period of time could be months or years. The majority of people do not undergo remission and for those…
Whilst a person living with HIV can suppress the virus with antiretrovirals, there is no cure. A cure for HIV would be the total eradication of the virus from the body. However, this is not the only option that scientists are looking into. Here are some of the strategies scientists are looking into for an HIV…
HIV infection is not a concern in the workplace, for most people. However, for sex workers, the risk of HIV infection is an everyday reality. The South African national plan for STI and HIV prevention has many positive goals, such as the 90-90-90 treatment target. This ambitious goal is to ensure that 90% of HIV-positive…
21 November 2018 Desmond Tutu Award For Hiv Prevention Research And Human Rights Desmond Tutu Award for HIV Prevention Reseach and Human Rights was presented to Linda-Gail Bekker at the HIV Research for Prevention (HIV4P 2018) conference, Monday 22 October in Madrid, Spain. The co-chairs of HIV Research for Prevention (HIVR4P 2018), the world’s only…
We want to talk to you! Globally HIV transmission is still a key social problem which needs a lot of attention from governments, health care providers, and our communities. There are general services, educational campaigns and programmes for all members of society. However, men and transgender womxn who have sex with men are particularly vulnerable…
30 July 2018 Commemorating Professor Bongani Mayosi South Africa has lost a great physician. Professor Bongani Mayosi was an eminent cardiologist and cardiac researcher and at 51 there was still so much he might have contributed to medical knowledge. Bongani held himself, his profession and those in his circle to a high standard that put the…