A daily dose of anti-HIV medication nearly eradicates the risk of infection for people in a relationship with an HIV positive partner, a study showed on Tuesday, raising hopes of reducing HIV rates among one of Africa’s highest risk groups.
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The countries that saw an increase in infections between 2005 and 2015 are Egypt, Pakistan, Kenya, Philippines, Cambodia, Mexico, and Russian Federation.
“Today, HIV cure research has come into its own as a top HIV research priority, marked by significant advances in our understanding of the scientific challenges and opportunities, more cure-focused research collaborations, and a new optimism that a cure or sustainable remission for HIV is feasible”, said Beyrer.
“As people with HIV live longer‚ AIDS is a topic that has drifted from the headlines”.
The latest data from Public Health England shows in 2014 there were an estimated 103,700 people living with the disease in the United Kingdom, with 17% of these not aware of their HIV infection. IHME estimates there were about 39 million people globally living with HIV in 2015, as compared to 28 million in 2000.
In a study of 9,812 individuals, the genetic code of HIV from each of 1,589 HIV-positive people was analyzed to better understand the relentless spread of HIV in a rural and urban community in South Africa.
Interestingly, the paper finds that use of ART is different between men and women.
Harry was joined by his Sentebale co-founder, Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, and earlier they toured the conference, visiting Sentebale’s Global Village session about the model of psychosocial support the charity provides to adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa.
“We wanted to see a particular immune picture that would suggest that a big efficacy trial would be likely to yield results”, Linda Gail Bekker of Cape Town’s Desmond Tutu HIV Centre told the network. In total, approximately 1.2 million people died from HIV in 2015, down from a peak of 1.8 million in 2005. “If there is a resurgence in new HIV infections now, the epidemic will become impossible to control. TB2016 is an important step forward in the effort to bring the needed scientific, financial, and political resources to bear against this global killer”, he said.
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In particular, the studies emphasised the low rates of HIV diagnosis among men in the region, and low rates of viral suppression, especially among men.
