A clinical trial of a vaccine that researchers hoped would prevent HIV was stopped by its organizers, according to a statement Monday from The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health in the United States. “This action was taken because an independent…
Scientists working with Abbott Laboratories in the United States say they’ve discovered a new strain of HIV, one that took nearly four decades to confirm. That’s because researchers needed to verify three occurrences of the unusual strain before they were able to report that it was, indeed, a separate HIV…
Uganda’s Winnie Byanyima begins her role today as the new executive director for UNAIDS, overseeing the efforts of some 11 different United Nations agencies and their global partners united in the fight to end HIV/AIDS. Byanyima said she’s pleased to accept the position at such a critical time for UNAIDS,…
Donors at the Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment Conference pledged US$14 billion for the next three years to continue the fight to end HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria by 2030. The conference hosted by President Emmanuel Macron of France appealed to governments and individual donors to ensure the necessary funding to combat…
Africa has made some great strides in reducing HIV infection rates and their impacts, but the trends are uneven on the continent and across the globe. That’s worrying as progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS has slowed, according to an annual report from UNAIDS. “We urgently need increased political leadership…
The Gambia was never the only nation where fraudulent claims to cure HIV infection were promoted, but the actions of former president Yahya Jammeh made it one of the most egregious examples. The harms caused by Jammeh’s herbal-based Presidential Alternative Treatment Program (PATP), launched in 2007, are now the focus…
Global organizations leading the fight against HIV/AIDS welcomed the news that a man in London appears to be the second person ever to become HIV-free following a rare treatment – one that shows promise in helping researchers to one day find a cure. The man was treated by specialists at…
Authorities say there’s a condom shortage in parts of Tanzania, and that’s leading to concern over the spread of sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS. Dr. Faustine Ndugulile, the country’s deputy minister of public health, confirmed the shortage on Tuesday during a visit to Tanzania’s national orphanage in Kurasini, where about…
There’s a direct link between climate change and public health in Lesotho, according to the findings of an intriguing study from ICAP at Columbia University in the United States and its partners. The authors led by Dr. Andrea J. Low, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the Columbia Mailman School…
While the threat of Ebola virus spread in Democratic Republic of Congo remains under close monitoring, the wider fight against HIV infection, tuberculosis and malaria continues across sub-Saharan Africa. The latter remains a special concern, according to the Global Fund. “After years of steady declines, malaria cases are on the…
There’s well-deserved praise for sub-Saharan African countries like Botswana, eSwatini and Namibia in making strides in the fight against HIV/AIDS. On this December 1, the thirtieth anniversary of World AIDS Day, the eastern and southern regions of Africa still remain most affected by the HIV epidemic. It’s where 45 percent of…
A new report from UNAIDS warns that HIV infections are on the rise in nearly 50 countries, with West and Central Africa lagging behind on reducing infection rates and securing access to treatment. “We are sounding the alarm,” said Michel Sidibé, executive director of UNAIDS. “Entire regions are falling behind,…
The Deputy Prime Minister of Lesotho, Monyane Moleleki, this week unveiled a new tool to better manage HIV and health programming in the small southern African kingdom – one that’s getting a little star-power energy from activist Naomi Campbell. The Lesotho HIV and health “situation room” platform shows real-time service delivery…
Scientists with a new tool for preventing HIV infection say they developed the idea after studying the health of sex workers in Kenya – and what they learned may benefit other women. Canadian scientists Emmanuel Ho of the University of Waterloo and Keith Fowke of the University of Manitoba noticed…
African health advocacy organizations have joined in a global campaign against the Heineken beverage company’s new partnership with The Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. The Dutch company’s announcement came during the World Economic Forum in Davos, as Heineken promised to share its expertise in logistics and supply…