Paris, France | AFP | The three-decade-old quest for an AIDS vaccine received a shot of hope Monday when developers announced that a prototype triggered the immune system in an early phase of human trials. Tested in 393 people in the United States, Rwanda, Uganda, South Africa and Thailand, the …
Read More »SCIENCE: AIDS in 10 dates
Paris, France | AFP | From the start of the AIDS epidemic in 1981, here are 10 dates in the history of the disease. – 1981: First alert – On June 5, 1981, US epidemiologists report the first deaths among young homosexuals from a mysterious immune-wrecking disease later named acquired …
Read More »Five key numbers on AIDS
Paris, France | AFP | Someone is infected with the AIDS virus every 17 seconds in the world, and the disease has killed the equivalent of the population of Canada, figures released Thursday by UNAIDS show. Here is a numerical snapshot of the disease. – 17 seconds – Roughly 1.8 …
Read More »Africa gets generic version of most effective HIV drug
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | The generic version of the most advanced drug against HIV has been introduced in Kenya, a first in Africa where more than 25 million have the disease, the NGO Unitaid said Wednesday. The drug, Dolutegravir (DTG) is the anti-retroviral drug of choice for those living …
Read More »World’s first malaria vaccine
Children aged five to 17 months old in Kenya, Ghana, Malawi to test it Ghana, Kenya and Malawi have been chosen to test the world’s first malaria vaccine through a pilot program beginning next year, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on April 24. The vaccine, which has partial effectiveness …
Read More »Canadian who was closing in on HIV cure, drowns
Canadian ‘giant’ of HIV research drowns Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | Canadian scientist Mark Wainberg — described as a “giant” of HIV science and who had recently been working on finding a cure for the condition — has died at the age of 71, UNAIDS said on Thursday. The internationally renowned …
Read More »Scientists closer to wiping HIV out of body
France’s CNRS research institute says it has found a new way to zoom in on AIDS virus hideout Scientists have found a way to pinpoint elusive white blood cells which will provide a hideout for the AIDS virus in people taking anti-HIV drugs. These “reservoir” cells have long been a …
Read More »VIDEO: Uganda losing HIV fight – UNAIDS
VIDEO: Uganda is on the verge of losing the fight against HIV/AIDS – according to the UNAIDS. The global body indicates that the country has backtracked on most of gains registered in the 1990s – necessitating new and radical approaches to fight the killer disease. This was highlighted at the …
Read More »UNAIDS wants Museveni to champion AIDS fight world-wide
The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) wants Pesident Yoweri Museveni to become a champion in the fight suppress and eliminate the virus world-wide “We want you Mr. President to speak about the fight against HIV/AIDS. We want you to become a champion in the fight against HIV/AIDS in …
Read More »Uganda launches new HIV and AIDS treatment guidelines
Uganda’s Minister of State for Health Sarah Opendi has launched new HIV and AIDS treatment guidelines. In the new guidelines, anyone infected with HIV should begin antiretroviral treatment soon after diagnosis. All HIV-infected individuals will now be eligible for antiretroviral treatment regardless of disease stage or CD-4 cell count. The …
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