The Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation (DHTF) has been researching HIV and providing outreach around Cape Town for over a decade. This includes research on the elusive HIV vaccine. This World Immunization Week 2017, we want to share some of the history of immunization, what research is ongoing right now and where vaccines will be in…
DetailsTo commemorate World Immunisation Week, we are sharing some of our research in HIV immunity trials. The Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation (DTHF) is testing an infusion of HIV antibodies that are administered intravenously for HIV-negative people. The drip has a similar function to a vaccine; it introduces HIV-fighting antibodies to the patient’s immune system. If…
DetailsVaccines protect us from serious illnesses like mumps, polio and rubella. These diseases, which used to be harmful, are today are no longer a threat in situations where child vaccinations are routine. However, an HIV vaccine remains elusive. The Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation (DTHF) is conducting HIV vaccine trials in the hope that one day…
DetailsTuberculosis (TB) is an airborne bacterium that infects the lungs and can be fatal if left untreated. Therefore, HIV-infected people who are infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis are particularly susceptible to develop TB disease due to their weakened immune system, and in countries with high TB and HIV prevalence co-infection is common. 35% of HIV-related deaths…
DetailsWe live in an age of incredible luxury. Many people today have never encountered diseases that were once rampant and harmful – all thanks to vaccinations. Unfortunately, not everyone has access to life-saving immunisation due to their remote living conditions or socio-governmental situations. Moreover, some people opt not to vaccinate themselves or their children, even…
DetailsThis week is not only National Nurses Week but also Mental Health Awareness Week, ending on Friday 12th which falls on Florence Nightingale’s birthday. It’s the perfect time to thank the nurses and caregivers in your life and to pay special attention to how to care for your caregivers. Many nurses go through their healthcare…
DetailsWhat 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…
DetailsWith 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.…
DetailsAnti 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…
DetailsThe 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…
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