Now, two and a half years later, the child is regarded as “functionally cured”, meaning that it no longer needs treatment for HIV, has a normal life expectancy and is unlikely to pass the disease on to others.

Scientists at the University of Mississippi, who treated the child, have claimed this case as the first incidence of a person being “functionally cured” of HIV. However, experts around the world remain cautious about the chances of the treatment working on other children who are HIV positive.

According to the experts, the case is exceptional due to the fact that the child was started on ARV treatment at only 30 hours old. Most infants are only tested for HIV at six weeks. Furthermore, paediatric HIV specialist Harry Moultrie warned against making generalizations in terms of a cure for HIV. “Even if this is shown to be a functional cure, I’m not convinced if you did this to every child it would have the same result,” he said.

Meanwhile, paediatric HIV specialist Ashraf Coovadia stressed the importance of prevention rather than relying on a cure. Early treatment, he said, could not guarantee that a child born to an HIV positive mother would not contract the disease. However, HIV positive mothers who take ARV medication while pregnant reduce the chances of passing on the disease to their child to less than 5%.

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In addition to encouraging people to know their statuses, the Minister also took aim at the stigma surrounding the disease, calling it a disease that affects “human beings”. Meanwhile, groups such as Right2Know have organized their own testing drives, all encouraged at providing easy access to testing facilities for the majority of South Africa’s population.

As World Aids Day approaches, we should take this opportunity to reflect on how far we’ve come in the fight against Aids and how far we still have to go. Condoms are more widely available than ever before and remain the most effective way of preventing the spread of HIV. Mother-to-child transmission has been drastically reduced due to the increased availability of anti-retroviral drugs and recent medical breakthroughs have brought us closer to an Aids vaccine than ever before.

At the same time, the disease still carries a terrible stigma, particularly for women in impoverished areas. Efforts to increase the availability of condoms have been met with resistance, while many South Africans continue to indulge in high-risk behaviour, either through lack of knowledge or lack of empowerment.

It’s imperative that everyone involved in the fight against Aids continues to educate, inform and empower.

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Working with Durex was an amazing experience; it was wonderful to have the backing of such a large company and to find that they endorse my vision of open, honest communication around sexuality, particularly issues of STI prevention. As a condom manufacturer, Durex and their products have a massive role to play in the fight against HIV and Aids. Condoms remain the most effective method of preventing STIs, and new data is continually proving just how effective they can be in reducing transmission rates. Sarika Modi has been the driving force behind this initiative and has pulled together a project that is truly inspiring. Visit their Facebook Page to learn more.

Durex’s motto for the Connect-Ed campaign is “Safer, Smarter and In Control”, exactly what I encourage people to be through my books. Our joint venture has been a huge success so far, with 20 000 copies of our book sold to date. Durex have also thrown their support behind the Connect-Ed mobi site, aimed at providing quick, accessible sex education and information to young people via mobile phones.

I’m proud to have a company like Durex supporting my work. Here’s to a great partnership!

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Now, however, a medical breakthrough out of South Africa may have brought us much closer to creating an Aids vaccine. Business Day reports on the results of research conducted in a joint study headed by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD).

According to the findings, which were published in the journal Nature, scientists have, for the first time, been able to identify the mechanism by which some HIV-positive people are able to produce “broadly neutralizing antibodies” capable of killing 9 out of 10 strains of HIV. “We’re hoping we can use this information to develop a vaccine that prompts the body’s immune system to make broadly neutralising antibodies,” says Penny Moore, a senior scientist at the NICD and lead author of the paper.

However, the breakthrough did come with a qualification. Moore noted that, while broadly neutralizing antibodies were able to target the HI virus, they are not able to cure HIV in people who have already contracted the virus. However, they are able to prevent the virus from spreading to healthy cells.

(Source: Business Day)

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Speaking at an event in Cullinan, President Zuma encouraged parents to take an open and honest view of their children’s sexuality saying “We know that this subject makes parents uncomfortable, understandably so. But we have to face the reality that some pupils are sexually active, no matter how much this knowledge troubles us as parents.”

Meanwhile, Minister Motsoaledi once again reiterated that his proposed program went far beyond simply making condoms available in schools, describing the program as a “comprehensive dental screening, primary care, immunisation drive.”

We have previously lauded the minister for this bold initiative and it’s heartening to see that he is now receiving the full support of government in his “war against Aids”. Unfortunately, when it comes to issues around safe sex, the message from government has often been ineffectual at best, confusing at worst. A poll on the Timeslive website shows that many are still skeptical of government’s Aids prevention plans, with 89% of respondents expressing a negative view of President Zuma’s involvement with the Health Minister’s campaign.

However, by supporting the Health Minister and speaking out strongly in favour of his controversial initiative, we believe that President Zuma is attempting to rectify previous government failures by sending a clear message about the importance of practicing safe sex and receiving education about sexual health issues, including STI prevention. Let’s hope that government support extends beyond merely making speeches.

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Unfortunately, this admirable initiative is reportedly being met with opposition, both from within government and without. Reports surfaced last week that some within Basic Education Department are opposed to the plan, with some alleging that the opposition came from Basic Education Minister Angie Motshega herself.

Although the Minister Motsoaledi has denied facing any opposition from the Education Department, other organizations have spoken out against making condoms available to learners. Concerns have been raised that making condoms available will encourage students to become sexually active, while some critics have also pointed to the problem of making condoms available to learners who may be below the legal age of consent.

This is despite condoms effectiveness in preventing transmission of STIs, which continues to be proved time and time again.

Speaking out against critics, Minister Motsoaledi accused them of introducing “a silly debate to a very serious issue.” He further claimed that the plan would go ahead, in consultation with the Department of Education, who expressed their support through spokesperson Panyaza Lesufi.

Once again, we would like to salute Minister Motsoaledi for having the courage to tackle South Africa’s HIV problem with vision and determination. Making condoms accessible to young people is vital in terms of preventing unwanted pregnancies and preventing the transmission of STIs, and we’re glad that the Minister has taken the decision to do so.

Where do you stand on the issue of condoms in schools? Leave us a comment or share your view on our Facebook page.

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Firstly, in a report delivered at the conference, findings showed that ARV treatment was far more effective at reducing transmission than previously thought. New findings show that HIV-positive people who receive ARV treatment early on are 96% less likely to pass the virus on to their HIV-negative partners.

Previously, ARVs were known to reduce the rate of transmission, but it was unknown by how much. With this new data, a case can be made for HIV-positive people receiving ARV treatment as early as possible, in order to rapidly reduce the rate of transmission and, ultimately, the rate of infection.

Secondly, in the use, a cancer drug has been shown to be effective in flushing the dormant HI virus out of host cells. One of the biggest obstacles to treating HIV is that the virus has the ability to lie dormant in cells for years; a drug that can target the virus in its dormant state could be “the beginning of work toward a cure for Aids,” according to study co-author David Margolis.

Lastly, plans have been announced for clinical trials of a vaginal ring as a means to prevent transmission of HIV. The ring, which is filled with the anti-retroviral drug dapirivine and inserted into the vagina, where it releases the drug over the course of a month, has been shown to be safe and could be an important weapon in the fight against HIV and Aids. The trial plans to enroll 5000 women across several African countries, including South Africa, with researchers hoping for a protection rate of 60% or higher.

Image: www.aids2012.org

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Increased education and greater access to anti-retroviral drugs are two of the factors that have contributed to the drop in transmission rates. This has been accompanied by an increase in spending on prevention programs, up 50% from levels in 2006. Worldwide, deaths from Aids have declined considerably since 2005.

Quoted in Business Day, the health minister said that, despite the successes reflected in this study, the rate of HIV infection among women and girl children was still too high. “We need to deal more decisively with the structural issues that affect the lives of women and girls“, he said. This means that steps must be taken to alleviate conditions that put women and girls at risk, as well as addressing the stigma faced by those in vulnerable positions.

We would like to salute Minister Motsoaledi for the progress his department has made in the fight against HIV and Aids, and for acknowledging that, despite this progress, there is still far to go in the war.

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According the study, which was conducted by advocacy group One in Nine, HIV-positive women in the Eastern Cape and Gauteng have to deal with the constant threat of sexual and domestic violence, and a system which discourages them from seeking help or escaping their abusers.

Furthermore, when it comes to HIV-testing, many women are forced to act as surrogates for their male partners, who may be unwilling to visit a hospital and be tested themselves. Anti-retroviral medication is effective, but only if a course of treatment is followed thoroughly and exactly. Women, particularly in rural areas, are often forced to surrender their medication to their male partners, the study found.

Fortunately, the women whose stories feature in the study are finding help, in the form of several support and advocacy groups mentioned by the Mail&Guardian. The Masimanyane Women’s Support Centre, the Positive Women’s Network and the Treatment Action Campaign are cited as helping these women speak about their experiences and, in some cases, seek legal action against those who violated their rights.

The report shows the devastating consequences when prejudice around HIV becomes ingrained in society, but also what can be achieved when people have the courage to speak out against it.

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