Mapping Pathways is a multi-national project to develop and nurture a research-driven, community-led global understanding of the emerging evidence base around the adoption of antiretroviral-based prevention strategies to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The evidence base is more than results from clinical trials - it must include stakeholder and community perspectives as well.

13 June 2011

South Africa: Use ARVs to Eliminate HIV in the Next 30yrs

Via allAfrica.com, by Mary Dutki.

A plan to eliminate HIV and AIDS using antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) within the next 30 years has been unveiled by scientists from the South African Centre for Epidemiological Modeling and Analysis (SACEMA).

The plan which was unveiled last month in San Diego, California at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science proposes the aggressive use of blanket HIV testing followed with ARVs for all individuals testing positive for HIV.

With 33.4 million people living with HIV/AIDS in 2008, 2.7 million new HIV infections and 2 million deaths due to AIDS within the same year, scientists are turning their focus on antiretroviral therapy which they consider to be the only real success so far in HIV prevention. Antiretroviral therapy lowers the amount of the HIV virus in the blood to levels that render HIV positive individuals virtually non-infectious.

The scientists argue that antiretroviral treatment has so far been given too late in the course of many individuals' lives and thus treatment has not helped in reducing transmission rates.

This time however they are suggesting early testing and treatment, targeting the most sexually active population.

Read the rest here.

[Content that is linked from other sources is for informational purposes and should not construe a Mapping Pathways position.]

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